Indian Space Program Discussion

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 23 Sep 2009 21:48

This PSLV launch was from the old launch pad with the vehicle assembly tower itself backing away prior to launch.

The GSLV is currently being stacked at the VAB on the new launch pad. On Google earth images, one can see plans for the construction of another VAB next to the existing one on the new launch pad.
This should give ISRO the volumes that it needs for space launches, with three VABs.
IIRC there is talk of yet another launch pad being planned.

Arun_S · Post by **Arun_S** » 23 Sep 2009 21:52

Congratulation to all in ISRO and partner companies whose effort made this a successful mission.

There is an adage I used to read as kid when I walked up across AFS-Begumpet, to teh new project area:

The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war.

We should thus recognize all the effort put into quality process that allows series of successful PSLV launches.

juvva · Post by **juvva** » 23 Sep 2009 22:08

Sanjay M wrote:Suppose that water really has been found on the Moon:

http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090918/ ... 9.931.html

Maybe this should then influence the mission goals for Chandrayaan-2 and even a possible 3rd mission.

imho, finding and investigating water ice on the Moon would be more important than investigating Helium-3.

Investigating it in the shadowed regions of the lunar poles would require RTGs to power any lunar rover we send there, as opposed to the easy solar panel approach. It would also require equipment that could handle the extreme cold in those areas.

Yes. Interesting would be to: Land at the south pole and include a digger( priority over a rover ). Better still a sample return ( on this or a future mission.) The Russians had the technology for a automated sample return in the 1970's itself - don't know if this mission profile is compatible with a GSLV-MK3 payload capability though. Would it be more difficult/require more fuel to do a sample return from the poles?

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 23 Sep 2009 22:18

CY-2's landing site was not yet chosen I think. But other than that CY-2's mission profile is frozen I think. ISRO was looking into better heat protection, but I guess that is the extent of the change that can be expected as of now.

CY-3 will need to go into planning now, with final finishing done based on the results of the CY-2 mission.

KrishG · Post by **KrishG** » 23 Sep 2009 22:29

Gagan wrote:This PSLV launch was from the old launch pad with the vehicle assembly tower itself backing away prior to launch.

The GSLV is currently being stacked at the VAB on the new launch pad. On Google earth images, one can see plans for the construction of another VAB next to the existing one on the new launch pad.
This should give ISRO the volumes that it needs for space launches, with three VABs.
IIRC there is talk of yet another launch pad being planned.

First Launch Pad

Second Launch Pad

The SLP doesn't have it's own VAB like FLP. The vehicle is assembled at the Main Vehicle Assembly Building about a kilometre away from SLP.

This is the Main VAB.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 24 Sep 2009 00:45

Gagan wrote:CY-2's landing site was not yet chosen I think. But other than that CY-2's mission profile is frozen I think. ISRO was looking into better heat protection, but I guess that is the extent of the change that can be expected as of now.

CY-3 will need to go into planning now, with final finishing done based on the results of the CY-2 mission.

Is there any idea of what Chandrayaan-3 would be about? A sample return mission, perhaps?

Rather than merely attempt a sample return mission, which isn't necessarily going to give us any valuable new data, I'd like to see something more specific around finding out more about the water, if it's really there. But if we do have a lunar sample return mission, then maybe instead of bringing back rocks, we would want to scoop up regolith to bring back to Earth, to analyze for Helium-3 content.

Large amounts of water available in an exploitable form like ice would be ideal for setting up a lunar base, as well as an eventual mining operation for extracting Helium3.
Once we have a reliable supply of Helium-3, then the rest of the solar system could be opened up to us.

Sure, I know the Moon Treaty forbids granting mineral resource rights, but if the Japanese can get away with "scientific whaling" here on Earth, then we can get away with extraction of 3He for scientific purposes.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 24 Sep 2009 00:57

juvva wrote:Yes. Interesting would be to: Land at the south pole and include a digger( priority over a rover ). Better still a sample return ( on this or a future mission.) The Russians had the technology for a automated sample return in the 1970's itself - don't know if this mission profile is compatible with a GSLV-MK3 payload capability though. Would it be more difficult/require more fuel to do a sample return from the poles?

