Indian Space Capabilities

[Kinetic]

@kinetic,

Great and Superb effort.
Will place my thanks once i am on my lappy.

Awesome info. I am saving it and placing on my blog soon.

Thanks a million, keep ur good work going...

You are most welcome bro. But please no need to thank me. I happy that you liked my effort. It shows the current direction of over all Indian space research. Many Indians as well as non-Indians may be interested in knowing current aspects of Indian space research.

 

[Chanakyaa]

I wish i could give u 100 Thanks for each post...
These are Gems of Indian Technological Progress...

Jai Ho.

 

[prototype]

@kinetic

nice work buddy,keep it up

 

[peacekeeper]

@kinetic

great work buddy.....

 

[KS]

@ kinetic


awesoome work bro....nd hats off to ISRO ......Jai Hind

 

[RPK]

The Hindu : Sci-Tech / Science : India has not made offer to Russia to buy Soyuz-TMA: ISRO

India has not made any offer to Russia to purchase Soyuz-TMA spacecraft to undertake the country’s own human space flight slated for 2015-16, a top space department official said.

“No, that’s all what the newspapers write,” Indian Space Research Organisation chairman K Radhakrishnan told PTI here on reports in a section of the Russian media which talked about the “offer“.

Russian reports also said China had received technical documentation on various Soyuz-TM systems and used them to develop its own Shenzhou manned spacecraft.

Mr. Radhakrishnan said, “We have a (human space flight) programme,” adding, ISRO is going to put two Indians in an orbit around the earth.

“That’s our plan. Studies have been conducted. There is a pre-project which is already going on to study some of the critical technologies. And we have a project report which we have given to the Government (for approval),” he said.

ISRO officials said the proposal for undertaking the human space flight to carry humans to a low earth orbit and ensure their safe return to earth has been prepared and submitted to the government for approval.

The space department has already carried out a detailed study on technical and managerial issues related to undertaking manned space missions with an aim to building and demonstrating the country’s capability.

The programme envisages development of a fully autonomous orbital vehicle carrying two or three crew—members to a 300 km earth orbit.

 

[RPK]

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.

http://beta.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/article372877.ece

 

[RPK]

Electric Propulsion in GSAT-4


After a geostationary satellite like INSAT is placed in its orbit, it might experience orbital perturbations because of the combined gravitational attractions of the Sun and Moon. A satellite must remain within its prescribed boundaries to satisfy its mission requirements. To keep a satellite within its equatorial and longitude planes, “North-South" and "East-West" station-keeping maneuvers are performed weekly. "North-South" maneuvers accounts for 95% of total station-keeping propellant consumption.

A satellite's orientation can be maintained by momentum wheels supplemented by magnetic torquers and thrusters. Ion propulsion systems, are being used increasingly for station-keeping. For the first time, ISRO, is using electric propulsion for its GSAT-4 satellite. 2 indigenously developed and 2 imported SPT (stationary plasma thruster) will be flown on board GSAT-4 to cater for "North-South" station keeping operations. Since less than 5 m/s per year delta velocity needs to be imparted for east–west station keeping (EWSK), EPS system usage is not advantageous for EWSK, as overheads will negate the benefits. Similarly, use of EPS systems for orbit raising involves months of continuous operation and a very long wait to reach GSO, nullifying the advantage. However, this could be a backup option for conventional chemical propulsion.

Electric propulsion (EP) offers a cost effective and sound engineering solution for space applications. Use of high performance electric propulsion system (EPS) will result into reduced chemical propellant and tankage requirements, in exchange for significant usage of power. Chemical rocket engines, like those on the lower stages of GSLV and PSLV, work by burning two gases to create heat, which causes the gases to expand and exit the engine through a nozzle. These exiting gases produce thrust which lifts the rocket. Instead of relying only on the energy stored in the propellants, if we add external energy using electricity, we can increase the temperature of the gases and thus create more thrust per pound of fuel. This is the basic concept of an electric propulsion or EP. EP provides much lower thrust compared to a chemical rockets but they provide very high specific impulse. This in effect means that though EP must burn for longer durations compared to a chemical rocket to achieve desired thrust, it consumes very less fuel because of higher specific impulse.

