ISRO To launch Cartosat-2B On May 9

Undeterred by the GSLV-D3 mission failure, India is going ahead with the launch of an advanced remote-sensing satellite Cartosat-2B, now tentatively fixed for May 9 from Sriharikota spaceport.

The high-resolution spacecraft, designed for an operational life of five years, is slated to be launched from the first launchpad on May 9 around 10 am, ISRO spokesperson S Satish told said here on Friday.

Thursday's GSLV-D3 mission to flight-test the indigenous cryogenic engine and stage for the first time ended in failure after the rocket veered off course and plunged into the sea.

GSLV and PSLV missions are independent of each other. ISRO officials said there is no change in its earlier announced plans to launch PSLV in the first half of May - now fixed for May nine.

"It (Cartosat-2B) will give pictures of 0.8 metre resolution," ISRO chairman K Radhakrishnan has said. In simple terms, the single panchromatic camera on board this cartographic satellite would be able to identify and take pictures of a moving car.

Thus, this highly-agile satellite, weighing around 690 kg, is expected to give a boost to the tasks of infrastructure and urban planning. The camera provides scene specific spot imageries for cartographic and a host of other civilian applications.

Indian space mission advances with satellite plan

Scientists check data at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) center in Bangalore in 2008. India plans to put a satellite into orbit using its indigenously built cryogenic rocket engine, marking another step in the nation's ambitious space programme, officials said.

BANGALORE, India (AFP) – India plans to put a satellite into orbit using its indigenously built cryogenic rocket engine, marking another step in the nation's ambitious space programme, officials said.

Cryogenic rocket motors, which use supercooled liquid fuel, have been built by only six countries or regions in the world, with India joining this club in October 2006, according to Indian space researchers.

The engine will now be used to put a communications satellite into orbit with a launch scheduled for April 15, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman K. Radhakrishnan told reporters here on Wednesday.

The launch will take place at India's space centre at Sriharikota on the coast of the eastern state of Andhra Pradesh, he said.

India began its space programme in 1963 and has developed its own satellites and launch vehicles to cut dependence on other countries.

Government funding of around 2.8 billion dollars has been secured for an attempt on its first manned space mission in 2016.

In September, India's Chandrayaan-1 satellite discovered water on the moon, boosting its credibility among established space-faring nations.

ISRO Set To Launch GSLV-D3

Indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) being used for the first time in GSLV-D3 is fully qualified having undergone the full flight duration test of 800 seconds successfully. The indigenous CUS would be used in place of Russian cryogenic stage employed so far in GSLV.

ISRO is preparing to launch a geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV-D3), powered for the first time by a home-made cryogenic engine, from Sriharikota spaceport this month, its chief K Radhakrishnan said on Friday.

"Preparations are going on. The final reviews are also taking place. It could be any day from April 15 (at around 16.30 hours), which is the first available opportunity", he told PTI.

GSLV-D3 would carry on board GSAT-4 experimental satellite in which ISRO is also testing some new things.

He said the indigenous development of complex cryogenic rocket technology after years of effort is a reply to technology denial regimes and termed the endeavour "marvellous".

"Significance in terms of (cryogenic) technology development has been a marvellous thing", he said.

"In 1992, we wanted to get this technology from Russia, and the Americans put a sanction on Russia not to transfer this technology and India took a bold decision to develop it. So, we have done it", he said.

"This is a flight-testing of that (indigenous cryogenic) stage," Mr. Radhakrishnan said.

Indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) being used for the first time in GSLV-D3 is fully qualified having undergone the full flight duration test of 800 seconds successfully. The indigenous CUS would be used in place of Russian cryogenic stage employed so far in GSLV.

"The development of cryogenic engines involves mastering several complex disciplines such as materials technology, operating rotary pumps and turbines that run at 42,000 rpm at cryogenic temperatures. The development of cryogenic technology in the country has given the coveted status of total self-reliance in launch vehicle technology", he said.

ISRO conducted previous GSLV flights with the help of readymade cryogenic engines procured from Russia earlier.

"GSAT-4 is the only payload (to be carried by GSLV-D3). But GSAT-4 contains several payloads. We are getting into Ka-band transponder system there, and we are also having a small payload for the satellite navigation for augmenting the GPS system that is GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation)," Mr. Radhakrishnan said.

ISRO is also trying electric propulsion system for the first time. "Instead of using liquid fuel for station-keeping, here you are using electric propulsions", he said, noting the move would enable the agency to extend the life of satellites by a couple of years.

"This is a new technology. First time, we are trying it," he said.

Source: Press Trust of India

Images of Moon from Chandrayaan-1

HySI on Chandrayaan-1: Crater Damoieasu

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Chandrayaan-I data expected in six months

PUNE: Analysis of the data collected from Chandrayaan-I spacecraft is expected to come out with in six months, said G Madhavan Nair, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Nair was speaking to the media at the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT), Khadakwasla, on Thursday. "Almost all the mapping of Chandrayaan has been completed. Now, the scientists are working on the data. The analysis of the data is going on. Results of it are expected in around six months' time."

Elaborating on some of the recent upgradations in the mission, Nair said: "The orbit of Chandrayaan-I, which was at a height of 100 km from the lunar surface, has been raised to 200 km. The orbit-raising manoeuvres were carried out in May. The higher altitude will enable further studies on orbit perturbations, and gravitational field variation of the Moon and also help imaging the lunar surface with a wider swath."

Nair, who is also the secretary, department of space, delivered a lecture on the Recent achievements in space science', on the occasion of the First DIAT Commemoration on Thursday.

During the lecture he pointed out that there were some signals of water' on the moon.

About the other initiatives of the ISRO, Nair said: "Work on the human space flight programme' is going on. Anybody who fits the criteria can be a part of this programme. The selection for that would be done during 2010-2011."

The still-unnamed Indian human spaceflight programme aims at developing and launching a spaceship which can carry a two-member crew to moon by 2015. The spaceship would be launched by India's GSLV-Mk II launcher.

The Orbit of Chandrayaan-1 Raised

After the successful completion of all the major mission objectives, the orbit of Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, which was at a height of 100 km from the lunar surface since November 2008, has now been raised to 200 km. The orbit raising manoeuvres were carried out between 0900 and 1000 hrs IST on May 19, 2009. ?The spacecraft in this higher altitude will enable further studies on orbit perturbations, gravitational field variation of the Moon and also enable imaging lunar surface with a wider swath.



It may be recalled that Chandryaan-1 spacecraft launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota on October 22, 2008 by PSLV-C11, was inserted into lunar orbit on November 8, 2008. Over the last seven months, all the 11 payloads onboard Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft have been operationalised successfully and excellent quality data has been received. The scientific community from India and other participating international agencies are analysing the data and already several interesting results have been obtained.

Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft operations are being carried out from the Satellite Control Centre (SCC) of ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) at Bangalore and Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN) at Byalalu near Bangalore. The science data from Chandrayaan-1 is being archived and disseminated from Indian Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC), also located at Byalalu.