Indian Space Program: News & Discussions

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Would it be simpler to perfect the crew capsule and docking mechanism (to existing standard) and use/share with the existing ISS ?

What is the expected lifetime of existing ISS? I read 2024 or thereabouts, though I'm not sure about extensions. Given that and the timeline of Indian development of docking mechanism conforming to current standards, given that SPADEX is still on ground at the best as components, since I gather from the forum it is in dev stage for related technology of systems that go into the 'spadex' and not an integrated system of system, would there be a ISS when we are up and ready?
 
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Generally the vibe has been that semi cryogenic program has been far less problematic than cryogenic engine program was.
Plenty of reasons for that belief.
Firstly, we all know production, transportation, storage, handling of cryogenic substances are a pain in the back sides. The fact that we have developed,produced and used cryo engines gives us the experience we need here. A lot of those processes are directly transferable here.
Secondly, the engine to be produced(SCE-200) runs on a staged-combustion cycle, the same combustion cycle is used by the CE-7.5, this is not our first time dealing with staged-combustion. Only difference is size and thrust.
With regard to clustering, it will be challenging but it’s not a concept unknown to them. They have done it on a smaller scale in gslv. That might be why they are more confident of this- experience.
Yep. The only thing new in clustering is the magnitude of power produced by a single engine.
Playing the Bad guy (and not using the poverty card) .
How goes one justify the need to build a space station and what are the benefits of having one?. Would it be simpler to perfect the crew capsule and docking mechanism (to existing standard) and use/share with the existing ISS ?
There are always benifits to having a SS. For example you have a direct say in setting the standards for future SS. Problem with the ISS is that it wont be around for long and everything that was to be done has already been done. There is nothing left for us to do, so even if we dock to the ISS we are at best going to be a spectator with a really good seat. Of course there are other benefits like conducting micro-gravity experiments and experience in building a SS on our own.
 
Plenty of reasons for that belief.
Firstly, we all know production, transportation, storage, handling of cryogenic substances are a pain in the back sides. The fact that we have developed,produced and used cryo engines gives us the experience we need here. A lot of those processes are directly transferable here.
Secondly, the engine to be produced(SCE-200) runs on a staged-combustion cycle, the same combustion cycle is used by the CE-7.5, this is not our first time dealing with staged-combustion. Only difference is size and thrust.

Yep. The only thing new in clustering is the magnitude of power produced by a single engine.

There are always benifits to having a SS. For example you have a direct say in setting the standards for future SS. Problem with the ISS is that it wont be around for long and everything that was to be done has already been done. There is nothing left for us to do, so even if we dock to the ISS we are at best going to be a spectator with a really good seat. Of course there are other benefits like conducting micro-gravity experiments and experience in building a SS on our own.
Point Noted :)
Do you have any write up on micro gravity experiments that have resulted in real life benefits for eg in the field of medicine ?

+

Is ISRO is any way planning to get into Space Tourism business?
 
Do you have any write up on micro gravity experiments that have resulted in real life benefits for eg in the field of medicine ?
Most micro gravity experiment are done on living organisms(microbes, bacteria, mice and what not) to observe and understand the effects of reduced gravity on a living being(or cell). These experiments allow us to understand life and evolution without gravity. Since all living beings on the planet were born and evolved under earth's gravity, we don't fully understand the effects of reduced or lack of gravity for prolonged periods on living beings and how to prevent/rectify them. Real life benefits of micro gravity drugs aren't for you and me, its for the folks that stay in ISS or go to moon and return to earth. Its for them to recover after their journey and stay outside earth's gravity.

You will hear a lot of buzz these days regarding Moon base/Mars base. Long term stay off the Earth let alone permanent bases would need us to know reasonably accurately that these humans, evolved to live on Earth can survive on their new home. That's why micro gravity experiments are important.
Is ISRO is any way planning to get into Space Tourism business?
ISRO much like many govt. organisations has a knack for using buzzwords without really meaning it. You will see them mentioning Space Tourism alot recently. But they, as of now, have no such capability. Even if they did I highly doubt they could have done tourism on it, its a govt. organisation after all. Tourism is going to be done by private sector not ISRO, if and when that happens.

Privatisation of PSLV, launch and success of SSLV and the SS will be crucial for future space tourism.
 
AESA Radar of RISAT-1 SAR satellite. The successor of RISAT-1 satellite i.e. RISAT-1A will be launched this year.

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ISRO much like many govt. organisations has a knack for using buzzwords without really meaning it. You will see them mentioning Space Tourism alot recently. But they, as of now, have no such capability.

Sir, wasn't that criticism a bit unfair given Dr K Sivan, CM ISRO/ Sec DOS , himself clarified ISRO is not planning for space tourism or any of that stuff when he was enquired specifically about the same during the presser in which he also mentioned about the small space-station ?

