Indian Space Program: News & Discussions
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ISRO plans Venus Mission for 2023, invites International Payloads
Isro’s Venus mission will focus on studying the surface and the sub-surface of the planet, atmospheric chemistry, and the interactions with solar radiation or solar winds.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has invited international proposals for scientific payloads for its second interplanetary mission to Venus in mid-2023, which is planned within a year of the first planned human spaceflight mission in 2022.
India will send 12 scientific payloads aboard the satellite for the Venus mission, including a thermal camera, mass spectrometer and cloud monitoring camera. The final spacecraft is likely to have a payload capacity of close to 100 kg, with 500W of power, according to the Isro website.The satellite is likely to be launched into a highly-inclined orbit of 500x60,000 km around Venus. The apoapsis, or the point when the satellite is furthest away from Venus, will gradually reduce over several months. Venus is considered to be Earth’s “twin sister” because of similarities in size, mass, density, composition and gravity. The mission will focus on studying the surface and the sub-surface of the planet, atmospheric chemistry, and the interactions with solar radiation or solar winds.
“This is the natural progression for Isro. For years, India’s space missions focussed on its local and economic usability. If the organisation has to progress and compete with other major space programmes, it will have to look at pure exploratory missions like Chandryaan and Mangalyaan,” said Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, head of the Nuclear and Space Policy Initiative at Observer Research Foundation.
“This will establish Isro’s image as a low-cost launcher and to address capacity deficit in Isro’s for catering to the commercial needs, it will help to open up the space sector for collaborations with private players using tried and tested launch vehicles like the PSLV,” she said.
Isro has also invited proposals for experiments to be conducted on a microgravity platform aboard its human spaceflight programme. The experiments will be conducted remotely at an orbit of nearly 400 kms from earth, either inside an enclosure with earth-like temperature and pressure or outside it.
Isro plans Venus mission for 2023, invites international payloads
P.S. The Venus Mission has been named Shukrayaan-1
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... ISRO Chairman Dr. K. Sivan today in his post-launch briefing said that Gaganyaan (HSF)'s Unmanned Test will be conducted in December 2020. While the First Manned Mission will be undertaken in December 2021 ...
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Information regarding the HySIS (Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite), scheduled for launch later this month:
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GSLV Mk.III D-2 Launch Pics:
GSAT-29, a HTS (High-Throughput Satellite) carrying Ka/Ku-band transponders, as well as an experimental Q/V-Band communication payload (for technology demonstration at these higher frequency bands), a geo-stationary high resolution camera (Geo-Eye), and also acts as a testbed for an Optical Communications Payload - first Indian satellite to deploy that for data transmission:
@Amal @Ashwin @randomradio @vstol Jockey @Picdelamirand-oil @GuardianRED @Abingdonboy
Isro’s Venus mission will focus on studying the surface and the sub-surface of the planet, atmospheric chemistry, and the interactions with solar radiation or solar winds.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has invited international proposals for scientific payloads for its second interplanetary mission to Venus in mid-2023, which is planned within a year of the first planned human spaceflight mission in 2022.
India will send 12 scientific payloads aboard the satellite for the Venus mission, including a thermal camera, mass spectrometer and cloud monitoring camera. The final spacecraft is likely to have a payload capacity of close to 100 kg, with 500W of power, according to the Isro website.The satellite is likely to be launched into a highly-inclined orbit of 500x60,000 km around Venus. The apoapsis, or the point when the satellite is furthest away from Venus, will gradually reduce over several months. Venus is considered to be Earth’s “twin sister” because of similarities in size, mass, density, composition and gravity. The mission will focus on studying the surface and the sub-surface of the planet, atmospheric chemistry, and the interactions with solar radiation or solar winds.
“This is the natural progression for Isro. For years, India’s space missions focussed on its local and economic usability. If the organisation has to progress and compete with other major space programmes, it will have to look at pure exploratory missions like Chandryaan and Mangalyaan,” said Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, head of the Nuclear and Space Policy Initiative at Observer Research Foundation.
“This will establish Isro’s image as a low-cost launcher and to address capacity deficit in Isro’s for catering to the commercial needs, it will help to open up the space sector for collaborations with private players using tried and tested launch vehicles like the PSLV,” she said.
Isro has also invited proposals for experiments to be conducted on a microgravity platform aboard its human spaceflight programme. The experiments will be conducted remotely at an orbit of nearly 400 kms from earth, either inside an enclosure with earth-like temperature and pressure or outside it.
