News Analysis India

Tag: ISRO

  • Space ecosystem rife for private players: ISRO chief K Sivan

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Noting that the space ecosystem was rife with opportunities for private players, ISRO Chairman K Sivan on Thursday said operational space activities of the organisation will be open for the private industry to take up and commercially benefit from it.

    At the same time, for sustaining the existing capabilities of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the New Space India Limited will play an enhanced role in meeting user-driven demands, he said, addressing the Times Now Summit 2021.

    “Through predictable policy, and legal framework, the operational space activities of ISRO will be open for private industry to take up and commercially benefit from it. Thus, the Indian space roadmap will be a mix of governmental, non-governmental space engines which complement each other, thereby boosting the economic growth of the country,” Sivan said.

    He said ISRO will continue and enhance focus on the development of innovative space technology and applications to expand the footprints of the country in space.

    “Thus, a comprehensive decadal plan is being formulated to boost the R&D capabilities of the country along with building the technology gap. The requirement of space is also committed to playing a greater role in these post-space sectors in promoting and building the private sectors to thrive in the country,” Sivan said.

    On the effects of COVID-19, the ISRO chief said the pandemic affected the space agency’s plans and also delayed various activities but added that the coronavirus has also given it an opportunity to work in an easier and cost-effective way.

    “If one looks at the opportunity in the future of space, the global space economy has emerged stronger and proven its resilience in the fluctuating global economy. Space is thereby well-positioned for growth in growing investment, market development, and employment opportunities across multiple sectors,” he said.

    Calling these the turning points for setting up multiple fertile ecosystems for space industries across the world to create new job opportunities, encourage innovations and also contribute to the global space economy, Sivan said the government has recognised the need to start developing a local space-based economy considering India’s strength in space, keeping in mind growing demand and opportunities in space-based applications.

    “The revision of FDI policies will definitely open up huge avenues for powering space companies to invest in India. The policy enables foreign companies to tie up with Indian companies and help in creating a fertile ecosystem for the space industry and industries with new opportunities,” he said.

    He said that ISRO has a space-sighted mission, and with the revised mandate of the government, the private sector can complement it in space exploration as well.

    “It will be made possible as industries will have opportunities to develop enabling technologies for exploration and it being a new area, the industries can really work well here. System requirements and specifications will be listed by ISRO and they will realised by the industries,” he said.

    Sivan also spoke about how ISRO will offer its facilities for interface testing along with the space qualification by system run.

    “This framework will also be useful for the development of novel technologies including AI, machine learning, debris management, etc,” he added.

    On India’s first manned-space mission, Gaganyaan, Sivan said it is one of the most fascinating areas of ISRO and it shall put India in the club of nations with acumen space freight ability.

    In fact, this is also the flagship programme that has been announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the organisation is working hard in this regard, he added.

  • HAL gives semi-cryogenic propellant tank to ISRO

    By Express News Service

    BENGALURU: The Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on Thursday delivered its heaviest semi-cryogenic propellant tank (SC120- LOX) ever fabricated to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).  The semi cryo-liquid oxygen (LOX) tank — the first developmental welded hardware — is a part of the SC120 stage intended for payload enhancement by replacing the L110 stage in existing Mk-III launch vehicle.  

    Last year, HAL had delivered the biggest ever cryogenic Liquid Hydrogen tank (C32-LH2) which is 4m in diameter and 8m in length, much ahead of contractual schedule. The propellant tank was handed over by MK Mishra, General Manager, Aerospace Division, HAL, to TKB Kumaresh Babu, General Manager (LHWC), Head of the resident team of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), ISRO, in the presence of P Srinivasa Rao, Group Director (SR)-LPSC, at a function held in HAL.

    HAL has mastered the skills and technologies required for fabricating welded propellant tanks. Till date, its aerospace division has delivered 244 propellant tanks and 95 water tanks to ISRO for the space programmes of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLVs), Geo-stationary Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mk-II and GSLV Mk-III of diameter 2.1, 2.8 and 4m where the length of the tank varies from 2.5 to 8m.

    As a strategic reliable partner, HAL has been associating with ISRO for India’s prestigious space programmes since the last five decades, and has delivered critical structures, tankages, satellite structures for PSLV, GSLV-MkII and GSLV-MkIII launch vehicles.  

    Various new projects like PS2/GS2 integration, Semi-cryo structure fabrication and manufacturing of cryo and semi-cryo engines are being taken up at HAL, for which installation and commissioning of unique infrastructures are nearing completion.