India planning to have own space station: ISRO chief

Sir, kindly read the statetment : " By planning a space station, the ISRO is "not thinking of space tourism", he said. "
 
Sir, wasn't that criticism a bit unfair given Dr K Sivan, CM ISRO/ Sec DOS , himself clarified ISRO is not planning for space tourism or any of that stuff when he was enquired specifically about the same during the presser in which he also mentioned about the small space-station ?
A lot of ISRO's publications talked about Space Tourism, New space, Privatisation etc. , so the inquiry about Space tourism by some journalist was a valid one. Dr. K Sivan, Chairman of ISRO, clarified his position by stating ISRO wasn't thinking of it. His statement will carry more weight than some random publication and should effectively put an end to that space tourism debate. A debate that was sparked by ISRO's own publications, there in lies the contradiction. I suppose the scientist/engineers must keep an open mind to dream about new ideas, however strange/ridiculous they maybe, but the Chairman must remain sober, undeterred and always grounded to reality.

I wasn't really criticising. Let me explain. ISRO has its own interpretation of all of the buzz term that it uses, that interpretation is very different than what most other countries think of the same term. My only grouse is not ISRO's unique interpretation of emerging trends, but their insistence on using those buzz words. Here is an example :

If you look at the term "New space", you will find that its an American term to designate all the new start ups, private industries investing in space domain often getting help from the NASA(like SpaceX, Blue origin etc). Where as our interpretation of New Space is different. DoS just created a NewSpace company that will work like the Antrix corporation. It will be doing satellite launches for domestic and foreign customers, but unlike the Antrix it won't be tied to ISRO. It will have its own production capability, it own leadership etc. Private companies like L&T, Godrej and Boyce aerospace, Tata aerospace etc will be doing contract manufacturing for the Newspace company.
Our approach is clearly different from US and we don't know how it will pan out. But why use the American term "Newspace" ? Let's just call it something else.

That's what I meant by ISRO using buzz words without actually meaning it. Their interpretation is almost always different.
 
I wasn't really criticising. Let me explain. ISRO has its own interpretation of all of the buzz term that it uses, that interpretation is very different than what most other countries think of the same term. My only grouse is not ISRO's unique interpretation of emerging trends, but their insistence on using those buzz words. Here is an example :

Fair enough, Sir. I have nothing against that, rather I tend to agree to your observations
 
I'll just post a theory I've had in my mind ever since the Space Station was announced. I'll take some photos I posted before to support my theory.

1560835498815.png

Assuming this graphic picture of the SS is accurate(I mean it was used by ISRO, can't get more accurate than that), its safe to assume the SS will have two modules that will be docked together in orbit. This set up is exactly how the SPADEX was designed. For them to start designing the SS module docking interfaces, the SPADEX must happen as soon as possible. SPADEX will probably be done in 2019 or in 2020, it was previously believed by many that SPADEX will be carried out much later.
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Also, Dr. Sivan said the SS is going to be around 20 tons, each module must weigh around 10 tons. The GSLV Mk3 with the SCE-200 core stage is going to have payload capacity of 6.5 tons GTO and ~11 tons LEO. So we should be able to launch the SS with a couple of launches and can expand the SS, if needed.
The SCE-200 stage should be ready by around 2021-22.
1560837498020.png


Therefore the SCE-200 testing in Ukraine must be nearing an end and the engine components must be working glitch free. For ISRO to go out and announce SS shows a level of confidence which is probably bourne out of this engine.

Interesting times ahead.
 
Space station are national projects, ISRO should involve private sector too

ISRO should invite private sector to join in building the proposed space station.

Written by Ajey Lele | Updated: June 18, 2019 10:49:01 am
Ajay Lele, a research fellow at IDSA, Delhi, is author of 'Mission Mars: Indias Quest for the Red Planet

isro.jpg


ISRO has mentioned it would start planning for the station only after the successful completion of a manned space flight, slated for 2022.
Last week, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) head K Sivan spoke about India building its own space station by the end of the next decade. The announcement came as a surprise, but ISRO seems to have been working on this project for some time. The first indication came in 2017 when Rs 10 crore was budgeted for an orbital rendezvous and docking experiment between two satellites. Docking expertise is essential when two separate free-flying units in space are required to physically link with each other. This technique is important to link the space shuttle with the space station. The second indication was when the human space flight mission (2021/22) was announced in August 2018. This suggested that India was preparing to undertake microgravity experimentation.

