Indian Space Program: News & Discussions
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Thanks to @Abingdonboy for the heads up!
With eye on lunar mission, ISRO to test high-thrust Vikas engine
By SV Krishna Chaitanya
CHENNAI: Thursday’s GSLV-F08 mission carrying the 2-tonne class GSAT-6A communication satellite will open a new chapter for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). With an eye firmly on the “all-important” Chandrayaan-2, the space agency is trying out a few critical components, which include induction of high-thrust Vikas engine and electromechanical actuation system in place of electrohydraulic actuation in the rocket’s second stage.
The next generation Vikas engine developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) is being flown for the first time. LPSC director V Narayanan told Express that the improved engine would give a significant advantage in terms of enhancing payload capability. “Usually, the chamber pressure is 58 bar, but with the use of high-thrust Vikas engine, we will achieve 62 bar, which is a 6% increase in thrust that gives us 70 kgs of additional payload gain in this mission. Right now, we are going to use the high-thrust Vikas engine only in the second stage. Basically, we are validating it. For Chandrayaan-2 mission, we will be using five such engines aiming for a payload gain of around 250 kgs,” Narayanan said.
GSLV F-05
Another important experiment that the national space agency is attempting is last depletion mode shutdown. Generally, scientists store extra propellant in the tank and cut off the upper cryogenic stage after reaching desired velocity. However, this time they are attempting to deplete the liquid oxygen, which means using up another 60-70 kgs of propellant in order to achieve 4-5 seconds of additional burn duration.
Narayanan said this would be the best way of mission planning and optimum utilisation of propellants. “All these new things are being done keeping lunar mission in the mind and ISRO’s bigger game plan to increase GSLV payload capability. For Chandrayaan-2, we are formulating a perfect combination. The four strap-ons and second stage will be boosted with high-thrust Vikas engines; cryogenic upper stage will be loaded with enhanced propellants of 15 tonnes instead of current 12.8 tonnes and will be operated with 9.5 tonne thrust compared to the present 7.5.”
ISRO chairman K Sivan told Express that the high-thurst Vikas engine has been under development for the past three years and is robust. It has cleared several tests, he said. “It was developed as part of ISRO’s plans to have GSLV launches with heavier payloads. GSLV Mk2 and GSLV Mk 3, when stabilised, will have huge international demand.”On introduction of electromechanical actuation system in place of electrohydraulic actuation in the second stage of the rocket, Sivan said the new system is simpler and more robust, which increases the vehicle’s reliability.
The GSLV-F08 launch is scheduled from the second launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota at 4.56 pm. It is the 12th flight of GSLV and sixth flight with indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage. The payload GSAT-6A is a high power S-band communication satellite. It will be India’s second predominantly S-band communications satellite — the first being the GSAT-6. It will complement GSAT-6, which has been orbiting Earth since August 2015. The purpose of the satellite is to provide a platform for developing technologies such as demonstration of 6m S-Band ‘Unfurlable Antenna’, handheld ground terminals and network management techniques. These are useful in satellite-based mobile communication applications.
5 engines for Chandrayaan-2
According to Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre director V Narayanan, the Chandrayaan-2 mission will see use of five next generation Vikas engines. “We are aiming for a payload gain of around 250 kgs,” he said
Targeted Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit of GSLV-F08
170 km Perigee
35,975 km Apogee
20.63 deg Inclination
106 deg Azimuth
Targeted orbit of GSAT-6A
Type: Geostationary Orbit
Height: 36,000 km
Inclination:Zero degree
Longitude:83 degree east
Vehicle
49.1 metre Height
415.6 tonnes Weight
Salient features of Satellite
1. Provides mobile communication for India through multi-beam coverage facility
2. 6m diameter unfurlable antenna for use communication link
3. 0.8m fixed antenna for hub communication link
Flight duration
17 minutes 46.50 seconds
270 crores Satellite cost (approx)
With eye on lunar mission, ISRO to test high-thrust Vikas engine
++++
By the way, the Chandrayaan-2 launch has been postponed to October. Originally they planned to launch next month (April) where there had a window to place the lander near Luna's south pole - which no one has explored yet. Most of the previous landings were nearer to the equator, with the southernmost landing being Surveyor 7 (launched 1968) near the Tycho Crater:
Chandrayaan-2's planned landing spot:
But it turned out ISRO had more tests to do than expected, pushing the launch date out of April. It is my assumption that ISRO could have launched Cdy-2 much earlier than the 6-month delay it's getting now, but they chose not to because then they'd have to land near the equator - as the next window that allows for the most efficient landing near the South Pole is only available in October.
