Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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A_Gupta
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by A_Gupta »

August issue of VSSC Countdown
PDF 6.8MByte

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rrxjWz ... p=drivesdk
A Nandy
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by A Nandy »

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ind ... 798865.cms
BENGALURU: Just weeks after deciding to open up the space sector, the department of space (DoS) has proposed to enable private Indian firms to not just use existing space assets for communication services, but also develop new systems, launch satellites and sell services to foreign customers under its Spacecom Policy-2020.
About time, because outer space will be full in the coming years. Even a orbiting moon station seems to be real with Nasa going ahead with the Artemis etc.
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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PSLV-C49 to launch EOS-01 and nine customer satellites on November 07, 2020
India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in its 51st mission (PSLV-C49), will launch EOS-01 as primary satellite along with nine international customer satellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. The launch is tentatively scheduled at 1502 Hrs IST on November 07, 2020, subject to weather conditions.

EOS-01 is an earth observation satellite intended for applications in agriculture, forestry and disaster management support.

The customer satellites are being launched under commercial agreement with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), Department of Space.

In view of the strict COVID-19 pandemic norms in place at SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota the following maybe noted:

Gathering of media personnel is not planned at SDSC SHAR
Launch viewing gallery will be closed during this launch
However the live telecast of the launch will be available on ISRO website, Youtube, Facebook and Twitter channels.
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by prasannasimha »

EOS-1 will be launched following which launch schedule will be slowly ramped up
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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Post by darshan »

Antrix-Devas deal: Bengaluru start-up to get compensation of $1.2bn from ISRO wing, rules US court
https://indianexpress.com/article/citie ... t-6907953/
...
A federal court in the United States has asked Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), to pay Bengaluru start-up Devas Multimedia Pvt Ltd compensation amounting to $1.2 billion for canceling a January 2005 deal to build and launch two satellites to provide multimedia services via the space band spectrum.

The US federal court for the Western District of Washington on Tuesday confirmed an arbitration award made by the International Court of Commerce on September 14, 2015, in favor of Devas Multimedia — on account of the government cancelling the 2005 satellite deal in February 2011 by citing the need for usage of the S-band spectrum for security communications.
...
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by Varoon Shekhar »

^^

Excellent feature on the RLV, thanks! Lots of information and nuggets.
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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https://youtu.be/Q52BLxcCD00
Speaker: Dr. Dibyendu Chakrabarty
Space and Atmospheric Sciences, PRL, Ahmedabad
Title: “Space weather: From anomaly to insights.”
Date and Time: Wednesday, 04 November 2020, 16:00 – 17:00 hrs.

https://www.prl.res.in/~dinesh/Colloqui ... abarty.pdf
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by Prem Kumar »

prasannasimha wrote:EOS-1 will be launched following which launch schedule will be slowly ramped up
What is EOS? Not much background on this satellite. Is this one of the Cartosat series ones which has been re-badged?
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by Kakarat »

Prem Kumar wrote:
prasannasimha wrote:EOS-1 will be launched following which launch schedule will be slowly ramped up
What is EOS? Not much background on this satellite. Is this one of the Cartosat series ones which has been re-badged?
According to some reports it is RISAT 2BR2
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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Ashokk
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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ISRO Twitter
All nine customer satellites successfully separated and injected into their intended orbit
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by Prem Kumar »

Good job ISRO!

Yes, EOS-1 is RISAT-2BR2. Its their new naming convention. With this, we'll have 3 RISAT-2's in orbit. Given the LAC situation, continuous coverage is critical
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by prasannasimha »

launch successful and yes new naming convention withall Earth Observation Satellites getting an EOS nomenclature
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by Pratyush »

Long ago I had wished for a few things for BRF threads.

One of things was that ISRO will launch a rocket and it will pass off as a matter of fact and routinely boring way.

That just happened.

When we launch the first human in space we can get excited. But until then ii will be happy with routine boring launches.
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by chetonzz »

Pratyush wrote:Long ago I had wished for a few things for BRF threads.

One of things was that ISRO will launch a rocket and it will pass off as a matter of fact and routinely boring way.

That just happened.

When we launch the first human in space we can get excited. But until then ii will be happy with routine boring launches.
Yes sir, that too for single launch of this Covid year...hope that one day we launch as many rockets as US/ CCP does per year
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by Vips »

Gaganyaan: Indian Army, Navy to also train Indian Cosmonauts for the manned space mission.