India’s space station is expected to be very small with limited utility. It would be placed in an orbit, 400 km above earth. ISRO has mentioned it would start planning for the station only after the successful completion of a manned space flight, slated for 2022. ISRO has now called for proposals for experiments, including docking, to be carried out on the orbiting platform (PS4-OP). For the last few years, ISRO has been experimenting with its PSLV rocket in different ways. Now, a single PSLV rocket can put satellites in different orbits. PSLV launch vehicle is a four-stage rocket. On two occasions (PSLV-C44 and PSLV-C45 missions) in 2019, ISRO successfully converted the fourth stage (PS4) of the rocket into an orbital laboratory. Such laboratories are normally hosted on space stations.

Since the project is in the inception stage, some questions about the proposed space station should be asked.

First, is India trying to reinvent the wheel? Should India not have participated in the International Space Station (ISS) experiment? The ISS is now in the last leg of its existence and is expected to become redundant during 2024-28. India could not have been a part of the ISS in its heyday since it was excluded from such projects because of Delhi’s nuclear policy; ISRO and DRDO were taken out of the export control list only in 2011.

Second, what are the scientific benefits of microgravity experimentation? It offers the scientific community a range of subjects to conduct research in, from astronomy and meteorology to biology and medicine. Also, materials is one arena where India should make major investments. Breakthroughs in this field would have major commercial and strategic benefits.

Third, why is India planning for a very small space station? ISS, which is a joint project of 16 countries (the US, Russia, Europe, Japan, etc), is a 400-tonne station, while the proposed Chinese space station (Tiangong programme) is likely to be a 80-tonne station. India is proposing a 20-tonne station to serve as a facility where astronauts can stay for 15 to 20 days. Would it not be wise to have a project with much bigger dimensions where scientists can stay longer? There is a need for ISRO to learn from the past experiences of missions to the Moon and Mars. These missions offered limited scope for scientific experimentation since India’s heavy satellite launch vehicle, GSLV, was not ready in time, and ISRO could not send heavier scientific payloads. But with India making a breakthrough with cryogenic technology, ISRO is expected to have better options by the end of next decade to carry a heavier payload to the low earth orbit.

Fourth, is the project economically viable? Cost consideration could emerge as a major issue. So, India must involve the private sector in such projects. Recently, NASA has declared that the ISS would be open for commercial business and people could “purchase” a ticket to visit ISS. India could think of developing such projects under a public-private partnership model.

Major projects like the space station are national projects. They may not offer any immediate scientific/technological benefits, but investments must be sustained. Private industrial houses within India should be encouraged to participate in such projects.

— This article first appeared in the June 18, 2019 print edition under the title ‘New horizons’


Space station are national projects, ISRO should involve private sector too
 
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Second Lunar Science Meet at ISRO HQ

Chandrayaan-2 is the forthcoming science mission to continue our study on the origin and evolution of the Moon. It carries 8 Orbiter payloads, 3 Lander payloads, 2 Rover payloads and a passive experiment contributed by NASA. To maximise the science outcome from this mission and to increase the user base, a series of science meetings were planned. The first one in the series was conducted on September 27th, 2018.

In this context, the second Lunar Science Meet was organised at ISRO HQ during June 13 – 14, 2019 and brought together 60 scientists and researchers from various research institutions, universities, colleges, ISRO centres and laboratories. Data analysis methodology of four Orbiter payloads, such as Infrared Spectrometer, Synthetic Aperture Radar, X-ray Spectrometer and Mass Spectrometer covering the steps involved in converting the payload data to science products was discussed in detail, by payload teams. The seven thematic science working groups, presented their plan to utilise data from multiple Chandrayaan-2 payloads. Working group members discussed within their groups and cross-group interactions were also enabled on both the days.

During the science meet, the Indian lunar science community was also briefed about the future lunar program which is envisaged as a joint ISRO – JAXA lunar polar exploration mission.

Second Lunar Science Meet at ISRO HQ - ISRO

By the way, ISRO/JAXA future lunar mission is now officially termed as Chandrayaan-3(previously the Japanese called it Serene-3) :
"For our next mission — Chandrayaan-3 — which will be accomplished in collaboration with JAXA (Japanese Space Agency), we will invite other countries too to participate with their payloads. We are working on the configuration of Chandrayaan-3, and will decide on the launch schedule at a later date."​
‘Chandrayaan-2 will be the stepping stone for human landing on the Moon’

Projected timeline is 2024, I think.
 
The hunt for superflares from the Sun
Posted On: 06-18-2019

For years, astronomers wondered whether the Sun is a special star – a star sans superflares. All that changed earlier this year, thanks to a meteorite called Efremovka and some neat detective work from a group of scientists including Kuljeet Kaur Marhas from PRL, Ahmedabad.

