Indian Space Program Discussion

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Avinash R
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Indian Space Program Discussion

Post by Avinash R »

rrao wrote:Salem College students develop motors and components for ISRO rockets and satellites
12 September 2008

Its great to note that college students have developed BLDC. Nitesh, can you give the address of prof kannan,SSPEED.
rrao, Prof K.Kannan teaches at Sona College of Technology,Salem. If you could contact the college you will definitely get his contact details.
Avinash R
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by Avinash R »

some more info.
College students develop rocket motors in Tamil Nadu
...
Sona Speed, Prof Kannan said, has also undertaken design and development of Limited Angle Torquer for satellite mechanism and permanent magnet stopper for launch vehicle and drive electronics for brushless DC motors for VSSC and IISU.

The college had signed an MoU with VSSC, ISRO, Thiruvananthapuram and Department of Space in February 2006 for this particular work, VSSC director (projects) Dr Ramakrishnan told

The IISU appreciated the novel concept of slotless armature developed by SSPEED to eliminate cogging torque, he said, adding VSSC hoped to continue similar collaborative efforts with the institution in future for the flight motors.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by rrao »

Avinash, thank you for the info. regards.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by Avinash R »

rrao wrote:Avinash, thank you for the info. regards.
you're welcome.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by svinayak »

ImageA picture of ISRO's Chandraayan-1 satelllite, the first Indian Mission to the Moon devoted to high-resolution remote sensing of the lunar surface features in 3D, visible, near infrared, X-ray and low energy gamma ray regions, to be a lunar polar orb iter at an altitude of about 100 km and is planned to be launched by ISRO in Sept. 2008. Photo: PTI/courtesy ISRO
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by putnanja »

Chandrayaan-1 on course for launch
Chandrayaan-1 on course for launch

T.S. Subramanian

Passes battery of tests in Space Simulation Chamber

— PHOTO: ISRO

Chandrayaan-1 undergoing tests at the ISRO Satellite Centre in Bangalore.

BANGALORE: The sticker on the threshold just says, “Spacecraft checkout No.4.” As we entered the mezzanine-like floor on Monday and looked below, the gorgeous looking Chandrayaan-1, enveloped in golden yellow insulation foil, came into view.

It was in the dirt-free “clean room” of the ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bangalore, and men dressed in white overalls, were fussing over it and conducting checks. It had passed a battery of tests in the space simulation chamber (SSC), where it was subjected to extremes of hot and cold temperatures.

Tests that unfolded its solar panel, as if were an accordion, and for pointing its antenna were equally successful. It will now face vibration and noise tests. Things are moving ahead for the launch of Chandrayaan-1, India’s first spacecraft to the moon, before the end of October from Sriharikota by a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle called PSLV-XL.

Chandrayaan-1 will carry 11 instruments, five from India and six from abroad. They will map the minerals and chemicals on the lunar soil and also provide clues to the moon’s origin.

ISAC Director T.K. Alex called it “a complicated mission” because “for the first time, we are sending a spacecraft beyond the earth’s orbit” (that is, it will orbit the moon). The moon is nearly four lakh km away and the spacecraft has to be manoeuvred precisely in stages to reach the moon’s orbit.

After all the 11 instruments were successfully integrated into Chandrayaan-1, it underwent thermo-vacuum tests in the special facility SSC. The spacecraft was subjected to 120 degrees Celsius and minus 150 degrees Celsius in the chamber. “It was tested in varying temperatures for almost 20 days. The performance of the spacecraft and its instruments were thoroughly checked and we found that they were all working well,” said Dr. Alex.

M. Annadurai, Project Director, Chandrayaan-1, asserted that there were “no issues’ when the spacecraft went through thermo-vacuum tests, including “soak and shock tests.” During the “soak” tests, it was subjected to high temperatures for long durations. In “shock” tests, it alternately went through high and very low temperatures in quick succession. “During these tests also, we found that there was no issue and all the systems were working well,” Mr. Annadurai said.

He called the SSC a big contraption that “looks like a well.” It is four metres in diameter and seven metres in depth. It has a big lid.

Chandrayaan-1 is now getting ready for the vibration and acoustic tests from September 20. It will be placed on a shake-table. Mr. Annadurai said: “We will generate the vibrations that the spacecraft will undergo when it is launched by the PSLV. Then we move on to the acoustic chamber, where we generate noise similar to that made by the PSLV engines. The spacecraft has to withstand that also.”

