Indian Space Program: News & Discussion

[sanman]

The more that I'm reading online about this "NASA-ISRO joint mission" the more it looks like it will simply be an Indian astronaut added onto the Axiom-4 mission already scheduled to fly in 2024.

Modi may try to play it up during election season (since Gaganyaan likely won't fly until 2025), but other than that, it may not amount to that much.

[sanman]

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index ... msg2499778

Indian & US officials sign the Artemis Accords on Space Exploration, in Washington, DC:

[sanman]

Thought I'd just throw up this old CG-render someone made of Indian capsule approaching ISS:

https://www.deviantart.com/okan170/art/ ... -526254860

[SSridhar]

India Joins the Artemis Accords - Ajay Lele, The Space Review

Collaboration in space between India and the United States has some six decades of history. It is often mentioned as collaboration between two powers who share values like vibrant democracies and open society. The Indian space program was born in 1963 with the launch of Nike-Apache sounding rockets from the India’s first spaceport, the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station. In the first few years this relationship was thriving, with joint collaborations between NASA and ISRO like the Satellite Instrumental Television Experiment (SITE). Under this program, satellites beamed educational content to television sets for more than 2,000 remote Indian villages.

But India’s nuclear policies have been the main dampener. India conducted its first nuclear test in 1974 and then a series of nuclear tests in 1998. Subsequently, this relationship has reinvented itself with the success of the US–India civil nuclear deal in 2005. During last week’s visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US, the space relationship has made more progress. India has now joined the US-led Artemis program. Also, NASA may be sending an Indian astronaut to the Intentional Space Station (ISS) in 2024. The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) Earth science mission is progressing as planned, with ISRO scheduled to launch this satellite in early 2024.

The US was very keen on having India sign the Artemis Accords. On June 21, the Indian ambassador to the US, Taranjit Sandhu, signed on the dotted line. India becomes the 27th state to join this accord. These countries belong with different parts of the world, from Latin America to North America, from Africa to East Asia and the Middle East. India becomes the first South Asian state to join this group.

With this, India has acknowledged NASA’s rules in regards to the best practices to be adopted to civilian exploration of space and conduct of activities on the Moon and beyond. This is an interesting shift in India’s space view. From a scientific and technological point of view, the Artemis program involves going to Moon and beyond and there could be various opportunities for India to contribute and learn. India’s space industry is evolving very rapidly and is expected to benefit if India becomes a part of this US-led space architecture.

With India becoming a part of this US-led global space regime/governance model, some questions are being raised about India’s space autonomy. At the policy level, has India capitulated its strategy independence in matters related to space governance and security? It appears unlikely that India would surrender. In December 2022, India abstained from voting on a United Nations General Assembly resolution to ban destructive anti-satellite (ASAT) tests, which is a US brainchild. India is an ASAT power and is balancing its strategic needs against a commitment against space weaponization. It is likely to follow an independent path, while contributing on various platforms at the UN level.

The Artemis Accords is also about political commitment to principles described within it. It claims to be based on the obligations contained in Outer Space Treaty (OST) and other established structures, like the Liability Convention and Registration Convention. The Accords, announced in October 2020, has 13 sections and many of them match with global views on the use of space for peaceful purposes and transparency.

The Artemis Accords signatories include a mix of both established spacefaring nations as well as emerging ones, including some, like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with major space ambitions. India is a part of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) grouping, which has two major space players, China and Russia. All this indicates that the Artemis Accords signatories includes counties with differing levels of maturity as well as levels of dependence not only on the US, but also on China and Russia.

India is currently preparing for its first Gaganyaan human spaceflight mission 2025. Indian astronauts have already trained in Russia. The Gaganyaan crew module is designed to carry three astronauts to orbit and splash down after reentry. Section five of the Artemis Accords speaks of interoperability, raising questions of how it might apply to Gaganyaan.

Section eight speaks of release of scientific data, but clearly mentions that private sector operations are excluded from data sharing. Going by the present trend, mostly the private players from the US are likely to contribute much towards future planetary missions. Hence, it would be naive to expect much in regards to data accessibility.

The elephant in the room is section ten, which is about space resources. Currently, states and private players do not possess the required level of technical expertise to get significant amounts of rock samples from objects in space back to Earth, but the practice of sample return to Earth on smaller scales is already happening. We have no globally accepted polices in this regard. Today, there is a need to have a debate for forming globally accepted structures with respect to management of space resources. It is important to consider section ten and section eleven together, which speaks of creation of “safety zones” on the Moon and other bodies to avoid harmful interference by other agencies operating on those planets. Can a state or a private agency just annex regions and preserve them for future settlement? Such measures should not be implemented unilaterally. It needs a wider debate and acceptance.

