Indian Space Program Discussion

Roperia · Post by **Roperia** » 26 Apr 2012 05:46

PS-2 separated, second stage cut-off! Time - 5+ mins, Altitude - 300 + min

Roperia · Post by **Roperia** » 26 Apr 2012 05:49

PS-3 separated - third stage cut-off! Time - 512 secs, Altitude - 458 + min

PS-4 ignited - last stage of PSLV C19, this should go for another 10 mins.

Arav · Post by **Arav** » 26 Apr 2012 05:52

Text Book Launch going on.....

Roperia · Post by **Roperia** » 26 Apr 2012 05:58

RISAT-1 separated and put in the orbit! YAY!!!

Time - 18 min.

What a delight it was to watch a truly smooth lauch!

Arav · Post by **Arav** » 26 Apr 2012 05:59

Launch Successful, Congratulations

NRao · Post by **NRao** » 26 Apr 2012 06:11

They (DD) cut off THE lady who made the tech in this sat possible? For some bad a*** Hindi program?

Roperia · Post by **Roperia** » 26 Apr 2012 06:14

NRao wrote:They (DD) cut off THE lady who made the tech in this sat possible? For some bad a*** Hindi program?

Its a hearing impaired program sir and why this Kolaveri over Hindi?

rahulm · Post by **rahulm** » 26 Apr 2012 06:14

Congratulations to ISRO. Success is now a habit.

We should soon know the launch altitude and crucially the inclination.

The DD news anchor congratulated ISRO for the "successful launch of India's first indigenous satellite". DDM quality is poor. The script writers need to get their act together.

This month had seen launch of Agni V and RISAT-1. Hopefully, it will be a triple with the NLCA maiden flight. A bumper month.

Roperia · Post by **Roperia** » 26 Apr 2012 06:20

rahulm wrote: We should soon know the launch altitude and crucially the inclination.

If I recall correctly, both apogee and perigee were 400-something km (sorry I don't recall the exact values).

I heard them say that Inclination was 97°.

Sridhar · Post by **Sridhar** » 26 Apr 2012 06:23

Congrats, ISRO. PSLV has been so reliable that I have stopped feeling the nervous anticipation felt before most launches.

rahulm · Post by **rahulm** » 26 Apr 2012 06:40

For reference the injection targets were:

altitude 480 (+/- 40.5) Km
Inclination 97.552 (+/- 0.2).

Note the inclination variation range target is very low. Shows high confidence in guidance control. Benefits of Chandrayaan I possibly.

PratikDas · Post by **PratikDas** » 26 Apr 2012 06:47

Congratulations, ISRO!

Hiten · Post by **Hiten** » 26 Apr 2012 06:59

in case you missed the action

launch video of the PSLV-C19 mission

http://t.co/8PE39Uzk

Scientists addressing the public after the mission

http://t.co/Rczo0JZP

akashganga · Post by **akashganga** » 26 Apr 2012 07:46

congratulations ISRO. Good to see yet another successful PSLV launch. I hope this year 2012 will mark the first successful launch of GSLV with indigenous cryogenic engine.

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 26 Apr 2012 07:47

Congrats Isro.
1064 Seconds, velocity of 7.6 km/sec and range was 5094 Kms.

Hiten · Post by **Hiten** » 26 Apr 2012 07:57

India's RISAT-1 Satellite - utility & capability

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oe5_3cfnaWw

Craig Alpert · Post by **Craig Alpert** » 26 Apr 2012 08:28

Indian rocket successfully launches Risat-1 satellite

SRIHARIKOTA : On an early Thursday morning, an Indian rocket successfully launched into orbit a microwave Radar Imaging Satellite (Risat-1) from the spaceport here in Andhra Pradesh, around 80 km from Chennai.

The indigenous Risat-1, with a life span of five years, would be used for disaster prediction and agriculture forestry and the high resolution pictures and microwave imaging could also be used for defence purposes as it can look through the clouds and fog.

At exactly 5.47 a.m., the rocket - Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle C19 (PSLV-C19) - standing 44.5 metres tall and weighing 321 tons and with a one-way ticket, hurtled towards the skies ferrying the 1,858 kg Risat-1 after unshackling itself from launch pad No.1.

With a rich orange flame at its tail and a plume of white smoke, the rocket ascended towards the blue sky amidst the resounding cheers of Isro scientists and media team assembled at the launch centre.

People perched atop nearby buildings too happily clapped as PSLV-C19 went up.

Space scientists at the new rocket mission control room of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) were glued to their computer screens watching the rocket escaping the earth's gravitational pull.

The Isro-made Risat-1 is the heaviest luggage so far ferried by a PSLV since 1993.

