Indian Space Capabilities

[nitesh]

domain-b.com : Raytheon led team to bid for final phase of GAGAN - India's satellite-based navigation system

Raytheon led team to bid for final phase of GAGAN - India's satellite-based navigation system news

16 July 2008

Raytheon Company is leading a team to deliver a comprehensive solution for the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Airports Authority of India (AAI) global navigation satellite systems.

The solution will complete the final phase of the Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) aided Geosynchronous Augmented Navigation System (GAGAN).

GAGAN will provide satellite-based navigation for civil aviation across South and East Asia, providing India with the most accurate, flexible and efficient air navigation system deployed.

The GAGAN design is based on the experience gained delivering the only certified space-based augmentation systems. For instance, the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAS) was certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in July 2003, and the MTSAT Satellite Augmentation System was certified by the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau in September 2007.


"We look forward to continuing our collaborative relationship with ISRO and AAI during this critical phase of GAGAN," said Andy Zogg, Raytheon vice president of airspace management and homeland security. "We are committed to a thorough transfer of knowledge of the GAGAN system to further enhance India's leadership position in air navigation."

The Raytheon team will leverage the experience gained during the past several years in deploying the technology demonstration system phase of GAGAN. Team members include Bangalore based Accord Software and Systems Pvt. Ltd. for GPS-based user receiver prototype development optimized for the equatorial region; Gurgaon-based Elcome Technologies Pvt. Ltd. for logistical and on-site support; and Naverus, Inc., of Kent, Washington, for performance-based navigation route design, procedure flight validation and other related services.

 

[nitesh]

guys check this

PIB Press Release

The Union Cabinet today gave its approval for funding of six GSLV operational flights (F11 to F16) at a total estimated cost of Rs. 1280.96 crores with a Foreign Exchange component of Rs. 272.90 crores.

With the realization of six GSLV Operational flights ( 9F11 to F16 ) end-to-end capability to launch communication satellites will be available during the Eleventh Five Year Plan.

The six flights (GSLV F11 –16) are expected to be realized during the time-frame 2010-1012.

BACKGROUND

GSLV after successfully completing the two demonstration flights attained the operational status during 2004. In its first operational flight, GSLV-F01 successfully launched 1950 kg EDUSAT satellite into Geo-synchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). More recently, during September 2007, GSLV in its F04 flight successfully carried a 2130 kg communication satellite, INSAT-4CR. GSLV in its operational series has so far completed three flights, of which two have been successful. With four successful flights so far, GSLV is poised to launch a series of 2200-2400 kg class communication satellites during the eleventh Five-Year Plan period and beyond. The next mission aims at the launch of GSLV-D3 during early 2008, which will be the maiden flight of GSLV with indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) and will carry the GSAT-4 satellite into GTO.

The development project for GSLV was approved during November 1990 at a cost of Rs. 1405.19 Crores towards meeting the indigenous launching capability for carrying 2 tonne class communication satellites into GTO. The project provided for the design, development and launch of three developmental flights viz., D1, D2 and D3.

The first version of GSLV (GSLV Mark-I) is a three-stage vehicle using solid and liquid stage for the first two stages and a procured cryogenic stage (CS) from Russia for the third stage. The first development flight, GSLV-D1 successfully launched a 1540 kg GSAT-1 into Geo Synchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO) during the year 2001. This was followed by D2 launch in 2003 which launched a 1824 kg GSAT-2 into GTO. With these two successful missions, GSLV was declared operational.

In the operational series, Government had approved for the realization of three GSLV flights (F01-F03) and additional procurement of long lead items for 3 more flights during April 2003 at a cost of Rs. 945 crores ( FE : Rs. 368.80 Crores). To cater to the increased demand of two GSLV’s per year for GTO mission in the 11th Five year Plan period, approval was obtained for realization of seven more vehicles (F04-F10) in December 2006 at a total cost of Rs. 1325 Crores ( FE : Rs. 311 Crores).

