Indian Space Program Discussion

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 29 May 2013 14:18

First time I am hearing this 10 m accuracy for IRNSS. It was always mentioned as 20 m earlier.

member_20317 · Post by **member_20317** » 29 May 2013 14:35

Not 10. Its less then 10. On second thought the Hinglish may be more conphusing than I thought.

http://www.oosa.unvienna.org/pdf/icg/20 ... rt/2-3.pdf

• IRNSS is planned to be an
independent regional navigation
system covering an area of about
1500kms around India.

It will provide 20 m accuracy
over the Indian Ocean Region and
<10 m accuracy over India and
adjacent countries.

And that is from wiki.

But what the hell is it really?

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 02 Jun 2013 04:31

Navigation satellite IRNSS-1A launch delayed by fortnight.

BANGALORE: The launch of IRNSS-1A, the first Indian Navigation Satellite, scheduled for June 12 onboard PSLV-C22 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota has been deferred by a fortnight after an anomaly was noticed during electrical checks of the launch vehicle.

IRNSS-1A Satellite had gone through all electrical checks and was ready for propellant filling with the PSLV-C22 vehicle fully integrated and undergoing electrical checks. But, during the electrical checks, an anamoly was observed in one of the electro-hydraulic control actuators in the second stage, Indian Space Research Organisation said in a statement. It has been decided to replace the actuator, it said, adding, that it needs two weeks of activity at the Launch Pad and the Vehicle Assembly Area.

Accordingly, the launch of PSLV-C22/IRNSS-1A is delayed by a fortnight, it said.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 02 Jun 2013 07:21

ISRO's PSLV bags new clients and launch orders - Madhumathi, The Hindu

The home-grown PSLV rocket has nosed its way a wee bit more in the global market: it will launch France’s 712-kg SPOT-7 earth observation satellite and separately, at least half-a- dozen small foreign spacecraft for a fee this year and the next.

They are still mini nibbles at the multi-billion-dollar space transportation pie but the country’s workhorse launcher seems to be increasingly catching satellite makers’ eye for its dependable and precise placing of spacecraft in their slots. Going by the mass of the client satellites, its cache is getting bigger than before.

In the upcoming crop of contracts, SPOT-7 and the 950-kg EnMAP are primary satellites, which means the PSLV is graduating from tucking small commercial ‘piggybacks’ in spare nooks left over by a main Indian passenger spacecraft.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, K. Radhakrishnan, told The Hindu that a few more countries were discussing sending another half-a-dozen satellites on the PSLV.

The contracted ones would be fitted into the launch schedule of ISRO’s own remote sensing satellites which need the PSLV. One of them, Indonesia’s LAPAN-A2 observation satellite, is due to go with the country’s astronomy project, Astrosat. Eight PSLV launches are planned during 2013-14 and 2014-15.

The PSLV can place roughly 1.6-tonne satellites in a pole-to-pole orbit 650 km away from ground. In 2008, it also sent up Chandrayaan-1 and will again come into planetary play in October this year for ISRO’s Mars orbiter mission.

The launcher made its first commercial twin launch in 1999. In its 23 flights so far, it has slotted 35 foreign commercial satellites in orbit.

“The PSLV, I should say, is now a globally sought after vehicle and for two reasons,” Dr. Radhakrishnan said. “One, it has a niche in that class of payloads. Two, the number of successful launches we have had with it is an important factor. The very fact that SPOT-6 came to us and now SPOT-7 and EnMAP have followed indicates this.”

The fee it commands is not disclosed but ISRO’s marketing arm Antrix Corporation has earned between Rs. 5 crore and Rs. 90 crore for some of its commercial services. The U.S. and European launch prices per kg of satellite weight reportedly range from $10,000-$20,000 depending on the distance to the orbit.

EnMAP, the hyperspectral environmental mapping satellite built by German space agency DLR, will be the heaviest lift bagged by the PSLV and is slated for 2016-17 launch.

To date, SPOT-6, the earth observation satellite of French space agency CNES, is the heaviest commercial satellite that a PSLV has lifted to space and that was in September last year. A date for SPOT-7 will be discussed when signing the agreement. “One can expect the launch from December onwards,” Dr. Radhakrishnan said.

