Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

All threads that are locked or marked for deletion will be moved to this forum. The topics will be cleared from this archive on the 1st and 16th of each month.
Locked
hnair
Forum Moderator
Posts: 4633
Joined: 03 May 2006 01:31
Location: Trivandrum

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

Post by hnair »

Oh neat! They have changed the process, circa 2012 or so, when I tried to get someone visiting from abroad there.

Btw, that website has this very nostalgic pic of public viewing of Rohini Sounding Rocket launches during Wednesday evening:
Image

Haridas, while I dearly wish to see a PSLV thunder up from Trivandrum, it wont - merely 20 kms downrange is a large airport/airbase, a further 40 kms away has a large new port/navalbase and a dense population within 5kms radius towards the east of the current small pads for Rohini.
Kakarat
BRF Oldie
Posts: 2223
Joined: 26 Jan 2005 13:59

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

Post by Kakarat »

If you want to see a PSLV launch all you have to do is just come to Chennai and the launch pad is around 2 to 3 hrs drive depending on your stay and traffic.
The view is really worth it
Singha
BRF Oldie
Posts: 66601
Joined: 13 Aug 2004 19:42
Location: the grasshopper lies heavy

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

Post by Singha »

I know the hal museum. It has not changed one bit in ten years
It has land in back , can be good place for my proposed air n space as some seeds are there. Just put in a huge new bldg there

Its time to use afterburner and go full caliber.
Singha
BRF Oldie
Posts: 66601
Joined: 13 Aug 2004 19:42
Location: the grasshopper lies heavy

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

Post by Singha »

I binge watched The First series on amzn prime yesterday hence the new burst of aggression

Its about a spacex type outfit working with nasa for first manned flight to mars. Onlee thing is 5 people die in ep1 as a freak accident blows up stage1 2 mins in the air

There are 8 episodes . Sean penn as the old alexei leonov type vet and the lady playing the neo musk mahdi have played it beautifully

Watch it boys

Also james mitcheners fiction book Space about early decades of nasa is worth it. I last read it in class6 and plan to again as also tom wolfes The right stuff

With our manned venture starting we will soon have such people willing to risk it all ... our own heroes... mentally it is important for indians to see indian heroes in all walks of life not just worship buffet or gates or hawking
A Nandy
BR Mainsite Crew
Posts: 502
Joined: 06 Sep 2009 23:39

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

Post by A Nandy »

The California Science center had actual plastic encased modules displayed in all their heat blasted glory:

Image

Now there is the shuttle too https://californiasciencecenter.org/exhibits/air-space

And this is one of the less space focused museums. We need real TFTA stuff like this.
prasannasimha
Forum Moderator
Posts: 1214
Joined: 15 Aug 2016 00:22

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

Post by prasannasimha »

The VSSC museum has SRE2 and the CARE module - you can see the ablative ceramic tiles that were charred and also the ones removed for testing and you can see various components that were developed and also the various pyrobolts composite tanks etc. Of course it would be smaller than that of the US etc who have been in space for a longer time than us.
Mort Walker
BRF Oldie
Posts: 10032
Joined: 31 May 2004 11:31
Location: The rings around Uranus.

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

Post by Mort Walker »

Singha wrote:I know the hal museum. It has not changed one bit in ten years
It has land in back , can be good place for my proposed air n space as some seeds are there. Just put in a huge new bldg there

Its time to use afterburner and go full caliber.
I agree. Air and space museums, ISRO PR advertisements/videos, and air shows all inspire youth to seriously consider aviation related industries for their vocation. Some may be good at math and science, so they become scientists and engineers, others who have engineering degrees become pilots and the best become Vyomanauts, others with diplomas become skilled technicians who have come out of the IAF and IN. So the Indian space industry takes the best at every level. It certainly gives an option instead of ITvity.
disha
BR Mainsite Crew
Posts: 8236
Joined: 03 Dec 2006 04:17
Location: gaganaviharin

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

Post by disha »

prasannasimha wrote:https://youtu.be/iHgn5m139uA
Thanks. The above link is very informative*

The above presentation was in 2016. And things are changing, some ideas discussed then is not valid any more.

I think one major change was to use the current GSLV Mk III and make it human rated for human spaceflight by 2022. Earlier the plan was to replace the current hypergolic liquid core with a SCE 200 and make it human rated, but looks like SCE 200 will not be used for human space flight.

