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New Clients..Pakistani PM, President etc....
Indian Space Capabilities
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The speech that inspired Studsat project
The Hindu : Today's Paper / NATIONAL : The speech that inspired Studsat project
T.S. SUBRAMANIAN
A little over than three years ago, D.V.A. Raghava Murthy, Project Director, Small Satellites Projects, ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore, was telling a group of college students what a fascinating subject space was and why students should develop an interest in it.
His speech was so inspiring that at the end of the meeting a group of students asked him why ISRO should not help them build a satellite.
Thus began the story of Studsat, a tiny satellite that was built by 35 students belonging to four engineering colleges in Bangalore and three in Hyderabad. Studsat was put in orbit by the PSLV-C15 from Sriharikota on Monday.
Studsat is a pico satellite with an imaging camera and several frontline technologies have been employed in it. The students had built a clean room to test the satellite and a ground station in Bangalore to receive signals.
Studsat is part of the encouragement given by the ISRO to colleges and universities to study space technology and learn how to build, nano, micro and pico satellites, said Mr. Raghava Murthy. Indeed, Shewata Prasad, one of the students from Bangalore, was so fascinated by the Studsat project that she chose it over a well-paying job, her teachers said.
The contagion has caught on and four other nano satellites are in the pipeline, according to Mr. Raghava Murthy. The three-kg Jugnu satellite is being built by the students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur. A 3.5-kg satellite called Pradhan is being built by students of IIT-Mumbai. Two more satellites, each weighing less than 10 kg, are being assembled by students of SRM University and Sathyabhama University, both in Chennai.
Anusat, a 40-kg satellite, built by Anna University, Chennai, was put in orbit by an earlier PSLV mission.
Studsat employed several frontline technologies that were designed and developed by the 35 students themselves with ISRO guidance. It was a multi-disciplinary effort, said Professor B.S. Satyanarayana, Principal, and Professor S. Jagannathan, Head of the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, both of R.V. College of Engineering. It took the students about a year-and-a-half to design, build and test Studsat. (The project began in August 2008). The lead institute in the project was Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology (NMIT), Bangalore.
The satellite has a camera which can take pictures in the HAM code. Pictures of the earth taken by the camera can help in predicting the weather. The resolution of the images, taken from an altitude of 637 km, is 90 metres, said H.C. Nagaraj, Principal, and Professor Jharna Majumdar, Department of Computer Science Engineering, NMIT.
The ground station built by the students in Bangalore is one of the achievements of this project, said Professor Satyanarayana.
The NMIT contributed Rs.45 lakh for the project. Six other colleges chipped in with another Rs.45 lakh: Rashtriya Vidyalaya College of Engineering, M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology and B.M.S. Institute of Technology, all located in Bangalore; and Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology, Institute of Aeronautical Engineering and Vigyan Institute of Technology and Science, all located in Hyderabad.
The Department of Science and Technology, Karnataka government, gave Rs.5 lakh for the project.
Karunanidhi congratulates ISRO
Chennai Special Correspondent reports:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Monday congratulated ISRO scientists for the successful launch of PSLV C15 from Sriharikota and described it as a wonderful achievement.
In a message, Mr. Karunanidhi said due to the hard work by the scientists, India had become one of the frontline countries in space research. The successful launch had proved to the world the country's capability in space research, he added.
On behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu and on his own behalf, Mr. Karunanidhi congratulated the ISRO scientists for the successful mission, the statement added.
The Hindu : Today's Paper / NATIONAL : The speech that inspired Studsat project
T.S. SUBRAMANIAN
A little over than three years ago, D.V.A. Raghava Murthy, Project Director, Small Satellites Projects, ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore, was telling a group of college students what a fascinating subject space was and why students should develop an interest in it.
His speech was so inspiring that at the end of the meeting a group of students asked him why ISRO should not help them build a satellite.
Thus began the story of Studsat, a tiny satellite that was built by 35 students belonging to four engineering colleges in Bangalore and three in Hyderabad. Studsat was put in orbit by the PSLV-C15 from Sriharikota on Monday.
Studsat is a pico satellite with an imaging camera and several frontline technologies have been employed in it. The students had built a clean room to test the satellite and a ground station in Bangalore to receive signals.
Studsat is part of the encouragement given by the ISRO to colleges and universities to study space technology and learn how to build, nano, micro and pico satellites, said Mr. Raghava Murthy. Indeed, Shewata Prasad, one of the students from Bangalore, was so fascinated by the Studsat project that she chose it over a well-paying job, her teachers said.
The contagion has caught on and four other nano satellites are in the pipeline, according to Mr. Raghava Murthy. The three-kg Jugnu satellite is being built by the students of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur. A 3.5-kg satellite called Pradhan is being built by students of IIT-Mumbai. Two more satellites, each weighing less than 10 kg, are being assembled by students of SRM University and Sathyabhama University, both in Chennai.
Anusat, a 40-kg satellite, built by Anna University, Chennai, was put in orbit by an earlier PSLV mission.
Studsat employed several frontline technologies that were designed and developed by the 35 students themselves with ISRO guidance. It was a multi-disciplinary effort, said Professor B.S. Satyanarayana, Principal, and Professor S. Jagannathan, Head of the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, both of R.V. College of Engineering. It took the students about a year-and-a-half to design, build and test Studsat. (The project began in August 2008). The lead institute in the project was Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology (NMIT), Bangalore.
The satellite has a camera which can take pictures in the HAM code. Pictures of the earth taken by the camera can help in predicting the weather. The resolution of the images, taken from an altitude of 637 km, is 90 metres, said H.C. Nagaraj, Principal, and Professor Jharna Majumdar, Department of Computer Science Engineering, NMIT.
The ground station built by the students in Bangalore is one of the achievements of this project, said Professor Satyanarayana.
The NMIT contributed Rs.45 lakh for the project. Six other colleges chipped in with another Rs.45 lakh: Rashtriya Vidyalaya College of Engineering, M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology and B.M.S. Institute of Technology, all located in Bangalore; and Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology, Institute of Aeronautical Engineering and Vigyan Institute of Technology and Science, all located in Hyderabad.