The date would depend on the readiness of the satellite, the launch vehicle and the launch pad at Sriharikota which will be tied up for the first navigational satellite R1A planned in June and thereafter for the resumed GSLV flight.

bharats · Post by **bharats** » 06 Jun 2013 22:10

June rocket launch delay not to affect ISRO plans
From: Zeenews.com
Jun 06 2013, 15:30 IST

Link: http://zeenews.india.com/news/nation/ju ... 53263.html

Chennai: Even though the June 12 rocket launch has been put off to June-end or the first week of July because of the failure of a component, Indian space agency officials do not expect this setback to impact other rocket launch plans.

Even the ambitious Mars mission planned in 2013 would not be affected, officials said. "We have sufficient time between the launches and we are confident of closing 2013 with five launches. One rocket launch (carrying Saral satellite) is already over in February. So, only four remain," said a senior official at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), seeking anonymity.

ISRO had planned to launch its first regional navigation satellite (IRNSS-1A) on its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-XL (PSLV-XL) variant June 12, but had to put it off after finding a problem in one of the electro-hydraulic control actuators in the second stage/engine.

The rocket was fully assembled with the satellite when the problem was detected, during checks. "The second stage had to be dismantled to replace the actuator which is an assembly of several components. It weighs around 20 kg. We have replaced the component and tests are on," said an ISRO official.

Incidentally, in February 2011, a gas motor in the second stage control actuators did not perform as per expectations and had to be replaced, delaying PSLV's flight carrying Resourcesat-2, an earth observation satellite, and two other payloads, by nearly a month. However, ISRO officials do not think that there is a problem in the quality of components as one or two in a batch may fail.

The navigational satellite is intended to provide terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation services and help in disaster and fleet management across the region. Following the PSLV-XL launch, ISRO is planning to launch its communication satellite G-Sat 14 using heavier rocket - Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) - powered with a domestic cryogenic engine sometime in August, 2013. Preparatory work for the G-Sat 14 launch is going ahead at the rocket launch pad in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, around 80 km from here. These two launches will be followed by the mission to Mars later this year. The launch of one more remote sensing satellite is also being planned before the end of the year.

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 07 Jun 2013 07:05

^^^
Nice, but once again, we read of a delay in a major mission, the GSLV. It was supposed to go up in July, now they are talking of an August launch. Then what, a September, followed by Oct, Dec, and finally Jan 2014?

krishnan · Post by **krishnan** » 12 Jun 2013 15:16

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 13 Jun 2013 23:45

India Lines Up Satellite Launches In July/August

member_26965 · Post by **member_26965** » 14 Jun 2013 08:26

ISRO delivers INSAT-3D to French Guiana for Arine 5 launch

Read more: http://frontierindia.net/isro-delivers- ... z2W9nvPGMu

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 14 Jun 2013 16:53

^^^
I think this one has been a long time coming! Let's hope that there is no problem with earth lock or power supply, a problem that befell a couple of other satellites( any update on those satellites?). Wishing it all the best! The really awaited launches are of course the IRNSS-1, and the GSLV.

arun · Post by **arun** » 16 Jun 2013 09:59

INSAT 3D to be launched by Arianespace on July 26.

After the slippage of the launch date from July to August, the August launch date for the indigenous cryogenic engine equipped GSLV D5 / GSAT 14 mission seems to be holding:

India's exclusive met satellite INSAT-3D to be launched in July ...............................

ISRO sources said preparations are on at the second launch pad at the spaceport of Sriharikota for the launch of GSLV-D5 (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Development flight 5) in August.

GSLV-D5 aerodynamic characterisation has been revisited following the back-to-back failure of GSLV flights -- one with indigenous cryogenic engine and another with Russian-made in 2010.

Force measurements, steady and unsteady pressure measurements and aero elastic tests have already been conducted using wind tunnel models at National Aerospace Laboratory, Bangalore and Glavkosmos, Russia.

Computational fluid dynamics simulations have been carried out in-house for incremental effects on protrusion, overall aerodynamic load distribution and distribution on protrusions, according to ISRO.

GSLV-D5 would carry GSAT14 satellite with six Extended C band and six Ku band transponders, envisaged to enhance communication transponder capacity.

The satellite employs the standard 2000 Kg class bus (I2K) with a power handling capability of around 2.5 KW and a lift-off mass of 1980 kg, the space agency added.

arun · Post by **arun** » 16 Jun 2013 10:07

Vipul wrote:Navigation satellite IRNSS-1A launch delayed by fortnight.

BANGALORE: The launch of IRNSS-1A, the first Indian Navigation Satellite, scheduled for June 12 onboard PSLV-C22 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota has been deferred by a fortnight after an anomaly was noticed during electrical checks of the launch vehicle.

