News Analysis India

Tag: ISRO

  • ISRO Instrumentation team in JPL for NISAR mission with NASA

    Express News Service
    BENGALURU: The ISRO instrument team is at JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology) intergrating their portion of the instrument with the JPL portion, said Swati Mohan, Guidance, Navigation, and Control Systems Engineering Group Supervisor at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, on Wednesday.

    Talking about the the ISRO – NASA collaboration on NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar), She was addressing the first ‘Diaspora Diplomacy’ talk organised by the US Consulate General, Chennai.

    In summer or the month of June, the whole instrument and the JPL team will come to ISRO in India to integrate it with the spacecraft and launch from India, she said. JPL has projected launch year as 2023.

    NISAR mission will measure Earth’s changing ecosystems, dynamic surfaces, and ice masses providing information about biomass, natural hazards, sea level rise, and groundwater, and will support a host of other application, as per JPL.Further on the NASA ISRO collaborations, Swati pointed out to earlier partnerships that included, “JPL delivering an instrument for the Chandrayaan mission, and helped with naviagation design for the mission.”

    She hoped that the NASA-ISRO partnerships trend continues to grow in the future.

  • Chandrayaan-3 likely to be launched during third quarter of 2022: Jitendra Singh 

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Chandrayaan-3, India’s lunar mission, is likely to be launched during the quarter of 2022, Union minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday, stressing that its progress was hampered due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    In a written response to a question in Lok Sabha, Singh, Minister of State in-charge of the Department of Space, said the launch of Chandrayaan-3 has been rescheduled.

    “Chandrayaan-3 is likely to be launched during third quarter of 2022 assuming normal work flow henceforth,” he said.

    Singh added that the realisation of Chandrayaan-3 involves various process, including finalisation of configuration, subsystems realisation, integration, spacecraft level detailed testing and a number of special tests to evaluate the system performance on earth.

    “The realisation progress was hampered due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.

    However, all works that were possible in the work from home mode were taken up even during the lockdown periods.

    Chandrayaan-3 realisation resumed after commencement of unlock period and is in matured stage of realisation, he said.

    Chandrayaan-2, aimed at landing a rover on unchartered Lunar South Pole, was launched on July 22, 2019 on board the country’s most powerful geosynchronous launch vehicle.

    However, the lander Vikram hard-landed on September 7, 2019, crashing India’s dream to become the first nation to successfully land on the lunar surface in its maiden attempt.

    Chandrayaan-3 is critical for Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as it will demonstrate India’s capabilities to make landing for further interplanetary missions.

  • First uncrewed mission of Gaganyaan programme not possible in December: ISRO

    By PTI
    BENGALURU: The launch of the first uncrewed mission planned in December, as part of the human spaceflight programme ‘Gaganyaan’, will be delayed due to the COVID-19-induced disruption in delivery of hardware elements for the ambitious venture, ISRO confirmed on Monday.

    “Definitely it will not be possible in December. It’s delayed”, Chairman of ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation), K Sivan, told PTI here.

    “It (uncrewed mission) will shift to next year”.

    According to sources in the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency, under the Department of Space, delivery of hardware by the industry was hit due to the lockdown imposed in several States to contain the pandemic in recent months.

    As part of the mandate of Gaganyaan, two uncrewed flights are planned to test the end-to-end capacity for the manned mission.

    “Design, analysis and documentation are done by ISRO while hardware for Gaganyaan is fabricated and supplied by hundreds of industries across the country,” the sources said.

    The objective of Gaganyaan is to carry a crew of three to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), perform a set of predefined activities in space, and return them safely to a predefined destination on earth.

    Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Space, Jitendra Singh said in February this year that the first unmanned mission is planned in December 2021 and the second unmanned one in 2022-23, followed by the human spaceflight demonstration.

    Four Indian astronaut-candidates (Test Pilots of Indian Air Force) have already undergone generic space flight training in Russia as part of the Gaganyaan programme.

    ISRO’s heavy-lift launcher GSLV Mk III has been identified for the mission.

    Formal announcement of the Gaganyaan programme was made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day address on August 15, 2018.

    The initial target was to launch the human spaceflight before the 75th anniversary of India’s independence on August 15, 2022.

    Meanwhile, the four Indian astronaut-candidates are getting ready to kick-start the Indian leg of the mission- specific training that focuses on physical, mental, psychological and technological aspects.

