Indian Space Capabilities

[Hindustani78]

Department of Space
12-April, 2018 11:05 IST
PSLV-C41 successfully launches IRNSS-1I navigation satellite

In its forty third flight, ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C41 successfully launched the 1,425 kg IRNSS-1I Navigation Satellite today from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.

PSLV-C41 lifted off at 0404 hrs (4:04 am) IST, as planned, from the First Launch Pad. After a flight lasting about 19 minutes, the vehicle achieved a Sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit with a perigee (nearest point to earth) of 281.5 km and an apogee (farthest point to earth) of 20,730 km inclined at an angle of 19.2 degree to the equator following which IRNSS-1I separated from PSLV.

After separation, the solar panels of IRNSS-1I were deployed automatically. ISRO's Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan, Karnataka took over the control of the satellite. In the coming days, orbit manoeuvres will be performed from MCF to position the satellite at 55 deg East longitude in the planned Geosynchronous Orbit with an inclination of 29 deg to the equator.

IRNSS-1I is the latest member of the ‘Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC)’ system. NavIC, also known as Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), is an independent regional navigation satellite system designed to provide position information in the Indian region and 1,500 km around the Indian mainland.

A number of ground facilities responsible for IRNSS satellite ranging and monitoring, generation and transmission of navigation parameters, satellite control, network timing, etc., have been established in many locations across the country as part of NavIC.

Till now, PSLV has successfully launched 52 Indian satellites and 237 customer satellites from abroad.

******

Prime Minister's Office
12-April, 2018 10:36 IST
PM congratulates ISRO scientists on the successful launch of IRNSS-1I

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated the scientists of ISRO on the successful launch of the navigation satellite IRNSS-1I .

"Congratulations to our scientists on the successful launch of navigation satellite IRNSS-1I by PSLV. This success will bring benefits of our space programme to the common man. Proud of team ISRO!", the Prime Minister said.



***

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/sc...ation-fleet/article23508603.ece?homepage=true

Although 1I is the ninth to be launched in the NavIC navigation fleet, it counts as the eighth.

Navigation satellite IRNSS-1I was launched early morning on Thursday from Sriharikota.

Eighth in the series, the 1425- kg satellite completes the first phase of the Indian regional navigation constellation, K. Sivan, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), said after a precise flight that put in a precise, intended initial orbit.

The navigation satellites, dubbed India's own GPS, are meant for giving precise information of position, navigation and time of objects or people. They were built by a consortium of six Indian companies led by Alpha Design Technologies Ltd., Bengaluru.

They have a civilian and a restricted military/security application.

Built for a ten-year job in space, 1I is expected to be ready for work in about a month after routine orbit manoeuvres and tests.

Now orbiting in a temporary sub-geosynchronous oval path about 281.5 km x 20,730 km from Earth and inclined 19.2 degrees to the Equator, it will be gradually pushed in the coming days into a geosynchronous circular orbit 36,000 km away, at an inclination of 29° over 55° East longitude, ISRO said.

It was put to orbit on the PSLV-C41 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in coastal Andhra Pradesh at 4.04 a.m.

Although 1I is the ninth to be launched in the NavIC navigation fleet, it counts as the eighth as the previous one, 1H, was lost in a faulty launch last August.

They were planned as backups but became necessary after the three imported rubidium atomic clocks on 1A failed while in orbit.

Both 1I and 1H extensively involved a consortium of six Indian industries in the assembly, integration and testing of satellites at Bengaluru — an exercise that ISRO will replicate in coming missions, Dr. Sivan said.

"The NavIC constellation is going to create history and make innovative applications to the entire community in ocean-based services, especially for the underserved and unserved,” Dr.Sivan said in his post-launch address.

“Very recently we created a NavIC-based application that will be released soon. I request industry and institutions to take these applications to the user community.”

In a hint about the loss of the newest GSAT-6A communication satellite in March, he said, ISRO engineers had braved setbacks and would continue to rise to new challenges.