Also around 14 mins into presentation, there is discussion of metho-lox engines and ISRO is already working on developing them. I think they should go full scale on metholox. There is also mention of clustering and reusing.

*I never saw that presentation! I am linking it in the Indian space media thread.
Singha
BRF Oldie
Posts: 66601
Joined: 13 Aug 2004 19:42
Location: the grasshopper lies heavy

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

Post by Singha »

Does gslv mk3 not start the liquid core first stage until after the solid boosters burn out? I could be wrong as the liquid flames are very clean
disha
BR Mainsite Crew
Posts: 8236
Joined: 03 Dec 2006 04:17
Location: gaganaviharin

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

Post by disha »

Singha wrote:Does gslv mk3 not start the liquid core first stage until after the solid boosters burn out? I could be wrong as the liquid flames are very clean
I think you are confusing between GSLV Mk3 and Mk2. Yes all liquid engines flames are "very clean". Please check the photo of GSLV Mk2 in the space media thread. You can see the flame of the liquid engines against dark background clearly.

===

For GSLV Mk3, the liquid core starts "mid-way". That is, it gets ignited at @40 km altitude at 1.65 km/sec velocity (time 1 min 50 sec from launch). The solid boosters burn out and separate at 62 kms altitude at 2 kms/sec.

The liquid core continues to burn & shutoff and separate at @ 155 km/157 km, the velocity at this point is 4 km/sec.

In terms of velocity, the solid boosters take the rocket to @1.65 km/sec, the liquid take it to @4km/sec and the C25 takes it to @8-10 km/sec.

In terms of height, the boosters separate at @62 Kms, the second stage at @157 km and the satellite separation at @200 km.*

* Interesting exercise will be to calculate the altitude of max Q of GSLV Mk III. It is definitely below <40 kms.
Haridas
BRFite
Posts: 878
Joined: 26 Dec 2017 07:53

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

Post by Haridas »

disha wrote:* Interesting exercise will be to calculate the altitude of max Q of GSLV Mk III. It is definitely below <40 kms.
Disha ji,
MaxQ at altitude of ~ 4 Km, & Velocity ~1.7 Mach
prasannasimha
Forum Moderator
Posts: 1214
Joined: 15 Aug 2016 00:22

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

Post by prasannasimha »

ISRO is doing things in its own way. They onvite children to competitions and inspire them. Lets just say I know one boy who was so enthused . He had a one on one with TK Alex ghe then head of SAC after winning a rover and quiz competition that he wanted to take space rngineering and gave up an IIT seat to study in IIST. There are many others like him who have joined and are working there because of outreach programs. It may be done on a larger scale but it is very much there.
prasannasimha
Forum Moderator
Posts: 1214
Joined: 15 Aug 2016 00:22

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

Post by prasannasimha »

Thats one of tge reasons for SRB firing first and then the L110 firing later ( same for Titan) . Alsi the nozzle is optimized for use at and beyond that height rather than at the ground level
Haridas
BRFite
Posts: 878
Joined: 26 Dec 2017 07:53

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

Post by Haridas »

hnair wrote:Haridas, while I dearly wish to see a PSLV thunder up from Trivandrum, it wont - merely 20 kms downrange is a large airport/airbase, a further 40 kms away has a large new port/navalbase and a dense population within 5kms radius towards the east of the current small pads for Rohini.
HNair ji, I guess where there is a will, there is a way. Trivandrum for polar sat launch will have to compete w Kutch/Gujrat. Population density is indeed pressing concern. How difficult to make a platform on the continental shelf, with one km long rail link? Or a sea launch platform 4 km off coast. Still a big range safety issue with nearby villages I guess.

I recall once landing there to discuss lab requirement for testing Radiation qualified parts/assy. 30 yrs ago.
prasannasimha
Forum Moderator
Posts: 1214
Joined: 15 Aug 2016 00:22

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

Post by prasannasimha »

Another problem is the launch azimuth is narrower there ie only useful for polar launches because of Maldives (closer so booster fall out will be an issue and Sri Lanka) also the inclination to avoid Srilanka for a GTO launch will also be higher
Vips
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4699
Joined: 14 Apr 2017 18:23

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

Post by Vips »

India plans to launch 32 space missions in 2019.

India is planning to launch 32 space missions in 2019, a top space official said here. "The year 2019 promises to be challenging to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) community with 32 planned missions," its chairman K Sivan said in a message to his employees on New Year on Tuesday.

