Indian Space Programme Discussion

member_29172 · Post by **member_29172** » 25 Jan 2016 12:28

^^ There's an international space discussion thread for non Indian space discussions, please take it there.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 25 Jan 2016 14:27

Cryogenic engine may be used for GSLV Mk-III by year-end - The Hindu

The high-thrust cryogenic engine (CE20), which was successfully test fired at the ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri, for launching three-tonne class payloads, would be used on GSLV Mk-III flight by the end of this year, a senior IPRC scientist has said.

A long duration hot test has proved that all sub-systems of the engine performed well and after completing a series of development tests on this indigenously developed engine, it would be ready for flight by the end of this year, the scientist told The Hindu here on Sunday.

Preferring anonymity, he said the engine would be subjected to further confirmatory tests before it is tested and used to power the cryogenic stage of GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle.

Though the engine was designed to carry three-tonne class satellites, the payload weight would be restricted to less than three tonnes in the initial developmental flight, he said.

Self-reliance

India still relied on the European Space Agency (ESA) for launching its four-tonne class satellites, he said. The country could become self-reliant once the semi-cryogenic engine is developed, he said. IPRC has started the assembly, integration and testing facilities and is set to achieve a milestone in the next three years, he said.

The semi-cryogenic engine, using kerosene as fuel and liquid oxygen as oxidiser, is currently being designed and developed. The refined and purified kerosene to be used as fuel has been named as ‘isrosene’, the scientist said.

One dollar per one kg

Pointing out that India paid roughly about one dollar (US) for launching one kg weight of payload at the ESA, he said “we can considerably reduce the launch expenses after developing the semi-cryogenic engine.”

The IPRC was also into the development of airbreathing engines, he said adding “it’s a different technology altogether and initial tests are being conducted.”

The experimental flight would most probably be conducted this year, he said.

member_28108 · Post by **member_28108** » 26 Jan 2016 12:14

http://www.isro.gov.in/aditya-l1-first- ... -study-sun

The Aditya-1 mission was conceived as a 400kg class satellite carrying one payload, the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) and was planned to launch in a 800 km low earth orbit. A Satellite placed in the halo orbit around the Lagrangian point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/ eclipses. Therefore, the Aditya-1 mission has now been revised to “Aditya-L1 mission” and will be inserted in a halo orbit around the L1, which is 1.5 million km from the Earth. The satellite carries additional six payloads with enhanced science scope and objectives.

Image credit: Udaipur Solar Observatory – PRL (Ground-based)

The project is approved and the satellite will be launched during 2019 – 2020 timeframe by PSLV-XL from Sriharikota.

Aditya-1 was meant to observe only the solar corona. The outer layers of the Sun, extending to thousands of km above the disc (photosphere) is termed as the corona. It has a temperature of more than a million degree Kelvin which is much higher than the solar disc temperature of around 6000K. How the corona gets heated to such high temperatures is still an unanswered question in solar physics.

Aditya-L1 with additional experiments can now provide observations of Sun's Photosphere (soft and hard X-ray), Chromosphere (UV) and corona (Visible and NIR). In addition, particle payloads will study the particle flux emanating from the Sun and reaching the L1 orbit, and the magnetometer payload will measure the variation in magnetic field strength at the halo orbit around L1. These payloads have to be placed outside the interference from the Earth’s magnetic field and could not have been useful in the low earth orbit.

The main payload continues to be the coronagraph with improved capabilities. The main optics for this experiment remains the same. The complete list of payloads, their science objective and lead institute for developing the payload is provided below:

Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC): To study the diagnostic parameters of solar corona and dynamics and origin of Coronal Mass Ejections (3 visible and 1 Infra-Red channels); magnetic field measurement of solar corona down to tens of Gauss – Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA)
Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT): To image the spatially resolved Solar Photosphere and Chromosphere in near Ultraviolet (200-400 nm) and measure solar irradiance variations - Inter-University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics (IUCAA)
Aditya Solar wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) : To study the variation of solar wind properties as well as its distribution and spectral characteristics – Physical Research Laboratory (PRL)
Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA) : To understand the composition of solar wind and its energy distribution – Space Physics Laboratory (SPL), VSSC
Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer (SoLEXS) : To monitor the X-ray flares for studying the heating mechanism of the solar corona – ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC)
High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS): To observe the dynamic events in the solar corona and provide an estimate of the energy used to accelerate the particles during the eruptive events - ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC)and Udaipur Solar Observatory (USO), PRL
Magnetometer: To measure the magnitude and nature of the Interplanetary Magnetic Field – Laboratory for Electro-optic Systems (LEOS) and ISAC.
With the inclusion of multiple payloads, this project also provides an opportunity to solar scientists from multiple institutions within the country to participate in space based instrumentation and observations. Thus the enhanced Aditya-L1 project will enable a comprehensive understanding of the dynamical processes of the sun and address some of the outstanding problems in solar physics.