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Caption: Kuljeet, Ritesh and their daughter, Esha, stand next to an exhibit of the Moon rocks which came back with the Apollo 15 and Apollo 16 mission to the Moon in 1970s, at the NASA Lyndon Johnson Space Center, Houston (2015).

By Dibyendu Nandi

By counting the number of radiogenic Lithium 7 ( 7Li ) radioisotopes in a meteorite sample, Kuljeet Kaur Marhas – a planetary scientist at Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad previously profiled on TLoS, provided evidence of superflares on the Sun – solar flares a million times stronger than we have ever known before.

Looking for evidence of past solar flares was no easy task. Kuljeet shared with TLoS: “These measurements are extremely difficult and the count rates for 7Li is pretty low, which adds to errors. Very rapid diffusion of Li also poses problems in interpretations. So one has to be very careful with corrections, as additional cosmogenic corrections also have to be applied while making the calculations.” Their findings are published here.

But first, let’s take a look at how solar astronomy arrived at this point.

On March 10, 1989, solar astronomers observed an intense brightening on the Sun followed by a massive explosion that hurled a billion tonnes of hot ionised gas into space. These were tell-tale signs of a solar flare, a magnetised plasma storm that rushes out of the Sun at speeds of thousands of kilometres per second. A few days later on March 13 1989, the Quebec power grid tripped, blanketing large parts of Canada in
darkness and shutting down the Montreal metro network. Out in space, satellites started malfunctioning, radio communications broke down and
radars got jammed. Spectacular auroras – which are normally confined to the polar region – lit up the night sky in countries situated much
further down south. The space storm had hit home – planet Earth was right on its path.

The energy released in a solar flare far exceeds that of a billion nuclear explosions. These storms can have devastating consequences for
satellites in orbit, disrupting space-based technologies such as GPS, mobile and satellite TV networks, and impacting air-traffic on polar
routes. Solar flares originate from strongly magnetised regions on the Sun’s surface known as sunspots, whose overlying magnetic fields can
sometimes tangle up and explode creating a storm. Human beings started observing and counting sunspots from the early 17th century soon after the invention of the telescope. We now know that the number of sunspots increases and decreases periodically over an 11-year sunspot cycle. While there are multiple small and large flares on the Sun when the number of sunspots is large, the really strong ones such as the one in
1989 occur only a few times during the course of a sunspot cycle.

Direct satellite-based observations of solar flares exist only over the last two solar cycles. We know very little about solar flares and there is a lot more to be discovered about this mind-boggling explosions. A solar flare has never caused large scale havoc on our civilization, but its potential to do so is feared. In their attempt to understand these flares, scientists are asking questions like: Are evenstronger magnetic storms or superflares possible? Or were the solar flares much bigger in the early years of the Sun?

Science Monitor, May 4, 2019 about ongoing research about ongoing research on superflares from the young Sun .

The answer is yes, at least from the theoretical perspective! The magnetic cycle of the Sun draws its energy from the rotating plasma
material inside the Sun and it is known that the faster a star rotates, the stronger is its magnetic activity output. Sun-like stars are born
with faster rotation but slow down with age because outward-flowing plasma winds draw out angular momentum from stars, in effect reducing
their rate of rotation over billions of years. So it is indeed possible that the much faster rotating young Sun and its extreme magnetic fields
produced superflares much stronger than the present day Sun. But is there any evidence to prove that superflares occurred on the Sun when it
was much younger, at a time when human beings didn’t even exist?

An indirect answer came in 2005 from an international team of scientists led by Scott Wolk of Harvard Smithsonian Center for
Astrophysics. Based on NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory data of flares from young Sun-like stars in the Orion Nebula, the team concluded that
strong superflares occurred quite frequently in these young stars! This was followed by another significant study by a Japanese group in the
year 2012. A team led by solar physicists Hiroyuki Maehara and Kazunari Shibata, including many undergraduate students at Kyoto University,
analysed data from 83,000 stars observed by NASA’s Kepler space telescope. Their observations included a wide variety of stars which
rotated relatively faster or slower than the Sun and some stars whose rotation speeds similar to that of the Sun.
Unexpectedly, however, they
also found that stars which rotate just like the Sun can produce extreme
flares as well, although much less frequently.


Since the rotation rate of a Sun-like star slows down with age, this sample of stars with diverse speeds ranging from fast to slow provides a
window to the behaviour of a Sun-like star over time. Not surprisingly, they found that much faster rotating stars produced extreme superflares
with energies 10,000 times stronger than the strongest flares observed on the present day Sun. Unexpectedly, however, they also found that
stars which rotate just like the Sun can produce extreme flares as well, although much less frequently. This result was potentially exciting on
the one hand and scary on the other because of the possible devastating impacts an extreme flare may have on our society. Nevertheless, we have not seen such an extreme superflare from the Sun in our lifetime. Neither did an exhaustive analysis of past solar activity uncover
conclusive evidence of past solar superflares. This apparent contradiction created a state of confusion; astronomers started
wondering whether the Sun is a special star, more benign than its contemporaries – a star sans superflares.