Space resource mining is predicted to emerge as a thorny issue in the future. There are differing predictions about the prospects for space resources. According to some, a big cargo aircraft load of helium-3 mined from the Moon’s surface could cater for the global energy needs for around ten years, provided there are fusion reactors that can use it. Recent experiments suggest that space-based solar power could become feasible, creating another source of demand for space resources.

Interestingly, some countries have established laws that give companies rights to resources they extract from the Moon, asteroids, or other bodies. There is a need to ponder future geopolitical consequences when making any national laws in this regard. The Artemis Accords may be undermining the concept of Common Heritage to Mankind (CHM), or global commons, in space.

This is an opportune time to start negotiating for an UN treaty mechanism on space mining. India, now being an insider, needs to engage the US in this regard. There are some dichotomies about the positions of Artemis signatory states. Australia is a signatory to the Moon Agreement, which views Moon and its resources as CHM.

It will also be interesting to watch the progress in regards to NASA-ISRO undertaking a mission to take an Indian to ISS in 2024.

It is known that NASA astronaut candidates undergo a training and evaluation period lasting approximately 18 to 24 months. Even space tourists are required to spend around six months for training. So the issue is that, how by 2024 NASA can train an Indian astronaut and send him/her to ISS? Can NASA pick up from Indian astronauts, who are already trained in Russia and fast-track the training for their mission? If that is the case, then what would happen to India’s Gaganyaan program?

The following are the likely missions to the ISS during 2023 and 2024. It may be noted that already trained astronauts have been identified for all these missions.

Boeing (Starliner) Crew Flight Test, was to happen around July 2023. Now stands indefinitely delayed as announced by Boeing on first of June. There would be two astronauts onboard, which includes a very experienced Indian-origin astronaut, Sunita Williams.
SpaceX’s Crew-7 mission (August 2023) and Crew-8 mission (2024) could also be carrying Russian cosmonauts. SpaceX is expected to fly a crewed mission to the ISS for Axiom Space and in addition the privately funded Polaris Dawn citizen astronaut flight to orbit by end of 2023.
There would Soyuz MS-24 (September 2023), Soyuz MS-25 (March 2024) and Soyuz MS-26 (September 2024) missions happening. There is a possibility of Boeing Starliner-1 mission happening in 2024, but all would depend on when the Crew Flight Test mission gets spaceborne.

Broadly, Artemis is about science, commercialization, and norms-making for Moon and beyond. It creates an impression that if you are with us (the US), then you get access to the resources of the Moon and Mars quickly. India should not get overwhelmed by the enormity of this project. India has its own Moon and Mars program, which it should pursue aggressively and at the same time get maximum benefits, in terms of science, technology, and commercial aspects, from the Artemis program. In regards to the proposed ISS mission, the 2024 deadline looks very ambitious. However, both NASA and ISRO are professional agencies and it is expected that they would not cut any corners to meet that deadline.

[sanman]

Indian & US officials sign the Artemis Accords on Space Exploration, in Washington, DC:

Please post links to acknowledge the source of the pictures. Thank You.

Here you go:

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index ... msg2499778

[Rakesh]

Please post links to acknowledge the source of the pictures. Thank You.

Here you go:

https://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index ... msg2499778

Thank you for providing the link. I have added it in your original post.

Courtesy to acknowledge the source of the images. Thank you for your cooperation.

[Ashokk]

Chandrayaan-3 launch scheduled for mid-July: Isro chief

Officials associated with the project said the launch will likely take place on July 13 at 2.30pm.

On Aditya-L1 Mission, India's first mission to study the Sun, the Isro chief said they were targeting a launch date of August 10.

Asked to comment on India signing the US' Artemis Accord, Somnath said: "We are looking at Artemis Accord as a political engagement with the US. It is a statement of Intent that when the US is proposing collaborative work in the space sector, especially exploration of outer planets in a cordial atmosphere between different nations, we agree with that. We would like to work with the US, especially on technologies that are high-end. It will open opportunities for Indian industries that are working in space sector to work with the US companies that are equally working in the space sector."

[SSridhar]

Blue Origin keen on using LVM3 for commercial space activities - ToI

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is keen on using India’s GSLV-Mk3 or LVM-3 as a crew capsule to service its Orbital Reef, a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) space station being designed for commercial space activities and tourism uses, Isro chairman S Somanth confirmed to TOI in an exclusive interview.

Somanath said: “We are exploring … In fact, we’ve already discussed it with Blue Origin and they are very keen to consider this option of LVM-3 becoming a crew capsule mission to service the Orbital Reef. It is a possibility and we are engaging through IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre).”

On the challenge of integrating a docking system that is compatible, he said standard docking systems are in the public domain.
“...Whoever can design a docking system that matches with the US design and standard, can be used. However, we will still need to have agreements with agencies to try it out given that there are multiple interfaces — electrical, mechanical and so on. It is not just one document, we will need to work with them to develop it. We will do that.

Further, elaborating on other possibilities as announced during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to the US, Somanath said it was possible to use LVM-3 in cargo missions to the ISS in the future.