While an aircraft engine produced 145 decibels of noise, the PSLV engines produced 150 decibels, Dr. Alex explained. “We are on course for transporting Chandrayaan-1 to Sriharikota by the end of this month (September),” Mr. Annadurai said.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by Daedalus »

I don't know if this was posted here before.

Now, I have read that the mission to the moon(that is the entire mission till man landing on moon) is to find and mine some kind of Helium to fuel nuclear fusion reactors. Also the program India is involved in Europe is to test and develop fusion reactors.

http://www.wired.com/science/space/news/2006/12/72276
http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/19296/?a=f
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4504668.stm

Any comments on this.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by ramana »

Daedalus wrote:I don't know if this was posted here before.

Now, I have read that the mission to the moon(that is the entire mission till man landing on moon) is to find and mine some kind of Helium to fuel nuclear fusion reactors. Also the program India is involved in Europe is to test and develop fusion reactors.

http://www.wired.com/science/space/news/2006/12/72276
http://www.technologyreview.com/Energy/19296/?a=f
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4504668.stm

Any comments on this.

D, the Japanese probe sent some time ago found a lot of He3 isotopes. So the race to moon got ignited everywhere. But Indian aims are not that big. They are all peaceful onlee. I say that because India invited all sorts of cooperation on the first flight itself. They didnt even consider the psychologcal impact of the flight to the moon being solo for India. So US has sent a camera/instrument that uses the Indian sat and gets all the data they need while ISRO thinks its a great step forward for themselves. Will ISRO get similar access on a US moon mission?
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by harbans »

Tests that unfolded its solar panel, as if were an accordion, and for pointing its antenna were equally successful. It will now face vibration and noise tests.
Thats from the article above, but is'nt it logical to carry out Noise and Vibration tests prior to tests for checking solar panel unfolding and even hot and cold extreme condition simulation. :?:
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by disha »

ramana wrote: ... But Indian aims are not that big. They are all peaceful onlee. I say that because India invited all sorts of cooperation on the first flight itself. They didnt even consider the psychologcal impact of the flight to the moon being solo for India. So US has sent a camera/instrument that uses the Indian sat and gets all the data they need while ISRO thinks its a great step forward for themselves. Will ISRO get similar access on a US moon mission?
Ramana sir, I do understand your angst but we have to understand that there is no pure *competition* as was defined in the cold war era. It is now a game of co-opetition and ISRO is playing it very well. Please grant them that much wisdom - after all they are rocket engineers!

Yes, US is launching mini-SAR with Chandrayan-I, but ISRO will have the right to that data for the first 6 months. Further, ISRO has now the experience to integrate [and use] mini-SAR. That itself is helpful in many ways. China's mission to moon was just that - sending a block of box to moon - no further utility. In this case, Chandrayan-I is already several generations ahead of both Chineese and Japaneese missions. In fact, in terms of quality it will be as close to an US mission [and with Chandrayan-II as close as Russian mission] as it can get. This is not a mean feat for a developing nation with still nascent space foundations. Now imagine Chandrayan-III and it will beat both US and Russian missions qualitatively. Yes, the race for He3 is on, but it is not a sprint, it is a 3-5 decade long marathon.... - you and I will not be even there when the race ends! On another note, there are several things that need to be explored in deep space, one of them is Moon.

[BTW, I did write a long response on the IRS and how much India is ahead and lost it. Next time will learn to type it in notepad and then cut/paste!]
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by disha »

harbans wrote:
Tests that unfolded its solar panel, as if were an accordion, and for pointing its antenna were equally successful. It will now face vibration and noise tests.
Thats from the article above, but is'nt it logical to carry out Noise and Vibration tests prior to tests for checking solar panel unfolding and even hot and cold extreme condition simulation. :?:
Solar panel folding/unfolding is a basic test and after that the whole satellite is packaged up for "shipment" to space. It is the packaged "shipment" that has to undergo shake and bake tests etc.