All that changed earlier this year.

In March 2019 two Indian scientists, Ritesh Kumar Mishra and Kuljeet Kaur Marhas, working at Ruprecht-Karl-Universitat Heidelberg and
Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, respectively, published their analysis of a meteorite sample. Buried in their meteorite sample, they claim, was evidence of a massive superflare from the Sun when it was only about 500 million years old. Finally, evidence of a superflare from the Sun had been found.

The research work that led
Kuljeet and Ritesh to this discovery of a solar superflare is a great
piece of detective work combining experimental analysis, modelling and
deductive reasoning based on studies of a meteorite called Efremovka.


The scientists’ claim this superflare occurred about 4.5 billion years ago when the solar system was in its infancy and the Sun was very,
very young. How could one possibly unearth evidence of a superflare this ancient? The research work that led Kuljeet and Ritesh to this discovery of a solar superflare is a great piece of detective work combining experimental analysis, modelling and deductive reasoning based
on studies of a meteorite called Efremovka. The Efremovka meteorite was found while tilling the field, in a region called Pavlodar in
present-day Kazakhstan, in the year 1962 and with it, it brought hidden clues from the ancient solar system.

A CRASH COURSE ON THE SOLAR SYSTEM

The solar system was born from the collapse of a giant gas of material known as a molecular cloud. It is thought that perturbations from a nearby supernova explosion would have increased the density in a certain part of this cloud, whose enhanced gravity would have pulled together more and more material forming a central dense region. The temperature and pressure at the centre of this collapsing gas would have become so high that nuclear reactions initiated, converting Hydrogen to Helium. The excess outward pressure and energy from this nuclear reaction eventually stopped the inward collapse of the central region. A stable star, what we now know to be the Sun, was born. Around the young Sun, the gas flattened out into a disc of material in which planets started forming through a complex interplay of gravity, rotation, collisions, and accumulation of material. The Earth was born at this time. Between the planets, small rocky fragments known as asteroids survived – remnants of the violent birth of the solar system.

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An artist impression of Flares on Sun by Kuljeet Marhas, Ritesh Mishra and Ayush Goyal. Zoomed false-coloured mosaic (Red: Green: Blue Mg: Ca: Al) electron probe X-ray image of a Calcium Aluminum inclusion that is one of the first forming solids of solar system-from Efremovka meteorite.

Processes related to the formation of the solar system, its chemical environment, and the early Sun’s activity all conspired together to determine the elemental composition of the first solid materials that formed in the solar system. These solid materials known as Calcium Aluminium-rich Inclusions lay encapsulated in the heart of space rocks, mostly to be found today in the asteroid belt. The Efremovka meteorite which managed to finds its way to Earth is a piece of one of these asteroids. Samples from this ancient space rock were used to make the discovery of superflares in Ahmedabad.

Utilising a sophisticated instrument called the NanoSIMS – a secondary ion mass spectrometer, Kuljeet and Ritesh analysed a sample of the Efremovka meteorite that was part of meteorite collection taken care of by the Physical Research Laboratory. The instrument uses a ray of energetic ions to bombard the sample and tease out abundances of radioactive isotopes of elements encapsulated in the meteorite. These radioisotopes are unstable combinations of neutrons and protons that naturally form through energetic processes in the Universe and then decay with a characteristic half-life into more stable atomic nuclei or other relatively more stable radioisotopes that survive for longer times.


1561188629322.png

Kuljeet and Ritesh pose with space suits used by astronauts during the launch and space walk, on display at NASA Johnson space center Houston USA (2015).

Kuljeet and Ritesh found an unexpected overabundance of Lithium 7 isotope in their sample, some of which is produced from the decay of the very unstable Beryllium 7 isotope that is now extinct. Analysis of the abundance of Lithium 7 in their sample led the Indian team to deduce the original abundance of Beryllium 7 that existed 4.5 billion years ago when the Sun was just a half a million-year-old star. Although extremely energetic phenomena such as Supernova explosions can trigger the formation of similar radioisotopes such as Beryllium 10 over a long period of time, the very short half-life of Beryllium 7 of about 53 days led the authors to conclude this could only have formed by rapid, repeated doses of very high energy particles bombarding the ancient solar system. The team then calculated the flare energy necessary to produce the required amount of overabundance of the radioisotope observed in their sample. They inferred that the flares that occurred 4.5 billion years back in the ancient solar system had energies about ten thousand to a million times stronger than a typical present-day solar flare.