IRNSS-1A Satellite had gone through all electrical checks and was ready for propellant filling with the PSLV-C22 vehicle fully integrated and undergoing electrical checks. But, during the electrical checks, an anamoly was observed in one of the electro-hydraulic control actuators in the second stage, Indian Space Research Organisation said in a statement. It has been decided to replace the actuator, it said, adding, that it needs two weeks of activity at the Launch Pad and the Vehicle Assembly Area.

Accordingly, the launch of PSLV-C22/IRNSS-1A is delayed by a fortnight, it said.

PSLV C22 / IRNSS-1A launch further delayed to July 1.

Being a night launch, should be a visual treat:

India's first navigation satellite set for July 1 launch .............................

"Review is on. It's scheduled to be launched at 11.43 PM on July one", ISRO sources told PTI here on Thursday. ...................

bharats · Post by **bharats** » 18 Jun 2013 22:58

We might have to go legal against ISRO: Harit Nagpal
Interview with MD & CEO, Tata Sky
From: Business Standard
June 18 2013, 21:39 IST

Link: http://www.business-standard.com/articl ... 000_1.html

Harit Nagpal, the managing director and CEO of Tata Sky, is upset. In a rapidly digitising television market, he is not able to offer more channels to the company's 10 million subscribers because it doesn't have satellite space. The Rs 1,590-crore Tata Sky was the second operator to launch DTH or direct-to-home services, way back in 2006. At that time, it decided to use an ISRO or Indian Space Research Organisation satellite as policy favoured that. Since then, the market has grown to a total of about 53 million homes or roughly one-third of the total 153 million Indian TV homes. Vanita Kohli-Khandekar spoke to him on what holds back Tata Sky's growth in the Rs 39,000-crore television market. Edited excerpts:

Why doesn't Tata Sky have satellite space?
In 2005, we (Tata Sky) signed a contract with ISRO for provision of satellite space. At that time, we took 12 transponders on INSAT 4A. Under the terms of the contract, if we wanted more space anytime in the future, we had to write to ISRO and they would meet our additional requirement in two years. In 2007, one year after our launch, we asked for 12 more transponders. We should have got those by 2009. But the launch of GSAT 10 kept getting delayed. In September, 2012, the GSAT 10 was launched; it went into orbit and was tested. But today in June, 2013, seven months after the satellite was launched, we still haven't been given the 12 transponders. We have written to ISRO, met them and written to the Department of Space that manages ISRO. Since the Department of Space reports directly to the Prime Minister, I have personally written to the Prime Minister's Office thrice, requesting for our contracted satellite space to be given to us. But to no avail.

What are the implications?
It costs $200-250 million to put a satellite in space. ISRO stands to make $1 million a month from Tata Sky alone. In these seven months, it could have made $7 million. Plus, the government makes 33 per cent from my topline, so it is losing all that revenue.
Also, a satellite has a finite life of 12-14 years that cannot get extended. So, on one side, a contracted party is suffering and on the other, the government is losing revenue.

What pressure points does it create for your business?
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has given licences to 800-plus channels, of which, 650 are operational. However, my capacity to carry the increasing number of channels is limited to about 250 with 12 transponders. My competitors, on the other hand, can offer more (300). So, I stand to lose customers and revenues if I cannot add capacity.

Why did Tata Sky choose ISRO?
The DTH policy says that between an Indian and foreign satellite, the operator should give preference to the Indian satellite. In fact, Dish TV, the first DTH operator, started with ISRO and switched to a foreign satellite within six months, ditto for Airtel in 2010. Sun Direct lost customers when INSAT 4C, the satellite it was on, lost power all of a sudden (in 2010). But we stuck to ISRO.

Why can't Tata-Sky shift to another foreign satellite?
The choice of satellite is a lifetime decision; you can't change it just like that. A satellite operates in a certain orbital slot towards which the antennae of all my 10 million customers are turned. If I shift to another satellite, we have to physically go to each of these homes and shift the antennae towards the other satellite. That is why these contracts run for so long. GSAT 10 is in the same orbital slot as INSAT 4A, the satellite on which we launched the service. Therefore, offering more channels to my customers is possible only from that.