On astronauts training for Gaganyaan flying on a joint Isro-NASA mission, he said: “Possibility of them flying in a joint Isro-NASA mission cannot be ruled out at this moment. However, we will have to see if they are the right candidate for an US mission, or if we’ll need a different set of people who’ve not been experienced with the Russians…the pros and cons will need to be discussed. But I believe that it should be possible to consider them for the US mission at this moment. They are anyway experienced and they are destined to fly. It is possible.”

At present, the four astronaut-elects are going through various phases of training and as reported earlier by TOI, they have completed the first semester of the Indian module after arriving from initial training in Russia.

“The second semester which involves engagement with other academic institutions is progressing while we’ve started the simulator experience at some level but more simulators are being made now. This year, the plan is to complete the second semester training and begin the full-fledged simulator training at some level. Astronauts are giving some feedback on simulators as their experience in Russia is so enormous. We are designing and building simulators and astronauts become the design feedback community and they are participating with us on this,” Somanath said.

Pointing out that India has so far not developed the training environment in the country, he said, the same has to be done using the experience of these astronauts. “Currently, we are manufacturing and installing the simulators. Software and other front-end simulators are already made but we have to make a big capsule simulator,” he added.

[sanman]

There's a lot ignorance about what the Artemis Accords actually are.




The Artemis Accords are quite distinct and separate from NASA's Artemis program of establishing bases on or around the Moon.

India has signed on for the former, but not the latter.

[Vips]

Gaganyaan: First batch of crew recovery team finishes phase-1training.



The first batch of crew recovery team of Mission Gaganyaan completed Phase-1 of training at Indian Navy's Water Survival Training Facility (WSTF). This team will be participating in the recovery of the unpressurised crew module that will be used in the first abort test mission Isro is planning in August.

“Utilising the state-of-the-art facility, the team of Indian naval divers and marine commandos underwent recovery training of the crew module in varied sea conditions. The two-week training capsule \ covered a brief on the conduct of the mission, actions to be taken during medical exigencies and familiarisation with different aircraft and their rescue equipment,” a statement from the Indian Navy issued on Sunday read.



The training also validated the standard operating procedures formulated jointly by the Indian Navy and the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).

As reported by TOI earlier, Isro and Navy, on May 26, released the Gaganyaan recovery training plan at WSTF, outlining the training plan for recovery of the Gaganyaan crew module.


The plan defined overall requirements for training of various teams participating in recovery operations, including (navy) divers, MARCOs (maritime commandos), medical specialists, communicators, technicians and naval aviators.

While the first phase of training of the first batch is complete, the overall recovery training is planned in incremental phases starting from unmanned recovery to manned recovery training in harbour and open sea conditions. The recovery operations are being led by the Indian Navy in co-ordination with other government agencies.

[SSridhar]

More lifting-power for Indian rockets, ISRO test fires India's most powerful rocket engine - WION News

In a major technological breakthrough that will eventually add more lifting-power to Indian rockets, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully test fired its most powerful-yet rocket engine. Chairman ISRO Dr. S. Somanath confirmed the development to WION. The test firing was conducted at the ISRO Propulsion Complex(IPRC) in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.

Known as a semi-cryogenic engine, this is a type of propulsion technology that is powered by special refined kerosene(dubbed as 'ISROsene') and super-cooled liquid oxygen.

This semi-cryo engine is designed and developed by ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Valimala, Thiruvananthapuram and has also roped in Indian industry to take part in the efforts.

After a series of further tests are conducted and this engine is fully qualified, this 2000kN thrust engine and its stage(associated components, fuel tanks etc.) will be replacing the current L110(liquid-fuel core stage) of India's largest rocket - Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3).

The IPRC facility in Southern India is capable of testing semi-cryogenic engines up to 2600 kN thrust and will support the subsequent testing and qualification of the fully integrated Semi-cryogenic engine and stage.

In May this year, ISRO had commenced tests on the Pressure Head Test Article (PHTA), a setup that comprises all engine systems except the thrust chamber. "The test is the first of a series of tests planned to validate the design of the propellant feed system, including the low-pressure and high-pressure turbo-pumps, the gas generator, and control components," ISRO had said back then.

During the earlier test, the parameters that led up to the engine start were checked and validated. "After the chill down of the LOX circuit, the feed circuit of kerosene was filled, and LOX was admitted into the gas generator by opening the injection valve. Successful performance of the test article helps derive the sequence of operations for further tests" ISRO had said in May.

[Ashokk]

First hot test of the Semi-cryogenic engine conducted at IPRC, Mahendragiri

On July 1, 2023, ISRO conducted the first hot test on an intermediate configuration of the Semi-cryogenic Engine, known as Power Head Test Article (PHTA) at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. The test was conducted towards developing a 2000 kN thrust semi-cryogenic engine to power the booster stages of future launch vehicles.

