Revision as of 11:54, 16 September 2017

Satellites in space by ISRO, solely as well as jointly operated, as on June 30, 2016; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, September 9, 2016

ISRO: Some facts; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, June 20, 2016

Milestones

ISRO’s PSLV launched eight satellites in Sept 2016. Till then ISRO has earned India $120m. by launching foreign satellites.
The Times of India

Hits and misses of Isro

Chethan Kumar,TNN The Times of India | Sep 24, 2014

Times of India tracks the journey of India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organization (Isro):

1: The sounding rocket might have been launched from Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) as early as 1963, with Vikram Sarabhai being the visionary mind behind Indian space programme, but the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) was officially created on Aug 15, 1969. A new campus at Veli, Thiruvananthapuram was set up in the same year.

2: Just about 6 years from creation of Isro, the launch of the first Indian satellite, Aryabhata, happens on April 19, 1975. Several other landmarks like operationalising SHAR Centre in Sriharikota (1971) rechristened as Satish Dhawan Space Centre in October 2003; establishment of the Department of Space (DOS) on June 1, 1972 with Satish Dhawan as the Secretary, and, establishment of the Isro Satellite Centre in Bangalore (1972).

3: Four years after Aryabhata, Isro launches Bhaskara, an experimental satellite for earth observations on June 7, 1979, and the first experimental launch of SLV-3 (launch vehicle) was done on August 10 the same year. But the satellite failed to reach the orbit. Many experiments including multiple attempts of launching SLV-3 and other satellites happened over the next eight years, including the launch of the first INSAT system on August 30, 1983.

4: Basking in the glory of the achievements, Isro experimented with the launch of ASLV, an advanced version of SLV-3 on March 24, 1987. But the satellite (SROSS-1) failed to reach the orbit. This was followed by a successful launch of INSAT-1D on June 12, 1990, which preceded the launch of the second operational Remote Sensing Satellite on August 29, 1991.

5: 1993: First developmental launch of what is today called Isro's workhorse launch platform, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) began. Even the PSLV's first attempt to put a satellite into orbit failed on September 20, 1993 This was followed by many communication and remote sensing satellites in the 90s. Isro saw success with PSLV, even began development of the Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). GSLV, in fact, placed GSAT-1 satellite in orbit on April 18, 2001.

6: 2008: Isro launches a record Cartosat-2A and IMS-1 along with eight nano satellites (DELFI-C3 for the Netherlands; CUTE-1.7 and SEEDS for Japan; CAN-X2 and NLS-5 for Canada; AAUSAT-II for Denmark; COMPASS-I and RUBIN for Germany). Landmark project Chandrayaan also saw its launch on October 22, 2008 aboard the PSLV-C11.

7: November 5, 2013, Isro sent a probe to Mars at a cost of Rs 450-crore.

8: As India gears up for her date with the Red Planet, Isro's first interplanetary mission, the space agency holds the credit of having put in place the largest (civilian) constellation of remote sensing satellites, with 10 of them currently working in space.

9: September 24, 2014: Mars Orbiter Mission to be inserted into the Martian Orbit.

1981: Apple and other early successes

The Times of India, Jun 21 2016

Chethan Kumar  How an `Apple' on a bullock cart took Isro to stars

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has become one of the first picks for countries looking to launch satellites. The situation was not always like this.Thirty-five years ago, on June 19, 1981, Isro successfully launched its first communication satellite, Ariane Passenger PayLoad Experiment (Apple), on Ariane-1 from Kourou, French Guiana. This was a major milestone in India's space programme as Apple was used for several communication experiments, including relay of television programmes and radio networking. Incidentally , this satellite was transported on a bullock cart, captured for pos terity in an unforgettable photograph. It had only been six years since Aryabhatta, Isro's first satellite, and the agency was still in its infancy much like the country's infrastruc ture. Isro had been trying launch technology through its SLV class of launchers and the Satellite Telecommunication Experiments Project had been launched.

Bhaskara and Rohini had been successes before Apple.But Apple laid the foundation for indigenous development of operational communication satellites which grew into a very large constellation of satellites in Insat and Gsat series that spurred the country's technological and economic growth. Newer applications like tele-education, telemedicine, Village Resource Centre, Disaster Management System etc were enabled through space technology.

According to the book `Fishing Hamlet to Red Planet', although the satellite was laun ched through Ariane, Apple was boosted into Geo-Synchronous Orbit by Isro's own apogee motor derived from the fourth stage motor of the SLV-3. It kicked off Isro's impeccable record with deadlines. While the agency is known to have built the Mars Orbiter Mission in 18 months, it continued a long tradition and the agency had designed and built Apple in just two years with limited infrastructure in industrial sheds. Meanwhile, the final 48hour countdown to Isro's record-breaking mission, which will place 20 satellites -17 from abroad -in the same orbit, kicked off on Monday . The launch of the PSLV C-34 Cartosat-2 series satellite mission is slated for June 22 at Sriharikota.

Chandrayaan 1

'Lost' in 2009; NASA finds it orbiting Moon in 2017

Srinivas Laxman, Chandrayaan-1 found by Nasa after 8 years, March 11, 2017: The Times of India

Eight years after it was considered “lost“, India's first lunar spacecraft, Chandrayaan-1, has been “re-discovered“ by Nasa's ground-based radars, the American space agency announced.

Chandrayaan-1, launched on October 22, 2008, was credited with the first discovery of water on the moon on November 14. After that, it suddenly lost communication with Isro ground stations on August 29, 2009 due to a technical problem. Speculation was rife at Isro then that it had crashed on the moon.

But nine years since its launch, a new radar technology pioneered by scientists at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) was put into place to trace Nasa's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and Chandraya an-1. “This technique could assist planners of future moon missions,“ Nasa said.

JPL's orbital calculations indicated that Chandrayaan-1 was still circling 200km above the lunar surface. The father of India's moon mission, Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan, told TOI, “To be declared lost and then found after eight years is a great accomplishment.“ Chandrayaan-1 was our first interplanetary mission, and I am delighted that it has been found,“ Kasturirangan said.

According to Nasa, the main challenge in detecting Chandrayaan-1 was on account of its size; the spacecraft is very small, a cube of about 1.5 metres on each side -about half the size of a smart car. It has not been transmitting signals.

According to Nasa, to find the spacecraft 3.80 lakh km away , the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) team used its 70-metre antenna at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in California.

A powerful beam of microwaves was directed towards the moon. The radar echoes then bounced back from the lunar orbit, which were received by the 100-metre Green Bank telescope in West Virginia in the US, Nasa said.

The radar team utilised the fact that Chandrayaan-1 is in polar orbit around the moon. So, it would always cross above the lunar poles on each orbit. On July 2, 2016, the team pointed Goldstone and Green Bank at a location 160km above the moon's north pole and waited to see if Chan drayaan-1 crossed the radar beam. Chandrayaan-1 was predicted to complete one orbit around the moon every two hours and eight minutes. Nasa said that the timing of the detections matched the time it would take for Chandrayaan-1 to complete one orbit and return to the same position above the moon's pole.

Help in creation of first global map of water in Moon's soil

India's Chandrayaan-1 helps scientists map water on Moon, Sep 14, 2017: The Times of India

HIGHLIGHTS

The water concentration reaches a maximum average of around 500 to 750 parts per million in the higher latitudes

NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper flew aboard India's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft

Although the bulk of the water mapped in this study could be attributed to solar wind, there were exceptions

NEW YORK: Using newly-calibrated data taken from NASA's Moon Mineralogy Mapper, which flew aboard India's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft, scientists have created the first global map of water in the Moon's soil.

The study, published in the journal Science Advances, builds on the initial discovery in 2009 of water and a related molecule - hydroxyl, which consists of one atom each of hydrogen and oxygen - in lunar soil.

"The signature of water is present nearly everywhere on the lunar surface, not limited to the polar regions as previously reported," said the study's lead author Shuai Li, who performed the work while a PhD student at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, US.

"The amount of water increases toward the poles and does not show significant difference among distinct compositional terrains," Li, now a postdoctoral researcher at University of Hawaii, added.

The water concentration reaches a maximum average of around 500 to 750 parts per million in the higher latitudes. That is not a lot - less than is found in the sands of Earth's driest deserts - but it is also not nothing.

"This is a roadmap to where water exists on the surface of the Moon," study co-author Ralph Milliken, Associate Professor at Brown University said.

"Now that we have these quantitative maps showing where the water is and in what amounts, we can start thinking about whether or not it could be worthwhile to extract, either as drinking water for astronauts or to produce fuel," Milliken said.

The way the water is distributed across the Moon gives clues about its source, the researchers said. The distribution is largely uniform rather than splotchy, with concentrations gradually decreasing toward the equator, the study said. That pattern is consistent with implantation via solar wind - the constant bombardment of protons from the Sun, which can form hydroxyl and molecular water once emplaced.