The missions include the second lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 to land on the moon with lander and rover. The Rs 800-crore lunar mission will the 25th from the second launch pad of the space port at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, about 90km northeast of Chennai.

India's maiden human space mission in 2021-22, Gaganyaan, will also be pursued this year, Sivan said in a first-of-its-kind New Year message from the space agency top executive to its staff.

"Gaganyaan activities will go in full steam to accomplish the various development and qualification milestones," the Chairman said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's announcement of Gaganyaan on August 15 last year has allowed the space agency to fulfil its dream of undertaking a human spaceflight programme, Sivan said.

The pad abort test held on July 5, 2018 to test the escape system of the crew module has given ISRO confidence to pursue the human space mission, he added.

The space agency is also aiming to re-instate its microwave remote sensing capability through the Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT) series and hopes to attain geo-imaging capability through Geo-Imaging Satellite (GISAT) series.

"The country will meet the high throughput bandwidth requirement of Digital India and also in-flight connectivity with the launch of GSAT-20," Sivan said.

The space agency will enhance remote sensing data for crop production estimation to cover 10 additional crops and provide inputs for water and energy security.

"It is planned to improve the payload capability of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) and its variants," he added.

Marking the birth centenary of the founding father of India's space programme, Vikram Sarabhai, ISRO will host a year-long celebration from August 12, with national and international events such as fellowships, scholarships at universities.

Recounting the year gone by, Sivan said 2018 had many firsts for ISRO, which undertook 16 missions, of which seven were accomplished in 35 days.

"The national confidence in ISRO is reflected in the highest ever allocation of about Rs 30,000-crore for 23 new and continuation programmes in a single year," Sivan said.

Among the space agency's achievements in 2018 were the launch of the heaviest satellite GSAT-29 (3,423 kg) on November 14 and building the heaviest communication satellite GSAT-11 (5,854 kg), launched on December 5 onboard the Arianespace space agency's rocket from French Guiana on the north Atlantic coast of South America.

ISRO has received approval for the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), along with a dedicated launch pad, and is working on reusable launch vehicle development, Sivan noted.

"The approval of 30 Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and 10 GSLV Mk-III operational flights, along with development of semicryogenic stage, uprated cryogenic stage and all-electric spacecraft propulsion will accelerate ISRO towards new capabilities, Sivan added.

The space agency has been working on national programmes for the socio-economic security and sustainable development, including that of national geo-spatial energy information system, enhanced earth observational capabilities, real-time disaster management like during floods in Kerala and northeastern states last year.

ISRO has also tied up with the Ministry of Home Affairs to provide technical support for establishing an integrated control room for emergency management, Sivan stated.

The space agency is working to step up its launch capacity through a second vehicle assembly building for the second launch pad, which has been completed and is constructing a PSLV integration facility for the first launch pad.
disha
BR Mainsite Crew
Posts: 8236
Joined: 03 Dec 2006 04:17
Location: gaganaviharin

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

Post by disha »

Haridas wrote:MaxQ at altitude of ~ 4 Km, & Velocity ~1.7 Mach
Haridas'ji - thank you and that was quick!
prasannasimha
Forum Moderator
Posts: 1214
Joined: 15 Aug 2016 00:22

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

Post by prasannasimha »

Image

ShowIng image of ADMIRE and L40
disha
BR Mainsite Crew
Posts: 8236
Joined: 03 Dec 2006 04:17
Location: gaganaviharin

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

Post by disha »

It makes sense to test out the design and algorithms on a L40 equivalent stage and then later try it out on a GSLV Mk2.

Since the entire stage and boosters separate as a block during 1st stage separation, all 4- L40 stages can be used to land that block.

Later GSLV Mk2 can have liquid equivalent of S139 stage (hopefully metholox). The design will change (it may grow a wider and taller). But it will be a remarkable launch vehicle.
Indranil
Forum Moderator
Posts: 8428
Joined: 02 Apr 2010 01:21

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

Post by Indranil »

The picture for ADMIRE is from the brochure and poster of ASET2018 arranged by VSSC. The website had other diagrams for L40 used as a booster for tests on the human capsule, RLV etc. Unfortunately, the website has been pulled down and I can't find those diagrams anywhere else.

They are very seriously contemplating recovering the first stage of GSLV Mk2 using soft landing near its parabolic touchpoint near Andaman. The payload cost could be about 100 kgs (Dr. Sivan said 80 kgs). Getting it back to the launch point would halve the payload. But the focus is to lower costs by increasing payload. Dr. Sivan (and others) have often quoted 2.6-2.7 tons to GTO using GSLV Mk2. Optimizing Mk3 should take payload to 5 tons to GTO.