All the three services – Indian Army, Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force Officers (IAF) are going to be involved in further training of the four Indian cosmonauts for the `Gaganyaan’ space mission in 2022.

The four who were selected for the Indian Space Mission at the end of rigorous rounds of tests at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), of IAF. And are currently undergoing the first leg of intense training for the Space Mission at the Gagarin Research & Test Cosmonaut Training Centre, in Russia. And also on the systems of the Soyuz MS crewed spacecraft.

Farm fires continue to deteriorate Delhi's air qualityDelhi is among the four global cities chosen to share experiences in the session, the statement said.Delhi government invited to share experience at dialogue on zero emission

According to Ratan Shrivastava, Managing Director, BowerGroupAsia (India)Ltd, “Institute of Aerospace Medicine has partnered with ISRO since 2006 when they signed an MoU with Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. In May 2019 they signed an agreement with ISRO, for the Gaganyaan Mission- for vehicle crew training, crew module, microgravity, human physiological and biomedical training for the manned program, including oxygen monitoring, radiation and space medical management, isolation, disorientation and psychological training.”

“The Gagannaughts will start their training at the Institute of Aerospace Medicine(IAM) on completion of training in Russia, on specially prepared modules in consultation with ISRO. The simulators at IAM can simulate from -20*C to +60*C; its dry flotation simulators can simulate microgravity and they also have the capability to simulate the atmospheric pressure, similar to space. The G Force tolerance training is also provided by IAM through a human centrifuge developed for the mission at the IAM. And they will be acquainted with various systems, navigation and thermal controls, orbital mechanics and earth observation that make up the key aspects of the mission that has been prepared by ISRO in the crew module and for any manual intervention in case of any emergency,” Ratan Shrivastava says.

“The Army Sports Institute (ASI) will impart specific training designed to provide physical and mental endurance, survival training, based on the technical and tactical requirements formulated by ISRO Human Space Flight Centre.

The role of the Institute of Naval Medicine (INM) is to provide hands-on practical experience of the atmospheric pressure, microgravity, working in a weightless environment and if need be, trained to perform extravehicular activity, as working in underwater simulators below the surface in neutrally buoyant conditions is an ideal way to train for the zero-G environment,” he adds.

How were the Indian cosmonauts selected?
An extensive road map was prepared by the IAF in consultation with the Indian Space Research Organisation for the selection as well as training for the first-ever Indian manned mission.

The tests for selection were in three stages and after clearing those including the psychological tests were four officers of the IAF down selected. They were tested based on radiological tests, psychological tests and intense physical exercises.

The process of selection was based on the volunteers and those from amongst the flight engineers, pilots, fighter pilots and test pilots.

The Russian `Roscosmos’ State Corporation for Space Activities and ISRO have an MoU in place to work together on the first manned space mission.

More about the mission
It will cost around Rs 10,000 crore, and a GSLV MK-III will be used to carry the orbital module.

The cost is including technology development, flight hardware and also critical infrastructure elements.

This is the first-ever human space mission and has been developed and conceived in India.

The cosmonauts undergoing training in Moscow are expected to complete in the first half of 2021.

Training covered so far
Crew actions to deal with an abnormal descent module landing.

This means in case they have to land in wooded and marshy areas in winter.

In the case of the water surface.

In the steppe in summer.

Short term weightlessness mode training which was done on board the IL-76MDK special laboratory aircraft.

The Indian cosmonauts are also going to get trained in a centrifuge and in a hyperbaric chamber. This will help in getting them prepared for sustaining spaceflight factors, like hypoxia, such as G-force and pressure drops.
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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India’s quest for its own SpaceX hits a milestone.

Bengaluru startup Pixxel aims to launch a constellation of Earth observation small satellites whose data can have multiple applications in agriculture and other sectors. Its first satellite was good to go on a Soyuz rocket this month, but the launch was put off to March next year because the main satellite riding on the Russian vehicle wasn’t ready.

Makers of small satellites have to piggyback on rockets that have large payloads.

“Since ours is a rideshare satellite, we can’t call the shots on the timeline," says Awais Ahmed, co-founder and CEO of Pixxel. “Our second satellite is booked for launch on a SpaceX rocket in the latter half of 2021. We have also been in talks with new players like Rocket Lab who have a small-satellite launch vehicle."

