Indian Space Program Discussion

vishal · Post by **vishal** » 04 Nov 2009 09:04

Remote sensing

Excerpt: India now has among the world's largest constellations of remote-sensing satellites. They are sophisticated enough to distinguish healthy coconuts from diseased ones in this region's thick palms. They can also zero in on deadly mosquitoes lurking in a patch of jungle.

Does the writer mean clusters of coconut trees or individual coconuts? The latter would mean possessing imaging technology I didn't know we had (with the incumbent military applications).

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 04 Nov 2009 09:24

There is a lot of glib talk there, the author means a cluster of course. There are various proxies to whatever you are trying to measure on the ground in an equivalent spectral signature derived index. Such indexes exists for various kinds of vegetation.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 04 Nov 2009 23:24

India's space ambitions taking off

Nation plans astronaut-training center, manned space mission as it seeks higher profile

By Emily Wax
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, November 4, 2009

PANNITHITTU, India -- In this seaside village, the children of farmers and fishermen aspire to become something that their impoverished parents never thought possible: astronauts.

Through community-based programs, India's space agency has been partnering with schools in remote areas such as this one, helping to teach students about space exploration and cutting-edge technology. The agency is also training thousands of young scientists and, in 2012, will open the nation's first astronaut-training center in the southern city of Bangalore.

"I want to be prepared in space sciences so I can go to the moon when India picks its astronauts," said Lakshmi Kannan, 15, pushing her long braids out of her face and clutching her science textbook.

Lakshmi's hopes are not unlike India's ambitions, writ small. For years, the country has focused its efforts in space on practical applications -- using satellites to collect information on natural disasters, for instance. But India is now moving beyond that traditional focus and has planned its first manned space mission in 2015.

The ambitions of the 46-year-old national space program could vastly expand India's international profile in space and catapult it into a space race with China. China, the only country besides the United States and Russia to have launched a manned spacecraft, did so six years ago.

"It's such an exciting time in the history of India's space program," said G. Madhavan Nair, a rocket scientist and the outgoing chairman of the national space agency, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). "More and more bright young Indian scientists are calling us for jobs. We will look back on this as a turning point."

The ascendancy of India's space program highlights the country's rising ambitions on the world stage, as it grows economically and asserts itself in matters of diplomacy.

Politicians once dismissed the space program as a waste. Activists for India's legions of poor criticized additional funding for the program, saying it was needless decades after the American crew of Apollo 11 had landed on the moon. Now, however, the program is a source of prestige.

Last year, India reached a milestone, launching 10 satellites into space on a single rocket. Officials are positioning the country to become a leader in the business of launching satellites for others, having found paying clients in countries such as Israel and Italy. They even talk of a mission to Mars.

India's program is smaller in scope than China's and is thought to receive far less funding. It is also designed mostly for civilian purposes, whereas experts have suggested that China is more interested in military applications. (The Communist Party has said its goal is peaceful space exploration.)

"A human space flight with an eventual moon mission is a direct challenge to China's regional leadership," said John M. Logsdon, professor emeritus of political science and international affairs at George Washington University's Space Policy Institute. "China is still the leader. India has yet to diminish China's space stature. But India is indeed seeking a higher global profile."

India now has among the world's largest constellations of remote-sensing satellites. They are sophisticated enough to distinguish healthy coconuts from diseased ones in this region's thick palms. They can also zero in on deadly mosquitoes lurking in a patch of jungle.

In September, a NASA device aboard India's first lunar probe detected strong evidence of water on the moon -- a "holy grail for lunar scientists," as Jim Green, director of the Planetary Science Division at NASA headquarters in Washington, put it.

The partnership with Americans was particularly gratifying to Indians, given recent bilateral history. After New Delhi conducted nuclear tests in 1998, the United States imposed sanctions denying India access to certain technology in a bid to curb its ability to launch nuclear rockets, said Theresa Hitchens, a space expert who is director of the U.N. Institute for Disarmament Research in Geneva.

"Space launchers and ballistic missiles are quite similar from a technical perspective," she said.