    An expert team has defined the training curriculum.

    “Mostly, it will start next month”, Sivan said.

    “The training will happen at different locations. Academic training, aircraft trials, Navy trials, survival trials, simulation trials the training is repeated, updated till they fly.”

    The crew management activities are being taken care of by Indian Air Force.

    ISRO has signed MoU with seven labs of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for design and development of human centric products.

    It has signed a similar agreement with academic institutes for development of Microgravity payloads.

    The human-centric products include space food and potable water, crew health monitoring system, emergency survival kit, and crew medical kit.

    ISRO is also taking the help of French, Russian and US space agencies in “some of the crucial activities and supply of components”, sources said.

    Sivan said engines are getting tested and being qualified as part of human rating of the launch vehicle.

  • ISRO swinging back to full action, plans to launch geo imaging satellite on August 12

    By PTI
    BENGALURU: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is getting back into launch activity fully at Sriharikota spaceport with the planned orbiting of geo imaging satellite GISAT-1 on board GSLV-F10 rocket on August 12.

    It’s going to be only the second launch of the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency in the COVID-19-hit 2021.

    ISRO successfully launched PSLV-C51 mission on February 28 with Brazil’s earth observation satellite Amazonia-1 and 18 co-passengers, including some built by students, on board.

    The 2,268-kg GISAT-1 was originally slated to be launched from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh’s Nellore district, about 100 kms north of Chennai, on March 5 last year but was postponed a day before the blast-off due to technical reasons.

    Thereafter the launch was delayed due to COVID-19- induced lockdown which affected normal work.

    It was scheduled for March 28 this year but a “minor issue” with the satellite forced its postponement.

    The launch was later expected in April and then in May but the campaign could not be taken up due to lockdown in parts of the country triggered by the second wave of the pandemic.

    “We have tentatively planned the GSLV-F10 launch on August 12, at 05.

    43 am, subject to weather conditions”, an ISRO official told P T I on Saturday.

    According to ISRO, GISAT-1 will facilitate near real- time observation of the Indian sub-continent, under cloud-free conditions, at frequent intervals.

    GISAT-1 will be placed in a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit by GSLV-F10 and, subsequently, it will be positioned in the final geostationary orbit, about 36,000 km above earth’s equator, using its on board propulsion system.

    The earth observation satellite will provide the country near real-time images of its borders and also enable quick monitoring of natural disasters.

    Experts said positioning the state-of-the-art agile earth observation satellite in geostationary orbit has key advantages.

    “It’s going to be a game-changer in some sense for India,” a Department of Space official said.

    “With onboard high resolution cameras, the satellite will allow the country to monitor the Indian land mass and the oceans, particularly its borders, continuously,” the official said.

    Listing the objectives of the mission, ISRO had earlier said the satellite would provide near real-time imaging of the large area region of interest at frequent intervals.

    It would help in quick monitoring of natural disasters, episodic and any short-term events.

    The third objective is to obtain spectral signatures of agriculture, forestry, mineralogy, disaster warning, cloud properties, snow and glacier and oceanography.

  • ISRO to help development projects in Northeast: Union Minister Jitendra Singh

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Union minister Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will assist development projects in the Northeast by offering optimum utilisation of satellite imaging and other space technology for better accomplishment of targets.

    Chairing a high-level meeting with senior officers of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) and ISRO scientists, Singh said six out of the eight states of the Northeast have already sent their proposals for execution by the ISRO, while the remaining two, Sikkim and Assam, will send their proposals soon.

    The ISRO will assist development projects in the Northeast through space technology and will contribute by offering optimum utilisation of satellite imaging and other space technology applications for better accomplishment of infrastructural projects in all eight states, he said.

    Singh said the ISRO is already monitoring and geo-tagging 67 projects at 221 sites in all eight states funded by Ministry of DoNER and the NEC.

    He said this is first of its kind in the whole country where there is an institutionalised involvement of the ISRO in mapping and sharing of data for developmental projects and it can become a model for other states too.

    The minister said one of the major highlights of the Modi government has been that in the last seven years, the ISRO is no longer confined mainly to the launching of satellites, but it has been constantly enlarging its role in development activities, thus contributing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mission of “transforming India”.

    The North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC) at Shillong has received a number of proposals from the Northeastern states.

    It would be discussing the feasibility and desirability of all such projects, one by one with each of the states in the next fortnight.