Miniaturization and off-the-shelf electronics, thanks in part to tech developed for smartphones, has opened up the scope for Low Earth Orbit constellations of small satellites. These are emerging as alternatives to large multipurpose satellites, promising to broaden the commercial use of satellite data analytics. But the availability of launch slots on large rockets is a bottleneck.

Small is big
Hence the emergence of dozens of startups developing small-satellite launch vehicles. US-based Rocket Lab has already proved its viability, launching its 15th commercial payload last month with 10 small satellites. Its next mission later this month aims to deploy 30 small satellites.

Two Indian startups in this space are Hyderabad-based Skyroot and Chennai-based Agnikul. Skyroot hit a key milestone in August with the successful test of its launch vehicle’s upper-stage engine which delivers thrust for the last leg of the rocket’s journey before payload deployment.

The test validated the use of new material and 3D-printed design to reduce the engine’s mass and development time. Its propellant makes the engine restartable, allowing deployment of multiple satellites into different orbits in the same mission.

“Our hearts were racing because we were using three new technologies and so many things can go wrong with a propellant system. But the performance was better than expected," says Pawan Kumar Chandana, co-founder and CEO of Skyroot, who was previously the deputy manager for a launch vehicle project at the Indian Space Research Organization (Isro). He joined Isro during campus placement at IIT Kharagpur where he did mechanical engineering. He worked on GSLV Mark III, Isro’s heaviest rocket, capable of putting 4-tonne satellites into space. It launched the Chandrayan-2 spacecraft.

The progress of SpaceX and Rocket Lab in privatizing rocket launches and making them more widely available prompted Chandana and his co-founder, Naga Bharat Daka, who was also in Isro, to launch Skyroot in 2018. They also roped in retired Isro scientists, including Gnanagandhi Vasudevan, who pioneered cryogenic rocket technology in India.

Despite their technical capability, it was a huge risk to plunge into space entrepreneurship. There was neither regulatory support for private space ventures in India nor access to funds. “It was a leap of faith that government support would come and we would be able to raise the money to build a product that the emerging small-satellite market needed," says Chandana.

Isro had already shown the cost advantages of building launch vehicles in India. There is also a vendor ecosystem and experienced human resources that was built over decades, thanks to India’s early commitment to indigenous space technology.

“We will be able to offer attractive price points to customers compared to international players," says Chandana.

Skyroot has raised $4.3 million in funding so far, an early investors being Mukesh Bansal, co-founder of Myntra and Cure.fit. It is in talks to raise another $15 million before its first launch, slated for end 2021.

Spacecom policy
The regulatory scene is also clearing up, with the government’s recent announcement of a spacecom policy to facilitate privatization. But it’s a highly competitive environment internationally, with over 100 small-satellite launch vehicle startups at different stages of development, some heavily funded. US-based Relativity Space closed a $140 million funding round last month, and aims to launch “the world’s first entirely 3D printed rocket" early next year.

Chandana admits that a shakedown is inevitable because the market may not support so many rocket companies. US small-satellite launch vehicle startup Vector halting operations late last year shortly after receiving a contract from the US Air Force may be a precursor of things to come. But Skyroot’s early demonstration of its technical capability raises expectations that it will be among the successful ones.

A lot can go wrong with rockets. It’s difficult to test the rocket on the ground because what happens in flight and space may differ. “Even a single bolt being faulty can cause a failed launch," says Chandana.

Quality control at Skyroot extends to its vendors making components for its rockets. It’s the same vendor ecosystem that supports Isro. “We are working with new technologies and manufacturing methods which the vendors were not in tune with," points out Chandana.

The way out was to work closely with vendors from the very start of development, providing the necessary training. Despite a culture of paying close attention to detail at the company, things go wrong because of the sheer complexity involved.

Rocket design and writing and debugging all the software for guidance and control occupied the team in the first year. “We spent sleepless nights and then, when we graduated to manufacturing, simple things caused delays," says Chandana.

The test of Skyroot’s Raman upper-stage engine, for example, was initially scheduled months earlier, but a tiny leak was spotted. It took weeks to figure out the cause and fix it.

Customers for small rockets fall into two broad categories. One lot is building small satellites for Earth imaging data for various purposes. The others are building small communication satellites for use cases like providing internet and IoT from space. “There are over 100 companies building satellites today and most of them are making small satellites. That’s our market," says Chandana.

The potential is huge with thousands of small satellites being readied for space. But so are the uncertainties over competition, viability and business models. Isro is preparing to test its small-satellite launch vehicle later this year because it wants a share of this fast-growing market.