Evidence of superflares in the Sun had finally been found!

Life as we know it today evolved from primordial life forms. The earliest evidence of such life forms is about 3.7 billion years old. The possibility of the existence of superflares on the young Sun implies that throughout the early evolutionary history of life, storms from the Sun would have sustained an extreme environment bombarding Earth with a much larger flux of high energy radiation and particles. What impact could it have had on the synthesis of early lifeforms and building blocks of life such as RNAs and nucleic acids? Is it possible that superflares could occur even today on the Sun, a scenario that is suggested in the work of the Japanese group based on studies of other Sun-like stars? Are we living on a chance that our star, the Sun, has become uniquely benign and we shall not have to face the consequences of a present-day superflare? Space agencies such as NASA, European Space Agency and the Japanese Space Agency have multiple satellites in orbit observing flares from the Sun. These missions are on the one hand trying to understand the origin of flares and on the other hand, they are supporting early warning systems for space weather. ISRO, India’s national space agency plans to launch the Aditya-L1 satellite next year to add to the eyes observing the Sun’s activity. There is hope that we shall be able to understand and predict strong flares from the Sun and protect ourselves. There is hope that we shall one day figure out the intimate relationship that the living world on planet Earth shares with the star that is both a life-giver and a source of violent storms in space.

Dibyendu Nandi is a professor at the Department of Physical Sciences and Center of Excellence in Space Sciences India, IISER Kolkata. The author is a solar astronomer not involved in this study.


https://thelifeofscience.com/2019/06/18/the-hunt-for-superflares-from-the-sun/
 
Assuming this graphic picture of the SS is accurate(I mean it was used by ISRO, can't get more accurate than that), its safe to assume the SS will have two modules that will be docked together in orbit. This set up is exactly how the SPADEX was designed. For them to start designing the SS module docking interfaces, the SPADEX must happen as soon as possible. SPADEX will probably be done in 2019 or in 2020, it was previously believed by many that SPADEX will be carried out much later.

It seems my guesswork was somewhat correct.

2 days after Space Station news, Isro calls For ‘Docking Experiments’ On PSLV Stage-4
Chethan Kumar | TNN | Updated: Jun 15, 2019, 14:56 IST


BANGALORE: Just two days after the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman Sivan K announced India is looking to have its own Space Station, the space agency has called for proposals of experiments, including docking—a key technology for space station establishment and functioning—to be carried out on an orbital platform (PS4-OP).

The PS4 is the last stage of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket, which until now used to go waste after putting the spacecraft into the desired orbit. ISRO, in the last two attempts tried to keep PS4 alive in space, and was successful. As the next step, it has now called for experiments from national and international institutions. The experiments will cover six areas, including space docking.

“The PS4-Orbital Platform (PS4-OP) refers to a novel idea formulated by ISRO to use the spent PS4 stage (fourth stage of PSLV) to carry out in-orbit scientific experiments for an extended duration of one to six months. The advantage being the stage has standard interfaces & packages for power generation, telemetry, tele-command, stabilisation, orbit keeping & orbit manoeuvring,” ISRO said on Saturday.

The agency said that the scientific community and research organisations can design experiments and utilise the OP interfaces for powering, data management & specific experimental requirements.

“In short, ISRO is extending its expertise in space technology to the scientific community as a platform to design, develop & validate their experiments in an effective manner. The capability of providing power, telemetry & data down-link for the payloads housed in OP has been demonstrated in previous missions,” ISRO added.

The PSLV is a four stage launch vehicle primarily designed to inject satellites into Polar orbits. It has completed 48 versatile missions—including low earth orbit, lunar and mars missions—and has successfully injected 356 satellites till date.

Among the experiments ISRO is looking to put on-board PS4-OP are micro-gravity experiments; robotic armour smart space robot technology demonstration(eh ?..........the beginings of co-orbital weapons ?); rendezvous & docking experiments; small satellites technology development; laser communication technology development and low-cost platform for testing inflatable systems.

ISRO said it is soliciting participation from institutes with a specific objective to invite important payloads for inclusion in the OP mission to “strengthen and complement space-based research activities.

ISRO has said that the maximum weight of each payload cannot exceed 10 kgs and has mandated that all components used on payloads must be of military grade. “If commercial or industrial grade materials/components are used, acceptance will be subject to satisfactory completion of specified tests,” ISRO said.

The TOI had reported on the same day as Sivan’s announcement of the space station that space docking technology will be essential if India wants to have such a station. While ISRO has been working on the technology itself, Saturday’s announcement inviting experiments on PS4-OP is for additional learning, as one scientist said.