    Once identified, all such projects are likely to be funded jointly by respective states and the NESAC.

    Singh said Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Shillong and held a meeting with the NESAC in January this year where major projects to be taken up were flagged.

    Some of the important projects on which work is under progress are like the mapping of forest gap areas, expansion of land area for horticulture development, identification and rejuvenation of wetlands and diversion of floodwater, assessment of bamboo resources for livelihood needs.

    The minister said the home minister is likely to visit the centre again in July to review the progress of the projects.

    He said despite the crippling effects of the COVID-19, much headway was made in execution of these projects.

    Singh said in Northeastern region, space technology is now being used in diverse sectors, including agriculture, railways, roads and bridges, medical management, telemedicine, procurement of timely utilisation certificates, disaster forecast and management, weather, rain, flood forecast.

    Senior officials from the ISRO informed the minister that seven projects from Arunachal Pradesh in areas like dam construction and flood mitigation, three model villages, horticulture and border fencing at zero level are nearing completion.

    Similar projects from other states are also on way to achieve target.

    The NESAC is an autonomous organisation under the Department of Space and located in Shillong and provides dedicated service to the region’s eight states viz.

    Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.

    The centre was set up with a vision to play the catalytic role in holistic development of Northeast by providing space science and technology support on natural resource management, infrastructure planning, healthcare, education, emergency communication, disaster management support, and space and atmospheric science research.

  • Battle against COVID: ISRO develops three types of ventilators, to transfer technology

    By PTI
    BENGALURU: The Indian Space Research Organisation has developed three types of ventilators, and has come forward to transfer the technology to industry for clinical usage as the country battles the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.

    A low-cost and portable critical care ventilator, ‘PRANA’ (“Programmable Respiratory Assistance for the Needy Aid’) is based on the automated compression of an AMBU (Artificial Manual Breathing unit) bag.

    The system has a sophisticated control system that includes airway pressure sensor, flow sensor, oxygen sensor, servo actuator as well as expiration and PEEP (Positive End Expiratory Pressure) control valves, according to an interest exploration note posted on the website of Bengaluru- headquartered space agency.

    The clinicians can select the ventilation mode and set the required parameters through a touch screen panel and monitor various parameters like pressure, flow, tidal volume and oxygen concentration on the same screen.

    The ventilator can deliver the required flow of oxygen-air mixture to the patient’s lung at a desired rate set by the clinicians.

    It has a provision to attach external battery for backup during power failure.

    ISRO said PRANA supports both invasive and non- invasive ventilation modes and is capable of giving mandatory breaths (controlled by ventilator) as well as spontaneous breaths (controlled by the patient).

    A robust algorithm for controlled and safe ventilation of the patient is implemented which raises alarm and opens safety valves to prevent barotrauma, asphyxia and apnoea during the ventilation.

    Alarm is also raised in case of wrong or improper connection of the ventilation circuit or inadvertent disconnection of the hose or sensors.

    There are also provisions to attach bacterial viral filters at each interface to prevent cross-infection and the contamination of air.

    The ICU grade positive pressure mechanical ventilator titled ‘VaU’ (abbreviation of Ventilation assist Unit) can assist or replace the spontaneous breathing in patients under respiratory distress, ISRO said.

    VaU is based on a centrifugal blower which draws in filtered ambient air, compresses it and delivers it to the patient to achieve ventilation and can therefore operate without a compressed pneumatic source.

    Provision is also given in the ventilator to connect a high pressure oxygen source, from which oxygen is metered automatically, to achieve the desired oxygen concentration (FiO2) in the inspiratory flow.

    Microcontroller based control module in the ventilator acquires signals from an array of sensors and commands the electro-pneumatic components to effect closed loop control.

    VaU also comes with an intuitive Human Machine Interface (HMI) System running on a medical grade touch screen PC, which allows the operator to set and monitor various ventilation parameters in real time.

    A power supply unit, which can operate with 230VAC or an internal battery pack, is used to power the electro- pneumatic components, controller, and the HMI system of the ventilator.

    VaU has been configured to operate in a variety of patient/ventilator triggered invasive and non-invasive ventilation modes and has provisions to detect fault conditions and raise alarms through the HMI system to alert the operator.

    Gas-powered ventilator ‘Space Ventilator Aided System for Trauma Assistance (SVASTA)’, a basic mode for non- invasive ventilation, is well-suited for emergency use for first line treatment and as transit ventilators inside vehicles, according to ISRO.