The Department of Science and Technology, Karnataka government, gave Rs.5 lakh for the project.
Karunanidhi congratulates ISRO
Chennai Special Correspondent reports:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi on Monday congratulated ISRO scientists for the successful launch of PSLV C15 from Sriharikota and described it as a wonderful achievement.
In a message, Mr. Karunanidhi said due to the hard work by the scientists, India had become one of the frontline countries in space research. The successful launch had proved to the world the country's capability in space research, he added.
On behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu and on his own behalf, Mr. Karunanidhi congratulated the ISRO scientists for the successful mission, the statement added.
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10 eyes in the sky give India space edge - India - The Times of India
CHENNAI: With the successful launch of Cartosat-2B on Monday, India has reached a `critical constellation' of 10 active remote sensing satellites in space, which gives it a clear edge in the region for monitoring borders and movements across them.
While mapping and infrastructure development are seen as primary applications of a remote sensing satellite, its use in spying is often underplayed. A combination of four Cartosats (1,2,2A and 2B) hovering 630 km above earth allows India to keep areas under close and prolonged surveillance. Multiple satellites ensure that a particular geographical area can be `revisited' every 48 hours.
Three of the cartosats now in orbit have a spatial resolution of less than one metre (0.8 m for Cartosat-2B), which means that they can observe and photograph objects smaller than a car. Cartosat-2B's steerability of 26 degrees allows it to stay focused on the object for a longer duration while on the move as compared to the other remote sensing satellites, which have a range of applications.
"The latest addition enhances our revisit capability and ensures continuity of services. The revisit capability of one such satellite is about 10 days, but with four such satellites, we can revisit an area almost every other day. With Cartosat-1 (launched in 2005) likely to complete its mission in another year, Cartosat-2B ensures there is no break in services,'' Isro spokesperson S Satish told TOI.
China has launched nine remote sensing satellites in the `Yaogan' series since 2006 using its Long March range of rockets. With the addition of Cartosat-2B to the constellation, India has matched if not outdone China in remote sensing. Pakistan, meanwhile, is still working on its first remote sensing satellite PRSSS, which it plans to launch next year with China's help.
Asked specifically about Cartosat-2B's applications in surveillance, Isro chairman K Radhakrishnan said: "Depending on the user's imagination, it can be used for surveillance and intelligence (gathering).''
India was working on its indigenous radar imaging satellite Risat-1, an all-weather satellite which uses a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and multiple antennas to see through clouds and darkness, when the 2008 Mumbai attacks happened. This prompted the nation to speed up and launch the Israeli Risat-2 satellite with SAR on April 20, 2009. Risat-1 is scheduled for launch late this year.
Cartosats use panchromatic cameras to take black and white pictures of earth. While cartosat-1 weighed 1560 kg and had a spatial resolution of 2.5 metres and a swathe of 30 km, the later versions had a finer spatial resolution of less than a metre and a swathe of 9.6 km.
Going around in a 630-km high polar sun synchronous orbit, Cartosat-2B carries a 64GB solid state recorder which stores images which can be later transmitted to the ground station when the satellite comes within the visibility range. The Spacecraft Control Centre, Bangalore will be continuously monitoring the satellite's health with the help of the ISTRAC network of ground stations at Bangalore, Lucknow, Mauritius, Biak in Indonesia, Svalbard in Norway and Troll in Antarctica.
CHENNAI: With the successful launch of Cartosat-2B on Monday, India has reached a `critical constellation' of 10 active remote sensing satellites in space, which gives it a clear edge in the region for monitoring borders and movements across them.
While mapping and infrastructure development are seen as primary applications of a remote sensing satellite, its use in spying is often underplayed. A combination of four Cartosats (1,2,2A and 2B) hovering 630 km above earth allows India to keep areas under close and prolonged surveillance. Multiple satellites ensure that a particular geographical area can be `revisited' every 48 hours.
Three of the cartosats now in orbit have a spatial resolution of less than one metre (0.8 m for Cartosat-2B), which means that they can observe and photograph objects smaller than a car. Cartosat-2B's steerability of 26 degrees allows it to stay focused on the object for a longer duration while on the move as compared to the other remote sensing satellites, which have a range of applications.
"The latest addition enhances our revisit capability and ensures continuity of services. The revisit capability of one such satellite is about 10 days, but with four such satellites, we can revisit an area almost every other day. With Cartosat-1 (launched in 2005) likely to complete its mission in another year, Cartosat-2B ensures there is no break in services,'' Isro spokesperson S Satish told TOI.
China has launched nine remote sensing satellites in the `Yaogan' series since 2006 using its Long March range of rockets. With the addition of Cartosat-2B to the constellation, India has matched if not outdone China in remote sensing. Pakistan, meanwhile, is still working on its first remote sensing satellite PRSSS, which it plans to launch next year with China's help.
Asked specifically about Cartosat-2B's applications in surveillance, Isro chairman K Radhakrishnan said: "Depending on the user's imagination, it can be used for surveillance and intelligence (gathering).''
India was working on its indigenous radar imaging satellite Risat-1, an all-weather satellite which uses a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and multiple antennas to see through clouds and darkness, when the 2008 Mumbai attacks happened. This prompted the nation to speed up and launch the Israeli Risat-2 satellite with SAR on April 20, 2009. Risat-1 is scheduled for launch late this year.
Cartosats use panchromatic cameras to take black and white pictures of earth. While cartosat-1 weighed 1560 kg and had a spatial resolution of 2.5 metres and a swathe of 30 km, the later versions had a finer spatial resolution of less than a metre and a swathe of 9.6 km.
Going around in a 630-km high polar sun synchronous orbit, Cartosat-2B carries a 64GB solid state recorder which stores images which can be later transmitted to the ground station when the satellite comes within the visibility range. The Spacecraft Control Centre, Bangalore will be continuously monitoring the satellite's health with the help of the ISTRAC network of ground stations at Bangalore, Lucknow, Mauritius, Biak in Indonesia, Svalbard in Norway and Troll in Antarctica.
