Indian Space Program: News & Discussion - Sept 2016

[Vips]

ISRO Develops Submersible Capsule Capable of Travelling 6,000 Meters Deep for Ocean Mission.

India's ambition to send men to the deep sea in a submersible vehicle appears to be one step closer to fruition with ISRO successfully developing a design for its crew module, a sphere shaped capsule.

"The design for the manned submersible's sphere has been successfully developed by ISRO. Now it has to be certified and then we will go ahead with the fabrication," Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Madhavan Nair Rajeevan said.

Interacting with journalists on the sidelines of the silver jubilee celebrations of the National Institute of Ocean Technology here, the top official said that designing the sphere (intended to be built using titanium) involved complex technology.

"ISRO has developed the design and it will be sent to an international agency for certification," he said, adding that the Indian space agency has taken up both designing as well as fabrication -at a later stage- of the sphere.

A three member crew can be accommodated in the sphere, one of the key components of the manned submersible vehicle."Work is already on for the deep ocean mission and scientific and technical work has started," he said.

An MoU has already been signed between the ISRO and NIOT on development of the module. NIOT is tasked with aspects like electronics and navigation for the manned submersible.

Also, multiple agencies, including the Goa-based National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Centre for Marine Living Resources and Ecology at Kochi and Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (Hyderabad) are involved in the initiatives.

The submersible vehicle is expected to travel to a depth of approximately 6,000 metres under the sea for various studies, whereas submarines can reach only about 200 metres.

This initiative is a part of the Deep Ocean Mission.As part of the ambitious Rs 10,000 crore Deep Ocean Mission, India will also study climate change in the deep oceans.

Studying climate change, marine biodiversity and survey for compounds like hydrocarbons and minerals are part of the deep ocean mission.

[csaurabh]

A good achievement, but I don't understand what deep sea exploration has to do with space technology?

[Lisa]

^ Pressure

[csaurabh]

Not really, underwater ocean pressures are extremely high whereas space pressure is 0 ( vacuum ).

[Lisa]

You used the word pressure twice in your answer, yes?

[Raveen]

Not really, underwater ocean pressures are extremely high whereas space pressure is 0 ( vacuum ).

The problem is similar - in the space the pressure is within the capsule, and in the ocean, the pressure is on the outside. Either way, in space pressure is trying to get out and under water the pressure is trying to get in. Thought that was pretty obvious.

[Sonugn]

North Korean Hackers Suspected Of Attempt To Breach ISRO In September

Hackers from North Korea are suspected to have been behind an attack on the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in September when Chandrayaan-2 attempted to soft-land a rover on the moon. ISRO may have also been warned of the cyberattack, cybersecurity consultants said, according to the Financial Times. The connection between the Chandrayaan-2 mission and North Korean hackers is being made weeks after it was reported that Tamil Nadu's Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant was a victim of a North Korean cyberattack.

[Amber G.]

A good achievement, but I don't understand what deep sea exploration has to do with space technology?

Apart from obvious points like using water (*not* deep sea) to train for pseudo zero gravity there are quite a few technologies which are common (and helpful) in both environments - which are basically hostile and a person has to keep his own environment in small confined space but safe.
Submersibles, remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) have similarities with rovers. (Both need quite a bit of -
intelligence/computer power build into the system and similar navigational skills)
- Diving gears/ space suits share some technologies..
- Inertial guidance systems.
- Air recycling (scrubbing of CO2 etc) , etc..
Some submarines use nuclear power -- and some smaller vehicles/torpedoes uses RTG (Radioisotopes to generate power like space-probes).
(Both are challenging frontiers

[Vips]

Chandrayaan 3: Second attempt to land on Moon by November 2020.

[sanjaykumar]

The major similarity between space capsules and deep sea submersibles must be life support systems.

Anyway another attempt on the moon within a year. Great to see this new spirit in India. It ain’t chalta hai.

[Vayutuvan]

The major similarity between space capsules and deep sea submersibles must be life support systems.