I almost wanted to say condescendingly that we are stupid and we do not know how to fly satellites and doing the wrong tests in the wrong order on this sats....
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by ramana »

disha, Try to put it together and post again. Thanks, ramana
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by Bade »

Even with the latest launch by China of their next generation remote sensing satellites which are exact copies band to band of NASA MODIS payload and NOAA payloads, there is little interest in getting the data by the US from them. Unreliable quality is one reason, the other probably is unwillingness on China's part to share. OTOH, US is serious about getting data access from Indian payloads. But sadly India does not make it any easy despite what is read in the newspapers. Moon mission will change all that and a mechanism will be put in place for more such sharing.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by harbans »

Solar panel folding/unfolding is a basic test and after that the whole satellite is packaged up for "shipment" to space. It is the packaged "shipment" that has to undergo shake and bake tests etc.

I almost wanted to say condescendingly that we are stupid and we do not know how to fly satellites and doing the wrong tests in the wrong order on this sats....


Disha Ji i do understand there must be a reason. But logically the packaged satellite during launch is first subject to vibration and noise. When it's in space then vibration and noise would not be issues. However successful noise and vibrations tests should reflect component integrity. Thats why i asked the logic about doing the shake tests after checking component functions.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by Arun_S »

For what it is worth, to ensure solar panel has bang for the buck its structural support is designed for use in space and not on ground. IIRC it will break if it is unfurled on ground (one will see supporting wire as is is tested on ground for unfurling).

I for one think that not incorporating panel in vibration test is eminently reasonable w.r.t. cost of testing and residual risk.

BTW such test regime is not limited to vibration in operating limit but beyond that, but below design limit (that includes safety margin) . Depending on the location of the component and other factors not all component have same design limit. System testing thus limited by the part that has the least vibration limit. Solar panel is one such item.

BTW Roorkee has one of the best "Earthquake Engg" department. In my previous "Avatar" I have seen some exotic things tested on the huge shake table it built many years ago.

JMT.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by John Snow »

Roorke is one of the top notch civil engineering school actually lot of EME, corps of Engineers used to go on deputation to get degrees and or continous education on latest developments.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by harbans »

Arun Ji thanks and yes it makes sense to design solar panels for unfurling in zero G conditions as you mention. Plus i do think that they will be checking system/ component integrity post the shake tests. My question was should'nt the below logically be carried out after the shake tests.
The performance of the spacecraft and its instruments were thoroughly checked and we found that they were all working well,” said Dr. Alex.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by Nitesh »

so it begins:

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/st ... 0080065757

Pallava Bagla
Wednesday, September 17, 2008, (Sriharikota)

Wrapped in a golden foil are India's space dreams, waiting to take off. Chandrayaan, that literally means a vehicle to the Moon is s a first for India. Engineers from the ISRO are busy giving final touches to the satellite that is carrying scientific instruments from India and abroad to map the moon resources like never before.

NDTV was given very rare access to the high tech clean room where the satellite awaits launch.

M. Annadurai, Project Director, Chandrayaan-1, says: "The spacecraft is fully ready, integragetd, tested and the fully dressed up baby. The Chandrayyan is raring to go all the way to the Moon for exploration and the whole team is fully charged, anxious, a bit nervous. And weather Gods permitting, we will be able to put the space craft around the Moon at the end of October."

Chandrayaan-1 is an unmanned satellite that will be launched using India's tried and tested rocket the polar satellite launch vehicle, or PSLV.

The journey to Moon will take 5 and half days. In its two-year life, the satellite will also search for water on the Moon.

While also attempting to place the Tricolour on the surface of the Moon that would bring India into a league of its own.

A few more tests, and Chandrayaan-1 will begin its lunar journey.

The launch of Chandrayaan will hail India's arrival as an important regional power with big dreams since missions to study Mars, and the Sun are already planned ISRO then hopes at putting an Indian in space on an Indian rocket very soon.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by vishwakarmaa »

disha wrote:I almost wanted to say condescendingly that we are stupid and we do not know how to fly satellites and doing the wrong tests in the wrong order on this sats....
:rotfl:
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by sombhat »

Nitesh wrote:
While also attempting to place the Tricolour on the surface of the Moon that would bring India into a league of its own.
I heard this report on TV last night. Is this really true? Looks like some BRFite's dream is coming true.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by Nitesh »

sombhat wrote:
Nitesh wrote:
While also attempting to place the Tricolour on the surface of the Moon that would bring India into a league of its own.
I heard this report on TV last night. Is this really true? Looks like some BRFite's dream is coming true.
ok so now something from ToI