  • HAL delivers heaviest semi-cryogenic propellant tank to ISRO

    By Express News Service

    BENGALURU: Defence aerospace major Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) on Thursday delivered its heaviest semi-cryogenic propellant tank (SC120- LOX) ever fabricated to the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).  

    The semi cryo-liquid oxygen (LOX) tank – the first developmental welded hardware is a part of the SC120 stage intended for payload enhancement by replacing the L110 stage in the existing Mk-III launch vehicle.  

    Last year, HAL had delivered the biggest ever cryogenic Liquid Hydrogen tank (C32-LH2) which is four meters in diameter and eight meters in length, much ahead of the contractual schedule.

    The propellant tank was handed over by MK Mishra, General Manager, Aerospace Division, HAL, to TKB Kumaresh Babu, General Manager (LHWC), Head of the resident team of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), ISRO, in the presence of P Srinivasa Rao, Group Director (SR)-LPSC, at a function held in HAL.

    HAL has mastered the skills and technologies required for fabricating welded propellant tanks. To date, its Aerospace Division has delivered 244 propellant tanks and 95 water tanks to ISRO for the space programmes of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicles (PSLVs), Geo-stationary Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mk-II, and GSLV Mk-III of diameter 2.1, 2.8, and 4 metres where the length of the tank varies from 2.5 to 8 metres.

    As a strategic reliable partner, HAL has been associating with ISRO for India’s prestigious space programs for the last five decades and has delivered critical structures, tankages, satellite structures for PSLV, GSLV-MkII, and GSLV-MkIII launch vehicles.  

    Various new projects like PS2/GS2 integration, Semi-cryo structure fabrication, and manufacturing of cryo and semi cryo engines are being taken up at HAL, for which installation and commissioning of unique infrastructures are nearing completion.

    HAL has supported ISRO right from the developmental phase of Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment, PAD Abort test for Crew Escape for Human Space Mission, and is currently supplying hardware for full-fledged launch vehicle GSLV Mk-III for a prestigious manned space mission, the Gaganyaan programme.

  • Centre forms 12-member committee to suggest school textbook revisions

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Centre on Tuesday announced the constitution of a 12-member national steering committee under former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan for drafting a document, based on which school curricula across India will be revised.

    Kasturirangan had earlier headed the drafting committee of the National Education Policy, which was adopted by the government in 2020 after amendments. The committee’s other members include renowned mathematician Manjul Bhargava, Mahesh Chandra Pant, chancellor of the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration, and Jamia Millia Islamia University’s V-C Najma Akhtar, among others.

    The panel, formed for a period of three years, will prepare a National Curriculum Frameworks (NCF), which lays down the broad contours for school syllabi and textbooks and was last revised in 2005. The education ministry said the committee will develop four guiding documents – one each for school education, early childhood care and education, teachers’ education and adult education.

    The panel has also been asked to discuss the position papers finalised by the national focus groups on different aspects of all the above four areas while also drawing inputs from state curriculum frameworks. Usually, the state education boards follow the NCF in revising their school curriculum.  

    The panel has been allowed to invite subject experts, scholars and educationists as and when required and deliberate and decide upon the course of actions with the objective to meet the timelines for the development of the document.

    It will finalise the NCF after incorporating suggestions from various stakeholders such as states and also in the NCERT and CABE meetings.

  • ISRO case: Maldives women urge CBI to place their damages claim before Supreme Court

    By PTI

    THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Two Maldives nationals, who were also arrested along with scientist Nambi Narayanan in the 1994 ISRO spy case, have moved the CBI requesting it to place before the Supreme Court their claim for damages of Rs 2 crore from each of the 18 officers who are arrayed as accused in the conspiracy case being probed by the agency.

    The two women — Mariyam Rasheeda and Fousiya Hasan — have made the request to CBI as the agency has registered a case against the 18 officers, which includes Intelligence Bureau officials, for various offences which include criminal conspiracy and kidnapping and fabrication of evidence, under the IPC, in connection with the arrest and detention of Narayanan in the 1994 espionage case.

    The women have urged the agency to place their claim for damages before the apex court when it hears CBI’s appeal against a Kerala High Court order granting anticipatory bail to four accused – former DGP of Gujarat, two former police officers of Kerala, and a retired intelligence official – in the conspiracy case being probed by the agency.

    The agency, in its appeal has sought cancellation of the anticipatory bail granted to the four accused by the high court on August 13.

    The high court, while granting the relief to the accused, 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.”

    Advocate Prasad Gandhi, who represented the two women in their pleas before the Kerala High Court and a Sessions Court in Thiruvananthapuram, opposing grant of any relief to the accused in the conspiracy case, told PTI that they have urged the CBI to place their claim for damages before the apex court when it hears the appeal.