China is next only to the US in funding of private space ventures. Landscape, China’s answer to SpaceX, raised $172 million in September. Small-satellite launch vehicles have become a focus there too, and China can offer similar price points to India. But US restrictions on using Chinese rockets may be an advantage to Indian startups.
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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Image
https://www.iiap.res.in/uvit_2020/
The Ultra-Violet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) is one of the payloads onboard India's first multiwavelength Astronomy Observatory, AstroSat, launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on 28 September 2015. UVIT will be completing its five years of observations on 30 November 2020.
To commemorate this, the Indian Institute of Astrophysics is organizing a three-day virtual meeting on 1 - 3 December 2020. This meeting aims to bring together the users of UVIT to discuss the observations made and the results obtained with UVIT.

https://www.iiap.res.in/uvit_2020/sites ... poster.pdf
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by Cyrano »

Awesome job ISRO, excellence and success have become routine for you !!
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by jaysimha »

Webinar on Geoportals - Bhuvan, Vedas, MOSDAC
https://www.isro.gov.in/webinar-geoport ... das-mosdac

This Webinar will create awareness about the earth observation products, APIs, Web Services, Collaborative opportunities and Analytic solutions available through these Geoportals.







Happy Loooong weekend and happy diwali in advance
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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L&T delivers India's first launch hardware for Gaganyaan Mission despite Covid-19 restrictions;
L&T is playing a vital role in powering ISRO's Human Space Flight Program (HSFP).
November 17, 2020
https://www.indiainfoline.com/article/n ... 198_1.html

https://corpwebstorage.blob.core.window ... ctions.pdf
Last edited by jaysimha on 17 Nov 2020 17:12, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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Vips
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by Vips »

First crewless Gaganyaan flight only by end of 2021.

Really bad news. For sure we will miss our stated target of placing our astronauts in space before the 75th anniversary of our independence.
What is difficult to understand is how can the Covid disturbance of 4 months cause a delay of 18 Months in the crewless Gaganyaan flight test (from July 2020 to Dec 2021)?

Isro has simply not been able to gets its act together since early part of this year and is now massively behind in its calendar of launches. Is covid just a convenient excuse to its over ambitious goal setting??
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by csaurabh »

Vipsji, it is not simply ISRO. First of all the covid lockdown isn't over. Still many restrictions in place. Secondly, there is a wide network of suppliers, vendors, importers and so on whose operations are also disrupted. And finally, I think the 2022 deadline was highly optimistic to begin with.
I think most people overestimate the capacity of ISRO. It is not like NASA or something which taps into the entire American hi-tech ecosystem. ISRO is very small in comparison.
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by SSridhar »

Received the following by eMail.
Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
India’s IRNSS is now part of World Wide Radio Navigation System

Merchant vessels/ships can use IRNSS to obtain position information similar to GPS
Posted On: 20 NOV 2020 7:24PM by PIB Mumbai
Mumbai, 20 November 2020

The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) has been accepted as a component of the World Wide Radio Navigation System (WWRNS) for operation in the Indian Ocean Region by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). This will enable merchant vessels to use IRNSS for obtaining position information similar to GPS and GLONASS to assist in the navigation of ships in ocean waters within the area covered by 50°N latitude, 55°E longitude, 5°S latitude and 110°E longitude (approximately up to 1500 km from Indian boundary).

The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of IMO during its recent meeting (102nd session) held from 4 to 11 November 2020 has approved the recognition of the IRNSS as a component of the World-Wide Radio Navigation System. This is a significant achievement of Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways (MoPSW), Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) towards “Atmanirbhar Bharat”.

Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) under Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has initiated matter with the International Maritime Organization. Details of the tests carried out on merchant ships with regard to the accuracy of the system have been included in the report prepared by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) which was submitted to IMO for consideration.

After detailed analysis, the sub-committee on Navigation, Communications and Search and Rescue [NCSR] of IMO (during the 7th session held in January 2020) recommended to the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of IMO for accepting the IRNSS as a component of the World-Wide Radio Navigation System.

IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system developed by India. It is designed to provide accurate position information service to assist in the navigation of ships in Indian Ocean waters.

A circular has been issued by IMO on November 11, 2020 for information of the other Member States of the Organization.
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by Amber G. »

Meanwhile routine work goes on --

There was a work shop - "The present and future of satellite gravimetry” conducted at IITK to invigorate satellite gravimetry research in India & join the global endeavor of launching a satellite gravimetry mission. It was inaugurated by none other than Dr. Radhakrishnan K Koppillil.