Well, here on Earth a launch from the equator is easier because it exploits the Earth's own rotational velocity to achieve orbit. Since the Moon's rotational velocity is tidally locked to the Earth, I'd say the same thing would apply. But since the Moon's gravity is so much less, it seems possible that advanced electrical thruster technologies like PIT would be suitable for lunar SSTO transit. In which case your propellant mass is much lower, so that you could probably take off from anywhere without worrying too much about it.

If we did bring back a sample of the lunar regolith to analyze later on for Helium-3 content, then it could provide us with the hard data we need to plan out a lunar mining expedition.

I wonder if GSLV-Mk3 can be extended or enhanced into a GSLV-Mk4 or special GSLV-Mk3XL version just for launch to the Moon, just as PSLV was enhanced into PSLV-XL for Chandrayaan-1. I'd imagine something capable of lifting 20 tons to the Moon.

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 24 Sep 2009 01:52

Isn't the plan to use GSLV for the CY-II mission ? There will be in-situ measurements of the regolith made too, from what I infer.

CY-III will have a return component to it, for sure.

In the long term, there is also a need for comm sats for reliable communications, when exploring the far side of the moon with a rover.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 24 Sep 2009 02:21

GSLV for CY-2, means that the CY-2 will be ~ twice as heavy as CY-1, since the GSLV and the PSLV have ~ difference for GTO and beyond.

Isn't it possible to equip the rover with a sampler or to have a part of the rover to blast off the moon and send the samples back to earth.

Or the rover could deposit the samples onto the capsule that'll come back.

The Russians have done this way back in the '70s.

KrishG saar,
there was some confusion because of my use of the word 'in' wrt the VAB on the second launch pad - I know the difference between the VAB and the launch pad with tower. Me having trolled for hours on Google earth trying to locate the small shacks and buildings associated with the huge launch complex. I wish I could share my Google earth placemarks, there are several interesting things there. for example DRDO's launch pad where they launched India's first missiles before IGMDP came along and the ops shifted to the 6 odd sites in orissa.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 24 Sep 2009 04:05

Nifty vid from TIME.com on a festival built around a sculpture based on the oldschool Heinlein-style rocket:

http://www.time.com/time/video/player/0 ... 31,00.html

Hah - gives new meaning to 'retro rockets' and the 'raygun era'

I know it sounds frivolous, but why can't India with its multitude of festivals have a festival for Chandrayaan or ISRO? The festival could be held every time there's a launch. Again, the point would be to use popular culture to build up a base of public support for space activity, and to give this a positive connotation in the minds of the public.

harbans · Post by **harbans** » 24 Sep 2009 04:06

Some news trickling in on the discovery of water..Excerpts:

Data from Chandrayaan-1 also suggests that water is still being formed on the Moon. Scientists said the breakthrough — to be announced by Nasa at a press conference today — would change the face of lunar exploration.

The discovery is a significant boost for India in its space race against China. Dr Mylswamy Annadurai, the mission’s project director at the Indian Space Research Organisation in Bangalore, said: “It’s very satisfying.”

“This was one of the main objectives of Chandrayaan-1, to find evidence of water on the Moon,” he told The Times.

---

Another lunar scientist familiar with the findings said: “This is the most exciting breakthrough in at least a decade. And it will probably change the face of lunar exploration for the next decade.”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/s ... 846639.ece

This light wavelength was first discovered by an instrument on the Indian lunar satellite Chandrayaan-1, which stopped operating last month. Scientists initially figured something was wrong with the instrument because everyone knew the moon did not have a drop of water on the surface, Pieters said.