    Gandhi said that such a claim can only be raised by them through the agency and the women cannot directly approach the apex court for relief.

    The women are seeking the damages for the mental and physical torture as well as monetary loss suffered by them during their more than three-year long incarceration in a prison here in the espionage case.

    They have claimed that they were not spies and were falsely implicated in the matter after one of them — Mariyam Rasheeda — denied the advances of one of officers of the SIT which was investigating the espionage case back then.

    The Supreme Court had, on April 15, ordered that the report of the committee, appointed by it, on the role of erring police officials in the espionage case relating to Narayanan be given to the CBI and directed it to conduct further investigations into the issue.

    The committee was appointed by the apex court to look into the allegations against the police officers in the spying case.

    The espionage case pertained to allegations of transfer of certain confidential documents on the space programme of India to foreign countries by two scientists and four others, including the two Maldivians.

    The CBI, in its probe at that time, had held that top police officials in Kerala were responsible for Narayanan’s arrest which the agency said was illegal.

    The case had a political fallout too, with a section in the Congress party targeting the then Chief Minister K Karunakaran, who is now dead, over the issue that eventually led to his resignation.

  • Two spacetech startups get access to ISRO facilities, expertise to test rocket systems

    By PTI

    BENGALURU: The Department of Space (DoS) has entered into a Framework MoU with aerospace startup Agnikul Cosmos for access to ISRO facilities and expertise towards the development and testing of subsystems/systems of space launch vehicles.

    The MoU will enable the company to undertake multiple tests and access facilities at various ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) centres for testing and qualification of its single piece 3D printed Semi Cryo engine and other systems.

    It will also enable Agnikul, based in National Centre for Combustion R&D of IIT-Madras, Chennai, to avail technical expertise of ISRO for testing and qualifying its space launch vehicle systems and subsystems.

    Agnikul said the MoU would formally enable it to go forward with its testing plans at ISRO.

    “With this level of Govt. support, low earth orbit does look close”, tweeted the company, which raised USD 11 Million Series A round from institutional and angel investors earlier this year.

    Top Agnikul officials met DoS secretary and ISRO Chairman, K Sivan, who assured all support from DoS for qualifying Agnikul launch vehicle systems.

    ISRO’s Scientific Secretary and Chairman, Interim IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre) Committee, R Umamaheswaran signed the MoU on Friday on behalf of DoS and Agnikul CEO Srinath Ravichandran inked it from the company side.

    DoS entered into a similar MoU with Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace last week for access to ISRO facilities and expertise towards the development and testing of subsystems/systems of space launch vehicles.

    The Framework MoU will enable the company for undertaking multiple tests and access facilities at various ISRO centres and also to avail technical expertise of ISRO for testing and qualifying its space launch vehicle systems and subsystems.

    Meanwhile, earlier this week, the ISRO Chairman inaugurated the spacecraft research laboratory at Bellatrix Aerospace located at the Indian Institute of Science campus here.

    This privately funded propulsion lab has in-house facilities for development and testing of electric and green chemical propulsion technologies, according ISRO.

    Sivan appreciated the young team for establishing the state-of-the art facility which houses equipment such as integrated thermal high vacuum test facilities, catalytic reactors, propellant preparation facilities, and specialised high temperature coating facilities.

  • Private sector to drive growth in India’s space industry

    Express News Service

    CHENNAI: With India currently having an abysmal market share of 2 per cent in the global space sector, which is worth $440 billion, efforts are underway to restructure the country’s space sector with more aggressive participation from private industries and attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

    Chairman-designate of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) Pawan Goenka on Monday said India, despite being one of the foremost space-faring nations, has not managed to reap benefits. 

    “I am not from the space sector, but would like India to increase its market share to 10 per cent. My first priority would be to bring regulatory and policy framework long awaited by private industry,” said Goenka at the inaugural International Space Conference and Exhibition.       

    He also rued the fact that India’s total investment in the start-up ecosystem in space sector is about $22 million, which is less than 0.5 per cent of global investment. He said, “There is a lot of interest among start-ups in the space sector in India. Cooperation among all the stakeholders is a must to take the initiative forward.”

    Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) K Sivan said the Department of Space received about 40 proposals, mostly from start-ups, after the Union government announced space reforms in June last year. “We are processing those applications. The government is also revising the FDI policy in space sector. The new policy will open up huge avenues for foreign space companies to invest in India. This will ensure a sustained engagement between India and overseas companies,” Sivan added. 