SSLV is a great initiative, and the right one to take up right now. It is not efficient, but it can be built today. But for the future, it will be great to see if ISRO would come up with a reusable TSTO all-liquid small scale launcher. The first stage could be the recoverable L40 from ADMIRE or a L-40 stage packaged in the RLV-glider config. A scaled down C12 stage with 2 mtr dia (or a scaled up PS4 from PSLV) could act as good candidates for a second stage recovered using deorbiting techniques demonstrated by SRE. A 45 ton first stage and a 12-ish ton second stage is a good mass ratio. Such a 60-65 ton vehicle should have the payload capacity as SSLV. It can form the test bed for future TSTOs.
Indranil
Forum Moderator
Posts: 8428
Joined: 02 Apr 2010 01:21

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

Post by Indranil »

In the expendable mode, the above TSTO should be slightly enlarged version of the Firefly Alpha/Falcon 1e.
Ashokk
BRFite
Posts: 1116
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

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

Post by Ashokk »

Space diplomacy: India to set up ground stations for 5 neighbours
BENGALURU: As part of New Delhi’s space diplomacy, a tool the foreign ministry has been trying to wield as part of its neighbourhood-first policy to counter China’s influence in the region, India will set up five large ground stations and more than 500 small terminals in five neighbouring countries – Bhutan, Nepal, Maldives, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Apart from boosting regional cooperation, the move to set up tracking and receiving centres will also help put in place strategic Indian assets on their soil. These stations and terminals will help put in place applications ranging from television broadcasting to telephony and internet, disaster management and tele-medicine. Isro meanwhile can use these ground stations to communicate with its own satellites.

Sources said the first of the five ground stations, coming up in Bhutan’s capital Thimphu, will be ready for commissioning on January 9, and may be inaugurated as early as January 15. “We have an Indian firm, Alpha Design Technologies, implementing the project, which will also see 100 VSATs (Very Small Aperture Terminals) connected to the ground station, taking for the first time TV broadcasting to many remote areas in Bhutan,” the source said. The station in Thimphu is seen as India’s counter to the satellite tracking infrastructure created by China in Tibet.

A similar project in Afghanistan is set to come up later.

The infrastructure is being created as an extension of the South Asia Satellite launched on May 5, 2017. “The MEA and Isro are very serious about this mission, and Isro is committed to provide all support,” said Isro chairman Sivan K. “We will even send out our people to help the countries utilise our satellite service. We hosted representatives from all these countries on December 12 in New Delhi to chart out future plans.”

Last year, Isro had installed and commissioned a few terminals in each of these countries which, through Isro’s station in New Delhi, demonstrated how useful such infrastructure was for television broadcasting, video conferencing and data messaging. “Based on this success, these countries have requested the Indian government to give them full-fledged ground stations (with 7.5m antennas) and connect them to hundreds of 1.2 meter-antenna terminals so that they can have their own captive network. The first such network is coming up in Bhutan,” an official said.

Ten days ago, a 10-member Bangladesh delegation visited India to finalise the project that will have at least 100 terminals spread across that country and one large ground station, most likely in Dhaka.

Col (retd) HS Shankar, CMD of Alpha Design, said: “Thanks to Isro, which recognises our track record, we will be part of the implementation of the project in all five countries for whom the South Asia satellite was launched. We’ve begun work everywhere, but Bhutan is a priority.”

The South Asia Satellite – launched on May 5, 2017 – cost India an estimated Rs 450 crore (including launch cost and other variables) while the satellite itself cost about Rs 235 crore.

Demand for small terminals

Apart from the five large terminals, there’s demand for 100 VSATs — two-way terminals that allow telephony and internet—in each of the five countries, while Bhutan wants an additional 35 terminals with only receiving capability.

“Unlike VSATs, these are called ROTs (receive only terminals), and work like set-top boxes in our homes, which only receive information,” Krishna Gopal, vice-president (SATCOM) at Alpha explained.

Maldives, on the other hand, has expressed interest in establishing disaster management centres in 100 of the 200 inhabited islands in the country. “After Bhutan, Bangladesh and Maldives projects kick off, and are completed in three months, they’ll take up Nepal and Sri Lanka,” said the source..