Although the bulk of the water mapped in this study could be attributed to solar wind, there were exceptions. For example, the researchers found higher-than-average concentrations of water in lunar volcanic deposits near the Moon's equator, where background water in the soil is scarce.

Rather than coming from solar wind, the water in those localised deposits likely comes from deep within the Moon's mantle and erupted to the surface in lunar magma. The study also found that the concentration of water changes over the course of the lunar day at latitudes lower than 60 degrees, going from wetter in the early morning and evening to nearly bone dry around lunar noon.

The fluctuation can be as much as 200 parts per million. As useful as the new maps may be, they still leave plenty of unanswered questions about lunar water. The Moon Mineralogy Mapper, which supplied the data for the research, measures light reflected off of the lunar surface. That means that it can't look for water in places that are permanently shadowed from the sun's rays.

Many scientists think these permanently shadowed regions, such as the floors on impact craters in the Moon's polar regions, could hold large deposits or water ice. "Those ice deposits may indeed be there, but because they are in shadowed areas it's not something we can easily confirm using these data," Milliken said.

Cooperation with NASA

World's most expensive earth imaging satellite 

Surendra Singh, Indian rocket US once `grounded' will put ISRO-NASA satellite in space, May 22, 2017: The Times of India

In 1992, the US under President George Bush had slapped sanctions on Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and prevented Russia from sharing cryogenic engine technology with the Indian space agency so as to check India from making missiles. Two decades later, US space agency Nasa has joined hands with Isro to co-develop the world's most expensive earth imaging satellite that will cost the two countries over $1.5 billion. The irony is GSLV , which is likely to place this Nasa-Isro Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite into orbit in 2021, is the same rocket for whose cryogenic engine the US put sanctions on India. Leaving the past behind, Isro and Nasa are busy buil Isro and Nasa are busy building the 2,200kg NISAR satellite, which will provide a detailed view of the earth by using advanced radar imaging. It is being designed to observe and take measurements of some of the planet's complex processes, including ecosystem disturbances, ice-sheet collapse and natural hazards. Nasa became interested in Isro when the Indian space agency in April 2012 launched the country's first indigenous radar imaging satellite (Risat-1), some called it a spy satellite, which enabled imaging of the earth's surface during day and night under all weather conditions. The negotiations went on for two years but the formal agreement for NISAR satellite happened when Prime Minister Narendra Modi signed a declaration with former US President Barack Obama during his visit to the US in 2014. The objective behind the collaboration was to use the satellite for the “benefit of humanity“ as the mapping data from this satellite will be available for all.

The Ahmedabad-based Space Application Centre (SAC) is flight testing the “mini version“ of the radar satellite over the city skies. The “mini radar“ developed by SAC has been fixed on a Beechcraft Super King B 200 -owned by Isro -for the flight-testing primarily to `understand weather and geo graphical conditions'. SAC director Tapan Misra said, “We are testing the radar by taking images from about 8km above the sea level. The same area will be further studied by scientists from the ground level to understand the radar's accuracy level.“

He added, “For ground level data analysis, we are roping in NGOs, academic institutes, government departments and people with scientific exper tise. This process of aerial data analysis will continue in Gujarat for three months until the crop season ends.

We plan to conduct the same aerial-cumground exercise for three years in 39 places of the country , including over the Himalayan glaciers, Ganga, Sundarbans, Rann of Kutch, Andhra, Kerala and Karnataka, to study the geological changes in forests, vegetation, rivers and glaciers.“

“The data gathered from the mini radar will be helpful when we will launch the NISAR satellite, most probably in 2021. The work on the main satellite is simultaneously going on,“ the SAC director said.

“The three basic functions of the satellite will be mapping the land mass, Arctic and Antarctica regions; analysis of seismic activities of the earth crust that will help in predicting earthquakes and tsunamis and analysis of drastic movement in glaciers and the rate at which these glaciers melt. The satellite, once put into its sun-synchronous dawn to dusk orbit, will map the entire world in 12 days,“ he added.

Debut rocket launches

GSLV-Mk III breaks the jinx/ 2017

Surendra Singh, GSLV-Mk III breaks Isro jinx of failed debut rocket launches, June 6, 2017: The Times of India

When the first developmental flight of GSLVMk III pierced through the sky after its launch from the Sriharikota at 5.28pm on Monday , it finally broke Isro's jinx of failing to achieve success in maiden rocket launches.

Isro's 640-tonne `Fat Boy' ended the phase of uncertainties when it placed the advanced communication satellite Gsat-19 into a geosynchronous transfer orbit around 16 minutes after the launch and helped the space agency achieve a new milestone of launching a fourtonne satellite into the geostationary orbit. With this, India has entered the global market of heavy payload launches.

Congratulating Isro scientists for the successful launch, PM Narendra Modi said, “GSLV-MKIII D1Gsat-19 mission takes India closer to the next generation launch vehicle and satellite capability . The nation is proud.“ A jubilant Isro chiefA S Kiran Kumar called it a “historic day“. The PM called Kumar and congratulated each member of the Isro team.

Though the US sanctions on India in 1992 prevented the country from getting cryogenic engine technology from Russia, it failed to halt Isro's relentless effort to develop rocket and cryogenic engine technologies.

Starting from the first ex perimental launch of Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV-3) on August 10, 1979, thereafter the first developmental launch of Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) on March 24, 1987, and later the developmental launch of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on September 20, 1993, Isro failed in all these debut rocket launches.

Overcoming initial hurdles, the PSLV rocket has emerged as the most reliable workhorse launch vehicle with 38 consecutive successful missions since October 1994. The GSLV programme, too, faced many challenges. Despite initial bumps, GSLV Mk II was developed and the rocket had four consecutive successful launches since January 2014.

Foreign exchange earnings, 2013-15

See graphic

Satellites launched by ISRO for respective countries, January 2013-December 2015; An increase in revencue, 2013-15, year-wise; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, May 17, 2016

GSLV

2016: 1st indigenous cryogenic engine

The Times of India, Sep 09 2016

U Tejonmayam

India launches 1st operational GSLV using indigenous cryogenic engine 

After more than two decades of toiling over the Indian cryogenic engine programme, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) successfully registered the first operational flight of a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle using an indigenous cryogenic engine.

GSLV-F05, powered by the CE-7 engine, lifted off from Sriharikota at 4.50pm -40 minutes behind schedule because of a gas leak in the ground circuit. About 17 minutes later, the rocket put in orbit INSAT-3DR, India's third exclusive meteorological satellite.Isro scientists at the earth station will fire the thrusters of the 2,211kg satellite to move it from a geosychronous transfer orbit to its final geostationary orbit in the next two days.

Isro chief A S Kiran Kumar said the launch has given confidence to take up two GSLV launches every year.“This has demonstrated our cryogenic capabilities. The next launch is planned in March 2017,“ he said. GSLV enables India to put in orbit satellites heavier than 2 tonnes, and bring in revenue through commercial launches.

It was the GSLV's 10th flight, and the fourth using the indigenous engine (the first three were developmental flights). Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre director S Somanath said, “Cryogenics does not scare us anymore. We are building a bigger engine called C35.“ With this, Isro is targeting a quantum leap in commercial launches. And the logical progression would be to GSLV-MIII which can carry payloads weighing up to 4,000kg to a geosynchronous transfer orbit.

GSLV Mk III

U Tejonmayam, `Baahubali' rocket boosts desi space heft, June 6, 2017: The Times of India

GSLV MkIII, some facts; U Tejonmayam, `Baahubali' rocket boosts desi space heft, June 6, 2017: The Times of India

Lays Foundation For Several Future Projects

The country took another step to establish itself in the global heavy-payload market, successfully launching its most powerful rocket, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-Mark III (GSLV-Mk III).

After the rocket, nicknamed `Fat Boy', fired by a highthrust indigenous cryogenic engine, lifted off at 5.28pm from the second launchpad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, a four-tonne communication satellite Gsat-19, India's heaviest, was placed in a geosynchronous transfer orbit 15.53 minutes later, a few seconds earlier than scheduled. Isro has now demonstrated its mastery in developing a cryogenic engine, a technology denied to it years ago. The launch also proves the homegrown launch vehicle's capability of hurling up to four payloads into higher orbits.

Isro chairman A S Kiran Kumar said, “The GSLV-MkIII needs just one more developmental flight, planned in a year, before it can be declared operational.“ The boosters of Gsat-19 would be fired at 9.30am on Tuesday to make a series of manoeuvres in the next two days so that it would be placed in its orbital slot in two weeks, he said.

The launch demonstrated an indigenous cryogenic engine which was in the works since 2002, a strong foundation for ambitious future projects, including Chandrayaan II scheduled for the first quarter of 2018 and a manned mission. It also showed the capability to make a next-generation satellite with a high reach. The satellite contains 50 new technologies which will be its mainstay in the next decade.

