ISRO's Fourth Navigation Satellite to Be Mated With Rocket This Week

The Indian space agency is hoping to mate the country's fourth regional navigation satellite around March 19, after replacing a faulty transmitter on Monday, said a senior official.

"The new transmitter is expected to be fixed in the satellite and tested. Then the fully assembled satellite will be mated with the rocket," M.Y.S. Prasad, director of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) told IANS over phone.

The transmitter from Isro Satellite Centre, located in Bangalore and that is part of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), reached SDSC on Sunday.

After mating the satellite with the rocket, a full system check would be carried out and then the rocket launch date would be fixed.

Prasad said if everything goes well then the space agency is planning to launch the rocket towards the end of March.

The 1,425kg satellite - Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS-1D) - was supposed to be launched on the evening of March 9 by an Indian rocket called Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-XL).

The Isro on March 4, however, deferred the launch after it found one of the telemetry transmitters in the IRNSS-1D not working properly.

Subsequently, the satellite was dismounted from the rocket to attend to the technical glitch.

It is the first time in Isro's history that a satellite had to be dismounted from a rocket due to a problem in it.

Prior to this incident, satellites have been dismounted from a rocket but due to other problems.

India has so far launched three regional navigational satellites as part of a constellation of seven satellites to provide accurate position information service to users across the country and the region, extending up to an area of 1,500km.

Though the full system comprises nine satellites - seven in orbit and two on the ground as stand-by - the navigation services could be made operational with four satellites, Isro officials had said.

Each satellite costs around Rs. 150 crores and the PSLV-XL version rocket costs around Rs. 130 crores. The seven rockets would involve an outlay of around Rs. 910 crores.

The entire IRNSS constellation of seven satellites is planned to be completed by 2015.

The first satellite IRNSS-1A was launched in July 2013, the second IRNSS-1B in April 2014 and the third on October 16, 2014.

Once the regional navigation system is in place, India need not be dependent on other platforms.

‘Successful missions through GSLV next big challenge for Isro’

Former Isro director Suresh Naik said on Monday that after the success of Mars Orbiter Mission, the next big challenge for the scientists would be to launch missions with the help of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)-Mark III rocket. It will help the country carry out major scientific missions in space, he said.

Naik was speaking while addressing the students during a seminar on ‘research work and achievements in space technology’ at Dipex, a five-day state-level science exhibition that began on March 7.

He said that more youths prefer studying at the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IISST) over Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) after the success of Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM).

Naik said the Isro aims to use GSLV to send a rover to moon with the help of Chandrayaan-2 by 2018. “The GSLV will also be useful for carrying out indian human space missions through Chandrayaan-3. In the recent years, India has been successful in reducing dependency on other countries to launch satellites, while many nations are carrying out the process from India due to cost effectiveness and reliability,” he said.

“The GSLV-Mark III rocket has a payload capacity of four tonnes which would enable to carry out space missions successfully. Besides, there is also a billion-dollar satellite market that could be tapped for the commercial benefit of the country,” he said.

Naik, who is also the chairman of International Space Society, said the scientists have received crucial information about the topography of Mars through MOM. “We have also received some information on the minerals present there which would be analysed, studied and its conclusions would be presented to the world,” he said while explaining the progress of MOM.

“Initially, the mission was expected to last six months. However, we have been able to save considerable amount of fuel on the satellite which has enabled us to extend the mission by another six months,” Naik said.

He appealed to the students to join Isro and contribute towards the development of the country in terms of space technology. “After the success of MOM, many youths have chosen to join IISST which trains students on space science, technology and applications. Isro would also require skilled astronauts for which training institute would be established soon. All the academic expenses for the undergraduate students are taken care by the government through scholarships. The field offers good career opportunity and job satisfaction,” Naik said.

Taking questions from the students later, he said entrepreneurs should also contribute to Isro.

ISRO to Test Reusable Launch Vehicle, Space Exploration Costs to go Down

NEW DELHI: In what could bring down the cost of access to space, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will carry out a test flight of Reusable Launch Vehicle – Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD) by second quarter of 2015, which will bring down the cost of satellite launches in India.

