Teething troubles with multiple indigenous modules on one satellite and domestic mirror fabrication on the other are major causes for delay in the launch of two Earth Observation Satellites (EOSs) Isro had in its pipeline, while increased humidity has put on hold a key process on the first small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV) mission.TOI had reported earlier that Isro was hoping to launch three Earth Observations Satellites (EOSs) — two of them (EOS-4 or Risat-1A and EOS-6 or Oceansat-3 using PSLV and the third, EOS-2 or Microsat as part of the first developmental flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) — in the last quarter of 2021.A senior scientist from Isro headquarters told TOI that Risat-1A got into serious technical issues after more than 20 TR modules fabricated indigenously for the first time failed ground tests."...When so many modules fail ground tests, unless we understand the criticality of the problem, we cannot go ahead and launch. The satellite could have gone to waste if we went ahead and we had Rs 700 crore at stake. Also, with 5G coming, the frequency of the satellite had to be changed to prevent interference. These are the reasons for delay. Now the technical issues have been addressed and we will start preparations for the launch soon," the scientist said.TR modules refer to transmit and receive modules that help in telemetry and tracking of the satellites, and another scientist said that the Risat-1A has around 400 of these.<snip>On Oceansat-3, another scientist said: "This is a very advanced satellite and the mirror that we fabricated here got into technical problems. That needs to be redone now."<snip>Further, the first scientist said that the delay in the first developmental flight of the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) — marking the beginning of a new class of launch vehicles in India — was delayed due to increased humidity caused by the rains."Because of high humidity, we had to suspend the insulation work. This process is critical and we are waiting for a better time to complete this, after which we can prepare for launch," the scientist said.
BENGALURU: Senior rocket scientist S Somanath has been appointed as the tenth chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and secretary, department of space (DoS). He will replace K Sivan, who will complete his term, which included a one-year extension, on January 14.Somanath, who at present is serving as director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), told TOI: “The most important responsibility is to create a space enterprise in India where all the stakeholders, including DoS, Isro, IN-SPACe, industry and start-ups are all part of the efforts to expand the space programme on a bigger scale. This is the primary responsibility.”Before becoming VSSC director, he had a two-and-a-half-year stint as director, Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC). Among other things, Somanath is credited with “energising development activities of the high thrust semi-cryogenic engine, conceiving a fast track hardware realisation and test programme, development of throttleable engines for the lander of Chandrayaan-2 and successful flight of an electric propulsion system in GSAT-9.”“...Another objective is to align the overall space programme with the vision the government has put forth where DoS has to really become an enabler to cause the expansion of space enterprise in India. This will be done through appropriate legislation, framework and guidelines that have to be put in place,” Somanath told TOI.Somanath earned his B.Tech in mechanical engineering from TKM College of Engineering, Kollam, and a Masters in aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) with a gold medal, where he specialised in “structures, dynamics and control.He joined VSSC in 1985 and was a team leader for integration of PSLV during the early phases. As PSLV project manager, he handled areas of mechanisms, pyro systems, integration and satellite launch service management.According to Isro records, he joined the GSLV MkIII Project during 2003 and was the deputy project director responsible for overall design of the vehicle, mission design, structural design and integration before becoming the project director of GSLV Mk-III from June 2010 to 2014. Under his leadership, the first experimental flight of the CARE mission was successfully accomplished on December 18, 2014.“He is an expert in the area of system engineering of launch vehicles. His contributions in PSLV and GSLV MkIII were in their overall architecture, propulsion stages design, structural and structural dynamics designs, separation systems, vehicle integration and integration procedures development,” VSSC’s description of Somanath reads.
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1792514QuoteDepartment of SpaceDr S. Somanath, new Chairman, ISRO calls on Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and discusses status of “Gaganyaan” and other future Space missionsPosted On: 25 JAN 2022 4:27PM by PIB DelhiDr S. Somanath, who has taken over as the new Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) called on Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh and discussed the status of “Gaganyaan” as well as other Space missions lined up for the near future.<snip>In 2022, ISRO also has the distinction of launching GSAT-21, the first fully funded satellite of NSIL (New Space India Limited) and will be owned as well as operated by NSIL. This Communication Satellite will meet the DTH (Direct to Home) application needs.
Department of SpaceDr S. Somanath, new Chairman, ISRO calls on Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and discusses status of “Gaganyaan” and other future Space missionsPosted On: 25 JAN 2022 4:27PM by PIB DelhiDr S. Somanath, who has taken over as the new Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) called on Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; Minister of State (Independent Charge) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh and discussed the status of “Gaganyaan” as well as other Space missions lined up for the near future.<snip>In 2022, ISRO also has the distinction of launching GSAT-21, the first fully funded satellite of NSIL (New Space India Limited) and will be owned as well as operated by NSIL. This Communication Satellite will meet the DTH (Direct to Home) application needs.