The mood was upbeat at the mission control where scientists burst into applause when the cryogenic stage started to burn. On its maiden flight, the CE-20 engine was operational for 640 seconds.Congratulating the scientists and others involved in the mission, Kumar said, “The team has worked since 2002,“ he added.

Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre director Dr K Sivan said it was the commencement of complex technologies -a vehicle that can carry twice the payload weight and a high throughput satellite. “Proud to say Isro has given birth to a Baahubali,“ said Tapan Misra, director of Isro's space applications centre. Satish Dhawan Space Centre director P Kunhikrishnan said Isro had made two new technologies for GSLV-Mk III at the launchpad. “We made an acoustic suppression unit -a tower with 600 tonnes of water -and a solid propellant plant to prepare the 200 tonnes each of propellant loaded in each motor. The suppression unit splashed the water on the rocket when it lifted off.“

10 facts

The Times of India, June 5, 2017

GSLV Mk III rocket: All you need to know about this game-changer in communications

HIGHLIGHTS

Isro is undertaking a mega experiment at India's rocket port at Sriharikota today: a spanking new monster rocket named GSLV Mk III D1 is all set to launch an altogether new class of communications satellite. Here's all you need to know about the mission that's been dubbed India's "rocket of the future".

1. The GSLV Mk III D1 rocket successfully launched at 5.28 pm on Monday from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

2. The GSLV Mk III D1 is a three-stage vehicle with indigenous cryogenic upper stage engine+ designed to carry heavier communication satellites into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).

3. Apart from the cryogenic engine, designated C25, carrying about 28 tonnes of propellants, it has two solid strap-on motors (S200) and a core liquid booster (L110).

4. The mission is significant as the GSLV Mk III+ , that weighs equivalent to the weight of five fully-loaded Boeing Jumbo Jets or as much as 200 fully grown elephants, is the heaviest rocket to be launched from our own soil. Till now, Isro had to depend on foreign launchers for communication satellites weighing more than 2,300 kg.

5. The GSLV Mk III D1 is capable of lifting payloads of up to 4,000 kg into the GTO and 10,000 kg into the Low Earth Orbit.

6. The mission augmented India's communication resources as a single GSAT-19 satellite will be equivalent to having a constellation of six to seven of the older variety of communication satellites in space.

7. This is India's rocket of the future as it will undoubtedly be human rated to carry Indian astronauts likely to be named 'gaganauts or vyomanauts'. Former Isro chairman K Kasturirangan, the man who conceived the GSLV Mk III, confirms it will be the country's vehicle to ferry Indians into space.

8. The most innovative development on GSAT-19 is that for the first time there will be no transponders on the satellite. Instead for the first time, Isro is using a whole new way beaming data down using multiple frequency beams and hence it is dubbed "a high through put satellite".

9. GSAT-19 is going to be powered for the first time with indigenously-made Lithium-ion batteries. These batteries have been made so that India's self-reliance quotient can increase. In addition, similar batteries can then be used to power electric vehicles like cars and buses.

10. Isro says GSAT-19 also features certain advanced spacecraft technologies including "miniaturised heat pipe, fibre optic gyro, Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) accelerometer". These are all important developments being tested so that they become mainstay systems on future missions.

Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS)

2016: Indiainches closer to its own GPS

The Times of India, Jan 21 2016

Global Positioning System, Contributions by some major nations, US, Russia, China and India; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, Jan 21 2016

U Tejonmayam

SEVEN-SAT SYSTEM - 5th navigation sat takes India closer to `desi GPS'  Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has started 2016 with a bang, launching the fifth (IRNSS-1E) naviga tion satellite in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) constellation that will function as an alternative to the US-owned Global Positioning System (GPS).

An XL version of a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C31) placed in orbit the satellite 19.36 minutes after liftoff from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

IRNSS will provide navigation and positioning services in areas that require high precision for aviation, marine navigation, rail transport and military applications.In six-months, Isro expects the system to be integrated with smartphones.

Indigenous GPS system

The Times of India, Apr 29 2016

India and Global Positioning System, in brief; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, Apr 29 2016

Missions proving indigenous excellence of ISRO; The Times of India, May 6, 2017

U Tejonmayam

India in elite club with own satnav

India joined an elite group of countries, including the US and Russia, with its own satellite navigation system, with Indian Space Research Organsation's (Isro) successful launch of PSLV-C33 delivering its payload, IRNSS-1G, the seventh and last in a constellation of satellites that make the indigenous GPS system.

An XL version of a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C33) placed the satellite in orbit around 20.19 minutes after lift off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 12.50pm. Congratulating scientists on the successful launch, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the new technology will not only help India but can also help the Saarc nations.

“The new technology will benefit our people, our fishermen,“ he said. “The world will know it as Navic.“

he said. Modi gave the expanded form of `NAVIC' as Navigation with Indian Constellation. The European Union and China, along with US and Russia, have indigenous satellite navigation systems.

IRNSS mission director B Jayakumar said the complete network of seven satellites will be fully functional within two months.

“The first six satellites in the orbit have already started functioning from their designated orbits,“ he said.

When the entire network becomes fully operational, it can provide navigation and positioning services to users via their smartphones and devices in vehicles with an expected positional accuracy of 20metres. It can also provide the service in areas that require high precision for marine navigation, rail transport, aviation and military applications with an ac curacy of 10m. But for the positioning service to reach the common man on a handheld device may take some time as it will require Isro's installation of additional hardware.

An Isro official said the space agency had developed a coded chipset that can be incorporated with an existing receiver of a smartphone or any positioning device on vehicles, ships or planes to communicate with the satellite and get position information.“But entrepreneurs have to step up and make these chipsets on a large scale,“ he said.

Isro has also been conducting meetings with navigation device manufacturers and mobile phone manufacturers to demonstrate how IRNSS could provide accurate information on par with US's GPS, which is the most widely used system in the world.

Compared to the US GPS, which has a precision of 5m and global coverage, IRNSS covers a 1,500-km radius with India at the centre. However, it will reduce India's dependence on the US and Russia's GLONASS particularly during emergencies including military situations.

The IRNSS project was envisioned after the US denied GPS information during the Kargil war. Further, scientists say that while GPS is not available at all places, the indigenous system will provide signal even in remote areas with better accuracy.

Manned mission

Crew module test

The Times of India, Nov 30 2014

Binoy Valsan

Scientists at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota were busy integrating a brown bucket-like structure with a black lid mounted on a pedestal.Some day soon, they believe, an improved version of this would carry people to space. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) took baby steps towards sending man to space, with an experimental flight of a GSLV-Mark III all set to carry this `crew module' as the payload in the sec ond week of December. While the manned mission is at least 10 years away , a full-fledged flight of GSLV-MIII is also a couple of years away . The biggest rocket to be made by ISRO, it can carry payloads up to four tonne-a necessity in the coming days of heavy satellites. Scientists are testing indigenously developed cryogenic engine at Isro's Mahendragiri facility.

The unmanned module to be used in Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment (CARE) is to test its ability to re-enter the atmosphere with thermal resistance, parachute deployment in cluster formation, aero braking system and apex cover separation procedures.

Major ISRO centres

The Times of India

Major ISRO centres

Feb 20 2015 Arun Ram

Geography, history and logistics have necessitated the positioning of 14 of 20 major ISRO centres in the region

In the 1960s, when children of coastal Thiruvananthapuram remained outdoors even after nightfall, mothers employed a scare: “Get in, Maadan would be flying now.“ Maadan, the not-so-friendly local god would fly with a mace at night, spewing fire and threatening to knock down those who disobeyed parents. For those disbelieving kids, the women would point to the night sky and show the occasional ball of fire that disappeared in seconds. Later in high school, science teachers called the mothers' bluff. The fire ball, they told the students, was the flare of sounding rockets fired from the neighbouring Thumba Equitorial Rocket Launching Station. The 30kg-something rockets would go up to an altitude of 60km, and the tiny payloads, before plunging into the Arabian Sea, would do some atmospheric studies.

From flying tiny sounding rockets gifted by the US, the USSR and France in the 1960s to launching satellites weighing up to a couple of tonnes into geosynchronous transfer orbits from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India has come a long way . With that has grown the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) that today has centres across the country . But the southern peninsula remains the hub of India's rocket-making, testing, flying and tracking.

Sample this: Out of the 20 major Isro centres, 14 are situated in the southern states . While a large majority of these centres handle strategic operations, the others are mostly involved in research, education, training and analysis.

So why this geographical dichotomy? The answer lies not in parochialism, but in a combination of science, history and logistics. To know this concentration of Isro branches, we should look at the roots of India's space programme.

When Jawaharlal Nehru, on the advice of Homi J Bhabha, formed the Indian National Committee for Space Research (Incospar) in 1962, its leader Vikram Sarabhai's first assignment was to identify a place from where India could launch borrowed sounding rockets.