At around 17 minutes into the flight, PSLV-C19 delivered Risat-1 into a polar circular orbit at an altitude of 480 km and an orbital inclination of 97.552 degrees.

Isro, with its network of ground stations, monitored its health.

"PSLV-C19 mission is a grand success. This is the 20th successive successful flight of PSLV. India's (indigenously built) first radar imaging satellite was injected precisely into orbit," Isro chairman K. Radhakrishnan said after the launch.

For Isro, this is the first launch this fiscal as well as in the calendar year.

Remote sensing satellites send back pictures and other data for use. India has the largest constellation of remote sensing satellites in the world providing imagery in a variety of spatial resolutions, from more than a metre ranging up to 500 metres, and is a major player in vending such data in the global market.

With 11 remote sensing/earth observation satellites orbiting in the space, India is a world leader in the remote sensing data market. The 11 satellites are TES, Resourcesat-1, Cartosat-1, 2, 2A and 2B, IMS-1, Risat-2, Oceansat-2, Resourcesat-2 and Megha-Tropiques.

Risat-1's synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can acquire data in C-band and would orbit the earth 14 times a day.

In 2009, Isro had launched 300 kg Risat-2 with an Israeli built SAR enabling earth observation in all weather, day and night conditions.

With Thursday's launch the PSLV rocket has launched successfully 53 satellites out of 54 it carried - majorly remote sensing/earth observation satellites both Indian and foreign - and has been a major revenue earner for Isro.

The one failure happened in 1993 when the satellite was not able reach the orbit.

The rocket that delivered Risat-1 in the space is Isro's four stage PSLV's upgraded variant called PSLV-XL.

The letters XL stand for extra large as the six strap-on motors hugging the rocket at the bottom can carry 12 tonnes of solid fuel as against the base version that has a fuel capacity of nine tonnes.

The PSLV's four stages are fuelled with solid and liquid propellants. The first and third stages are fuelled by solid fuel while the second and fourth stages are powered by liquid fuel.

Isro had used the PSLV-XL variant for its Chandrayaan-1 moon mission in 2008 and for launching the GSAT-12 communications satellite in 2011.

Sri · Post by **Sri** » 26 Apr 2012 08:29

Congratulations to the whole scientific community of Bharatha... We are proud of you.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 26 Apr 2012 08:46

Go Baby,Go! Gratters all round to the ISRO and the PSLV team.20 successful launches is something to be immensely proud of! We now need to build a large number of PSLVs ready at short notice to launch military sats esp. during a crisis.There should be no hesitation or lethargy by the GOI in establishing a network of mil-sats launched by the PSLV launchers.The three branches of the servcies ned their own dedicated sats,esp. the In,which is ever increasing its sphere of naval ops beyond the IOR confines and our intel services/NTRO who need their own intel sats just as the NSA does.Loads of work to be done,but this success is great going.

abhijitm · Post by **abhijitm** » 26 Apr 2012 09:01

Congrats ISRO. Splendid work, job well done.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 26 Apr 2012 09:02

Excellent News to begin the day with , Congratulations ISRO and its entire staff for making this happen.

sum · Post by **sum** » 26 Apr 2012 09:05

Isro seeks Balaji's blessing for launch

Ahead of the blast-off of the PSLV-C19 satellite launcher, scheduled for Thursday, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) scientists visited the Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirumala on Wednesday and sought the benediction of deity Balaji for the satellite’s flight into the outer space.

Isro Chairman K Radhakrishnan, who led the team to Tirumala, carried a model of the PSLV-C19 and placed it at the feet of the deity in the sanctum sanctorum. “I came to pray for its successful flight,” Radhakrishnan told reporters later. Special rituals were performed by a team of temple priests led by chief priest Ramana Dikshitulu.

Temple authorities said the ritual by Isro officials was not unusual as it had become a practice for public and private R&D institutions to seek the blessings on the eve of any test launch.

Indian scientists have been known to conduct religious rituals before any significant event, but Radhakrishnan, who has been in the eye of a storm over the recent controversy over Isro’s deal with a private entity, has been criticised in the past for exhibiting his religious beliefs openly. Anticipating his elevation as Isro chairman in October 2009, Radhakrishnan, a trained Kathakali dancer, camped at the Krishna temple at Guruvayoor temple, received his appointment order via the temple fax and had himself weighed in bananas in a thanksgiving ceremony called Tulabharam.

Guess Lord Balaji listened to ISRO's prayers and blessed us all!!

One can safely ignore the psy-ops about evil Hindu traditions being done openly.

nachiket · Post by **nachiket** » 26 Apr 2012 09:28

Idiots at NDTV reporting the launch of "India's first remote sensing satellite".

