Indian Space Program: News & Discussions
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ISRO gets nod for semi-cryogenic engine, will boost GSLV’s lift capability by 1 tonne
Surendra Singh| TNN | Jun 8, 2018, 06:27 IST
NEW DELHI: The Space Commission has given approval to Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) to develop a semi-croygenic engine, which will increase the lifting capability of its GSLV Mk III rocket by one tonne.
Talking to TOI about the new project, Isro chairman K Sivan said, “After a presentation before the Space Commission, Isro has got the approval for developing the semi-cryogenic rocket stage. The deadline to develop this stage is 29 months. Once the stage is ready, the carrying capability of GSLV Mk III will increase from the existing four tonnes to five tonnes.”
GSLV Mk-III D1, launched June 5, 2017
Explaining the project, Sivan said, “A GSLV Mk III rocket comprises two strap-on boosters (to provide thrust during a launch), middle stage that carries liquid fuel nitrogen tetroxide and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine, and the second stage, which consists of a cryogenic engine. Once the semicryogenic stage is developed, we will simply replace the middle liquid fuel stage with it. The new stage is likely to be an exact fit and the rocket will look like the earlier one from outside.”
He said, “The first launch of Isro’s heaviest rocket GSLV Mk III DI last year carried 3.1 tonne weight. The second launch of Mk III D2, scheduled in July this year and which will carry Gsat-29 satellite, will have the load capability of 3.7 tonnes. We can easily raise the weight up to 4 tonne. With the semicryogenic stage, the same rocket will be able to carry the load up to 5 tonne. With the increased capability, we don’t have to depend on foreign spaceports to launch our satellites weighing over 5 tonnes.”
L110 - the current Core liquid stage of GSLV Mk-III
Sivan said, “Isro’s satellites will now track the production of 25 crops from earlier eight crops. The satellite forecast about the crop acreage and production helps farmers and the government plan better management of the yield.”
Isro has over a dozen remote-sensing satellites like Cartosat, Resourcesat and Risat-1 for agriculture forecast and other social welfare applications. However, the demand for such applications in recent times has increased and therefore the space agency is planning to launch six more satellites dedicated to land and water, cartography, oceanography and environment.
Isro gets nod for semi-cryogenic engine, will boost GSLV’s lift capability by 1 tonne - Times of India
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The name of the host star is EPIC 211945201 or K2-236. Hence the planet will be known as EPIC 211945201b or K2-236b. Initially, the source was found to be a planetary candidate from NASA K2 (Kepler2) photometry because it was transiting, that is the planet body comes in between the star and the observer on Earth as it goes around the star and therefore it blocks a tiny amount of star-light. By measuring the amount of light blocked by the planet body, we can measure the diameter or size of the planet. It was found to be 6 Earth radii. However, The K2 photometric data combined with false positive probability calculations was not sufficient to confirm the planetary nature of the system.
Therefore, an independent measurement of the mass of the body was necessary for the discovery, which was made by the PARAS spectrograph.
The gravitational pull caused by a planet on its host star makes it wobble around their common center of mass, which shifts the spectra and can be measured in terms of Radial Velocity using precise and stabilized High Resolution Spectrographs, like the PARAS. The PRL scientists observed the target over a time-baseline of 420 days (in about 1.5 years) using the PARAS spectrograph for probing the nature of the system. By measuring the amplitude of the wobbling of the host star, the mass of the planet was found to be 27±14MEarth. Based on the mass and radius, model-dependent calculations suggest that the heavy elements, like ice, silicates, and iron content is 60-70 % of the total mass. This detection is important as it adds to a sparse catalog of confirmed exoplanets with masses between 10-70 MEarth and radii between 4-8 REarth, whose masses and radii are measured to a precision of 50% or better. Only 23 such systems (including the present) are known to this date with such precise measurement of mass and radii.
Figure Caption: Radial Velocity (RV) data points of K2-236, observed by PARAS with 1.2m telescope of PRL at Mt. Abu. Black solid curve represents the modeled RV curve. The model shows the wobbling of the host star and its amplitude gives us the mass of the exoplanet K2-236b.
The research work will appear in the June issue of the Astronomical Journal owned by the American Astronomical Society and published by IOP Publishing (the DOI of the article is 10.3847/1538-3881/aac436).
Discovery of a Sub-Saturn Exoplanet around a Sun-like star - ISRO
Surendra Singh| TNN | Jun 8, 2018, 06:27 IST
NEW DELHI: The Space Commission has given approval to Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) to develop a semi-croygenic engine, which will increase the lifting capability of its GSLV Mk III rocket by one tonne.
