Indian Space Program Discussion

shukla · Post by **shukla** » 05 Dec 2010 05:39

ISRO hands two contracts to Arianespace, renews deal with European space company
DNA news

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has given an estimated Rs500 crore order to Arianespace and renewed the five-year contract with EADS Astrium for joint marketing of satellites, it was announced today during the visit of French President Nilolas Sarkozy here today. "We have signed commercial agreements with Arianespace for two more launches - GSAT-8 in 2011 and GSAT-10 in 2012", ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan said. He did not specify the contract value but ISRO sources said launch cost of each satellite is around Rs 250 crore. Radhakrishnan said Arianespace, the European launcher which operates from France's territory of Altantic coast in South America, has so far launched 12 Indian satellites.

He also announced that a strategic alliance signed between EADS Astrium, Europe's leading satellite system specialist, and ISRO in 2005 was renewed today for another five years. Under the alliance,ISRO's commercial arm Antrix Corporation Limited and EADS Astrium, wholly owned subsidiary of EADS SPACE, will jointly address the commercial market for communications satellites with payload power below 4 Kw and a launch mass in the range of two to three tons. Satellites in this segment represent a sizeable and stable part of the market. The aim of this cooperation is to optimize INSAT 2K and 3K Platforms along with EADS Astrium payloads.

Radhakrishnan said Megha-Tropiques and SARAL satellites, being jointly developed by ISRO and its French counterpart CNES, would be launched in May and December 2011 respectively, as he recalled the "rich legacy of cooperation and collaborations" between the two space agencies since 1972. ISRO and CNES would continue to work together and explore new domains, including climate change and other frontier areas he said and told the French President: "Your visit to ISRO inspires both space agencies to look forward to and to look beyond with synergy".

Isro renews deal with EADS for joint marketing of satellites
Business Standard

JTull · Post by **JTull** » 05 Dec 2010 23:47

Setback to GLONASS program

3 Russian satellites crashed in the pacific ocean off Hawaii

Raghavendra · Post by **Raghavendra** » 11 Dec 2010 20:51

ISRO to launch new satellite on December 20 http://sify.com/news/ISRO-to-launch-new ... bbbec.html

prithvi · Post by **prithvi** » 13 Dec 2010 20:31

will this GSLV launch use up the last of the cryogenic engine supplied by the Russians..? do we have plans to order follow up engines? if not they are potentially looking at a scenario of couple of years of no GSLV unless we master the cryogenic engine in the next test launch..?

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 14 Dec 2010 08:24

Prithvi, I do not think ISRO is planning to get any more cryogenic engines from Russia. But, why do you say a 'couple of years of no GSLV' ? ISRO Chairman is on record that the next GSLV with Indian cryo engine will be launched in the first half of 2011.

Narad · Post by **Narad** » 14 Dec 2010 12:53

^^^ What if its not a success?

What are our contingencies? Didn't we just sign a deal with EASA for possible launch of few G-stat satellites in coming years?

India Inks French Launch Contracts During Sarkozy Visit

On the occasion, ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan said that two more launch contracts have been handed over to French launch provider Arianespace.

“Two commercial agreements have been signed with Arianespace for the launches [of] GSAT-8 in 2011 and GSAT-10 in 2012,” Radhakrishnan says. “To date, Arianespace has launched 12 Indian satellites.” The contract value is pegged at Rs 500 core ($111 million).

symontk · Post by **symontk** » 14 Dec 2010 13:14

will this GSLV launch use up the last of the cryogenic engine supplied by the Russians..? do we have plans to order follow up engines? if not they are potentially looking at a scenario of couple of years of no GSLV unless we master the cryogenic engine in the next test launch..?

This launch is using the Russian one, the developmental launches will hopefully continue for the indian engine in 2011 and 2012 which explains launches for the satellites are only for two years. If everyhting gos well in 2013 we will have a commerical launch of GSLV with an Indian engine

Kailash · Post by **Kailash** » 15 Dec 2010 13:08

Oceansat-2 OCM Data Offered By SeaSpace

More money

Kailash · Post by **Kailash** » 15 Dec 2010 13:48

Chandrayaan-2, an Indian odyssey

“We are unsure if we can provide opportunities for foreign space agencies to be part of the Chandrayaan-2 mission. As of now, we are not going to advertise stating that there are opportunities (for foreign space agencies) to be part of this mission,” said Prof UR Rao, chairman, Advisory Committee on Space Sciences (ADCOS), which finalised the seven payloads for Chandrayaan-2 mission.