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The Hindu : Front Page : Plan to send two Indians into space
T.S. Subramanian
The module for the astronauts has been designed
A third launch pad costing Rs.1,000 crore will be built at Sriharikota
SRIHARIKOTA: An unmanned crew module will be put in orbit around the earth by a modified Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in 2013 as a forerunner to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) sending two Indians into space, S. Ramakrishnan, Director, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, ISRO, said here on Monday.
India has plans to send two astronauts in a low-earth orbit and they will stay in space for about a week before returning to the earth. A third launch pad, at a cost of Rs.1,000 crore, will be built at Sriharikota, where the rocket that will take the astronauts into space will be assembled and launched.
Mr. Ramakrishnan told journalists here, after the successful PSLV-C15 flight, that the module for the astronauts had already been designed. The life-support systems, thermal-proofing and the crew escape system in case of an emergency had been defined. We are also planning a launch pad abort for the crew in case of an accident, Mr. Ramakrishnan said.
PSLV-C15 Mission Director P. Kunhikrishnan said that the satellites went to their precise orbits. If the mission was to inject five satellites into a polar orbit an altitude of 637 km, the final figure was an apogee of 637.39 km and a perigee of 631 km.
There was no hold in the 51-hour countdown to the launch. The PSLV-C15 lifted off majestically at the appointed time of 9.22 a.m., painting the sky with yellow flames. At the end of 17 minutes and 14 seconds of the flight, the satellites were home and dry.
There was applause when T.K. Alex, Director of ISRO Satellite Centre in Bangalore, announced that the Studsat's signals were received at the ground station in Bangalore and those of the Alsat in Algeria.
While the PSLV-C15 cost Rs.80 crore, the Cartosat-2B cost Rs.175 crores.
The PSLV - C15 Vehicle Director was B. Jayakumar and the Satellite Director M. Krishnaswamy.
Speaking on the Human Spaceflight Programme, ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan said ISRO needed a highly reliable vehicle to take humans into space. Such rockets were called human rated vehicles. Certain crucial facilities such as a new launch pad for sending human beings into space had to be built at the spaceport at Sriharikota.
Facilities to handle the astronauts when they returned to the earth also needed to be built. In the first phase of the programme, these critical technologies, including that of re-entry, would be developed. In the second phase, a human rated vehicle would be developed. In the third phase, astronauts would be trained to go into space. Normally, it took three years to train an astronaut, Dr. Radhakrishnan said.
N. Narayanamoorthy, Chief Executive, Human Spaceflight Programme, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, said the most important technology to be developed was the crew escape system. In the first phase, the module for astronauts and a PSLV with a modified first stage would be built. It would be an unmanned module but identical to the final module. The location for the third launch pad site had been decided upon, said M.C. Dathan, Director, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. It would boast of a vehicle assembly building.
Multi-purpose images
R.R. Navalgund, Director, Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad, said Cartosat-2B, launched on Monday from Sriharikota, could be used in a variety of ways, depending on the imagination of the user. The images taken by its panchromatic camera could be used for planning roads in villages, building harbours, preparing accurate maps, keeping a watch on encroachments, and for various infrastructural activities, said Dr. Navalgund.
(Cartosat-2B's images will have a resolution of 0.8 metres, i.e. from a height of 637 km it can take pictures of objects on the earth which are three foot long.)
P.S. Veeraraghavan, Director, VSSC, said a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV - F06) would lift off from Sriharikota by September-end or the first week of October this year.
T.S. Subramanian
The module for the astronauts has been designed
A third launch pad costing Rs.1,000 crore will be built at Sriharikota
SRIHARIKOTA: An unmanned crew module will be put in orbit around the earth by a modified Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in 2013 as a forerunner to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) sending two Indians into space, S. Ramakrishnan, Director, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, ISRO, said here on Monday.
India has plans to send two astronauts in a low-earth orbit and they will stay in space for about a week before returning to the earth. A third launch pad, at a cost of Rs.1,000 crore, will be built at Sriharikota, where the rocket that will take the astronauts into space will be assembled and launched.
Mr. Ramakrishnan told journalists here, after the successful PSLV-C15 flight, that the module for the astronauts had already been designed. The life-support systems, thermal-proofing and the crew escape system in case of an emergency had been defined. We are also planning a launch pad abort for the crew in case of an accident, Mr. Ramakrishnan said.
PSLV-C15 Mission Director P. Kunhikrishnan said that the satellites went to their precise orbits. If the mission was to inject five satellites into a polar orbit an altitude of 637 km, the final figure was an apogee of 637.39 km and a perigee of 631 km.
There was no hold in the 51-hour countdown to the launch. The PSLV-C15 lifted off majestically at the appointed time of 9.22 a.m., painting the sky with yellow flames. At the end of 17 minutes and 14 seconds of the flight, the satellites were home and dry.
There was applause when T.K. Alex, Director of ISRO Satellite Centre in Bangalore, announced that the Studsat's signals were received at the ground station in Bangalore and those of the Alsat in Algeria.
While the PSLV-C15 cost Rs.80 crore, the Cartosat-2B cost Rs.175 crores.
The PSLV - C15 Vehicle Director was B. Jayakumar and the Satellite Director M. Krishnaswamy.
Speaking on the Human Spaceflight Programme, ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan said ISRO needed a highly reliable vehicle to take humans into space. Such rockets were called human rated vehicles. Certain crucial facilities such as a new launch pad for sending human beings into space had to be built at the spaceport at Sriharikota.
Facilities to handle the astronauts when they returned to the earth also needed to be built. In the first phase of the programme, these critical technologies, including that of re-entry, would be developed. In the second phase, a human rated vehicle would be developed. In the third phase, astronauts would be trained to go into space. Normally, it took three years to train an astronaut, Dr. Radhakrishnan said.
N. Narayanamoorthy, Chief Executive, Human Spaceflight Programme, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, said the most important technology to be developed was the crew escape system. In the first phase, the module for astronauts and a PSLV with a modified first stage would be built. It would be an unmanned module but identical to the final module. The location for the third launch pad site had been decided upon, said M.C. Dathan, Director, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. It would boast of a vehicle assembly building.
Multi-purpose images
R.R. Navalgund, Director, Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad, said Cartosat-2B, launched on Monday from Sriharikota, could be used in a variety of ways, depending on the imagination of the user. The images taken by its panchromatic camera could be used for planning roads in villages, building harbours, preparing accurate maps, keeping a watch on encroachments, and for various infrastructural activities, said Dr. Navalgund.