Afghanistan, which is keen on getting 100 terminals and a ground station, will have to wait since the project is on a backburner due to security concerns.
Vips
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4699
Joined: 14 Apr 2017 18:23

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

Post by Vips »

All about the Aditya-L1, India's first mission to study the Sun.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to launch 'Aditya-L1', the first Indian mission to study the sun, by the year 2020. Originally named as the Aditya-1 mission, is a satellite designed to study the solar corona (outer layers of the Sun) which is quite similar to NASA's Parker Solar Probe. With Aditya-L1, India seems poised to advance its status among the global science community and, indeed, among private companies seeking a bargain on space exploration technology.

The main aim of the solar mission is to do coronal and near UV studies of the sun and help resolve some unanswered questions in solar physics. Also Read ISRO's new station in Bhutan to pose stiff challenge to China The mission is a joint venture between ISRO and physicists from various institutes including Indian Institute of Astrophysics (Bengaluru), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (Mumbai) and Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (Pune).

Aditya L1 satellite will be launched by using PSLV XL.The launch will take in early part of next solar cycle. The satellite will be programmed to orbit L1 point and image sun's magnetic field from space for very first time in world.

Scientists hope to capture close-ups of sun from here, uninterrupted by eclipses for years. According to the ISRO, the Aditya-1 mission was conceived as a 400kg class satellite carrying one payload, the Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) and was planned to be launch in a 800 km low earth orbit. Scientists say that any satellite in the halo orbit around the Lagrangian point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system can view the Sun without any occultation/ eclipses.

What is the solar corona?
ISRO had planned to use Aditya-1 to observe only the solar corona, which is the outer layer of the Sun and extends to thousands of km above the disc.

The outer layers of the Sun, extending to thousands of km above the disc (photosphere) is termed as the corona.

Aditya-1 was meant to observe only the solar corona. It has a temperature of more than a million degree Kelvin which is much higher than the solar disc temperature of around 6000K.

Solar physicists haven't yet been able to know how the corona gets heated to such high temperatures. 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.

When will the Aditya - L1 be launched?
• The Aditya - L1 is set to launch during 2019-2020 timeframe by Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL) from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh
• Aditya, which is the Sanskrit word for 'sun' will be ISRO's second high-profile space mission after it launched its Mars orbiter in 2013.
jaysimha
BRFite
Posts: 1696
Joined: 20 Dec 2017 14:30

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

Post by jaysimha »

Rakesh wrote: Thank you for posting this jaysimha.

She did her undergrad from Birmingham University in the UK. She could have stayed there, but chose to come back and serve the nation. Kudos to Her! A true inspiration for us all.
welcome sir,,
,
kumbh mela in hyderabad
,
,
Image
https://icss2019.in/
International Conference on Small Satellites (ICSS-2019) is being organized by Society for Small
Satellite Systems along with Sensors Research Society at Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad during
7th – 9th Feb 2019.
jaysimha
BRFite
Posts: 1696
Joined: 20 Dec 2017 14:30

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

Post by jaysimha »

Vips
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4699
Joined: 14 Apr 2017 18:23

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

Post by Vips »

Chandrayaan-2 launch delayed to April-end, says ISRO chief.

After missing several targets, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Friday confirmed that Chandrayaan-2, the country's second mission to the moon, would not be launched before the end of April. Isro had planned to launch Chandrayaan-2 in the first available window (January and February) this year.

Isro chairman Sivan K said: "We could not complete a few tests. Now we are looking at a March-April window." If Isro misses this window, the mission would be pushed to June, he added. While the new configuration of the lander had caused some delay, Isro was also engaged in multiple launches in the second half of 2018, which affected work on the moon mission.

On the telecom department's requests for satellites, including resources to allow operators to provide in-flight call services, Sivan said: "We already have GSAT-29, GSAT-11 and GSAT-20 among other satellites, which will complete the Digital India programme by enhancing internet speed. These can also be used for in-flight calls. Talks are on."

Sivan said Hindustan Aeronautics Limited :shock: and L&T :) would lead a consortium that would build the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which has been Isro's workhorse for years. He also said the consortium would build GSLV class rockets.