The objective of the test was to validate the integrated performance of the critical subsystems such as the gas generator, turbo pumps, pre-burner and control components by carrying out a hot-firing for a short-duration of 4.5 s. The ignition and generation of hot-gas within the pre-burner chamber that drives the main turbine to drive the fuel and oxidiser pumps, was focussed.

The test proceeded as predicted till 1.9 s validating the ignition and subsequent performance of PHTA. At 2.0 s, an unanticipated spike in the turbine pressure and subsequent loss of turbine-speed was observed. As a precautionary step, the test was terminated. Analysis under progress would offer further understanding before proceeding with further hot-tests for longer duration.

The semi-cryogenic engine utilizes a propellant combination of Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Kerosene, and the power head test article forms the first hardware test of the engine development program. The test was carried out the dedicated test facility recently established at IPRC for testing semi-cryogenic engines and stages. ISRO had commenced the testing of the PHTA in May 2023 at this facility.

[SSridhar]

ISRO terminates semi-cryogenic engine test after sudden spike in turbine pressure and speed - Economic Times

The Indian Space Research Organisation terminated the first hot test on an intermediate configuration of the semi-cryogenic engine following an unanticipated spike in the turbine pressure and subsequent loss of turbine speed. The intermediate configuration of the semi-cryogenic engine is also known as a power head test article (PHTA).

The July 1 test at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu, was conducted towards developing a 2,000 kN (Kilonewton) thrust semi-cryogenic engine to power the booster stages of future launch vehicles, the Bengaluru-headquartered national space agency said in a statement on Monday.

The objective of the test was to validate the integrated performance of the critical subsystems such as the gas generator, turbo pumps, pre-burner and control components by carrying out a hot-firing for a short duration of 4.5 seconds, it said.

"The ignition and generation of hot gas within the pre-burner chamber that drives the main turbine to drive the fuel and oxidiser pumps was focussed," the statement from ISRO said.

"The test proceeded as predicted till 1.9 seconds validating the ignition and subsequent performance of PHTA. At 2.0 seconds, an unanticipated spike in the turbine pressure and subsequent loss of turbine speed was observed. As a precautionary step, the test was terminated. Analysis under progress would offer further understanding before proceeding with further hot tests for longer duration," the statement said.

[bala]

I remember Dr. Nambi Narayanan, ISRO, saying that the Vikas engine had deliberately introduced some instability (chaos) into the system, which ensured overall stability. This tweeking was done and tested at France's rocket test facility. This was gyan from his study at princeton with Italian origin prof. I hope ISRO designers understand this theory and have done so on the semi-cryo engine.

[SSridhar]

The ISRO press release on the test. There are good pictures of the test stand et al.

First hot test of the Semi-cryogenic engine conducted at IPRC, Mahendragiri

[SSridhar]

Chandrayaan-3 integrated with launch vehicle - ToI

In a major milestone, Isro on Wedneaday said it has integrated the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft with the launch vehicle — GSLV-Mk3 or LVM3.

The space agency is looking at a mid-July launch (between July 12 and 19) window for India's third lunar mission, and a second attempt at soft-landing equipment on Moon.

While the mission will carry a lander (Vikram) and rover (Pragna), it won't carry an orbiter, which has been replaced by a propulsion module.
After its failed landing attempt in September 2019, Isro has carried out several changes on the lander.

This time around, Vikram will have stronger legs than in its previous avatar to enable withstanding landing at greater velocities than earlier, while Isro has also made several other changes learning from the failures of Chandrayaan-2.

TOI had reported about changes being made to the lander, including the strengthening of the legs, earlier.

Isro chairman, S Somanath, told TOI: “There are a lot of improvements on the lander. Basically, what were the deficiencies we were trying to overcome? One is the lander legs, which we expected could have withstood a higher velocity [during Chandrayaan-2]. So how much can we increase the velocity tolerance in the available structure? We have enhanced the landing velocity to 3m/second from 2m/second. That means even at 3m/sec, the lander will not crash or break [its legs].”

Another scientist who was part of Chanrayaan-2 explained: “A landing/touchdown velocity of about 2m/second is ideal and safe. And it is good that the tolerance will be for 3m/second, which means in case the best situation is not there, the lander will still do its job.”

The second change, Somanath said, was the addition of more fuel to the lander to handle more disruptions and have the “ability to come back” so there’s more cushion to handle the mission.

“Third, we have added a new sensor called the laser doppler velocity metre, which will look at the lunar terrain. And through laser source sounding, we will be able to get components of three velocity vectors. We will be able to add this to the other instruments available, thereby creating redundancy in measurement,” Somanath said.

Isro has also improved the software to have more tolerance to failures like engine disruptions, thrust disruptions, sensor failures, etc, while also removing the central or fifth engine, which was added last minute during Chandrayaan-2.