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indi ... 498163.cms

Chandrayaan to be launched today :rotfl:
18 Sep 2008, 1222 hrs IST,Times Now

NEW DELHI: India’s first unmanned mission to the Moon, Chandrayaan 1, will be unveiled by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Thursday. An upgraded version of the hugely successful Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) will be used to send Chandrayaan to space. Within 100 kilometres of the lunar surface, the spacecraft will be launched. ( Watch )

Chandrayaan will then enter the lunar atmosphere and land for exploration. The remote sensing satellite will weigh more than 1300 kilograms and carry high resolution remote sensing equipment for the visible spectrum, near infrared and hard frequencies.

Over its two year period, the mission will survey the lunar surface to produce a complete map of its chemical characteristics and topography. ISRO is likely to launch the spacecraft by October or December this year. The estimated cost of the mission is a whopping $83 million and will include payloads from other international space agencies including NASA as well.

India has seen numerous successes in the recent past with its space programs. On 28th April this year, India created history by launching ten satellites in one go, carrying a payload of 824 kg. India's first fully commercial launch came on 23rd April when the Italian astronomical satellite, AGILE, was sent into space. On January 10th 2007, India launched the PSLV C-7 vehicle, injecting four satellites into orbit.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by sombhat »

Nitesh wrote:
Chandrayaan to be launched today

Within 100 kilometres of the lunar surface, the spacecraft will be launched. ( Watch )

Chandrayaan will then enter the lunar atmosphere and land for exploration.

ISRO is likely to launch the spacecraft by October or December this year.
Chandrayaan will be launched today, so that it can be launched in October or December. It will then be launched 100 km away from lunar surface, where it will eventually LAND, and then use its Remote Sensing equipment to survey the moon. :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by Nayak »

Clicky
ISRO gets 12 acres at Valiyamala


Express News Service
18 Sep 2008 12:43:00 AM IST

The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology’s (IIST) plans for a permanent campus in the district went one more step forward on Wednesday with the State Government handing over 12 acres at Valiyamala to the ISRO.

A total of 54 acres are to be handed over to the IIST - the ISRO’s dream academy for training India’s future space scientists - at Valiyamala for setting up the campus. Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan handed over the documents to ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair at the former’s office in the presence of Law Minister M. Vijayakumar, VSSC Director K. Radhakrishnan and IIST Director B.N. Suresh.

Earlier, the State Government had handed over 20 acres at Ponmudi for setting up an Observatory. ``We will be setting up a radar and other facilities there,’’ Madhavan Nair said. The master plan for the permanent campus is ready and the IIST had identified the contractors for the project. The facilities are expected to be ready in a year.

The Ponmudi land is 2,500 feet above the sea level, while the Valiyamala land, which lies next to the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) of the ISRO, is 500 feet high, he said.

The ISRO had set up the IIST to overcome an acute resource crunch at the ISRO units across the country. It currently functions from a temporary campus at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thumba.

The first batch of the IIST had 138 students from all over the country sourced from the IIT-JEE rank list. The procedures for the admission of the second batch are on.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by Kakarat »

Lunar Mission – Chandrayan -2 approved
The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for undertaking Lunar Mission – Chandrayan -2 and upgrading the associated existing ground segment at a total cost of Rs.425.00 crores including a Foreign Exchange (FE) component of Rs.293.50 crores.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by Rupesh »

sombhat wrote:
Nitesh wrote:
Chandrayaan to be launched today

Within 100 kilometres of the lunar surface, the spacecraft will be launched. ( Watch )

Chandrayaan will then enter the lunar atmosphere and land for exploration.

ISRO is likely to launch the spacecraft by October or December this year.
Chandrayaan will be launched today, so that it can be launched in October or December. It will then be launched 100 km away from lunar surface, where it will eventually LAND, and then use its Remote Sensing equipment to survey the moon. :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:
Why not November .. (Today...Oct..Dec...)
:((

BTW since all associated work for chandrayan is over, i suppose they will be moving it to the launch pad shortly. Oct appears probable month for chandrayan's launch.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by Vipul »

Cabinet nod for Chandrayaan-II.