The INSAT and GSAT satellites being launched by operational flights have significantly augmented the INSAT system capacity for national development in the areas of communications, broadcasting, and developmental communications including telemedicine & tele-education.

The efforts so far have resulted in payload improvement from 1540 kg to 2150 through use of S139 solid core stage, high performance liquid engines, miniaturized avionics and mission optimization. Plans are afoot to increase the payload capability to 2400 kg in subsequent flight through the use of indigenous Cryogenic Upper Stage.

Presently, the Indian National Satellite (INSAT) system has 211 transponders and the demand for transponders by end of 11th Plan is expected to be about 500. An assessment of national requirement of transponders meteorological and navigational services, specialized customer needs, opportunities for bilateral / international cooperation as well as potential commercial possibilities calls for launch of 2 GSLV’s per year during the 11th Five Year Plan period and beyond. During the 11th Plan period and beyond, based on the demand profile of transponders, it is envisaged to build and launch 12 GSAT series of satellites onboard the current version of GSLV. Out of this, approval already exists for 6 GSLVs in the current GSLV operational programe, GSLV F1 to F10. Hence, it is proposed to undertake 6 additional GSLV operational flights ( GSLV F11 to F16), to meet the 11th Plan demand.

 

[Vinod2070]

There was a plan to increase the private component of the launch vehicles to increase the numbers that India can launch per year and to start joint R&D with the private sector?

Does anyone know what came of that? It still seems to be ISRO doing all the work when all they should really do is high end R&D and system integration.

 

[nitesh]

There was a plan to increase the private component of the launch vehicles to increase the numbers that India can launch per year and to start joint R&D with the private sector?

Does anyone know what came of that? It still seems to be ISRO doing all the work when all they should really do is high end R&D and system integration.

Well, there were lot of officials expressed interest for it, but I don't think any significant steps have been taken in this regard.

 

[nitesh]

http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal...unch-chandrayaan-i-in-september_10075385.html

SRO to launch Chandrayaan-I in September

Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) will launch Chandrayaan-I, India’’s maiden mission to the moon, in September.
Talking to ANI in an exclusive interview on the sidelights of a seminar here today, Chairman of ISRO G. Madhavan Nair said that the final tests have been on to launch the spacecraft to moon.
Chandrayaan-I will be launched atop a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), India’’s workhorse rocket with a streak of nine consecutive flawless missions.
The spacecraft would be loaded with six instruments including a high-resolution stereo camera capable of imaging objects about 16 feet in diameter.
It will also carry near-infrared and X-ray spectrometers and a laser altimeter to determine the altitude of the lunar craft for spatial coverage of various instruments.
These payloads will enable researchers to ascertain the composition and topography of the lunar surface.
The engineers have also built a 64-pound impactor that will be dropped from the orbiting spacecraft for a suicidal nosedive into the moon.
The probe will relay video imagery, altitude information and spectral data back to Earth through the Chandrayaan mothership, which will be in a lunar orbit 100 kilometres away.
The remote sensing satellite will weigh 1304 kg (590 kg initial orbit mass and 504 kg dry mass).

 

[nitesh]

http://www.livemint.com/2008/07/24231239/IBM8217s-rebuff-forces-Isro.html

IBM’s rebuff forces Isro to fend for itself

Isro looks to upgrade its facility after shortlisted vendor IBM declines, citing fears of chip use by the Indian military