“Five engines were OK with the earlier mass of the lander but now we’ve enhanced the mass by nearly 200kg. Also, given its weight now, we have to necessarily fire a minimum of two engines to do the landing, and cannot land with a single engine. Therefore, the central engine has been removed,” Somanath said.

He added that the space agency has extended solar panels and more panel area to generate power. Vikram will be able to generate power even if it lands in a different orientation and is not facing the Sun.

Chandrayaan-3 is scheduled for launch between July 12 and 19. And on selection of the final date and the time needed to reach Moon thereafter, Somanath said: “It will take around 45 days. It cannot be shortened because it depends on the commencement day of the landing. We want the lander to land at the location the day of the Moon starts so we get the full 15 days to work. That’s how the date is being chosen.”

But the major part of the preparations, he said, was dedicated to testing. “The whole of the last two years went for testing and not changes. The amount of tests we’ve done is much more than what was done during Chandrayaan-2. This is in terms of autonomous flights, helicopter flights, crane-mode landing simulation tests, drop tests, software simulation testbeds which were newly made to evaluate potential failures and recovery options etc,” he said.

[vijayk]

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indias- ... yt-4179268
NYT's Rare Praise For India's Space Programme
The US government would be more likely to approve any American company's sending military-grade technology through India than through China, the NYT report said.

[drnayar]

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/ind ... 547465.cms


Chandrayaan-3 to be launched on July 14

[sanman]

[sanman]

[juvva]

any one able to book a slot in launch view gallery,
i am getting registration full message from day one.

[drnayar]

https://www.isro.gov.in/Chandrayaan3_New.html

Chandrayaan-3 consists of an indigenous Lander module (LM), Propulsion module (PM) and a Rover with an objective of developing and demonstrating new technologies required for Inter planetary missions. The Lander will have the capability to soft land at a specified lunar site and deploy the Rover which will carry out in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during the course of its mobility. The Lander and the Rover have scientific payloads to carry out experiments on the lunar surface. The main function of PM is to carry the LM from launch vehicle injection till final lunar 100 km circular polar orbit and separate the LM from PM. Apart from this, the Propulsion Module also has one scientific payload as a value addition which will be operated post separation of Lander Module. The launcher identified for Chandrayaan-3 is GSLV-Mk3 which will place the integrated module in an Elliptic Parking Orbit (EPO) of size ~170 x 36500 km.

[sanman]

Excellent and informative interview with ISRO Chairman S Somnath:



I really feel S Somnath is one of the best ISRO chairmen yet, if not the best.

Whenever he speaks about things, including in interviews, he really does a great job.

I feel he deserves an extra-long tenure as ISRO chairman due to his exceptional abilities, and hope he gets it.

[sanman]

Former ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan gives an explanation of how ISRO corrected previous landing failure:



Somebody tell me - what does "dispersions" mean, when he said Chandrayaan-2 landing failed due to higher-than-expected dispersions?

[SriKumar]

Former ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan gives an explanation of how ISRO corrected previous landing failure:

Somebody tell me - what does "dispersions" mean, when he said Chandrayaan-2 landing failed due to higher-than-expected dispersions?

'Dispersion' was a general comment and he did not say what was dispersed and by how much. I guess they are limiting what can be shared in public. In this article below, they quote a response in the Parliament where it says that the after the rough braking phase, the satellite slowed down to more than it was expected to, and the software could not correctly manage this slower speed of the lander. Sivan explicitly alludes to issue arising during initial braking phase in the above video but does not mention this specifics. Other reports talk about a software glitch. Statement made in the Parliament as in the article below has a few specifics.

https://www.india.com/news/india/why-ch ... m-3851275/

Added later: He speaks about dispersions in the propulsion system (he probably referring to the thrusters for the braking system). I suspect some issue with the propulsion system was the initial cause which slowed it to more than what was expected and the lander control software was not programmed to handle it

[sanman]

So could this possibly be some kind of control lag in response to fuel slosh oscillations?

[SSridhar]

ISRO to transfer SSLV to private sector- ET

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will soon transfer its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) to the private sector, after conducting two development flights of the rocket that seeks to provide on-demand services to put satellites weighing up to 500 kg in a low-earth orbit. The space agency has decided to opt for the bidding route to transfer the mini-rocket to the industry, a senior official said.

"We will be transferring the SSLV completely to the private sector. Not just the manufacturing, but full transfer," the official said.

The maiden flight of the SSLV in August last year was a failure due to vibration disturbance for a short duration on the Equipment Bay deck during the second-stage separation.

The ISRO took corrective actions after conducting an in-depth analysis of the fault and carried out a successful launch of the SSLV in February.

The SSLV injected the ISRO's EOS-07 satellite, US-based firm Antaris' Janus-1 and Chennai-based space start-up Space Kidz's AzaadiSAT-2 satellites into a 450-km circular orbit.