Sivan listed launches and projects lined up for 2019 apart from Gaganyaan. Among them are key tests of the Re-usable Launch Vehicle, a PSLV launch that will test a new technology on its fourth stage and GSAT-20, planned for October-September.
prasannasimha
Forum Moderator
Posts: 1214
Joined: 15 Aug 2016 00:22

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

Post by prasannasimha »

Being the first time they are deploying a soft lander and a rover they are repeating multiple tests as it is a one shot thing. Better safe than sorry
Indranil
Forum Moderator
Posts: 8428
Joined: 02 Apr 2010 01:21

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

Post by Indranil »

Jay,

There’s your answer to the periodicity of launch window to the moon. About 2 months. I would love to learn the principle constituents to this calculation.
prasannasimha
Forum Moderator
Posts: 1214
Joined: 15 Aug 2016 00:22

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

Post by prasannasimha »

I had sent a old NASA video on calculations of the launch window for lunar landings
Neshant
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4852
Joined: 01 Jan 1970 05:30

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

Post by Neshant »

Millisecond level Fast Radio Bursts have been detected from extremely far away galaxies.

Apparently nobody knows what is causing these mysterious signals.

kit
BRF Oldie
Posts: 6278
Joined: 13 Jul 2006 18:16

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

Post by kit »

Neshant wrote:Millisecond level Fast Radio Bursts have been detected from extremely far away galaxies.

Apparently nobody knows what is causing these mysterious signals.

Rotating radio transient

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotating_radio_transient

Pulses from RRATs are short in duration, lasting from a few milliseconds. The pulses are comparable to the brightest single pulses observed from pulsars with flux densities of a few Jansky at 1.4 GHz. Andrew Lyne, a radio astronomer involved in the discovery of RRATs, "guesses that there are only a few dozen brighter radio sources in the sky.The time intervals between detected bursts range from seconds (one pulse period) to hours. Thus radio emission from RRATs is typically only detectable for less than one second per day.

The sporadic emission from RRATs means that they are usually not detectable in standard periodicity searches which use Fourier techniques. Nevertheless, underlying periodicity in RRATs can be determined by finding the greatest common denominator of the intervals between pulses. This yields the maximum period but once many pulse arrival times have been determined the periods which are shorter (by an integer factor) can be deemed statistically unlikely. The periods thus determined for RRATs are on the order of 1 second or longer, implying that the pulses are likely to be coming from rotating neutron stars, and led to the name "Rotating Radio Transient" being given. The periods seen in some RRATs are longer than in most radio pulsars, somewhat expected for sources which are (by definition) discovered in searches for individual pulses. Monitoring of RRATs for the past few years has revealed that they are slowing down. For some of the known RRATs this slow-down rate, while small, is larger than that for typical pulsars, and which is again more in line with that of magnetars.
Vips
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4699
Joined: 14 Apr 2017 18:23

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

Post by Vips »

2 Indian-Origin Researchers In Team Solving Astronomy's Big Mystery.

Imagine a flash of radio energy so powerful it outshines the sun. Now imagine a flash like this going off nearly every minute all across the cosmos.
These are fast radio bursts, some of the most enigmatic phenomena in astronomy. Scientists don't know where they come from, or what celestial event could be so dramatic yet common enough to produce thousands of bursts every day.

But they think they're closing in on an answer. At the winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society this week, researchers at a powerful new Canadian telescope announced the detection of 13 new fast radio bursts (FRBs) in a mere two months of observations - a 20 percent increase over the five dozen bursts that have been found in the past 12 years.

One of the newly detected bursts is a rare "repeater" - researchers saw six flashes coming from the same spot in the sky, which they hope will make it easier to pin down the source of the signal. Only one other repeating FRB has ever been found.

This sudden influx of tantalizing clues has made astrophysicists almost giddy.

"These things are coming to us from halfway across the universe and we don't really know anything about them," said McGill University's Shriharsh Tendulkar, a lead author of one of two papers in the journal Nature about the new findings. "Isn't that exciting?"

Work on the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME), which Tendulkar and his colleagues used for their research, was not quite complete when this initial baker's dozen was detected last July and August. But the cylindrical instrument, which maps a 3-degree-wide swath of the sky every night, was already a dramatic improvement on more traditional telescopes, which can only focus on a single spot.

CHIME has been fully operational since September. Scientists on the project have hinted that at least 100 more bursts will be reported in the weeks to come.

"With fast radio bursts, it's always felt like the more answers we get, the more questions we have," said Sarah Burke-Spolaor, an astrophysicist at West Virginia University who was not involved in the new research. "But I think we're reaching the peak of that mountain."

Cornell University's Shami Chatterjee, a fellow FRB researcher, agreed: "This field is about to break wide open."