What are the options for Tata Sky now?
If all else fails, I am within my rights to approach the judiciary, since ISRO is four years behind the contracted date. There is a good chance that we will have to use the legal option. Meanwhile, we are migrating to MPEG4 boxes (MPEG refers to a compression technology). When we launched in 2006, MPEG4 was not available, MPEG2 was. So we are spending close to $200 million and changing all the boxes that subscribers now have, to MPEG4. This will increase capacity, in the short term, by 70 per cent.

bharats · Post by **bharats** » 18 Jun 2013 23:27

Devas claims Rs 9,000 cr in damages from ISRO
BY: Amitabh Sinha
From: The Indian Express
June 16 2013, 00:48 IST

Link: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/devas ... o/1129580/

Devas Multimedia, the Bangalore-based company whose business contract to launch satellite-based data services for mobile devices was cancelled by the government in 2011, has demanded at least $ 1.6 billion (about Rs 9,000 crore) from the Department of Space in damages. Devas has already initiated arbitration proceedings against Antrix Corporation, the marketing arm of India's space agency ISRO, for settling the dispute arising out of the termination of contract in February 2011. Antrix has so far not participated in the arbitration. Last month, its plea to hold the arbitration under a rule different from the one invoked by Devas was thrown out by the Supreme Court.
Devas has told Antrix it will no longer insist on the reinstatement of the agreement and will accordingly modify its petition at the arbitration. Its only prayer before the arbitration would be to claim damages for the losses it suffered due to the cancellation of the agreement. "Antrix continues to be in repudiatory breach of the agreement even today and has clearly evinced its intention not to perform the agreement. Devas has elected to, and does hereby, accept Antrix's repudiatory breach of agreement, bringing the agreement to an end as a result of Antrix's wrongful actions. Devas will be amending its claim in the arbitration to reflect the withdrawal of its claim for specific performance (of the agreement) whilst maintaining its claim for damages as a result of Antrix's breaches of contract," Devas has said in a recent communication to Antrix. Devas has also accused Antrix of trying to obstruct the "expeditious determination" of the arbitration proceedings. No one from Antrix was available for comment.
Devas had entered into a contract with Antrix in January 2005 for lease of 90 per cent of transponder space on two satellites that were to be launched by ISRO. Devas intended to use S-band radio frequency signals to launch multimedia services for mobile devices. Antrix was to earn $ 300 million (Rs 1,350 crore at that time) over a period of 12 years from Devas. Following a change of guard at ISRO at the end of 2009, and a series of murky developments, a review of the agreement was ordered. In July 2010, the Space Commission, the highest policy-making body on Space matters, decided to annul the contract on the ground that the S-band, in which frequencies were being allotted to Devas, was extremely scarce and barely enough to meet India's strategic requirements.
The arbitration initiated by Devas is not the only trouble Antrix and ISRO are facing. Last month, the major investors in Devas initiated separate arbitration proceedings against Antrix at the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. Three companies, which had invested in Devas through their Mauritius-based operations, are claiming damages citing a breach of a bilateral investment agreement between India and Mauritius.

neeraj · Post by **neeraj** » 19 Jun 2013 02:10

GSAT-10 (to be used by TATA SKY) may well be a failure which is why TATA SKY is not hooked up. Atleast that is what is being speculated. ISRO should clarify status on GSAT-10.

merlin · Post by **merlin** » 19 Jun 2013 12:21

Yes, on DTH forums there is speculation that GSAT-10 has failed and the usual Indian policy of keeping the mouth shut and unnecessarily keep all relevant information secret is not helping here. Maybe an RTI on ISRO?

Tata Sky subscribers have started moving out to other DTH operators as their subscription expires since people want more and more channels (ignoring the fact that you can only watch one at any point of time). Number of HD channels per DTH operator is one "figure of merit" so to speak, Tata Sky offers 12 whereas Videocon D2H offers 20+ and so does Airtel now (or close to 20 at any rate). Moving to MPEG-4 requires Tata Sky to offer their old subscribers attractive terms so that they change their STBs.

The larger issue with respect to ISRO is that it looks like they still haven't licked the electrical problems with their satellites. Quite a few have been either totally or partially lost. And the lost cases are with the geo satellites, haven't heard much about problems with the remote sensing birds.

member_24808 · Post by **member_24808** » 19 Jun 2013 12:35

ISRO is building a replacement for GSAT-10 called GSAT-16, its planned for launch in 5 years aboard GSLV MK-3. Check under future missions on ISRO's site for more details. The fact that they are building a identical replacement satellite pretty much confirms there is something wrong with GSAT-10. what a waste of 750 crores....