<snip>

But the Chandrayaan-1 mission had more foreign payloads than Indian, as a result of which discoveries made during the mission (2008-09) did not allow ISRO to claim adequate credit due to embargoes and the ‘lock-in’ period agreement which it signed with foreign space agencies after finalising the payloads.

Not sure if this is the reporter's opinion or one expressed by ISRO

Shankar · Post by **Shankar** » 15 Dec 2010 16:33

The next GSLV MK2 launch with Indian cryogenic engine is scheduled for launch in few weeks time with GSAT5 sat.the expected date of launch is year end maybe earlier

nrshah · Post by **nrshah** » 15 Dec 2010 16:57

^^^Thanks for a very good update... 6 months after the first failed... going fast..

dinesha · Post by **dinesha** » 15 Dec 2010 17:16

Shankar wrote:The next GSLV MK2 launch with Indian cryogenic engine is scheduled for launch in few weeks time with GSAT5 sat.the expected date of launch is year end maybe earlier

Are you saying "GSLV MK2 launch with Indian cryogenic engine" before year end .. i.e. in two weeks time? Are you sure?

arun · Post by **arun** » 15 Dec 2010 20:38

^^^ The only launch scheduled for completion by the end of the current calender year is the GSLV-FO6 with its GSAT-5 Prime Satellite payload.

This launch vehicle will be powered, among others, by a Russian cryogenic engine and NOT with a indigenous cryogenic engine.

juvva · Post by **juvva** » 15 Dec 2010 22:14

Picture of GSLV-F06 on launch pad (ISRO Website):

http://isro.org/gslv-f06/Imagegallery/l ... cle.aspx#0

juvva · Post by **juvva** » 15 Dec 2010 22:23

juvva wrote:Picture of GSLV-F06 on launch pad (ISRO Website):

http://isro.org/gslv-f06/Imagegallery/l ... cle.aspx#0

and the brochure:

http://isro.org/news/pdf/gslvf06-gsat5p.pdf

ashokpachori · Post by **ashokpachori** » 16 Dec 2010 00:08

Shankar wrote:The next GSLV MK2 launch with Indian cryogenic engine is scheduled for launch in few weeks time with GSAT5 sat.the expected date of launch is year end maybe earlier

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 16 Dec 2010 10:02

"^^^ The only launch scheduled for completion by the end of the current calender year is the GSLV-FO6 with its GSAT-5 Prime Satellite payload.

This launch vehicle will be powered, among others, by a Russian cryogenic engine and NOT with a indigenous cryogenic engine."

IIRC, there is supposed to be a PSLV launch very soon after the GSLV launch, even as early as one week later.

manish.rastogi · Post by **manish.rastogi** » 17 Dec 2010 16:19

can anyone tell the complexities in manufacturing of satellites and its components...??

Actually my rant is why do isro merely has 2-3 launches a year??

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 17 Dec 2010 16:25

^^^^ Perhaps that is because it meets the Indian requirements. When the requiremnts go up so will the number of launches.

Some news on the GSLV. Is this the russian engine which was acquired in the late 90s or was acquired subsequently? AS the engine is both heavier and taller then the previous ones.

GSLV rocket now taller, heavier
From the article.

The Russian made cryogenic engine will be powered with 15.2 tonnes of fuel (liquid hydrogen as fuel and liquid oxygen as oxidizer), an increase of around three tonnes, and the engine's length has also increased.

dinesha · Post by **dinesha** » 17 Dec 2010 16:26

GSLV rocket now taller, heavier
http://www.hindustantimes.com/GSLV-rock ... 39557.aspx

India's geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV), scheduled to blast off on Monday with an advanced communication satellite (GSAT-5P), is now taller by two metres and heavier by four tonnes as compared to its standard configuration. The Indian Space Research Organisation's standard configuration for the GSLV rocket is a height of 49 metres and 414 tonnes in weight at lift-off.

The rocket that would lift off Monday stands 51 metres tall and weighs 418 tonnes.

PS Veeraraghavan, director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, told IANS: "This time the fuel quantity for the cryogenic engine has increased and its thrust power has also gone up. The rocket will be carrying a heavier satellite (GSAT-5P) weighing 2,310 kg."