"We argued literally for months amongst ourselves to find out where the problem was," Pieters said. Sunshine, who was on the team, had a similar instrument on NASA's Deep Impact probe, headed for a comet but swinging by the moon in June. So Deep Impact looked for the water-hydroxyl signature — and found it.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... gD9AT9B4O1

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/0 ... overy.html

I just wonder why Jeremy Page had to write that. Change's 'instruments' noticed nothing. CY has proven to be amongst the best and scientifically most productive missions ever to the Moon if this is confirmed.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 24 Sep 2009 04:18

Gagan wrote:GSLV for CY-2, means that the CY-2 will be ~ twice as heavy as CY-1, since the GSLV and the PSLV have ~ difference for GTO and beyond.

Isn't it possible to equip the rover with a sampler or to have a part of the rover to blast off the moon and send the samples back to earth.

Or the rover could deposit the samples onto the capsule that'll come back.

The Russians have done this way back in the '70s.

Has China announced anything specific in regards to planned upcoming lunar missions? I thought they're supposed to be ahead of the curve compared to us.
Will they be doing a lunar sample return?
What about Russia?

It looks as if ISRO will be using GSLV-Mk3's extra capacity to bring the larger Russian rover along for the ride.
Why can't they use some of the capacity to put more instruments on the spacecraft, to conduct further surveys from orbit that build on the CY-1 and LRO data?

harbans · Post by **harbans** » 24 Sep 2009 04:27

^^^Got the following list:

Canonical list of Upcoming Lunar Missions
By Morris Jones (September 2009)

2009 LCROSS impact (USA)

2010 ARTEMIS orbiters arrive in lunar orbit (USA)

2011 Chang'e 2 orbiter (China)

2011 GRAIL (USA)

2011? LADEE (USA)

2011? Astrobotic lander (Private) (?)

2011? Odyssey Moon lander (Private) (?)

2012 Chandrayaan 2 orbiter and lander/rover (India/Russia)

2012? Luna-Glob (Russia)

2013? Chang'e 3 lander and rover (China)

2014? MoonLITE (?)

2015? Chandrayaan 3 lander/sample return (India)

2015? International Lunar Network first nodes landed (USA)

2017 Chang'e 4 lander/sample return (China)

http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/inde ... ntry146338

Some of these below attitudes should change after tomorrows News Conference confirming Lunar Ice?

Re: Why no Ice Digging Moon Rover by Now?
« Reply #37 on: 09/20/2009 03:29 PM »

Quote from: yinzer on 09/19/2009 06:18 PM

Is there anyone closer to discovering lunar ice than the US? Only the US and the USSR have successfully flown planetary rovers, and a lunar polar rover would be more difficult than most.

Well, take a look at upcoming lunar flights.

http://www.unmannedspaceflight.com/inde ... ntry146338

So i'd guess either a private org, India or China.

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 24 Sep 2009 04:38

It's not lunacy, probes find water in moon dirt

WASHINGTON — The moon isn't the dry dull place it seems. Traces of water lurk in the dirt unseen.

Three different space probes found the chemical signature of water all over the moon's surface, surprising the scientists who at first doubted the unexpected measurement until it was confirmed independently and repeatedly.

It's not enough moisture to foster homegrown life on the moon. But if processed in mass quantities, it might provide resources — drinking water and rocket fuel — for future moon-dwellers, scientists say. The water comes and goes during the lunar day.

It's not a lot of water. If you took a two-liter soda bottle of lunar dirt, there would probably be a medicine dropperful of water in it, said University of Maryland astronomer Jessica Sunshine, one of the scientists who discovered the water. Another way to think of it is if you want a drink of water, it would take a baseball diamond's worth of dirt, said team leader Carle Pieters of Brown University.

"It's sort of just sticking on the surface," Sunshine said. "We always think of the moon as dead and this is sort of a dynamic process that's going on."

The discovery, with three studies bring published in the journal Science on Thursday and a NASA briefing, could refocus interest in the moon. The appeal of the moon waned after astronauts visited 40 years ago and called it "magnificent desolation."

The announcement comes two weeks before a NASA probe purposely smashes near the moon's south pole to see if it can kick up buried ice. Over the last decade, astronomers have found some signs of underground ice on the moon's poles. But this latest discovery is quite different. It finds unexpected and pervasive water clinging to the surface of soil, not absorbed into it.