ISRO teams returned to launch activities from home ground in record 14 days after sending up a communication satellite GSAT-6A on March 29. However the two missions used different launch pads.

Dr. Kailasavadivoo Sivan, Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/sc...ar-chairman/article23510349.ece?homepage=true

ISRO has planned nine missions, in the next eight months Sivan told reporters.

ISRO Chairman K Sivan on Thursday said the space agency was bracing up for a busy year during which it has lined up several missions, including ‘Chandrayaan-2’

ISRO has planned nine missions, in the next eight months Sivan told reporters after the successful launch of the IRNSS-1I navigation satellite at the Sathish Dhawan Space Centre.

Built for a ten-year job in space, IRNSS-1I is expected to be ready for work in about a month after its routine orbit manoeuvres and tests.

“We have a lot more missions on the anvil. In the next eight months, we are going to have nine missions. We are going to have GSAT, PSLV missions... Towards the end of the year we have the major mission - Chandryaan-2,” he added.

There were plans for the 5.7 tonne GSAT-11 mission, a throughput satellite , he said, adding that it would be the heaviest satellite the space agency has made so far.

“This apart, there would be GSLK-Mk3-D2, which is going to launch GSAT-29. Then we are going to have a host of GSLV missions like DigiSat and high resolution remote sensing satellites,” Sivan said.

“We have another GSLV mission, whioch is going to have GSAT-7A. Then we have Chandrayaan-2 mission in October period. Along with that we have technology demonstration for future missions,” he said.

The NavIC constellation is really going to create history and make innovative applications to the entire community in the ocean-based services. , Sivan said.

The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) is a constellation of seven satellites that provides indigenously developed regional GPS services called NavIC.

“Very recently using the NavIC applications we have created an app that will be released very soon. I request industry and institutions to come forward to take these applications to the user community,” the ISRO chief said.

He lauded the team for working tirelessly to make the PSLV-C41/IRNSS-1I a success after a major GSLV mission.

“Today is really a wonderful day for all of us. We have achieved a precise mission. After a major GSLV mission, 14 days back, we have successfully launched IRNSS-1I.

“I must congratulate the entire ISRO team for this wonderful achievement. Essentially in the last 14 days the entire ISRO community worked tirelessly to achieve this mission,” Sivan said.

For the launch vehicle, ISRO had adopted a new technology, which would help improve the productivity and enhance the capability of the vehicle, he said.

Navigation satellites are meant to give position information, combining applications like locating fishermen, and during times of disaster, he added.

On the status of the recently launched GSAT-6A satellite that lost communication link soon after it was put into orbit, Sivan said .“Engineers were working 24X7 and had been able to locate the satellite. This is a positive step and gives additional hope. ,” he added.

On the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) being critical of NavIC still not being fully operational, after more than 10 years of its launch, he said with the launch of IRNSS-1I, the system was now put in place and the applications would have to be rolled out.

.

 

[Hindustani78]

Department of Space
18-April, 2018 18:41 IST
ISRO Chairman briefs Dr Jitendra Singh about upcoming Moon mission 'Chandrayan-2'

The Chairman Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) & Secretary Department of Space, Dr K Sivan called on Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space Dr Jitendra Singh here today. During the meeting Dr. K Sivan briefed him about the upcoming Moon mission “Chandrayaan-2”, expected to be launched from Sriharikota around October-November this year.

Giving details about the upcoming Chandrayaan-2 mission, Dr Sivan informed that the total cost of the mission is about Rs. 800 crore, which includes Rs. 200 crore as the cost of launching and Rs. 600 crore for the satellite. This cost, he said, is almost half of the launch cost if the same mission had to be launched from a foreign launching site.

Chandrayaan-2 will be equipped with a lander and rover probe, which will descend on the surface of the moon, from where it will observe the lunar surface and send back data, which will be useful for analysis of the lunar soil.