Small rockets, such as the SSLV, target nano and micro-satellites, which weigh less than 10 kg and 100 kg respectively, and offer on-demand launch services, without requiring clients to wait for larger rockets to carry them as co-passengers.

Last year, the ISRO had awarded a contract to build five polar satellite launch vehicles (PSLVs), its warhorse rocket with 54 successful launches, to a consortium of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Larsen and Toubro.

A recent report prepared by the Indian Space Association and consultancy firm EY India said commercial satellite launch services can see India's domestic space industry contribute USD 13 billion to the economy by 2025.

[rahulm]

S Somnath on CY2 and CY3. There are many vdo's out there on this topic but in my opinion, in this single vdo, Shri Somnath explains the issues with CY2 and fixes in CY3 well.



This is an AI generated summary. There may be inaccuracies. ·

Summary

"In this YouTube video, the ISRO Chief discusses the issues faced during the Chandrayaan-2 mission and the improvements made for Chandrayaan-3. The primary problems with Chandrayaan-2 included higher thrust from the engines, accumulation of errors, limited maneuverability, and conflicting landing requirements. To address these, Chandrayaan-3 adopts a failure-based design approach by expanding the landing area, providing more fuel, and considering various failure scenarios. The ISRO Chief also mentions the experiments and instruments to be used in Chandrayaan-3, collaboration with Japan on a moon mission, and the need to transfer SSLV technology to the industry."

Details

00:00:00 In this section, the ISRO Chief explains how they have perfected the overall process of reaching the Moon through previous missions but faced challenges during Chandrayaan-2. The primary issues included higher thrust from the engines than expected, accumulation of errors over time, limited ability to make turns, and conflicting requirements for reaching the landing spot with low velocity. To address these problems, they are adopting a failure-based design approach for Chandrayaan-3. They are expanding the landing area, providing more fuel for flexibility, and considering various failure scenarios to protect the mission. The goal is to enhance the craft's ability to handle parameter variation and dispersion.

00:05:00 In this section, the ISRO Chief explains the improvements made for Chandrayaan-3 based on the failures of Chandrayaan-2. The high-resolution camera on board Chandrayaan-2 provided detailed images of the moon's landing site, allowing for better mapping and programming of the landing coordinates. Additional failure modes were also taken into consideration, such as generating power and facing the sun. Extensive testing was conducted, including helicopter flights and simulations of failure scenarios. Unlike Chandrayaan-2, the Orbiter for Chandrayaan-3 does not have scientific payloads, thus reducing costs. The Rover of Chandrayaan-3 will conduct experiments on the composition of the moon's surface and study its minimal atmosphere and electrical and thermal characteristics.

00:10:00 In this section, the speaker discusses the various experiments and instruments that would be used in the upcoming Chandrayaan-3 mission. This includes measuring conductivity and electrical characteristics of the lunar surface, studying vibrations and internal processes, and analyzing the chemical composition of materials. The speaker also mentions plans to collaborate with Japan on a moon mission, although the details are still being worked out. The duration of the Chandrayaan-3 mission would be one Moon day, which is approximately 14 days, and the launch window is expected to start from August 23rd. The speaker assures that weather conditions are being monitored, and there shouldn't be any issues with the launch as of now. The speaker also explains the need to transfer SSLV technology to the industry, as there was no industry capable of developing small rockets in India. The development of SSLV has been completed successfully, and now the focus is on supporting the industry in this field.

00:15:00 In this section, the ISRO Chief clarifies that initially, they had no intentions of developing a small satellite rocket as they were not interested in competing with anyone. Their focus has always been on assisting industries in their development. However, they have now recognized the need for a small satellite launch capability, which is currently being undertaken by the Private Industry.

My comment (not present in the Ai summary) : CY3 is designed for 6-sigma as against 3-sigma for CY2.

[sanman]

Good nuts-n-bolts nitty-gritty talk between Gareeb Scientist and ISRO Chairman Somnath on Chandrayaan-3:




I like Somnath's full command of knowledge on all aspects. He is a very good hands-on ISRO chief, immediately able to fluently discuss any and all aspects in expert detail.

[rahulm]

Good nuts-n-bolts nitty-gritty talk between Gareeb Scientist and ISRO Chairman Somnath on Chandrayaan-3:

..

I like Somnath's full command of knowledge on all aspects. He is a very good hands-on ISRO chief, immediately able to fluently discuss any and all aspects in expert detail.

You beat me to it! It takes an amateur reporter to produce such a wonderful in depth technical interview while the mast heads are doing God knows what?

Very interesting commentary from Somnath in response to query SC200 development time line (2 decades) and usefulness @ 34:58.Also LVM3 was named as such due to 1) It's a completely different rocket to GSLV and 2) ISRO was facing insurance issues by calling it GSLV due to GSLV failures. Gareeb scientist has done a great job.