(Cartosat-2B's images will have a resolution of 0.8 metres, i.e. from a height of 637 km it can take pictures of objects on the earth which are three foot long.)
P.S. Veeraraghavan, Director, VSSC, said a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV - F06) would lift off from Sriharikota by September-end or the first week of October this year.
trident2010
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India-US Space Ties Take Off With PSLV
Almost a year ago on July 20, 2009, external affairs minister SM Krishna and US secretary of state Hillary Clinton met at Hyderabad House in New Delhi and signed what is known as Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) which strengthens Indo-US space ties.
On Monday, this pact became a reality when PSLV for the first time placed in orbit a satellite with a large number of US components. According to Isro officials, this flight is therefore politically important with regards to Indo-US relationship.
The satellite is nearly 200-kg Alsat (Algerian Satellite), owned by Algerian Space Agency and is built by a French company with several US-made parts. Isro officials said the Alsat launch was significant because it was the first one following the signing of the TSA between India and the US.
TSA facilitates the launch of US satellites and satellites with US components on Indian launch vehicles. It will cover launches involving satellites owned by US government or academic institutions or by third country space agencies and universities which have US equipment on board.
Soon after the historic Indo-US deal was clinched, executive director of Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of Isro, K R Sridhara Murthy was quoted as saying that the agreement "will open up more satellite launch operations for India. Earlier, satellites built with US-manufactured components were not available for Indian launch vehicles,'' he said.
Officials said the launch of Alsat by India on Monday will inaugurate a new chapter in the country's space programme because it will finally open the way for the country to fly either American spacecraft or spacecraft having US parts.
According to them there were earlier instances when foreign countries were keen on launching their satellites from India primarily because of the low costs. But, American restrictions prevented them from doing so. "With Alsat the scene is now all set to change and India's market share of launching satellites will increase,'' an official told this newspaper.
India-US space ties take off with PSLV - India - The Times of India
Almost a year ago on July 20, 2009, external affairs minister SM Krishna and US secretary of state Hillary Clinton met at Hyderabad House in New Delhi and signed what is known as Technology Safeguards Agreement (TSA) which strengthens Indo-US space ties.
On Monday, this pact became a reality when PSLV for the first time placed in orbit a satellite with a large number of US components. According to Isro officials, this flight is therefore politically important with regards to Indo-US relationship.
The satellite is nearly 200-kg Alsat (Algerian Satellite), owned by Algerian Space Agency and is built by a French company with several US-made parts. Isro officials said the Alsat launch was significant because it was the first one following the signing of the TSA between India and the US.
TSA facilitates the launch of US satellites and satellites with US components on Indian launch vehicles. It will cover launches involving satellites owned by US government or academic institutions or by third country space agencies and universities which have US equipment on board.
Soon after the historic Indo-US deal was clinched, executive director of Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of Isro, K R Sridhara Murthy was quoted as saying that the agreement "will open up more satellite launch operations for India. Earlier, satellites built with US-manufactured components were not available for Indian launch vehicles,'' he said.
Officials said the launch of Alsat by India on Monday will inaugurate a new chapter in the country's space programme because it will finally open the way for the country to fly either American spacecraft or spacecraft having US parts.
According to them there were earlier instances when foreign countries were keen on launching their satellites from India primarily because of the low costs. But, American restrictions prevented them from doing so. "With Alsat the scene is now all set to change and India's market share of launching satellites will increase,'' an official told this newspaper.
India-US space ties take off with PSLV - India - The Times of India
trident2010
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Isros success wins India orders to launch eight foreign satellites
Indias space agency has won orders to launch eight foreign satellites on the back of its success on Monday, when it launched five satellites into the orbit, including one from Algeria and two from Canada.
Its workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket, stripped of its strap-on motors, also carried two Indian satellitesCartosat-2B and a 1kg satellite built by students of engineering colleges in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
The Cartosat-2B, the third in a series of mapping satellites, can shoot images of small objects on land and help compress the time needed for building high-resolution maps by half.
There are some more opportunities we are discussing. There is interest for PSLV with customers, said K.R. Sridhara Murthi, managing director of Antrix Corp. Ltd, the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).
He did not name the eight foreign customers.
The Algerian space agency has finalized the launch of its second remote sensing satellite with India.
It paid Antrix around $4 million (Rs18.68 crore) for Mondays launch.
So far, PSLV has launched 44 satellites, more than half of them from India, in 17 missions.
Now, Isro will standardize the rocket in four models, help farm it to private industry to build systems and reduce the time taken to build the launcher.
With the standard models, we can also customise additional features, like the ability to launch multiple satellites at the same time, said Murthi. Antrix earned a revenue of Rs1,059 crore in 2008-09, according to the latest figures available.
PSLV has been successful consistently. It will be the rocket of choice (to launch satellites in low earth orbit), said B.N. Raghunandan, chairman of the aerospace engineering department at the Indian Institute of Science. Once the GSLV with the indigenous cryogenic engine is ready, you will see GSLV more routinely. People are working on that.
Isro has faced two setbacks this year. In April, its heaviest rocket yet, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) crashed into sea after its home-grown cryogenic engine failed. Isro also lost its fourth-generation communication satellite GSAT-4 in the mishap.
A panel investigating the failure pointed to a snag in the fuel pump.
The rocket was to put India in an exclusive club of nations capable of hurling communication satellites and offering space launches commercially, which Isro says would be done in a year.
The same month, it deferred a May launch of PSLV following a pressure leak in the rockets second stage.
It was rectified and launched on Monday.
Isro will launch Resourcesat-2, a remote sensing satellite, on the PSLV rocket and GSAT-5, a communication satellite, on a GSLV rocket later this year.
The GSLV will be powered by a Russian cryogenic engine, Isro spokesperson S. Satish said.
Isro?s success wins India orders to launch eight foreign satellites - Home - livemint.com
Indias space agency has won orders to launch eight foreign satellites on the back of its success on Monday, when it launched five satellites into the orbit, including one from Algeria and two from Canada.