Many of the sanctions have been lifted, and India and the United States last year signed a historic civilian nuclear agreement, lifting a 30-year ban on bilateral nuclear trade.

"The scientists at ISRO and NASA have always had deep respect for each other. But it was politics and bureaucracy that stood in the way of great science," said Pallava Bagla, co-author of "Destination Moon: India's Quest for the Moon, Mars and Beyond."

As India's space program barrels ahead, experts fear that NASA is losing ground. The space agency's human spaceflight program is facing budget cuts, as well as basic questions about where to go and how to get there.

After NASA's aging space shuttle retires in 2010, it will be five years before the United States will have another spacecraft that can reach the international space station.

The United States may have to buy a seat to the moon on an Indian spaceship, said Rakesh Sharma, India's first astronaut, who in 1984 was aboard the Soviet Union's Soyuz T-11 space shuttle. "Now that would be something," Sharma said. "Maybe budget cuts could usher in an era of more cooperation rather than competition and distrust."

KrishG · Post by **KrishG** » 05 Nov 2009 23:26

GSLV or GSLV Mk-III ?? The debate due to an article published quoting Madhavan Nair saying that Mk-III will be used as the launcher for the manned spacecraft.

http://indianspaceweb.blogspot.com/2009 ... k-iii.html

arun · Post by **arun** » 06 Nov 2009 22:52

HYLAS will be built on ISRO’s I-2K (I 2000) satellite bus:

Hylas payload shipped to India

shravan · Post by **shravan** » 14 Nov 2009 00:31

Chandrayaan instrument SARA discovers mini-magnetosphere

BANGALORE: After confirming the presence of water on the lunar surface, India's Chandrayaan-1 mission has, for the first time, discovered mini-magnetosphere that would throw light on the "inventory" of Hydrogen on the moon, a top space scientist said today.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 14 Nov 2009 01:07

Chandrayaan's discovery of water on moon is confirmed by latest findings ... from NYtimes:
Water found on moon

There is water on the Moon, scientists stated unequivocally on Friday, and considerable amounts of it
<snip>
The satellite, known as Lcross (pronounced L-cross), slammed into a crater near the Moon’s south pole a month ago. The impact carved out a hole 60- to 100-feet wide and kicked up at least 24 gallons of water.
<snip>

Avinash R · Post by **Avinash R** » 15 Nov 2009 09:21

Chandrayaan's SARA discovers mini magnetosphere
Bangalore, Nov 14. (PTI)

After confirming the presence of water on the lunar surface, India's Chandrayaan-1 mission has, for the first time, discovered mini-magnetosphere that would throw light on the "inventory" of Hydrogen on the moon, a top space scientist said on Friday.

SARA (Sub-keV Atom Reflecting Analyser), an instrument on board the country's first lunar orbiter, has made the discovery, Dr Anil Bhardwaj, the Principal Investigator for SARA, said. The present concept on the inventory of Hydrogen on the moon would change now, he said, while addressing the platinum jubilee meeting of the Indian Academy Sciences here.

"The amount of inventory of Hydrogen on the lunar surface would be much different than we thought earlier. It would be lesser (than previously thought)," he said. Bhardwaj, Head, Planetary Science Branch at ISRO's Space Physics Laboratory, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvananthapuram, said there was a "theoretical conjecture" that probably the small magnetic field can form mini-magentosphere on moon.

SARA's findings are "first confirmation that prove that mini-magnetosphere can exist with such small magnetic field". "This is the first step towards the confirmation of a theoretical suggestion that mini-magnetosphere can be produced," he said.

SARA was built jointly by scientific groups from Sweden, India, Japan and Switzerland. Bhardwaj said the findings on mini-magnetosphere are under submission and would be published in scientific journal shortly. SARA has also for the first time detected ion fluxes on the "night side" of Moon. "Moon is a huge source of energetic neutral hydrogen atoms. 15-20 per cent of the impinging solar wind protons (on the lunar surface) are reflected back as neutrals," Bhardwaj said. "The amount of hydrogen which is being implanted on the lunar surface is reduced (as one out of every five protons incoming from the solar wind rebounds from the moon's surface). You have less amount of hydrogen getting absorbed on the lunar surface," he said.