Dr Jitendra Singh not only appreciated Chandrayaan-2 for being a cost-effective mission but also lauded it for being totally indigenous in its expertise, manufacturing and material, which makes it an appropriate example of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s “Make in India” Mantra.

Another ISRO Mission, GSLV Mk III-D2, scheduled for June-July this year, also came up for discussion.

*****

 

[Pakistani Aircraft]

Has India got any plans to send/create a mini biosphere on the moon like China will attempt to create one this year?

 

[amardeep mishra]

Has India got any plans to send/create a mini biosphere on the moon like China will attempt to create one this year?

HI! @Pakistani
India will first try to accomplish soft landing of rover on moon surface before it can actually go ahead and create a mini biosphere. Soft landing on any extra terrestrial surface is a feat in itself.

 

[Hindustani78]

The Chairman ISRO and Secretary Dept. of Space, Dr. K. Sivan calling on the Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, in New Delhi on April 18, 2018.

 

[Hindustani78]

Prime Minister's Office
22-April, 2018 09:53 IST
On EarthDay, PM reaffirms commitment towards creating a better planet

‘’On EarthDay, let us reaffirm our commitment towards creating a better planet for our future generations. Let us work together to mitigate the menace of climate change. This would be a great tribute to our beloved Mother Earth.

I compliment all those individuals and organisations who are working towards promoting harmony with nature and ensuring sustainable development’’,the Prime Minister said.

*****

 

[Hindustani78]

The Chief Minister of Puducherry, Shri V. Narayanasamy calling on the Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh, in New Delhi on May 03, 2018.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://indianexpress.com/article/in...search-centre-in-ahmedabad-none-hurt-5162012/
By: PTI | Ahmedabad | Updated: May 3, 2018 4:45:18 pm

Space Applications Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organistaion at Gujarat. (Source: Isro/website)

A major fire broke out at a research facility located in the Space Application Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in Ahmedabad this afternoon, officials said. Nobody was reported injured in the blaze, they added.

“A major fire broke out at the research centre inside the sprawling SAC campus in the Satellite area of the city this afternoon. As many as 25 fire tenders have been pressed into service by the Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES),” an AFES official said.

After being alerted about the incident, Additional Chief Fire Officer Rajesh Bhatt and other senior AFES officials rushed to the spot. According to Bhatt, it would take a couple of hours to douse the flames completely.

“It will take another two hours to control the fire completely as thermocol sheets are still burning and emitting smoke. However, the fire has been brought under control and noone was injured,” he said.

Ahmedabad District Collector Vikrant Pandey, who was also on the spot, said the blaze had engulfed the research centre building, that stood isolated.

“The fire will not spread to other buildings on the premises,” he added. “All our teams are at the site and it will soon be brought under control,” Pandey added.

The SAC is a major research centre of the ISRO in the city, where payloads for satellite launched by the country are prepared. The centre was established by Vikram Sarabhai – the father of the Indian space programme.

 

[MimophantSlayer]

Isro develops desi atomic clock, to be used in navigation satellites
Surendra Singh | TNN | Updated: May 7, 2018, 01:03 IST

TNN
Navigation satellite IRNSS-1I that was launched last month
HIGHLIGHTS

• The atomic clock is currently undergoing a series of qualification tests
• Once it successfully clears all tests, it will be used in an experimental navigation satellite to test its accuracy and durability in space

NEW DELHI: In a significant development, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has developed an atomic clock that will be used in navigation satellites to measure precise location data. The space agency currently imports atomic clocks from European aerospace manufacturer Astrium for its navigation satellites.

Tapan Misra, director of Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre (SAC), said, “SAC has developed an indigenous atomic clock and this clock is currently undergoing a series of qualification tests. Once it successfully clears all tests, the desi atomic clock will be used in an experimental navigation satellite to test its accuracy and durability in space.”