Isro plans Venus mission for 2023, invites international payloads
P.S. The Venus Mission has been named Shukrayaan-1
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... ISRO Chairman Dr. K. Sivan today in his post-launch briefing said that Gaganyaan (HSF)'s Unmanned Test will be conducted in December 2020. While the First Manned Mission will be undertaken in December 2021 ...
++++
Information regarding the HySIS (Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite), scheduled for launch later this month:
++++
GSLV Mk.III D-2 Launch Pics:
GSAT-29, a HTS (High-Throughput Satellite) carrying Ka/Ku-band transponders, as well as an experimental Q/V-Band communication payload (for technology demonstration at these higher frequency bands), a geo-stationary high resolution camera (Geo-Eye), and also acts as a testbed for an Optical Communications Payload - first Indian satellite to deploy that for data transmission:
@Amal @Ashwin @randomradio @vstol Jockey @Picdelamirand-oil @GuardianRED @Abingdonboy
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Large CNC machine handed over to ISRO
It's both a matter of relief & joy that HMT is not only surviving but also productive in its ventures.
@Milspec @Amal
It's both a matter of relief & joy that HMT is not only surviving but also productive in its ventures.
@Milspec @Amal
It is, and I just hope they keep getting better. Back in school here, think I visited westec twice when we wanted to buy a vmc for the mfg lab. I encountered an inexpensive auto lathe built by a privately owned Indian machine tool from Bangalore, I was very happy to see India being represented at westec . I hope HMT's can build themselves as a name to reckon with in the precision machining industry as it was intended to.
My first stint with CNC machines was as an trainee engineer in HAL just learning to write g-codes and simulate tool paths, and what I learnt was fascinating, For manufacturing a Russian Mig21 aircraft almost all of the machining on CNC's happened on American, japanese and British made CNC machines. MKI parts being built on German, Japanese and American machines. The only area where I say local machines were in the aero fastners area's , there were some HMT SPM's built for High Volume production.
PSLV launch a boost for smallsat IoT, remote-sensing constellations
by Caleb Henry — November 29, 2018
WASHINGTON — Planet, Spire, BlackSky Global, Kepler Communications and several other startups made progress deploying constellations of communications and remote-sensing satellites last night thanks to the launch of an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.
A total of 30 small satellites flew as secondary payloads with the Indian Space Research Organisation’s HysIS hyperspectral imaging satellite when it launched Nov. 29 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center on the Indian island of Sriharikota at 11:28 p.m. Eastern. The 380-kilogram HysIS satellite separated from the rocket in low Earth orbit roughly 17 minutes after liftoff. Smaller payloads from eight countries deployed into LEO over the next 92 minutes.
In a statement, Spire CEO Peter Platzer said the company now has more than 60 satellites in orbit. “This work with ESA helps further support the global development of commercial aerospace’s potential to make space access universal,” he said. Planet and Spire are the two largest cubesat constellation operators in the world, with Planet counting for almost half of all satellites between 1 and 50 kilograms that launched last year.
BlackSky Global has another satellite, Global-2, launching Dec. 2 on SpaceX’s upcoming SmallSat Express mission, and two more in the first quarter of next year: Global-3 on another PSLV and Global-4 on a Rocket Lab Electron.
The launch carried Hiber’s first satellite, Kepler’s second and the third for Fleet. Dutch startup Hiber, formerly Magnitude Space, plans a constellation of dozens of small satellites and partnered with Iridium last year to serve different types of IoT customers.
Australian startup Fleet plans to operate up to 100 satellites and Kepler up to 140 satellites.
The launch was ISRO’s fourth PSLV launch of the year and sixth overall launch for 2018.
PSLV launch a boost for smallsat IoT, remote-sensing constellations - SpaceNews.com
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Clean room/reverberation chamber pics of ISRO's Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite (HySIS) prior to launch:
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Press Kit and launch brochure with list of satellite payloads and purpose of each:
PSLV-C43 / HysIS Mission - Press kit - ISRO
by Caleb Henry — November 29, 2018
WASHINGTON — Planet, Spire, BlackSky Global, Kepler Communications and several other startups made progress deploying constellations of communications and remote-sensing satellites last night thanks to the launch of an Indian Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.