Jamal K. Malik · Post by **Jamal K. Malik** » 15 Nov 2009 15:58

GSLV Mk III to enhance India’s launch capacity: ISRO chief

Bade · Post by **Bade** » 16 Nov 2009 20:53

Constellation Of Satellites Needed For Disaster Management: ISRO

The constellation plan is a part of the 'Umbrella Plan' of the organisation, he said.

Disasters come in all shapes and sizes, needing varying data during the disaster cycle of mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery, Navalgund said.

Many studies suggest at least eight satellites, with dual capability sensors can collect both high and low spatial resolution data, and an equal split between optical (including thermal) and microwave instruments.

"The satellites should also be agile, they should allow rapid changes in camera orientation so that a disaster area can be kept in view longer," he said.

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 20 Nov 2009 03:09

NASA signs agreement with ISRO for use of Indian satellite

US space agency NASA has signed an agreement with ISRO to use data from Indian satellite Oceansat-2, for various American agencies for research activities, including weather forecasting.
...
...
The agreement with the Indian Space Research Organisation will lead to the use of data from Oceansat-2 for various US agencies for research, education and other activities of public good including weather forecasting.

The Letter of Intent in this regard was signed by Michael H Freilich, Director Earth Science Division, National Aeronautics and Space Administration; Mary E Kicza Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Science of the Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and R R Navalgund, Director, Space Application Centre, ISRO.

The signing ceremony was done in Washington on the sidelines of Sixth Plenary Session of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO).
...

arun · Post by **arun** » 23 Nov 2009 08:02

Put space at the heart of US-India relations

By Karl Inderfurth and Raja Mohan

Published: November 22 2009 18:32 | Last updated: November 22 2009 18:32

.................... Today, the conventional wisdom is that the two leaders will not match the scale of the nuclear bargain and should limit themselves to consolidating recent gains. We disagree. They should aim higher and focus on strategic co-operation in outer space. They can bring lasting benefits to national space programmes and lay out the framework for an international code of conduct in outer space. ........................

Four broad areas of bilateral space co-operation present themselves. First, advanced launch technologies. The greatest limitation on space-ventures is the cost of launching objects into space. The two countries should partner in basic scientific research, such as advanced materials and combustion science that could enable a new generation of spacecraft, while avoiding the proliferation of dangerous ballistic missile capabilities.

Second, lunar exploration and beyond. With interest in both countries for exploring the moon and its resources, the US and India should exploit synergies between their moon programmes and consult on an ambitious human exploration of the moon and inter-planetary space. Lunar resources could be used to lower the costs of sustaining human and robotic outposts beyond the earth.

Third, climate change. The two countries should use the massive American and growing Indian space assets for earth observation to provide comprehensive and credible assessments of climate change.

Fourth, space governance. The US and India should work to forge a consensus on limiting space debris, improving “space situational awareness” for avoiding hazards, and ensuring unhindered operation of the space assets of all nations. Creating a new voluntary code of conduct in outer space could mark the start of an effort to bring order to the global commons.

An Obama-Singh space initiative could become the defining feature of an expansive US-India collaboration, especially in science and technology. It could also create the basis for securing our global commons and offer incentives to other major powers to join this vital undertaking.

Karl Inderfurth is a professor at George Washington University and a former assistant secretary of state for south Asia affairs, 1997-2001. Raja Mohan is Henry Kissinger chair in foreign policy at the Library of Congress and a contributing editor of The Indian Express, New Delhi

FT.Com

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 23 Nov 2009 10:33

First, advanced launch technologies. The greatest limitation on space-ventures is the cost of launching objects into space. The two countries should partner in basic scientific research, such as advanced materials and combustion science that could enable a new generation of spacecraft, while avoiding the proliferation of dangerous ballistic missile capabilities.