member_28108 · Post by **member_28108** » 26 Jan 2016 12:18

^^ there seems to be a lot of factual errors in that article .
GSLV Mk3 is supposed to be able to alunch satellites of the 4 ton class Tto GTO and 8 tons to LEO .The semicryo version is designed for 6+ Ton class. Also it is around 10000$ per pound. If you could launch at 1 $/Kg that would be the holy grail of satellite launch capability !

http://www.isro.gov.in/launchers/lvm3

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 26 Jan 2016 12:44

for $1/kilo, I'd have a GPS constellation just for me.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 26 Jan 2016 14:09

India, France set to expand space partnership

At least three of the 14 agreements signed by India and France on Monday were on expanding space collaboration.

The Indian Space Research Organisation and its French counterpart CNES (National Centre for Space Studies) agreed to work together in the next Mars mission, as well as a satellite launch and a thermal infrared observation mission.

Nick_S · Post by **Nick_S** » 28 Jan 2016 09:01

ASTROSAT Completes 100 days in Orbit

symontk · Post by **symontk** » 28 Jan 2016 14:24

Is RLV going to be launched from ASLV launch pad? I am asking since PSLV / GSLV launch pads will be full with PSLV launches

member_29267 · Post by **member_29267** » 28 Jan 2016 16:34

symontk wrote:Is RLV going to be launched from ASLV launch pad? I am asking since PSLV / GSLV launch pads will be full with PSLV launches

I believe the RLV HEX will be launched FLP.

symontk · Post by **symontk** » 28 Jan 2016 20:33

As per the below sources, in 2016, there are 6 more orbital launches:

March 10, PSLV C32, IRNSS-1F
March 31, PSLV-33, IRNSS-1G
April, PSLV-C34, Cartosat-4C (sic)
May, PSLV-C35 "es si si ti" satellite (could that be an approximate phonetic for S C A T sat ?)
by August, GSLV F05, Insat-3DR
December, GSLV MkIII
RLV (sub orbital) in 2016-H2

Sources:
http://www.prajasakti.com/Content/1748605
http://www.andhrajyothy.com/Artical?SID=200026
http://www.prajasakti.com/BreakingNews/1748359

Since there are 2 launches in March and other in April and another in May, both launch pads will be fully booked

So RLV has to be in another launch pad for April, otherwise it might be for launch after June, which is also possible

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 01 Feb 2016 07:28

NASA, India join hands for astrobiology mission - Jacob Koshy, The Hindu

Even as India prepares for a second mission to Mars, a team of scientists from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Mars Society Australia and the Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, Lucknow, will mount an expedition to Ladakh this August to study the similarities of certain parts of the region’s topography and microbial life to Martian surroundings.

India’s second mission to Mars — scheduled to be in 2020 — will involve collaboration with France and may include a lander or rover — remote controlled vehicles — which can ostensibly better analyse a planet’s surface.

“This is the first time that India is part of the Spaceward Bound programme,” said Siddharth Pandey, who is among the coordinators of the expedition “and we hope to have the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) closely involved.” The Spaceward Bound is a NASA project that educates future space explorers and funds expeditions to places with extreme climate conditions.

Before Ladakh, there have been expeditions to the deserts such in Atacama, Chile; Mojave, California; Arkaroola, Australia as well as the Arctic and Antarctica, organised since 2006.

Low-cost Mars mission

The success of India’s low-cost mission to Mars, in 2014, has led to heightened international interest in collaborating with India’s upcoming space missions. India now has an orbiter that's still circling Mars and taking pictures — with five instruments on board — in hopes of finding methane, carbon dioxide and the effect of solar winds on its surface. “Ladakh has been studied before but this time we’re going to be looking at some very specific experiments,” said Mr. Pandey — an engineer from India and who’s previously worked at the NASA. “We will be testing a rover that will collect samples and analyse some of the high altitude springs etc.”