The cost of access to space is the major deterrent in space exploration and space utilization and a reusable launch vehicle is the unanimous solution to achieve low cost, reliable and on-demand space access.

Technology Demonstrator winged body vehicle weighing 1.5 tonnes will be lifted to a height of 70 km using solid booster, thus attaining five times the speed of sound, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Jitendra Singh said in reply to a question Lok Sabha.

“Development of Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLV) is a technical challenge and it involves development of cutting edge technologies. The magnitude of cost reduction depends on development and realization of fully reusable launch vehicle and its degree of reusability,” said Singh.

The RLV-TD will take off like an airplane and thereafter will descend by gliding and splashing down into the sea. This test flight would demonstrate the Hypersonic aerodynamics characteristics, Avionics system, Thermal protection system, Control system and Mission management.

ISRO has taken steps to develop next generation launch vehicle GSLV MkIII, capable of launching 4 ton class communication satellites to Geo-synchronous Transfer Orbit, which would bring down the cost of satellite launches. The reusable launch vehicle is important because space orbiting currently costs the country $5000 per km and this could bring down cost by ten times. 

Fourth Satellite

ISRO is scheduled to launch the fourth satellite of seven satellites required in the constellation of Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) to provide positioning and navigational services in Indian mainland and surrounding region up to 1500 Km.

Of the seven satellites in a constellation, three satellites will be in geostationary orbit and four satellites in geosynchronous orbit.

“The objective of IRNSS is to provide positioning services over Indian region with an absolute position accuracy of better than 20 metres. IRNSS provides two services namely Standard Positioning Service (SPS) for Civilian users and Restricted Service (RS) for strategic users,” said SIngh.

Out of the seven satellites required in the constellation, three satellites namely, IRNSS-1A, 1B & 1C have already been successfully placed in the orbit. The fourth satellite IRNSS-1D is scheduled for launch during March 2015.

“The work on remaining three satellites is in progress. The associated ground segment for maintaining the satellites in orbit, monitoring the constellation status, correction of the orbital parameters and navigation data uploading is in place,” Singh added.

US Wary of China, Seeks Deeper Ties With India in Space Sector

Expressing concern over China developing "disruptive and destructive" counter-space capabilities, US today sought deeper cooperation with India ahead of the first Indo-US Space Security Dialogue here.

Underlining that threats to space services are increasing as potential adversaries pursue disruptive and destructive counter-space capabilities Frank Rose, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance, said his country has a comprehensive strategy to deal with it.

He said that Chinese military writings highlight the need to interfere with, damage and destroy reconnaissance navigation and communication satellites.

"China has satellite-jamming capabilities and is pursuing a full suite of anti-satellite systems," Rose said in his talk at the Observer Research Foundation.

Noting that both the US and China have an interest in maintaining long-term sustainability of space environment, he said, "Let me also be very clear, the US remains concerned about China's continued development and testing of anti- satellite weapons. Period".

He said China was moving forward with the development of full spectrum capability and had conducted destructive satellite test (A-SAT) in 2007 and a non-destructive test on July 23, 2014.

Rose said China sees space as an area of vulnerability and Beijing's view is that by denying the US access to space, it can deny America certain advantage.

"The US has a comprehensive strategy to deal with that threat, which includes developing rules of the world for use of outer-space and also making our system more resilient.

"Let me also be clear that the US views space, as articulated in our 2010 National Space Policy, as vital to our national security. We will defend our capabilities," he said.

The senior American official underlined that this does not necessarily mean the US is going to attack Chinese space systems, "but we will respond appropriately".

Rose, who is here for the first India-US Space Security Dialogue on Monday, said that given the threat and risks, he believes that one of the most obvious and most beneficial areas of cooperation between the two countries is in the establishment of rules of the road for outer-space activities.

He said that the US and India are strong believers in transparency and rules-based on international laws and customs.

He read out portions of the declaration of friendship released during US President Barack Obama's visit this January, which mentions both countries' respect for "open, just sustainable and inclusive rules-based global order".