"It is drier than any desert we have here," Sunshine said.

The water was spotted by spacecraft that either circled the moon or flew by. All three ships used the same type of instrument that looked at the absorption of a specific wavelength of light that is the chemical signature of only two molecules: water and hydroxyl. Hydroxyl is one atom of hydrogen with one atom of oxygen, instead of two hydrogen atoms in water.

Because of the timing during the daylight when some of that wavelength disappears and some doesn't, it shows that both hydroxyl and water are present, Sunshine said.

This light wavelength was first discovered by an instrument on the Indian lunar satellite Chandrayaan-1, which stopped operating last month. Scientists initially figured something was wrong with the instrument because everyone knew the moon did not have a drop of water on the surface, Pieters said.

"We argued literally for months amongst ourselves to find out where the problem was," Pieters said. Sunshine, who was on the team, had a similar instrument on NASA's Deep Impact probe, headed for a comet but swinging by the moon in June. So Deep Impact looked for the water-hydroxyl signature — and found it.

Scientists also looked back at the records of NASA's Cassini probe, which is circling Saturn. It has the same type instrument and whizzed by the moon ten years ago. Sure enough, it had found the same thing.

The chance that three different instruments malfunctioned in the same way on three different spaceships is almost zilch, so this confirms that it's water and hydroxyl, Pieters said.

"There's just no question that it's there," Pieters said. "It's unequivocal."

Scientists testing lunar samples returned to Earth by astronauts did find traces of water, but they had figured it was contamination from moisture in Earth air, Pieters said.

Three scientists who were not part of the team of discoverers said the conclusion makes sense, with Arizona State University's Ron Greeley using the same word as Pieters: unequivocal.

Lunar and Planetary Institute senior scientist Paul Spudis called it exciting and said it raises the logical question: Where did that water come from?

Pieters figures there are three possibilities: It came from comets or asteroids that crashed into the moon, those crashes freed up trapped water from below the surface, or the solar wind carries hydrogen atoms that binds with oxygen in the dirt. That final possibility is the one that Sunshine and Pieters both prefer.

If it is the solar wind, that also means that other places without atmosphere in our solar system, such as Mercury or asteroids, can also have bits of water, Sunshine said.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 24 Sep 2009 04:53

harbans wrote:Some news trickling in on the discovery of water..Excerpts:

Data from Chandrayaan-1 also suggests that water is still being formed on the Moon. Scientists said the breakthrough — to be announced by Nasa at a press conference today — would change the face of lunar exploration.

The discovery is a significant boost for India in its space race against China. Dr Mylswamy Annadurai, the mission’s project director at the Indian Space Research Organisation in Bangalore, said: “It’s very satisfying.”

“This was one of the main objectives of Chandrayaan-1, to find evidence of water on the Moon,” he told The Times.

---

Another lunar scientist familiar with the findings said: “This is the most exciting breakthrough in at least a decade. And it will probably change the face of lunar exploration for the next decade.”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/s ... 846639.ece

I'm wondering if we should even bother going to Mars in the near term, since if there's water on the Moon, then being much closer it should attract more effort from us. Besides, Mars with its dispersing weather effects and its low gravity is unlikely to have any Helium-3 in significant quantities.

If there's going to be a race, it's going to be a race for the Moon first, rather than more distant Mars.

If we totally focus all efforts on the Moon, we could get there sooner, and get to the best water spots.
Not all locations are equal, and the sooner we find the best locations to go to, then the better our chances of getting the best real estate there.

This light wavelength was first discovered by an instrument on the Indian lunar satellite Chandrayaan-1, which stopped operating last month. Scientists initially figured something was wrong with the instrument because everyone knew the moon did not have a drop of water on the surface, Pieters said.

"We argued literally for months amongst ourselves to find out where the problem was," Pieters said. Sunshine, who was on the team, had a similar instrument on NASA's Deep Impact probe, headed for a comet but swinging by the moon in June. So Deep Impact looked for the water-hydroxyl signature — and found it.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... gD9AT9B4O1

http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/0 ... overy.html

I just wonder why Jeremy Page had to write that. Change's 'instruments' noticed nothing. CY has proven to be amongst the best and scientifically most productive missions ever to the Moon if this is confirmed.