I am not very well versed with bends but isn't that problem in submersibles? That problem doesn't exist for space capsules. Well, I looked up De-Compression Sickness (DCS) which is also known as bends. It affects people engaged in EVA in space.

Good catch.

[Vayutuvan]

...
- Air recycling (scrubbing of CO2 etc) , etc..
(Both are challenging frontiers

Space poses one more difficulty. Potable water which is not much a problem in deep submersibles as they can use desalination equipment.

[gpurewal]

The major similarity between space capsules and deep sea submersibles must be life support systems.

I am not very well versed with bends but isn't that problem in submersibles? That problem doesn't exist for space capsules. Well, I looked up De-Compression Sickness (DCS) which is also known as bends. It affects people engaged in EVA in space.

Good catch.

I wanted to post this as well (initially as a response to your question ): https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/com ... ubmarines/

[ramdas]

One very interesting that was confirmed was that SSLV was designed to be launched from a mobile platform. So, it is a strategic launcher as well.

By strategic launcher are you referring to dual use as a long range BM ? But a 34 m length seems to make it unwieldy either as a long range BM or a mobile SLV. The mobile platform could hardly be concealed.

[Indranil]

No. Emergency launch of military satellites.

[sanjaykumar]

Bathyscaphes are not pressurised to greater than atmospheric pressure. The hull serves to isolate the interior from the crushing sea pressures.

Scuba, deep sea divers and astronauts in EVA are removed from that protection. They will experience an out gassing of N2 gas from solution as bubbles form.

[lakshmanM]

Weighing only 120 tons, SSLV is lighter than Soviet and PRC ICBMs.As of its length, it's only slightly (~2m) taller than R-36 and DF-5. Stationing SSLVs at a fixed strategic location makes more sense because it would make mating with a payload easier. In any case, it would be prudent to keep some SSLV units at standby (silo?) and mated with imaging, and communication+navigation satellites or even co-orbital anti-satellite satellites.

[Gerard]

India's human spaceflight set for December 2021

[akashganga]

When is the next pslv or gslv launch by isro. They have done only 4 launches this calender 2019 year. They were talking of one launch every month.

[Kakarat]

PSLV currently scheduled for 27th November and more in December

[Vips]

When is the next pslv or gslv launch by isro. They have done only 4 launches this calender 2019 year. They were talking of one launch every month.

Even with 2 more launches that are scheduled we will just have 6 total for the year against the 12 that were projected at the start of the year.
Over promise and under deliver is a value/philosophy that is inculcated very thoroughly in the training of our babudom when they start their careers.

[Gerard]

Will SSLV launch this year?

[Prasad]

Me, am waiting for the RLV drop test.

[ramdas]

Stationing SSLVs at a fixed strategic location makes more sense because it would make mating with a payload easier. In any case, it would be prudent to keep some SSLV units at standby (silo?) and mated with imaging, and communication+navigation satellites or even co-orbital anti-satellite satellites.

It would make sense to do this. As for the SSLV's length and weight, these dimensions are indeed less than for the DF-5 and R-36M. But the payload to launch weight ratio is poor for the SSLV: the chinese are bringing forth a solid fuelled LV (the Jielong/SD-3) weighing 116 tons with a 1.5 ton payload to 500 km SSO. Looks like our lack of mass production of high strength carbon fibres is hurting us on this front.

[fanne]

do the customers care if the launch vehicle weighs more or painted white or made by people who wash their behinds instead of wiping them? - I would think the decision would be around, is it cheap (and mostly not always low weight does = cheap), reliable, adaptable to varying weight and dimensions and available when required. If we can give these, weight is matter for future iterations.

[Indranil]

Launch weight does determine price.