The SAC director said, “With the development of the desi atomic clock, Isro has become one of the few space organisations in the world which have gained the capability to develop this highly sophisticated technology. We don't know the design and technology of the imported atomic clock. But the desi clock has been developed based on our designs and specifications. This clock is as good as the imported one. We are hopeful that it will easily work for more than five years.”


According to a reliable source in Isro, nine of the 21 atomic clocks used in some of the seven navigation satellites launched are showing error. Isro is, therefore, planning to launch four backup navigation satellites to keep the Navigation with Indian Constellation (NaVIC) effective. These backup satellites, which are likely to have indigenous atomic clocks too, will add buffer to the desi GPS system. “Isro will first need financial clearance from the government for the backup satellites,” says the source.

Last month on April 12, Isro successfully launched navsat IRNSS-1I to replace India's first navigation satellite IRNSS-1A, whose three atomic clocks had stopped working two years ago. IRNSS-1I thus completed the constellation of seven functional navsats needed in space to keep the NaVIC operational.

Tapan Misra said, "Atomic clocks have sophisticated technology. They could stop working because of different reasons. It's not only Indian navigation satellites, but atomic clocks in satellites of Galileo (European Union's navigation satellite system) had also failed earlier."

NAVIC was approved by the government nearly 12 years ago at a cost of Rs 1,420 crore to establish an indigenous satellite based navigation system to provide position, navigation and timing services over the Indian landmass and surrounding region extending up to 1,500 km. Though the indigenous navigation system is very much operational, it is not as popular as the American GPS in the country because the receiver and mobile chipset needed to access the desi system have not been commercialised.




https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...avigation-satellites/articleshow/64056352.cms

 

[MimophantSlayer]

RLV-TD

https://twitter.com/x/status/993055514392068097

 

[Hindustani78]

The Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh chairing the meeting of joint ‘Hindi Salahkar Samiti’ of the Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, in New Delhi on May 07, 2018.

The Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh visiting the exhibition on the sidelines of meeting of joint ‘Hindi Salahkar Samiti’ of the Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, in New Delhi on May 07, 2018.

The Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh releasing the book titled “Antriksh Prodyogiki: Samaj ke Liye Laabh”, during the meeting of joint ‘Hindi Salahkar Samiti’ of the Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, in New Delhi on May 07, 2018.

The Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh releasing the magazine titled “Urjasvi”, during the meeting of joint ‘Hindi Salahkar Samiti’ of the Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, in New Delhi on May 07, 2018.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://indianexpress.com/article/in...ss-of-indigenous-atomic-clocks-this-december/

Written by Avinash Nair | Ahmedabad | Updated: May 16, 2018 5:46:30 pm

Space Applications Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research Organistaion. (Source: Isro/website)


The robustness of the indigenous atomic clocks developed by the ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) will be known when one of the clocks developed at the Ahmedabad’s Space Application Centre (SAC) will be sent to outerspace in December, this year. The Indian space agency ISRO currently depends upon atomic clocks that helps navigational satellites measure precise locations.”

Atomic clocks are considered to be the most stable of clocks today. These clocks are made by only three or four companies in the world. This technology is very restrictive. Now, we have started making it,” said Tapan Misra, director of SAC at the sidelines of National Technology Day celebrations organised at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Exhibition centre on Wednesday.

“The first model which is called the qualification model is currently in the testing-review phase…. By December this year we plan to send one of these clocks along with three others mounted on a satellite. Usually, three atomic clocks go with every satellite. We will be sending four, wherein the fourth one will be the one we have developed indigenously. This will help us to see how robust is our technology. The real proof of its success can be guaged by seeing how it actually functions in space,” Misra added.

The clock will be mounted on a satellite once ISRO’s Quality Assurance Group provides it with the necessary certification. However, the SAC director did not disclose the cost of the clocks and possible savings for ISRO once the indigenous atomic clocks take place of the imported ones. The atomic clocks were in news recently after few of them on ISRO’s IRNSS (Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System) failed.