After all these years of India-Pak equal-equal, I don't mind seeing India getting some equal-equal with larger China. The more we're compared to China's league, the more we can escape India-Pak equal-equal.

The article seems to make it clear that we've scored a coup against China and have leapfrogged it in the realm of lunar science with this discovery.

Moon Chalo!

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 24 Sep 2009 05:00

“This will create a considerable stir. It was wholly unexpected,” said one scientist also involved in Chandrayaan-1. “People thought that Chandrayaan was just lagging behind the rest but the science that’s coming out, it’s going to be agenda-setting.”

That makes my day.

Of course the hydroxyl moeity is found in alcohols as well as carboxylic acids, so hopefully rigorous spectroscopy has been applied to their water hydroxyl signal.

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 24 Sep 2009 05:02

The article seems to make it clear that we've scored a coup against China and have leapfrogged it in the realm of lunar science with this discovery.

Actually it establishes that India is a productive and responsible member of the comity of nations unlike....

KrishnaMu · Post by **KrishnaMu** » 24 Sep 2009 05:03

Few days back from Google Earth/Lunar explorer i have seen Tri-Colour moon impact probe information updated. I thought google takes ages to update it.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 24 Sep 2009 05:09

pgbhat wrote:It's not lunacy, probes find water in moon dirt
WASHINGTON — The moon isn't the dry dull place it seems. Traces of water lurk in the dirt unseen.
...

Lunar and Planetary Institute senior scientist Paul Spudis called it exciting and said it raises the logical question: Where did that water come from?

Pieters figures there are three possibilities: It came from comets or asteroids that crashed into the moon, those crashes freed up trapped water from below the surface, or the solar wind carries hydrogen atoms that binds with oxygen in the dirt. That final possibility is the one that Sunshine and Pieters both prefer.

What about if it came from Earth? Our atmosphere loses hundreds of tons of water to space every year. Isn't it possible that some came from us, and drifted into the Moon's gravity pull?

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 24 Sep 2009 05:09

May be it is time to re-open Chandrayaan thread.

harbans · Post by **harbans** » 24 Sep 2009 05:15

After all these years of India-Pak equal-equal, I don't mind seeing India getting some equal-equal with larger China. The more we're compared to China's league, the more we can escape India-Pak equal-equal.

I agree with that, however as regards to the lunar mission, IIRC Japans Kaguya mission claimed no water existed. This will put CY above par certainly than the Chang'e and also the Japanese Kaguya mission. I am just waiting to see how much credit they'll give to the CY team. The American press is very partisan mostly.

This is specially so if these spots are limited on the Moon. There will be a scramble for access to these spots. India should release more funds for future moon missions including manned ones at the earliest. Lets see what happens in the next few weeks.

May be it is time to re-open Chandrayaan thread.

I never knew why it was closed in the first place. There's a lot of papers and scientific findings due to be out post mission and it would make sense only to discuss it in the relevent CY1 thread.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 24 Sep 2009 06:40

May be it is time to re-open Chandrayaan thread.

done

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 24 Sep 2009 07:13

Oceansat-2 to beam images today

That is a very quick deployment indeed, just a day after launch.

The initial four images from Oceansat-2 will be received around 12.30 p.m. on Thursday by the National Remote Sensing Agency’s (NRSA) earth station at Shadnagar, about 55 km from here.

The station, equipped with four terminals, would get four “large images” every day, according to sources in NRSA.

The sources said the INCOIS would start giving Oceansat-2 data after a week as certain tests needed to be carried out. “Presently, we are receiving colour and wind data from the foreign satellites. But, the timelines would be greatly reduced with Oceansat-2,” the sources added.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 24 Sep 2009 07:44

KrishG wrote:
{Which means that the turnaround time for a PSLV launch is just 2 months}
There will be no more PSLV launches this year. The C-15 flight will probably take place in Jan-Feb of 2010. All the effort at present is on D3. That's the reason FLP was used for today's launch as SLP is being prepared for GSLV. The D3 flight would be the final launch of this year.