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 19 Jun 2013 12:59

my neighbour who has videocon DTH always comes and smirks at my trailing edge tata-sky HD box and its much fewer HD channels. now I understand the root cause.

vasu raya · Post by **vasu raya** » 19 Jun 2013 13:37

Relating to a specific case of sat failure, they probably were trying to conserve the sat weight and use key electrical components from foreign sources that are lighter weight, however for some odd reason they fail before their design life.

ISRO has to get the GSLV right yet if they are building a Mars rover in quick time for a Oct 2013 launch then as a backup plan they could build a robot launched using PSLV to replace the failed parts on the geo sat. In the back of mind the KKV thing keeps popping up to achieve such rendezvous in addition to ISRO's capability to co-locate sats in Geo.

if loss of 750 crores is not incentive enough for them, the legal cases and the damages demanded from them by their clients should prompt them to act in this direction, a plan for in orbit refurbishing.

And as an aside they should build a airstrip near SHAR so rocket engines can be transported by the C-17s specifically the indigenous cryo

member_24808 · Post by **member_24808** » 19 Jun 2013 14:29

vasu raya wrote:Relating to a specific case of sat failure, they probably were trying to conserve the sat weight and use key electrical components from foreign sources that are lighter weight, however for some odd reason they fail before their design life.

ISRO has to get the GSLV right yet if they are building a Mars rover in quick time for a Oct 2013 launch then as a backup plan they could build a robot launched using PSLV to replace the failed parts on the geo sat. In the back of mind the KKV thing keeps popping up to achieve such rendezvous in addition to ISRO's capability to co-locate sats in Geo.

if loss of 750 crores is not incentive enough for them, the legal cases and the damages demanded from them by their clients should prompt them to act in this direction, a plan for in orbit refurbishing.

And as an aside they should build a airstrip near SHAR so rocket engines can be transported by the C-17s specifically the indigenous cryo

Lets just hope these electrical failures don't find their way into the mars orbiter....

member_24808 · Post by **member_24808** » 19 Jun 2013 14:33

some info on modifications made on GSLV MK-2 for upcoming GSLV D-5 mission

member_24808 · Post by **member_24808** » 19 Jun 2013 14:35

Current status of GSLV MK-3:

bharats · Post by **bharats** » 21 Jun 2013 22:28

Indian space programme highly indigenous: SHAR Director
BY: CH. R. S. SARMA
From: Business Line, The HINDU
June 20 2013
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/new ... 834294.ece

KAKINADA, JUNE 20: India has made remarkable strides achieving 98 per cent indigenisation in launch vehicle technology and 60-70 per cent in satellite technology, according to M.Y.S. Prasad, Director of Sathish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR at Sriharikota. He was talking to reporters here on Thursday after delivering the convocation address at JNTU-Kakinada.He spoke about the role of engineers as technology leaders.
HEAVY DEMAND
He said there was heavy demand for communication satellites in the domestic market and the number of transponders, presently 200, would have to be doubled in the next five years. He said India would require at least 500 transponders. In remote sensing technology also, the country achieved great progress and at present “India holds 15 per cent of the market share in the world for remote sensing imagery. We are also launching satellites for other countries. We have launched a French satellite and we will launch another,” he said. Referring to space debris posing threat to satellites, he said he had represented India at the UN panel on the issue and opposed the move of the developed countries to bring about some sort of compulsory measures and international inspections to check the problem.
GUIDELINES
However, certain space debris mitigation guidelines had been formulated under which all countries would have to take some steps to curb the problem. They would have to sacrifice roughly three months of functional time of a satellite to address the problem. He said the work of representing India at the international panel had given him great satisfaction. Prasad said two more launches were scheduled from sriharikota – PSLV C-22 on July 1 and GSLV in the last week of july or first week of august. He said there was a proposal to add one more launching pad at sriharikota station in addition to the existing two. He said 500-600 tonnes of propellant was also being manufactured at sriharikota per annum.
Earlier, addressing students at JNTU-K, he said “you should not think of yourselves as a privileged lot and you should make all efforts to improve the lot of the poorer sections’’. NTU-K vice-chancellor g.tulasi ram das presented the report. Prasad, who graduated in engineering from the same college in 1974 was given a honorary doctorate.

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 22 Jun 2013 19:53

Krish C, excuse the ignorance, but are the C-20 engine and C-25 'stage' referring to two distinct engines or entities? If they are 2 engines being developed, that is very good. One must be for the initial flights, and the other for later flights. Or it's possible that there are two teams working on two distinct engines, in a friendly competition to see which one takes off first. That would be nice!