Its workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket, stripped of its strap-on motors, also carried two Indian satellitesCartosat-2B and a 1kg satellite built by students of engineering colleges in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
The Cartosat-2B, the third in a series of mapping satellites, can shoot images of small objects on land and help compress the time needed for building high-resolution maps by half.
There are some more opportunities we are discussing. There is interest for PSLV with customers, said K.R. Sridhara Murthi, managing director of Antrix Corp. Ltd, the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).
He did not name the eight foreign customers.
The Algerian space agency has finalized the launch of its second remote sensing satellite with India.
It paid Antrix around $4 million (Rs18.68 crore) for Mondays launch.
So far, PSLV has launched 44 satellites, more than half of them from India, in 17 missions.
Now, Isro will standardize the rocket in four models, help farm it to private industry to build systems and reduce the time taken to build the launcher.
With the standard models, we can also customise additional features, like the ability to launch multiple satellites at the same time, said Murthi. Antrix earned a revenue of Rs1,059 crore in 2008-09, according to the latest figures available.
PSLV has been successful consistently. It will be the rocket of choice (to launch satellites in low earth orbit), said B.N. Raghunandan, chairman of the aerospace engineering department at the Indian Institute of Science. Once the GSLV with the indigenous cryogenic engine is ready, you will see GSLV more routinely. People are working on that.
Isro has faced two setbacks this year. In April, its heaviest rocket yet, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) crashed into sea after its home-grown cryogenic engine failed. Isro also lost its fourth-generation communication satellite GSAT-4 in the mishap.
A panel investigating the failure pointed to a snag in the fuel pump.
The rocket was to put India in an exclusive club of nations capable of hurling communication satellites and offering space launches commercially, which Isro says would be done in a year.
The same month, it deferred a May launch of PSLV following a pressure leak in the rockets second stage.
It was rectified and launched on Monday.
Isro will launch Resourcesat-2, a remote sensing satellite, on the PSLV rocket and GSAT-5, a communication satellite, on a GSLV rocket later this year.
The GSLV will be powered by a Russian cryogenic engine, Isro spokesperson S. Satish said.
Isro?s success wins India orders to launch eight foreign satellites - Home - livemint.com
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10 eyes in the sky give India space edge
CHENNAI: With the successful launch of Cartosat-2B on Monday, India has reached a `critical constellation' of 10 active remote sensing satellites in space, which gives it a clear edge in the region for monitoring borders and movements across them.
While mapping and infrastructure development are seen as primary applications of a remote sensing satellite, its use in spying is often underplayed. A combination of four Cartosats (1,2,2A and 2B) hovering 630 km above earth allows India to keep areas under close and prolonged surveillance. Multiple satellites ensure that a particular geographical area can be `revisited' every 48 hours.
Three of the cartosats now in orbit have a spatial resolution of less than one metre (0.8 m for Cartosat-2B), which means that they can observe and photograph objects smaller than a car. Cartosat-2B's steerability of 26 degrees allows it to stay focused on the object for a longer duration while on the move as compared to the other remote sensing satellites, which have a range of applications.
"The latest addition enhances our revisit capability and ensures continuity of services. The revisit capability of one such satellite is about 10 days, but with four such satellites, we can revisit an area almost every other day. With Cartosat-1 (launched in 2005) likely to complete its mission in another year, Cartosat-2B ensures there is no break in services,'' Isro spokesperson S Satish told TOI.
China has launched nine remote sensing satellites in the `Yaogan' series since 2006 using its Long March range of rockets. With the addition of Cartosat-2B to the constellation, India has matched if not outdone China in remote sensing. Pakistan, meanwhile, is still working on its first remote sensing satellite PRSSS, which it plans to launch next year with China's help.
Asked specifically about Cartosat-2B's applications in surveillance, Isro chairman K Radhakrishnan said: "Depending on the user's imagination, it can be used for surveillance and intelligence (gathering).''
India was working on its indigenous radar imaging satellite Risat-1, an all-weather satellite which uses a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and multiple antennas to see through clouds and darkness, when the 2008 Mumbai attacks happened. This prompted the nation to speed up and launch the Israeli Risat-2 satellite with SAR on April 20, 2009. Risat-1 is scheduled for launch late this year.
Cartosats use panchromatic cameras to take black and white pictures of earth. While cartosat-1 weighed 1560 kg and had a spatial resolution of 2.5 metres and a swathe of 30 km, the later versions had a finer spatial resolution of less than a metre and a swathe of 9.6 km.
Going around in a 630-km high polar sun synchronous orbit, Cartosat-2B carries a 64GB solid state recorder which stores images which can be later transmitted to the ground station when the satellite comes within the visibility range. The Spacecraft Control Centre, Bangalore will be continuously monitoring the satellite's health with the help of the ISTRAC network of ground stations at Bangalore, Lucknow, Mauritius, Biak in Indonesia, Svalbard in Norway and Troll in Antarctica.
CHENNAI: With the successful launch of Cartosat-2B on Monday, India has reached a `critical constellation' of 10 active remote sensing satellites in space, which gives it a clear edge in the region for monitoring borders and movements across them.
While mapping and infrastructure development are seen as primary applications of a remote sensing satellite, its use in spying is often underplayed. A combination of four Cartosats (1,2,2A and 2B) hovering 630 km above earth allows India to keep areas under close and prolonged surveillance. Multiple satellites ensure that a particular geographical area can be `revisited' every 48 hours.
Three of the cartosats now in orbit have a spatial resolution of less than one metre (0.8 m for Cartosat-2B), which means that they can observe and photograph objects smaller than a car. Cartosat-2B's steerability of 26 degrees allows it to stay focused on the object for a longer duration while on the move as compared to the other remote sensing satellites, which have a range of applications.
"The latest addition enhances our revisit capability and ensures continuity of services. The revisit capability of one such satellite is about 10 days, but with four such satellites, we can revisit an area almost every other day. With Cartosat-1 (launched in 2005) likely to complete its mission in another year, Cartosat-2B ensures there is no break in services,'' Isro spokesperson S Satish told TOI.
China has launched nine remote sensing satellites in the `Yaogan' series since 2006 using its Long March range of rockets. With the addition of Cartosat-2B to the constellation, India has matched if not outdone China in remote sensing. Pakistan, meanwhile, is still working on its first remote sensing satellite PRSSS, which it plans to launch next year with China's help.