Indian Space Research Organisation, or Isro, will now upgrade a semiconductor fabrication unit, or fab, on its own after International Business Machines (IBM) Corp., the vendor it had shortlisted, declined citing fears that India’s space agency may use the chips designed there to guide rockets and satellites for India’s military.
In 2006, IBM won a face-off with another US-based firm, Atmel Corp., to handle a nearly Rs500 crore contract to upgrade Semi-Conductor Laboratory (SCL), India’s oldest chip foundry, in Chandigarh.
Isro, which, in turn, acquired the fab from the ministry of information technology in 2005, planned to upgrade it to produce chips of 0.25 micron size from the current 0.8 micron (micron is a unit of length, which is one-millionth of a metre). “In all these projects, the components are all of dual-use technologies (and) many people don’t agree that they can part with the technology they have,” said G. Madhavan Nair, chairman of Isro. So, “we are going on our own now. Entire rocket technology and satellite technology we have developed ourselves. We can also develop (on our own) semiconductor technology.”
But, efforts to build semiconductor fabs in the private sector are yet to take off in India, despite big plans by several firms.
India has around 11 fabs, all captive to the government needs in space and defence, according to India Semiconductor Association (ISA), a lobby for the semiconductor industry. “The country has no commercial fabs. It needs to be addressed through the semiconductor policy implementation,” said Poornima Shenoy, president of ISA in an email response.
IBM wanted the space agency to declare in advance — before a contract was signed — guarantees about the end-use of chips made from the upgraded foundry, said a person familiar with the development who didn’t want to be named. US law, which governs IBM, mandates firms dealing with dual-use technologies insist their customers sign the so-called end-user agreement.
The chips produced in SCL are used by Isro in the satellites and rockets it designs. But, the same person didn’t rule out the use of these chips in “strategic programmes” or, those that guide missiles, or in other defence projects.
An IBM India spokesman said the company doesn’t comment on client issues.
Analysts say sourcing of such technology by institutions such as Isro would indeed put them under the export control regime of the US.
“If we can do well in rocket science, chip technology shouldn’t be difficult. We should know how to put it on the table correctly,” said Ajey Lele, a research fellow at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, a New Delhi-based think tank.
IBM’s insistence of an end-user agreement also comes against the backdrop of an India-born businessman, Parthasarathy Sudarshan, being jailed for violation of the US export control laws over selling vintage Intel chips allegedly for India’s light combat Tejas programme and rocket programmes. Sudarshan, chief executive of Cirrus Electronics, an American firm, was sentenced by a US court in January to a 30-month prison term.

 

[nitesh]

guys chanhrayaan is getting delayed

The Hindu : National : Chandrayaan launch delayed

Chandrayaan launch delayed

CHENNAI: The launch of Chandrayaan, India’s moon mission project, will be delayed past the scheduled date of September 18 to mid-October, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman G. Madhavan Nair said here on Wednesday.

He said that the systems had already been fully integrated and that thermo-vacuum tests would be conducted soon. The launch would be possible about 45 to 60 days after that.

Alignments were the key to a successful launch along with climate conditions. Only about three days each month would provide favourable alignments, he said.

Chandrayaan-2, which would involve a moon orbiter and a land rover, was already being planned for a 2011-2012 launch. Agreements had been signed with Russian space authorities and plans had started, he said.

On the entry of private players into satellite launches, Dr. Nair said cost was an important factor. It took about 7 to 8 years for a Rs. 600 crore-1,000 crore investment in a satellite launch to break even. This was why private players showed only a mild interest.

Many companies, including TataSky and Reliance, had come forward to buy slots in the Ku band for direct-to-home (DTH) transmissions. ISRO would consider new satellites to accommodate new channels. All Ku band slots had been sold out and negotiations with international bodies were required to increase spectrum allocation, he said.

Manned mission
Dr. Nair said that India’s manned mission project could become a reality in the near future as ISRO was preparing a project report for the perusal of the government. Manufacture of indigenous cryogenic satellites could also be possible from the next year, as a thorough study had been made.

 

[Flintlock]

Moon mission to give global footing to Indian scientists

Mumbai (PTI): The 'Chandrayaan mission' will give Indian scientists an oppurtunity to become international players in space expedition, giving them an equal footing with their global partners, a top space scientist has said.

"We must go to the moon and this is important because it gives an opportunity for Indian scientists to become international players," K Kasturirangan, Rajya sabha memeber and former Chairman of Indian space Research Organisation (ISRO) said adressing students at Centre for Basic sciences (CBS) here last evening.

"We must become equal global partners just as we are in the Antarctic expeditions," he said.