A total of 30 small satellites flew as secondary payloads with the Indian Space Research Organisation’s HysIS hyperspectral imaging satellite when it launched Nov. 29 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center on the Indian island of Sriharikota at 11:28 p.m. Eastern. The 380-kilogram HysIS satellite separated from the rocket in low Earth orbit roughly 17 minutes after liftoff. Smaller payloads from eight countries deployed into LEO over the next 92 minutes.
- Earth-observation company Planet had the most satellites on the PSLV mission, launching 16 Dove cubesats under the name Flock-3R. Those satellites join Planet’s fleet of more than 100 optical-imaging satellites.
- Spire, a company that provides weather, ship-tracking and aircraft-tracking information from space, had the next highest passenger count with four Lemur cubesats onboard. The European Space Agency co-funded two of the four satellites through its Advanced Research in Telecommunications Systems division to further improve the gathering of weather data from satellite navigation signals as they pass through the atmosphere, a process referred to as GNSS-RO.
In a statement, Spire CEO Peter Platzer said the company now has more than 60 satellites in orbit. “This work with ESA helps further support the global development of commercial aerospace’s potential to make space access universal,” he said. Planet and Spire are the two largest cubesat constellation operators in the world, with Planet counting for almost half of all satellites between 1 and 50 kilograms that launched last year.
- BlackSky Global launched Global-1, its first operational satellite of an envisioned 60-satellite constellation for global, high-resolution imagery of the Earth. The company launched a demonstration mission called Pathfinder-1 in 2016.
BlackSky Global has another satellite, Global-2, launching Dec. 2 on SpaceX’s upcoming SmallSat Express mission, and two more in the first quarter of next year: Global-3 on another PSLV and Global-4 on a Rocket Lab Electron.
- Kepler Communications, Fleet, and Hiber, three startups targeting the Internet of Things (IoT) market, each launched cubesats for their constellations.
The launch carried Hiber’s first satellite, Kepler’s second and the third for Fleet. Dutch startup Hiber, formerly Magnitude Space, plans a constellation of dozens of small satellites and partnered with Iridium last year to serve different types of IoT customers.
Australian startup Fleet plans to operate up to 100 satellites and Kepler up to 140 satellites.
- Additional payloads include Harris Corp.’s HSAT-1 technology demonstration mission, Geooptic’s Cicero-8 weather satellite and Reaktor Space Lab’s experimental miniaturized infrared hyperspectral imaging satellite, Reaktor Hello World.
- The PSLV launch also carried Innosat-2 from Malaysia, Facsat from Colombia and 3CAT-1 from Spain.
The launch was ISRO’s fourth PSLV launch of the year and sixth overall launch for 2018.
PSLV launch a boost for smallsat IoT, remote-sensing constellations - SpaceNews.com
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Clean room/reverberation chamber pics of ISRO's Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite (HySIS) prior to launch:
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Press Kit and launch brochure with list of satellite payloads and purpose of each:
PSLV-C43 / HysIS Mission - Press kit - ISRO
Images of HysIS Mission:
All images Courtesy: ISRO
Transportation of PSLV-C43 First Stage Nozzle end Segment
Hoisting of PSLV-C43 First Stage Nozzle end Segment
All images Courtesy: ISRO
Transportation of PSLV-C43 First Stage Nozzle end Segment
Hoisting of PSLV-C43 First Stage Nozzle end Segment
Well I am no expert but I think our capital goods industry is maturing, India's annual machine tools production is already 7000 crore, with most of it being CNC metal cutting machines.
There is a good push from the government to develop or acquire technology for CG sector for bridging the technology gaps that exist in our industry.
A centre of excellence for machine tools has been set up in IIT Madras which works jointly with the industry. Such industry academicia collaboration is rather unheard of in India.
AMTDC | Background
They are developing advanced machine tools and associated technologies & these projects are co-funded by the department of heavy industries & industrial partners.
AMTDC | Current Projects
One of the machines, a Multi tasking turnmill capable of 5 axis machining was launched in 2017. You might remember it from my some old posts of mine where I countered a Bangladeshi troll in another forum
A multi axes universal machining centre with X,Y & Z axis travels of some 3000 mm X 3000 mm X 1500 mm is under development.
Also, IISC Bangalore is working with Wipro 3D to develop India's first production grade 3D printer with DHI support.
Anyway I think I've gone off tangent here. Maybe I should start a 'Made in India' thread here.
@_Anonymous_
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News roundup...
Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) heaviest and most-advanced high throughput communication satellite GSAT-11 was successfully launched from the Spaceport in French Guiana during the early hours today.
GSAT-11 HTS (High-Throughput Satellite) in Clean Room prior to shipping to French Guiana. GSAT-11 reportedly has a throughput rate of 16 Gbps (which itself is a leap over the >1 Gbps data rates of non-HTS satellites), whereas future satellites from ISRO's HTS range will have speeds to the tune of ~100 Gbps.
The launch vehicle Ariane 5 VA-246 lifted off from Kourou Launch Base, French Guiana at 02:07 am (IST) carrying India’s GSAT-11 and South Korea’s GEO-KOMPSAT-2A satellites, as scheduled. Ariane 5 is one of three launch vehicles operated by Arianespace along with Soyuz and Vega. After a 30-min flight, GSAT-11 separated from the Ariane 5 upper stage in an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. The achieved orbit was very close to the intended one.
The 5,854-kg GSAT-11 will provide high data rate connectivity to users of Indian mainland and islands through 32 user beams in Ku-band and 8 hub beams in Ka-band. “GSAT-11 will boost the broadband connectivity to rural and inaccessible Gram Panchayats in the country coming under the Bharat Net Project, which is part of Digital India Programme,” ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan said.
The Bharat Net Project aims to enhance the public welfare schemes like e-banking, e-health, e-governance among others.
He said GSAT-11 will act as a forerunner to all future high throughput communication satellites. “Today’s successful mission has boosted the confidence of the entire team,” Dr Sivan added. Post-separation, ISRO's Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka took over the command and control of GSAT-11 and found its health parameters normal.
Ariane-5 VA-246 liftoff from Kourou, French Guiana, carrying the GSAT-11 as well as a South Korean satellite
The scientists will undertake phase-wise orbit-raising manoeuvres in the days ahead to place the satellite in the Geostationary Orbit (36,000 km above the equator) using its on-board propulsion systems. GSAT-11 will be positioned at 74-degree east longitude in the geostationary orbit.
Subsequently, the two solar arrays and four antenna reflectors of GSAT-11 will be deployed in orbit. The satellite will be operational after the successful completion of all in-orbit tests.
In the last 21 days, ISRO successfully completed three satellite and two launch vehicle missions.
India’s heaviest communication satellite GSAT-11 launched successfully from French Guiana - ISRO
UPDATE: As of today, all the Orbit-Raising Maneuvers on the GSAT-11 have been successfully performed by ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF), Hassan.
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This month, APOM presents ultraviolet images of the globular cluster NGC 288, located at a distance of around 30,000 light years in the constellation Sculptor. This cluster was first described by John Dreyer in 1888. This is the second globular cluster in the APOM series, the first one being NGC 1851, presented a year ago. A globular cluster is a very large group of stars formed from the same cloud of gas and dust at nearly the same time. They are called globular because of the spherical distribution of stars, and each cluster is held together as a single entity by the gravity of the star members. Globular clusters are few of the oldest known objects in our galaxy. The stars in NGC 288 are believed to be nearly 12.6 billion years old.
The Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) on AstroSat has been used to image the stars in NGC 288 in the ultraviolet light, by a group of researchers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, and the National Research Council of Canada. The number of stars seen in the far-ultraviolet light are fewer than those seen in the near-ultraviolet light, and the reason for this is that only the hottest stars are seen in the far-ultraviolet.
Since globular clusters have very old stars, many of the heavier ones have already evolved to later phases of stellar lives (eg. red giant stars, horizontal branch stars). About 115 hot horizontal branch stars having surface temperature nearly twice that of the surface of Sun have been detected in NGC 288 using the near and far-ultraviolet filters of UVIT. A couple of very hot stars (extreme horizontal branch stars) whose whose surface temperatures are nearly five times that of the Solar surface have also been found. Using a combination of ultraviolet and optical light, these researchers have also identified 68 blue stragglers in this cluster. A blue straggler is a star formed when two stars either merge or transfer mass between them. Such stars have been mostly found in globular clusters where the star density is high. The capabilities of UVIT have made it easy for the researchers to see and inspect hot stars towards the cluster individually, allowing them to study the properties of each star, such as the mass and temperature.
