Indian Space Program Discussion

All threads that are locked or marked for deletion will be moved to this forum. The topics will be cleared from this archive on the 1st and 16th of each month.
Locked
Sanjay M
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4892
Joined: 02 Nov 2005 14:57

Post by Sanjay M »

Problem is that world's helium supplies are running out. All helium may be gone in the next 20 years.
Vipul
BRF Oldie
Posts: 3727
Joined: 15 Jan 2005 03:30

Post by Vipul »

Bangalore a must-stop on road to the Moon.

BANGALORE: Mission Moon is being given the final touches in Bangalore. All payloads and instruments, including five from overseas (from US and Europe) in Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft on India's PSLV are currently being assembled at the ISRO satellite integration centre here, the biggest in Asia.

All satellites and instruments from India or abroad have to be tested followed by assembly and integration onto the spacecraft at this centre.

The instruments will be assembled and finally integrated onto Chandrayaan-1 before launch in a couple of months time. Engineers have already conducted vibration tests, temperature tests at high and low frequencies, tests with thermal sub-systems and all electrical and mechanical functioning.

"The testing of five international instruments is complete. The engineers are very happy with the results and the instruments have come through the different atmospheres in which they are tested. The entire working is very delicate and involves highly careful and sensitive handling. They are happy that all testing parameters have been met. The engineers from abroad too are naturally happy," scientists told The Times of India.

The vibration and temperature tests are particularly important as Chandrayaan-1 as well as the instruments experience conditions in the lunar orbit radically different from those closer to Earth. The success of the tests indicates that the instruments will perform as planned in lunar orbit.

The centre is also taking care of the entire microelectronics of the instruments and the spacecraft with the help of ISRO.

"Tests apart, we put together cameras, antennae and sensors of all instruments that would relay information on spacecraft's health. In fact, we're assembling the very brain of Chandrayaan-1. The spacecraft takes its final form here," an official explained.

Chandrayaan-1 is a 1.5 m cuboid-shaped body with a dry weight of 525 kg in lunar orbit. The spacecraft, which has a mission life of two years is being built with a series of new technologies - lithium-ion batteries, gimballed antenna system, miniaturised communication system, miniaturised star sensor and spacecraft bus management.

"The Deep Space Network at Bangalore will monitor the spacecraft and the data it generates.

The national science data centre in the DSN will process raw data into user-friendly format. The data ultimately will generate new knowledge about the Moon," a scientist said.
Anujan
Forum Moderator
Posts: 7807
Joined: 27 May 2007 03:55

Re: Helium

Post by Anujan »

prao wrote:A bit of trivia: The US as the world's major major helium producer (>80%) has never hesitated to use its clout. Before the 2nd world war they refused to sell helium to Germany and so Germany had to use hydrogen for that magnificient airship The Hindenburg.
Another bit of trivia. Kerala used to export coir ropes, and the SDREs used to wet the ropes and roll them in beach sands to increase their weight (export was based on weight).
Germany, one of the importers, initially angry, finally decided to import the beach sand as ballast for ships and India exported beach sands as ballast.
Turns out, the Germans were not interested in ballast but the Monazite from which they were extracting helium.
Rahul M
Forum Moderator
Posts: 17168
Joined: 17 Aug 2005 21:09
Location: Skies over BRFATA
Contact:

Post by Rahul M »

lakshmic, what was the timeline of these incidents ??

any links ?
Anujan
Forum Moderator
Posts: 7807
Joined: 27 May 2007 03:55

Post by Anujan »

Rahul M wrote:lakshmic, what was the timeline of these incidents ??
any links ?
Rahul-M saar, IIRC, It was mentioned in "The cold war on the periphery: The United States India and Pakistan" and in "Nuclear India: A Technological Assessment"

Sorry Rahul-M saar, I couldnt locate the exact pages, but here are relevant snippets from google books.
Image
Also clicky here
Anujan
Forum Moderator
Posts: 7807
Joined: 27 May 2007 03:55

Post by Anujan »