Talking to TOI about the new project, Isro chairman K Sivan said, “After a presentation before the Space Commission, Isro has got the approval for developing the semi-cryogenic rocket stage. The deadline to develop this stage is 29 months. Once the stage is ready, the carrying capability of GSLV Mk III will increase from the existing four tonnes to five tonnes.”
GSLV Mk-III D1, launched June 5, 2017
Explaining the project, Sivan said, “A GSLV Mk III rocket comprises two strap-on boosters (to provide thrust during a launch), middle stage that carries liquid fuel nitrogen tetroxide and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine, and the second stage, which consists of a cryogenic engine. Once the semicryogenic stage is developed, we will simply replace the middle liquid fuel stage with it. The new stage is likely to be an exact fit and the rocket will look like the earlier one from outside.”
He said, “The first launch of Isro’s heaviest rocket GSLV Mk III DI last year carried 3.1 tonne weight. The second launch of Mk III D2, scheduled in July this year and which will carry Gsat-29 satellite, will have the load capability of 3.7 tonnes. We can easily raise the weight up to 4 tonne. With the semicryogenic stage, the same rocket will be able to carry the load up to 5 tonne. With the increased capability, we don’t have to depend on foreign spaceports to launch our satellites weighing over 5 tonnes.”
L110 - the current Core liquid stage of GSLV Mk-III
Sivan said, “Isro’s satellites will now track the production of 25 crops from earlier eight crops. The satellite forecast about the crop acreage and production helps farmers and the government plan better management of the yield.”
Isro has over a dozen remote-sensing satellites like Cartosat, Resourcesat and Risat-1 for agriculture forecast and other social welfare applications. However, the demand for such applications in recent times has increased and therefore the space agency is planning to launch six more satellites dedicated to land and water, cartography, oceanography and environment.
Isro gets nod for semi-cryogenic engine, will boost GSLV’s lift capability by 1 tonne - Times of India
++++
Discovery of a Sub-Saturn Exoplanet around a Sun-like star
The scientific team, led by Prof Abhijit Chakraborty of Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, have found a sub-Saturn or super-Neptune size planet (mass of about 27 Earth Mass and size of 6 Earth Radii) around a Sun-like star. The planet goes around the star in about 19.5 days. The host star itself is about 600 light years away from the Earth. The discovery was made by measuring the mass of the planet using the indigenously designed “PRL Advance Radial-velocity Abu-sky Search” (PARAS) spectrograph integrated with 1.2m Telescope at PRL’s Gurushikhar Observatory in Mount Abu, India. This is the first of its kind spectrograph in the country, which can measure the mass of a planet going around a star and with this discovery India has joined a handful of countries, which have discovered planets around stars. Very few such spectrographs exist around the world (mostly in the USA and in the Europe) that can do such precise measurements. The surface temperature of the planet is around 600°C as it is very close to the host star (7 times nearer than Earth-Sun distance). This might make it uninhabitable, but such a discovery is of importance for understanding the formation mechanism of such super-Neptune or sub-Saturn kind of planets, that are too close to the host star.
The name of the host star is EPIC 211945201 or K2-236. Hence the planet will be known as EPIC 211945201b or K2-236b. Initially, the source was found to be a planetary candidate from NASA K2 (Kepler2) photometry because it was transiting, that is the planet body comes in between the star and the observer on Earth as it goes around the star and therefore it blocks a tiny amount of star-light. By measuring the amount of light blocked by the planet body, we can measure the diameter or size of the planet. It was found to be 6 Earth radii. However, The K2 photometric data combined with false positive probability calculations was not sufficient to confirm the planetary nature of the system.
Therefore, an independent measurement of the mass of the body was necessary for the discovery, which was made by the PARAS spectrograph.
The gravitational pull caused by a planet on its host star makes it wobble around their common center of mass, which shifts the spectra and can be measured in terms of Radial Velocity using precise and stabilized High Resolution Spectrographs, like the PARAS. The PRL scientists observed the target over a time-baseline of 420 days (in about 1.5 years) using the PARAS spectrograph for probing the nature of the system. By measuring the amplitude of the wobbling of the host star, the mass of the planet was found to be 27±14MEarth. Based on the mass and radius, model-dependent calculations suggest that the heavy elements, like ice, silicates, and iron content is 60-70 % of the total mass. This detection is important as it adds to a sparse catalog of confirmed exoplanets with masses between 10-70 MEarth and radii between 4-8 REarth, whose masses and radii are measured to a precision of 50% or better. Only 23 such systems (including the present) are known to this date with such precise measurement of mass and radii.