    Last year, in order to maximise benefits from the space assets, various reforms were mooted. Among them are encouraging Non-Government-Private-Entities (NGPEs) to make launch vehicles and satellites; NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) to take ownership from the Department of Space for operational launch vehicles, commercialise launches, satellites and services; ISRO to concentrate more on technology advancements and carrying out space missions.

    Country’s start-up ecosystem lessIndia’s total investment in the start-up ecosystem in space sector is about $22 million, which is less than 0.5 per cent of global investment

  • We will support India’s Gaganyaan mission: Australia Space Agency deputy head Anthony Murfett

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Australia will support India’s Gaganyaan mission by tracking it through Cocos Keeling island, Deputy Head Australia Space Agency Anthony Murfett said on Monday.

    Speaking at the International Space Conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Murfett said the space cooperation between the two countries is on an upswing and the space agencies of India and Australia have recently updated their Memorandum of Understanding. “We are going to be supporting this Gaganyaan mission by tracking through Australia’s territory on the Cocos Keeling islands,” he said.

    Earlier this year, ISRO chief K Sivan had said the space agency is also in talks with the Australian counterpart to have a ground station at the Cocos Keeling islands for the Gaganyaan mission. Satellites in orbit cannot pass along their information to the ground stations on Earth if it does not have a clear view of the ground station.

    A data relay satellite serves as a way to pass along the satellite’s information. There are blind spots due to which there is a possibility of not receiving signals, sources said.

    The data relay satellite tracking from Cocos Keeling island is expected to help address the issue. Gaganyaan is India’s ambitious human space mission aimed at taking three Indians to Lower Earth Orbit (LEO).

  • Enormous scope for tie-up between foreign and Indian companies in space sector: ISRO chief K Sivan

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The reforms initiated by the government in the space sector and the liberalisation of FDI norms will ensure a sustained engagement between Indian and overseas companies which will greatly benefit both, ISRO chairman K Sivan said on Monday.

    After initiating reforms in the space sector, the Department of Space has received 40 applications, mostly from start-ups, for utilising ISRO’s facilities and each proposal is being looked into.

    The DoS is assessing the requirements of each of the applications, he said. “Our space FDI policy is getting revised and this will open up huge avenues of opportunities for foreign space companies to invest in India. This will ensure a sustained engagement between Indian and overseas companies which will greatly benefit both,” Sivan said.

    He was speaking at the International Space Conference organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). Sivan, who is also the Secretary of the Department of Space, said that there is an enormous scope for foreign companies to tie up with Indian companies in the space sector. “This is something we have to take up very very strongly. We have seen a lot of interest (in the Indian space sector) from the foreign companies,” he stressed.

    He said ISRO will be concentrating more on research and development and strive to overcome the challenges and the technological gap in a timely and more responsive manner in the changing scenario. ISRO facilities’ expertise will be leveraged so that opportunities will be there for private industry to generate more cash flow and investment.

    Last week, the DoS has signed a framework MoU with Skyroot Aerospace Pvt Ltd. that will enable the company to undertake multiple tests and access facilities at various ISRO centers and avail technical expertise of ISRO for testing and qualifying their space launch vehicle systems and subsystems.

    Sivan said many such MoUs with other start-ups will be signed soon. In a major reform in India’s space arena announced by the government last year, the private sector was allowed to carry out space activities like building of rockets, satellites and providing launch services.

    The government also formed the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (In-Space) under the Department of Space as a separate vertical for taking independent decisions with respect to permitting and regulating space activities of the private sector.

    Sivan said In-Space will act as a link between ISRO and the private sector industry assessing how to best utilise India’s space resources and increase the space-based activities. “The department sees start-ups as new-age industry partners and the potential future partners who can contribute to space economy and we will be able to enable them to become competitive with other big global players,” he said.

    R Umamaheshwaran, Scientific Secretary, ISRO and incharge (IN-Space Activities), said the DoS is now in the process of finalising policies related to SATCOM (Satellite Communications) and remote sensing with a view to enable the Indian industry to penetrate more into the space applications demand.

    The DoS has also released draft policies for space transportation, satellite navigation, human space technology ransfer, all of which shall incorporate the public feedback, go through the various stages of internal reviews before being formally approved.

    The Space Activities Bill is going through various departmental reviews, inter-ministerial consultations before being finally tabled in Parliament, Umamaheshwaran added.

  • Chandrayaan-2 orbiter payloads made discovery-class findings, says ISRO

    By PTI

    BENGALURU: The observations of the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter payloads have yielded discovery-class findings, according to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

    There were eight scientific payloads hosted on the orbiter craft.