In other word, the US thinks India has something to bring to the table.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 23 Nov 2009 10:50

Well, I think it would be nice to see aerospace cooperation, where we could all jointly collaborate on some kind of rapid intercontinental hypersonic transport. It could be India, the US and a few countries collaborating jointly together. The advent of such technologies would help to entrench global economic interaction, which helps India's globalization-driven growth.

By making global distances easier to cross, it would free Indians from their regional bottle.

Kailash · Post by **Kailash** » 23 Nov 2009 12:31

Space and Nuclear domains are two of the strengths of Indian scientific community. Wherever the US enters, they have tried to stifle their partners ability to do scientific research. There are many examples of this happening with europe, americas, japan etc.

A commercial association is always fine - they use our rockets, we use theirs, buying sats, share each others data etc. But when we consider our ambitions and usage of space, the US is competition (unlike the Russians). They will apply any kind of pressure to maintain a technological edge.

Till now our technological achievements in space have been below or on par with the US, will remain that ways for another decade. But assuming we perfect some niche areas in next 10-15 years, we should be able to catch the next big space wave. Imaging the royalty that Indian companies and ISRO will reap if the whole world is flying our scramjet engines. Or if we pioneer the reusable LVs with air-breathing engines and provide cheap space tourism.

The US has not been on the top of the technological pyramid since WW-II because they are benign and altruistic. It is not just luck that all great invensions just happened to take place in the US. They have a way to buy off research and researchers from other countries thus keeping their superiority. They apply political pressure to close competing R&D efforts from friendly nations.

Avinash R · Post by **Avinash R** » 26 Nov 2009 18:38

India developing semi-cryogenic tech to launch 6-ton satellite
November 26, 2009

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 27 Nov 2009 00:14

ISRO plans 36 launches during 11th plan.

ISRO is planning 36 launches during the 11th plan with more than six a year, a top space official said here on Thursday.
The expanding horizon of the Indian Space Programme, with more number of launches annually and missions like reusable launch vehicle on the anvil, calls for increased productivity with consistent quality and at a competitive cost, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Director P S Veeraraghavan said.

Partnership with aerospace Indian industries was likely to grow multifold with the expanding activities of Indian Space Programme and ISRO's foray into International Space market, Veeraghavan told a 'National Aerospace Manufacturing Seminar'. Presently more than 500 small and medium industries partnered with ISRO, he said.

Stating that the aerospace industry faces tough challenges, he said it should adapt to advanced manufacturing methodologies to suit the design function flawlessly.

Referring to the human resource shortage in aerospace engineering field, he said the industry should bring out innovative programmes in tie-up with academic institutions to ensure required number of manpower.

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 27 Nov 2009 08:43

Kerosene may be used to launch 6-tonne satellite

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Radhakrishnan said on Thursday, that the country’s space scientists are developing a semi-cryogenic propulsion technology using kerosene, which will enable India to launch six-tonne class satellites. Currently, the satellites can only carry a weight of 2.2 tonnes.
...
...

The cryogenic technology uses liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, whereas in the semi-cryogenic technology, pure kerosene (aviation-grade) will replace liquid hydrogen.
The GSLV-D3 would use indigenous cryogenic engine and stage — that the scientists were working on from 1996 — for the first time, he said.

...
...

Jamal K. Malik · Post by **Jamal K. Malik** » 03 Dec 2009 17:56

Second Moon Mission

RAJYA SABHA

The success of Chandrayaan-I has been mainly in terms of :

„X Building the spacecraft with multiple sensor system;
„X Launching the spacecraft with India¡¦s own Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and precisely inserting the same into the lunar orbit in the first attempt itself;
„X Imaging up to 95% of the lunar surface at high-resolution;
„X Broad assessment of the mineralogical composition of certain parts of the lunar surface;
„X Finding hydroxyl and water molecules on the lunar surface; „X Dropping the insignia of the Indian tri-colour on the lunar surface; and
„X Establishing the Indian Deep Space Network and Indian Space Science Data Centre.

These successes, combined also with the current global trends of planetary study, build up interest in the ISRO¡¦s second Moon Mission.