To carry out atmospheric stud ies, the best place would be somewhere near the magnetic equator of the Earth which ran close to the southern tip of the country. And this led Sarabhai and Bhabha to Kerala, where they zeroed in on Thumba, then a sleepy fishing village. There was not even a proper building in Thumba, but Sarabhai was in a hurry . In 1963, he moved his small team that included H G S Murthy ,D Eswar Das, M R Kurup and A P J Abdul Kalam to the St Mary Magdalene's Church.

Murthy, who headed the team, had an office in the Bishop's house. The remaining scientists, later joined by S Nambinarayanan, put together four tables in the church building to mount their drawing boards. A cattle shed doubled up as their laboratory , the coconut palmfringed beach their test pad.

After experimenting with foreign sounding rockets, when Incospar became Isro in 1969, it was time for indigenous rocket launches. And it needed a bigger launch pad on the eastern coast, for future satellite launches would need an eastward launch to go against the Earth's spin.Sriharikota, 100km north of Chen nai, on the Andhra Pradesh side was identified. The island had Bay of Bengal on one side and the Pulicat lagoon on the other three. This meant that even if a rocket went out of control, it could be destroyed above the sea, with minimum risk to people.

Soon, a liquid propulsion centre came up in Thiruvananthapuram and, after Sarabhai's untimely death in 1971, all the facilities in the Kerala capital became the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). When Isro wanted a facility to test its rocket engines made in Thiruvananthapuram, Mahendragiri in neigh bouring Tamil Nadu became a natural choice because of the proximity and the hilly topography.

For administrative purposes, Bangalore had become the Isro headquarters, and being equidistant from VSSC and Sriharikota helped. This also led to many auxiliary offices cropping up around Bangalore, including the Isro Telemetry Tracking and Command Network headquarters and the Isro Satellite Centre.When India needed a deep space tracking centre, Byalalu, a remote place in Karnataka was chosen for its sparse population and the result ant low electromagnetic interference.Hyderabad became the nerve centre of remote sensing, probably for its central location.

Isro centres in the northern states provide basic research and payloads. Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, does high-end studies in astrophysics, while Space Applications Centre in the same city makes satellites and other payloads.Once the satellite is in space, north and south equally count, and hence the regional remote sensing centres and tracking centres across the country . For controlling geostation ary satellites, Isro has a master control facility each in Hassan, in Karnataka, and Bhopal.

Still, as India's rockets continue to be made, tested and fired in the south, there remains an open secret that Isro scientists don't tell you. In 1962, when Vikram Sarabhai's search for the perfect place near the Earth's magnetic equator took him to Thumba, the great man wouldn't have suppressed a smile when he realized it was also the farthest point from Pakistan and China.

Maadan, obviously, posed a much lesser risk.

Military purpose satellites

2017/ 6th Cartosat-2 satellite

Sixth Cartosat-2 satellite launch: 10 things to know, Jun 23, 2017: The Times of India

HIGHLIGHTS

From being able to spot terrorist camps down to even the bunkers in them, India's defence surveillance is set to get a major boost with the launch of yet another satellite in the Cartosat-2 series. Here are 10 things to know about this satellite, meant specifically for the country's defence forces:

The PSLV C-38 with the sixth Cartosat-2 series satellite and 30 nano satellites. The PSLV C-38 with the sixth Cartosat-2 series satellite and 30 nano satellites

1. This sixth Cartosat-2 series satellite+ weighs 712 kg and the 30 nano 'co-passenger' satellites that were launched with it together weigh 243 kg

2. Of the 30 nano satellites that were launched+ , 29 are foreign and one is Indian

3. The 29 international nano satellites launched are part of the commercial arrangements between ISRO's commercial arm, the Antrix Corporation Ltd and 14 international customers. These customers are Austria, Belgium, Britain, Chile, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, and the US

4. The Indian nano satellite, the 15 kg NIUSAT, belongs to Tamil Nadu's Nooral Islam University. It will provide multi-spectral imagery for agricultural crop monitoring and disaster management support applications

5. This satellite was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, which was on its 40th flight

6. This latest satellite has a resolution of 0.6 metres, which means it can spot very small objects. "Defence surveillance will get a leg-up. It can be used in identifying terrorist camps and bunkers... some formations," an ISRO official said

7. To get an idea of what ISRO means by "very small", it's worth noting that the previous satellite in the series, which had a resolution of 0.8 metres, took images that helped India carry out its precise strikes on seven terror camps across the Line of Control last year

8. The Cartosat-2 series satellites are extremely "agile", said the ISRO official. That means they can be programmed to take very specific pictures of very specific designated areas

9. Not only will the images it takes be specific, this Cartosat-2 satellite's photos will be high resolution as well. The ISRO official succinctly defined it thus: "High-resolution scene specific spot imagery"

10. With the launch, the total number of spacecraft missions launched by ISRO is now 90

Safeguarding India's space assets in orbit

Surendra Singh, How Isro is safeguarding India's space assets in orbit, June 23, 2017: The Times of India

`Alerts By Int'l Body, Radar Help Sats Avoid Space Debris'

With Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) set to launch another bunch of satellites--Cartosat along with 30 nano satellites--from the Sriharikota launchpad on Friday , the number of spacecraft missions launched by the space agency till now will go up to 90. However, not all these spacecraft are operational now but are still in space.

Though Isro's main objective is to make these satellites functional once placed in orbit, protecting them from space debris is also the top priority of the agency . Space debris is the collection of defunct man-made objects in space ­ old satellites, spent rocket stages and fragments from disintegration and colli sions. These space debris can really be dangerous as they travel at a speed of up to 30,000 km an hour, which turns even tiny pieces of junk into deadly shrapnel that can damage satellites. However, Isro relies on a slew of methods to safeguard its assets in space. The agency is a member of InterAgency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC).The key objective of IADC is to exchange information on space debris among member space agencies. Tapan Misra, director of Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre (SAC), said, “IADC alerts a respective space agency when any satellite of that space agency is in danger due to space debris.“

Isro also banks on its sophisticated Multi-Object Tracking Radar (MOTR), operational since 2015, to track space debris. Tapan Misra said, “The state-of-theart radar, developed at our centre, can track 10 objects simultaneously of size 30cm by 30cm at a distance of 800km.In case of objects of 50cm by 50cm size, the radar can track at a range of 1,000km.“

Isro is also making efforts to reduce space debris by going for mass satellite launches. After the launch of a record 104 satellites in one go on February 15, Isro is gearing up to launch 31satellites from Sriharikota on Friday . The SAC director said, “With use of one rocket for multiple satellites, Isro is actually helping reduce space debris“, as each rocket spent in space adds to space junk.

Dr K Sivan, director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, said, “The fourth stage of rocket once launches a satellite into its orbit becomes useless. This fourth stage, which contains some propellant, could be dangerous as it could explode and add to space debris. But we ensure this stage doesn't explode as we have a mechanism whereby this stage deactivates itself after completing its mission.“

Agni-V can double up as sat launcher

'Agni-V can double up as sat launcher during emergency', June 26, 2017: The Times of India

 With the successful launch of the Cartosat-2E “eye in the sky“ satellite with surveillance capabilities, the total number of satellites being used for military purposes has gone up to 13, an Isro source said. These satellites, which can be used for surveillance and mapping border areas, are primarily used for keeping an eye on enemies both on land and sea.

“Most of these remote-sensing satellites are placed in near-earth orbit. Placing these satellites in a sun-synchronous polar orbit (about 2001,200 km above the Earth's surface) helps in better scanning of the earth. However, some of these satellites have also be en put in the geo orbit,“ the source said. The recently launched 712-kg Cartosat-2 series spacecraft is an advanced remote-sensing satellite capable of providing scene-specific spot imagery . The Cartosat-2 can accurately spot objects within a square of 0.6 metre by 0.6 metres. “The 13 satellites used by the military for surveillance include Cartosat 1 and 2 series and Risat-1 and Risat-2,“ the Isro source said. The Navy also uses Gsat-7 for real-time communication among its warships, submarines, aircraft and land systems.

India also has the capability to launch anti-satellite weapon (ASAT), which is meant to destroy enemy satellites. Only the US, Russia, and China are known to have developed these weapons. However, Isro has no intention of engaging in such an anti-satellite weapon project. Tapan Misra, director of Space Applications Centre, said, “Isro follows international norms, which prohibit member space agencies from militarising outer space.“

Ravi Gupta, defence technology expert and former director (public interface), DRDO, said, “Technolog ical capabilities indigenously evolved in the process of development of Agni-V ballistic missile can be readily employed for `satellite launch on demand' if needed. The 5,000-km-plus missile has demonstrated capabilities of reaching well beyond altitudes characteristic of relevant satellites with payloads.“

He said, “Similarly , these technologies, combined with technolgies developed for ballistic missile defence system can be used for developing an anti-satellite weapon system.“

Missions

ISRO’s plans for Jan 2017; The Times of India

Transporting satellites to launch centres

Surendra Singh & Chethan Kumar, Before the journey to the stars, a slow trip on Indian roads , May 16, 2017: The Times of India

In 1981, when India's space scientists grappled with the challenge of finding a metal-free transportable platform for a new satellite, they trusted a creaking old bullock cart. That bullock cart has long since been replaced by a state-of-the-art satellite transportation system (STS). But this high-tech carrier still relies on two humans to ferry the super-valuable cargo.