According to the programme’s website, Ladakh offers a “high UV (ultra-violet) exposed, dry ecosystem with Mars analogue topological features that tell us heaps about the origin and evolution of our planet’s topological features…”

Before its Mars Mission, the ISRO has Chandrayaan 2 planned to the moon, in 2017, that too hopes to set a lander on the surface of the moon.

The Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeobotany, which has expertise in studying ancient climate and life, will be coordinating the travel of scientists and researchers from several countries who will be part of the 10-day expedition.

Along with research experiments, the group would also meet school students and organise sessions on how astrobiology missions work, the evolution of life on earth as well as on how space missions work, Mr. Pandey added.

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 08 Feb 2016 17:00

After GPS, ISRO Is Now Working On World's Most Efficient Weather Prediction Satellite!

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is developing a new weather-forecasting satellite to predict the beginning of cyclones in oceans. About 300 scientists are working on the satellite named ScatSat-1, at the Space Applications Centre (SAC) in Ahmedabad.

The amazing fact about this satellite, weighing 301 kg, is that it is being built at 60% of the actual cost, and in one-third of the estimated time. About 40% of satellite is made by recycling the leftover equipment from previous satellite missions. It will be launched in July 2016 and will have a mission life of five years.

OceanSat-2, which was launched in 2009 and was known for its accurate predictions of cyclones like Hudhud and Phailin, will be replaced by ScatSat-1. Although OceanSat-2 stopped functioning in February 2014, currently, ISRO is getting most of the weather information from INSAT-3D satellite.

“Normally, it takes about three years to build a satellite of this class from scratch. However, as we have sourced 40% of the parts used in ScatSat-1 from spares of previous missions, we will complete it in a year’s time,” said Tapan Misra, director of the SAC.

At the time of launch, ScatSat-1 will be a piggy ride with another satellite, and this will help save costs even further.

A scatterometer in the satellite will help predict formation of cyclones in waterbodies like seas and oceans. Predictions such as these will help in timely evacuation and minimise human casualties. A scatterometer measures the scattering effect produced while scanning the surface of the Earth from an aircraft or a satellite. It measures the direction and speed of winds over the seas and oceans. This satellite has been designed to withstand multiple system failures, unlike OceanSat-2.

ScatSat-1 is a polar orbiting satellite and will take two days to cover the globe. The data will be used by organisations like NASA, European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as well.

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 08 Feb 2016 17:01

ISRO Scientists Build Weather Satellite At 60 Percent Of Cost By Recycling

A team of scientists from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is building a cost-effective new satellite that would help predict cyclones and other weather conditions in the country. The new ScatSat-1 satellite will replace OceanSat-2, which has correctly predicted cyclones in the past.

Dubbed as an example of frugality, the 310-kg ScatSat-1 satellite is being created at 60 percent its actual cost and in as fast as one-third of the expected timeframe.

How is that possible? It's all because of recycling.

About 40 percent of the massive satellite is comprised of scraps from previous satellite missions that have been developed at the Space Applications Centre (SAC) in Ahmedabad. SAC is a vital arm of ISRO, and it deals with a variety of disciplines such as the design and development of societal applications, payloads, space sciences, and capacity building.

"Normally, it takes about three years to build a satellite of this class from scratch," said SAC director Tapan Misra.

"However, as we have sourced 40 percent of the parts used in ScatSat-1 from spares of previous missions, we will complete it in a year's time."

The cost of the entire ScatSat-1 project will be further cut down as the new weather satellite will be launched into orbit while piggy-backing onto another satellite. It will definitely save launch costs, Misra said.

The ScatSat-1 satellite's task is to measure wind vectors, as well as the speed and direction of wind over oceans. It has been built to survive multiple system failures, unlike previous satellites which were only designed to withstand a single failure, Misra said.

OceanSat-2 was launched six years ago, and had become dysfunctional in 2014. It was known for its accurate predictions of cyclone Hudhud and cyclone Phailin. The latter was detected in Orissa Coast three years ago.

Now that the OceanSat-2 is dysfunctional and the ScatSat-1 is still being built, the ISRO is collecting weather data from the INSAT-3D satellite.