Talking about the IRNSS system which is expected to replace the GPS system, Misra said that ISRO has already developed a “device” to help some of the government agencies use the IRNSS navigation. “These devices are slighting costlier, but has more precision. In the next phase, we are trying to incorporate this technology in the mobiles,” Misra said adding that the IRNSS is being used by ISRO for PSLV guidance along with GPS since the last one year.

*******

BENGALURU:, January 30, 2017 01:17 IST
Updated: January 30, 2017 01:17 IST

A. S. Kiran Kumar, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation said glitch in the atomic clocks means its core function of providing accurate position, navigation and time will be affected. However, without its clocks, the Satellites will give a coarse value. It will not be used for computation. Messages from it will still be used.”

ISRO, he said, was trying to revive the clocks on 1A and readying one of the two back-up navigation satellites to replace it in space in the second half of this year.

“There are some anomalies in the atomic clock system on board. We are trying to restart it. Right now we are working out a mechanism for operating it,” he told The Hindu.

“The problem is only with the clock system of one spacecraft. The signals are all coming, we are getting the messages, everything else is working and being used, except the stability portion which is linked to the clock,” he said. A minimum of four working satellites was sufficient to realise the full use of the navigation system”.

 

[MimophantSlayer]

ISRO's Quantum Communications effort.

https://twitter.com/x/status/999978492115800064

International Conference Gives Big Boost to India’s Quantum Technology Industries
K.S. JAYARAMAN, IANS

File photo of the Indian Space Research Organization’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle SLV-C41. The ISRO, along with the Indian government’s Department of Science and Technology, will fund quantum technology studies and projects in India. The ISRO, in collaboration with Raman Research Institute, has initiated a mega project called Quantum Experiments Using Satellite Technology, or QUEST. (IANS photo)

BENGALURU — Thanks to government funding, Indian physicists are preparing for a deep dive into the quantum world that holds the secrets for developing exciting technologies for computing, communication, cryptography and much more.

Schemes for making India a major player in quantum technologies were deliberated during a five-day international conference on "Quantum Frontiers and Fundamentals" at the Raman Research Institute here.

Sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation, a philanthropic organization in the U.S., it was attended by eminent physicists from India and abroad, including several research students from India with a total number of around 100 participants, reflecting the significant growth in the research community in this area in our country.


"This is an interesting conference, blending quantum fundamentals aspects with applications, and is unique in its mandate as we have tried to provide equal emphasis to both theoretical research and experimental quantum technologies," Urbasi Sinha, of RRI and organizer of the conference, told this correspondent. Dipankar Home of the Bose Institute, Kolkata, and Alexandre Matzkin of the French National Center for Scientific Research in Paris were the co-organizers.

Quantum physics is a basic theory in physics that deals with the behavior of matter and light on the atomic and subatomic scale. Quantum technology exploits the weird properties of quantum mechanics – especially quantum entanglement, quantum superposition and quantum tunneling – into practical applications for computing, cryptography and "secure" communication. Quantum computers that process "quantum data" – instead of binary data – are predicted to be faster than today's largest classical computer.

Research in these areas at Indian laboratories has received a boost with promised funding support from the government's Department of Science and Technology and the Indian Space Research Organization, as well as small individual projects from the Defense Research and Development Organization and the Prime Minister's Office.

The DST's Mission-Mode scheme, called Quantum Science and Technology, will fund research "for the development and demonstration" of quantum computers, quantum communication and cryptography, besides "demonstration of quantum teleportation."

The scheme, DST says, "promises to revolutionize the future computation and communication systems, which will ultimately have huge impact on the nation and our society as a whole."

The DST initiative has received overwhelming response and "has already received 128 proposals from researchers from different parts of the country," Rajeev Sharma, a spokesperson for the scheme at DST, told this correspondent. "Funding is no problem," he said.