    They are: Chandrayaan-2 Large Area Soft X-ray Spectrometer (CLASS), Solar X-ray Monitor (XSM), CHandra’s Atmospheric Compositional Explorer 2 (CHACE 2), Dual Frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (DFSAR), Imaging Infra-Red Spectrometer (IIRS), Terrain Mapping Camera (TMC 2), Orbiter High Resolution Camera (OHRC), and Dual Frequency Radio Science (DFRS) experiment.

    Earlier this week, ISRO opened up its scientific discussions on Lunar Science to “the people of the country, to engage the Indian academia, institutes, students, and people from all disciplines and walks of life”, in the form of a two-day ‘Lunar Science Workshop & Release of Chandrayaan-2 Data’.

    The workshop commemorated the completion of two years of the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter in the lunar orbit.

    The events were conducted in virtual mode.

    ISRO Chairman and Secretary in the Department of Space (DoS) K Sivan inaugurated the workshop and released the documents on Chandrayaan-2 science results and data products for utilisation by the scientific community.

    “The lunar workshop delivered the big news of bunch of discovery-class of findings by Chandrayaan-2”, the Bengaluru headquartered India’s national space agency said.

    The mass spectrometer CHACE-2, in its pursuit to conduct first-ever in-situ study of the composition of the lunar neutral exosphere from a polar orbital platform, detected and studied the variability of the Argon-40 at the middle and higher latitudes of the Moon, depicting the radiogenic activities in the mid and higher latitudes of the Lunar interior, it said.

    The discovery of Chromium and Manganese on the lunar surface, which are available in trace quantities, by the CLASS payload was announced.

    The observations of microflares of the Sun, during the quiet-Sun period, which provide important clues on the coronal heating problem of the Sun, were made by the XSM payload.

    The first-ever unambiguous detection of the hydration features of the Moon was achieved by Chandrayaan-2 with its infra-red spectrometer payload IIRS, which captured clear signatures of Hydroxyl and water-ice on the lunar surface, ISRO said.

    The DFSAR instrument could study the subsurface features of the Moon, detected signatures of the sub-surface water-ice, and achieved high resolution mapping of the lunar morphological features in the polar regions, it was stated.

    “The observations (of Chandrayaan-2 orbiter payloads) have been yielding intriguing scientific results, which are being published in peer-reviewed journals and presented in international meetings,” Sivan said.

    Chandrayaan-2, ISRO said, has the feat of imaging the Moon from 100 km lunar orbit with “best-ever” achieved resolution of 25 cm with its OHRC.

    The TMC 2 of Chandrayaan-2, which is conducting imaging of the Moon at a global scale, has found interesting geologic signatures of lunar crustal shortening, and identification of volcanic domes, the ISRO said.

    The DFRS experiment onboard Chandrayaan-2 has studied the ionosphere of the Moon, which is generated by the solar photo-ionisation of the neutral species of the lunar tenuous exosphere, it was noted.

    The science data archived in Indian Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC) at Byalalu, near here, are being disseminated to public through its ‘PRADAN’ portal.

    The questions received from the academia, institutes and students were addressed by the ISRO scientists during the two-day deliberations.

    A panel discussion provided the opportunity to academia, institutes and students to interact with the ISRO scientists on lunar science and Chandrayaan-2, ISRO said.

    Chandrayaan-2 is the second spacecraft in the Indian series of Lunar exploration satellites.

    It comprised an orbiter, lander named Vikram and rover named Pragyan to explore the unexplored South Polar region of the Moon.

    It was launched on July 22, 2019 from the Sriharikota spaceport by GSLV Mk-III.

    It was inserted into a lunar orbit on August 20, 2019, with firing of thrusters on the orbiter.

    The orbiter and lander modules were separated as two independent satellites on September 2, 2019.

    Later, Vikram lander’s descent was as planned and normal performance was observed up to an altitude of 2.1 km from Lunar surface on September seven, 2019.

    Subsequently, communication from the lander (with the six-wheeled Pragyan rover accommodated inside it) was lost and the lander had a hard landing on the lunar surface.

    A successful soft-landing would have made India the fourth country after the erstwhile Soviet Union, the United States, and China to do so, according to ISRO officials.

    The orbiter, placed in its intended orbit around the Moon, will enrich our understanding of the Moon’s evolution and mapping of minerals and water molecules in polar regions, using its eight advanced scientific instruments, according to ISRO.

    The precise launch and optimised mission management have ensured a long life of almost seven years for the orbiter instead of the planned one year, it said.