KrishG, from this report, Director VSSC says

. . . PSLV-C15 ahead of December

. Do you have a more authoritative source ? Besides, we know that it takes about 2 months to re-prepare the FLP after a launch. From a launch pad availability perspective, the FLP could be available for another PSLV flight by end-November timeframe while activities are going on in the SLP. And, of course, the D3 flight will be the last flight for 2009 because per Dr. Radhakrishnan the PSLV will be ahead of D3.

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 24 Sep 2009 07:50

For polar satellite launches into sun synchronous orbit, the PSLV deploys the satellite exactly up to the orbit. The satellite can start to operate right away after it is stabilized by the gyros and contact with its earth station is made.

For communications satellite intended for the Geostationary orbit, the launcher leaves the satellite into a highly inclined GTO orbit. It takes a few days with several orbital corrections to raise the orbit to the 36000km altitude, using the satellite's motors to put the satellite into its correct geostationary orbit. Only then is the satellite's main sensors turned on and its solar panels completely opened.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 24 Sep 2009 08:32

Gagan, thanks. I know the orbit raising operations etc of geosynchrnous sats etc. and how in polar orbits these are absent. I was talking about payloads per se. Whether GSO or SSO, the paylaods are normally checked out and calibrated after all range operations are done with to accurately determine orbital parameters. That takes a while usually. That was what I was referring to.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 24 Sep 2009 08:41

PSLV C14 LAUNCH ON 23RD SEPT 2009 FROM SRIHARIKOTA

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 24 Sep 2009 08:48

I still wish somebody would slap a camera onboard the damn thing. Everybody else does it - why can't we? It just looks nicer when you can see the landscape shrinking away from the rocket's point of view.

vishwakarmaa · Post by **vishwakarmaa** » 24 Sep 2009 09:00

Did NASA paid ISRO for the launch of its moon probes?

The way NASA is coming out with data and ISRO is still unaware of development, giving response - "We will examine data when it is shared with us. It was quite unexpected development.", tells two things. One, either ISRO scientists are technically incompetent to decipher scientific data which they got from NASA or two, NASA kept ISRO out of the loop of this scientific experiment which they claim as "global" and for "humanity".

The so-called co-operation between NASA and ISRO has turned out to be more talk, less action just like obama's hollow promises on climate change responsibilities.

vina · Post by **vina** » 24 Sep 2009 09:34

vishwakarmaa wrote:Did NASA paid ISRO for the launch of its moon probes?

The way NASA is coming out with data and ISRO is still unaware of development, giving response - "We will examine data when it is shared with us. It was quite unexpected development.",....

The so-called co-operation between NASA and ISRO has turned out to be more talk, less action just like obama's hollow promises on climate change responsibilities.

Give it a rest. Vishu Som was on TV in a special program yesterday trying to pump the Madhavan Nair for information on the discovery. From all indications, ISRO is fully briefed on the results and are in the know of what is going to be announced. They are waiting for NASA to come out with the announcement. The results are there with the Journal, Science as well. However they are is a news black out until the official NASA news conference at 2:00 pm EDT today. That is what everyone is respecting. However news has started to leak out and hence the flurry of reporting.

vina · Post by **vina** » 24 Sep 2009 09:40

But what a great achievement. Chandrayaan has proved EVERY skeptic wrong, including the pernennial white skinned whiners oh.. "What is a country with so much poverty doing by sending moon missions" and their Indian slave drummer boys ". oh.. what about water in the toilet of the shanties, instead of water on the moon"

There is great science being done, definitely path breaking discoveries being made and if India's stock as a space faring nation goes up because of all this, all power to ISRO!.