On understand why India's launchers don't achieve the mass fraction that others are reaching. There are apples to apples cases in the case of SSLV which is all solid launcher.
1. One thing that almost every body knows is that polar launches from Shriharikota will always have lower mass fraction because of the dog leg around Sri Lanka. It is a significant loss.
2. S85 is not ideally sized for this launcher mass. It is too large. I am 100% sure that it has been designed with use as booster in mind.

I think we will see the mass fraction of this launcher increase over time

[Varoon Shekhar]

https://www.isro.gov.in/launcher/pslv-c ... -3-mission

Launch of Cartosat-3 is on Monday Nov 25th about 930 am IST. Which means for Eastern Canada, 11pm on the 24th. Cool, 2-3 days before the previously stated launch date. Will certainly be up that Sunday night to follow it!

[vishvak]

Chandrayaan 3: Second attempt to land on Moon by November 2020.

The positive attitude is apt for next attempt. Perhaps exactly what is needed.

[Ashokk]

Isro to launch 3 satellites in November-December to boost military’s space surveillance

NEW DELHI: Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is gearing up to launch three earth observation or surveillance satellites — one on November 25 and two in December — to beef up the country’s border and coastal security through more “eyes in the sky”. Besides three satellites, the three PSLV rockets will also carry over two dozen foreign nano and micro satellites.
PSLV C-47 rocket, to blast off from Sriharikota on November 25, will launch new-generation earth-imaging satellite Cartosat-3 and 14 small foreign satellites. Thereafter, Isro will launch two more surveillance satellites— Risat-2BR1 and Risat-2BR2 —with the help of PSLVC48 and C49 rockets to be set off from Sriharikota in December, according to spaceflight.
The agency had earlier launched surveillance satellite Risat-2B on May 22 and EMISAT (for space-based electronic intelligence for DRDO) on April 1. The six-month hiatus in the launch of operational satellites happened due to the Chandrayaan-2 mission in between. This will be for the first time in Isro’s history that all satellites launched from Sriharikota in a year are for military purpose.
Cartosat-3 is highly advanced than its predecessor Cartosat-2 as it will have a powerful resolution of 0.25 metre or 25 cm (can distinguish two objects separated by a distance of 25cm), never ever used in earlier satellites and a wider spatial range (16 km swath in panchromatic mode). It will also have multi-spectral (captures light within specific ranges in the electromagnetic spectrum) and hyperspectral (captures light from across the electromagnetic spectrum) capabilities.
Risat-2BR1 and Risat-2BR2 will increase the military’s surveillance power as these satellites can see through clouds and have night-surveillance capability to keep an eye on border infiltration. Images from older series of Risat and Cartosat were earlier used to launch surgical strikes on terror launchpads in PoK.
Besides primary payload Cartosat-3, PSLV-C47 will carry 12 SuperDove earth-observing nanosatellites for Planet and Meshbed tech demo CubeSat for Analytical Space. In December, PSLV-C48 will also launch QPS-SAR microsatellite developed by iQPS, a Japanese company, and four Lemur 2 CubeSats for Spire Global. PSLV C49 will carry primary payload Risat-2BR2 and four Kleos Scouting Mission radio surveillance nano-satellites for Kleos Space, a Luxembourg company, and multiple Lemur 2 CubeSats for Spire Global, says Spaceflight. All but Spire will be a new user of Isro’s most-reliable rocket PSLV.

[Vips]

Gaganyaan: 12 IAF pilots shortlisted for India’s first manned space mission! Pilots with dental issues rejected.

With the help of Russian space experts, 12 IAF pilots were shortlisted to go for final training programme ahead of India’s first space flight. The pilots were selected from a group of 60 candidates who were part of a 45-day generic training programme for astronauts at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training centre in Russia’s Star City. So far, seven IAF pilots have already completed the training. The group of seven will now return to India where they will undergo rigorous training and will face stiff tests which will include a mission-specific training. Once the process is complete final selection of three astronauts for India’s proposed manned mission in 2022 will take place.

According to an IE report, the reason why many IAF pilots failed to clear the primary physical and medical hurdle was dental issue. IAF’s Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM) experts revealed this in an annual conference of the Indian Society of Aerospace Medicine Fraternity.