The Russian made cryogenic engine will be powered with 15.2 tonnes of fuel (liquid hydrogen as fuel and liquid oxygen as oxidizer), an increase of around three tonnes, and the engine's length has also increased.

The rocket has a bigger heat shield - four-metres in diameter and made of fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) - as compared to the standard configuration of 3.4-metre diameter made of aluminium alloy metal.

With the changes in rocket's configuration, necessary calibrations have been carried out in the rocket's navigational systems, control dynamics and aerodynamics so that the flight is smooth and the mission is successful, a source associated with ISRO told IANS.

Over the years, the carrying capacity of the GSLV has also increased -- from 1,530 kg in 2001 for GSAT-1 to 2,220 kg for GSAT-4 in April 2010.

The latest has a payload of 2,310 kg with 36 transponders -- an automatic receiver and transmitter of communication or broadcast signals. Successful launch of the satellite will take the agency's transponder capacity to around 235 from 200 in orbit now.

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 17 Dec 2010 21:10

I was thinking we were ready to use our own cryo for this launch.

While the second stage and strap-on boosters will receive the liquid propellants beginning T-minus 30 hours, the cryogenic propellants — liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen in extremely low temperatures — will be pumped into the upper Russian cryogenic stage only from T-minus six hours,

ashokpachori · Post by **ashokpachori** » 17 Dec 2010 21:58

India got 7 Ruski cryo motors, they used 5, its the 6th one being used now. China, Japan, France, US; all have thier own cryo. Its time India came up with robust workable cryo engine of its own.

juvva · Post by **juvva** » 18 Dec 2010 09:28

dinesha wrote:GSLV rocket now taller, heavier
http://www.hindustantimes.com/GSLV-rock ... 39557.aspx
India's geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV), scheduled to blast off on Monday with an advanced communication satellite (GSAT-5P), is now taller by two metres and heavier by four tonnes as compared to its standard configuration. The Indian Space Research Organisation's standard configuration for the GSLV rocket is a height of 49 metres and 414 tonnes in weight at lift-off.

The rocket that would lift off Monday stands 51 metres tall and weighs 418 tonnes.

PS Veeraraghavan, director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, told IANS: "This time the fuel quantity for the cryogenic engine has increased and its thrust power has also gone up. The rocket will be carrying a heavier satellite (GSAT-5P) weighing 2,310 kg."

The Russian made cryogenic engine will be powered with 15.2 tonnes of fuel (liquid hydrogen as fuel and liquid oxygen as oxidizer), an increase of around three tonnes, and the engine's length has also increased.

The rocket has a bigger heat shield - four-metres in diameter and made of fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) - as compared to the standard configuration of 3.4-metre diameter made of aluminium alloy metal.

With the changes in rocket's configuration, necessary calibrations have been carried out in the rocket's navigational systems, control dynamics and aerodynamics so that the flight is smooth and the mission is successful, a source associated with ISRO told IANS.

Over the years, the carrying capacity of the GSLV has also increased -- from 1,530 kg in 2001 for GSAT-1 to 2,220 kg for GSAT-4 in April 2010.

The latest has a payload of 2,310 kg with 36 transponders -- an automatic receiver and transmitter of communication or broadcast signals. Successful launch of the satellite will take the agency's transponder capacity to around 235 from 200 in orbit now.

Question to the experts:

How are the risks associated with tweaking the vehicle mitigated?
-computer simulation and wind tunnel testing ?? Any other techniques?

ISRO seems to be freely and confidently tweaking the vehicles
ex:
PSLV-CA, PSLV-XL variants
Now the GSLV-MK1 Heavy Variant

They used the variants without any developmental flights even for high profile / critical missions like.
Commercial launches and TechSar, and the Chandrayaan mission.

shiv · Post by **shiv** » 18 Dec 2010 09:36

ashokpachori wrote:India got 7 Ruski cryo motors, they used 5, its the 6th one being used now. China, Japan, France, US; all have thier own cryo. Its time India came up with robust workable cryo engine of its own.

