GAGAN will be put in place by end of 2014
What's next?Well, ISRO is in the process of developing spacesuits for a manned mission in the future, according to Dr K Radhakrishnan, chairman, ISRO. But so far, there's no launch vehicle capable of carrying humans. It's a logical step however. First there are orbiters, then landings, then manned missions.
@AJA,Looks like the illustration in second article is not correct From what I gather from first article, Sriharikota is ideal for eastward launches, and Kulasekarapattinam would be ideal for southward launches.
VSSC Chief Hints at Second Mars Mission Using GSLVHighly unlikely, but who knows!http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/kerala/VSSC-Chief-Hints-at-Second-Mars-Mission-Using-GSLV/2013/12/21/article1957410.ece
Basking in the glory of the successful launch of the Mars Orbiter Mission, India has put its maiden mission to the sun titled Aditya-1 on a more ambitious track. Scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have decided to upgrade the satellite from being a single payload, designed to study the sun’s outer layer, to now include five payloads that would study the sun more closely to see how it impacts the earth.
Earlier, Aditya-1 was only supposed to study the fiery solar corona, the sun’s outermost region. Now it will be equipped with an ultraviolet imager telescope to observe the whole solar disc so that the scientists can k now things happening on the sun’s surface like solar storms, which impact atmosphere on the earth.
Aditya-1 has now been configured as a L1 mission, which means the spacecraft will be placed at a point between the sun and earth where it will remain stable due to earth’s gravitational pull. All other satellites orbit the earth but Aditya will be positioned ahead of earth.
Exactly.If i am not wrong didn't DR Radhakrishnan say that the GSLV can carry only 25 kgs of scientific payload and place the satellite just one orbit above.So whats the point of sending another Technology demonstrator satellite.Besides it's highly unlikely that the govt would approve it.
Quote from: abhishek on 12/21/2013 10:28 amExactly.If i am not wrong didn't DR Radhakrishnan say that the GSLV can carry only 25 kgs of scientific payload and place the satellite just one orbit above.So whats the point of sending another Technology demonstrator satellite.Besides it's highly unlikely that the govt would approve it.I've still wondered whether repeat/follow-up missions save on money because they are retreading some similar ground, with previous work being transferable to the new mission.
Quote from: sanman on 12/22/2013 09:46 amQuote from: abhishek on 12/21/2013 10:28 amExactly.If i am not wrong didn't DR Radhakrishnan say that the GSLV can carry only 25 kgs of scientific payload and place the satellite just one orbit above.So whats the point of sending another Technology demonstrator satellite.Besides it's highly unlikely that the govt would approve it.I've still wondered whether repeat/follow-up missions save on money because they are retreading some similar ground, with previous work being transferable to the new mission.IMHO, ISRO should now look for collaborating with other players like NASA & Roscosmos to go for more ambitious missions. Maybe, partner with Roscosmos for a Fobos Grunt reboot!
AND THE RAT BECAME A CAT When the whole world is concerned about elite space agencies, a group of scientists from Indian Centre for Space Physics in Garia has managed to send balloons to the space at least 50 times since 2009 and that too with bare minimum fundsIt was in 2009 that the scientists after many successful journeys, decided to send a white rat to space. The rat named ‘Astro-rat’ was locked up in a thermocol chamber with adequate oxygen supply to ensure its survival and sent to space along with other payloads on a balloon. It stayed there for nearly 30 minutes before it was brought back to the earth.“Initially, the rat was perfectly fit, but then gradually it started putting on weight. After a few months it became so fat and big that it almost resembled a white cat. We really don’t know what happened - whether it was because of some gene mutation that it could have undergone because it was exposed to high doses of cosmic rays or because of any other reason we are really not sure,” said one of the scientists.http://paper.hindustantimes.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
K Radhakrishnan, chairman of Isro, says the audience asked basic to "brilliant" questions about each technical term and were even found to revive their childhood lessons in physics to answer other members and interact enthusiastically. Such a level of engagement made MOM not just a successful ISRO launch but a successful brand too for the programme."It (Facebook page) is not just an information forum, it has become a discussion forum. They (users) are well aware of the mission details," says Radhakrishnan....Harish Bijoor, CEO of Harish Bijoor Consults says the major change in brand Isro with the launch of the MOM is that it has become an organisation-centric brand, rather than a brand known for one person. Isro, for decades, had relied on individuals who led it to be the face of the organisation.Isro will extend the branding further. Radhakrishnan says that it is planning to launch merchandise such as branded T-shirts....The Chandrayaan - 1 mission -India's first effort to send a spacecraft to the Moon in 2008 - triggered an increase in applications for joining Isro, despite the brain-drain prevalent in the country. Over the last seven years, the ratio of the number of applications to the posts available at Isro has drastically gone up (please see chart for average applications per opening). "Remuneration has also increased compared to the IT sector, as has the stint duration at Isro," says Radhakrishnan.
So, oil money won, eh?http://www.indianexpress.com/news/isro-to-shift-satellite-launch-boundary-for-oil-exploration/1211834/0
It is also surprising as to how the port proposal was cleared when environmental restrictions are in force in view of Pulicat Lake and Nelapattu Birds Sanctuary located nearby. Forest department not even allowed bitumen roads in the region identified for Port under the pretext of birds’ sanctuary since decades.Moreover, the security of Isro’s only rocket launching centre in the country will be at stake if the Port becomes a reality since vessels and people from different countries throng the port on daily basis,” Anjaneya Reddy observed.