Jagadish S and M Suresh are no ordinary drivers. The duo, both in their 40s, are trained to carry Isro's sophisticated satellites or spacecraft to Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) or Sriharikota rocket launch centre in Andhra Pradesh from the Bengaluru satellite centre. The distance from Bengaluru to Andhra is 380km, which normally takes just about seven hours. But for an Isro convoy, it takes over a day to complete the road mission.

MAPPING EVERY POTHOLE:

Before the journey of Isro's trusted trailer (KA 03 6806) starts, the entire route is mapped. For example, for transporting the 1,350-kg Mars Orbiter Mission spacecraft on October 2, 2013, Jagadish and Suresh first went on a road recce. They noted down everything meticulously -from the number of speed-breakers to dangling wires and potholes. If a road on the route did not meet standards, authorities were intimated and repair work done on priority .

BLACKOUT:

To ensure that no harm came to the spacecraft's complex wiring and electronic system, all electricity wires on the route were marked and electricity boards told to cut off power supply when the convoy passed through.

AT SNAIL'S PACE:

Even small vibrations could cause problems, so the speed limit of the trailer was maintained at 25 kmph. Slow, sure and safe was the mantra. Drivers took turns to drive the vehicle because the low-speed journey was very tiring.

VIP CONVOY:

Nothing's left to chance. From mechanics for the vehicle to CISF personnel, intelligence officials, local police, scientists, technicians, everybody's either behind or ahead of the vehicle.

HUMBLE BEGINNING:

On Nov 21, 1963, rocket parts were carried by scientists on bicycles to a remote church in Kerala's Thumba that was turned into a launchpad from where India's first sounding rocket was successfully launched

Jan 2017: Isro launches 104 satellites at one go

U Tejonmayam & Srinivas Laxman, 96 American Nanosats Piggyback On India's 714kg Cartosat, Feb 16, 2017: The Times of India

The Times of India, Feb 16, 2017

India broke a world record in space with the successful de ployment of 104 satellites in one go. The 104 satellites consisted of three Indian satellites -the 714 kg Cartosat-2 series satellite along with two other Indian satellites -and 101 international co-passengers which were nano and micro satellites.

The mission, which has attracted global interest, lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 9.28am.The rocket was the advanced version of the four-stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle called the PSLV-C37.

In brief

1. Of the 104 satellites ISRO launched, three are Indian and 101 are foreign and smaller satellites.

2. The space agency used the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) for the launch. It carried a 714 kilogram main satellite for earth observation and 103 smaller "nano satellites" which weighed a combined 664 kilograms.

3. Most of the nano satellites are from other countries, including from Israel, Kazakhstan, The Netherlands, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates and the US, said the state-run ISRO. A whopping 96 satellites are from the US alone.

4. ISRO today beat the record+ held by Russia, which in 2014 catapulted 37 satellites in a single launch, using a modified inter-continental ballistic missile.

5. In June 2016, India set a national record after it successfully launched a rocket carrying 20 satellites, including 13 from the US.

6. The famously frugal ISRO hopes to set an enviable benchmark for the space fairing nations. In fact, in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi quipped that an Indian rocket that launched four foreign satellites into orbit cost less to make than the Hollywood film "Gravity".

7. Putting commercial satellites into space for a fee is a growing business sector. That's because phone, Internet and other companies, as well as countries, are seeking greater and more high-tech communications.

8. ISRO sent an unmanned rocket to orbit Mars in 2013 at a cost of just $73 million, compared with NASA's Maven Mars mission which had a $671 million price tag.

9. ISRO is also mulling the idea of missions to Jupiter and Venus. The second mission to Mars is tentatively slated for in 2021-2022 timeframe and as per existing plans it may well involve putting a robot on the surface of the Red Planet.

10. The government is pleased with ISRO's progress and in the recently announced annual budget it gave the space agency a 23 per cent increase in its budget.

For Isro it was a giant leap from 20 to 104. On June 22 2016, it had placed 20 satellites in orbit in a single shot which gave the organisation the confidence to raise the number.In Wednesday's mission the total weight of all the 104 satellites flown was 1,378 kg.

After the launch both the President and Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the premier space organisation. “This remarkable feat by Isro is yet another proud moment for our space scientific community and the nation.India salutes our scientists,“ said Modi while congratulating Kumar over phone.

Isro chairman A S Kiran Kumar and mission director B Jayakumar told the media post the launch that the main challenge was the deployment of the 104 satellites in orbit so that they do not collide.

They said the foreign satellites were placed in quadrapacks, which are like small boxes. Once these quadrapacks were released from the rocket, the satellites were thereafter released in a timesequence manner. “The deployment went off flawlessly and we got a good response from the international customers,“ Kiran Kumar said. He emphasised that mission was not to break any records, but to utilise the extra capacity in the PSLV .

The chairman also said the other challenge was adhering to the timeframe demanded by the customers. He said this was also achieved.Jayakumar had earlier told TOI that the success of the mission would ensure a larger share for India in the global satellite market. “It is a combination of technology and commerce,“ he said. So far, of the 226 satellites launched through PSLV , 180 belonged to other countries.

Around 16 minutes and 48 seconds after the lift-off, the rocket began injecting satellites. In the succeeding 12 minutes all the 104 satellites separated from the PSLV .

Veteran space scientist K Kasturirangan also hailed the record launch, terming it as a remarkable feat and spectacular success demonstrat ing to the world India's capability in the field.

“I admire Isro for having done this and demonstrated to the world that we can launch more than 100 satellites in a single shot“, the for mer chair man of the country's premier space research organisation said.

Solar car

Srinivas Laxman, Isro unveils solar car made of desi resources, May 4, 2017: The Times of India

HIGHLIGHTS

The car is run using high-energy lithium ion batteries.

The demonstration of the green friendly vehicle, held in the last week of March, included a successful uphill drive.

Isro is now researching ways to cut down the car's cost.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) demonstrated a solar hybrid electric car, designed and developed using in-house resources, at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in Thiruvanathanapuram. Isro made an announcement about this environment-friendly car.

VSSC is Isro's centre for making various types of rockets like the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and the Reusable Launch Vehicle. The demonstration of the green-friendly vehicle, held in the last week of March, included a successful uphill drive. Isro is now researching ways to cut down the car's cost.

The car is run using high-energy lithium ion batteries, which can be recharged using sunlight, said sources. The main challenges in developing the vehicle included designing a solar panel on top of the car and also control electronics for the battery and solar panel interface and, what is known as, "drive electronic" to run the car smoothly.

PSLV

1999-2017: 209 foreign satellites launched

With Many Firsts To Its Credit, Vehicle Being Readied For Solar Mission

Surendra Singh | Isro’s rockstar PSLV launched 209 foreign satellites since ’99: Jul 02 2017 : The Times of India (Delhi)

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) has turned out to be the most trusted and reliable satellite carrier of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro). It has not just launched 209 satellites of 28 countries since May 1999, the vehicle has also placed 48 Indian satellites in their respective orbits till now.

After its first copybook launch in October 1994, PSLV has built a reputation of being a highly versatile spacecraft with 39 consecutive successful missions till June this year. Among all foreign satellites launched by the PSLV till now, the heaviest so far was the 400kg TeLEOS earth observation satellite of Singapore on December 16, 2015.Among the others heavyweights hauled to space by the PSLV are Italy's Agile satellite (352kg), equipped with scientific instruments on April 23, 2007 and Israel's reconnaissance (spy) satellite TecSAR (295 kg) on January 21, 2008.

The vehicle has been a commercial hit earning the space agency global fame for several landmark missions.The vehicle was used for launching the cost-effective Chandrayaan-1 (lunar) mission in 2008 and Mars mission in 2013.

Speaking to TOI on PSLV's track record, Isro chairman A S Kiran Kumar said, “We are progressively trying to improve PSLV's features and capabilties with each launch. Today with ability to provide multiple capabilities, it has attracted the attention of many satellite operators and they are looking for an opportunity to make use of PSLV for their launch.“ The chairman said, “PSLV has been very versatile as it has launched satellites in lower orbit, geo-stationary transfer orbit, lunar orbit and also Mars orbit.“ With the successful Mars mission, India became the first Asian country to reach the Red Planet and accomplished the mission in the first attempt itself. Several countries, including China, supposedly more advanced than India, had attempted the Mars mission but failed. In February this year, PSLV achieved another milestone when it (PSLV C37) made history by placing a record 104 satellites in their desired orbits, breaking the previous record held by Russia (37 satellites) and the earlier record of the US (29). Launching dozens of satellites in different orbital slots is an extremely complex manoeuvre. However, PSLV proved its mettle. The vehicle's latest multiple launch was on June 23 this year when PSLV C8 carried with it India's surveillance satellite Cartosat-2E along with 29 nano foreign satellites.