ISRO has proven that it is capable of being extremely economical. In 2014, India achieved a historic moment when it successfully placed the low-cost Mars spacecraft named Mangalyaan around the red planet just on its very first attempt. With that, India broke into an elite club of three nations.

Meanwhile, the ScatSat-1 satellite is expected to have a mission-life of five years, and it will represent ISRO until an advanced OceanSat-3 is built.

vina · Post by **vina** » 09 Feb 2016 13:56

Someone should write to ISRO and tell them to rename the unfortunately named "ScatSat"

member_28108 · Post by **member_28108** » 09 Feb 2016 15:59

^ there will always be some thing that will mean something else in another language for eg Tomorrow in Telugu can mean something else in English and so on and so forth. Scat basically even in English means go away ! Ther used to be a comic serial in the 70's called Scat cat

member_29294 · Post by **member_29294** » 10 Feb 2016 08:32

Some photos of the RLV-TD ISRO is building:

Looking rather nice. Hopefully RLV-TD will be the focus after IRNSS.

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 12 Feb 2016 00:52

ISRO trying to put electric propelling system for satellites: Sivan.

Efforts are on to put electric propelling system for satellites to enable them to carry more payload, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre director Dr K. Sivan said here today.

"The efforts will help in cutting down fuel required for maneuvering the satellites in the orbit and more payload can be taken," Sivan said at the 10th International High Energy Material conference and Exhibits (HEMCE 2016) here.

He said GSLV Mark III will be launched in December this year.

The ISRO scientist said efforts will be made to launch 'Chandrayan 2', the country's second lunar exploration mission after 'Chandrayaan-1', with a rover as soon as possible.

On manned space flight, Sivan said they are coming up with a project called "Abbot Machine".

Earlier, Dr.K.P.S. Murthy, Director, High Energy Materials Research Lab ( HEMRL), spoke about the development of high explosive detective technology which is being developed for concealed explosives by their laboratory.

Observing that high energy material technology is a highly-guarded technology, Dr. Satish Kumar, Director General, Missiles and Strategic Systems, DRDO, said, "scientists and technologists are moving forward and advancing towards total self-reliance in this critical area".

He said the high energy materials is a specialised field that "partly determines the status of the nation".

"For a given propellant energy level, there is a need to optimise the design to maximise the overall performance and minimise the losses in the futuristic aerospace mission," the Director General said.

He said the modular design and safer manufacturing techniques in high energy materials are the need of the day.

The conference was organised by the Hyderabad Chapter of the High Energy Material Society of India in association with the Defence Research and Development Laboratory and Advanced Systems Laboratory.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 12 Feb 2016 07:21

^ More on the above from The Hindu

K. Sivan said besides VSSC, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) and ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) were working on developing electric propulsion system for use on satellites.

“In two years, we may be able to achieve it,” he said.

He said the cryogenic engine for GSLV Mark-III will be undergoing stage-level test soon and the target to achieve flight test is December this year.

Regarding Chandrayaan-II, he said the objective was to land a rover on the moon and carry out in-situ experiments. ISRO was also developing various technologies required for a manned mission, which was yet to be approved by the government.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 15 Feb 2016 13:10

Plan to largely privatize PSLV operations by 2020: Isro chief - ToI

MUMBAI: In a revolutionary change in India's space scenario, the operation of Isro's workhorse — the four-stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) — will be largely privatized in four years, Isro chairman AS Kiran Kumar has told TOI.

The Isro chief said that once the plan materializes, the integration and launch of the rocket will be handled by an industrial consortium through the commercial arm of Isro, Antrix Corporation.

"This will be discussed with industry leaders at the Make In India week. Tentatively, we plan to implement it in 2020," he said.

He explained that the advantage of largely privatizing the PSLV operations is to boost capacity and consequently increase the rate of launches from 12 to 18 annually. If the plan takes off, it will be akin to US's United Launch Alliance (ULA), a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing Company formed in 2006, to provide cost-efficient access to space for US missions.

The PSLV , first launched in September 1993, has notched up 33 missions to date. Except for one failure during its maiden flight in 1993, the rest were successful, earning it global recognition as one of the most successful rockets.

saip · Post by **saip** » 18 Feb 2016 02:29

ISRO To Double Missions To 12 Per Year

Having launched 55 missions in space in the last five years, the national space agency ISRO is looking at doubling the number of missions in the next five years to an average of 12.