The configuration of the instruments to be carried onboard the Chandrayaan-II are currently being worked out. Carrying a probe to collect and analyze the samples from the lunar surface is also being considered.

This was stated by Shri Prithviraj Chavan, the Minister of State (I/C) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences in the Rajya Sabha today.

GG/BS/VK

Termination of Chandrayan-I

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 03 Dec 2009 21:18

Vipul wrote:ISRO plans 36 launches during 11th plan.

I hope those 36 include a good number of satellites for BMD, military-intelligence, and full-fledged Gagan. Indian civic and industrial infrastructure can achieve multi-fold efficiencies with a reliable global positioning and communication satellite system.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 03 Dec 2009 21:54

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NEWS/news ... wsid=12002
all said and done.. for a space mission, i would think about de-rating and making robust to cover up surprises.

heat resistant cases are damn cheap now days. for example there are fire proof cabinets for storing important paper documents.

i am sure, we have the technology already.. why not have it as a default behavior. its too expensive and silly to consider deep space missions without consider temperature and other NBC effects.

AdityaM · Post by **AdityaM** » 03 Dec 2009 22:21

before NASA would have agreed to put their instrument onboard CY1, they would have done some sought of audit, to ensure that the spacecraft was capable in their own assessment.
Wouldn't they have noticed any anomaly with respect to the insulation capabilities.

Virupaksha · Post by **Virupaksha** » 03 Dec 2009 22:23

AdityaM wrote:before NASA would have agreed to put their instrument onboard CY1, they would have done some sought of audit, to ensure that the spacecraft was capable in their own assessment.
Wouldn't they have noticed any anomaly with respect to the insulation capabilities.

Why only Massa engineers are capable but not the SDRE ones??

animesharma · Post by **animesharma** » 04 Dec 2009 19:13

EADS eyes tie-up with ISRO on hypersonic plane technologies
BANGALORE: EADS, a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services, is keen to forge partnership with ISRO on supersonic and hypersonic

aeroplane technologies, a top company official said.

"We are looking very much into the future," Chief Technical Officer of EADS, Jean Botti, said here today on possible collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation and EADS (European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company) going forward.

"ISRO has a lot of knowledge," Botti said, adding EADS also sees potential between ISRO and the Franco-German group in the area of propulsion technology. EADS is looking at the possibility of working with ISRO in the context of "niche aeroplanes", he said.

EADS is keen on building "green" aeroplanes acceptable to society and it's here that he sees a partnership role for ISRO with his company.

EADS group, which includes Airbus, Eurocopter and Astrium, generated revenues of Euro 43.3 billion in 2008 and employed a workforce of 118,000.

Astrium, EADS' space business entity, already has a partnership with ISRO's commercial arm Antrix on joint building and delivery of satellites of two tonne to 2.5 tonne class.

Botti said EADS also saw opportunities in the biotech sector in India, adding, it's in discussions with companies in the space. "Biotechnology...we are going to look into very closely".

He praised the "lot of brain talent" and English-speaking highly educated youngsters in India, saying it motivated EADS to undertake research in this country.

Asked about the rejection of a proposed joint venture between EADS and Larsen & Toubro by the Foreign Investment Promotion Board because it would exceed cap on foreign investment, Botti said the issue is being evaluated.

"We are still in the understanding mode. Too premature to give information on this. We are trying to understand the situation," he said.

EADS-L&T proposal, to supply electronic warfare systems, avionics and radars, was rejected as it did not adhere to the 26 per cent upper limit prescribed for foreign direct investment in companies in the defence sector.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 04 Dec 2009 23:22

well the point could be very well a political cover up for a fault that is entirely something else!?

vishwakarmaa · Post by **vishwakarmaa** » 05 Dec 2009 18:19

Sanjay M wrote:Well, I think it would be nice to see aerospace cooperation, where we could all jointly collaborate on some kind of rapid intercontinental hypersonic transport. It could be India, the US and a few countries collaborating jointly together. The advent of such technologies would help to entrench global economic interaction, which helps India's globalization-driven growth.