    The basic design is simple, and the components can be easily mass produced for emergency use in pandemic like situations.

    This ventilator, which runs on compressed air, is able to perform various ventilation conditions using manual mechanical settings.

    The system is capable of pressure control ventilation (PCV) in its basic mode of operation with provision for setting different tidal volumes.

    The basic ventilator design can be re-engineered appropriately by the manufacturer to cater to various modes of ventilation with control systems, electronics, and associated software, it was stated.

    The prototype of the three ventilators developed at Thiruvananthapuram-based Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), a major space research centre of ISRO, has undergone in-house test & evaluation and meets various specifications.

    The responsibility of obtaining mandatory certification from approving agencies of government of India before clinical usage vests with the industry, the ISRO note said.

    ISRO said it intends to transfer the technology of these three ventilators toPSUs/ industries/ start-ups having good track record in manufacture of critical medical/ electronic equipment manufacturing.

    It invited Interested industries/ entrepreneurs to submit theirexpression of interest before June 15.

  • ISRO to launch data relay satellites to track Gaganyaan

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Indian Space Research Organisation will launch a data relay satellite that will help maintain contact with the Gagangyaan mission throughout after the launch, sources said.

    The satellite will be launched before the final leg of the Gaganyaan mission, which will send astronauts to the Lower Earth Orbit (LEO).

    The first leg — the unmanned mission — is to be launched in December.

    “We’re planning to launch our own satellite, which will act as a data relay satellite before going for the first human space flight,” the sources said.

    The Rs 800-crore project has been approved and work has been going on, they added.

    Satellites in orbit cannot pass along their information to the ground stations on Earth if the satellite 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.

    The NASA, with a robust human space mission programme, also has its own data relay satellite.

    Its Tracking and Data Relay Satellite allows it to have global coverage of all the satellites round the clock without having to build extra ground stations on Earth.

    The ISRO uses several ground stations spread across the globe — Mauritius, Brunei and Biak, Indonesia.

    Last month, ISRO Chairperson K Sivan had said the space agency was also in talks with the Australian counterpart to have a ground station at the Coco islands for the Gaganyaan mission.

    However, there are blind spots, due to which there is a possibility of not receiving signals, sources added.

    The data relay satellite will help address the issues.

    Earlier this month, the ISRO signed an agreement with French space agency CNES for cooperation for the Gaganyaan, a move that will enable training of Indian flight physicians in French space agency’s facilities.

    Under this agreement, CNES-developed French equipment, tested and still operating aboard the International Space Station, will be made available to Indian crews.

    The CNES will also be supplying fireproof carry bags made in France to shield equipment from shocks and radiation, it said.

    Last month, four prospective astronauts also returned to India after spending nearly a year in Russia.

     

  • ISRO, French space agency to share expertise on human spaceflight

    By Express News Service
    BENGALURU: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Thursday exchanged an ‘Implementing Arrangement’ with French National Space Agency (CNES) for cooperation concerning Human Spaceflight Programme. The agreement that was exchanged between ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan and French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affair Jean- Yves Le Drian was specifically on sharing of expertise in space medicines for the Human Spaceflight Programme.

    During Jean-Yves Le Drian’s visit to Bengaluru, an MoU was also signed between Karnataka Innovative & Technological Society (KITS) and IFCCI (Indo- French Chamber of Commerce and Industry) to boost up the collaboration between India and France in the field of innovative technology. The French foreign minister is on a tour of India to promote France as an attractive destination for investment and bolster Indo-French space, scientific and technological cooperation.

    “Evolution and achievements of Indian space programme and India-France space cooperation and details of the recent space reforms announced by Government of India were presented to the minister,” said a statement from ISRO. Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan, who also holds the Information & Technology portfolio assured full support and cooperation by the Karnataka government for French start ups and businesses set up by French expats in the state. “France has emerged as a major source of FDI for India with more than 1,000 French establishments already present in India.

    France is the 9th largest foreign investor in India with a cumulative investment of USD 6.59 billion from April 2000 to December 2018 and India- France bilateral trade stood at € 11.52 billion,” Dr Ashwath Narayan said. MeitY Startup Hub (MSH) and La French Tech Bengaluru- India launched the Indo- French Tech Programme to support Indo-French startup collaboration, facilitate a rapid convergence of the French and Indian start-up ecosystems, and establish linkages between Indian and French incubators and startups.