Figure Caption: Radial Velocity (RV) data points of K2-236, observed by PARAS with 1.2m telescope of PRL at Mt. Abu. Black solid curve represents the modeled RV curve. The model shows the wobbling of the host star and its amplitude gives us the mass of the exoplanet K2-236b.
The research work will appear in the June issue of the Astronomical Journal owned by the American Astronomical Society and published by IOP Publishing (the DOI of the article is 10.3847/1538-3881/aac436).
Discovery of a Sub-Saturn Exoplanet around a Sun-like star - ISRO
Below is the image of PRL Advance Radial-velocity Abu-sky Search” (PARAS) spectrograph
Source: Mount Abu Infrared Observatory
May be it’s about manufacturing SCE 200 semi cryogenic engine .hope they get the mentioned thrust ,it will be a game changer for isro,They can couple these engines for heavy payloads rocket.
ISRO: MOM unaffected by Mars dust storm
India’s Mars Orbiter Mission(MOM) is unaffected by the deadly dust storm which has hit planet Mars over the last few days. According to ISRO officials, the storm, which has engulfed a quarter of the Martian surface, which forced NASA’s Opportunity Rover to suspend its operations poses no threat to MoM,
Dr M Annadurai, director of UR Rao Satellite Centre and MOM project director when the mission was launched in 2013, said that the MOM spacecraft was in fine health despite the storm.“We (MOM) are at a higher altitude and unlike the Opportunity Rover, it is not on the surface. The MOM spacecraft is circling the Red Planet in an orbit with a periareion (nearest point to Mars) of about 300 km. So there is no danger to the spacecraft,” Annadurai told Bangalore Mirror.
The spacecraft is orbiting Mars in a highly elliptical orbit characterized by nearest point to Mars at around 300 km and farthest point (apoapsis) at 71,000 km.
Annadurai added that the MOM’s cameras could see the dust caused by the storm and that it would capture them and send the images back soon.One of MOM’s payloads, the Mars Colour Camera, has captured and sent hundreds of images so far.
According to ISRO, the tri-color camera gives images and information about the surface features and composition of the planet’s surface. Besides, they are useful to monitor the dynamic events and weather of Mars.
NASA, too, is using the dust storm to learn about the dust, apart from the Opportunity Rover, three orbiters belonging to the US space agency is circling Mars, equipped with special cameras and other atmospheric instruments.
NASA launched the Opportunity rover in 2003 and it has been on the Martian surface since 2004.
Intended to only have a mission life of six months, MOM India’s maiden mission has defied all odds and completed three-and-half years in the Martian orbit. Annadurai said that there was no stopping the spacecraft and that it would continue to carry out its mission objectives.
ISRO: MOM unaffected by Mars dust storm – Indian Defence Research Wing
India’s Mars Orbiter Mission(MOM) is unaffected by the deadly dust storm which has hit planet Mars over the last few days. According to ISRO officials, the storm, which has engulfed a quarter of the Martian surface, which forced NASA’s Opportunity Rover to suspend its operations poses no threat to MoM,
Dr M Annadurai, director of UR Rao Satellite Centre and MOM project director when the mission was launched in 2013, said that the MOM spacecraft was in fine health despite the storm.“We (MOM) are at a higher altitude and unlike the Opportunity Rover, it is not on the surface. The MOM spacecraft is circling the Red Planet in an orbit with a periareion (nearest point to Mars) of about 300 km. So there is no danger to the spacecraft,” Annadurai told Bangalore Mirror.
The spacecraft is orbiting Mars in a highly elliptical orbit characterized by nearest point to Mars at around 300 km and farthest point (apoapsis) at 71,000 km.
Annadurai added that the MOM’s cameras could see the dust caused by the storm and that it would capture them and send the images back soon.One of MOM’s payloads, the Mars Colour Camera, has captured and sent hundreds of images so far.
According to ISRO, the tri-color camera gives images and information about the surface features and composition of the planet’s surface. Besides, they are useful to monitor the dynamic events and weather of Mars.
NASA, too, is using the dust storm to learn about the dust, apart from the Opportunity Rover, three orbiters belonging to the US space agency is circling Mars, equipped with special cameras and other atmospheric instruments.
NASA launched the Opportunity rover in 2003 and it has been on the Martian surface since 2004.
Intended to only have a mission life of six months, MOM India’s maiden mission has defied all odds and completed three-and-half years in the Martian orbit. Annadurai said that there was no stopping the spacecraft and that it would continue to carry out its mission objectives.
ISRO: MOM unaffected by Mars dust storm – Indian Defence Research Wing
Lithium ion tech to power Isro’s upcoming rockets
Apart from propelling rockets as a power source including upcoming launches with space grade lithium ion batteries, Isro's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) here has issued 'Request for qualification’ (RFQ) from industries for technology transfer of its in-house lithium ion technology for competent Indian Industries at a nominal fee of Rs 1 crore which will go to the central government.