As space scientists prepare for India's maiden moon odyssey, the government on Thursday approved another lunar mission which entails landing a rover on the earth's natural satellite.The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, gave the nod to Chandrayaan-II which is to be an Indo-Russian mission with a projected launch in 2011-12.

The Cabinet also approved upgrading the associated existing ground segment at a total cost of Rs 425 crore including a foreign exchange component of Rs 293.50 crore, Information and Broadcasting Minister P R Dasmunsi said.

Scientists are planning to land a rover on the moon for carrying out chemical analysis of the lunar surface and explore other resources there.

"In situ chemical analysis and resource exploration is the main objective of Chandrayaan-II," a scientist associated with the mission said.India had begun initial technical discussions on Chandrayaan-II which is expected to be a much shorter mission than Chandrayaan-I scheduled for launch later this year.

An agreement for Chandrayaan-II was signed by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Roskosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Moscow in November last year.

Mineral samples from the moon contained Helium 3, a variant of the gas used in refrigerators, and Chandrayaan-II will also look out for the gas which experts believe may offer a solution to energy shortages. The current Chinese moon mission is also exploring this prized source of energy.

Chandrayaan-II will benefit from the country's maiden moon mission which will survey the lunar surface to produce a complete map of its chemical characteristics and 3-dimensional topography over a two-year period.
The survey of the lunar surface will help scientists identify the exact place for landing the rover and strategic locations to carry out experiments.

ISRO recently established a 32-meter diameter antenna at Byalalu near Bangalore for providing tracking and command support for Chandrayaan-I.The antenna and associated systems are the first steps in building the Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN), that is vital for facilitating a two-way radio communication link between the spacecraft and the earth.

The DSN-32 project will provide ISRO the capability to handle deep space missions besides allowing it to extend cross-support to similar missions by other nations because of its inter-operable features, world standards specifications and state-of-the-art capabilities.

Besides six Indian instruments, the mission is carrying payloads from the US, Germany, France, the UK and Sweden."All systems are progressing as per schedule for launch later this year," a scientist said.

The first phase will predominantly have remote sensing equipment like X-rays and gamma and laser imaging machines.
The remote sensing satellite will weigh 1,304 kgs (590 kg initial orbit mass and 504 kg dry mass) and carry high resolution remote sensing equipment for visible, near infra-red, soft and hard X-ray frequencies.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by harbans »

Just some more on the Noise and vibration tests, these are a list of items that are intended to be in working order once the Reverberator Acousic tests are done:
Satellites usually have numerous components that are sensitive to sound and vibration. Solar panels are a particular concern,because they typically have a large surface area relative to their volume. Fatigue crackscan thus form and propagate in the panels under harsh environments. A similar concern exists for high-gain, dish antennae. In addition, the following failure modes may occur

• Failure of micro-electronic component lead wires
• Shattering of crystal oscillators
• Chafing of wires
• Cracking of printed circuit boards
• Malfunction or failure ofwaveguides or Klystron tubes
• Vibration of optical elements
• Failure of joints in structures made from composite materials
http://www.vibrationdata.com/Newsletters/May2002_NL.pdf.

Hence i do not understand the logic why one packages everything then does the shake tests in the end.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by Singha »

TV was showing some footage today. a bulked up PSLV-XL....brawn and heft on the launch pad.
good psyops.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by sarang »

Is there any plan for updating BR page on PSLV or will it be updated after chandrayan Project?
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by Nitesh »

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Chand ... -22/363173
Chandrayaan-1 launch on Oct 22

Bangalore, September 18 Come November 8, India’s space programme could have its first ever date with the moon.
Five years after the Government cleared the project, ISRO announced on Thursday that it is all set to launch the country’s first unmanned mission to the moon and unveiled the spacecraft — Chandrayaan-1, fully loaded with its six Indian and five foreign scientific instruments— at its satellite centre.

The spacecraft is scheduled for launch on October 22 with a window fixed between October 19 and October 28. It will make an entry into the lunar atmosphere for a two-year mission. The window is, however, subject to Chandrayaan-1 clearing the vibration and acoustic tolerance tests over the next week before it is shipped to Sriharikota for integration with its launch vehicle the PSLV-XL. “The flesh and bone is ready,” said ISRO moon mission director M Annadurai. It has cleared a major hurdle in the form of extreme temperature tests (thermo vacuum test) over the past fortnight. Now its launch is dependent on weather factors, said Annadurai.