2 days after Space Station news, Isro calls for ‘docking experiments’ on PSLV stage-4 | India News - Times of India
 
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Own space station is crucial to India, says Isro chairman K Sivan

What will a space station mean to India and is it worth spending vast sums of money on it?

T E Narasimhan | Chennai, Last Updated at June 22, 2019 23:51 IST
1561227644-2333.jpg

File photo of Isro chairman Kailasavadivoo Sivan

On Saturday, the Indian Space Research Organisation, Isro, asked researchers to use the fourth stage of its workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle to find ways to dock a robotic arm with the spacecraft, just two days after it said it was looking to build a space station within a decade.

The significance is that the fourth stage of the vehicle can be used for the experiments that will be conducted in the space station. If successful in building its own space station, India will be the fourth country, after Russia, the US, and China, to set up a space station.

In recent years, India’s space ambitions have been expanding beyond having planetary missions to talking about anti-satellite missile tests, creating a Defence Space Agency, and now its own space station by 2030.

But what will a space station mean to India and is it worth spending vast sums of money on it? It’s important to understand that space technology impacts our lives in myriad ways, from communications, agriculture management, disaster management, land management, and national security. Isro’s former chairman G Madhavan Nair said establishing a space station is a must for ‘keeping the leadership in the space arena’.

A space station is a spacecraft which revolves around the earth and provides a small habitable space for a few humans to live for a few days to carry out cutting edge scientific research in an environment that cannot be simulated on earth.

Currently, the International Space Station (ISS) is the only functional space station in the earth’s lower orbit, where at any point in a year, six astronauts conduct experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, and meteorology. The 360-tonne space station is circling the earth 400 km above its surface. The ISS is a multinational collaboration among the European Space Agency, NASA, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Canada CSA, and Roscosmos of Russia.

Unlike the ISS, India's space station won’t be very big; it will probably weigh around 15-20 tonnes, it will be used for microgravity tests, and it will be able to accommodate a small group of persons for 15-20 days. Isro chairman Kailasavadivoo Sivan says the plan for India’s own space station is a logical extension of the Rs 10,000 crore human space programme scheduled for 2022. Without a space station, he said, the human space programme will not have a conclusion.

Once Isro masters the technology to send humans into space, the next step will be experimenting with technologies allowing humans to live in space. “Completing the space station in 5-7 years will be a challenge but fortunately Isro has already been developing technologies, such as the space docking technology, which will help to complete the station on time,” said Ajey Lele, senior fellow, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses.

The space station will be an extension of the Gaganyaan Mission which involves sending three Indian astronauts to space for seven days in lower earth orbit (of 120-400 km).

While this mission will have astronauts who have to drive the spacecraft, the space station may require other human resources for conducting research. The space station will help to accelerate the development of reusable rockets, in-orbit docking systems, and manned missions.

The station will create new opportunities for other spacecraft to dock as well as allowing for cross-collaboration experiments. This is important given that, after 2028 when the ISS likely to have been wound up, the only crewed space station is likely to be China’s.

While Isro possesses the technical capabilities, the budget is an issue. Around $120 billion has been spent on the ISS while the cost of maintaining it annually is around $6-7 billion. Though India’s space station will not require such a big budget, it will need a significant amount of money. Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, fellow & head, Nuclear & Space Policy Initiative, Observer Research Foundation, believes that while some understand India’s need for a space station, there is also a different view.

“There is a feeling that India has caught the Asian space race fever and that the space station is being taken as a matter of prestige and pride of the country,” she said. “Isro should collaborate with countries like the US who have the experience and will be comfortable working with India.”

Space mission :
  • Last week ISRO said it intends to build a space station by 2023
  • If successful, India will be the 4th country to set up a space station on its own after Russia, the US and China
  • Nearly $120 billion was spent on the ISS
  • ISS likely to be wound up in 2028, so China's space station is likely to be the only crewed space station left
  • ISRO says it is a natural extension of India's human space programme and is needed to keep leadership in the space arena
  • The proposed space station will be 15-20 tonnes in weight, will be used for microgravity tests, can host people for 15-20 days

Own space station is crucial to India, says Isro chairman K Sivan
 
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Chandrayaan-2: Lander, rover, orbiter integration by June 28

Chethan Kumar | TNN | Updated: Jun 26, 2019, 19:41 IST

CHENNAI: With all the key modules of Chandrayaan-2 having reached launch site, scientists and engineers of the ISRO are staring at a June 28 deadline to complete integration of lander(Vikram), rover(Pragyan) and orbiter. Once this is done, the composite structure-which includes all three will be integrated on to the launch vehicle.