By making global distances easier to cross, it would free Indians from their regional bottle.

The moment India learns to stay out of American bottle, it will be day of reckoning and freedom for Indian rise.

Hint - Russia and China are powers because they are not in American bottle.

Going out in public and asking USA for help in hyper-transport plane project shows inability of ISRO to develop one on its own.

ISRO should focus on nurturing basic science R&D culture at schools and universities in India, rather than wasting time and running behind foreign agencies. Thats what Russians did and Chinese are doing. ISRO seems to have a habit of begging technology from foreign rather than investing on academics at home to innovate one.

In my opinion, ISRO will forever depend on european and western agencies for technology in future but will never be a match to Russians. Its all because they boast too much and do very little planning on orchestrating next-generation innovation strategies at home, on factory floors, beyond paperworks.

Weak and poor research in fundamental aviation sciences in India has always remained a weakness of ISRO. It never worked hard like NASA did to develop such culture at their American institutes and colleges. And, ISRO has learnt nothing from its past mistakes. Rather, it is repeating past mistakes - "foreign collabrations".

First you develop your own expertise in niche areas then you go for "foreign collaboration". ISRO is dreaming to conquer the world with paper theories and zero IPR on any technology area. They will end up being an operator of European+American space technology in next 20 years, with zilch IPR in aviation research.

ISRO has lot of talent, but not enough guts to put them together and do it on its own.

Avinash R · Post by **Avinash R** » 06 Dec 2009 16:31

Astrosat all set to be launched next year: ISRO

KrishG · Post by **KrishG** » 07 Dec 2009 00:10

EXCLUSIVE PICTURES: India's Humanspaceflight concept at IAC-2009

http://indianspaceweb.blogspot.com/2009 ... ndias.html

Brando · Post by **Brando** » 07 Dec 2009 02:46

KrishG wrote:EXCLUSIVE PICTURES: India's Humanspaceflight concept at IAC-2009

http://indianspaceweb.blogspot.com/2009 ... ndias.html

Looks remarkably reminiscent of early Soviet human space flight program. I had hoped for a more original approach!

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 07 Dec 2009 04:30

Yeah but they could not get enough recoil from their pogo sticks.

Brando · Post by **Brando** » 07 Dec 2009 05:12

Pogo sticks are a thing of the past, today kids use jumping stilts.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 07 Dec 2009 06:37

vishwakarmaa wrote: Weak and poor research in fundamental aviation sciences in India has always remained a weakness of ISRO. It never worked hard like NASA did to develop such culture at their American institutes and colleges. And, ISRO has learnt nothing from its past mistakes. Rather, it is repeating past mistakes - "foreign collabrations".

Without meaning to let ISRO off the hook may I point out what I see is happening in India and has actually got worse after India's economic boom? The best Indian schools and colleges (barring a few like the IITs) are privately run and cost money in fees. (The IITs create only a miniscule percentage of Indians graduates). Parents of Indian children who pay those fees have no intention of sponsoring their children to acquire BSc degrees in pure science. 20-35 years ago (when my own generation were passing out) the idea of getting that engineering degree was to go abroad.

The children of my generation are still going to engineering college - but are lapped up for high salaries by private ("multinational")companies that are making a healthy profit from the same West that used to import labor in my generation. Today I do not see anyone among my children's generation go for science apart from those whom other kids would call losers. Till recently a coding coolie in Infosys was the most desired job by most Indians and labels like "Microsoft", "Google" and "Yahoo" are worn with special pride by Indian kids and their parents. Every day I meet a colleague who proudly announces "My daughter has got a placement in #$#$#sys tech for a starting salary of Rs 50,000 a month. At the age of 22 that daughter is earning as much as a General with 25 years service or a man who has risen through the ranks in ISRO. Would anyone in his right mind do anything else?

And for those who are as old as I am - it would pay not to forget that for my generation going abroad was "success", getting a job in ISRO was for losers. The people whom successful mug-pots (like me and my peers) in top colleges used to call "losers" are now at the top. We laughed at them then. We are still cursing them now as incompetent. Naturally - we who got the top seats in top colleges and went abroad were the winners unlike the local vernacular college guy who went to ISRO because he wasn't as great as me. But if I was so great - my greatness was spent serving a foreign master who paid me well and made me feel superior to the loser who did not do as well as me in college and joined some "ISRO-Shisro". If we are contemptuous of ISRO today imagine how people of my generation felt about ISRO 30 years ago

. It's a never ending cycle.

So blaming ISRO is only one side of the story. I don't know if you did CBSE and how many years it is since you did that but the CBSE 11th and 12th syllabus today is like a first year engineering/medicine syllabus that is hurling children towards the nirvana of engineering or medicine and nothing else. In India you can do a engineering entrance exam, get ranked 45,000 (yes 45,000!!) and still get an engineering college seat in your life's dream "Software engg" and even get a job at the end of all that. And unlike ISRO the company that employs you will be happy to see you go after 2-3 years so that they can employ a cheaper newbie.

India has structural problems with education that are currently very difficult to solve without some new thinking. "Pure science" seats go abegging. No good students take up such seats and a few who do become "software engineers/coding coolies". And that is because inordinate amounts of cash are flowing in a small segment -"The IT sector" and India is filling that sector up with it best graduates all voluntarily choosing to take the lucrative IT sector road.

AdityaM · Post by **AdityaM** » 07 Dec 2009 10:27

ravi_ku wrote:[quote="AdityaM"]before NASA would have agreed to put their instrument onboard CY1, they would have done some sought of audit, to ensure that the spacecraft was capable in their own assessment.
Wouldn't they have noticed any anomaly with respect to the insulation capabilities.

Why only Massa engineers are capable but not the SDRE ones??[/quote]
You have missed my point entirely.
They would have evaluated all parameters of the project to ensure that their own investment does not go waste in case of any design flaws. And if indian engg. underestimated the heat protection required, then any other evaluater missed it too.
Unless it was an oversight, deliberate, or the relevant massa engg. were not involved.
Perhaps, i dont have much a point in what i am saying.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 07 Dec 2009 13:44

India to test GSLV Mark III's solid booster in January

The 200-tonne solid propellant rocket booster - designed to power ISRO's next generation (geosynchronous launch vehicle) GSLV Mark III - will be ground tested at India's space port Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, 80 km from here.

The stage is expected to burn for 103 seconds.

KrishG · Post by **KrishG** » 08 Dec 2009 13:49

PICTURE: India's future deep space exploration plans

http://indianspaceweb.blogspot.com/2009 ... space.html

VIDEO: ISRO's Presentation at IAC-2009

http://indianspaceweb.blogspot.com/2009 ... -2009.html

Kakarat · Post by **Kakarat** » 10 Dec 2009 11:49

Launching soon: A film on Chandrayaan, starring APJ Kalam

KrishG · Post by **KrishG** » 12 Dec 2009 01:11

PICTURE: Chandrayaan-2 concept from ISRO

http://indianspaceweb.blogspot.com/2009 ... -isro.html

KrishG · Post by **KrishG** » 14 Dec 2009 02:36

ISRO presentation (Nov 2009) on Chandrayaan-2, HSF etc etc

http://indianspaceweb.blogspot.com/2009 ... ts-in.html

Kailash · Post by **Kailash** » 14 Dec 2009 15:35

Life on Moon ?

Bangalore: Scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) are on the brink of a path-breaking discovery. They may have found signs of life in some form or the other on the Moon.

They believe so because scientific instruments on India's first unmanned lunar mission, Chandrayaan-1, picked up signatures of organic matter on parts of the Moon's surface, Surendra Pal, associate director, Isro Satellite Centre (Isac), said at the international radar symposium here on Friday.

Organic matter consists of organic compounds, which consists of carbon -- the building block of life.

It indicates the formation of life or decay of a once-living matter....

KrishG · Post by **KrishG** » 22 Dec 2009 16:42

ISRO to test GSLV-Mk III boosters in Jan, 2010

http://indianspaceweb.blogspot.com/2009 ... -s200.html