EP systems fall into three major categories: (a) electrostatic propulsion, (b) electrothermal propulsion, and (c) electromagnetic propulsion. GSAT-4 employs electromagnetic propulsion and uses Hall Effect thrusters or stationary plasma thruster (SPT) in particular.

Soviet Union has done pioneering research work on Hall thrusters. Soviet Union developed two types of Hall thrusters; stationary plasma thruster (SPT) and the anode layer thruster (ALT). They have been using SPT's on their satellites since 1972. A Hall effect thruster was also used by the European SMART-1 probe.

Four components are needed to make a complete electric propulsion system: a power source, a power processing unit (PPU), a propellant management system (PMS), and a control computer. The power source can be any source of electrical power, but solar and nuclear are the primary options. A solar electric propulsion system (SEP) uses sunlight and solar cells for power generation. A nuclear electric propulsion system (NEP) uses a nuclear heat source coupled to an electric generator. The PPU converts the electrical power generated by the power source into the power required by each component of the Hall thruster. It generates the high voltages required by the Hall thruster channel and the high currents required for the hollow cathode. The PMS controls the propellant flow from the propellant tank to the thruster and hollow cathode. Modern PMS units have evolved to a level of sophisticated design that no longer requires moving parts. The control computer controls and monitors system performance. The Hall thruster then processes the propellant and power to perform work. Hall thrusters use inert gas as propellant. The thrust is generated from the force that the propellant ions impart to the electron cloud inside the thruster.



GSAT-4, envisaged as a technology demonstrator, carries a communication payload consisting of a multi-beam Ka-band bent pipe, regenerative transponder and a navigation payload in C, L1 and L5 bands. GSAT-4 having propulsion system with four stationary plasma thrusters, Bus Management Unit (BMU), miniaturised dynamically tuned gyros, 36 AH Lithium ion battery, 70 V bus for Ka band TWTAs, on-board structural dynamic vibration beam accelerometer, are some of the new technologies developed for the mission. The satellite weighs around 2200 kg and has a payload power of 1600W. GSAT-4 will be positioned at 82 deg East longitude.

 

[Ingis]

India to test-fly indigenous space shuttle within a year: official

MUMBAI, April 2 (Xinhua) -- India will conduct the first test- flight of a home-built space shuttle within a year, local media reported on Friday.

An India's space shuttle prototype is expected to be launched for the flight-testing from the Sriharikota base off the coast of the southeastern state of Andhra Pradesh in a year, the Asian Age newspaper quoted the Indian Space and Research Organization (ISRO) spokesman Radhakrishnan as saying.

It will be a milestone for India, as the shuttle will climb to an altitude of 60 kilometers above the earth and glide back to earth in the first test-flight, said the spokesman.

The ISRO's scientists will evaluate the various advanced technologies during its first test-flight, including the powered cruise flight, digital auto-pilot for the ascent and descent phases and high-temperature resistance for the coating of its structure as re-entering the atmosphere, according to the spokesman.

Once the first test-flight succeeds, the shuttle will go into the outer space for the tests of the reliability and load-carrying capability in longer duration and distance, added the spokesman.

The India's space shuttle will be a combination of a winged aircraft and a booster rocket. The booster rocket will release the winged aircraft following sending the winged aircraft to a specific altitude, and the winged aircraft will go into space.

The spokesman said the shuttle will be used for human space flight or carrying satellites into orbit after its reliability in the subsequent test-flights is proven.

In the end of the 1980s, the ISRO began to plan developing the space shuttle. In December 2008, a ground test of its booster rocket was done.

 

[navtrek]

Wow thats cool. Never knew abt that any picture of the prototype ?

 

[navtrek]

the Hyperplane concept

 

[gowthamraj]

thats cool, btw i hopeing GSLV with indigenios engine going to launch comeing apirl-15

 

[navtrek]

A Journey from Vedic India’s ‘Vimana’ To Modern India’s Hyperplane

The Indian “Hyperplane” or “Avatar” Spaceplane (late 1980’s)



The “Hyperplane” / “Avatar” is designed to carry over 60% of its take-off weight as liquid hydrogen. This is made possible by not carrying any liquid oxygen on board at take-off, but collecting the requisite mass of liquid oxygen in high-speed flight. In this way, the spaceplane almost doubles its mass while in hypersonic level flight, while self-refueling by air collection with simultaneous oxygen liquefaction and on-board storage. A small-scale Flight Technology Demonstrator for “Hyperplane”/ “Avatar” has also been designed.