PSLV was originally developed by Isro to launch Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites. However later, it was used for a variety of missions.The vehicle launched different kinds of satellites, including surveillance satellites like Cartosats, the country's first multi-wavelength space observatory Astrosat and navigation satellites (IRNSS).Known for charting an incredible trajectory, PSLV is, therefore, called the workhorse of Isro's space programmes.

The PSLV was first launched on September 20, 1993. The first and second stages performed as expected, but an altitude control problem led to the collision of the second and third stages at separation, and the payload failed to reach the desired orbit. Dr K Sivan, director of Thiruvananthapuram-based Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre told TOI, “The first launch of PSLV in 1993 was unsuccessful.However, data collected from this failed mission was used to take all corrective measures for subsequent missions. After the 1993 setback, PSLV has never seen failure as all subsequent launches till now have been successful. Proving its versatility , PSLV had carried payloads not only to the lowearth orbit (350-400 km altitude) but also to the furthest Mars orbit (Mangalyaan travelled 650 crore km from the Earth for over 300 days to reach the Red Planet's orbit).“

“PSLV , however, will not be used for Chandrayaan-2 as Isro is planning a heavier payload carrying a lunar rover to Chandrayaan this time. Therefore, GSLV is the preferred choice. But PSLV is definitely being readied for the Aditya mission (solar mission in 2019),“ Dr Sivan added.

2016

April 2016: PSLV C33

The Hindu, April 29, 2016

Avinash Bhat

ISRO’s workhorse PSLV C33, carrying India's seventh navigation satellite IRNSS-1G, soars into the sky after its launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota near Chennai on Thursday. Photo: K. Pichumani The Hindu ISRO’s workhorse PSLV C33, carrying India's seventh navigation satellite IRNSS-1G, soars into the sky after its launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota near Chennai.

A regional navigation satellite system with just seven spacecraft and in civil domain is unique to India.

India’s own navigational system, the set-up for which was completed on Thursday with the launch of the seventh and final satellite, will be called NAVIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation), Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced after the launch.

The seventh and final satellite of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System, the IRNSS 1G, was launched into a sub geosynchronous transfer orbit with a perigree (nearest point to earth) of 284 km and an apogee (farthest point to earth) of 20,657 km. The satellite was launched on board the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which took off from the Sriharikota launch pad at 12.50 p.m.

With this launch, the IRNSS constellation of seven satellites is now complete. This will allow the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to focus on the process of designing front end chips which will receive the navigational signals sent out by the satellites. The system will be similar to the Global Positioning System (GPS) operated by the United States with 24 satellites and the Glonass, Galileo and BeiDou systems of Russia, Europe and China respectively.

All satellites will undergo stabilisation testing and verification of their performance over the next few months before being pushed into use, according to ISRO officials.

An area of 1,500 km from Indian boundaries will be covered under the navigational system. The Prime Minister invited other countries to make use of this system as well. “We have seven neighbours who rely on technology provided by other countries. They can use Indian services if they want,” he said in a video message addressed to ISRO engineers.

With an accuracy of better than 20 m being claimed by ISRO, the navigation system will be offered as an open or Standard Positioning Service and a superior, coded military Restricted Service.

“We are now one of five countries with our own navigational system. Today we are free of dependence on other countries for navigation. Our planes will be able to land with ease and accuracy, we can plan disaster relief better and with our own technology,” a proud Mr. Modi said.

Explaining the name NAVIC, Mr. Modi said the system was dedicated to India’s mariners and fishermen who have been navigating using the sun and stars as waypoints for hundreds of years. “They have shown strength and determination in venturing out to sea for so many years. We have named this system for them, the ‘naviks’ (mariners),” he said.

June 2016

Inject a record 20 satellites at a time into orbit

The Times of India, Jun 23 2016

20 satellites in 26 minutes launched by ISRO. Some facts in the graphic above; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, June 23, 2016

U Tejonmayam

Isro record: 20 satellites take off at one go  India's PSLVC34 rocket circled the earth in about 90 minutes, at 7.7km per second, to inject a record 20 satellites into orbit and demonstrate its capability to reach another orbit in the same mission. The `XL' version of the 320-tonne spacecraft lifted off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota with payloads weighing 1,288kg at 9.26am. India's remote sensing satellite Cartosat-2C, weighing 727.5kg, sat on the top part of the PSLV's nose cone; riding piggyback were two Indian student satellites and 17 earth observation satellites from the US, Canada, Germany and Indonesia. Prime Minister Narend ra Modi called it a mo numental accomplishment. “20 satellites in a go! @isro continues to break new barriers. Hearty congratulations to our scientists on the monumental accomplishment,“ he tweeted. “PSLV has done its job again,“ said Isro chairman A S Kiran Kumar.

About 17 minutes after lift-off, the rocket began injecting satellites, starting with its Cartosat-2C. In the next 10 minutes, PSLV made several manoeuvres to inject all the satellites in a single orbit in different inclinations and with varying velocity, in the process travelling halfway around the earth.

Isro also used the occasion to test its capability to launch multiple satellites into different orbits.

About 50 minutes after launching all the satellites, the fourth stage reignited for five seconds before travelling around the earth for 45 minutes, completing a full circle.

The demonstration was conducted for Isro's next mission, when it plans to launch five satellites in two different orbits.

Mission director B Jayakumar said that multiple launches in a single mission required complex technology and Isro is working on resolving certain problems that may arise during such launches. “Initially we were a little hesitant to take 20 satellites in one go. But we soon resolved the problems,“ he said.

“What we have achieved today shows we have the expertise to take up complex missions,“ Jayakumar said.

Isro set a world record for the highest number of satellites launched in a single mission when it placed 10 satellites in a PSLV on April 28, 2008.Nasa in 2013 placed 29 satellites in a single mission and Russia in 2014 launched 33 satellites in one launch.

Sept 2016: PSLV-C35 launches eight satellites in multiple orbits

U Tejonmayam, In its longest flight, PSLV puts 8 sats into orbit, Sep 27 2016 : The Times of India

PSLV-C35, launched in Sept 2016. Graphic: PTI.

With its engine turned off for much of the mission's duration of two hours and 15 minutes on Monday , the PSLV-C35 glided its way not just across the earth, but also the annals of India's spacefaring history -placing eight satellites in multiple orbits along the way .

The rocket had two coasting periods which together lasted for more than 1.5 hours after its engine was reignited and shut down twice.

Monday's launch was the PSLV's longest flight.Among the satellites it put into orbit were two developed at Indian universities -Pratham by students of IIT-Bombay and PISAT by the PES University , Bengaluru, and its consortium. In its longest-ever flight, the PSLV C-35, carrying India's Scatsat-1 meant for ocean and weather studies among seven satellites including those from the US and Canada, lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

About 100 minutes after the Scatsat-1 was put into orbit, seven other satellites were placed in the other polar orbit.

“We were able to put differ ent satellites from different countries in different orbits in different local times. We have so far launched 79 satellites from 21 countries,“ said Isro chairman A S Kiran Kumar.

When PSLV-C35 placed Scatsat-1 in the polar synchro nous orbit 17 minutes after liftoff from Sriharikota, both the satellite and the rocket began to circle the earth.

About 66 minutes later, the rocket's fourth-stage engine was reignited and shut down for about 20 seconds, as a preparation to switching orbits and launching the rest of the satellites. The shutdown gave the necessary thrust for the rocket to manoeuvre further and change orbits -from polar sun synchronous to polar orbit. The rocket was coasting at a speed of about 27,000km per hour.

The engine was restarted and cut off for 20 seconds, about 45 minutes after it coasted for the second time during its mission. A minute later, seven other satellites were placed in orbit one after the other within 3.45 minutes.“PSLV launches usually last 20 to 25 minutes. But this launch lasted nearly two-anda-half hours. It was almost like having two separate launches,“ said B Jayakumar, mission director. Very few space-faring countries have achieved this feat. European Space Agency's Vega rocket recently accomplished a twin-orbit manoeuvre. “One side of the rocket was getting hot, as it was facing the sun while the other side was using heat to move,“ Jayakumar said. He added that PSLV now has the flexibility to suit customers' demands.

Isro chairman said an Algerian team, which witnessed the launch of its satellites on Monday , has shown interest in using Indian launch vehicles.