Ramius · Post by **Ramius** » 22 Jun 2013 22:46

Varoon Shekhar saar, the CE 20 is the engine for C25 stage....i think the Wikipedia page distinguishes between the two but it is very obvious frm the slide itself in prev page...no two engines are being designed. Only CE 20 engine for the stage named C25!!!!

symontk · Post by **symontk** » 23 Jun 2013 06:32

Correct namings are
CE - Cryogenic engine
CUS - Cryogenic upper stage

member_24808 · Post by **member_24808** » 23 Jun 2013 11:32

Varoon Shekhar wrote:Krish C, excuse the ignorance, but are the C-20 engine and C-25 'stage' referring to two distinct engines or entities? If they are 2 engines being developed, that is very good. One must be for the initial flights, and the other for later flights. Or it's possible that there are two teams working on two distinct engines, in a friendly competition to see which one takes off first. That would be nice!

The CE-20 and C-25 are the same thing. CE-20 is the engine that will power the C-25 cryo stage. From previous annual reports it is safe to say that work on the C-25 stage has been completed they are just waiting for a chance to test the CE-20 engine then integrate the two and use it on gslv-3. GSLV MK-3 first orbital flight will not occur before 2016.

member_24808 · Post by **member_24808** » 23 Jun 2013 11:35

Future upgrades for GSLV-3 include:

- Replacing the L110 stage with a more efficient and powerful semi-cryo stage, this increase LEO capablity to about 15 tons
- Using a lighter case on the S-200 motors (500kg LEO increase max)
- Modifying the upper stage to be restartable (payload increase depends on mission configuration)

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 23 Jun 2013 16:25

C-20 engine first have to undergo thrust chamber test i think and then high altitude test of the complete stage which need be re configured to C-20 FROC-12 that will take some time .Semi cryo is still in advanced concept forming stage but will move fast

member_23694 · Post by **member_23694** » 23 Jun 2013 16:59

any news on the 2nd high altitude test of cryo for GSLV scheduled for Aug launch. Does ISRO have sufficient time for this or again could lead to delay on the launch schedule

Shankar wrote:Semi cryo is still in advanced concept forming stage but will move fast

any time lines please , just to satisfy my curiosity / desperation for heavy ISRO launcher

and also for C 20

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 24 Jun 2013 17:22

its difficult to give a time line at this point -since quite a few new technologies have to be developed that includes very high pressure lox systems the components the qualifying procedure etc etc . minimum 5 years would be a starting guess

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 24 Jun 2013 17:23

c-20 is far more advanced and would have been ready for stage integration if not for delay in c-12 .if c-12 flies ok in august than within one year c-20 should be ready for engine and stage test

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 25 Jun 2013 02:44

Good updates and info, thanks! It's somewhat disheartening to think that the first full fledged GSLV mark 3 may not take flight until 2016 at the earliest. What was ISRO thinking when it first projected a 2007 launch? See the Aug 2003 issue of Frontline. How could they be that far off? I suppose one thing they could not have forseen is the failure of the initial GSLV mark 2, but stll...Anyway, hoping for a really successful Mark 2 launch in July-August. That will be a breakthrough, and will increase( edited) confidence in and high regard for ISRO. PSLV launches are very good, but ISRO needs a breakthrough right now to really impress the public.

(link gives only general archives- look for Aug 2003 Frontilne with Tony Blair on the cover, for an excellent feature on ISRO)

http://www.frontline.in/navigation/?typ ... ge=archive

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 25 Jun 2013 17:52

www.isro.org

Brochure on upcoming IRNSS-1 launch.

member_23651 · Post by **member_23651** » 26 Jun 2013 03:34

Nasa to partner Isro in India's Mars mission

MUMBAI: The US would support India in its much-awaited Rs 450-crore Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) slated for lift off from Sriharikota in October-November 2013.

"Nasa is providing the deep space navigation and tracking support to this mission during the non-visible period of the Indian Deep Space Network," said a US state department announcement.

The decision to cooperate was taken at the fourth meeting of the US-India joint working group on civil space co-operation held in Washington on March 21. But the details of the meeting were made public on Monday through the US-India joint fact sheet. Its release coincided with the Indo-US Strategic dialogue, and the talks between Isro chairman K Radhakrishnan and Nasa administrator Charles Bolden in New Delhi.