'Chandrayaan I' is expected to be launched next month.

Highlighting the basic reasons for which India was sending unmanned mission to the Moon, he said, the scientists will have a chance to study the science behind origin of moon, the Moon-Earth-Sun system.

"The mission is also a technological challenge for interplanetary missions in the future that will be undertaken by ISRO," he told students pursuing the five-year integrated MSc course at CBS.

Such missions also gives inspiration to scientists besides students, teachers and other people who have lot of interest in space science and astronomy and astrophysics, he said.

The Moon mission is also promoting international cooperation in a big way enabling production and integration of all types of instrumentations and systems, Moon mission to give global footing to Indian scientists

The Hindu News Update Service

 

[nitesh]

India may test futuristic jets by 2015-India-The Times of India

India Becomes Hot Spot for Satellite Launches
By Raymond Thibodeaux
Bangalore, India
07 August 2008

India is getting into the business of launching satellites, giving rise to a new space race. The country's space program recently put 10 small satellites in orbit, all in one go, an achievement topped only by Russia. The launch signaled India's desire to capture a larger share of the global commercial satellite launch market - a $90-billion-a-year industry that, so far, has been dominated by the U.S. and Russia. Raymond Thibodeaux reports from Bangalore, India's space agency headquarters.

Got a satellite that needs launching? Try India.

S. Satish is the spokesman for the Indian Space Research Organization, India's space agency. Asked why more and more countries are looking to outsource their satellite launchings to India, he had this to say:

SATISH: The first [reason] is the high reliability. The second is it is very cost effective. These are the factors that are driving most customers to come to India. We are definitely cheaper than other international rates.

VOA's THIBODEAUX: How much cheaper?

SATISH: [Laughs] Once the customer comes in, we will tell him the rates.

Turns out, India's space program is significantly cheaper. India's launch services run about $8,000 per kilogram, compared to roughly $18,000 dollars or more per kilogram charged by other major commercial satellite launch companies. And as for reliability, Satish says 12 of India's last 13 satellite launching missions have been successful, gaining its space program a good reputation.

But not everyone is happy about India's newfound prowess in the exosphere. Earlier this year, several Arab nations along with Pakistan criticized India for launching an Israeli satellite with high-resolution, wide-area radar imaging capability. In other words, a potential spy satellite.

Roddam Narasimha is an advisor to India's space agency and an aerospace scientist at the Jawaharlal Nehru Center, a science and space research institute in Jakkur, a city just north of Bangalore. Speaking by telephone, he says that politics too often hinders the free-flow of technology.

"Space and anything that is connected to rockets and satellites is subject to a variety of technology-denial regimes," Narasimha said. "As long as those technology-denial regimes are part of politics and trade in the world, these questions will in fact arise."

Still, the most lucrative and fastest-growing sector of the commercial launch market is telecommunication satellites. These satellites handle broadband internet and mobile phone traffic as well as other digital services. The problem is the satellites are heavy, weighing as much as eight tons.

India's space program does not yet have the capability to heave satellites that heavy into orbit. But not for long, Satish says.

"We are developing a new generation launcher that can put a four-ton satellite into geostationary orbit," Satish said. "That will give us an edge in conquering commercial launch services for communication satellites. That's where the big money is."

India, with its $1-billion-a-year space program, is eager to be the sixth country to reach the moon next year. The mission includes an $83 million lunar orbiter that will provide detailed mapping of the moon's surface. A manned lunar mission is planned by 2020.

These are logical next steps for India's space agency, but giant leaps for India, a nation eager to become an economic powerhouse despite the fact that the vast majority of its 1.1 billion people still live on less than two dollars a day.

 

[nitesh]

Some info:
Wish these guys succeed

Moonward bound - Newindpress.com

Moonward bound
Saturday July 19 2008 15:06 IST
Manoj K Das

Somewhere here… near the Malpat Crater,” says Dr T K Alex, director of the ISRO Satellite Centre, as he carefully runs his index finger towards the south pole on a moon globe with hundreds of American and Russian names claiming every hill and valley on it.