Asked specifically about Cartosat-2B's applications in surveillance, Isro chairman K Radhakrishnan said: "Depending on the user's imagination, it can be used for surveillance and intelligence (gathering).''
India was working on its indigenous radar imaging satellite Risat-1, an all-weather satellite which uses a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and multiple antennas to see through clouds and darkness, when the 2008 Mumbai attacks happened. This prompted the nation to speed up and launch the Israeli Risat-2 satellite with SAR on April 20, 2009. Risat-1 is scheduled for launch late this year.
Cartosats use panchromatic cameras to take black and white pictures of earth. While cartosat-1 weighed 1560 kg and had a spatial resolution of 2.5 metres and a swathe of 30 km, the later versions had a finer spatial resolution of less than a metre and a swathe of 9.6 km.
Going around in a 630-km high polar sun synchronous orbit, Cartosat-2B carries a 64GB solid state recorder which stores images which can be later transmitted to the ground station when the satellite comes within the visibility range. The Spacecraft Control Centre, Bangalore will be continuously monitoring the satellite's health with the help of the ISTRAC network of ground stations at Bangalore, Lucknow, Mauritius, Biak in Indonesia, Svalbard in Norway and Troll in Antarctica.
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Cartosat-2B to become operational in a week
Cartosat-2B — the remote-sensing satellite put in orbit by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C15) on Monday — is in fine fettle and will become operational in a week.
The rocket put four other satellites as well in orbit at an altitude of 637 km.
“The health of the satellite is good. Everything has been checked out. It will become operational in a week's time,” said P.S. Veeraraghavan, Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram.
The images taken by Cartosat-2B's camera will be available soon after it becomes operational. The satellite's solar panels were deployed soon after it flew out of the fourth stage of the vehicle, Mr. Veeraraghavan said.
Praise for ISRO
He said rocket specialists from other countries had commended the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the PSLV's repeated success with multiple satellite launches.
This is the eighth time that a PSLV has put several satellites in orbit.
“It is not easy to launch several satellites using the same vehicle. They should be launched in a sequence and ensuring there is no collision,” Mr. Veeraraghavan said.
On April 28, 2008, the PSLV-C9 put 10 satellites in orbit, one after another, creating a record. The satellites were Cartosat-2A, Indian Mini Satellite-1, and eight nano satellites from abroad.
Mr. Veeraraghavan said the PSLV-C15's countdown was smooth and there was no problem at all. With 16 successes in a row, “the PSLV has become a reliable workhorse.”
The PSLV-C15's flawless mission came as “a morale booster” to the ISRO after the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle's (GSLV-D3) failure on April 15 this year, he said.
jha
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Plan to send two Indians into space
SRIHARIKOTA: An unmanned crew module will be put in orbit around the earth by a modified Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in 2013 as a forerunner to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) sending two Indians into space, S. Ramakrishnan, Director, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, ISRO, said here on Monday.
India has plans to send two astronauts in a low-earth orbit and they will stay in space for about a week before returning to the earth. A third launch pad, at a cost of Rs.1,000 crore, will be built at Sriharikota, where the rocket that will take the astronauts into space will be assembled and launched.
Mr. Ramakrishnan told journalists here, after the successful PSLV-C15 flight, that the module for the astronauts had already been designed. The life-support systems, thermal-proofing and the crew escape system in case of an emergency had been defined. “We are also planning a launch pad abort for the crew in case of an accident,” Mr. Ramakrishnan said.
PSLV-C15 Mission Director P. Kunhikrishnan said that the satellites went to their precise orbits. If the mission was to inject five satellites into a polar orbit an altitude of 637 km, the final figure was an apogee of 637.39 km and a perigee of 631 km.
There was no “hold” in the 51-hour countdown to the launch. The PSLV-C15 lifted off majestically at the appointed time of 9.22 a.m., painting the sky with yellow flames. At the end of 17 minutes and 14 seconds of the flight, the satellites were home and dry.
There was applause when T.K. Alex, Director of ISRO Satellite Centre in Bangalore, announced that the Studsat's signals were received at the ground station in Bangalore and those of the Alsat in Algeria.
While the PSLV-C15 cost Rs.80 crore, the Cartosat-2B cost Rs.175 crores.
The PSLV - C15 Vehicle Director was B. Jayakumar and the Satellite Director M. Krishnaswamy.
Speaking on the Human Spaceflight Programme, ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan said ISRO needed a highly reliable vehicle to take humans into space. Such rockets were called human rated vehicles. Certain crucial facilities such as a new launch pad for sending human beings into space had to be built at the spaceport at Sriharikota.
Facilities to handle the astronauts when they returned to the earth also needed to be built. In the first phase of the programme, these critical technologies, including that of re-entry, would be developed. In the second phase, a human rated vehicle would be developed. In the third phase, astronauts would be trained to go into space. Normally, it took three years to train an astronaut, Dr. Radhakrishnan said.
N. Narayanamoorthy, Chief Executive, Human Spaceflight Programme, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, said the most important technology to be developed was the crew escape system. In the first phase, the module for astronauts and a PSLV with a modified first stage would be built. It would be an unmanned module but identical to the final module. The location for the third launch pad site had been decided upon, said M.C. Dathan, Director, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. It would boast of a vehicle assembly building.
Multi-purpose images
R.R. Navalgund, Director, Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad, said Cartosat-2B, launched on Monday from Sriharikota, could be used in a variety of ways, depending on the imagination of the user. The images taken by its panchromatic camera could be used for planning roads in villages, building harbours, preparing accurate maps, keeping a watch on encroachments, and for various infrastructural activities, said Dr. Navalgund.
(Cartosat-2B's images will have a resolution of 0.8 metres, i.e. from a height of 637 km it can take pictures of objects on the earth which are three foot long.)
SRIHARIKOTA: An unmanned crew module will be put in orbit around the earth by a modified Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in 2013 as a forerunner to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) sending two Indians into space, S. Ramakrishnan, Director, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, ISRO, said here on Monday.