The cheapest way to test a cryo is to launch something with it. That was done once and it failed. i would expect a couple more failures before we get it right.

symontk · Post by **symontk** » 18 Dec 2010 09:37

If the weight and shape of the rocket changes, its Aerodynamic and aeronautics parameters change

GSLV design is basically a PSLV design with 4 strapons and a 3rd stage with cryo. ISRO had enough launches to gain confidence in the aerodynamic / aeronatics design of GSLV

The developmental series are for testing the stages. Once stages are certified, no more developmental flights will be there. Adding more fuel to the stages are not considered developmental

In GSLV, the 4 strapons/2nd stage can easliy accomodate 55t (current 40) and the cryo 24t (current 12 / planned 15t). But the decision depends on the stage design. If the 4 strapons fuel is increased, it will have to slug the dead first stage to more distance since the first solid stage will burn out with 120secs, while 55t liguid stages will only burn out by 240secs

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 18 Dec 2010 09:54

Did Indians themselves upgrade the Russian engine? The assumption was that India imported 7 identical engines. So what accounts for a more powerful version being used on this latest flight? Or is it not the engine but features of the stage, which have made it heavier?

prithvi · Post by **prithvi** » 18 Dec 2010 10:19

shiv wrote:
ashokpachori wrote:India got 7 Ruski cryo motors, they used 5, its the 6th one being used now. China, Japan, France, US; all have thier own cryo. Its time India came up with robust workable cryo engine of its own.
The cheapest way to test a cryo is to launch something with it. That was done once and it failed. i would expect a couple more failures before we get it right.

why cant we use a dummy payload instead of fully fledged satellite like the last time...surely we will be limiting the financial losses in case something goes wrong.. at-least for the development flights doesn't that make more sense..?
China did the same....
http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/wor ... /cz-2e.htm

On July 16, 1990, the first test flight of LM-2E was successfully performed at XSLC, sending a the small (50 kg) Pakistani Badr piggy-back satellite into its predetermined LEO. The main payload was a dummy payload simulating Optus B satellite and Star-63F solid rocket perigee kick motor. An attempt to test the new Chinese perigee kick stage attached to a dummy payload failed.

Even Russia and US still regularly use dummy payloads to validate new technologies

ashokpachori · Post by **ashokpachori** » 18 Dec 2010 12:57

shiv wrote:
ashokpachori wrote:India got 7 Ruski cryo motors, they used 5, its the 6th one being used now. China, Japan, France, US; all have thier own cryo. Its time India came up with robust workable cryo engine of its own.
The cheapest way to test a cryo is to launch something with it. That was done once and it failed. i would expect a couple more failures before we get it right.

The last time it failed, the culprit was found in the form of fuel boost turbo pump - a complex pump with 4k RPM.

ISRO said in a statement that investigators do not know for sure why the turbo pump failed but suspect that excessive pressure built up and thermal stresses produced “gripping at one of the seal locations” that caused a rotor to seize and rupture the turbine casing. A series of ground tests are planned to confirm the scenario, ISRO said.

Along with the rocket, the payload was also lost (GSAT-4), thats pity. They were so confident that they did not try the dummy payload, which should have been the case, when you test such a behemoth going into space with an unproven structure.

Arunkumar · Post by **Arunkumar** » 18 Dec 2010 14:32

GSAT-4 was a experimental satellite intended for validating new technologies like ion-propulsion, miniaturised dynamically tuned gyros and bus management unit. It did not carry any significant communication infrastructure like that of INSAT-4C, whose failure resulted in delay of launch of DTH services.
So what ISRO did was right i.e test a experimental indian cryogenic engine by launching a experimental satellite(gsat-4) whose failure was restricted to ISRO alone. How dummy a payload can get is upto ISRO to decide. They could not probably launch a empty carton box as a payload.

GSAT-5P is intended to replace INSAT-4E, so its being launched by GSLV with a proven Russian cryogenic engine.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 18 Dec 2010 14:54

Guys,

Almost no one test launches SLVs with a dummy payload.

The only test rockets which carry a Dummy payload are Balistic missiles.

KrishG · Post by **KrishG** » 18 Dec 2010 19:28

Varoon Shekhar wrote:Did Indians themselves upgrade the Russian engine? The assumption was that India imported 7 identical engines. So what accounts for a more powerful version being used on this latest flight? Or is it not the engine but features of the stage, which have made it heavier?

It's the same engine. The change is that the upper stage now carries 15 tons of propellant as compared to 12 tons in the previous GSLV flights (only ones with Russian engines). The Mk-2 with Indian CUS was designed to carry 15 tons of propellant while all the previous flights with Russian engines carried 12 tons.

PratikDas · Post by **PratikDas** » 18 Dec 2010 19:41

ashokpachori wrote:The last time it failed, the culprit was found in the form of fuel boost turbo pump - a complex pump with 4k RPM.