The ISRO, in collaboration with RRI, has initiated a mega project called "Quantum Experiments Using Satellite Technology (QUEST)." Sinha, along with members of her "Quantum Information and Computing Lab" and theory colleagues at RRI, will play a key role in developing these technologies in the coming years, with support from the ISRO.


"Once RRI is ready with an experimental payload, we will launch it on board one of our satellite missions," M. Sankaran, deputy director of the ISRO Satellite Center in Bengaluru and one of the conference participants, told this correspondent.

According to Sinha, one of her first experiments "will be a collaborative effort with the 'Quantum Photonics Lab' at Ontario's University of Waterloo" that will aim to establish "a secure Quantum Key Distribution link" between India and Canada.

"It is good that both DST and ISRO have decided to fund research in this important area," said Arun Kumar Pati, a leading researcher in quantum physics at the Harish Chandra Research Institute in Allahabad and a conference participant. "We are 10 years behind and have to catch up."

Using its world's first quantum satellite called "Micius," China has already demonstrated transmission of images from the country to Austria and researchers at the National University of Singapore have built a nano-satellite with a quantum communication payload. Scientists from the University of Waterloo have also demonstrated the first quantum key distribution transmissions from a ground transmitter to a quantum payload on a moving aircraft.

The conference suggested the formation in India of a society for quantum information scientists. It also called for greater thrust to experimental research and an increase in the pool of researchers in the area of quantum technologies.

http://www.indiawest.com/news/india...cle_ccadd9a4-53c4-11e8-939e-873063d5b7e4.html

 

[Hindustani78]

https://www.hindustantimes.com/indi...sro-on-edge/story-PZZD1X19GdbVdiclNk76YP.html

Launch failure, incommunicado satellite: Spate of setbacks leaves space agency ISRO on edge

Foreign launches are costly, which is why ISRO is trying to develop indigenous capacity to launch heavy satellites like the GSAT-11, which weighs 5,725 kg.
india Updated: Jun 04, 2018 10:24 IST


A launch failure, an incommunicado satellite and an unprecedented satellite recall, all in the space of less than a year, may not necessarily harm the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s hard-earned reputation as a trusty launcher of commercial space missions. Yet, it does cast a shadow on missions that are critical to India’s needs, analysts say.

Almost two months after Isro lost contact with Geostationary Satellite 6A, a communication satellite, the chances of the agency retrieving it are slim. Orbit raising manoeuvres have failed, so the satellite is not in the correct orbit. Its power reserves are mostly likely depleted, and it is on its way to becoming space junk.

“We are in the process of planning another satellite to ensure continuity of services,” Isro chairman K Sivan said.

Launches are the most spectacular, and most risky, part of a space mission and attention tends to fade once the rocket is out of view. But unlike for commercial launches, the agency’s responsibility for Indian satellites extends beyond placing them in orbit. The satellites have to complete their missions and provide useful data that feeds into everything from communication and navigation services to scientific advancements.

Isro maintains that its future launch operations have not been affected, but the recent recall of GSAT-11 from a launch station in French Guiana weeks before its scheduled launch suggests the agency is on edge. “Isro works on a shoestring budget, it cannot afford failures,” said Rajeswari Pillai Rajagopalan, head, nuclear and space policy initiative, Observer Research Foundation. “The first thing to consider is the direct monetary losses.”

Like all Indian satellites launched by Isro in recent years, GSAT-6A was not insured.

According to former Isro chairman AS Kiran Kumar, India only has half the number of satellites it requires to meet its needs, ranging from data services to weather prediction, so the loss of each satellite hurts.

Foreign launches are costly, which is why Isro is trying to develop indigenous capacity to launch heavy satellites like the GSAT-11, which weighs 5,725 kg. The cost of launching Chandrayaan II from India is about half of what it would cost if it were launched from a foreign launch site, according to Isro.