[SriKumar]

S Somnath on CY2 and CY3. There are many vdo's out there on this topic but in my opinion, in this single vdo, Shri Somnath explains the issues with CY2 and fixes in CY3 well.
[youtube]gGv4qpSSl3w

He does go into more detail, but the primary cause was (for some reason) not discussed much. So the rocket braking motor (not sure if it was one or more in operation) developed more thrust than expected and slowed it down more than expected. This put the lander short of the landing spot and to compensate, the control system tried to speed it up, but ran into pre-set parameter limits preventing it from going faster. It was also supposed to land in one specific spot. So one algorithm was trying to make it go faster, while another prevented it from exceeding certain speeds (?) and/or orientations. He also said something about vibrations that I could not catch. No detail on the reason for higher thrust.

To fix all this, they have made the control software such that craft can do much more aggressive maneuvers (I guess this means hardware has been strengthened as well?) than before. Also, now the craft can land anywhere in case of out-of-normal situations. Meaning it can go straight down slowly if some abnormal situation prevents it from reaching its designated spot (previously it was directed to land at one spot). Also, a better (and larger) landing area has been chosen from the pictures taken by CY2 orbiter's high resolution camera. I think they also removed the middle rocket motor and lander now have 4 instead of 5 thrusters.

[sanman]

You beat me to it! It takes an amateur reporter to produce such a wonderful in depth technical interview while the mast heads are doing God knows what?

Yes, ever since I saw Tim Dodd (Everyday Astronaut) do his first interview with Elon Musk, I'd noticed how much more substantive the Q&A was compared to generic mainstream media. Fanboys do a much better job of getting to the salient with "shop talk".

I do wish Gareeb Scientist had avoided pan-handling for more pics from ISRO for him to use as channel-content. (Come on, don't waste ISRO Chairman's time with such gareebi begging!)

Very interesting commentary from Somnath in response to query SC200 development time line (2 decades) and usefulness @ 34:58.Also LVM3 was named as such due to 1) It's a completely different rocket to GSLV and 2) ISRO was facing insurance issues by calling it GSLV due to GSLV failures. Gareeb scientist has done a great job.

Good to understand why ISRO shifted away from GLSV-Mk3 to LVM3. I'd been using the old designation, but will be sure to stick with the new one from now on.

I also liked the questions on the future stuff, like NGLV, ADMIRE test program, methalox engine, etc. Great stuff!

[sanman]

Another famous former ISRO alumni and Chandrayaan expert, Dr Mylswamy Annadurai

[rahulm]

Chandrayaan 3 Mission brochure

Chandrayaan-3 mission:
The ‘Launch Rehearsal’ simulating the entire launch preparation and process lasting 24 hours has been concluded.

[Prasad]

More outreach was his aim and I agree with him. Somnath's answer was that all outreach currently is done by ISRO personnel of their own volition. That is not acceptable at all in this day and age. The mandate has to come from the government though because he will be hauled up for tomtoming achievements and trying to gain mindshare amidst the public without explicit sanction. It is how we function unfortunately.

[sanman]

More outreach was his aim and I agree with him. Somnath's answer was that all outreach currently is done by ISRO personnel of their own volition. That is not acceptable at all in this day and age. The mandate has to come from the government though because he will be hauled up for tomtoming achievements and trying to gain mindshare amidst the public without explicit sanction. It is how we function unfortunately.

I too used to think like this, but I've since realized that too much "outreach" results in hollow preening over actual doing.

I like S Somnath's approach of getting things done first, and only then you can talk about it after.

Otherwise, under previous leaderships, ISRO was busy inflating its achievement record, while critical advancements were being put off, and key missions like Chandrayaan-2 moon-landing failed.

I like S Somnath's more sanguine and earnest approach, which emphasizes the hard work over the preening. This is what will take ISRO further.
We fanboys just want stuff to ogle and brag about. The pendulum had swung too far towards us, and now it has to swing back in the direction of actual progress.

[SBajwa]

Where is Dilbu? Let it begin!

[rahulm]

K. Sivan speaks on CY2 and CY3



This is an AI generated summary. There may be inaccuracies.

00:00:00 - 00:05:00
Former ISRO chief K Sivan shares insights and progress regarding the Chandrayaan-2 mission and the upcoming Chandrayaan-3 mission. While the landing and roving objectives of Chandrayaan-2 were not successful, valuable telemetry data was gathered during the descent, leading to improvements and corrections for Chandrayaan-3. Lessons learned from Chandrayaan-2 have been applied to enhance redundancy and alternative routes for data collection in Chandrayaan-3, making the system more robust and prepared for future missions. Additionally, K Sivan mentions that while there are no new technologies introduced in Chandrayaan-3 compared to Chandrayaan-2, improvements in technology configuration and a laser Doppler velocity meter sensor aim to increase the mission's chances of success, even in case of obstacles.