No saar, it is 42k RPM

Varoon Shekhar · Post by **Varoon Shekhar** » 18 Dec 2010 19:46

Thanks Krish, I almost figured that. The confusion came from quickly scanning a media report about a 'bigger more powerful engine".

Will Resourcesat-2 be launched soon after GSAT-5? They were once talking about two launches within one week.

PratikDas · Post by **PratikDas** » 18 Dec 2010 19:53

KrishG wrote:
Varoon Shekhar wrote:Did Indians themselves upgrade the Russian engine? The assumption was that India imported 7 identical engines. So what accounts for a more powerful version being used on this latest flight? Or is it not the engine but features of the stage, which have made it heavier?
It's the same engine. The change is that the upper stage now carries 15 tons of propellant as compared to 12 tons in the previous GSLV flights (only ones with Russian engines). The Mk-2 with Indian CUS was designed to carry 15 tons of propellant while all the previous flights with Russian engines carried 12 tons.

I had credited the article The long road to cryogenic technology dated 15 April 2010 by N. Gopal Raj for being an excellent piece of engineering journalism.

The article states:

Sources told this correspondent that the last two stages supplied by the Russians carry an engine with a maximum thrust of over nine tonnes and are capable of accommodating an additional three tonnes of propellant. The GSLV with this stage would be capable of delivering a payload of 2.5 tonnes into the orbit. With further ground testing, the Indian engine too would be upgraded to a similar thrust level.

ashokpachori · Post by **ashokpachori** » 19 Dec 2010 02:33

PratikDas wrote:
ashokpachori wrote:The last time it failed, the culprit was found in the form of fuel boost turbo pump - a complex pump with 4k RPM.
No saar, it is 42k RPM

"The data clearly shows that combustion [of the cryogenic engine fuel, liquid hydrogen at minus 253 degree Celsius, and the oxidiser, liquid oxygen at minus 183 degree Celsius] had indeed taken place. The rocket's acceleration had increased for a second before it drifted off the designated flight path. Indications are that the turbine that powered the fuel turbo pump had somehow failed. [The propellants are pumped using turbo pumps running around 4,000 rpm.] There could be various reasons for its failure," a senior ISRO scientist told The Hindu.

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/techno ... 402907.ece

SaiK · Post by **SaiK** » 19 Dec 2010 02:49

If we are looking at cheapest ways to get out cryo tested then why not per shiv's post, send couple of test loads perhaps some re-entry vehicle designs?

ashokpachori · Post by **ashokpachori** » 19 Dec 2010 02:56

Pratyush wrote:Guys,

Almost no one test launches SLVs with a dummy payload.

The only test rockets which carry a Dummy payload are Balistic missiles.

Safir-1 was test-launched carrying a dummy satellite on Aug. 17, 2008, and while Iran claimed it was a success, outside analysts stated it failed shortly after liftoff and never reached its intended position.

Atlas Centaur 2 - . Payload: Centaur 2B. Mass: 4,620 kg (10,180 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA Cleveland. Class: Planetary. Type: Lunar probe. Spacecraft: Surveyor. USAF Sat Cat: 694 . COSPAR: 1963-047A. Apogee: 1,478 km (918 mi). Perigee: 469 km (291 mi). Inclination: 30.4000 deg. Period: 104.60 min. Summary: Launch vehicle test. Launch vehicle put dummy payload into geosynchronous transfer orbit. First successful Centaur (liquid hydrogen-fueled) flight.

Surveyor Model - . Payload: Surveyor SD-3. Mass: 784 kg (1,728 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA; JPL. Class: Planetary. Type: Lunar probe. Spacecraft: Surveyor. Decay Date: 1966-05-05. USAF Sat Cat: 2139 . COSPAR: 1966-030A. Apogee: 336 km (208 mi). Perigee: 182 km (113 mi). Inclination: 30.7000 deg. Period: 89.70 min. Summary: Launch vehicle test. Payload was dummy Surveyor spacecraft..

Surveyor; Atlas Centaur 6 - . Payload: Surveyor-SD-2. Mass: 950 kg (2,090 lb). Nation: USA. Agency: NASA; JPL. Class: Planetary. Type: Lunar probe. Spacecraft: Surveyor. USAF Sat Cat: 1503 . COSPAR: 1965-064A. Summary: Centaur AC-6 launched dummy Surveyor payload into a barycentric / translunar orbit..