The Geo-Mobile Satellite with S-Band is or was GSAT-21. Were the numbers changed or confused?GSAT-20 is planned as a Ka-Band HTS satellite and was always scheduled for the GSLV-III D3 flight.SAC_Annual_Report 2016-2017 page 17.https://www.sac.gov.in/SACSITE/SAC%20Annual%20Report/SAC_Annual_Report_2016-2017.pdf
Folks, any news from GSAT-24 ? Is it ready for shipment to Kourou ? If so, when is it going to happen ?
Dedicated Sat for Tatasky in advanced stages of testingJan 21, 2022, 03.54 AM ISTBengaluru: The GSAT-24, which, in a first, will be a dedicated satellite for a private enterprise, is in advanced stages of testing with preparations for shipping nearing. It will be launched using Ariane-5 launcher operated by French firm Arianespace.Space PSU NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), which has contracts to launch GSAT-24 as a dedicated satellite for TataSky, is looking to launch it in the early part of the first quarter of next fiscal. “...Advanced testing is ongoing at the UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSAC) and we are looking at shipping the satellite at the end of this quarter for a launch early in the first quarter of 2022-23,” a senior official said....
Ambassador of Israel to India met Chairman, ISRO/ Secretary, DOSH.E. Mr. Naor Gilon, Ambassador of Israel to India called on Mr. Somanath. S, Chairman, ISRO/ Secretary, Department of Space at ISRO Headquarters on February 22, 2022. Israel Consul General to South India accompanied the Ambassador.The ongoing interactions between the space agencies and the avenues for expanding space relations between India and Israel, in view of space reforms announced by Government of India were discussed during the meeting.
https://twitter.com/Chethan_Dash/status/1499044148305088514
Unignited: Has India fallen behind in the space race?Consider this: China made 55 space launches in 2021, overtaking the US in the number of missions it undertook last year. As the jingoistic Global Times gushed, it was a “Super 2021” for China in space. “The world saw a total of 145 space launches in 2021, of which 55 were from China, 51 from the US, and 25 from Russia.” India? Two launches — one of them a failure, passed off as ‘partial success’.
https://www.deccanherald.com/national/unignited-has-india-fallen-behind-in-the-space-race-1088424.htmlQuoteUnignited: Has India fallen behind in the space race?Consider this: China made 55 space launches in 2021, overtaking the US in the number of missions it undertook last year. As the jingoistic Global Times gushed, it was a “Super 2021” for China in space. “The world saw a total of 145 space launches in 2021, of which 55 were from China, 51 from the US, and 25 from Russia.” India? Two launches — one of them a failure, passed off as ‘partial success’.
Union budget 2022-23: Is India‘s Rs 13,700 cr space budget enough?The Centre earmarked Rs 13,700 crore for the Department of Space (DoS) in the Union Budget 2022-23, as Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) gears up for Gaganyaan — India’s first human spaceflight mission. The allocations, however, have drawn mixed reactions from experts.ISRO will receive the lion’s share of the space budget. Its affiliated centres will receive Rs 10,534.5 crore under the space technology category.The budget has not seen a significant gain from the revised estimates of Rs 12,642 crore for the current fiscal (2021-22), said Aniket Sule, associate professor at the Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
“This is one scientific sector that has done well,” Soumitro Banerjee, professor, Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) Kolkata, told Down To Earth. The money allotted to the department is justified but they will need more support, he added.“The government has already prioritised the Gaganyaan Mission and they will also be launching Chandrayaan 3. These are all baked into the budget,” Prasad, the co-founder of satsearch.co, a global marketplace for the space industry, said.
The global space economy was close to $447 billion in 2020. Of this, India’s share was only about two per cent, much behind the US and China, according to the Economic Survey 2021-2022.
However, Narayan Prasad, a space entrepreneur, expressed doubts over this timeline. “I don’t expect the launch to go through until 2025-2026, unless they increase the risk factor,” he said.People’s lives are involved here, he said, adding that “it is not as easy as a robotic mission. You can’t just press a button and send people up,” he said.
Bharti-backed OneWeb has said it is in discussion with Arianespace on how its contracted launches will be completed, days after the satellite communications firm decided to suspend all launches from Russia-operated Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. OneWeb - where Bharti Group is the largest shareholder - has further cited ISRO's "considerable launch experience" along with a Letter of Intent inked in October 2021, and said it will be looking at all available options to bring OneWeb connectivity across the globe.
In response to an email query by PTI on how the suspension of all launches from Baikonur will impact the company's overall plans, OneWeb in a statement said: "We are in discussion with Arianespace (France-headquartered satellite-launch company) concerning how they will complete our contracted launches"."Clearly, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) has considerable launch experience and we have signed a Letter of Intent with them on October 21. We will be looking at all available options to bring OneWeb connectivity across the globe," it added.
ISRO centre to come up at SRM University The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has in principle agreed to set up a Centre for Additive Manufacturing at SRM University, AP in collaboration with Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) for developing some of the critical components required for space missions. The Chairman, in principle, agreed to the requested collaboration.