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 26 Apr 2012 09:34

YAWN........ for yet another successful Rakit launch ISRO.

Lungi dance for the first Indian SPY sat.

1st in a long line of spy sats.

disha · Post by **disha** » 26 Apr 2012 09:40

nachiket wrote:Idiots at NDTV reporting the launch of "India's first remote sensing satellite".

+1. They have now changed it in some places. However NDTV needs to fire a bunch of their TV anchors, no grace and no knowledge, even to ask the right questions.

Particularly in this video, the anchorwoman keeps on stressing about securing the borders to the spokesperson who wants to talk only about paddy and kharif season. Take a hint, why is ISRO talking only about paddy and kharif season and why not ask questions about mango and other agricultural produce. And talk about night vision etc and then ask who your customers are going to be.

ISRO is *not*., repeat *not* in the spying business, but its satellite can provide data which suitable user organizations can use it for their benefits and that may include "spying".

See the video at http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/isro- ... t-1-202464

Added later: ISRO really needs to have high speed cameras and then use that to create a video for IMAX theaters., and should be shown free of charge - including ways to join ISRO. This should inspire next gen of rocketeers. And BTW, they should show the blessings by Lord Venkatasha at Tirumala as well

Altair · Post by **Altair** » 26 Apr 2012 09:41

nachiket wrote:Idiots at NDTV reporting the launch of "India's first remote sensing satellite".

Fantastic achievement folks @ ISRO. Congratulations!
PS: I only hope the "band gap" of IQ between Indian scientists at ISRO, DRDO and the dorks in Indian media does not widen further. It is becoming rather glaringly embarrassing.
NDTV must get its act together. @VishnuS WTF man!

vic · Post by **vic** » 26 Apr 2012 09:55

Varoon Shekhar wrote:"Launch date for PSLV C-19 carrying Risat-1 announced.

Launch scheduled for April 26 “early morning”:"

Very good news! Now please, ISRO, no more delays on this one! It was originally supposed to go up sometime in 2011.

Also, once again, a confusing news item about RISAT-2 which the link says was bought from Israel. Other sources are pretty emphatic that only the SAR was imported from Israel, ( Is SAR imported??) while the rest of the structure was mostly indigenous.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 26 Apr 2012 10:00

with local and israeli efforts we have closed the gap in satellite steadily and hope to be 'on par' with tier-1 players like france in mil & civil applications by 2020.

the one remaining gap is in getting GSLV-mk3 into successful series of launches and then routine use....this is one area we are lagging 10+ yrs behind the Cheen. no thanks to Unkil for sabotaging the cryogenic deal and subsequent sanctions.

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 26 Apr 2012 10:09

are there any more russian cryo engines left to use. when is the next GSLV launch and is it with the local engine? iirc they had discovered certain effects in the vacuum of space which were not tested before launch for lack of a proper test facility, they later went to germany and used some ariane/eads type facility there to get insights into this. we had a hot thread on this and some of us argued better to spend $1b cash upfront and replicate all such missing test facilities here.

--old flightglobal article---
The Indian Space Research Organisation hopes to be ready to return its heavy-lift Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) to flight by March 2012.

The ISRO has undertaken corrective measures including redesigning the critical fuel booster turbo component of the indigenous cryogenic upper engine stage which malfunctioned causing the failure of the April 2010 mission.

A second GSLV failure, in December 2010, was attributed to faulty connectors and cables at the bottom of a Russian-supplied upper stage.

This failure caused the on-board computer near the top of the GSLV to lose communications with the control systems for the four L40 strap-on boosters that augment the rocket's first stage.

The April failure brought into question the future of the GSLV programme - and with it India's manned and Moon mission plans - as Russian-built stages are no longer available and so the Indian-designed and built stage has to be successful.

The Chandrayaan-II Moon mission, scheduled for launch in 2013, and a crewed flight mission for 2016 will only happen if GSLV is ready.

Chairman K Radhakrishnan said ISRO is also setting up a major test facility for the qualification of a heavier cryogenic engine for GSLV-MK III, which is designed to place a four-tonne class satellite into a geostationary transfer orbit.

arunsrinivasan · Post by **arunsrinivasan** » 26 Apr 2012 10:18

If I remember correctly, there was 1 Russian Cryo engine left.

Indranil · Post by **Indranil** » 26 Apr 2012 10:29

vic wrote:
Varoon Shekhar wrote:"Launch date for PSLV C-19 carrying Risat-1 announced.

Launch scheduled for April 26 “early morning”:"

Very good news! Now please, ISRO, no more delays on this one! It was originally supposed to go up sometime in 2011.