When the first fast radio burst was detected, in 2007, many scientists thought it had to be a result of some telescopic mix-up. The signals are so brief, they must come from something incredibly small (no bigger than New Jersey) yet they pack as much energy into a millisecond as the sun emits all day. They are also dispersed - high frequency wavelengths arrive earlier than lower-frequency ones - which suggest that they travel long distances across vast expanses of space to reach astronomers' radio dishes.

Scientists have scores of theories about what might create such stupendous signals - spinning cores of collapsed stars, powerful magnetic fields around black holes, the fog of dust and gas from which new stars form. But only one burst has ever been traced back to its source: a repeating burst called FRB 121102, which flickers periodically from a dim dwarf galaxy 3 billion light-years away.

The repeater detected by CHIME bears a strong resemblance to FRB 121102, said Dunlap Institute astrophysicist Cherry Ng, lead author of the second Nature paper. Both have what Ng calls "structure" - distinctive patterns in the timing and frequency of the signals.

"It's really tempting . . . to think that this is maybe a defining feature," Ng said. "But we have to be careful. We still have a sample size of only two."

The CHIME researchers are working with an array of antennas in central New Mexico to pin down the galaxy to which the second repeater belongs. (The fact that it repeats gives them a good chance of spotting it again.) They hope that tracing the radio signal back a known visible object may reveal what produced it.

But that's just one of the riddles associated with this "fantastic phenomenon," said Tendulkar. Scientists are still debating whether repeating FRBs come from the same source as the one-time flashes, or instead represent a distinct type of event. They don't know whether the bursts are like flashbulbs, lighting up the sky in every direction, or focused beams, which would require less energy but must be more frequent for Earth to see so many of them.

It's within the realm of possibility, he said, that there are several types of FRB, each created by a different kind of celestial cataclysm.

The mystery of fast radio bursts has always been a large part of their appeal, Ng said. "I think we are just drawn to anything unknown."

But she is just as thrilled by the revelations that will emerge from solving this mystery. FRBs are among the few types of signal that interact with the diffuse fog of electrons that exists between galaxies. If scientists can figure out how FRBs ought to look when they leave their sources, they may be able to probe the intergalactic medium by studying the way the signals change.

"We are very far from that yet," Ng said. But she says the promise is what keeps her working. "It could be a start to a whole new field in astronomy."
Vips
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4699
Joined: 14 Apr 2017 18:23

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

Post by Vips »

Beyond space: Isro plans to place Indians on the Moon.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), which is working on sending humans to space by 2022 as part of the Gaganyaan project, plans to send astronauts to the International Space Station and,eventually, the Moon.

Gaganyaan has helped Isro expand in a big way and mark the beginning of a long human spaceflight programme. Upbeat with the Centre recently
approving Rs 10,000 crore for Gaganyaan, Isro chairman K Sivan said the agency will use the money to develop technologies for the first human
mission and start work on a larger programme.

“Gaganyaan is the beginning, and we won’t stop there. We’ll continue the programme and send people to the (International) Space Station and the Moon,” Sivan said, adding the projects will run concurrently.

On Friday, Sivan named R Hutton as Gaganyaan project director, and senior space scientist Unnikrishnan Nair director of the human spaceflight centre, which will come up in Bengaluru.

The chairman said they were yet to decide on the number of astronauts for the Gaganyaan mission.

Sivan called Gaganyaan the space agency’s “top priority” and said two unmanned test flights will precede the actual flight only initial training of likely astronauts will take place in India, while Isro will need help from foreign agencies for advanced training.

Isro chairman K Sivan said the Centre's financial assistance will help expedite their training programmes. “The IAM (Institute of Aerospace Medicine) has facilities for selection and initial training,” he said. “For advanced training, we will have to look at, maybe, Russia. A decision will be made later. But we will use foreign agencies for advanced training.”

The human spaceflight centre, sources said, will also be responsible for setting up India’s future astronaut training facility, some 8-10km from Kempegowda International Airport. Likely to be named Astronaut Training and Biomedical Engineering Centre, the facility will be developed on Isro land in Devanahalli and is expected to resemble the one in Russia. The centre is likely to be spread across 40-50 acres. “While we have a lot of expertise on the engineering side (launching and payloads), the human side of sending astronauts to space will be a challenge and an opportunity,” Sivan said.