The moon is the toast of the space community this week (commemorating the Armstrong landing of July 20, 1969). All space-faring nations are brushing up on old lessons for a re-visit and India is aiming to take pole position in the new race.

“Our mission,” says Alex, “will land the first man-made object on the lunar poles.” The pride and confidence in his voice are echoed on the face of Annadurai, project director of Chandrayaan, as they give this website's newspaper an exclusive preview of the country’s first moon mission.

The uniqueness of Chandrayaan-I doesn’t end with the landing spot. “It will truly be the first international study of the moon. We’re flying 11 experiments on board the satellite. Six are payloads of international agencies, including three from NASA and one each from an American university, Bulgaria and the UK,” beams Annadurai.

There are other firsts that make Chandrayaan the cynosure of the space community. It’s India’s first moon mission, the first attempt to land on the lunar poles, where the world expects to find water. It will make India the fourth country to land something on the moonscape.

“It will be a small probe called the Moon Impact Probe (MIP). This is the camera that will record every movement of its descent from Chandrayaan-I, the mother ship,” says George Koshy, director of the PSLV programme, fingering a small triangular object with a lens in the centre.

Inside a clean room, where the most sophisticated electronics and avionics await fitment on the MIP, technicians are completing its assembly.

“This camera will be the first Indian eye to see the moon’s landscape at close quarters. It will map every moment of its flight till it crashes. We don’t know whether its systems will survive the crash, but we’re sure they will continue sending data up to the moment their sensors succumb to the impact,” says Chandramouli, the scientist in charge of the facility.

The MIP will leave the mother ship 10 days after it steadies at a 100-km orbit above the moon. “It will take nearly six days for Chandrayaan to reach lunar orbit from Sriharikota. It will be the first Indian space vehicle to cross the limit of Earth’s gravity,” says K Radhakrishnan, director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, adding that the payload will ride on a PSLV rocket, our most trusted work-horse.

“Normally the PSLV is only used to launch polar orbit vehicles. However, we launched Kalpana, a metsat, into geo-synchronous orbit and this gives us the confidence to use it. Besides, the payload is only 1,380 kg and we don’t need a GSLV, which can lift about 2,000 kg,” Koshy says.

The scientists made certain changes to the PSLV to give it enough firepower to reach an elliptical orbit that will place Chandrayaan at a perigee of 240 km and an apogee of 24,000 km. “We’re giving more power to the strap-on motors for that extra reach,” Koshy says.

The strap-ons are being aptly called PSOM-XL; the XL-suffix underlining the additional three tonnes of fuel that each of the six rockets will carry, taking their weight to 12 tonnes instead of the usual 9 tonnes.

The PSLV, a four-stage rocket, will place Chandrayaan in a 250x24,000-km orbit. “From this orbit we’ll do incremental firing to extend the orbit to 400,000 km and get into lunar gravity about 1,000 km off the moon,” says C Venugopal, associate project director, PSLV.

More about the plan comes from M Krishnaswamy, programme director — IRS. “Chandrayaan will be placed below the south pole. That’s the significance of the proposed launch date of September 19.

Five and a half days from that date, we’re hopeful of placing Chandrayaan in the moon’s path. Once it’s captured by lunar gravity, we’ll use onboard thrusters to position it at 1,000 km before the orbital height is gradually reduced to 100 km,” he says.

“Though we’re aiming for the south pole, it could even be the north pole,” adds Annadurai as his colleagues in white overalls and blue caps carry out last minute checks on the payload kept inside a huge sterilised hall at ISAC, Bangalore.

“About 90 per cent of the fabrication is over. The equipment will be tested in a thermo-vacuum chamber to expose it to all thermal vagaries of the moon. Temperatures ranging from 180 degrees to minus 120 degrees will scorch and freeze it within the span of a lunar day,” he says.