Isro's commercial arm Antrix Corporation has orders worth Rs280 crore from countries wanting to launch satellites. “We had a turnover of Rs1,790 crore this year and Rs1,717 crore last year,“ said Isro Propulsion Complex director S Rakesh. 1st satellite by IIT students enters orbit A t 11.26 am on Monday, Mumbai rocketed into the space age when Pratham, a 10 kg satellite, developed by students of IIT-Mumbai, went into orbit. It was the first satellite made in Mumbai.

Manvi Dhawan, a project manager, explained that the primary role of Pratham would be to do what is known as a total electron count of the ionosphere. In plain terms this will help to correct GPS signals and rectify navigation.

2017: first launch failure in 24 years

U Tejonmayam & Chethan Kumar, PSLV launch fails for first time in 24yrs; satellite lost, September 1, 2017: The Times of India

After 39 successful launches of its PSLV rockets, Isro had the first taste of failure in 24 years. PSLV-C39, which lifted off from Sriharikota could not deliver the IRNSS-H1satellite into orbit as the heat shield -the tip of the rocket where the satellite was housed -failed to open.

The last stage of the rocket reached the sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit, but the mission failed as the satellite got ejected within the closed heat shield which was programmed to open three minutes and 23 seconds into the flight. Isro chairman A S Kiran Kumar announced that the PSLV-C39 mission was unsuccessful.“All stages of the mission performed well, but the satellite is still inside the fourth stage,“ he said.

“We could see the satellite circling in its orbit along with the heat shield. We have to check the heat shield separation command and see what went wrong,“ Kumar said. The failure has come at a time when Isro is banking heavily on PSLV for at least two important future projects -the second mission to Mars and Chandrayaan-2, which will put a lander on the moon.While the second mission to Mars is still in the planning stage, work on Chandrayaan-2 has reached advanced stages with the development of the lander complete. “We have to see how this will impact commercial launches,“ Isro chairman Kumar said.

Some Isro scientists told TOI that they may have to take a relook at the technology used for the heat shield separation. Thursday's failure is a setback for Isro which attempted to augment the country's indigenous navigation services. IRNSS-1H, the eighth in the NavIC constellation, was to replace IRNSS-1A, the first satellite in the constellation whose rubidium atomic clocks stopped functioning. The clocks are a critical component in providing accurate locational data.

Isro officials said the failure will not affect the indigenous navigation satellite network, as four satellites are enough to provide services.Isro has six satellites in orbit that are fully functional.

1 tonne of extra weight doomed PSLV mission

Chethan Kumar, 1 tonne of extra weight doomed PSLV mission, September 2, 2017: The Times of India

Vital statistics, IRNSS-1H, and what went wrong during failure; Chethan Kumar, 1 tonne of extra weight doomed PSLV mission, September 2, 2017: The Times of India

The PSLV-C39 rocket, which failed to launch the IRNSS 1H satellite, was dragged down by at least one tonne of extra weight from the unseparated heat shield after the second stage, its velocity reduced by one kilometre per second.This greatly reduced the altitude it was to reach for a successful mission, say scientists privy to the project.

Former Isro Satellite Centre director SK Shivakumar said: “The launch vehicle was carrying at least one tonne more than its design permitted it, as the heat shield did not separate. This affected its velocity . For example, it should have attained a velocity of 9.5km per second at the end of it but attained only 8.5km per second.“

The heat shield is meant to protect the satellite from the heat generated due to friction against atmosphere during takeoff. Once a satellite is placed in orbit, the shield is expected to separate and fall off. In this case, the command for separation reached the heat shield's mechanisms but it did not trigger the mechanical process to release the satellite.

Ineffect, the heat shield began to weigh down the launch from the the 114th second. “I cannot accurately say by how much it missed the desired altitude. It was supposed to have an apogee (farthest point from Earth) of 20,650km but managed only 6,000-odd km,“ Shivakumar said.

Isro chairman Kiran Kumar said Thursday's failure, the first in the PSLV's 24 years, would not affect future missions as there was no structure or design flaw. “There has been a snag that resulted in the heat shield not separating... what exactly caused that needs to be found out. A team of experts has begun the examination,“ he said.

A money-spinner: launches 209 satellites of 28 countries

Surendra Singh|Isro's satellite launcher turns into money-spinner|Jul 21 2017 : The Times of India (Delhi)

Indian Space Re search Organisation's rockstar Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), known for its exemplary track record of launching 209 satellites of 28 countries till now, is turning into a money-spinner.

On June 23 this year, PSLVC38 had launched 712-kg Cartosat-2 satellite along with 30 co-passenger satellites. Of the 30 satellites, 29 were from 14 other countries. On Wednesday , the government said the launch of 29 satellites helped Antrix Corporation Ltd, the commercial arm of Isro, earn Rs 45 crore (6.1million euros).

Before the June 23 multiple launch, Isro made the world record when its PSLV C37 launched 104 satellites in one go on February 15 this year. However, the space agency did not reveal how much it earned from that launch. Launching satellites is fast becoming a competitive industry -several companies like SpaceX's Falcon 9, Russia's Proton ULA, and Arianespace are big names in the space. But Antrix's competitive rates and Isro's expertise in launching nano satellites are helping it woo foreign customers.

During the 2015-16, Antrix through launches of foreign satellites earned Rs 230 crore, which is 0.6% of the global launch services market (estimated to be Rs 38,000 crore). From 2013 to 2015, Isro had launched 28 foreign satellites and helped Antrix earn revenue of 80.6 million euros (Rs 600 crore -according to today's exchange rate). Globally , the space industry is a $200 billion industry . Even though Antrix has a small piece of the big pie in the satellite market, it is on the track to make big profit in future.

Private sector and the ISRO

2017/ satellite manufacturing outsourced

Isro outsources job of satellite manufacturing to private firms, April 3, 2017: The Times of India

PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION IN KEY SECTORS

In a highly secure, clean room of the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) here, a new jugalbandi is unfolding -teams from the private sector are working shoulder-to-shoulder with government engineers to create a new bird that will soar in the sky very soon.

The Indian space establishment has crossed a new threshold, engaging for the first time a private sector industry to make a full multicrore, heavy duty satellite.

Having been unable to keep pace with satellite fabrication, the Isro has now roped in the private industry to bridge the gap. A consortium led by Alpha Design Technologies, Bengaluru is tasked to make two full satellites for India's navigation system. After almost 150 missions and three decades of space faring, the Isro is on a mission like never before, handholding the private industry to make a full navigation satellite.

Towards that, a high-tech defence equipment supplier from Bengaluru, Alpha Design Technologies has been chosen as the first private industry tasked with making not one but two full satellites for the ISRO.

Colonel H S Shankar, the man who helped India get its first bulk supply of electronic voting machines (EVMs), is leading the consortium. Shankar, Chairman-cum-Manging Director of Alpha Design Technologies, says, “It is a challenging task for any Indian company to undertake assembly, integration and testing of a satellite and that too for the first time in India.“

Antrix Corporation Ltd

Devas contract, its scrapping and Rs 4,435cr fine

The Times of India, Oct 01 2015

Int'l tribunal slaps Rs 4,435cr fine on Antrix

Isro Arm Had Aborted Devas Deal In 2011 Antrix and Devas had signed a contract to launch two satellites and use spectrum. However, after a controversy over procedural lapses led to blacklisting of four Isro scientists, including ex-Isro chief Madhavan Nair (above), the govt had scrapped the deal Isro's commercial arm, Antrix, has termed the international arbitration court ruling asking Isro to pay Rs 4,435 crore ($672 million) in damages to Bengaluru-based Devas Multimedia as shocking. “Antrix, with the support of the department of space, is preparing to file in court its application for remedy ,“ said an Antrix statement.

The tribunal's ruling on Tuesday is not yet binding on the Indian space agency , as Devas would require to get the ruling enforced by an Indian court. In a statement, Devas Multimedia said: “Devas Multimedia and its shareholders, including highly regarded international investors, are pleased that the ICC Tribunal unanimously ruled in its favour and found that Antrix is liable for unlawfully terminating the Devas-Antrix Agreement in February 2011.“

It said that Devas is hopeful that Antrix will now live up to its legal obligations and pay the award so that this dispute that arose during the prior government can be brought to a swift closure.

The contract signed between Devas and Antrix was to launch two operating satellites and use spectrum that is licensed to the firm.

However, following a controversy of lapse in procedures that led to blacklisting of four Isro scientists, including ex-chairman Madhavan Nair, the government scrapped this deal. This prompted Devas to take the legal course.

Devas was to lease 70 MHz of S-band spectrum from two satellites that were to be launched by Isro and pay $300 million for the rights.