The main attribute of the “Hyperplane” design concept is its geometric scalability, enabling the design be built for a vehicle as small as 25-tonnes take-off weight (the weight of an advanced fighter aircraft). This is possibly the smallest weight feasible for a reusable SSTO spaceplane, and has a 4% payload ratio, enabling delivery of 1-tonne in parking orbit at Mach 26. Unlike the “Skylon”, the “Avatar” can be scaled up to heavy-lift capabilities.

General Comment

The close resemblance between the recent US “Falcon” and Indian “Hyperplane” spaceplane designs to the “Shakuna” and “Rukma” Vimana’s, and the UK “Skylon” is cigar-shaped, like the Vimana like “Vailixi”. That the “Shakuna”, “Rukma” and “Vaillixi” were designed and built 12,000-15,000 years ago indicates that once again after a gap of millennia, mankind has embarked on development of systems and technologies for safe, affordable flight direct to space from a runway take-off.

It is essential that mankind learn from the recorded lessons of the ancient, dangerous past when spaceplane were weaponized and waged from outer space. Mankind must thus ensure, internationally that spaceplanes are not weaponized. These new, revolutionary technologies are to be used for a Second Industrial Revolution for all mankind, and not for domination of the planet by a single nation. Such a Space based industrial Revolution needs to serve space markets in developing countries and south-south cooperation in spaceplane development in partnership with advanced space faring nations would open a new, golden era for all mankind.


No one now in India needs to doubt any longer as to whether we will ever be able master reusable spaceplane technologies and put it to good use for enhancing security and prosperity not only for India, but all humanity. India has done so in the past. As a matter of fact, it is said that Albert Einstein had once remarked

"We owe a lot to Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made."

India’s genius will enable it to do it again, in full consciousness that it has to be a globally cooperative mission serving all mankind.

Dear Keith,

 

[navtrek]

India Plans Lunar Landing Using Scramjet Hypersonic Space Plane
An ambitious vision of the future

The United States, Russia, India, Japan and China have all announced plans to send astronauts back to the Moon around 2020. India's space agency, although lacking the level of funding found in the US and Japan, has an ambitious plan for the next decade.

In a statement made this spring by India's then President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the country wants to launch its first lunar orbiter, the Chandraayan-1, in early 2008 and a manned mission to the moon sometime near the end of the next decade.

The Indian space agency is now working on a revolutionary, reusable launch vehicle (RLV) that takes an innovative approach using a scramjet "hyperplane" according to Kalam. India's scramjet RLV, Kalam asserted, will provide the "low-cost, fully reusable space transportation" that has previously "denied mankind the benefit of space solar-power stations in geostationary and other orbits," Technology review reports.

A scramjet is a type of jet that uses a supersonic flow in the combustor and consists of a constricted tube through which inlet air is compressed by the high speed of the vehicle, a combustion chamber where fuel is combusted and a nozzle through which the exhaust jet leaves at higher speed than the inlet air.

This new design could offer many applications, like low-cost satellite launching and manned missions to space and will be capable of high speeds, in excess of Mach 10, which means that it could make the flight between Sydney and London in just two hours.

The first flight of the Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HTDV), a protoype for the scramjet RLV named Avatar, is scheduled for the end of next year, and if it is successful, it will be a revolution in space exploration.

Avatar will be a light aircraft, weighing only 25 metric tons and to get into space, it will use liquid hydrogen to fuel the turbo-ramjet engines, 60 percent of which will be used to defeat Earth's gravity and ascent to a cruising altitude.

"The Avatar RLV project will enable the Indian program to leap ahead of the Chinese nostalgia trip. Once low cost to orbit comes alive, it will drive cheaper methods of doing all our unmanned activities in space," said Gregory Benford, an astrophysicist at the University of California, Irvine, and an advisor to NASA and the White House Council on Space Policy.

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Indi...g-Scramjet-Hypersonic-Space-Plane-61391.shtml

 

[navtrek]