“Weather is a key issue. We are watching for forecasts closer to the tentative launch dates. On the east coast there are worries over weather at this time of the year,” Annadurai added. Chandrayaan-1 would take approximately eight days to course the nearly 3,86,000 km to get to its final orbit — 100 km from the moon.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by Arun_S »

India's Moon Mission May Lift Off October 19
File image Sriharikota.
by Staff Writers, New Delhi, India (PTI) Sep 19, 2008
Weather permitting, India's maiden moon mission, Chandrayaan-1, may lift off Oct 19 from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, scientists associated with the odyssey indicated Thursday.

'The tentative date is Oct 19,' they said in Bangalore after completing all the work on the cuboid-shaped 590 kg spacecraft that will carry 11 payloads.

Meanwhile, the government Thursday approved a sequel to the mission few years down the line.

'The union cabinet today gave its approval for undertaking lunar mission Chandrayaan-2 and upgrading the associated existing ground segment at a total cost of Rs.425 crores (Rs.4.25 bn),' Information and Broadcasting Minister P.R. Dasmunsi told reporters in New Delhi after a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Chandrayaan-1 will be launched by indigenous Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and will carry payloads of six foreign countries - the US, Britain, Germany, Sweden and Bulgaria - apart from those of India.

Scientists said that the Chadrayaan-1 spacecraft will be shipped later this month, most likely on Sep 30, to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota for the launch.

'We have completed the integration of the satellite,' Chandrayaan-1 director M. Annadurai told reporters at ISRO Satellite Centre in Bangalore.

Chandrayaan-1, estimated to cost nearly Rs.4 billion, will beam back digital elevation maps of the moon and its mineral concentration, as also carry out environmental studies and measure radioactivity on the lunar surface.

It will try to find the traces of atomic elements such as Radon, Uranium and Thorium.

related report
Mission Moon Chandrayaan-I Unveiled
It looked like a colourful wrapped candy as the spacecraft that will launch India's maiden odyssey to the moon was unveiled here on Thursday.

The spacecraft, lodged at `Checkout 2' room at the centre is all decked up with golden multilayer insulated foils covering a major part of its body with the highly sophisticated components sitting snugly inside.

The integrated lunar spacecraft has successfully passed the thermal vaccuum test where the spacecraft was inserted into a huge simulator akin to a well and its chambers closed.

The temperature of the chamber using infra-red rays was raised to a maximum of 120 degrees and lowered to minimum of over minus 100 degrees to test its mechanical and system integrity, an ISRO official said.

"The test, carried over 20 days, simulated conditions akin to the harsh environment in the moon where temperature ranges from high to very low. The test ensured that all the components and packages integrated were working and there was no mechanical or system defect, the official told the media team.

The spacecraft built by ISRO in collaboration with other partners like HAL will carry 11 payloads, including five instruments developed by ISRO.

These include a Terrain Mapping Stereo Camera which could capture images having five m spatial resolutions (size of the smallest object that can be seen) and 20 km swath (width of the picture). This will help in topographic mapping of moon.
sum
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by sum »

Dont think there is a International space thread so:
Link
Optimal Conditions Set For Chinese Spacewalk

Engineers inspect the Shenzhou VII spacecraft in a testing facility in Jiuquan, Gansu province, on July 18 2008. (Photo: CFP)
by Staff Writers
Shanghai, China (XNA) Sep 12, 2008
Bringing forward the launch date of China's third manned spacecraft by one month will maximize conditions for the country's highly anticipated inaugural spacewalk, experts have said. The Shenzhou VII spacecraft was first scheduled for take off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu province at the end of October.

The spacecraft was later rescheduled for take off between Sept 25 and 30.

Compared with the initial launching window in October, the position of the sun during the new period would enable astronauts to walk out of the space module in sunlight and avoid returning in "total darkness", the Beijing Evening News recently quoted an expert as saying.

The exact launch date at the end of this month will be decided by the weather conditions at the launch center, said Jiao Weixin, professor with the School of Earth and Space Science at Peking University.

The launch could be postponed because of strong gales that could cause the rocket to veer off from its set course, he said.