Rahul M wrote:lakshmic, what was the timeline of these incidents ??
any links ?
I found a better source:
INDIAN RARE EARTHS – ITS GENESIS AND GROWTH, T.K. Mukherjee, Chairman & Managing Director, Indian Rare Earths Ltd., Mumbai
The discovery process for this huge Indian deposit was accidentally initiated in the year 1908 when Herr Schomberg, a German chemist identified the presence of monazite in the sand remnants of contaminants of coir imported from Kerala. Encouraged by the great demand in those days for thorium oxide in gas mantle, Schomberg established the first plant at Manavalakurichi (MK) in 1910 for separation of monazite and later another plant at Chavara. Subsequent to the arrest of Schomberg on charges of being a German spy during the first world war, both his plants at Manavalakurichi and Chavara were closed down. The London Cosmopolitan Mineral Company established in the year 1914 in London took over these plants and continued operations. In 1920, Hopkins and Williams (H & W), yet another London based English Company started operation at MK and Chavara.
Rahul M
Forum Moderator
Posts: 17168
Joined: 17 Aug 2005 21:09
Location: Skies over BRFATA
Contact:

Post by Rahul M »

Thanks lakshmic, very interesting info.
no need to sir me tho'
Last edited by Rahul M on 17 May 2008 04:08, edited 1 time in total.
Anujan
Forum Moderator
Posts: 7807
Joined: 27 May 2007 03:55

Post by Anujan »

RahulM, you are welcome. In other news, we need our IRNSS pronto.

Boeing overlooked for $US1.46b satellite deal And Info about the new GPS
Lockheed Martin, the world's largest defense company, beat Boeing for a $US1.46 billion US Air Force award to build a new network of navigation satellites for military and civilian use.
GPS III, will give new navigation warfare (NAVWAR) capabilities to shut off GPS service to a limited geographical location while providing GPS to US and allied forces. GPS III will offer significant improvements in navigation capabilities by improving interoperability and jam resistance. The procurement of the GPS III system is planned for multiple blocks, with the GPS IIIA portion currently underway.
Gerard
Forum Moderator
Posts: 8012
Joined: 15 Nov 1999 12:31

Post by Gerard »

A Sharma
BRFite
Posts: 1206
Joined: 20 May 2003 11:31

Post by A Sharma »

ISRO to launch satellite imagery product on net in six months

Adding a feather to its cap, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch its own satellite imagery on the Internet six months from now, rivalling popular mapping service Google Earth.

"Our images are better than good. These images will be on our website six months from now," ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair told news persons here after receiving the Rammohan Puraskar.

Pointing out that certain locations with high security risks were prohibited by law from being imaged, he said, "We are figuring that out. The remaining places, of course, would be on the net."

Earlier, while receiving the award, Nair pointed out that India had the world's largest constellation of Remote Sensing Satellites (RSS).

"With seven satellites in orbit, our Remote Sensing Satellites provide imagery of the earth in a variety of spectral bands and with a resolution of better than one metre. Data from our Remote Sensing Satellites are received at about 20 stations across various parts of the globe including the US and Europe," he said.

Nair said the Village Resource Centres (VRC) established in 2004 were providing a variety of space-based products and services including tele-education, tele-medicine and information on natural resources.

There were 400 VRCs in the country as of now and of these seven are located in West Bengal, he said, adding there were plans to set up 20 more in the state.
A Sharma
BRFite
Posts: 1206
Joined: 20 May 2003 11:31

Post by A Sharma »

ISRO pitching for international commercial launches

Riding on the recent success of its PSLV-C9 launch, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is now pitching to increase its commercial launches to earn revenue and is negotiating with countries that restrict use of Indian launch vehicles.

"Our domestic requirement is four to five launches per year and we are trying to increase commercial launches. Our costs are about 80 per cent of international launching costs. But some countries have restrictions about launching their satellites with Indian launch vehicles," ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair told reporters here after receiving the Ramomohan Puraskar, 2008.

ISRO, which last month launched the PSLV C-9 with two satellites CARTOSAT-2A and IMS-1 with eight nano satellites, has become the world's second country after Russia to launch multi-satellites with Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles.

According to Nair, some advanced countries were wary of using Indian launch vehicles on the plea that those were of 'dual use' nature. They were, therefore, not willing to provide information regarding payload and other related matters.

He said ISRO was negotiating with various agencies and governments for removal of the restriction. "If this can be done it will certainly bring in more revenue."

To a question, he said preparations of Chandrayan-1, India's first unmanned mission to the Moon, was well proceeding on schedule and its launch was expected in the third quarter of this year.

Stating that the satellite would be in orbit for two years, Nair said that during its orbit it would take pictures in phases of the lunar surface and look for the possibility of the existence of water and special elements like Helium-3.
sanjaychoudhry
BRFite
Posts: 756
Joined: 13 Jul 2007 00:39
Location: La La Land

Post by sanjaychoudhry »

[quote]ISRO aims to launch Chandrayaan-I sometime this year

Indian space agency ISRO has revealed that they are planning to launch the country’s first unmanned moon mission, Chandrayaan-I sometime later this year.

ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair spoke about their plans: “We are hopeful of launching the spacecraft in the third quarter of 2008-09. The mission would be targeted to capture images of the lunar surface.â€
Gerard
Forum Moderator
Posts: 8012
Joined: 15 Nov 1999 12:31

Post by Gerard »

sometime later this year
Serious slippage here..
Arunkumar
BRFite
Posts: 643
Joined: 05 Apr 2008 17:29

Post by Arunkumar »

[quote]ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair spoke about their plans: “We are hopeful of launching the spacecraft in the third quarter of 2008-09. The mission would be targeted to capture images of the lunar surface.â€
Sanjay M
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4892
Joined: 02 Nov 2005 14:57

Post by Sanjay M »

sum
BRF Oldie
Posts: 10195
Joined: 08 May 2007 17:04
Location: (IT-vity && DRDO) nagar

Post by sum »

What is the Chinese astronaut in the 6th slide of the TIME slideshow carrying with him??
Sanjay M
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4892
Joined: 02 Nov 2005 14:57

Post by Sanjay M »

Shyam_K
BRFite -Trainee
Posts: 76
Joined: 28 Sep 2004 21:17

Post by Shyam_K »

sum wrote:What is the Chinese astronaut in the 6th slide of the TIME slideshow carrying with him??
I believe that is a portable air conditioner to prevent overheating in the suit. It will be removed before boarding the capsule.
anupmisra
BRF Oldie
Posts: 9203
Joined: 12 Nov 2006 04:16
Location: New York

Post by anupmisra »

sum wrote:What is the Chinese astronaut in the 6th slide of the TIME slideshow carrying with him??
Lunch Box? :lol:
Arun_S
BRF Oldie
Posts: 2800
Joined: 14 Jun 2000 11:31
Location: KhyberDurra

Post by Arun_S »

anupmisra wrote:
sum wrote:What is the Chinese astronaut in the 6th slide of the TIME slideshow carrying with him??
Lunch Box? :lol:
You mean box full of worm! :twisted:
ranganathan
BRFite
Posts: 277
Joined: 06 Feb 2008 23:14

Post by ranganathan »

Arun_S wrote:
anupmisra wrote: Lunch Box? :lol:
You mean box full of worm! :twisted:
Dude thats a low blow. Hope to see an Indian in space soon.
p_saggu
BRFite
Posts: 1058
Joined: 26 Nov 2004 20:03

Post by p_saggu »

Is that suit he's wearing of russian origin or american? The cap looks russian. That looks like a small AC/Health monitoring device?
Neela
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4102
Joined: 30 Jul 2004 15:05
Location: Spectator in the dossier diplomacy tennis match

Post by Neela »

India's moon probe being fitted with instrument suite
http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n080 ... ndrayaan1/

Lots of information in the article.
The instruments provided by Indian scientists include a high-resolution stereo camera capable of imaging objects about 16 feet in diameter. Chandrayaan 1 will also carry near-infrared and X-ray spectrometers and a laser instrument built by Indian science teams. These payloads will help researchers determine the composition and topography of the lunar surface.

Indian engineers also constructed a 64-pound impactor that will be dropped from the orbiting Chandrayaan 1 spacecraft for a suicidal nosedive into the moon. The probe will relay video imagery, altitude information and spectral data back to Earth through the Chandrayaan mother ship.
Venkarl
BRFite
Posts: 971
Joined: 27 Mar 2008 02:50
Location: India
Contact:

Post by Venkarl »

Came across these videos on youtube...liked the GSLV launch

PSLV launch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wUlcp41 ... re=related

GSLV launch

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQsW3luW ... re=related

sorry if already posted
UPrabhu
BRFite
Posts: 102
Joined: 21 Sep 2004 11:51

GSLV

Post by UPrabhu »

Video on YouTube of an add-on developed by me for Orbiter Space Flight simulator which is available free for download

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JYVYP9fScs
Sanjay M
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4892
Joined: 02 Nov 2005 14:57

Post by Sanjay M »

WIRED MAGAZINE: 16.06
Science : Space
Is There Any Country That Doesn't Have a Space Program?
By Ben Perreau Email 05.19.08 | 6:00 PM
Image
Arun_S
BRF Oldie
Posts: 2800
Joined: 14 Jun 2000 11:31
Location: KhyberDurra

Post by Arun_S »