Nasa will provide support from its facilities at Goldstone in the US, Madrid in Spain and Canberra in Australia.

The teaming up for the Mars mission assumes significance in the context of Bolden calling for strengthened co-operation in this programme, when he addressed Isro staffers nationwide on Tuesday afternoon from the Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre.

The American state department document also stated that both countries have "agreed to co-operate in potential future missions to the moon and Mars".

Isro officials have not ruled out a second mission to Mars, which they said will have more scientific content. TOI has also learnt that Nasa was keen on participating with Isro in the analysis of data from the Methane Sensor For Mars, which is one of the five instruments on board the present Indian Mars orbiter.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 27 Jun 2013 11:22

India prepares to establish Satellite Vavigation System - N.Gopal Raj, The Hindu

About nine years back, the Indian Space Research Organisation’s scientists and engineers began to look at the possibility of establishing a navigation satellite system for the country, rather like America’s Global Positioning System (GPS).

Like the GPS, the Indian satellites would continually transmit data that allowed suitably equipped receivers to establish their location with considerable precision. The GPS requires a constellation of 24 orbiting satellites, supported by a global network of ground stations, to cover every part of the world. That kind of global system is expensive.

ISRO had a more limited goal — creating a system wholly in India's control for providing navigation signals over this country and surrounding areas. The cost of such a system was a major consideration.

“We looked at many thousands of configurations,” said one person who was involved in those early studies. The configuration that was finally chosen for the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) required just seven satellites.

All seven IRNSS satellites will be at a height of about 36,000 km, taking a whole day to circle the Earth. Three of the satellites will be placed over the equator, in what is known as the geostationary orbit, where they match the Earth's rotation and therefore appear from the ground to remain at a fixed position in the sky. The remaining four satellites will be in pairs in two inclined geosynchronous orbits. From the ground, these satellites will appear to travel in figures of ‘8’ during the course of a day.

The project to establish the IRNSS at a cost of Rs. 1,420 crores was approved by the Union Government in June 2006. The primary service area for the system covers India and up to 1,500 km beyond its borders.

If necessary, the coverage area around India could be enhanced by adding four satellites, the ISRO Chairman, K. Radhakrishnan, told The Hindu.

The first of the IRNSS satellites is scheduled go into space aboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle on July 1.

Navigation satellites periodically transmit their precise position in orbit along with the exact time when each transmission takes place. Since these microwave signals travel at the speed of light, the delay between a signal’s transmission and its reception allows a receiving device to compute its distance from the satellite involved. With data from four satellites, the receiver can then work out its own position.

Navigation satellites therefore need to carry extremely accurate clocks. Each IRNSS satellite is equipped with three rubidium atomic clocks, which keep precise time down to a few tenths of a trillionth of a second in an hour. Although currently these sophisticated clocks are imported, research efforts to make them indigenously are in progress.

But for the atomic clocks to function properly, they have to be kept at within one degree Celsius of their optimum operating temperature. They must also be protected from excessive vibration and electromagnetic interference. The IRNSS satellites had therefore to be designed to ensure such an environment.

Using the time provided by the clocks and taking into account the satellite’s own position in orbit, an onboard navigation payload generates the signal that will be broadcast.

IRNSS satellites transmit signals in two microwave frequency bands known as L5 and S. The system will provide two types of services, the ‘Standard Positioning Service’ that will be accessible to anyone and an encrypted ‘Restricted Service’ that will be available only to the military and other government-authorised users.

The system “is expected to provide a position accuracy better than 20 metres in the primary service area,” according to an ISRO brochure. However, the space agency’s technical personnel believe its actual performance is likely to be better than that and match single-frequency U.S. GPS receivers’ position accuracy of about 15 metres.

Those who wish to use the IRNSS will need receivers equipped to pick up and utilise the data transmitted by the Indian satellite system. A standard GPS receiver will not do.

ISRO's Space Applications Centre at Ahmedabad, along with industry, were in the process of developing suitable receivers, said the space agency’s chairman.

member_24808 · Post by **member_24808** » 28 Jun 2013 17:00

govt approves GSAT-15 and GSAT-16, GSAT-15 will be based on GSAT-8 and GSAT-16 will be based on GSAT-10, both satelites will be launched by ariane-5.

India will launch two satellites over the next two years to augment transponder capacity and make contingency arrangements to support services like VSAT, television, strategic and emergency communications.