The best climate for launching the manned spacecraft include zero rainfall, a ground wind speed of less than 8 m per second, a minimum horizontal visibility of 20 km, and no lightning in nine hours before and after the launch, Jiao said.

Drizzles and the temperature will usually pose no hindrance to the launch, he added.

As for the sandstorm that hit western Gansu province on Sunday, meteorologists said it is unlikely the conditions will interfere with the launch.

The sandstorm had started to wane on Monday and moved to Lanzhou in the south, posing no threat to the launch, meteorologists were quoted by the Beijing News as saying.

Earlier reports had said that the Shenzhou VII spacecraft will be launched on a Long March 2F rocket.

On its return, the spacecraft will reportedly land within Wulanchabu, a city in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

So far, engineers have installed the propellant in the spacecraft, a spokesman of the mission said earlier this week.

The much-awaited mission is the second stage of the country's three-staged manned space program, which seeks to launch a manned spacecraft, set up a space laboratory, and build a space station before 2020.

China became the third country to send a person into space on its own in 2003. In 2005, the country sent two more astronauts on a five-day flight on Shenzhou VI.

On Shenzhou VII, there will be three astronauts, and one of them is expected to conduct a spacewalk.

The astronauts will use a Chinese-designed and Chinese-made airlock module for extra vehicular activity - work done by an astronaut away from the Earth and outside of a spacecraft. The spacesuit is reportedly designed for such missions of up to seven hours.
The Chinese are already attempting a spacewalk...

Not sure of other jingoes, but im certainly impressed by the Chinese speed of progress in field of space...
SwamyG
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by SwamyG »

Undoubtedly, the Indian space program has come a long way since its initial stages when the first rocket transporter happened to be a bicycle, which carried the 9 kilo rocket to the "launch pad"! That was back in 1963 when visionaries like Vikram Sarabhai and APJ Abdul Kalam laid the foundation of what has become one of the greatest success stories of India.
source
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by Vipul »

India to offer a site for international gamma-ray telescope.

India plans to offer an astronomical site at Hanle in Leh for an international collaboration which is exploring the possibility of setting up two large gamma-ray telescope arrays in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, a senior astronomer said.
The international collaboration is planning Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) in both the hemispheres to enhance the understanding of the high energy Universe, Prof Ramesh Koul, Head, Astrophysical Sciences Division of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), said.

They are expected to be operational by 2018 enabling a 24x7 observation of the universe, Koul said at a public lecture series 'Vistas' in Astronomy at Nehru Planetarium here.

In keeping with global efforts, the Himalayan Gamma-ray Observatory (HiGRO) is being set up jointly by scientists of Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre at the high altitude (4,200 m above sea level) astronomical site at Hanle.

This observatory will deploy a wave-front sampling telescope array which is presently at an advanced stage of commissioning and the large area MACE (Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment) telescope.

The MACE telescope, which is presently at an advanced design stage, will use the state-of-the-art technology to configure a 21m diametre tracking light collector with a 1408 pixel imaging camera at its focal plane.
Sanjay M
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by Sanjay M »

Why are they making up such nonsense?
With He-3 on mind, India gets ready for lunar mission
19 Sep, 2008, 0000 hrs IST, ET Bureau


BANGALORE: Indian space scientists expect to map the lunar surface for the helium-3 (He-3) mineral to fuel nuclear power plants and frozen water as they make final preparations for India’s mission to the moon, expected to blast off next month.

Non-radioactive He-3 is scarce on earth but believed to be abundant on earth’s natural satellite and is seen as a promising fuel for advanced fusion reactors to generate power. The Chandrayaan-I mission is tentatively scheduled for launch between October 19 and 28.

The 575-kg spacecraft will be transported to the moon by a modified version of India’s main rocket, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. “The mission will help us locate He-3, which has the potential to produce a large amount of energy. It is expected that in a few years we can transport it from the moon to run nuclear plants and generate electricity,” the director of the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) satellite centre T K Alex said.

The satellite is in the final stages testing and it will be transported to the launch pad at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. It will carry a total of 11 instruments, including six from India, two from the US and one each from Bulgaria, Germany and the UK. The satellite, which will orbit the moon from 100 km above, will jettison a ‘moon impact probe’ to slam into the lunar surface to help explore it from a close range.