It showcased the long-standing expertise and contribution of the Indian Space Research Organization to earth observation. India is well placed to join this endeavor.

The workshop included many oral presentations spread over a few days and had participants from Germany, Netherlands, USA, Denmark, Australia etc.
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by Vips »

India’s Shukrayaan orbiter to study Venus for over four years, launches in 2024.

India — India’s space agency aims to launch its Venus orbiter Shukrayaan in late 2024, more than a year later than previously planned, an ISRO research scientist told a NASA-chartered planetary science planning committee Nov. 10.

T. Maria Antonita of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) detailed the status of the mission to scientists drafting a new 10-year plan for NASA’s planetary science program. Shukrayaan will be India’s first mission to Venus and will study the planet for more than four years.

ISRO was aiming for a mid-2023 launch when it released its call for instruments in 2018, but Antonita told members of the National Academies’ decadal survey planning committee last week that pandemic-related delays have pushed Shukrayaan’s target launch date to December 2024 with a mid-2026 backup date (optimal launch windows for reaching Venus occur roughly 19 months apart).

Antonita said Shukrayaan is currently slated to launch on India’s GSLV Mk II rocket. However, she said the team is also evaluating the possible use of the more powerful GSLV Mk III rocket, which would allow Shukrayaan to carry more instruments or fuel. A launch vehicle decision, she said, is expected by the time ISRO freezes the mission’s configuration and final set of instruments in the next three to six months.

In its current configuration, the orbiter weighs about 2,500 kilograms and will carry a science payload consisting of a synthetic aperture radar and other instruments.

Once launched, Shukrayaan is expected to take a few months to reach Venus, where it will enter a highly elliptical orbit of 500 by 60,000 kilometers around the planet. Over the following year, it will use aerobraking to lower its orbit to 200 by 600 kilometers. This polar orbit will be the final one used for scientific observations.

The mission’s primary science objectives are to map Venus’ surface and subsurface while studying the planet’s atmospheric chemistry and interaction with the solar wind.

Shukrayaan’s flagship instrument is an improved version of the dual frequency synthetic aperture radar (SAR) India’s Space Applications Centre built for the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft currently orbiting the Moon. Antonita said Shukrayaaan’s SAR payload will have up to four times the resolution of NASA’s Magellan orbiter, a Venus mapper launched in 1989. Notably, Shukrayaan will also carry a ground penetrating radar, making it the first to map Venus’ subsurface. These observations would help scientists better understand Venus’ geology and evolution.

Roughly 100 kilograms of Shukrayaan’s 2.5-ton mass is set aside for scientific instruments, according to the call for instrument proposals ISRO issued two years ago soliciting payloads from India and abroad. The open call for instruments marks a return to the approach ISRO took with Chandrayaan-1, the lunar orbiter it launched in 2008 carrying six instruments from countries other than India. The 2013 Mangalyaan Mars orbiter and 2019’s Chandrayaan-2 lunar orbiter and lander, in contrast, carry only Indian instruments.

Of the proposals, 20 candidate instruments have been shortlisted but the session didn’t mention which ones. Antonita did say that Russia, France, Sweden and Germany will have instruments onboard. The French space agency CNES announced in September that the Venus Infrared Atmospheric Gases Linker, or VIRAL, instrument it codeveloped with Russia’s space agency will fly on Shukrayaan.

In addition to its flagship radar, Shukrayaan will also carry an instrument suite capable of spectroscopic observations in infrared, ultraviolet and submillimeter wavelengths to study Venus’ atmosphere, according to Antonita’s slides. The possible detection of phosphine in Venus’ upper atmosphere excited many people about the prospects of life there, although some scientists are still skeptical. According to Antonita, the presence of phosphine and other biomarkers in Venus’ upper atmosphere could be confirmed using the orbiter’s Near Infrared Spectrometer. The instrument will also be used to detect and locate any active volcanism on Venus

Only three spacecraft have orbited Venus in the past 30 years, but space agencies around the world are showing renewed interest in the second planet from the sun. NASA selected two Venus missions earlier this year for further consideration for launch opportunities in 2025 and 2028. The European Space Agency is considering a Venus orbiter mission called EnVision that would launch by the 2030s. And Russia is working on a Venus orbiter and lander mission concept called Venera-D that would launch no earlier than 2023.
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by jaysimha »

The news is already known / Posted.
one more official letter from govt.