But it seems they're willing to wait for October for the revised launch rather than launch sooner and give up on the possibility of certain unique research opportunities than can come from landing near the south pole rather than the same equatorial/northern region that US, USSR & China have already extensively explored.
With eye on lunar mission, ISRO to test high-thrust Vikas engine
By SV Krishna Chaitanya
CHENNAI: Thursday’s GSLV-F08 mission carrying the 2-tonne class GSAT-6A communication satellite will open a new chapter for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). With an eye firmly on the “all-important” Chandrayaan-2, the space agency is trying out a few critical components, which include induction of high-thrust Vikas engine and electromechanical actuation system in place of electrohydraulic actuation in the rocket’s second stage.
The next generation Vikas engine developed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) is being flown for the first time. LPSC director V Narayanan told Express that the improved engine would give a significant advantage in terms of enhancing payload capability. “Usually, the chamber pressure is 58 bar, but with the use of high-thrust Vikas engine, we will achieve 62 bar, which is a 6% increase in thrust that gives us 70 kgs of additional payload gain in this mission. Right now, we are going to use the high-thrust Vikas engine only in the second stage. Basically, we are validating it. For Chandrayaan-2 mission, we will be using five such engines aiming for a payload gain of around 250 kgs,” Narayanan said.
GSLV F-05
Another important experiment that the national space agency is attempting is last depletion mode shutdown. Generally, scientists store extra propellant in the tank and cut off the upper cryogenic stage after reaching desired velocity. However, this time they are attempting to deplete the liquid oxygen, which means using up another 60-70 kgs of propellant in order to achieve 4-5 seconds of additional burn duration.
Narayanan said this would be the best way of mission planning and optimum utilisation of propellants. “All these new things are being done keeping lunar mission in the mind and ISRO’s bigger game plan to increase GSLV payload capability. For Chandrayaan-2, we are formulating a perfect combination. The four strap-ons and second stage will be boosted with high-thrust Vikas engines; cryogenic upper stage will be loaded with enhanced propellants of 15 tonnes instead of current 12.8 tonnes and will be operated with 9.5 tonne thrust compared to the present 7.5.”
ISRO chairman K Sivan told Express that the high-thurst Vikas engine has been under development for the past three years and is robust. It has cleared several tests, he said. “It was developed as part of ISRO’s plans to have GSLV launches with heavier payloads. GSLV Mk2 and GSLV Mk 3, when stabilised, will have huge international demand.”On introduction of electromechanical actuation system in place of electrohydraulic actuation in the second stage of the rocket, Sivan said the new system is simpler and more robust, which increases the vehicle’s reliability.
The GSLV-F08 launch is scheduled from the second launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota at 4.56 pm. It is the 12th flight of GSLV and sixth flight with indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage. The payload GSAT-6A is a high power S-band communication satellite. It will be India’s second predominantly S-band communications satellite — the first being the GSAT-6. It will complement GSAT-6, which has been orbiting Earth since August 2015. The purpose of the satellite is to provide a platform for developing technologies such as demonstration of 6m S-Band ‘Unfurlable Antenna’, handheld ground terminals and network management techniques. These are useful in satellite-based mobile communication applications.