00:00:00 In this section, K Sivan, former ISRO chief, discusses the progress and key learnings from the Chandrayaan-2 mission. While the mission had three objectives, the landing and roving parts were not successful. However, a significant amount of telemetry data was collected during the descent, which helped identify discrepancies and errors in the system. These errors have been corrected, and margins and capabilities have been improved for Chandrayaan-3. Lessons learned from Chandrayaan-2 have been applied in all aspects of Chandrayaan-3, including redundancy and alternative routes for data collection. Overall, the system has become more robust and prepared for future missions.

00:05:00 In this section, K Sivan explains that there are no new technologies implemented in Chandrayaan-3 compared to Chandrayaan-2. The mission is a repetition of Chandrayaan-2 with improvements in technology configuration and robustness. The only addition is a laser Doppler velocity meter sensor. The aim is to increase the mission's chances of success even if something goes wrong.

[sanman]

Another interesting remark from S Somnath during Gareeb Scientist interview was about RHU & RTG (Radioisotope Heating Unit & Radioisotope Thermal Generator) If BARC/DAE could provide a suitable heating/power unit for ISRO to use, then it might be possible to build a rover that can survive the long lunar night. Both Dept of Atomic Energy and Dept of Space are under the same ministry, are they not? Atomic power will be important for exploring space, especially the colder outer solar system, where solar power is not so strong.

[SSridhar]

Chandrayaan-3 - NASA

Description

Chandrayaan 3 is an ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) mission with the primary objective of putting a lander and rover in the highlands near the south pole of the Moon in the August 2023 timeframe and demonstrating end-to-end landing and roving capabilities. It will also make a number of scientific measurements on the surface and from orbit. It comprises a lander/rover and a propulsion module. The lander/rover will be similar to the Vikram rover on Chandrayaan 2, with improvements to help ensure a safe landing. It will be carried to lunar orbit by the propulsion module which will remain in orbit around the Moon and act as a communications relay satellite.

Spacecraft and Subsystems

The propulsion module is a box-like structure (modified I-3K structure) with one large solar panel mounted on one side and a large cylinder on top (the Intermodule Adapter Cone) that acts as a mounting structure for the lander. The main thruster nozzle is on the bottom. It has a mass of 2145.01 kg, of which 1696.39 kg is propellant for the MMH + MON3 bi-propellant propulsion system. It can generate 738 W power. Communications is via S-Band and attitude sensors include a star sensor, Sun sensor, and Inertail Reference unit and Accelerometer Package (IRAP).

The lander is also generally box-shaped (200 x 200 x 116.6 cm), with four landing legs and four landing thrusters. It has a mass of 1749.86 kg, including 26 kg for the rover, and can generate 738 W using side-mounted solar panels. The lander has a number of sensors to ensure a safe touchdown, including an accelerometer, altimeters (Ka-band and laser), Doppler velocimeter, star sensors, inclinometer, touchdown sensor, and a suite of cameras for hazard avoidance and positional knowledge. Reaction wheels are used for attitude control, and propulsion is provided by a MMH and MON3 bipropellant system with four 800 N throttleable engines and eight 58 N throttleable engines. An X-band antenna is used for communications. The lander carries the rover in a compartment with a ramp for deployment onto the surface.

The rover is a rectangular chassis, 91.7 x 75.0 x 39.7 cm in size, mounted on a six-wheel rocker-bogie wheel drive assembly. It has navigation cameras and a solar panel that can generate 50 W. It communicates directly with the lander via Rx/Tx antennas.

The lander will carry an instrument called Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) to measure surface thermal properties, the Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) to measure seismicity around the landing site, the Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive ionosphere and Atmosphere (RAMBHA) to study the gas and plasma environment, and a passive laser retroreflector array provided by NASA for lunar ranging studies. The rover will carry two instruments to study the local surface elemental composition, an Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS). The Propulsion Module / Orbiter will carry one experiment called the Spectropolarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth (SHAPE) to study Earth from lunar orbit.

Mission Profile

The mission is currently scheduled to launch on 14 July 2023 at 9:05 UT (2:35 p.m. India standard time), with a possibility to launch as late as 19 July, on a GSLV Mark 3 (LVM 3) heavy lift launch vehicle from Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, India. It will place Chandrayaan 3 into an approximately 170 x 36,500 km elliptic parking orbit. The propulsion module will bring the lander/rover will into a 100 km circular polar lunar orbit and separate. The lander will then touch down with the rover in the south polar region of the Moon, near 69.37 S, 32.35 E. For the scheduled launch time, touchdown is expected to occur near the end of August. Touchdown velocity is planned to be less than 2 m/s vertical and 0.5 m/s horizontal. The propulsion module / communications relay satellite will remain in lunar orbit to enable communications with Earth. Chandrayaan 2 will also be used as a backup relay. The lander and rover are designed to operate for one lunar daylight period (about 14 Earth days).