RECOGNITION OF THE INDIAN REGIONAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEM (IRNSS)
AS A COMPONENT OF THE WORLDWIDE RADIO NAVIGATION SYSTEM


https://www.dgshipping.gov.in/WriteRead ... 201120.pdf
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by jaysimha »

Image
Image
national Symposium on Remote sensing for Environment Monitoring & Climate Change Assessment: Opportunities and Challenges
DEC 18-19 2020

https://www.isrsns2020.in/
https://www.isrsns2020.in/img/brochures.pdf


Request to MODS: I think we should have separate thread for discussing remote sensing and its applications.
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

Post by Vips »

Into a new orbit: Making space for small satellites.

It is the right time to be in the satellite launch business in India. With the government willing to work with and allowing more private players to operate in various departments in the space sector, startups are coming up in the sector. One such startup incubated by IIT Madras and based in IIT Madras Research Park is Agnikul, co-founded by Srinath Ravichandran and Moin SPM.

“There are launch vehicles for large satellites. But for small ones, especially in the micro and nano segment, the market is big and untapped. There is no exclusivity for them,” says Ravichandran. Today, small satellites are grouped and launched with larger satellites and Ravichandran points out the problem in this. “As the satellites are small, they share the same launch vehicles with larger ones. In some cases, many small satellites are clustered and launched. The makers of the large satellites feel that sharing space onboard a fast moving vehicle is not all that secure for their satellites. The smaller satellites are also put on hold for long time periods because of this. And so we promise the small satellites exclusivity and customisation,” he says.

Given all this demand, Ravichandran and his team along with IIT Madras professors began developing launch vehicles to carry small satellites with a waiting time of a week compared to months typically. “Our launch vehicles are designed from ground-up by a bunch of passionate engineers who have expertise in every part of it. It is just like a car, requires vehicle design, engine and testing many different systems,” he shares.

Agnikul has raised $4 million to date. “We expect to have the first commercial launch in 2022,” he informs. The startup also promises very fast and seamless integration for the satellites with the launch vehicles. “We don’t charge them too high just because we give them exclusivity. In fact the costs could come down to as low as $50,000 depending on the payload,” he explains.

Modern rockets are also made better with the use of software. “As a launch vehicle this is very hardware-oriented but for testing we use software. Our aim before any launch would be to know the various parameters of the hardware inside out. We will be able to tell confidently that the hardware won’t fail from within. There is a little bit of software play during the release of the satellite at orbit. There is no necessity for a predictive software from launch to orbit for our vehicles today,” he says.

According to the Agnikul co-founder, India is at very important point in developing the space and aerospace ecosystem. Agnikul has access to best advisors from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), vendors who also supply to ISRO and investors who are also ready to invest in the next frontier that is space. “The next one year is important for everyone who wishes to start up in this space. The next decade will open up more opportunities given that the government has opened up the sector to private players,” he informs.
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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Indian, Russian satellites just metres away in space; Roscosmos says 224m, Isro says 420m - Chethan Kumar, ToI
India's remote sensing satellite CARTOSAT-2F is "dangerously close" to a Russian earth observation satellite (Kanopus-V) in the near earth orbit, and space agencies of both countries are monitoring them closely.

Russian space agency Roscosmos, on Friday said that according to the TsNIIMash main information and analytical center of the Warning Automated System of Hazardous Situations in near-Earth Space (part of Roscosmos), CARTOSAT 2F satellite weighing over 700 kg dangerously approached the Russian Kanopus-V spacecraft on November 27, 2020 at 01:49 UTC.

"According to the TsNIIMash calculations, the minimum distance between the Russian and foreign satellites was 224 meters. Both spacecraft are designed for Earth’s remote sensing," Roscosmos said.

However, allaying fears, Isro chairman K Sivan told TOI: "We have been tracking the satellite for four days and it is about 420 metres from the Russian satellite. A manoeuvre will only be done when it comes around 150 metres," Isro chairman K Sivan told TOI.

Sivan added that these things are not uncommon when satellites are in similar low earth orbits. The general practice, he said, was that the two agencies discuss and decide to carry out a manoeuvre.

"...Recently, there was a situation with a satellite belonging to Spain and it was resolved. These things aren't made public generally," Sivan added.