“Already many Isro rocket launches used lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries as power source. Upcoming launches including GSLV-Mark III and next PSLV planned in August will use space grade Li-ion technology. We had already entered into a contract with BHEL for production of Li-ion batteries which is used as a power source for satellites and launch vehicle applications,” Isro chairman K Sivan told TOI. “Now, Isro’s in-house Li-ion technology is transferred for commercial production to Indian industries to set up Li-ion cell production facilities for development of indigenous electric vehicles. The transfer of technology to industry is at a nominal fee of Rs 1 crore. It will not be tough to bring down the technology from space grade to automobile grade as the chemistry will be the same, though it will incur initial costs for the industry,” he said.
VSSC director S Somnath told TOI, “Li-ion technology is used in satellites and launch vehicle applications due to their high energy density, reliability and long life cycle. Made of lightweight lithium and carbon, Li-ion batteries weigh one-tenth the size of other car batteries. This initiative is expected to enable Zero Emission Policy of India and accelerate the development of indigenous electric vehicle industry. NITI Aayog is behind us in initiating the technology transfer”.
“In the production of LI-ion cells, Singapore, Malaysia, China and Australia have taken the lead, while India is yet to. We want Indian companies to utilise the space grade Li-ion technology for commercial applications. We will hand-hold the companies with the financial stability and technical ability to utilise the space grade Li-ion tech for commercial vehicle industry. The notional transfer cost of Rs 1 crore will go to Indian government, the industry will roughly incur an investment of Rs 40 crore for the machinery and commercial production,” he added.
Isro former chairman AS Kiran Kumar said so far Isro has used the Li-Cell technology for its launch vehicles and now transfers the space grade technology for commercial activity. For Indian industry application, the process has to be streamlined by bringing down the scale of technology, he said.
Currently, Li-ion battery finds applications for a variety of societal needs including mobile phones, laptops, PDA, cameras and other portable consumer gadgets. Recent advances in Li-ion battery technology have made it the preferred power source for electric and hybrid electric vehicles also. Li-ion cells find wide applications in electronic gadgets, telecommunication, and industrial applications as well as in aerospace.
Now, in its RFQ released on Wednesday, Isro offers to transfer this technology to competent Indian Industries or Start-ups on non-exclusive basis to establish Li-ion cell production facilities in the country that can produce cells of varying size, capacity, energy density and power density catering to the entire spectrum of power storage requirements, said VSSC technology transfer division head Vijayamohanakumar SR. Last date for registration of pre-application conference is June 28 with last date set for RFQ submission on Aug 13.
Lithium ion tech to power Isro’s upcoming rockets - Times of India
Apart from propelling rockets as a power source including upcoming launches with space grade lithium ion batteries, Isro's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) here has issued 'Request for qualification’ (RFQ) from industries for technology transfer of its in-house lithium ion technology for competent Indian Industries at a nominal fee of Rs 1 crore which will go to the central government.
“Already many Isro rocket launches used lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries as power source. Upcoming launches including GSLV-Mark III and next PSLV planned in August will use space grade Li-ion technology. We had already entered into a contract with BHEL for production of Li-ion batteries which is used as a power source for satellites and launch vehicle applications,” Isro chairman K Sivan told TOI. “Now, Isro’s in-house Li-ion technology is transferred for commercial production to Indian industries to set up Li-ion cell production facilities for development of indigenous electric vehicles. The transfer of technology to industry is at a nominal fee of Rs 1 crore. It will not be tough to bring down the technology from space grade to automobile grade as the chemistry will be the same, though it will incur initial costs for the industry,” he said.
VSSC director S Somnath told TOI, “Li-ion technology is used in satellites and launch vehicle applications due to their high energy density, reliability and long life cycle. Made of lightweight lithium and carbon, Li-ion batteries weigh one-tenth the size of other car batteries. This initiative is expected to enable Zero Emission Policy of India and accelerate the development of indigenous electric vehicle industry. NITI Aayog is behind us in initiating the technology transfer”.
“In the production of LI-ion cells, Singapore, Malaysia, China and Australia have taken the lead, while India is yet to. We want Indian companies to utilise the space grade Li-ion technology for commercial applications. We will hand-hold the companies with the financial stability and technical ability to utilise the space grade Li-ion tech for commercial vehicle industry. The notional transfer cost of Rs 1 crore will go to Indian government, the industry will roughly incur an investment of Rs 40 crore for the machinery and commercial production,” he added.
Isro former chairman AS Kiran Kumar said so far Isro has used the Li-Cell technology for its launch vehicles and now transfers the space grade technology for commercial activity. For Indian industry application, the process has to be streamlined by bringing down the scale of technology, he said.
Currently, Li-ion battery finds applications for a variety of societal needs including mobile phones, laptops, PDA, cameras and other portable consumer gadgets. Recent advances in Li-ion battery technology have made it the preferred power source for electric and hybrid electric vehicles also. Li-ion cells find wide applications in electronic gadgets, telecommunication, and industrial applications as well as in aerospace.
Now, in its RFQ released on Wednesday, Isro offers to transfer this technology to competent Indian Industries or Start-ups on non-exclusive basis to establish Li-ion cell production facilities in the country that can produce cells of varying size, capacity, energy density and power density catering to the entire spectrum of power storage requirements, said VSSC technology transfer division head Vijayamohanakumar SR. Last date for registration of pre-application conference is June 28 with last date set for RFQ submission on Aug 13.
Lithium ion tech to power Isro’s upcoming rockets - Times of India
Chennai students develop ‘lightest’ satellite, to be launched by NASA
TNN | Updated: Jun 28, 2018, 09:35 IST
CHENNAI: Four city students have developed what could be the world’s lightest satellite which will be launched from a NASA facility in the US by August.
The first-year engineering students from Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science near Chennai built the 4cm ‘cube’ satellite ‘Jaihind-1S’ with a 3D printed outer casing from polylactic acid (PLA) nylon material, making it lighter than a medium sized egg, at just 33.39 grams.
The satellite has been designed and fabricated for the ‘Cubes in Space’ competition conducted by Colorado Space Grant consortium, NASA and idoodle-learning. It will be flown on a scientific balloon up to an altitude of 70km. The previous lightweight satellite developed by Rifath Sharook, also from Tamil Nadu, and launched in the same competition in 2017 had weighed 64 grams.
“We designed the satellite to conduct three experiments – measure 20 weather parameters, test the nylon material in microgravity and track the trajectory while it is being flown. What makes the satellite unique is that all three experiments will be conducted at the same time,” said K J Harikrishan, one of the team members. “It cost us Rs. 15,000, so it is also the cheapest satellite,” he added.
Harikrishan worked with his three teammates P Amarnath, G Sudhi and T Giri Prasad for two weeks to assemble the satellite and feed in the program.
As the balloon flies to an altitude of about 70km, the sensor modules in the satellite will begin measuring parameters like temperature, humidity, pressure and UV ray intensity as well as the movement and the trajectory of the balloon. The sensors will send the data to an onboard SD card through a microcontroller. Once the balloon reaches the desired altitude, the satellite will disengage from the balloon and fall. It will then be collected for data retrieval while the durability of the nylon material will also be assessed.
“The satellite has sensor modules that are programmed to measure and record four different parameters per second. So, we will get a large amount of data as the balloon flies to an altitude of 70km for almost a day,” the student said.
Professor G Dinesh Kumar, who was the faculty advisor, said the team improved the efficiency of the satellite by reducing its weight and opting for sensor modules that can measure more than one parameter at a time.
“We tested the satellite up to a height of 40 feet. We will be sending it to the US later this week,” the professor said.
Chennai students develop ‘lightest’ satellite, to be launched by NASA - Times of India
TNN | Updated: Jun 28, 2018, 09:35 IST
CHENNAI: Four city students have developed what could be the world’s lightest satellite which will be launched from a NASA facility in the US by August.
The first-year engineering students from Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science near Chennai built the 4cm ‘cube’ satellite ‘Jaihind-1S’ with a 3D printed outer casing from polylactic acid (PLA) nylon material, making it lighter than a medium sized egg, at just 33.39 grams.
The satellite has been designed and fabricated for the ‘Cubes in Space’ competition conducted by Colorado Space Grant consortium, NASA and idoodle-learning. It will be flown on a scientific balloon up to an altitude of 70km. The previous lightweight satellite developed by Rifath Sharook, also from Tamil Nadu, and launched in the same competition in 2017 had weighed 64 grams.
“We designed the satellite to conduct three experiments – measure 20 weather parameters, test the nylon material in microgravity and track the trajectory while it is being flown. What makes the satellite unique is that all three experiments will be conducted at the same time,” said K J Harikrishan, one of the team members. “It cost us Rs. 15,000, so it is also the cheapest satellite,” he added.
Harikrishan worked with his three teammates P Amarnath, G Sudhi and T Giri Prasad for two weeks to assemble the satellite and feed in the program.
As the balloon flies to an altitude of about 70km, the sensor modules in the satellite will begin measuring parameters like temperature, humidity, pressure and UV ray intensity as well as the movement and the trajectory of the balloon. The sensors will send the data to an onboard SD card through a microcontroller. Once the balloon reaches the desired altitude, the satellite will disengage from the balloon and fall. It will then be collected for data retrieval while the durability of the nylon material will also be assessed.
“The satellite has sensor modules that are programmed to measure and record four different parameters per second. So, we will get a large amount of data as the balloon flies to an altitude of 70km for almost a day,” the student said.
Professor G Dinesh Kumar, who was the faculty advisor, said the team improved the efficiency of the satellite by reducing its weight and opting for sensor modules that can measure more than one parameter at a time.
“We tested the satellite up to a height of 40 feet. We will be sending it to the US later this week,” the professor said.
Chennai students develop ‘lightest’ satellite, to be launched by NASA - Times of India
ISRO seeks to tap the south side of the moon for waste-free nuclear energy
The launch of PSLV C31| Representational image | isro.gov.in
ISRO seeks to tap the south side of the moon for waste-free nuclear energy
Anurag Kotoky 27 June, 2018
It will launch a rover in October to explore virgin territory on the lunar surface and analyse crust samples for signs of water and helium-3.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) wants to go where no nation has gone before — to the south side of the moon. And once it gets there, it will study the potential for mining a source of waste-free nuclear energy that could be worth trillions of dollars.
It will launch a rover in October to explore virgin territory on the lunar surface and analyze crust samples for signs of water and helium-3. That isotope is limited on Earth yet so abundant on the moon that it theoretically could meet global energy demands for 250 years if harnessed.
“The countries which have the capacity to bring that source from the moon to Earth will dictate the process,” said K. Sivan, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation. “I don’t want to be just a part of them, I want to lead them.’’
The mission would solidify India’s place among the fleet of explorers racing to the moon, Mars and beyond for scientific, commercial or military gains. The governments of the US, China, India, Japan and Russia are competing with startups and billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson to launch satellites, robotic landers, astronauts and tourists into the cosmos.
The rover landing is one step in an envisioned series for ISRO that includes putting a space station in orbit and, potentially, an Indian crew on the moon. The government has yet to set a timeframe.
“We are ready and waiting,’’ said Sivan, an aeronautics engineer who joined ISRO in 1982. “We’ve equipped ourselves to take on this particular program.’’
China is the only country to put a lander and rover on the moon this century with its Chang’e 3 mission in 2013. The nation plans to return later this year by sending a probe to the unexplored far side.
In the US, President Donald Trump signed a directive calling for astronauts to return to the moon, and NASA’s proposed $19 billion budget this fiscal year calls for launching a lunar orbiter by the early 2020s.
ISRO’s estimated budget is less than a 10th of that – about $1.7 billion – but accomplishing feats on the cheap has been a hallmark of the agency since the 1960s. The upcoming mission will cost about $125 million – or less than a quarter of Snap Inc. co-founder Evan Spiegel’s compensation last year, the highest for an executive of a publicly traded company, according to the Bloomberg Pay Index.
This won’t be India’s first moon mission. The Chandrayaan-1 craft, launched in October 2008, completed more than 3,400 orbits and ejected a probe that discovered molecules of water in the surface for the first time.
The upcoming launch of Chandrayaan-2 includes an orbiter, lander and a rectangular rover. The six-wheeled vehicle, powered by solar energy, will collect information for at least 14 days and cover an area with a 400-meter radius.
The rover will send images to the lander, and the lander will transmit those back to ISRO for analysis.
A primary objective, though, is to search for deposits of helium-3. Solar winds have bombarded the moon with immense quantities of helium-3 because it’s not protected by a magnetic field like Earth is.
The presence of helium-3 was confirmed in moon samples returned by the Apollo missions, and Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt, a geologist who walked on the moon in December 1972, is an avid proponent of mining helium-3.
“It is thought that this isotope could provide safer nuclear energy in a fusion reactor, since it is not radioactive and would not produce dangerous waste products,’’ the European Space Agency said.
There are an estimated 1 million metric tons of helium-3 embedded in the moon, though only about a quarter of that realistically could be brought to Earth, said Gerald Kulcinski, director of the Fusion Technology Institute at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a former member of the NASA Advisory Council.
That’s still enough to meet the world’s current energy demands for at least two, and possibly as many as five, centuries, Kulcinski said. He estimated helium-3’s value at about $5 billion a ton, meaning 250,000 tons would be worth in the trillions of dollars.
To be sure, there are numerous obstacles to overcome before the material can be used – including the logistics of collection and delivery back to Earth and building fusion power plants to convert the material into energy. Those costs would be stratospheric.
“If that can be cracked, India should be a part of that effort,’’ said Lydia Powell, who runs the Centre for Resources Management at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation think tank. “If the cost makes sense, it will become a game-changer, no doubt about it.’’
Plus, it won’t be easy to mine the moon. Only the U.S. and Luxembourg have passed legislation allowing commercial entities to hold onto what they have mined from space, said David Todd, head of space content at Northampton, England-based Seradata Ltd. There isn’t any international treaty on the issue.
“Eventually, it will be like fishing in the sea in international waters,’’ Todd said. “While a nation-state cannot hold international waters, the fish become the property of its fishermen once fished.’’
India’s government is reacting to the influx of commercial firms in space by drafting legislation to regulate satellite launches, company registrations and liability, said GV Anand Bhushan, a Chennai-based partner at the Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co. law firm. It doesn’t cover moon mining.
Yet the nation’s only spaceman isn’t fully on board with turning the moon into a place of business.
Rakesh Sharma, who spent almost eight days aboard a Russian spacecraft in 1984, said nations and private enterprises instead should work together to develop human colonies elsewhere as Earth runs out of resources and faces potential catastrophes such as asteroid strikes.
“You can’t go to the moon and draw boundaries,’’ Sharma said. “I want India to show that we’re capable of utilizing space technology for the good of people.’’ – Bloomberg
First Indian students' Moon mission in 2019
The first Indian student mission to the Moon is set to lift off in 2019, said Vinay Bhardwaj and Yagna Sai of Chennai-based Space Kidz India (SKI), which launched the world's first tiniest and lightest satellite, KalamSat, from a Nasa-sounding rocket in 2017.
The mission, to be launched by SKI, will carry the lightest and smallest lander and rover to the moon, Bhardwaj and Sai told at a presentation organised by School Of Entrepreneurial Exploration at IIT-Bombay on Saturday.
Bhardwaj told TOI a decision is expected soon on choosing a launcher. They told the audience comprising IIT faculty members that SKI is a kids' organisation and the mission was open to students. "Please join and support us in the lunar mission,'' Bhardwaj said.
First Indian students' Moon mission in 2019 - Times of India
The first Indian student mission to the Moon is set to lift off in 2019, said Vinay Bhardwaj and Yagna Sai of Chennai-based Space Kidz India (SKI), which launched the world's first tiniest and lightest satellite, KalamSat, from a Nasa-sounding rocket in 2017.
The mission, to be launched by SKI, will carry the lightest and smallest lander and rover to the moon, Bhardwaj and Sai told at a presentation organised by School Of Entrepreneurial Exploration at IIT-Bombay on Saturday.
Bhardwaj told TOI a decision is expected soon on choosing a launcher. They told the audience comprising IIT faculty members that SKI is a kids' organisation and the mission was open to students. "Please join and support us in the lunar mission,'' Bhardwaj said.
First Indian students' Moon mission in 2019 - Times of India
ISRO clears GSAT-11 for launch
The ISRO has cleared for launch GSAT-11, the satellite which was recalled from Kourou in French Guinea for thorough checks, after losing contact with its another satellite that was launched from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.in March this year, an official said.
The 5,700-kg GSAT-11 satellite was slated for launch on May 26 from Kourou, a site in South America which India uses to launch its heavy-weight satellite.
In a setback to the ISRO, the space agency lost contact with GSAT-6A after it was launched in March this year.
Although the ISRO has been trying to establish with GSAT-6A, a satellite meant for military communication, it has found little success.
This also led to the ISRO recalling GSAT-11 for conducting thorough checks.
"After a thorough check and additional tests, it was found fit for launch," the official said.
The space agency is now waiting for a slot from Arianespace, the company which will launch the satellite, the official added.
ISRO clears GSAT-11 for launch - Times of India
The ISRO has cleared for launch GSAT-11, the satellite which was recalled from Kourou in French Guinea for thorough checks, after losing contact with its another satellite that was launched from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.in March this year, an official said.
The 5,700-kg GSAT-11 satellite was slated for launch on May 26 from Kourou, a site in South America which India uses to launch its heavy-weight satellite.
In a setback to the ISRO, the space agency lost contact with GSAT-6A after it was launched in March this year.
Although the ISRO has been trying to establish with GSAT-6A, a satellite meant for military communication, it has found little success.
This also led to the ISRO recalling GSAT-11 for conducting thorough checks.
"After a thorough check and additional tests, it was found fit for launch," the official said.
The space agency is now waiting for a slot from Arianespace, the company which will launch the satellite, the official added.
ISRO clears GSAT-11 for launch - Times of India
AstroSat Picture of the Month (June 2018)
Entire clusters of galaxies merging together – an ultraviolet view
Entire clusters of galaxies merging together – an ultraviolet view
Previously, we had brought you AstroSat images of individual galaxies, two galaxies merging with each other, and even a lone galaxy falling into a cluster of other galaxies. This month, we give you Abell 2256, an extremely well studied and special galaxy cluster. Abell 2256 is actually made of three separate clusters of galaxies that are all merging with each other, and will form a single massive cluster in the future. This object is at a distance of more than 800 million light years from us, and is the most distant APOM so far. The three merging clusters in Abell 2256 contains more than 500 galaxies, and the cluster is almost 100 times larger and more than 1500 times as massive as our own galaxy! This merger has produced a rich diversity of structures that have been imaged in radio wavelengths by every radio telescope in the world.
This cluster contains galaxies spread over a large area, and we have zoomed in on six of these galaxies to show you their ultraviolet images. The brightest objects in the full image are actually foreground stars in our galaxy which happen to lie in the same direction as Abell 2256.
Credits: UVIT team/ISRO/CSA
We know that galaxy clusters are places where many spiral galaxies transform slowly into lenticular and elliptical galaxies. Spiral galaxies, like our own Milky Way, are bluer in colour and are forming stars constantly. Elliptical and lenticular galaxies however, are redder and have mainly old stars in them. Abell 2256 is one such galaxy cluster where we believe many galaxies are going through this metamorphosis. Astronomers stared at Abell 2256 for 5 hours using the UVIT on board AstroSat to image these star forming spiral galaxies, using the ultraviolet light emitted by their hot young stars. The fine detail with which the entire galaxy cluster could be imaged out to its edges by UVIT is keeping astronomers busy over the last few months. They are investigating the nature of individual galaxies in Abell 2256. They also hope to understand how these galaxies will transform into lenticular and elliptical galaxies in the future.
AstroSat Picture of the Month (June 2018) - ISRO
SUCCESSFUL FLIGHT TESTING OF CREW ESCAPE SYSTEM - TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATOR
ISRO carried out a major technology demonstration today (July 05, 2018), the first in a series of tests to qualify a Crew Escape System, which is a critical technology relevant for human spaceflight. The Crew Escape System is an emergency escape measure designed to quickly pull the crew module along with the astronauts to a safe distance from the launch vehicle in the event of a launch abort. The first test (Pad Abort Test) demonstrated the safe recovery of the crew module in case of any exigency at the launch pad.
After a smooth countdown of 5 hours, the Crew Escape System along with the simulated crew module with a mass of 12.6 tonnes, lifted off at 07.00 AM (IST) at the opening of the launch window from its pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota today. The test was over in 259 seconds, during which the Crew Escape System along with crew module soared skyward, then arced out over the Bay of Bengal and floated back to Earth under its parachutes about 2.9 km from Sriharikota.
The crew module reached an altitude of nearly 2.7 km under the power of its seven specifically designed quick acting solid motors to take away the crew module to a safe distance without exceeding the safe g-levels. Nearly 300 sensors recorded various mission performance parameters during the test flight. Three recovery boats are being exercised to retrieve the module as part of the recovery protocol.
SUCCESSFUL FLIGHT TESTING OF CREW ESCAPE SYSTEM - TECHNOLOGY DEMONSTRATOR - ISRO
Snapshots from a presentation by Dr. S. Somanath, director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC), from the India side event at this year's Toulouse Space Show in France:
Continued...
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Link for whole video is in post above.
Continued...
@Abingdonboy @randomradio @vstol Jockey @Milspec @Hellfire @GuardianRED @Picdelamirand-oil @Bon Plan @Aashish @Arpit @Harry @Sumanta @Ashwin @Amal @kurup
Link for whole video is in post above.
Snapshots of presentation by Rohan Ganapathy, CEO of Bangalore-based private space applications company Bellatrix Aerospace: Currently they specialize in offering satellite in-space propulsion thrusters, but also aim to develop a small, reusable launch vehicle in future:
Dropbox - IMG_5010.MOV
@Abingdonboy @randomradio @vstol Jockey @Milspec @Hellfire @GuardianRED @Picdelamirand-oil @Bon Plan @Aashish @Arpit @Harry@Sumanta @Ashwin @Amal @kurup
Dropbox - IMG_5010.MOV
@Abingdonboy @randomradio @vstol Jockey @Milspec @Hellfire @GuardianRED @Picdelamirand-oil @Bon Plan @Aashish @Arpit @Harry@Sumanta @Ashwin @Amal @kurup