IAM is going through the process of selecting Indian astronaut three decades after it selected Rakesh Sharma and Ravish Malhotra in 1982 and 1984 respectively for Russia’s Soyuz T-11 mission. According to the IE report quoting IAM expert, 16 pilots were selected by IAM from a group of 24 test pilots. IAM ignored minor physical conditions in that process but the Russian team of experts, which was vastly experienced in aerospace medicines and had collectively spent 560 days in space, cracked the whip on candidates with dental issues. Talking to IE Group Captain MS Nataraj, the top IAM selection officer for the astronauts said that they prepared 16 dossiers and presented them to a team of Russian experts led by a top aviation specialist. Only 16 successfully cleared our collective selection process. What they thought as minor turned out to be the main difference. Dental issues can create a lot of problems in space. Russian experts were made sure that there are no dental issues, they were very particular about it.

According to the experts at ESA, the Europian Space Agency, for astronauts having sound dental health is very important because during the lift-off the acceleration and vibrations are very strong and ill-fitting dental fittings could get displaced and fall as well. The change in atmospheric pressure can trigger dental pain if cavities are present. It is reported that one Russian astronaut Yuri Romenenko endured unbearable dental pain as commander of Salyut 6 mission in 1978.

Other than dental issues minor hearing problems and shortcomings in sight were also considered. Since Russian experts have not cleared nine out of the first 16, a new group of 36 test pilot was picked by IAF to fill remaining slots for the final 12 and undergo advanced training for next two years. After inputs from Russians, IAM was more particular in picking test pilots and from the new group, Russians cleared as many as 12 from which IAM shortlisted five.

[Prem Kumar]

Even with 2 more launches that are scheduled we will just have 6 total for the year against the 12 that were projected at the start of the year.
Over promise and under deliver is a value/philosophy that is inculcated very thoroughly in the training of our babudom when they start their careers.

I think Chandrayaan took a lot out of ISRO and delayed other projects like PSLV launches for Catosat, RISAT etc. They probably hit a bandwidth issue. Gaganyaan will probably do the same.

Nothing to do with babudom.

[Indranil]

Even with 2 more launches that are scheduled we will just have 6 total for the year against the 12 that were projected at the start of the year.
Over promise and under deliver is a value/philosophy that is inculcated very thoroughly in the training of our babudom when they start their careers.

Nothing to do with babudom.

+1. What have babus got to do with this?

[A_Gupta]

People may like: “Ever Upwards : ISRO in images” PV Manoranjan Rao, BN Suresh, VP Balagangadharan.

[Ashokk]

Chandrayaan-3 plans indicate failures in Chandrayaan-2

BENGALURU: The changes the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is making in the proposed Chandrayaan-3 mission are indicative of the things that may have gone wrong with Chandrayaan-2 that failed to soft-land a probe on Moon in September 2019.
From a new guidance algorithm to improved communication systems on the lander, the overview committee that met last Tuesday (November 12) has pointed to multiple recommendations made by the failure analysis committee (FAC) looking into Chandrayaan-2 failure.
As part of the final discussions at the meeting the committee accepted the “Propulsion+Landing Module” configuration for Chandrayaan-3, and said: “Guidance algorithm to be finalised considering all recommendations of FAC and also after detailed simulations.”
The TOI was the first to report that Chandrayaan-3 mission is likely to have this — lander & rover (landing module) and propulsion module— configuration on November 14.

Software & Algorithm Glitch?
Sources indicated that one of the main reasons that the FAC found for Chandrayaan-2’s failure in soft-landing Vikram (the lander) was a glitch in the software and the algorithm that saw the lander lose orientation just metres away from the lunar surface. They said that the velocity of the lander was higher than expected and that it may have had attitude errors.
The overview committee, last week noted: “...Also, after detailed simulations LDV (laser doppler velocity) sensor for the direct measurement of velocities (all three axes) must be incorporated. “The LDV sensor was developed even for Chandrayaan-2, but since it did not perform well in ground tests, it was not included,” a source said.
LDV sensors will be useful as they will help directly measure the velocity from the height of about 20km, sources added and said Bengaluru-based LEOS lab under Isro has developed the sensor.