Does not compute. Should it not be 22 per year?

Link

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 18 Feb 2016 02:42

saip wrote:ISRO To Double Missions To 12 Per Year

Having launched 55 missions in space in the last five years, the national space agency ISRO is looking at doubling the number of missions in the next five years to an average of 12.

Does not compute. Should it not be 22 per year?

There are currently 5 or 6 launches per year using Indian vehicles, plus one more with Ariane. So 'doubling to 12' does sound sensible.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 18 Feb 2016 06:23

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU1AHBgUn10

definitely not Indian Space, but highly maturing phone-sat space. our edus and unvs must take a leapfrog here, especially with so advanced computing capabilities on smartphones.

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 18 Feb 2016 13:18

Isro orbiter to scan India's air for pollutants

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 19 Feb 2016 00:25

^what is important is the outcome and use of such data for city, capacity and infra planning.

navneeet · Post by **navneeet** » 19 Feb 2016 22:53

ISRO successfully conducts hot test of Cryo CE 20 engine

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 060286.cms

ISRO today successfully hot tested 'Cryo CE 20' Engine for a flight duration of 640 seconds,

The test was completed successfully at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) at Mahendragiri today at 17.15 hrs

This engine is identified for Cryogenic stage hot tests for GSLV MkIII, according to the release.

The engine has already undergone two short duration tests and demonstrated repeatability of engine ignition characteristics and steady state performance, it said.

The test was conducted with Mixture Ratio Controller (MRC) in closed loop mode for the flight duration of 640 seconds, according to ISRO.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 20 Feb 2016 07:20

More info on the Cryogenic test

“It gives us the confidence to go ahead [with its other activities] and more or less confirm a full launch of GSLV MkIII in December.” Tested once in mid-2015 for 800 seconds, the engine prototype, he said, has proven that it can repeat the performance equally on a second or different hardware. Its design would be frozen, replicated for use in the cryogenic third stage of upcoming MkIII rockets. . . Calling it “100 per cent success,” S. Sivan, Director of the rocket-related hub, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, said, “There is confidence that we are going in the right direction” with the cryoengine design. In a couple of months, they would test the entire cryogenic third stage, called C-25, with fuel tank, plumbing and other systems.

A Nandy · Post by **A Nandy** » 20 Feb 2016 09:12

LIGO-India, a gravitational wave detector in India, gets in principle approval:
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/scienc ... 248745.ece

The project is piloted by the Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Science and Technology.

Days after an international team of scientists, including several from India, formally announced that it had detected gravitational waves from deep space, the Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said it had, “in principle,” approved a proposal to have a gravitational wave detector in India.

Those connected with the project said it was an important development and marked the government formally acknowledging it but a final decision regarding the money, and how it would be spent, was still some time away. Current estimates suggest the project would cost at least Rs. 1,200 crore. As The Hindu reported on Monday, the project is still at least eight years away. The gravitational waves were detected by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) — a system of detectors in Washington and Louisiana.

http://www.ligo.org/news/

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 20 Feb 2016 18:13

GSLV Mark 3 stage level tests to be conducted in two-three months.

Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Dr K. Sivan, said on Thursday that engine level tests for the GSLV Mark 3 rocket were complete and stage level tests would be conducted in two-three months.

The rocket will be ready for launch by December this year. The GSLV Mark 3 will be capable of carrying a payload of four tonnes and will be used in manned space missions by ISRO. The earlier versions could carry only 2.2 tonnes.

ISRO is yet to send a human into space and works are going on for the same at the space organisation. By this December, ISRO is planning to conduct abort mission tests as part of its preparation for a manned space mission. Earlier in 2014 ISRO had launched an experimental unmanned crew module into space.

Speaking at the International High Energy Material Conference and Exhibits, Dr Sivan said that the sixth satellite for Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System — the Indian GPS — would be launched by March 6 and by March 31, the seventh and final satellite would be launched.

This would put the necessary infrastructure in space for IRNSS which will be launched on a pilot basis soon after, he said.

Speaking about some of the other projects at ISRO currently, Dr Sivan said that in two years ISRO will be able to launch satellites into orbit from rockets using the more effective electric propulsion system instead of using conventional fuel.