India has plans to send two astronauts in a low-earth orbit and they will stay in space for about a week before returning to the earth. A third launch pad, at a cost of Rs.1,000 crore, will be built at Sriharikota, where the rocket that will take the astronauts into space will be assembled and launched.
Mr. Ramakrishnan told journalists here, after the successful PSLV-C15 flight, that the module for the astronauts had already been designed. The life-support systems, thermal-proofing and the crew escape system in case of an emergency had been defined. “We are also planning a launch pad abort for the crew in case of an accident,” Mr. Ramakrishnan said.
PSLV-C15 Mission Director P. Kunhikrishnan said that the satellites went to their precise orbits. If the mission was to inject five satellites into a polar orbit an altitude of 637 km, the final figure was an apogee of 637.39 km and a perigee of 631 km.
There was no “hold” in the 51-hour countdown to the launch. The PSLV-C15 lifted off majestically at the appointed time of 9.22 a.m., painting the sky with yellow flames. At the end of 17 minutes and 14 seconds of the flight, the satellites were home and dry.
There was applause when T.K. Alex, Director of ISRO Satellite Centre in Bangalore, announced that the Studsat's signals were received at the ground station in Bangalore and those of the Alsat in Algeria.
While the PSLV-C15 cost Rs.80 crore, the Cartosat-2B cost Rs.175 crores.
The PSLV - C15 Vehicle Director was B. Jayakumar and the Satellite Director M. Krishnaswamy.
Speaking on the Human Spaceflight Programme, ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan said ISRO needed a highly reliable vehicle to take humans into space. Such rockets were called human rated vehicles. Certain crucial facilities such as a new launch pad for sending human beings into space had to be built at the spaceport at Sriharikota.
Facilities to handle the astronauts when they returned to the earth also needed to be built. In the first phase of the programme, these critical technologies, including that of re-entry, would be developed. In the second phase, a human rated vehicle would be developed. In the third phase, astronauts would be trained to go into space. Normally, it took three years to train an astronaut, Dr. Radhakrishnan said.
N. Narayanamoorthy, Chief Executive, Human Spaceflight Programme, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, said the most important technology to be developed was the crew escape system. In the first phase, the module for astronauts and a PSLV with a modified first stage would be built. It would be an unmanned module but identical to the final module. The location for the third launch pad site had been decided upon, said M.C. Dathan, Director, Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. It would boast of a vehicle assembly building.
Multi-purpose images
R.R. Navalgund, Director, Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad, said Cartosat-2B, launched on Monday from Sriharikota, could be used in a variety of ways, depending on the imagination of the user. The images taken by its panchromatic camera could be used for planning roads in villages, building harbours, preparing accurate maps, keeping a watch on encroachments, and for various infrastructural activities, said Dr. Navalgund.
(Cartosat-2B's images will have a resolution of 0.8 metres, i.e. from a height of 637 km it can take pictures of objects on the earth which are three foot long.)
jha
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Blueprint to probe Moon ready, says Isro prof
AHMEDABAD: India has prepared a blueprint to probe the Moon further and also carry out missions to Mars, comets and asteroids, said chairman, Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) council, Isro DOS, Prof U R Rao.
Rao was speaking during the inauguration of two-day international workshop on Advances in Planetary Atmospheres and Exploration' at PRL on Monday. Rao said, "Exploration of atmospheres on planets is going to be future of space science."
The workshop address latest results of different ongoing planetary missions covering the atmosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere researches of different planets, including planetary missions. S A Haider of PRL said, "Senior scientists from 14 different countries including US, Germany, Japan, China, Netherlands, are participating in the event."
Haider presented a paper on effect of solar X-ray flares on Mars surface. On future mission to Moon, director, PRL, Prof J N Goswami said, "The experiments to be onboard Chandrayaan-2 is in its final stage. The experiments will be focusing on complementing the experiments onboard Chandrayaan-1. This time it will be more in-depth study of Moon."
The objective of the workshop is to provide a forum to planetary researchers and academicians to come together to explore, discuss and present the latest trends, exchange results and opinions and to improve the understanding in the area of planetary sciences.
AHMEDABAD: India has prepared a blueprint to probe the Moon further and also carry out missions to Mars, comets and asteroids, said chairman, Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) council, Isro DOS, Prof U R Rao.
Rao was speaking during the inauguration of two-day international workshop on Advances in Planetary Atmospheres and Exploration' at PRL on Monday. Rao said, "Exploration of atmospheres on planets is going to be future of space science."
The workshop address latest results of different ongoing planetary missions covering the atmosphere, ionosphere and magnetosphere researches of different planets, including planetary missions. S A Haider of PRL said, "Senior scientists from 14 different countries including US, Germany, Japan, China, Netherlands, are participating in the event."
Haider presented a paper on effect of solar X-ray flares on Mars surface. On future mission to Moon, director, PRL, Prof J N Goswami said, "The experiments to be onboard Chandrayaan-2 is in its final stage. The experiments will be focusing on complementing the experiments onboard Chandrayaan-1. This time it will be more in-depth study of Moon."
The objective of the workshop is to provide a forum to planetary researchers and academicians to come together to explore, discuss and present the latest trends, exchange results and opinions and to improve the understanding in the area of planetary sciences.
Tejas-MkII
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Why Indias smallest satellite is such a big deal
Why Indias smallest satellite is such a big deal
The ground tracking station at the Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology (NMIT) in Yelahanka, 20 km from Bangalore, where Indias smallest satellite was incubated over the past two years, is abuzz.
It has been two days since Studsat, a pico-satellite weighing under 1 kg, developed by students from seven colleges led by NMIT, was successfully launched from Sriharikota on board PSLV-C-15 along with four other satellites, and the amateur tracking and telemetry station is tuned to the satellites HAM frequency.
The first beacon from the satellite, signalling its health, was received at 11.07 am on July 12, much to the joy of the 35-40 students a majority of them from NMIT, besides students from MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology, RV College of Engineering and MNS Institute of Technology in Bangalore and three other colleges in Hyderabad who spearheaded the ambitious project, with guidance and encouragement from the Indian Space Research Organisation.
In a few days, images of the earth taken by the on-board camera will start streaming in every time Studsat passes over the station three to five times a day and they could be useful in vegetation, soil content and distance studies.