The CARTOSAT-2F was launched from the first lanuch pad at Sriharikota on January 12, 2018 and is still operational.
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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Welcome to Massive Open Online Course of UNOOSA & CSSTEAP
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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9th International online training course
on
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Virtual Platform: GoToMeeting
(December 14 to December 25, 2020)
https://www.cssteap.org/documents/SSM_2020_Brochure.pdf
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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Ananth Technologies signs JV to build, launch satellites from India.

Aerospace firm Ananth Technologies will set up a joint venture with US satellite operator Saturn Satellites to build two communication satellites
initially and launch them using the Indian space agency’s workhorse PSLV rocket.

Ananth is the rst Indian company to tap the global market after India opened up its space sector, allowing private rms to build satellites and rockets and offer space services from the country.

The Hyderabad-based company will build the 300-700 kg satellites at its newly opened facility in Bengaluru and launch them using the Indian Space Research Organisation’s tried and tested Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.

The launch will be managed by New Space India Ltd, an entity created to engage with the industry to build and launch satellites on Indian soil.
The joint venture will be named SaAn Satellite Networks India.

“There are very few companies who make communication satellites in this (300-700 kg) class. Rest of the world is concentrating on smaller satellites. PSLV is uniquely placed to be most economical and proven to launch them,” Subba Rao Pavuluri, chairman and managing director of Ananth Technologies, told ET.

Ananth will build the NationSat communication satellite for both the global market as well as tap the Indian market, which allows private rms to operate satellites.

Indian companies can build satellites at 30% lower costs than in the West, besides renting the existing space infrastructure built by Isro to oer end-to-end integrated satellite building capabilities to launch services at competitive rates, he said.

Ananth has been a supplier of satellite systems and sub-systems for India’s space agency and has integrated the solar panels for these satellites. Its new facility is designed to fully integrate satellites for both local and overseas customers.

The country’s decades-long expertise in building satellites has helped create a critical talent base, which gives it an opportunity to tap outsourcing opportunities to make them in India.

The PSLV has emerged as the preferred rocket to hurl small and medium satellites into space. The rocket will deliver its 50th mission later in December.

Antrix Corp, the commercial arm of Isro, had contracted in the past with EADS Astrium to build a communication satellite for British media firm Avanti Screenmedia Group Plc.

Other upcoming full-edged satellite production initiatives include the proposed production facility to be built jointly Berlin Space Technologies and Ahmedabad-based Azista Aerospace
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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HAL delivers biggest cryogenic propellant tank it has ever fabricated to ISRO: What this means.

On Monday, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited announced that it had delivered the largest-ever cryogenic propellant tank (C32 LH2) fabricated by the state-run company to the Indian Space Research Organisation.

Made of an aluminium alloy, the C32 LH2 tank is designed to increase the payload capability of ISRO's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III) from 4 tonnes to 6 tonnes, according to a HAL statement.

“The C32-LH2, a four meter diametric tank is of eight meter length to load 5,755kg propellant in the 89 cubic meter volume. Total length of weld carried out in the tank was 115 meter at different stages to the quality requirement of 100% tests on radiography, Die penetrant check and Leak proof. HAL has mastered the skills and technologies required for fabricating welded propellant tanks of aluminium alloy to such stringent quality requirements,” HAL said in a statement.

The main goal of a launch vehicle like the GSLV is to propel a payload upward against the Earth's gravity through the combustion of the vehicle's fuel in its rocket engine. The downward thrust created from burning this fuel pushes the internal structure of the launch vehicle in the opposite direction to the exhaust flow.

However, unlike jet engines (that can use atmospheric oxygen), launch vehicles have to carry and burn their own fuel in the form of propellants. The main goal, then, of launch vehicle designers is to increase a launch vehicle's weight-lifting ability while being mindful of its reliability and cost.

ISRO made history on 5 June 2017 when it launched the Mk III variant of the GSLV to the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). Launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, the rocket was capable of carrying four-tonne satellites to the GTO as well as payloads up to 8 tonnes into a Low Earth Orbit (LEO).

The occasion marked the creation of India's first fully functional rocket, tested with a cryogenic engine using liquid propellants (liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen) – a programme that had been 25 years in the making. According to experts, the GSLV Mk III could become India's vehicle of choice for future manned missions.

Prior to the development of ISRO's cryogenic upper stage engine, India had been reliant on the French Ariane 5 rocket to launch heavy satellites. Due to export controls placed on India on strategic technologies, India's missile development programmes were heavily restricted.