The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last evening, approved a proposal for the development and launch of two communications satellites -- GSAT-15 and GSAT-16, Finance Minister P Chidambaram told reporters here.

He said building of GSAT-15 is part of the Indian Research Organisation's (ISRO) efforts towards in-orbit spare capacity to meet contingency and to protect the services of existing users.

"The satellite will provide required redundant capacity, will augment capacity in the Ku band, and shall provide in-orbit redundant requirement of safety of life operations benefitting civil aviation services in the country," he said.

Chidambaram said GSAT-16 will meet contingency requirements, protect services of existing users and will augment and support existing telecommunication, television, VSAT and other satellite-based services in the country.

The GSAT-15 is expected to be built within the next 18 months, while GSAT-16 is likely to be built in the next 24 months.

The total cost for GSAT-15 is Rs 859.5 crore, which includes launch services procured from a foreign entity. The satellite will be similar to GSAT-16 but with enhanced capabilities.

The GSAT-16 is expected to replace INSAT-3E which will reach end of its life in mid-2015. The Cabinet has approved a total cost of Rs 865.5 crore for development and launch services, including insurance for the satellite.

Currently, ISRO has nine operational INSAT/GSAT satellites which provide different frequency bands to nearly 195 transponders.

url: http://newindianexpress.com/nation/Cabi ... 657415.ece

disha · Post by **disha** » 30 Jun 2013 07:32

AnantS wrote:Nasa to partner Isro in India's Mars mission
MUMBAI: The US would support India in its much-awaited Rs 450-crore Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) slated for lift off from Sriharikota in October-November 2013.

"Nasa is providing the deep space navigation and tracking support to this mission during the non-visible period of the Indian Deep Space Network," said a US state department announcement.

The decision to cooperate was taken at the fourth meeting of the US-India joint working group on civil space co-operation held in Washington on March 21. But the details of the meeting were made public on Monday through the US-India joint fact sheet. Its release coincided with the Indo-US Strategic dialogue, and the talks between Isro chairman K Radhakrishnan and Nasa administrator Charles Bolden in New Delhi.

Nasa will provide support from its facilities at Goldstone in the US, Madrid in Spain and Canberra in Australia.

The teaming up for the Mars mission assumes significance in the context of Bolden calling for strengthened co-operation in this programme, when he addressed Isro staffers nationwide on Tuesday afternoon from the Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre.

The American state department document also stated that both countries have "agreed to co-operate in potential future missions to the moon and Mars".

Isro officials have not ruled out a second mission to Mars, which they said will have more scientific content. TOI has also learnt that Nasa was keen on participating with Isro in the analysis of data from the Methane Sensor For Mars, which is one of the five instruments on board the present Indian Mars orbiter.

I want to cry

The DDM journo should be taken to cleaners. For not knowing international law/space treaties and not knowing basic english.

First of all calling it as US support for India's Mars mission takes credit away from a wholly indigenous planned, designed, manufactured, integrated and executed - totally Indian project.

US is bound to "support" deep space network (just like Thumba is used to support communication for international sats) during blackout periods. It is that the modalities of when to support and how to support and communication codex'es and everything in between has to be worked out and understood and agreed.

In no way above is a partnership. By no stretch. The rest is all fluff - so you wonder why they are meeting on the sides of "strategic dialogue"?

Note that NASA is keen on "participating" with India on methane sensor. Give credit to ISRO for thinking about it and NASA definitely needs more data for its scientists to create the Mars model - in search of life. Second., future programme to moon and mars - note that the aperture radars for example are dual use. If ISRO masters it and mass produces it., NASA can "outsource" that to India - just has ESA is outsourcing to India sat building. Where else radars can be used - particularly SARs types? And that is a hitch., it is indeed strategic technology.

disha · Post by **disha** » 30 Jun 2013 07:38

SSridhar wrote:
....
Navigation satellites therefore need to carry extremely accurate clocks. Each IRNSS satellite is equipped with three rubidium atomic clocks, which keep precise time down to a few tenths of a trillionth of a second in an hour. Although currently these sophisticated clocks are imported, research efforts to make them indigenously are in progress.
...

Where else extremely accurate clocks can be used?

Jayram · Post by **Jayram** » 30 Jun 2013 08:07

Those who wish to use the IRNSS will need receivers equipped to pick up and utilise the data transmitted by the Indian satellite system. A standard GPS receiver will not do.

Any reason for this? Is this to recover money to enable this technology or is this simply standard practice since gps recievers would need at least a software update to receive this data ?