    This programme is jointly supported by the Ministry of Electronics & IT of India, and the French government. The MoU between KITS and IFCCI has frameworks set for mutual industry facilitation, Joint venture opportunities and industry collaborations to explore potential market opportunities, when a company from one side wants to collaborate with the industry from the other side.

  • French minister to visit ISRO flight centre in Bengaluru

    By Express News Service
    BENGALURU: Jean-Yves Le Drian, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, will visit Bengaluru on Thursday as part of his three-day official visit to India, starting from Tuesday.On Thursday, the last day of his India visit, Le Drian will travel to Bengaluru, where he will highlight the Indo-French cooperation on health and biological sciences at the Bangalore Life Sciences Cluster (BLiSc) and visit the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) at a time when the decades long Indo-French space cooperation is embarking on new initiatives.

    He will meet investors and CEOs of major Indian business groups to promote France as an attractive investment destination. Le Drian will also speak at an event dedicated to enhancing Indo-French ties in technological innovation. The event will be attended by representatives from the French tech community in Bengaluru as well as Indian and French tech companies.

    The minister is likely to announce new initiatives to develop ties between the technology ecosystems in the two countries.He will conclude his visit by meeting the French tech community to promote cooperation between the two countries in technological innovation and the development of ties between Indian and French startups.  

  • ISRO 1994 espionage case: Centre moves SC seeking urgent hearing, matter to be heard next week

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Centre Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking urgent hearing on the report filed by a high-level committee regarding the role of erring police officials in the 1994 espionage case relating to ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan who had been acquitted and was eventually awarded Rs 50 lakh compensation by the top court.

    The matter was mentioned for urgent hearing by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta before a bench, headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde, which said that the case would be heard next week.

    Mehta told the bench, also comprising Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian, that the report has been filed by the committee and it be considered as this is a “national issue”.

    The bench said it understands that it is an important matter but “not a very urgent matter”.

    “We will take it up next week,” the bench said.

    The apex court had on September 14, 2018, appointed a three-member panel, headed by its former judge Justice (retd) D K Jain, while directing the Kerala government to cough up Rs 50 lakh compensation for compelling Narayanan to undergo “immense humiliation”.

    It had ordered setting up of the committee to take appropriate steps against the erring officials for causing “tremendous harassment” and “immeasurable anguish” to Narayanan and had directed the Centre and state government to nominate one officer each in the panel.

    Terming the police action against the ex-scientist of the Indian Space Research Organisation (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”.

    The espionage 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 The scientist was arrested when the Congress was heading the government in Kerala.

    The three-member investigation panel submitted its report in a sealed cover to the apex court recently.

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

    The case also had its political fallout, with a section in the Congress targeting the then Chief Minister late K Karunakaran over the issue, that eventually led to his resignation.

    Over a period of almost two-and-a-half years, the panel headed by Justice Jain examined the circumstances leading to the arrest.

    The 79-year-old former scientist, 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.

    Narayanan had approached the apex court against a Kerala High Court judgement that said no action needed to be taken against former DGP Siby Mathews, who was then heading the SIT probe team, and two retired superintendents of police K K Joshua and S Vijayan, who were later held responsible by the CBI for the scientist’s illegal arrest.

    “There can be no scintilla of doubt that the appellant, a successful scientist having national reputation, has been compelled to undergo immense humiliation. The lackadaisical attitude of the state police to arrest anyone and put him in police custody has made the appellant to suffer the ignominy,” the apex court had said in its September 2018 order.

    “The dignity of a person gets shocked when psycho-pathological treatment is meted out to him. A human being cries for justice when he feels that the insensible act has crucified his self-respect,” the top court had said.

    It had accepted Narayanan’s plea that the authorities, who were responsible for causing such a “harrowing effect” on his mind, should face “legal consequences”.

    The CBI, while giving clean chit to the scientist, had said that Siby Mathews had left “the entire investigation to IB surrendering his duties” and ordered indiscriminate arrest of the scientist and others without adequate evidence being on record.

    The case had caught attention in October 1994, when Maldivian national Rasheeda was arrested in Thiruvananthapuram for allegedly obtaining secret drawings of ISRO rocket engines to sell to Pakistan.

    Narayanan, the then director of the cryogenic project at ISRO, was arrested along with the then ISRO Deputy Director D Sasikumaran, and Fousiya Hasan, a Maldivian friend of Rasheeda.