Direct Velocity Measurement
Among other things, Isro is looking to improve the data transfer capability on the lander for the new mission, which will help transfer lunar surface images from the lander imager camera right from the beginning of the powered descent — likely to be from about 30km from the lunar surface.
“The camera was taking images even on Chandrayaan-2, but we didn’t have the capability to transfer real time, this time, the committee feels that we need this to get the right orientation,” another source said.
The committee has noted: “...Data rate, telemetry and orientation to be appropriately arrived at based on the descent trajectory.”

Power & Communication
Also, Chandrayaan-3 is expected to have solar cells on four sides of the lander— its predecessor had it only on three sides— to improve performance.
“Feasibility of populating solar cells on the fourth side vertical panel where Rover is accommodated to be studied to avoid power issues if landing happens with large attitude error resulting in absence of Sun in the plane,” the committee has said.
The panel, which will meet again later this year, has also tasked sub-committees to look at establishing margins for different touchdown conditions. “Strengthening of lander legs to be considered… power and communication between lander and ground to be ensured post landing irrespective of lander orientation,” the panel has noted.
Sources added that this may mean that the space agency will add more antennas on the lander to keep communication alive even if the lander does not land on the legs.

[dinesha]

The launch of PSLV-C47 carrying Cartosat-3 scheduled on November 25, 2019 at 0928 hrs is rescheduled to launch on November 27, 2019 at 0928 hrs from Second launch pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.
-Update from ISRO

[jaysimha]

https://www.iirs.gov.in/iirs/sites/defa ... -Award.pdf

Release of ATLAS “Cultural Heritage of India from Space”,
The Atlas was released by Chairman ISRO, Dr. K. Sivan
&
Vikram Sarabhai Maulik Pustak Lekhan Award to
Dr. Vandita Srivastava, Scientist “SF” and Dr. Prakash Chauhan, Director of Indian Institute Remote Sensing (IIRS), Dehradun Authors of above atlas.

[jaysimha]

VIKRAM SARABHAI CENTENARY PROGRAMME

ISRO is planning for an year long programme for commemorating the birth centenary of its founder father Dr. Vikram A Sarabhai. The programme includes exhibitions, competitions to school children, journalism awards and speeches by eminent personalities. The programme will be conducted across 100 selected cities all over India commencing from August 12, 2019 and ending on August 12, 2020. A curtain raiser inaugural function is planned on August 12, 2019, 10 AM IST at Ahmedabad, the birth place of Dr. Sarabhai. Many important dignitaries both from ISRO/DOS and DAE are participating in this function. The valedictory function for the year long programme will be at Thiruvananthapuram on August 12, 2020.

The two-hour inaugural programme will comprise of several events, including the unveiling of a commemorative coin as well as the inauguration of a ‘Space on Wheels’ exhibition inside a bus. ISRO will also be unveiling a Coffee Table book and a photo album of exclusive candids from Dr. Sarabhai’s short-lived 52 years.

------------------
Last one held at
Manav Rachna International Institute of Research & Studies (MRIIRS)
November 20-22, 2019
Venue: MRIIRS, Faridabad

https://manavrachna.edu.in/wp-content/u ... nglish.pdf

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We should keep an eye on this event in your respective cities.

[ArjunPandit]

we at BRF should remember the great man for setting things in motion for our nation ...

[Gerard]

26-hr countdown for launch of CARTOSAT-3, 13 nano-satellites Begins

Launch is scheduled at 0928 hrs IST on November 27, 2019," ISRO said in its update on Tuesday.

[manjgu]

so what are the specs/features of cartosat 3?