Measuring just 10 cm X 10 cm X 11 cm and developed at a cost of Rs 55 lakh pooled by the consortium of colleges, Studsat, which has a cubic design that enhances stability and makes optimum internal space available for components, was a student initiative spurred by a lecture by DVA Raghava Murthy, Project Director, Small Satellite Projects, ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore, at the 2007 International Astronautical Congress in Hyderabad.
By the time an MoU was signed one-and-a-half years ago, the students had already come up with an initial design.
The fact that Studsat is up there sending signals from space demonstrates their capabilities, Murthy said.
Vigneswaran, who was responsible for Studsats on-board computing, stayed on at NMIT for a year after he graduated in electronics and communications, and so did eight others who were in charge of various sub-systems such as structure, payload and communication. I had an offer from IBM but this project was important, it was exciting. I am leaving in August for higher studies in the Netherlands, he says. His twin brother Visweswaran led the ground station development before leaving about a month ago for France, where he is studying at the International Space University.
Most of us had offers from good companies and universities, but nothing would provided the kind of exposure and hands-on experience in space technology that this project has given us, says Chetan Dikshit, who managed the finance side of the project and will go on to do an MBA this year.
The pico-satellite tested the limits of their knowledge and skill. Since it is so small, it has no thrusters to orient the camera. To turn the camera to face the earth, we have to perform algorithms that could take days, says Vigneswaran.
Chetan Angadi, one of the key technical leaders, says the optics were bought from the market but integration had to be meticulous since a minute difference could result in blurred images. We expect the first images, which will have a resolution of 93 metres per pixel, to arrive after the satellite stabilises, he says. Sharath, who designed the outer structure of Studsat, says the challenge was to maintain an accuracy of 0.01 mm A sheet of paper is 0.03 mm thick in dimensions.
Besides a tracking station, NMIT set up a clean room for testing, handling and integration of the satellite. Dr Jharna Mazumdar, Director of Research and Development at the institute, says NMIT spent Rs 45 lakh to install the facilities.
Mamatha, a student of electronics and communication who led the attitude determination sub-system of Studsat, and is in charge of the tracking station, says, We have the requisite equipment now. All we need to do is pass on the passion for space science to our juniors and continue making Studsats.
While Anusat, a 40-kg satellite built by Anna University, Chennai, was launched last year, IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Bombay and SRM University are working on similar student satellites.
Why Indias smallest satellite is such a big deal
The ground tracking station at the Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology (NMIT) in Yelahanka, 20 km from Bangalore, where Indias smallest satellite was incubated over the past two years, is abuzz.
It has been two days since Studsat, a pico-satellite weighing under 1 kg, developed by students from seven colleges led by NMIT, was successfully launched from Sriharikota on board PSLV-C-15 along with four other satellites, and the amateur tracking and telemetry station is tuned to the satellites HAM frequency.
The first beacon from the satellite, signalling its health, was received at 11.07 am on July 12, much to the joy of the 35-40 students a majority of them from NMIT, besides students from MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology, RV College of Engineering and MNS Institute of Technology in Bangalore and three other colleges in Hyderabad who spearheaded the ambitious project, with guidance and encouragement from the Indian Space Research Organisation.
In a few days, images of the earth taken by the on-board camera will start streaming in every time Studsat passes over the station three to five times a day and they could be useful in vegetation, soil content and distance studies.
Measuring just 10 cm X 10 cm X 11 cm and developed at a cost of Rs 55 lakh pooled by the consortium of colleges, Studsat, which has a cubic design that enhances stability and makes optimum internal space available for components, was a student initiative spurred by a lecture by DVA Raghava Murthy, Project Director, Small Satellite Projects, ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore, at the 2007 International Astronautical Congress in Hyderabad.
By the time an MoU was signed one-and-a-half years ago, the students had already come up with an initial design.
The fact that Studsat is up there sending signals from space demonstrates their capabilities, Murthy said. Vigneswaran, who was responsible for Studsats on-board computing, stayed on at NMIT for a year after he graduated in electronics and communications, and so did eight others who were in charge of various sub-systems such as structure, payload and communication. I had an offer from IBM but this project was important, it was exciting. I am leaving in August for higher studies in the Netherlands, he says. His twin brother Visweswaran led the ground station development before leaving about a month ago for France, where he is studying at the International Space University.
Most of us had offers from good companies and universities, but nothing would provided the kind of exposure and hands-on experience in space technology that this project has given us, says Chetan Dikshit, who managed the finance side of the project and will go on to do an MBA this year.
The pico-satellite tested the limits of their knowledge and skill. Since it is so small, it has no thrusters to orient the camera. To turn the camera to face the earth, we have to perform algorithms that could take days, says Vigneswaran.
Chetan Angadi, one of the key technical leaders, says the optics were bought from the market but integration had to be meticulous since a minute difference could result in blurred images. We expect the first images, which will have a resolution of 93 metres per pixel, to arrive after the satellite stabilises, he says. Sharath, who designed the outer structure of Studsat, says the challenge was to maintain an accuracy of 0.01 mm A sheet of paper is 0.03 mm thick in dimensions.
Besides a tracking station, NMIT set up a clean room for testing, handling and integration of the satellite. Dr Jharna Mazumdar, Director of Research and Development at the institute, says NMIT spent Rs 45 lakh to install the facilities.
Mamatha, a student of electronics and communication who led the attitude determination sub-system of Studsat, and is in charge of the tracking station, says, We have the requisite equipment now. All we need to do is pass on the passion for space science to our juniors and continue making Studsats.
While Anusat, a 40-kg satellite built by Anna University, Chennai, was launched last year, IIT-Kanpur, IIT-Bombay and SRM University are working on similar student satellites.
Tejas-MkII
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^^^^^
I must say future of India's science and technology is bright ... the kind of work done by these student is remarkable, even many countries are not able to do these type of work..
I must say future of India's science and technology is bright ... the kind of work done by these student is remarkable, even many countries are not able to do these type of work..
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FIRST LOOK: Wind Tunnel Model Of India's Hypersonic Demonstrator Vehicle
whats this ???
gowthamraj
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^ my dear, that for avatar program
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