“All three modules are at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. Orbiter fuel filling was completed on Tuesday. We are now filling fuel into the lander. As of Tuesday, leak tests were being carried out before finally filling the fuel into Vikram,” a source said.

Once these things are done, a “power-on” check on the Rover will be conducted, after which the Lander—with the Rover inside it—will be integrated with the Orbiter. “As per the schedule, the Lander and Rover integration will happen on June 28. At best, it may extend to June 29,” the source added.

Before Pragyan is integrated with Vikram, a last component on one of its payloads—the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS)—which will be used to determine the elemental composition of the lunar rocks and soil, needs to be integrated. “This is a small object, but an important one so far as APXS is concerned. This has been scheduled to be put in last keeping all the safety parameters in mind,” the source said.

After Vikram and Pragyan are integrated, the umbilical connections with the orbiter will be done. And, once this composite structure is ready and together, it will be moved to VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building).

“According to the schedule, Chandrayaan-2 should be moved to VAB by June 30 and handed over to the rocket team, which will integrated this with the GSLV-Mk III,” the source added. The GSLV-Mk III is the designated launch vehicle for the Rs 978 crore Chandrayaan-2 mission.

Read the rest in : Chandrayaan-2: Lander, rover, orbiter integration by June 28 | India News - Times of India
 
75 student satellites may fly to space as India turns 75

by Madhumathi D.S.BENGALURU,June 27, 2019 00:41 IST, Updated:June 27, 2019 12:33 IST
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ITCA has roped in engineering colleges to form consortium

Up to 75 tiny satellites built by students of Indian universities could fly to the skies between late next year and 2022 in batches.

Seventy-five by 75: this is the dream project that the Indian Technology Congress Association (ITCA) has conceived to celebrate the nation’s 75th birthday. That is also to be the year of Gaganyaan, the first trip of Indian astronauts to space.

The ITCA, a technology promotion body based in Bengaluru, has roped in around 40 engineering colleges to form a consortium. It is also in the midst of discussing launch contracts with the Indian Space Research Organisation and working out Israeli finance for its ‘75 Student Satellites Mission 2022’, said its president L.V. Muralikrishna Reddy.

“We hope the first 25 tie-ups will happen this year. The picture will get clearer around September when we hold our conference,” he told The Hindu recently.

Students of participating institutions would come from different disciplines and get to build nano satellites weighing between 3 and 12 kg. They may demonstrate a novel concept, science experiment, or technology in orbit. Assembling a satellite of their own, creating its ground control system, and operating the spacecraft would be a creative experience and give them an edge in the job market, according to Dr. Reddy.

200 ideas

ITCA’s satellite design and payload consultant Pramitha Ramaprakash, founder-CEO of Transcend Satellite Technology, said she was keen on helping budding engineers with satellite design and payloads or experiments. ITCA has readied a list of 200 payload ideas.

Why would we want to add so many student satellites in an already crowded space? “Exciting things are happening across the world of space,” said R.M. Vasagam, veteran space scientist and head of the mission’s advisory committee. Students have been an important part of them in other countries and are proving interesting ideas in orbit for applying to everyday life one day. For the colleges, it can mean a branding exercise and a permanent ground infrastructure on their premises. For the students, an out-of-the-world learning experience, exposure to an elite job market, and a chance to turn entrepreneurs who can attract space majors, with frugal satellite services.

Currently the Chancellor of MGR Educational & Research Institute, Chennai, Dr. Vasagam is also the former director of APPLE, India’s first experimental communication satellite, launched by the ISRO in 1981.

Space-based solutions reach people in remote areas where many other technologies do not reach or work. Students can learn to design small satellites that can offer simple, meaningful, and low-cost solutions to soldiers, farmers, boatsmen, forest personnel, or students, he noted, adding that these days ISRO wants to offload satellite assembly to the private sector.

India lags behind

In the last three to five years, other countries launched about 3,500 student satellites that demonstrated innovative technologies; another 2,500 could be in the offing. Indian universities have so far built and launched only nine satellites of fleeting lifespans. They must catch up with their international counterparts, he said.

A student satellite, depending on its payload, can cost between ₹30 and ₹50 lakh and ₹5 and ₹6 crore.

ITCA Secretary General K. Gopalakrishnan, Dean-R&D of New Horizon College of Engineering, said a ready partner is Israel, whose half a dozen banks already support similar students space initiatives in Israel and in China. Two batches of Indian institutions visited Israeli cities in February and May this year to explore technology tie-ups with three top universities.

According to Dr. Vasagam and Dr. Reddy, a lot of investment is taking place outside the country in NewSpace — the set of innovative space enterprises driven by private capital. But their own first big task is to get Indian institutions to board the ITCA’s space plank.

75 student satellites may fly to space as India turns 75