Indian Space Program Discussion

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 18 Jul 2010 10:03

ISRO and the private sector: In reliable company

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 18 Jul 2010 10:10

On student-made nanosats:

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Studstat- ... 73965.aspx

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/new ... 182360.cms

http://www.hindustantimes.com/One-tiny- ... 73669.aspx

shantibschool · Post by **shantibschool** » 19 Jul 2010 18:33

Thank you this is great info..

EDIT

Uttam · Post by **Uttam** » 19 Jul 2010 18:36

shantibschool wrote:Thank you this is great info..

EDIT

WTF is that ????

nishu · Post by **nishu** » 19 Jul 2010 18:53

it seems he is building back links to this site , since br has a good page rank he is linking his site to br to get good page rank and get higher position in google search results . it is a common tack ticks used by internet marketers

Uttam wrote:
shantibschool wrote:Thank you this is great info..
EDIT
WTF is that ????

nishu · Post by **nishu** » 19 Jul 2010 20:34

sorry new to the dhanda , will remember your advise

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 21 Jul 2010 06:11

How India became a space superpower, a timeline.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 21 Jul 2010 11:07

Vipul wrote:How India became a space superpower, a timeline.

Well I guess we are needlessly obsessed with the word "Superpower"

We build our own satellites and manage to launch them that fits our bill , nothing Superpower about it.

If you study the time line there are just two space superpower one is US which leads and second is Russia.

negi · Post by **negi** » 21 Jul 2010 19:43

Austin wrote: If you study the time line there are just two space superpower one is US which leads and second is Russia.

Blasphemy it is the other way round no one makes more powerful boosters than Energia.

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 22 Jul 2010 00:09

CARTOSAT-2B starts sending high quality images.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 23 Jul 2010 09:40

Boeing's New Crew Spacecraft
The company wants to be the first from the private sector to build a human-rated capsule.

more:

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/ ... 20Unveiled

An abort system would involve a "pusher" system, rather than the traditional arrangement of small rockets that pull a manned vehicle away from a launcher in distress, Boeing officials say. The advantage is that if the abort system is not used, the fuel would then be available for maneuvering in orbit.

The CST-100 could stay on orbit as long as seven months. After returning to Earth via ballistic re-entry while protected by an ablative shield, it would be slowed by parachutes to settle on dry land. The capsule could then receive a new heat shield and be refurbished to fly again. The CST-100 is being designed for a life of up to 10 missions for each vehicle.

So should ISRO likewise consider such an approach? India has no Tiangong-style space station in the works, so why not go in for developing our own system comparable to CST-100, which would fit India's needs quite nicely?
A long-duration space capsule could provide us with adequate data on human space science, including all that meditative-yoga-in-space jazz.

I like this idea of an underside launch-abort system, since it would be usable as orbital propellant. ISRO should definitely look into this idea for its manned capsule. This would be a good way to leapfrog Shenzhou, enabling longer missions with more science/data-gathering accomplished in fewer launches. If you're going to all the trouble to launch people into space, you might as well try to have them stay up for longer to accomplish more.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 23 Jul 2010 09:50

Austin wrote:
Vipul wrote:How India became a space superpower, a timeline.
Well I guess we are needlessly obsessed with the word "Superpower"

+1 this is another example of the "why are we not more like US"

that shiv ji talks about, most prevalent in media that looks up to US for everything, TOIlet in particular.
I would be happy we can manage ourselves and do that well, superpowerdom be damned.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 23 Jul 2010 09:51

How much propellent will they save with underside launch-abort system that can enable longer mission ?

Are they talking about the small retro rocket above the Soyuz launcher that is used in case of launch abort or failure ? I guess they used it once when the rocket caught fire while on the pad.

Wonder if the "underside launch-abort system" is a complicated way of doing simple thing.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 23 Jul 2010 10:10

Wouldn't pusher system be less complicated than a puller system, for launch abort?
They're talking about the rocket that fires to separate the crew capsule from the main rocket if there's an emergency on the pad or during the flight.