However, come the early 2000s, these restrictions were lifted enabling India to expand its space programme. Yet, the Ariane 5 rocket, along with Delta IV Heavy, firmly remained key components required for ISRO to launch heavier communication satellites into orbit. This has proved to be an expensive proposition with the cost of launching such heavy payloads estimated by some at Rs 400 crore. As such, the delivery of the latest cryogenic propellant tank is an important step in ISRO's quest to become self-reliant.

But its design and delivery also have significant commercial implications. In boosting its capability to launch satellites weighing in excess of four tonnes into space, India may be able to become an important player in the multibillion-dollar global satellite launch arena. The propellant tank will go some way towards the development of an efficient and cost-effective launch vehicle that India could offer to other nations in order to generate revenue for ISRO.

Various new projects like PS2/GS2 integration, Semi-Cryo structure fabrication and manufacture of cryo and semi-cryo engines are being taken up at HAL, for which setting up of necessary infrastructure and facilities is nearing completion.

The HAL has also supported the Isro right from the developmental phase of Crew Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment, PAD Abort test for Crew Escape for Human Space Mission and is currently building hardware for full-fledged launch vehicle GSLV Mk-III for Gaganyaan program.
Last edited by Vips on 01 Dec 2020 22:25, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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Both L&T and HAL have supplied major components ahead of schedule to ISRO. Will ISRO now deliver or continue to give hazy launch date as "second half of 2021"
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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Moved posts. Please post any non-Indian space program in the International aerospace thread
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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India’s human space flight mission ‘Gaganyaan’ to be delayed by a year due to Covid-19.

India’s first human space flight mission, Gaganyaan, is likely to be delayed by a year owing to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic. “That (Ganganyaan mission) will be delayed because of Covid,” ISRO chairperson K Sivan told PTI.

“We are targeting for some time next year-end or the subsequent year,” he said on being asked about the two uncrewed missions before an astronaut is sent to space. The first of these was scheduled for December 2020, the second for June 2021, before the first manned mission on December 2021 ahead of the Prime Minister’s deadline. In his Independence Day address of 2018, the PM had said that an Indian astronaut will be sent to space before the country celebrates its 75th year of Independence in 2022.

The pandemic has also delayed other big-ticket missions that ISRO had planned for the year, including India’s first solar mission – Aditya L1 – scheduled for mid-2020.

Space activity cannot be done through work from home. Each and every one of the space engineers has to be available in labs, industries, integration areas, as well as the field. Each engineer, technician, tech assistant has to come all from different centres and work together for a launch. Hardware from different parts of the country has to be transported to SHAR (the launch site),” Sivan had said after the first launch of the year took place on November 7, when India’s workhorse PSLV carried an Indian Earth Observation Satellite along with nine international satellites to orbit.

ISRO chief had said that the PSLV will launch a communication satellite next, followed by the second earth observation satellite EOS 02 in its maiden flight.

Apart from the solar mission, ISRO was to also send a lander-rover mission to moon either by 2020-end or 2021 beginning. “We have not yet fixed the schedule (for the Chandrayaan-3 launch),” Sivan told PTI.

The space agency is reviewing all its future missions, including the Venus mission that had been planned for June 2023. If missed, the next launch window would be after 19 months when the planet is closest to the Earth.
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Re: Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

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SC Committee To Start Probe On Whether Cops Conspired To Falsely Implicate ISRO Scientist Nambi Narayan
Two years after the Supreme Court directed a three-member committee under retired SC judge D K Jain to probe if there was a conspiracy among the then police officials to falsely implicate top ISRO space scientist S Nambi Narayanan, will have its first sitting in the state capital on 14 and 15 December.

It was in 2018 a bench of the then Chief Justice Dipak Misra, Justice A M Khanwilkar and Justice D Y Chandrachud decided to appoint a committee under Jain and asked the Centre and the Kerala government to name one person each to the committee under Jain.

While the Centre appointed a top official -- D K Prasad, the Pinarayi Vijayan government appointed former Additional Chief Secretary V S Senthil.

Reacting to the news Narayanan said he is happy that the committee is going to have its first sitting here, next week.

"I do not know if I will be contacted as their job is to find out if there was any conspiracy and it's not just the three former Kerala police officials, as there are others also. Maybe the committee was doing the groundwork to help them go forward in their probe, I do not know," said the now retired scientist, when in 2019 the country awarded him the Padma Bhushan.
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