Recalling a satellite for additional checks adds to the cost, but the loss of GSAT-11 is a chance it is not prepared to take. “Apart from the monetary losses, it affects strategic operations, as is the case with the GSAT. It means they will have to wait a few more years for the same facility,” said Rajagopalan.

GSAT-6A was an advanced communications satellite that was supposed to complement the GSAT-6, which was launched in 2015 to provide military communications with a mission life of nine years. They would have boosted communication in difficult terrains and cellular blind spots like deserts and snow-clad mountains with the use of small hand-held devices.

The other service of strategic importance is navigation. Most service providers and institutions rely on GPS, a navigation system developed by the US. The development of an indigenous GPS called NavIC is considered vital to protecting India’s strategic interests, a point that was driven home during the Kargil war in 1999 when the US denied India access to GPS, hampering military operations.

Components of Chandrayaan-2
ORBITER Will be launched into a 100-km lunar orbit Scientific payloads: 6
Aim of Orbiter payloads:

• Prepares 3D map of lunar surface
• Maps abundance of rock forming elements like Magnesium, Aluminium, Silica, Calcium,Titanium and Iron
• Observes X-rays emitted by sun and its corona
• Looks for signatures of hydroxyl and water molecules in polar regions
• Maps craters and other lunar features
• Detailed study of lunar exosphere
• Comprehensive exploration of Lunar plasma environment.

LANDER Controls descent and soft landing on lunar surface on designated site
Scientific payloads: 3
Aim of Lander payloads:

• Measures total electron content of lunar ionosphere
• Study of the layer of unconsolidated debris called the lunar regolith
• Measures lunar seismicity and crust and mantle

ROVER Rolls out of the lander. Six-wheeled semi autonomous Rover with mission life of one lunar day (14 Earth Days)
Scientific payloads: 2
Aim of Rover payloads:

• To study the chemical composition and mineralogical composition of lunar surface

A constellation of seven satellites is required to provide a fully functioning GPS service covering all of India. The failure of clocks on IRNSS-1A, launched in 2013, meant that a replacement was required. The launch of the replacement satellite IRNSS-1H failed last year because the heat shield did not separate. The heat shield protects the satellite from the high temperatures when the rocket traverses the earth’s atmosphere, but should separate once the launch vehicle leaves the earth’s atmosphere.

Another replacement satellite, IRNSS-1I, was launched in April.

The operations that depend on a host of satellites to work together require all satellites to be in place in a set time frame. In its report on Isro in March 2018, the Comptroller and Auditor General criticised the agency for failing to commission NavIC because all the required satellites were not in orbit.

Analysts downplay questions of credibility because as a commercial launcher, Isro, through its commercial arm Antrix, has managed to capture the market for small satellite launches.

Senior Isro officials said the agency’s client base for the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, the agency’s most reliable launch rocket, is stable. “The GSAT-6A issue is not that worrying because the problem was with the satellite, not the launch vehicle. It does not erode the credibility of Isro as a commercial launcher,” Ratan Shrivastava, advisor with the space division at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), said.

The commercial launch market is lucrative and expanding, estimated to be worth $30 billion by 2025. Competition among the launch service providers has heated up in recent decades with the entry of private players such as SpaceX and Blue Origin and use of game-changing technologies such as reusable rockets that drastically lower launch costs. China has already announced plans to launch reusable space rockets to compete with private players.

Chairman Sivan emphasised that Isro is a research and development (R&D) agency.“When we have spare capacity in our launch vehicles, we provide commercial services. PSLV has launched the largest number of small satellites in the world,” Sivan said. “Isro is not a commercial provider of space-based services; however it undertakes all measures to ensure that cost of access to space is optimised and comparable with industry benchmarks,” he said.

A real test of the agency’s R&D capacity will be the high-profile but much-delayed Chandrayaan II mission to land a rover near the south pole of the moon scheduled for October-November this year. It was postponed from the April launch date for further tests. “We have full resources to carry out our present as well as future developmental activities,” Sivan said.