5 engines for Chandrayaan-2
According to Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre director V Narayanan, the Chandrayaan-2 mission will see use of five next generation Vikas engines. “We are aiming for a payload gain of around 250 kgs,” he said
Targeted Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit of GSLV-F08
170 km Perigee
35,975 km Apogee
20.63 deg Inclination
106 deg Azimuth
Targeted orbit of GSAT-6A
Type: Geostationary Orbit
Height: 36,000 km
Inclination:Zero degree
Longitude:83 degree east
Vehicle
49.1 metre Height
415.6 tonnes Weight
Salient features of Satellite
1. Provides mobile communication for India through multi-beam coverage facility
2. 6m diameter unfurlable antenna for use communication link
3. 0.8m fixed antenna for hub communication link
Flight duration
17 minutes 46.50 seconds
270 crores Satellite cost (approx)
With eye on lunar mission, ISRO to test high-thrust Vikas engine
++++
By the way, the Chandrayaan-2 launch has been postponed to October. Originally they planned to launch next month (April) where there had a window to place the lander near Luna's south pole - which no one has explored yet. Most of the previous landings were nearer to the equator, with the southernmost landing being Surveyor 7 (launched 1968) near the Tycho Crater:
Chandrayaan-2's planned landing spot:
But it turned out ISRO had more tests to do than expected, pushing the launch date out of April. It is my assumption that ISRO could have launched Cdy-2 much earlier than the 6-month delay it's getting now, but they chose not to because then they'd have to land near the equator - as the next window that allows for the most efficient landing near the South Pole is only available in October.
But it seems they're willing to wait for October for the revised launch rather than launch sooner and give up on the possibility of certain unique research opportunities than can come from landing near the south pole rather than the same equatorial/northern region that US, USSR & China have already extensively explored.
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So GSLV MkII payload to GTO will go all the way up to 2.8 tonnes and maybe even 3 tonnes later as promised by LPSC director S. Somanath.
Isro tests ultra high-tech camera
Isro tests ultra high-tech camera
DECCAN CHRONICLE. | PATHRI RAJASEKHAR
Published Mar 27, 2018, 2:17 am IST
Updated Mar 27, 2018, 2:17 am IST
The first payload operation was carried out successfully on January 16, 2018, and since then, the payload has provided excellent images.
Soundur-Dam_orissa
Nellore: The Indian Space Research Organisation has developed and tested a sophisticated camera that provides RGB photographs of a 29 km x 29 km area along with 23 km ground sampling from the polar sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of 505 km.
The camera is part of the Indian Nano Satellite-1C, which is an experimental satellite launched by PSLV-C40 on January 12, 2018 as a co-passenger payload. It is the third satellite in the Indian Nano Satellite series.
The first two satellites of the same series — INS-1A and INS-1B — were carried as co-passenger payloads by PSLV-C37 in February, 2017. INS-1C carries a Miniature Multi-spectral Technology Demonstrat-ion Payload from the Space Applications Centre of the Isro in Ahmedabad.
According to Isro engineers, compact imaging sy-stems with reduced weig-ht and size offer tremendo-us opportunities for use in space-borne micro or nano satellites and for planetary missions where size and weight are required to be at a minimum.
Himalyan Region seen from INS -1C.
Although miniature cameras such as those found in cellphones are now available commonly, their resolution and light collection capabilities are poor with respect to their larger counterparts. The Robust Technology Development Programme of SAC, Isro had developed an innovative satellite payload using the concept of origami, the art of paper folding. The INS-1C payload team has used the concept of multi-fold reflective optics to design imagers of significantly reduced thickness, as compared to those with conventional refractive cameras.
This multi-fold optical configuration is known as origami optics. It is important to note that the reflective optics is based on metal mirrors, rather than the usual glass based origami lens. The use of metal reflectors makes the camera potentially more versatile in terms of spectral coverage. The mirrors and the optical assembly were developed at the ISRO. The optics has been fabricated using a single-point diamond turning machine with a fast-tool servo.
The first payload operation was carried out successfully on January 16, 2018, and since then, the payload has provided excellent images. Data sent by this camera is useful for topographical mapping, vegetation monitoring, aerosol scattering studies and cloud studies etc.