“The payload will also be subjected to forces up to 15G to ensure that nothing affects it during its journey into space on the fourth stage,” says Annadurai even as several hands work overtime at VSSC, Thiruvananthapuram, to get every aspect of the fourth stage right.

“This is the most crucial stage. It houses the flight computer, which drives the entire mission from lift-off,” Koshy points out as he walks us to a huge titanium bubble shining in a brightly-lit hall at Elix, VSSC’s electrical integration lab.

Thousands of cables in different colours connect the fourth stage to numerous computers that scan every minute point in the system. “There are 10,000 mandatory tests to be performed before we can stamp an okay on it,” smiles Prakash, the head of Elix.

The number of interconnections that integrate this crucial phase with the rest of the vehicle is about 50,000. Once the systems integration is complete, the fourth stage will undergo a ground resonance test.

“There will be a series of tests that each part of the vehicle undergoes. We always keep the level one step beyond the expected conditions. We just do not want to be surprised,” says Koshy.

Hundreds of kilometres away, the hopes are echoed at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, where preparations are in an advanced stage for the launch that will inscribe an Indian dream on the moon.

 

[nitesh]

The Hindu News Update Service

Moon mission to give global footing to Indian scientists
Mumbai (PTI): The 'Chandrayaan mission' will give Indian scientists an oppurtunity to become international players in space expedition, giving them an equal footing with their global partners, a top space scientist has said.

"We must go to the moon and this is important because it gives an opportunity for Indian scientists to become international players," K Kasturirangan, Rajya sabha memeber and former Chairman of Indian space Research Organisation (ISRO) said adressing students at Centre for Basic sciences (CBS) here last evening.

"We must become equal global partners just as we are in the Antarctic expeditions," he said.

'Chandrayaan I' is expected to be launched next month.

Highlighting the basic reasons for which India was sending unmanned mission to the Moon, he said, the scientists will have a chance to study the science behind origin of moon, the Moon-Earth-Sun system.

"The mission is also a technological challenge for interplanetary missions in the future that will be undertaken by ISRO," he told students pursuing the five-year integrated MSc course at CBS.

Such missions also gives inspiration to scientists besides students, teachers and other people who have lot of interest in space science and astronomy and astrophysics, he said.

The Moon mission is also promoting international cooperation in a big way enabling production and integration of all types of instrumentations and systems, Moon mission to give global footing to Indian scientists

 

[nitesh]

Deccan Herald - IIA developing solar telescope

IIA developing solar telescope

IIA News Service, Bangalore:

The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) is developing a high resolution solar telescope. Announcing this at the Founder’s Day celebration at the institute on Monday, Director of IIA, Prof Siraj Hassan said that the institute is collaborating with Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics in Pune and Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences in Nainital.

The solar telescope would be of 2 metre diameter and is at a conceptual stage. A detailed project report is being prepared.

Prof Hasan said that the initial estimate of project was Rs 150 crore and it was expected to be ready by 2013. Three locations, one in Nainital and two in Ladakh have been identified as potential spots for installing the telescope.

Delivering the Founder’s Day lecture on 'Doing Science in India: Personal Reflections", Prof CNR Rao said that Nehru not only sowed the seeds of democracy, but also the seed of science policy. Reminiscing about his earlier days of research at the Indian Institute of Science, he said that there was hardly any equipment at IISc during those times, and yet the paper he wrote there, was the most highly cited paper.

He also rued about the big gap that existed in the quality of research in India and abroad and even the development process had not bridged this gap. “There is a need to have fear of failure and anxiety of success. Not even 15 percent of research are coming out of universities. Not even a single university in the country can equal Harvard or Oxford. We have to increase the quality of research”, he maintained. Stating that most of the country’s talent lay in rural India, he said that they would make the knowledge centres of the world.

 

[nitesh]

Guys check this, this acts as a good motivator:
Deccan Herald - ISRO AWARDS ANNOUNCED

 

[nitesh]

News about moon mission:

India to launch maiden mission to moon this year: PM- Hindustan Times

 

[jaison]

okeyyeeeeeee