Probably 10 years from now fusion reactors which can use He-3 will be available. Our second mission to the moon, Chandrayaan-II, will also have a lunar lander and help us collect samples of the mineral. The government has given clearance for Chandrayaan-II and we will start the mission as soon as Chandrayaan-I is completed,” Chandrayaan project chief Mylswamy Annadurai said. Programme director (satellite navigation)Surendra Pal said a couple of tonnes of He-3 would be enough to meet the energy needs of the world.

“In the next 40 years, it will be possible to transport it to the earth,” he said. Besides He-3, India’s first moon mission will also search for important minerals like titanium, uranium- 238 and possibility water. “Chandrayaan will look for large craters which have never been exposed to sun light. They are potential sites for frozen water, which is great subject of interest for humans,” the head of ISRO’s astronomy and instrumentation division Sree Kumar said.
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by Dmurphy »

Sanjay M wrote:With He-3 on mind, India gets ready for lunar mission
Wow! This reminds of a computer game that i played in my childhood - 'Battlezone'. One might say it's off topic, but this news report definitely has startling resemblances with that game. The game plot goes somewhat like this...

There's a meteor shower all over the galaxy during the cold war, some of which falls on earth. The scientists on both sides discover that the meteor has some peculiar properties which allow them to make dandy weapons, which in turn leads to think that one side who controls that 'material' will ultimately win the cold war.

Inter-planetary journey begins in search of the remaining meteor deposits on other plants and their satellites (and ofcourse they always bump into eachother and fight, no matter which planet/satellites they are on). It is then revealed that 'that material' was infact produced by some aliens who mysteriously ceased to exist some day. The soviets somehow 'master' that material into making some ridiculous machines who eventually develop 'brains' of their own and turn on Soviets. Ofcourse, Soviets then ask Amrikis for help :) who manage to bail them out (for the sake of humanity, you see :lol: ) and return to earth for good!

I know this post is nothing to write home about, but i'm sure 'the plot' makes for some pleasure reading. Please dont bawl out at me for this.
andy B
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by andy B »

Dmurphy wrote:
Sanjay M wrote:With He-3 on mind, India gets ready for lunar mission
Wow! This reminds of a computer game that i played in my childhood - 'Battlezone'. One might say it's off topic, but this news report definitely has startling resemblances with that game. The game plot goes somewhat like this...

There's a meteor shower all over the galaxy during the cold war, some of which falls on earth. The scientists on both sides discover that the meteor has some peculiar properties which allow them to make dandy weapons, which in turn leads to think that one side who controls that 'material' will ultimately win the cold war.

Inter-planetary journey begins in search of the remaining meteor deposits on other plants and their satellites (and ofcourse they always bump into eachother and fight, no matter which planet/satellites they are on). It is then revealed that 'that material' was infact produced by some aliens who mysteriously ceased to exist some day. The soviets somehow 'master' that material into making some ridiculous machines who eventually develop 'brains' of their own and turn on Soviets. Ofcourse, Soviets then ask Amrikis for help :) who manage to bail them out (for the sake of humanity, you see :lol: ) and return to earth for good!

I know this post is nothing to write home about, but i'm sure 'the plot' makes for some pleasure reading. Please dont bawl out at me for this.
:rotfl: :rotfl:
Hahaha...I played the game Murphy ageeesss ago....Thanks for giving me a deja vu. Loved the game and the plot I thought it would have been a good plot for a sci-fi movie as well.
All this talk about He3 is so preliminary that frankly its worthless. IMHO we as in the human race will have to master building monster space ships that will be able to travel to and fro between planets with HUGE payloads....will happen eventually until then they are just wet dreams... :mrgreen:

Enough OT better grab my invisible coat before i suffer the wrath of the "Mullahs".... :twisted:
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Re: Indian Space Program Discussion - 23 April 2008

Post by Bade »

For those who think Chinese are ahead. well it is with Russian hand holding for sure.
Russian technicians to aid China's spacewalk

Two Chinese astronauts aboard the Shenzhou 7 spacecraft will don spacesuits for the maneuver, one of them a Russian-made Orlan model, Wang Zhaoyao told reporters at the Jiuquan launch site in northwestern China.

The two will be "supported by Russian experts throughout the mission," Wang said.
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