"India and US should work together to clearly and publicly define what behaviour the international community should find both acceptable and unacceptable," Rose said.

He said transparency and confidence-building measures, such as the proposed international code of conduct for outer- space activity, can contribute to everyone's awareness about space environment.

He said the international code is for refraining from any action which brings about direct or indirect damage to or destruction of space objects so as to minimise to the greatest extent possible the creation of space debris, in particular the long-term space debris.

Asked what specifically he expects from India, Rose said there is a full list of issues on the table but both countries have not come to any agreement as yet on what they might do.

"There are a number of things that the US is interested in (when it comes to) collaborating with India. For example, maritime domain awareness and improving space situational awareness capability", he said.

He underlined that while the US has an idea of the areas where it would like to cooperate with India, no agreement has been reached on moving forward.

"I think there are a lot of things that we can do together and I am hoping that this first dialogue will help us develop a framework for serious practical cooperation. And, also, how we can more effectively (work) together in multi-lateral forums," Rose said.

The US has said that the dialogue is on maintaining long- term security and sustainability of outer space environment, including space situational awareness and collision avoidance.

Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) sends fresh pictures, Methane sensors are working fine

The Mars Colour Camera (MCC) aboard India's Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) has sent in new images of the Red Planet, showing a volcano, and a canyon on the surface and one of Mars' natural satellite Phobos. 

The new set of images were released late Tuesday by Isro, which has also said that the methane senors on the spacecraft have begun studying the albedo of the Red Planet — fraction of solar energy (shortwave radiation) reflected from Mars back into space. It is a measure of the reflectivity of the surface and will help study methane. 

The study of methane is a crucial objective of the Rs 450-crore mission, as methane is an indicator of life on the red planet. While the findings from the methane sensor released by Isro is completely technical, a senior scientist said the team is working on simplifying the same and releasing it for better comprehension by Wednesday evening.

SpaceX rocket blasts off with world's first all-electric satellites

A Space Exploration Technologies rocket blasted off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station on Sunday to put the world's first all-electric communications satellites into orbit.

The 22-storey tall booster soared off its seaside launch pad at 10:50 a.m. EST (0350 GMT), the third flight in less than two months for SpaceX, as the privately owned, California-based company is known.

Perched on top of the rocket were a pair of satellites built by Boeing and owned by Paris-based Eutelsat Communications and Bermuda-based ABS, whose majority owner is the European private equity firm Permira.

Eutelsat and ABS shared satellite manufacturing and launch costs, a business arrangement spurred by technological innovation.

The satellites launched on Sunday are outfitted with lightweight, all-electric engines, rather than conventional chemical propulsion systems, to reach and maintain orbit.

That enabled two spacecraft to be launched aboard one medium-sized Falcon 9 rocket.

"The value of electrical propulsion is that it allows the satellite operator to need much less fuel than when the satellite has chemical propulsion," Eutelsat chief executive Michel de Rosen said in an interview before launch.

"You can have a much lighter satellite, so that, in theory, the cost of your launch is much reduced."

SpaceX, owned and operated by technology entrepreneur Elon Musk, turned the theoretical price cuts into reality, breaking what de Rosen calls "a quasi-monopoly" Europe's Arianespace had on the small satellite launch market.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, although SpaceX's website lists a Falcon 9 launch as costing $61 million.

The disadvantage of electric propulsion is that it will take the satellites months, rather than weeks, to reach their operational orbits about 22,300 miles (35,800 km) above Earth, high enough to appear virtually parked over a particular part of the globe.

Eutelsat's spacecraft will become part of a 35-member network providing a range of mobile, internet, video and other communications services. The new satellite expands the company's reach into the Americas.

ABS, which currently has six satellites, will position its new spacecraft to also serve customers in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

The companies are partnering for a second pair of satellites that are due to launch aboard another Falcon 9 rocket later this year. SpaceX also flies cargo missions to the International Space Station for NASA and is working on an upgraded spaceship to fly astronauts as well.