Also, once again, a confusing news item about RISAT-2 which the link says was bought from Israel. Other sources are pretty emphatic that only the SAR was imported from Israel, ( Is SAR imported??) while the rest of the structure was mostly indigenous.

What got launched today is RISAT-1. What may be confusing you is that RISAT-2 got launched before RISAT-1. RISAT-2 had the SAR from Israel.

SagarAg · Post by **SagarAg** » 26 Apr 2012 11:08

Congratulations ISRO for the successful launch of PSLV C-19.

I remember visiting ISRO at Bangalore a few years back and it was an honor and enriching experience to meet the scientists there.

rahulm · Post by **rahulm** » 26 Apr 2012 11:47

RISAT 1 injection inclination is 97.6 deg and orbit is 482x476kms all well within the target. Great show ISRO.

Inspirational speech by Dr. Yash Pal. He talked about the nation learning from ISRO to achieve its full potential.

From the RISAT-1 Project Director's speech the satellite has several new technologies- SAR, High data handling system,high (capacity) storage device,phased array antenna,high data rate modulator,

4.7 Kw DC power consumption

nits · Post by **nits** » 26 Apr 2012 12:43

Some pictures...

AbhiJ · Post by **AbhiJ** » 26 Apr 2012 13:19

Buoyed by the successful launch of all-weather radar imaging satellite RISAT-1, Isro today announced it would launch two GSLVs and a PSLV this fiscal and the second Indian moon mission of Chandrayaan 2 in 2014 on board a GSLV.

"The launch of Chandrayaan 2 will be in 2014. We are working towards it. It would be on a GSLV, after we launch two GSLVs within an interval of six months," Isro chief K Radhakrishnan told reporters here soon after the launch of RISAT-1.

T K Alex, Director, Isro Satellite Centre said Isro is working with Russian scientists on Chandrayaan 2. "We will discuss on site selection like where we have to land," he said, adding other related works are progressing well.

On launch of two Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLVs) and Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) this fiscal, Radhakrishnan said Isro has studied the reasons for the failure in 2010. "Now GSLV will undergo an endurance test of 1,000 seconds and a vacuum test at a special facility at the Liquid Propellant System Centre at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu, where a Rs 300 crore facility for vacuum test has been made," he said.

"Once we get the green signal from the Ground Testing Team, we would be ready for the GSLV launch,” he said.

http://business-standard.com/india/news ... /163748/on

GSLV Mk2 in June
GSLV Mk3 in December
PSLV C20 or C21 August

keshavchandra · Post by **keshavchandra** » 26 Apr 2012 13:32

[youtube]Gv1CId2aKAw&feature=endscreen[/youtube]
India Launches Indigenous Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-I) - PSLV-C19.
Congs. to ISRO and all satellite launch team.

I really get surprised with this, so detailed vedio on A-5 and now on RISAT-1. Is a new GOI new publicity strategy? Just have a look on this above link on RISAT-1 launch with full integration details.

Prasad · Post by **Prasad** » 26 Apr 2012 13:44

nits wrote:Some pictures...

http://im.rediff.com/news/2012/apr/26sd1.jpg

http://im.rediff.com/news/2012/apr/26sd2.jpg

http://im.rediff.com/news/2012/apr/26sd3.jpg

There is just something about pre-dawn launches. That ethereal blue sky with a gigantic fireball of a rocket! Next up, GSLV!

vina · Post by **vina** » 26 Apr 2012 14:14

Can any electronics/communication/physics/engg physics etc folks comment on this.

Why is the RISAT a C band Radar while others like the German TerraSar-X (roughly comparable,weight , performance, altitude etc) are X band and so are mostly other space based SARs, including the RISAT-2 which used an Isreali X band SAR.

DDM and esp the TV kinds are total morons. India already has a dedicated military satellite the RISAT-2 with a mil-grade SAR, with far higher resolution and which flies lower and probably has a greater revisit, but they want to put a "military" dog and pony show on RISAT-2 . So will the German TerraSar-X and TerraDem-X be classified as miliatary by those same dorks.

Talk about self goals and other idiocies. I remember when IRS was launched first, the media went to town about it as a "spy satellite".

mody · Post by **mody** » 26 Apr 2012 15:01

The GSLV MK2 and MK3 test flights shall be the Agni-V like game changer moments for Indian Space Program. If both the GSLV lauches planned for this year are successful, then this will be a watershed year for Indian Space and Missile Program.
That would put the GSLV on par with Ariane-IV(now superseded Ariane-V) and chinese Long March-III rockets.

vdutta · Post by **vdutta** » 26 Apr 2012 15:02

Up up.... and away