As for the Chinese, wait for a few days and you will see an announcement of a mission called Sandlayaan , with a payload called "Moon Minelorogy Mappel " designed by Pakistan. The Paki instrument will broadcast fatwas and call for jihad against all the Kaffir nations that dare set foot on the Moon and defile the holy moon. Also , Pakis will declare that finding water is old hat and nothing radical. After all , the Jinns live on the Moon and the Moon Minelorogy Mappel will prove their existence . As for why water, Jinns need to partake water. What the Kaffir instruments detected was an outlet of the Zam Zam on the moon , which we knew always existed.

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 24 Sep 2009 09:45

^^^

results will be published in Arabic Journal for Promotion of HoKo and Prevention of Science.

juvva · Post by **juvva** » 24 Sep 2009 09:57

This also validates the selection of Indian/Foreign instruments that were selected by ISRO for the ride. IIRC there were many candidate instruments vying for the free ride,,,

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 24 Sep 2009 10:01

guys, the CY-1 thread is open. please post there so that these things can be archived.
could someone X-post the above posts there ?
thanks.

KrishG · Post by **KrishG** » 24 Sep 2009 19:41

Sanjay M wrote:
Gagan wrote:GSLV for CY-2, means that the CY-2 will be ~ twice as heavy as CY-1, since the GSLV and the PSLV have ~ difference for GTO and beyond.

Isn't it possible to equip the rover with a sampler or to have a part of the rover to blast off the moon and send the samples back to earth.

Or the rover could deposit the samples onto the capsule that'll come back.

The Russians have done this way back in the '70s.
Has China announced anything specific in regards to planned upcoming lunar missions? I thought they're supposed to be ahead of the curve compared to us.
Will they be doing a lunar sample return?
What about Russia?

It looks as if ISRO will be using GSLV-Mk3's extra capacity to bring the larger Russian rover along for the ride.
Why can't they use some of the capacity to put more instruments on the spacecraft, to conduct further surveys from orbit that build on the CY-1 and LRO data?

Info about the CLEP (Chinese Lunar Exploration Program) is in the public domain.
2010 - Change' 2 - It is a clone of Change' 1 and was built with Change' 1.
2013/14 - Change' 3 - It will have a rover and an orbiter. Both built in China. The rover design is in the final stages of completion.
2017/18 - Sample Return mission
2025 - Manned mission

animesharma · Post by **animesharma** » 25 Sep 2009 02:19

Just a thought, but i guess ISRO should consider modifying mission profile on CY2 to focus on its recent finding of water on moon.
Or may be the decision to add a smaller india rover onboard is reasult of the same.
In anyway, the more you are closer to moon water, the better your claim will be.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 25 Sep 2009 02:26

TREATY ON PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE ACTIVITIES OF STATES IN THE EXPLORATION AND USE OF OUTER SPACE, INCLUDING THE MOON AND OTHER CELESTIAL BODIES
http://www.state.gov/www/global/arms/tr ... pace1.html

Article II

Outer space, including the moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 25 Sep 2009 03:04

belated Congratulations ISRO......keep it going.

Gerard · Post by **Gerard** » 25 Sep 2009 03:07

article in the UK Daily Mail

139 comments. Much takleef.

anishns · Post by **anishns** » 25 Sep 2009 03:17

An excerpt

You guys better use to this, as most of this country will be run by Indian and Chinese corporations in a decade.

Jaguar, Land Rover, Corus and Tetley are under Indian ownership, as an Investment banker I know of two HUGE uk listed corporations which will be under Indian ownership in the next 6 months.

Having worked in Mumbai for a year, Indians are phenomenal, their natural level of intelligence is far higher than the level to be found in UK schools, in terms of raw IQ.

Most Indians are extremely hard workers, I know who from just starting with a corner shop are millionaires (I know because they are high net worh clients) and the simple fact is in the UK they are far wealthier than the average Brit, from research carried out by bank GS, about 4 times on average in wealth terms.

As far as the British govt goes, well, I dont need to comment, you will let your voting do the talking, but I feel the damage has already been done.

- Paul Dean, Canary Wharf, 24/9/2009 21:59

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... z0S40pF9Ru

Gerard wrote:article in the UK Daily Mail

139 comments. Much takleef.