AstroSat Picture of the Month Nov, 2018 - ISRO
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Hi-res download: Glimpse of HyperSpectral Data Captured by HySIS - ISRO
India’s heaviest communication satellite GSAT-11 launched successfully from French Guiana
Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) heaviest and most-advanced high throughput communication satellite GSAT-11 was successfully launched from the Spaceport in French Guiana during the early hours today.
GSAT-11 HTS (High-Throughput Satellite) in Clean Room prior to shipping to French Guiana. GSAT-11 reportedly has a throughput rate of 16 Gbps (which itself is a leap over the >1 Gbps data rates of non-HTS satellites), whereas future satellites from ISRO's HTS range will have speeds to the tune of ~100 Gbps.
The 5,854-kg GSAT-11 will provide high data rate connectivity to users of Indian mainland and islands through 32 user beams in Ku-band and 8 hub beams in Ka-band. “GSAT-11 will boost the broadband connectivity to rural and inaccessible Gram Panchayats in the country coming under the Bharat Net Project, which is part of Digital India Programme,” ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan said.
The Bharat Net Project aims to enhance the public welfare schemes like e-banking, e-health, e-governance among others.
He said GSAT-11 will act as a forerunner to all future high throughput communication satellites. “Today’s successful mission has boosted the confidence of the entire team,” Dr Sivan added. Post-separation, ISRO's Master Control Facility at Hassan in Karnataka took over the command and control of GSAT-11 and found its health parameters normal.
Ariane-5 VA-246 liftoff from Kourou, French Guiana, carrying the GSAT-11 as well as a South Korean satellite
The scientists will undertake phase-wise orbit-raising manoeuvres in the days ahead to place the satellite in the Geostationary Orbit (36,000 km above the equator) using its on-board propulsion systems. GSAT-11 will be positioned at 74-degree east longitude in the geostationary orbit.
Subsequently, the two solar arrays and four antenna reflectors of GSAT-11 will be deployed in orbit. The satellite will be operational after the successful completion of all in-orbit tests.
In the last 21 days, ISRO successfully completed three satellite and two launch vehicle missions.
India’s heaviest communication satellite GSAT-11 launched successfully from French Guiana - ISRO
UPDATE: As of today, all the Orbit-Raising Maneuvers on the GSAT-11 have been successfully performed by ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF), Hassan.
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AstroSat Picture of the Month (APOM) Nov, 2018
Hot Ultraviolet stars in the Globular Cluster NGC 288
Hot Ultraviolet stars in the Globular Cluster NGC 288
This month, APOM presents ultraviolet images of the globular cluster NGC 288, located at a distance of around 30,000 light years in the constellation Sculptor. This cluster was first described by John Dreyer in 1888. This is the second globular cluster in the APOM series, the first one being NGC 1851, presented a year ago. A globular cluster is a very large group of stars formed from the same cloud of gas and dust at nearly the same time. They are called globular because of the spherical distribution of stars, and each cluster is held together as a single entity by the gravity of the star members. Globular clusters are few of the oldest known objects in our galaxy. The stars in NGC 288 are believed to be nearly 12.6 billion years old.
The Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (UVIT) on AstroSat has been used to image the stars in NGC 288 in the ultraviolet light, by a group of researchers from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, and the National Research Council of Canada. The number of stars seen in the far-ultraviolet light are fewer than those seen in the near-ultraviolet light, and the reason for this is that only the hottest stars are seen in the far-ultraviolet.
Since globular clusters have very old stars, many of the heavier ones have already evolved to later phases of stellar lives (eg. red giant stars, horizontal branch stars). About 115 hot horizontal branch stars having surface temperature nearly twice that of the surface of Sun have been detected in NGC 288 using the near and far-ultraviolet filters of UVIT. A couple of very hot stars (extreme horizontal branch stars) whose whose surface temperatures are nearly five times that of the Solar surface have also been found. Using a combination of ultraviolet and optical light, these researchers have also identified 68 blue stragglers in this cluster. A blue straggler is a star formed when two stars either merge or transfer mass between them. Such stars have been mostly found in globular clusters where the star density is high. The capabilities of UVIT have made it easy for the researchers to see and inspect hot stars towards the cluster individually, allowing them to study the properties of each star, such as the mass and temperature.
AstroSat Picture of the Month Nov, 2018 - ISRO
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HySIS First day Image
The 1st Day image from the Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite HysIS, was acquired at NRSC Hyderabad on 02 December 2018, covering parts of Lakhpat in Gujarat. The sample color composite image represents VNIR spectral bands.