You want some more ¿¿¿¿¿

ashokpachori · Post by **ashokpachori** » 19 Dec 2010 03:15

Arunkumar wrote:GSAT-4 was a experimental satellite intended for validating new technologies like ion-propulsion, miniaturised dynamically tuned gyros and bus management unit. It did not carry any significant communication infrastructure like that of INSAT-4C, whose failure resulted in delay of launch of DTH services.
So what ISRO did was right i.e test a experimental indian cryogenic engine by launching a experimental satellite(gsat-4) whose failure was restricted to ISRO alone. How dummy a payload can get is upto ISRO to decide. They could not probably launch a empty carton box as a payload.

GSat-4 was carrying the GAGAN payload, the domestic navigational top-up to the US Global Positioning System. It was meant to introduce space-based augmentation to GPS and was part of the modernisation of the country's communication-navigation-surveillance and air traffic management plan (CNS-ATM).

thammu · Post by **thammu** » 19 Dec 2010 09:16

Even the Prestigious National Papers get it Wrong !!!!

http://epaper.expressbuzz.com/NE/NE/201 ... tml?Mode=1

The report mentions:

"INDIA will make a secon bid to join the exclusive clu of spacefaring nations tha employ cryogenic technolo gy when the Indian Spac Re s e a r c h O r g a n i s a t i o (ISRO) once again tests it indigenously developed en gine in its next rocket o Monday evening. This wil be the seventh flight of th Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV).
When the first spacecraft with indigenously developed cryogenic stage (GSLV-D3) tumbled and plunged into the Bay of Bengal 293 seconds after lift off on April 15, ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan had vowed to return to Sriharikota -the country's lone spaceport located nearly 100 km north of Chennai -within a year to prove Team ISRO’s cryogenic capability.

Though he has done that without getting bogged down by the failure of GSLV-D3 -the maiden mission in his tenure as chairman from October 31, 2009 -it needs to be seen if he gets it right in the second attempt.

The launch of GSAT-5P, an exclusive communication satellite weighing 2,310 kg, into space by GSLV-F06 will be keenly watched by the international spacefaring community as its sucess will be a proof of India’s cryogenic capability.

Scientists and engineers in ISRO are hopeful of the GSLV-F06 sucessfully placing the satellite in its geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) as the reason for the earlier GSLV-D3 flight conking off in the sky had been identified and corrective measures incorporated in the latest 51 metre tall rocket.

The spacecraft weighing 418 tonnes will be fired in three stages. The first stage has a core motor with 138 tonnes of solid propellant and four strap-on motors each with 42 tonnes of hy

pergolic liquid propellants.
The second stage has 39.4 tonnes of hypergolic liquid propellant and the third is the cryogenic stage with 15.3 tonne of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.
If all the stages fire as per specifications, the rocket will place the satellite on a GTO, from which it will be moved to 36,000 km high geostationary orbit. Once there, it will go around the earth for the next 13.7 years.

Fifth in the GSAT series, GSAT-5P is expected to augment the services provided by the Indian National Satellite System (INSAT). The commissioning of INSAT in 1983 with the launch of INSAT-1B satellite has brought about a revolution in the country's broadcasting and telecommunication and meteorological systems.

Since 2001, the ISRO has been using the GSLV that can take satellites weighing 2,000 kg and above to space.
Two of the six flights had f ailed. In the first five launches, the cryo genic stage had motors imported from Russia -one of them failed in 2006. The sixth one had indigenously developed motors, but it also flopped.

"

PratikDas · Post by **PratikDas** » 19 Dec 2010 13:05

ashokpachori wrote: ---
"The data clearly shows that combustion [of the cryogenic engine fuel, liquid hydrogen at minus 253 degree Celsius, and the oxidiser, liquid oxygen at minus 183 degree Celsius] had indeed taken place. The rocket's acceleration had increased for a second before it drifted off the designated flight path. Indications are that the turbine that powered the fuel turbo pump had somehow failed. [The propellants are pumped using turbo pumps running around 4,000 rpm.] There could be various reasons for its failure," a senior ISRO scientist told The Hindu.
http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/techno ... 402907.ece

The article you've quoted clearly has a typo because cryogenic engine turbines don't run at such low RPM. You can check Vulcain and various Russian engine specs on the web. Anyway, the correct value is somewhere between 39K RPM and 40K RPM, and here are two references from the ISRO brochure for GSLV-D3 / GSAT-4: