News Analysis India

Tag: ISRO

  • Plans afoot to place radio telescope on far side of Moon  

    By Express News Service

    BENGALURU: Raman Research Institute (RRI) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are mulling over a plan to put a sophisticated radio telescope on the far side of the Moon to detect the elusive radio signal from the age of the universe when the first stars and galaxies were born. Dr Saurabh Singh, Research Scientist, RRI, said the far side of the Moon is known to be the “quietest” location in the solar system for radio telescopes to function to detect cosmic radio signals without any interference from terrestrial-based radio frequencies. 

    ISRO has funded a study conducted by the RRI to work out the feasibility of placing a radio telescope named Pratush, which is presently being built by RRI. Dr Singh said the biggest problem faced by radio signals-hunting astronomers around the world is that the cosmic signals are in the radio frequency wavelength band used by several communications equipment, TV and FM radio station, which interfere with finding genuine cosmic radio signals. This will not be the case with a radio telescope functioning in the “quiet” environs of the moon’s far side which will be shielded from terrestrial radio frequency interference.

    The project which is still in its nascent phase is being planned to be carried out in two phases. The first phase will see the radio telescope being tested in earth’s own orbit. This will be more like a laboratory model, and will be brought down to earth after the tests to determine its functions in space.  

    The second phase will actually see the radio telescope being launched onboard ISRO’s satellite launching rockets to take Pratush into the lunar orbit and then sent down on the lunar surface on the far side of the moon, which remains hidden from the earth as the moon’s rotation and revolution being the same, ensure that only one side always faces the earth. “This is only a plan at this stage, but it is being worked out. We are looking at it being launched on one of the next few ISRO missions to the moon,” Dr Singh said.

  • ISRO’s first launch in 2022: PSLV-C52 successfully launches earth observation and two small satellites

    By PTI

    SRIHARIKOTA: Marking the first launch mission of the year 2022, Indian Space Research Organisation’s earth observation satellite EOS-04 and two small satellites were successfully placed into the intended orbit by the PSLV-C52 rocket on Monday, a feat described by the ISRO as a “marvellous accomplishment”.

    The space agency’s workhorse launch vehicle, PSLV, placed the three satellites into the intended orbit, after blasting off at 5.59 am from here amid dark, early morning skies.

    After a flight of about 19 minutes, the vehicle injected the satellites into its intended orbit, drawing instant cheers and applause from the scientists who were closely monitoring the year’s maiden mission.

    ISRO, in a tweet, said EOS-04 was placed into an intended sun synchronous polar orbit of 529 km altitude at 6.17 am.

    After first injecting EOS-04, the two small satellites INSPIREsat-1 and INS-2TD were also put into their orbits respectively.

    “The mission of PSLV-C52/EOS-04 has been successfully accomplished. The primary satellite EOS-04 has been put into a very precise orbit by PSLV-C52, and along with that, co-passenger satellites INSPIREsat-1 and INS-2TD also have been placed into right orbit,” ISRO Chairman S Somanath said after the successful launch.

    Incidentally, today’s launch also happens to be the first mission after Somanath took over as the Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, Space Commission, recently.

    Thanking everyone for making the mission possible, he said, “this spacecraft is going to be one of the biggest assets for us to serve the country.”

    Mission Director SR Biju said “what we have accomplished today is really marvellous.”

    Earlier, the 25.30-hour countdown for today’s launch had commenced at 04:29 am on Sunday.

    EOS-04, weighing 1,710 kg and with a mission life of ten years, is a Radar Imaging Satellite designed to provide high quality images under all weather conditions for applications such as Agriculture, Forestry and Plantations, Soil Moisture and Hydrology and Flood mapping.

    INSPIREsat-1 is from Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) in association with Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics at University of Colorado Boulder, while INS-2TD is a technology demonstrator satellite from ISRO.

    This is a precursor to the India-Bhutan Joint Satellite (INS-2B).

    Two scientific payloads on INSPIREsat-1, with a mass of 8.1 kg and mission life of one year, are aimed at improving the understanding of ionosphere dynamics and the sun’s coronal heating processes.

    INS-2TD, with a mass of 17.5 kg, has a mission life of six months.

    Having a thermal imaging camera as its payload, the satellite benefits the assessment of land surface temperature, water surface temperature of wetland or lakes, delineation of vegetation (crops and forest) andcthermal inertia (day and night).

    Monday’s was the 54th flight of PSLV and 23rd mission using PSLV-XL configuration with six PSOM-XLs (strap-on motors).

  • ISRO successfully launches EOS-04, two co-passenger satellites, starts 2022 on a good note

    By Express News Service

    BENGALURU: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday morning at 6:17 am successfully launched Earth Observation Satellite EOS-04, into an intended sun-synchronous polar orbit of 529 km altitude.

    The satellite was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota Range (SHAR), Sriharikota, about 80 Km north of Chennai.

    ISRO’s first mission of 2022, launched onboard India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C52, lifted off at 5:59 am from the first launch pad at SHAR. This was the 80th launch vehicle mission from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota; 54th flight of PSLV; and the 23rd flight of PSLV in the XL configuration (6 strap-on motors).

    The 1,710 kg EOS-04, which can generate 2,280 Watts power, is a Radar Imaging Satellite designed to provide high-quality images under all-weather conditions for applications such as agriculture, forestry & plantations, soil moisture & hydrology and flood mapping. The satellite with a mission life of 10 years was built at UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.

    The PSLV-C52 also placed two small satellites – a student satellite (INSPIREsat-1) from Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology (IIST) in association with the Laboratory of Atmospheric & Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and a technology demonstrator satellite (INS-2TD) from ISRO, which is a precursor to India-Bhutan Joint Satellite (INS-2B).

    The two co-passenger satellites were successfully separated from the PSLV in a predetermined sequence.

    ISRO Chairman Shri S Somanath congratulated team ISRO for the precision with which the mission was accomplished.

    ISRO has planned 19 missions this year, including the uncrewed  Ganaganyaan mission in December 2022, which will be the first in a series of three missions, with the third aimed at putting the first Indian astronauts into space on an indigenous mission in 2023-2024.

  • 25-hour countdown commences for ISRO’s first launch mission of 2022

    By PTI

    BENGALURU: The 25-hour countdown for the Indian Space Research Organisation’s first launch mission of 2022, to orbit earth observation satellite EOS-04 onboard PSLV-C52, began early on Sunday, the space agency said.

    The launch of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, which will also carry two small co-passenger satellites, is scheduled at 05:59 hours on Monday, from the First Launch Pad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

    “PSLV-C52/EOS-04 Mission: The countdown process of 25 hours and 30 minutes leading to the launch has commenced at 04:29 hours today,” the city-headquartered ISRO said in a tweet.

    The launch vehicle is designed to orbit an earth observation satellite EOS-04, weighing 1,710 kg into a sun-synchronous polar orbit of 529 km.

    EOS-04 is a Radar Imaging Satellite designed to provide high-quality images under all weather conditions for applications such as Agriculture, Forestry and Plantations, Soil Moisture and Hydrology and Flood mapping.

    The mission will also carry two small satellites as co-passengers, including a student satellite (INSPIREsat-1) from the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) in association with the Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder.

    It is also contributed by NTU, Singapore and NCU, Taiwan.

    Two scientific payloads in this satellite are to improve the understanding of ionosphere dynamics and the sun’s coronal heating processes.

    The other is a technology demonstrator satellite (INS-2TD) from ISRO, which is a precursor to the India-Bhutan Joint Satellite (INS-2B).

    Having a thermal imaging camera as its payload, the satellite benefits the assessment of land surface temperature, water surface temperature of wetland or lakes, delineation of vegetation (crops and forest) and thermal inertia (day and night).

    This will be the 54th flight of PSLV and 23rd Mission using PSLV-XL configuration with 6 PSOM-XLs (strap-on motors). 

  • Engine for Gaganyaan programme successfully undergoes qualification testing

    By PTI

    BENGALURU: High-thrust Vikas engine for the Gaganyaan programme has successfully undergone qualification test for a duration of 25 seconds at Indian Space Research Organisation Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.

    With regard to the Vikas engine qualification for the Gaganyaan Programme, two engines have already undergone tests under nominal operating conditions for a total duration of 480 seconds, the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency noted in a statement.

    The test carried out on Thursday is to verify the robustness of the engine by operating beyond its nominal operating conditions (fuel-oxidiser ratio and chamber pressure).

    “The performance of the engine met the test objectives and the engine parameters were closely matching with the predictions during the entire duration of the test”, ISRO said.

    Further, three more tests are planned for a cumulative duration of 75 seconds under varying operating conditions.

    Subsequently, another high-thrust Vikas engine will undergo a long-duration test for 240 seconds to complete the Vikas engine qualification for the Gaganyaan Programme, it was stated.

  • From Thuravoor school student to ISRO chief, an illustrious journey of S Somanath

    By Express News Service

    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Centre on Wednesday appointed senior rocket scientist and director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) S Somanath as the next chief of the Indian Space and Research Organisation (ISRO). 

    Somanath, who has been instrumental in the development of the GSLV Mk-III launcher and a team leader for the integration of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) during the early phase of his career, has been appointed Secretary of the Department of Space and Chairman of the Space Commission for a three-year term by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

    Somanath Sreedhara Panicker, who has been heading the VSSC here of ISRO, which is the lead centre responsible for launch vehicle development, since January 22, 2018, will succeed K Sivan as the next head of one of the world’s leading space agencies. The appointment is for a combined tenure of three years from the date of joining the post, inclusive of an extension in tenure beyond the age of superannuation in public interest, or until further orders whichever is earlier.

    In the 35 years of service in ISRO, he handled various responsibilities. He was the director of Liquid Propulsion Centre of ISRO, associate director of VSSC, project director of GSLV Mk-III Rocket and chief of different technology domains. With a strong background in design, development and management of launch vehicle systems, he is presently serving as the chairman of the management councils of launch vehicle programmes and Gaganyaan, ISRO’s human spaceflight programme, steering the technology development and management across the organisation.

    A native of Thuravoor near Cherthala, he had his schooling at St Augustine High School, Thuravoor there and did his predegree course at Maharaja’s College, Ernakulam. A graduate in mechanical engineering from TKM College of Engineering, Kollam, and a Master in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, he was the mission director for the first experimental mission of LVM3-X/CARE on December 18, 2014. After taking charge as the director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in July 2015, he led the team to realise the Indian cryogenic stages for four successful missions of GSLV and 11 successful missions of PSLV with the liquid stages realised by LPSC.  

    Now, his team is working on Gaganyaan, which involves the crew escape system in the event of a launch abort. Somanath is also awarded with a slew of honours from ISRO and professional bodies in India. Presently, he serves as one of the vice-presidents of International Astronautical Federation in charge of the technical activities. 

    Leading Gaganyaan Somanath Sreedhara Panicker is presently serving as the chairman of the management councils of launch vehicle programmes and Gaganyaan

  • Students set record for assembling rocket models

    Express News Service

    PANAJI: The launch of Gaganyaan, India’s manned space mission, has been postponed to 2023 due to Covid-19. Nonetheless, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is trying to keep the buzz going and motivate young minds by sponsoring 500 students to create a Guinness World Record for assembling Gaganyaan’s functional rocket model at one place. 

    All these rockets assembled by 500 students following a two-hour exercise at the India International Science Festival (IISF) under the guidance of N Sudheer Kumar (Director, Capacity Building Programme Office, ISRO) were launched at Panaji Gymkhana ground. It was done under the super-vision of experts from the country’s premier space agency. Around 496 students were part of record-making lot.

    “Size of the rocket is 300-350 mm and it will have cartridge of solid propellant. It rocket will weigh around 250-300 gm and can go to a height of 250 metres,” said Kumar.

    He said it was an attempt to make a working model of GSLV Mark III for human rated launch vehicle (HRLV) for Gaganyaan. Training the students is Diyanshu Poddar’s start-up, Rocketeers. “We are not just attempting rocket assembly records but functional Gaganyaan model rockets which were launched at Panaji Gymkhana. Students from Class XI have been trained by 60 volunteers to assemble the rockets,” said Poddar, who has launched over 1.5 lakh rockets.

    He graduated from the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram (IIST), in 2012 and worked with the Chandrayaan 2 team as part of the Spacecraft Mechanism Group of ISRO.

    The idea was to train students in understanding rocket science and generate interest by building and launching their models. These rockets, being small, don’t go very high but involves skills to understand technology. 

  • ISRO espionage case: Supreme Court agrees to hear CBI’s plea against anticipatory bail granted to four

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The CBI on Monday told the Supreme Court there may be a “larger conspiracy” involving foreign hands in the 1994 ISRO espionage case in which scientist Nambi Narayanan was allegedly framed by the Kerala police due to which the technology to develop the cryogenic engine was “hit” and the country’s space programme went back by at least one or two decades.

    The Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) made the submission even as the top court agreed to hear its plea challenging the Kerala High Court order granting anticipatory bail to four persons, including a former Director-General of Police (DGP), in connection with the ISRO espionage case.

    The CBI’s petition came up for hearing before a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and C T Ravikumar which issued notice and posted it for hearing on November 29.

    The high court on August 13 granted anticipatory bail to four accused– a former Gujarat DGP R B Sreekumar, two former Kerala police officers S Vijayan and Thampi S Durga Dutt, and a retired intelligence official P S Jayaprakash.

    Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju, appearing for the CBI, told the apex court that grant of anticipatory bail might derail the investigation in the case.

    Raju said the CBI has found in its probe that some scientists were allegedly tortured and framed in the case due to which the development of the cryogenic engine was hit and this led to India’s space programme going back by almost one or two decades.

    “We (CBI) are proceeding on the line that the technology for the cryogenic engine was deliberately tried to be stalled by arresting the scientists, who were involved in the development of the engine, as a result of which our space programme went back by at least one or two decades,” Raju told the bench.

    He said this is a “very serious matter” and there may be a larger conspiracy at the behest of foreign hands which is being investigated.

    “We are issuing notice,” the bench said.

    As the bench said it was issuing notice on the plea, the ASG said, “May I request a stay of the order”.

    “Where is the question of stay? We are issuing notice and taking it on November 29,” the bench observed.

    The investigating agency had earlier alleged that there was a clear indication that the accused were part of a team, which had ulterior motives to torpedo the attempts of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for manufacturing the cryogenic engine.

    While granting anticipatory bail to these persons, the high court had said, “There is not even a scintilla of evidence regarding the petitioners being influenced by any foreign power so as to induce them to hatch a conspiracy to falsely implicate the scientists of the ISRO with the intention to stall the activities of the ISRO with regard to the development of the cryogenic engine.”

    It had said unless there are specific materials regarding their involvement, prima facie, it cannot be said that they were acting against the interests of the country.

    The CBI has registered a case against 18 persons for various alleged offences, including criminal conspiracy, in connection with the arrest and detention of Narayanan, a former ISRO scientist, in the espionage case.

    The case, which had hit the headlines in 1994, pertained to allegations of transfer of certain confidential documents on India’s space programme to foreign countries by two scientists and four others, including two Maldivian women.

    Narayanan, who was given a clean chit by the CBI, had earlier said that the Kerala police had “fabricated” the case and the technology he was accused to have stolen and sold in the 1994 case did not even exist at that time.

    The CBI, in its probe, had claimed that the then top police officials in Kerala were responsible for Narayanan’s illegal arrest.

    The apex court had on September 14, 2018 appointed a three-member committee while directing the Kerala government to cough up Rs 50 lakh compensation for compelling Narayanan to undergo “immense humiliation”.

    Terming the police action against the ex-scientist of the ISRO as a “psycho-pathological treatment”, the apex court had in September 2018 said that his “liberty and dignity”, basic to his human rights, were jeopardised as he was taken into custody and, eventually, despite all the glory of the past, was compelled to face “cynical abhorrence”.

  • ‘Traffic jams’ in space has scientists worried

    Express News Service

    BENGALURU: It’s just not on city roads that we have to contend with traffic jams. Space scientists are worried over the increasing number of satellites in the lunar orbit, and more so in Earth’s orbit. This worry of an imminent “traffic jam” in space — mainly in the orbits of the Earth, Moon and (in future) Mars — found expression at the crossover session of the Sydney Dialogue at the Bengaluru Tech Summit on Friday. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Sivan called for a collaborative approach in Space Situational Awareness (SSA) by tracking objects in orbit and predicting where they will be at any given time.

    The ISRO chief particularly stressed on the importance of all space agencies collaborating with each other to track objects in space and mitigate threats of collisions or near-collisions, and stressed that the role of the QUAD (the USA, Australia, Japan and India) will be more significant in this regard.Sivan’s appeal gains significance in the background of a projected near-collision between India’s Chandrayaan-2 orbiter (CH2O) and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)/National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), both in the lunar orbit, and how it was avoided through data exchange and collaboration.

    The extremely close conjunction between CH2O and LRO was expected to occur on October 20 at 11:15 am IST over the Lunar North Pole. A week prior to that, analyses by ISRO and JPL/NASA showed the separation between the two spacecraft will be less than 100 metres. The data exchange between ISRO and JPL/NASA highlighted the importance of undertaking a collision avoidance manoeuvre, and it was mutually agreed that CH2O will make the manoeuvre. The move was carried out at 8.22 pm on October 18, and CH2O’s modified orbit confirmed that there will be no further close conjunctions between the two spacecraft in the lunar orbit.

    While there are just nine spacecraft currently in the lunar orbit, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists there are 3,372 big and small active satellites in the Earth’s orbit. This ushers an urgency for collaboration among various space agencies to avoid satellite collisions, more so in the Earth’s orbit than in the lunar or Martian orbits. Sivan said a comprehensive SSA was impossible in isolation, and collaboration with other space agencies was imperative.

    Hiroshi Yamakawa, president, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, too admitted that transparency is important in sustainable use of outer space, and collaboration is imperative with space stations needing information from other countries on satellites and space debris. “Or else, due to heavy traffic, there may be a good chance of collision among satellites or space debris,” he  said.  Sivan suggested establishing a new observation facility in the southern hemisphere under the QUAD framework. The facility can leverage the countries’ unique geographical advantages and data shared among member states though a suitable mechanism, he said. 

  • Gaganyaan: ISRO’s thrust area for international cooperation

    Express News Service

    BENGALURU: The Gaganyaan programme is a stepping stone for establishing sustained human presence in outer space. The Human Space Flight programme Ganayaan announced in 2018 is a major thrust area of ISRO’s international cooperation, said ISRO Chairman K Sivan, talking about human space flight being a good candidate for international cooperation.

    This comes at a time when several countries are collaborating on the Artemis mission (crewed Moon landing mission) but there is no public announcement by the Indian space agency to team up with USA’s programme. Even as Sivan believed the potential of the moon to serve as an observatory to study the signatures of global warming on earth.

    He was talking at the crossover session of Sydney Dialogues at the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2021, on Friday.

    Sivan meanwhile expressed confidence in strengthening international collaborations with various other countries through Gaganyaan itself.

    He iterated that with the Gaganyaan mission, India is cooperating with CNES, France on space medicine, Canada and Romania on wind tunnel testing, Australia and European Space Agency on ground station support.

    Astronaut candidates have completed the Russian leg of their training at Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, Russia.

    “I am sure that the present cooperation will continue and will lead to increased engagement with international partners in the times to come,” Sivan said.

    Talking about existing international collaborations by Japan, Hiroshi Yamakawa, President, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), recalled the Hayabusa2, a sample-return mission with Australia where samples were recovered from from asteroid Ryugu back to earth in 2020, “It was a great achievement.”

    With India he iterated the plans for a joint mission to the moon — lunar polar exploration mission — that will provide a rover and India will provide a lander.

    Meanwhile, Japan’s role in the ISS and Artemis programme will be manifold. “We are going to collaborate with the US and many countries in the near future, and will provide habitation function to the gateway which is a new manned space station around the moon.”

    He said JAXA will also provide cargo transportation capability using space cargo ship and will collaborate with the USA in the near future towards sustainable exploration on the surface of the moon.