The 1st Day image from the Hyperspectral Imaging Satellite HysIS, was acquired at NRSC Hyderabad on 02 December 2018, covering parts of Lakhpat in Gujarat. The sample color composite image represents VNIR spectral bands.
Glimpse of HyperSpectral Data Captured by HySIS
Hyperspectral Cubes of different terrain conditions and sample spectral plots, depicting different features
Hyperspectral Cubes of different terrain conditions and sample spectral plots, depicting different features
Hi-res download: Glimpse of HyperSpectral Data Captured by HySIS - ISRO
Maybe I should start a 'Made in India' thread here.
@_Anonymous_
For some reason, I didn't receive the alert. Just read your post today. I think you should go right ahead and create besides updating regularly an MII thread. Ditto for the automobile thread too.
ISRO to Bring Dead Last Stage of PSLV Back to Life as Experimental Platform
NEW DELHI: Can a dead rocket in space be anything but debris? Isro believes it might actually be useful. Feted for its frugality and tech savvy, the Indian Space Research Organisation is working on a new technology where it will use the last stage of the PSLV rocket for space experiments. It will perform a technology demonstration of this new system when it launches the PSLV C44 rocket in January.
Talking to TOI here, ISRO chairman K Sivan said, “Normally, the last stage of a PSLV rocket after releasing the primary satellite in space becomes dead and categorised as debris. It remains in the same orbit as that of the released satellite. Now, we are working on a new technology where we will give life to this “dead” last stage of PSLV, also called PS4 stage, for six months after its launch. This rocket stage will double up as a satellite. This will be the most cost-effective way to perform experiments in space as we don’t have to launch a separate rocket for the purpose.” He said that “India is the only country in the world that is working on this new technology”.
Graphic: Times of India
Explaining the technology, the chairman said, “The rocket stage of PSLV C44, which will be carrying a microsat as the primary satellite in January, will be made alive with the help of new systems that will include batteries and solar panel. Even after the primary satellite separates from the PSLV, the last stage of the rocket will remain active and can be used as an experimental platform for new space technologies. Students or space scientists can use this “alive” rocket stage for space experiments for free. They can attach their small experimental module or satellite (micro or nano) in the last stage and can perform experiments in space once the PSLV delivers the primary satellite into its orbit.” He said that Isro “can do the same with the GSLV rocket as well where we can use its last stage as an experimental platform”.
Sivan said ISRO is going to make an "announcement of opportunity in a few days to invite proposals from students & scientists to make use of this new technology".
Till now, space agencies around the world can use a rocket only once to deliver satellites in space. Elon Musk-promoted SpaceX is the only exception as the US private space agency has mastered the technology of repeating the same rocket stage for re-launches. However, SpaceX's experiments with its Falcon 9 rocket are confined to the first stage, it has also never experimented with the last stage.
In a first, Isro will make dead rocket stage ‘alive’ in space for experiments - Times of India
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GSLV-F11 Mission Preparation (GSLV Mk.2)
First Stage Central Section: Consists of a single S139 solid-fuel rocket booster forming the core of the first stage
First Stage Strap-ons: 4 x strap-on L40 liquid motors, each housing a Vikas engine. The S139 together with the 4 x L40s comprises the First Stage of the GSLV Mk.2
Second Stage: Also called GL40 stage, comprising of a single liquid-fueled High-Thrust Vikas engine (improved variant of Vikas recently developed & tested)
Third stage: The part with the most complicated & advanced propulsion - consisting of a single Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) section, which so far had used a CE-7.5 or more recently CE-12.5 engine (the number corresponding to the tons of fuel loading on that model), for this mission, is believed to be using the new CE-15 variant with 15 tons of propellant load
Payload: The payload of the F11 mission, the GSAT-7A strategic communications satellite intended for the Indian Air Force (IAF), being enclosed inside the Payload Fairing of the GSLV Mk.2 in a Clean Room
Complete: The fully assembled GSLV Mk.2, still inside the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), undergoing final checks before being carted off to the launch pad
The Payload: GSAT-7A
Solar panels integrated & unfolded
Hoisted in preparation for loading into a Thermo-Vacuum Chamber for testing
Inside Anechoic Chamber for Electromagnetic Interference/Compatibility (EMI/EMC) testing
Launch date set for December 19
@randomradio @Hellfire @Milspec @Ashwin @GuardianRED @Sumanta