Nick_S · Post by **Nick_S** » 23 Feb 2016 04:15

Towards Self Reliance in Navigation-IRNSS

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 25 Feb 2016 11:31

Sunita’s visit to deepen space cooperation - Dinakar Peri, The Hindu

Captain Sunita Williams, Astronaut with the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) of the U.S., will be in India on a two-day visit beginning on Thursday even as a NASA team is holding discussions with their Indian counterparts to deepen space cooperation.

In Delhi, Capt. Williams has a series of engagements addressing students on her journey as an astronaut and women’s empowerment through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education.

She is also scheduled to discuss the broadening Indo-U.S. space cooperation during the valedictory address on Friday at “The Second Kalpana Chawla Annual Space Policy” organised by the Observer Research Foundation.

Capt. Williams is an American astronaut and United States Navy officer of Indian-Slovenian origin.On her earlier visit to India in 2013 she described herself as a “spiritual person who is rooted to India.”

Coinciding with the visit a NASA team lead by the Deputy Administrator Dava Newman is at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) headquarters in Bengaluru for the third face-to-face meeting of the ISRO-NASA Mars Working Group.

The working group coordinates observations and science analysis between the NASA and the ISRO’s Mars spacecraft — including India’s Mars Orbiter Mission and the NASA’s MAVEN which arrived at Mars within days of each other in September 2014 – and explores potential cooperation on future missions to Mars.

member_23694 · Post by **member_23694** » 25 Feb 2016 20:08

http://spl.gov.in/nsss2016/Program/web/SPS/SPS-1-2.pdf

Future of Space Transportation
S. Somanath
Director, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre

The planned development program of Semi-cryogenic engine of 200 ton thrust is the key to the
enhanced capabilities in the future. The semi-cryogenic stage with 200 ton propellant loading will
replace the present earth storable core stage of LVM3 to enhance the payload capability to 6 tons. A
heavy lift launch vehicle having8 to 10 ton GTO payload capability based on bigger solid boosters, a
semi-cryogenic core stage and clustered cryogenic upper stage is configured and is under detailed
study. A clustered semi-cryo booster stage with 4 to 5 engines and with 500 ton propellant loading
can be the booster stage of future heavy lift vehicle or a two stage human rated vehicle. Such a semicryo
booster stage can be recovered and reused as well taking advantage of the throttling capability
of the engine
In addition to improving the efficiency of the current propulsion systems through continued R&D, the development
of technologies for improved propulsion systems with green propellants including Hydrogen peroxide
and Methane are under study

http://www.isro.gov.in/update/24-feb-20 ... hot-tested

Pics

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 28 Feb 2016 01:02

Thanks dhiraj

PratikDas · Post by **PratikDas** » 28 Feb 2016 13:40

http://www.isro.gov.in/update/24-feb-20 ... hot-tested

Had to save that pic of the CE-20 for posterity. Thanks, ISRO for the high-res pic!

Click for hi-res

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 29 Feb 2016 10:30

Space Act will be in place soon, says ISRO Chairman - The Hindu

Q: A space law has been in the offing. What is its status?

A:We have submitted papers to the government based on discussions we first had with academicians and legal experts in January 2015. It should be approved for circulation among a large number of departments — the Ministries of Home Affairs, External Affairs [Defence, Finance, Law,] etc. Some more insight should come in from there.

Something concrete should come out by next year. A Space Act will be finally brought out through Parliament.

Q:What was the need for it? What will it spell out? And what will happen to the existing Satellite Communication Policy and Remote Sensing Data Policy?

A:Today, space-related activities are done [as per] business rules. The process to be adopted by the government for these activities has to be defined because the government is responsible for any object put up in space and for what happens to it in orbit or because of it. With a law, all activities will be done under the Space Act. As we enable more and more industries in space activities, we also want clarity on what they can do and what the limitations are.

Very few countries have legislation pertaining to space. However the number of countries as buyers of satellites or solutions has increased. In space, anything can happen. And it is more about what can happen — collision, accidents, damage from or to a satellite.

So a law is necessary for the government to spell out how it will deal with issues, untoward incidents. It will help the government in how it will approach commercial use of space, international collaborations and international treaties; and state regulatory mechanisms.

The other two policies will continue to be available as independent policies. And I don’t think it is going to make any major change in our overall approach.

Q:There has been an increased start-up activity in space related areas. How does the Department of Space view the aspirations of start-ups and engage with them?

A:It is fantastic. In fact, we want to develop through academia, industry and others some of our requirements which we cannot do as we are tied up with our activities.

Before this year-end, we plan to bring out two separate mechanisms for promoting original activities by anybody or any entity outside the department. This is still an early thinking that we should work out.

Q:What is ISRO's broad plan for industry's participation in its programmes?

A:Globally a thousand satellites are estimated to be put up in the next four years. There are opportunities for Indian industry to participate in these activities. Building capacity within the country to deal with a growing space market is also one of our activities.

Many industries that supply to ISRO are getting shortlisted to supply elsewhere. We provide them with support infrastructure [on ISRO laboratories]; information, R&QA, [reliability and quality assurance], etc.

member_28108 · Post by **member_28108** » 29 Feb 2016 18:03

Isro all ready for Chandrayaan II, says its chairman Kiran Kumar

TNN | Feb 29, 2016, 12.37 PM IST
File photo of Chandrayaan-1 mission.
File photo of Chandrayaan-1 mission.
MANGALURU: Indian Space Research Organization ( Isro) chairman AS Kiran Kumar on Sunday signalled the country's readiness for Chandrayaan II mission, which will be India's second mission to the moon. Chandrayaan II is an advanced version of the previous Chandrayaan-1 mission. It consists of an orbiter, lander and rover configuration. It is planned to be launched as a composite stack into the earth parking orbit (EPO) of 170 X 18,500 km by GSLV-Mk II.
Kiran Kumar, who was in the city to participate in an international conference on startups, incubators and entrepreneurship, and National Science Day at Yenepoya University said the orbiter carries the combined stack up to the moon till the lunar orbit insertion (LOI).
The combined stack is then inserted into a lunar orbit of 100 km x 100 km. The lander is separated from the orbiter in this orbit. The orbiter with scientific payloads will orbit around the moon.
The lander will soft land on the moon at a specified site and deploy the rover. The scientific payloads onboard the orbiter, lander and rover are expected to perform mineralogical and elemental studies of the lunar surface. In 2010, it was agreed that Russian Space Agency ROSCOSMOS will be responsible for lunar lander and Isro will be responsible for orbiter and rover as well as the launch by GSLV, a note on Chandrayaan II on Isro website said.
Later, due to a shift in the programmatic alignment of this mission, it was decided that the lunar lander development will be done by Isro and Chandrayaan-2 will be totally an Indian mission. Kiran Kumar, who is credited with the development of key scientific instruments aboard the Chandrayaan I and Mangalyaan space crafts gave an insight on achievements and contributions made by the scientists at Isro including the Chandrayaan I and Mangalyaan.
Isro chief told students that Isro makes available the data collected by them to the students for research work at their website. Students had an inquisitive interactive session with Kiran Kumar after his address. Yenepoya Abdulla Kunhi, chancellor, Yenepoya University graced the occasion. Shree Kumar Menon, director, Yenepoya University proposed vote of thanks. Earlier, Dr Akhter Hussein, secretary of Islamic Academy of Education, welcomed the gathering.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 29 Feb 2016 18:42

why can't we send our own lander? if not a big robot, but a small one that gives us tremendous more data?

member_28108 · Post by **member_28108** » 29 Feb 2016 18:44

SaiK wrote:why can't we send our own lander? if not a big robot, but a small one that gives us tremendous more data?

We are sending our own lander.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 29 Feb 2016 20:13

aah! sorry. was hurrying thru the read

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 29 Feb 2016 20:42

"Isro all ready for Chandrayaan II, says its chairman Kiran Kumar"

Wonderful news, but what does 'all ready' mean, that the mission is going to take place soon? Late this year, or early next? Originally, it was planned for 2017-end, has it now been pushed forward? Great, if it has!

member_23694 · Post by **member_23694** » 29 Feb 2016 21:02

Varoon Shekhar wrote:"Isro all ready for Chandrayaan II, says its chairman Kiran Kumar"

Wonderful news, but what does 'all ready' mean, that the mission is going to take place soon? Late this year, or early next? Originally, it was planned for 2017-end, has it now been pushed forward? Great, if it has!

Don't think 2016-17 seems feasible. It needs GSLV and for such mission ISRO would like to have 3-4 successful development flight.
2018 seems realistic