Anyway, here's more pics of the CST-100:

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/07/you-m ... after-all/

Looks a little cramped - especially if there's no place for you to dock and offload your people.

negi · Post by **negi** » 23 Jul 2010 10:12

Austin wrote: Are they talking about the small retro rocket above the Soyuz launcher that is used in case of launch abort or failure ? I guess they used it once when the rocket caught fire while on the pad.

Apparently yes if you would observe those rocket pods on the escape tower are way up on top of the the manned capsule and if I am not wrong the escape tower itself is jettisoned once the manned stage is put into its parking orbit as it has to later dock with the mother ship (earlier MIR now ISS) so that is an additional overhead which decreases payload fraction, so by moving that escape stage and integrating it with manned stage they end up utilizing the extra propellant for maneuvering.

negi · Post by **negi** » 23 Jul 2010 10:25

Actually I think in case of Soyuz's escape tower the design was built with a high margin of safety i.e. the rocket pods on escape tower are separated from rest of the stages by quite some distance so it ensures that escape tower will be unharmed and available even if the stage underneath the manned capsule were to malfunction. Boeing obviously must have built upon so much experience which Russians have had with Soyuz.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 23 Jul 2010 10:45

I wonder what the trade-offs are between pusher vs tractor design?

I suppose the overhead tractor design is less likely to be damaged by explosive shock from the main rocket down below. Apparently, there was a pusher-vs-tractor debate during the Apollo program too.

But arguably, today's electronics are much faster than those days, so that the launch abort system can be triggered much more quickly in the event a problem occurs. Plus an underside LAS could push off the rocket body below it, and develop acceleration faster. So perhaps a pusher design has a reasonable safety margin because of that.

GSLV-Mark3 would have enough lifting capacity to carry a moderate-sized crew capsule to LEO.
A GSLV-Mark4 would be able to carry a large-sized crew capsule.

But still, the launch weight savings from using the pusher LAS and retaining its propellant for orbital use would be very useful for extending mission life. Bear in mind that the heavier the capsule, the heavier the LAS required.

It also simplifies the mission to have the underside pusher LAS, since there's one less step of having to jettison an overhead tractor LAS.

Here is a video of the Soyuz T-10-1 mission, when the Launch Escape System had to be activated:

kit · Post by **kit** » 23 Jul 2010 11:01

DELETE

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 23 Jul 2010 11:18

Another thing I was wondering about for an Indian manned capsule, was a steerable parachute system. Sure, the Bay of Bengal is a large enough target to fall into, and yet small enough that the Indian Navy can easily send helicopters to any required spot within it, but in the event of some unexpected circumstance where it's not possible to make a landing near India, then a steerable parachute could come in very handy for navigating a capsule closer to some friendly shore.

Steerable parachute technology also has useful applications for the Indian military in general, for more accurate cargo drops, so it would be beneficial for India to research this technology. It would probably be very cheap to test out.

rahulm · Post by **rahulm** » 27 Jul 2010 08:31

Chandrayaan-2 payloads to be decided next month

A meeting here on August 3 would finalise Chandrayaan-2's scientific instruments, which together would weigh between 30 and 35 kg,...

Dr. Shivakumar said the probe would “take forward” some of the accomplishments of Chandrayaan-1, which had famously established the presence of water on the moon.

Chandrayaan-2, scheduled for a 2012 launch, would have an Indian-made orbiter and rover (to move on the moon's surface and collect soil samples), and a Russian lander.

The data collected from Chandrayaan-1 continued to be analysed and a three-dimensional map of the lunar surface was being created with information received from the Terrain Mapping Camera,

kit · Post by **kit** » 27 Jul 2010 10:39

The chinese behemoth ..
deleted by moderator

Kailash · Post by **Kailash** » 29 Jul 2010 14:12

Indian GPS system for air-traffic control to wait

India’s dream of putting a Global Positioning System of its own in space to help in commercial aircraft navigation may have to wait for two more years. Sources in Indian Space Research Organisation said the Geo-Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) payload onboard the GSAT4, which was launched by Isro on April 15, did not make it into orbit because of the failure of the GeoSynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) mission.

A technical glitch in the indigenously developed cryogenic engine led to the GSLV rocket with the satellite crashing into the Bay of Bengal. “We will be launching two more GAGAN payloads, one each on two geostationary satellites, GSAT-8 and GSAT-10,” a senior Isro scientist told Deccan Chronicle. “But we are yet to finalise the launch schedules.”

hnair · Post by **hnair** » 30 Jul 2010 01:25

negi wrote:
Austin wrote: Are they talking about the small retro rocket above the Soyuz launcher that is used in case of launch abort or failure ? I guess they used it once when the rocket caught fire while on the pad.
Apparently yes if you would observe those rocket pods on the escape tower are way up on top of the the manned capsule and if I am not wrong the escape tower itself is jettisoned once the manned stage is put into its parking orbit as it has to later dock with the mother ship (earlier MIR now ISS) so that is an additional overhead which decreases payload fraction, so by moving that escape stage and integrating it with manned stage they end up utilizing the extra propellant for maneuvering.

negi-saar, IIRC the escape tower (or more accurately Launch Escape System) is jettisoned once the rocket clears the pad and reaches a safe height for capsule parachutes to operate. I dont think it ever goes into orbit, since it is primarily a launch time thingy. Ignition time is crazy, when the doors are locked, tunnels pulled back and dudes cant fold up their dhoti and run like hell through the launch tower escape routes. Basic function is to take the capsule far away from the fireballs and to a height where where the parachutes can open and provide safe deceleration. Secondary function *might* be as an aerospike for the blunt nosed capsule to cleave through heavier air. So once it is clear of the lower atmos, there is no need for it.

It is a proven, extremely simple and robust system where people's lives are given more importance than that extra kilo of stuff it can carry. IMO, Khan's space contractors are playing with lives with their spin. Nothing new.

negi · Post by **negi** » 30 Jul 2010 06:59

Yep thanks for the correction boss, makes sense now.

Kailash · Post by **Kailash** » 04 Aug 2010 11:46

Space services may come under tax net

The SC will deliver the judgement in a case in which Karnataka is demanding that Antrix Corporation, a commercial arm of ISRO, pay Rs 391 crore for renting its services.

The commercial tax department has asked Antrix to cough up VAT (value added tax) at the rate of 12.5 per cent for services used by the communication channels to uplink or downlink data via satellites, INSAT 3A,3B, 3C and 3E.

Antrix’s senior counsel V Sridharan of Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan Associates said, “Like telephone companies using telecommunication network to provide service to the customer, Antrix also has a similar operation. Hence, the company is paying service tax. Since there is no transfer of right to use goods, there can be no sales tax involved. Same transaction cannot be subjected to both VAT and service tax.”

Neela · Post by **Neela** » 06 Aug 2010 12:17

Arianespace to launch GSAT 10 for India

GSAT 10 is designed, assembled and integrated by ISRO. Weighing about 3,425 kg. at launch, it has payloads for communications, navigation and broadcasting (DTH). Positioned at 83 degrees East, its primary payload comprises 12 Ku-band transponders, 12 C-band and 12 Extended C-band transponders. GSAT 10 coverage zone will include the entire Indian sub-continent. The satellite’s design life exceeds 15 years

.

Arunkumar · Post by **Arunkumar** » 07 Aug 2010 22:15

isro space expo

http://www.bsxindia.com/bsx_participation.html

shambu · Post by **shambu** » 08 Aug 2010 04:34

shambu · Post by **shambu** » 09 Aug 2010 21:49

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-to- ... 84371.aspx

A satellite-based navigation system to aid air traffic from Southeast Asia to Africa, including over the high seas in the vast region, would be launched tomorrow, placing India into a select group of nations which possess such a sophisticated technology

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 10 Aug 2010 02:40

India Unmatched in Public Interest Over Space

paramu · Post by **paramu** » 10 Aug 2010 06:15

The author is writing like a Paki

As an example, the World Health Organization estimates that 665 million Indians currently defecate in the open (they have no access to toilets). That’s more than twice the entire US population without access to a toilet. Even in the grip of the Cold War, would America have joined the Soviets in a space race without pervasive indoor plumbing, to say nothing of just toilet access?

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 10 Aug 2010 06:55

No, he's stating the reality - Indians are spending money on space, even though most of the country doesn't have proper toilets.

But even still Indians are enthusiastic about having a space program:

The Indian commitment to space, as evidenced by the people continuing to elect governments that spend the amount of available resources on space in the face of other needs, is spectacular and unmatched in the world. If the rest of the world poured cash into space with even a fraction of that commitment, would you be reading The Space Review in your O’Neill colony home, or glancing at it after buying T-shirts for the kids from a kiosk at Titan’s spaceport, after a diving vacation?

It shows how much Indians want to go to space.

Kailash · Post by **Kailash** » 11 Aug 2010 17:08

Saral Satellite by 2011

SARAL satellite is a joint project of Indian Space Research Organisation and the French National Space Agency. The ALTIKA and ARGOS payloads are built and supplied by the French National Space Agency. The satellite building and launching are the responsibilities of Indian Space Research Organisation.

IRNSS by 2014

Brando · Post by **Brando** » 11 Aug 2010 18:05

This is OT however,............

Sanjay M wrote:No, he's stating the reality - Indians are spending money on space, even though most of the country doesn't have proper toilets.
.............
It shows how much Indians want to go to space.

No, its an absurd fixation with the scatological habits of Indians. First there was the- "they don't use toilet paper" and now this BS. Why doesn't anybody in India ask if the WHO or the UN or the various NGO's etc who contributed to such a ridiculous statistical observation aren't wasting their time when they could have rather spent that time on something much more productive and perhaps, for a change, actually of some benefit to somebody ?

The standard Western commode is a recent invention, for that matter is ANY commode or toilet. Even in the early 20th century many people in the West and the so called "developed nations" of today were defecating in buckets inside their living rooms and their bedrooms! Basically defecating where they ate and slept!! Something, even the poorest of beggars in any period of Indian history would be loath to do! Today, these people have the gall to pass judgment upon India on how Indians spend their own money ??

It is upto the individuals to better themselves and buy themselves toilets if they want one- not the Indian taxpayers!

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 12 Aug 2010 07:25

The fact is that lack of sanitation systems is a glaring sign of underdevelopment.

It's like ignoring the fact that the developed world have far more roads and highways than India does, by arguing that ox-carts are just as good as modern cars and buses.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 12 Aug 2010 07:27

Chandrayaan-2 May Squeeze Private Space Competitors for Google Lunar Prize

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 13 Aug 2010 07:02

Race to launch Moon landing probe (BBC)

A modern-day space race to land an unmanned probe on the Moon is emerging between Russia and India on one side and China on the other.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 13 Aug 2010 07:21

Indian Satellite To Study Solar Corona (AW/ST)

ISRO to send Astronauts into Space Before 2015-16

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 13 Aug 2010 15:29

Hmmm, Russia isn't really racing with China, and it is debatable whether India is 'racing' either, though India doesn't want to fall far behind China or any country.

A bit of Brit psy-ops, indirectly belittling India's programme by playing up the Russian link to Chandrayaan-2. It would be more accurate to say that India is taking assistance from Russia on the rover.

Willy · Post by **Willy** » 13 Aug 2010 16:04

Anyone has details of the roadmap for future ISRO launch vehicles? What is planned?

Also will the PSLV be used to send the astronauts into space ? Dont see ISRO being able to prove the reliability of the GSLV for Human launch by 2015 what with the cryo engine having failed the first time and all.