Sivan spoke of the need for a separate human-rated GSLV launch vehicle, among other pending things for Gaganyaan. India planned for December 2021, as reported by TOI. PM Modi has set 2022 as the target to send an Indian into space. Sivan said according to IAM, is looking at a pool of 30 astronauts, from which the first batch will be picked for Gaganyaan
Indranil
Forum Moderator
Posts: 8428
Joined: 02 Apr 2010 01:21

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

Post by Indranil »

Interesting PSLV launch coming up, called the PSLV-DL.

1. 2 strapons only.
2. 4 stage to be retained in orbit for additional experimentation. This one will be powered by lithium-ion batteries, but subsequent ones to be powered by solar panels.
3. Will the fourth stage of the fuel loading of the CA-version or the XL-version: Do not know!
Vips
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4699
Joined: 14 Apr 2017 18:23

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

Post by Vips »

Isro developing technology to reuse first & second stages of rocket.

In a bid to cut cost of satellite launchers, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is working on reusable launch technology for using the first and second stages of a rocket multiple times. To master this technology, Isro is going to conduct an advanced version of the reusable launch technology (RLV) test in June-July.

Talking to TOI, Isro chairman K Sivan said, "We are working on a reusable launch technology in order to recover the first and second stages of a
rocket so that we can reuse them to cut cost and carry heavier payloads. The first rocket stage will be recovered on a vertical landing spot on the
sea like SpaceX has been doing it with its Falcon rocket. However, recovering the second stage is not simple. We are, therefore, developing
a winged body like a space shuttle. This shuttle will be attached as a second stage in a rocket. It will carry the top portion of the rocket comprising a satellite or spacecraft to space. Once it injects the satellite in its orbit, the shuttle will glide back to the earth and land on an airstrip like an aircraft." He said the "second stage recovery has never been tried by any other space agency in the world not even SpaceX.

Isro had conducted the first demonstration test of India's winged body vehicle on May 23, 2016. Then, the RLV had reached a height of 70 km and was manoeuvred back to earth where it glided down into the Indian Ocean and disintegrated.

On the June-July test, Sivan said, "The test will be different this time where a helicopter will take the shuttle to a considerable height and from that height, the winged body will be dropped. The shuttle will then glide back to earth and land on an airstrip."

Isro is also planning to conduct a third test of the RLV from the orbit. There is speculation that the landing strip could be made in Andaman and Nicobar islands. However, no final decision has been taken yet

Currently, SpaceX rules the Rs 39,000-crore global market of satellite launches. The Elon Musk-promoted US company which had 0% market share in 2009 gobbled up over 50% (projected) of the market share in 2018 mostly because of its reusable technology where it uses first stage rocket multiple times. On the other hand, Isro's share is just 0.6% in the global market. In 2018, Isro had launched PSLV just thrice for foreign satellites. Instead, SpaceX launched Falcon rocket 20 times for commercial purpose. As the market is set to grow to $7 billion (Rs 49,000 crore) by 2024, Isro can grab a significant share if it is able to master the RLV technology.
Indranil
Forum Moderator
Posts: 8428
Joined: 02 Apr 2010 01:21

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

Post by Indranil »

The scheme that Dr. Sivan laid out is the inverse of what TSTO has been touted for years. Probably, learnings from SpaceX experiments.

Also, this upcoming PSLV launch is a complete mystery. Microsat cannot be the only satellite that is being launched. Too small for that!
Singha
BRF Oldie
Posts: 66601
Joined: 13 Aug 2004 19:42
Location: the grasshopper lies heavy

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

Post by Singha »

can the 4th stage of the PSLV itself be made a large diameterxlength LEO satellite of volvo bus IMINT size?
how much weight can the 3 stage PSLV inject into a 500km height orbit will be interesting.

we need high volume and weight payloads for space telescopes and maybe naval rorsats. our friends to the east have been industriously injecting various intel orbits into space with footprints over the IOR.

some data is here including orbital tracks https://www.orfonline.org/research/4269 ... -analysis/
JayS
Forum Moderator
Posts: 4567
Joined: 11 Aug 2016 06:14

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

Post by JayS »

Why not both stages recovered as winged body..?
prasannasimha
Forum Moderator
Posts: 1214
Joined: 15 Aug 2016 00:22

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

Post by prasannasimha »

The concepts described was tabled many years ago much before SpaceX (FWIW) thye had planned vertical or bagged landing of ist stage and winged landing of second stage. There ahve been two groups in ISRO - one working on winged landing and one on vertical/bagged landing and the work seems to be accelrated and probably coming to fruition .
Locked