Sanjay M wrote:
WIRED MAGAZINE: 16.06
Science : Space
Is There Any Country That Doesn't Have a Space Program?
By Ben Perreau Email 05.19.08 | 6:00 PM
Image
He means Bangladesh, Portugal, Turkey, Nigeria, Kenya and Lithuania.
Rahul M
Forum Moderator
Posts: 17168
Joined: 17 Aug 2005 21:09
Location: Skies over BRFATA
Contact:

Post by Rahul M »

suparco is not mentioned !!
:(( :(( :((
Ardeshir
BRFite
Posts: 1114
Joined: 15 Jan 2008 03:10
Location: Londonistan/Nukkad

Post by Ardeshir »

Rahul M wrote:suparco is not mentioned !!
:(( :(( :((
Pigs in space is an interesting thought. :eek: :lol:
Austin
BRF Oldie
Posts: 23387
Joined: 23 Jul 2000 11:31

Post by Austin »

Suparco has plan to convert Ghodi to SLV ishtyle vehical , but i guess , no chinki engineers were willing to help them :lol:
Dileep
BRF Oldie
Posts: 5882
Joined: 04 Apr 2005 08:17
Location: Dera Mahab Ali धरा महाबलिस्याः درا مهاب الي

Post by Dileep »

The Weird article says about China:
Today, manned missions are taking off on a regular basis
AFAIK, they had onle ONE manned mission. Right?

Also, poor SDREs can't build sats according to them!!
ranganathan
BRFite
Posts: 277
Joined: 06 Feb 2008 23:14

Post by ranganathan »

The article is rubbish. Just ignore it. Poor NASA is not even mentioned in it. Nigeria in space? Right!!
sanjaychoudhry
BRFite
Posts: 756
Joined: 13 Jul 2007 00:39
Location: La La Land

Post by sanjaychoudhry »

ISRO to launch man mission in seven years

India's space agency ISRO is confident of carrying out a man mission to outer space within six to seven years, its Chairman Dr G Madhavan Nair said here today.

A detailed report on this had already been submitted to the Union Government by ISRO, Nair said at the 'Space Salute' programme organised by Asianet television channel jointly with ISRO to felicitate the scientists associated with the PSLV-C9 mission here.
Link
Sanjay M
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4892
Joined: 02 Nov 2005 14:57

Post by Sanjay M »

Wow, now look at this:

Image
This contrast-enhanced image provided Saturday, May 31, 2008, by NASA was acquired at the Phoenix landing site by Phoenix's Robotic Arm Camera, and shows the underside of the lander. Descent thrusters on the bottom of the lander are visible at the top of the image. As seen in the top center, the exhaust from the descent engine has blown soil off to reveal either rock or ice, which has not yet been determined. NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona photo via Associated Press
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 1117NC.DTL

That is so fabulous to look at. That picture looks pretty terrestrial - just like ground in Antarctica, Ladakh, or any cold barren place.

ISRO definitely needs to announce a future Mars mission. They should send a space probe to orbit the planet, and carry some domestic and international science instrument packages.
Sanjay M
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4892
Joined: 02 Nov 2005 14:57

Post by Sanjay M »

With all this talk about water discovered on Mars, I'm wondering what it would take to make the planet suitable for human habitation (aka "terraforming")

For instance, Mars' larger moon (26 km diam.) is in a decaying orbit. Suppose a multi-megaton warhead were detonated to shatter it, and collide it with Mars' polar ice caps? That would cause a lot of greenhouse gas to form, which in turn would heat the planet and release even more greenhouse gas. Soon you'd have enough atmospheric pressure and temperate elevation to allow frozen water to melt and exist in liquid form on the surface. Into this liquid water you could seed photosynthetic bacteria which could further alter the Martian environment, producing oxygen from the CO2.

It's been pointed out that given enough nutrients, an ordinary bacteria like E.Coli, which reproduces every 20 minutes, can exponentially multiply to attain the mass of the entire Earth within a 24-hour period. So I'm wondering if some suitably engineered bacteria designed to survive the Martian environment couldn't survive and thrive to convert the planet's surface for sustaining a biosphere.

I think ISRO should send multiple missions to Mars, including an aerial survey balloon, as well as perhaps some kind of bacterial test culture mission.
Neshant
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4852
Joined: 01 Jan 1970 05:30

Post by Neshant »

> ISRO to launch man mission in seven years

although it will put India on the map, I hope they won't waste their funding on this.

there are far more interesting things one can do with those precious funds.

e..g

sending probes to icy moons like Europa

setting up an experimental orbiting solar power station

space based lasers for civilian & military use (various applications)

setting up giant mirrors in space to see if it has any beneficial agricultural use

our own space telescope.

sending a man into space by comparison does not really bring any benefit but it will waste a heck of a lot of money. the only benefit is that India will become the 4th country to have put a man in space and that will generate some positive news for India though the goras will try their best to psy-ops that into negative news ("India-poor country-how can they be wasting money on space")
sanjaychoudhry
BRFite
Posts: 756
Joined: 13 Jul 2007 00:39
Location: La La Land

Post by sanjaychoudhry »

Despite curbs, DRDO develops chips for Isro missions

It might be a rather tiny piece in an ambitious mission but without a semiconductor chip, a satellite or any other communication device cannot transmit or receive data.

Though developed Western countries have imposed complex restrictions on the supply of Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) chips to India, a Defence Research and Development Organization lab has, despite US sanctions, developed and supplied GaAs devices for military and space technology purposes.

The R&D is now being further developed and delivered by Hyderabad-based DRDO facility Gallium Arsenide Enabling Technology Centre (Gaetec) to the defence sector and to Indian Space Research Organisation for its space missions.
Gaetec CEO Dr R Muralidharan told TOI that GaAs chips were being used in transmitters, receivers, amplifiers and switches for highly specialised communication applications.

"These chips are preferred over silicon chips because they can function at very high frequencies and can withstand extreme environmental and mechanical situations and high vibrations during satellite launch," he said.

Satellites transmit high resolution images, for which the chips need to work at very high frequencies. Gaetec is currently working on frequencies of 18 GHz as opposed to silicon chips that can function at frequencies up to 3 GHz.

Mobile devices currently work with 800 MHz frequencies, with upcoming 3G devices likely to work on 2-3 GHz frequencies.
Link

Can't they start building silicon chips for commerical use and break Intel's monopoly in India?
Sanjay M
BRF Oldie
Posts: 4892
Joined: 02 Nov 2005 14:57

Post by Sanjay M »

In its exploration of Mars, NASA has wisely chosen a path of "follow the water". But water alone is not enough to sustain human life and terrestrial ecology. Nitrogen is a key ingredient as well.

Perhaps ISRO should then consider pursuing a parallel strategy of "follow the nitrogen," to map nitrogen deposits on Mars, if any, and even to investigate off-world nitrogen sources nearby, such as ammonia chunks in the asteroid belt or in Jupiter's or Saturn's rings, which could be lobbed at Mars to help transform the Martian environment and make it suitable for "terraforming" (modification of the planet's environment through various means, including bioremediation -- which would require nitrogen -- to make it more Earth-like)
Nitesh
BRFite
Posts: 903
Joined: 23 Mar 2008 22:22
Location: Bangalore
Contact:

Post by Nitesh »

http://www.hemscott.com/news/latest-new ... 2089062720

EADS Astrium ties up with India's space agency to make satellites for UK, France

HYDERABAD (Thomson Financial) - Astrium, a unit of the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company (EADS), said India's space agency will assemble satellites for some launch customers under a new tie-up. The Bangalore, southern India-based Indian Space Research Organisation will build two satellites, one for France-based Eutelsat to be launched by Astrium in the last quarter of 2008, and the other for the UK's Avanti due for lift-off in 2009. 'These satellites will be integrated, assembled and tested in Bangalore,' Astrium's chief executive officer Francois Auque told reporters on the sidelines of the astronautics congress being held in Hyderabad, southern India. Astrium's regional export director Ghislain de la Sayette said the twin deals, under an agreement reached with ISRO's marketing arm Antrix Corp, were worth 'many tens of million dollars,' but refused to be more specific.
Sanku
BRF Oldie
Posts: 12526
Joined: 23 Aug 2007 15:57
Location: Naaahhhh

Post by Sanku »

sanjaychoudhry wrote:Can't they start building silicon chips for commerical use and break Intel's monopoly in India?
From some in the know; no they cant; not at this stage anyway and given their current trajectory not for a long long time (I can provide a technical argument but that would be long winded and possibly OHT) However Intel is especially into microprocessors and what they are doing is other application specific thingy. In their domain their achievement is very creditable; and really speaking there are very few consumer elec companies in the kind of work that is specified here. Most such work is Govt funded and controlled closely all over the world.

PS> Since I am running a 103 fever now; I don't think I will able to reply decently any time soon if you have questions.
Locked