Commercial services

2014-16

ISRO’s budget, main programmes, government funding and commercial revenues, 2014-16; Graphic courtesy: The Times of India, May 6, 2016

Antrix-Devas deal

Cancelled in 2011

The Times of India, Aug 12, 2016

Antrix deal was cancelled in 2011

The CBI filed a chargesheet against Isro's former chairman G Madhavan Nair, former executive director of Antrix Corporation R Sridhara Murthi and a US firm in the controversial Antrix-Devas deal. The contract for leasing S-band spectrum was given to an “ineligible company“ without informing the government, which led to a loss of Rs 578 crore, CBI said. The development comes days after the Permanent Court of Arbitration tribunal at The Hague ruled against India and said it was liable to pay compensation to foreign investors in De vas Multimedia.

The CBI said Nair kept the then Manmo han Singh Cabinet in the dark and gave wrong information about the deal. Nair rubbished the charge and said scientists were made “scapegoats“ in the case. The agency had questioned him earlier this year over his “conflict of interest“ in the deal. Nair was chairman of Antrix's governing council and secretary , department of space, when the deal was finalised.He was barred from holding any government post for his alleged role in the deal.

Devas had entered into an agreement with Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of Isro, in 2005 to lease almost the entire transponder space on two of its satellites, and nearly half of the S-band spectrum under its control.The government had cancelled the deal in 2011 after a CAG report questioned it.

In an exclusive interview to TOI in March 2015, Nair had said the Antrix-Devas deal came under the scanner because “there was a panicky reaction from the PMO (then headed by Manmohan Singh) since 2G scam dented the government's image“.

In its chargesheet, the CBI named Nair, Murthi, Ramachandra Vishwanathan (former MD of Forge Advisors LLC USA & CEO of Devas Multimedia), M G Chandrasekhar (then director of Devas), Veena S Rao (then additional secretary in department of space), A Bhaskar Narayana Rao (then director in Isro) and D Venugopal and M Umesh (directors in Devas) for criminal conspiracy and cheating.

2016

The Economic Times , 26 Jul, 2016

By Gaurav Laghate & Maulik Vyas

Antrix-Devas deal: India loses arbitration in Hague

Indian government may have to shell out over a billion dollars in damages to Bengaluru-based Devas Multimedia, after an international court of arbitration ruled in favour of the company in case related to cancellation of a contract with Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) tribunal at The Hague found that the government of India's actions in "annulling a contract between Devas and Antrix and denying Devas commercial use of S-band spectrum constituted an expropriation," Devas said in a statement on Tuesday.

It added PCA agreed that the Indian Government expropriated investments of Devas' foreign shareholders and acted unfairly and inequitably, thus making it liable to pay financial compensation.

This is not the first time that an international court has ruled against the government in Devas case. Last year, the International Chamber of Commerce's International Court of Arbitration (ICA) had ruled against Antrix, for "unlawfully terminating" Devas-Antrix agreement in 2011, directing the agency to pay $672 million (over Rs 4,400 crore) plus an annual interest accruing at 18 per cent post award, till it is paid in full, to Devas Multimedia.

However, after this PCA ruling, Devas will now have to take a decision as to whether or not to enforce this award against ISRO/Government of India. Abhishek Malhotra, managing partner at the law firm TMT Law Practice said, "In the event that Devas decides to enforce this award in Indian Courts, the only defence that ISRO would have is Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996, i.e., to say that this decision is against public policy of India."

He added that ISRO will have to demonstrate that the security-related and conflict of interest issues that led to cancellation of the agreement with Devas were of paramount importance and hence public policy considerations required cancellation thereof.

Accordingly, allowing such an award to be enforced would conflict with public policy considerations. Or it will have to prove that the quantum of damages awarded is inconsistent with Section 73 of Indian Contract Act, 1872, which only allowed for compensatory damages to be awarded.

"Whether Devas wins or loses its enforcement battle, the judgment does have the effect of bringing under cloud India's efforts to become an appealing destination for ease of doing business," Malhotra added.

Madhavan Nair, former ISRO chief, who was with the Department of Space when the deal was signed, told ANI, "It is all because of the illegal action taken by the UPA 2 government and the Department of Space at the time." He added that procedures were not followed while cancelling the contract.

"The tribunal ruled 60 per cent in favour of India, and 40 per cent against and no amount was determined to be due at this stage on the 40 per cent. That will be the subject of a second phase of the case. which has not yet begun. There is no deadline for the second phase, which will likely last at least a year and perhaps longer," said George Kahale III, partner, Curtis, Mallet- Prevost, Colt & Mosle LLp, a firm that is representing government of India in the dispute. "We are reviewing the options for legal recourse because we believe the entire case, not just 60 per cent, should have been dismissed."

The case dates back to 2005, when Antrix and Devas signed an agreement wherein the latter was to get about 70 MHz of S-band satellite spectrum to provide high-quality telephony and Internet services.

August 2016: First rocket using scramjet engine

The Hindu, August 20, 2016

The Indian Space Research Organisation joined an elite club when it successfully launched a rocket using a scramjet engine that was developed indigenously. This is ISRO’s first major step towards developing an air breathing propulsion system. The scramjet engine functioned for around six seconds. There are many reasons why the use of a scramjet engine is so attractive.

The test flight, which attained six times the speed of sound (Mach 6) and was able to achieve ignition and maintain stable combustion even at such high velocity for about six seconds, is a big technological achievement. This is akin to “lighting a matchstick in a hurricane condition and sustaining the flame” for six seconds. The air intake mechanism and fuel injection systems were also successfully demonstrated during the maiden test flight. Since it relies on oxygen present in the atmosphere, the trajectories of scramjet engine-powered rockets are vastly different from conventional ones — rockets with scramjet engines should remain in the atmosphere for a longer period than normal rockets.

What is a scramjet engine?

A scramjet engine uses oxygen present in the atmospheric air to burn the hydrogen fuel. As a result, the amount of oxygen required to be carried on board would be reduced considerably as atmospheric oxygen is utilised to burn the fuel in the first stage. In general, propellant accounts for nearly 85 per cent of the weight of a rocket, and oxygen accounts for nearly 60 per cent of the weight of the propellant. Scramjet-powered rockets also have several times greater thrust compared with rockets powered by liquid fuel or even cryogenic fuel. Since about half of the propellant is required for the first stage to achieve the required velocity, a rocket using a scramjet engine would be significantly lighter and smaller and, therefore, cheaper. Alternatively, rockets fired by scramjet engines will be able to carry more payload. Typically, scramjet rockets climb to a certain altitude and remain in the atmosphere for as long as possible to achieve the required velocity. It will take many years before a commercial rocket powered by a scramjet engine takes to the sky as there are several challenges to be overcome. One challenge will be to test the engine at higher Mach speeds and prolong the period of combustion. Since the scramjet comes into play only when the rocket goes beyond Mach 5, an engine that initially works at subsonic speed (as a ramjet) and later as a scramjet has to be developed. But as in the case of the successful test flight of a reusable vehicle, the first experimental flight using a scramjet engine is a technological demonstration of ISRO’s capability and will go a long way in redefining its position as one of the leading space agencies in the world.

Regional cooperation satellites

Gsat-09

2017: South Asian diplomacy

Surendra Singh, PM's space diplomacy turns sat launch into mini-Saarc summit, May 6, 2017: The Times of India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened a new chap ter in neighbourhood diplomacy by launching a South Asia satellite on Friday .It's the fulfilment of a promise made in 2014, but it is the larger progress towards regional integration that might show lasting benefits.

Modi commended Isro scientists for the launch and addressed the heads of six South Asian countries, barring Pakistan, via video conferencing. Calling it a “historic moment“, Modi said the satellite “opens up new horizons of engagement and will greatly benefit South Asia and our region's progress“.

In his address to six Saarc leaders -Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Bangladeshi PM Sheikh Hasina, Bhutan PM Tshering Tobgay , Maldives President Abdulla Yameen, Nepal PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena, Modi said, “This launch tells us that even the sky is not the limit when it comes to regional cooperation.“

He added, “Our coming together is a sign of our unshakeable resolve to place the needs of our peoples in the forefront. It shows that our collective choices for our citizens will bring us cooperation, not conflict; development, not destruction and prosperity , not poverty.“

The Rs 450-crore satellite (Gsat-9) will link all Saarc countries except Pakistan as the latter opted out of the project. The 2,230-kg satellite, with a mission life of over 12 years, will provide communications and disaster support, among other services, to India and its neighbours.

The South Asia satellite is Modi's brainchild. He had proposed it soon after assuming office three years ago. Its launch comes at a time when China is trying to in crease its influence in South Asian countries.

“This is a first-of-its-kind project in South Asia. And through it, we Saarc nations will together achieve effective communication, better governance, better banking services and better education in remote areas,“ the PM said.

Thanking Modi for his initiative, Ghani said, “Today marks the day where South Asia moves from speaking about the desirability of regional integration to making it a reality. The gap between talk and action is bridged today .“

Sheikh Hasina said, “Betterment of our people can happen through fruitful engagement between South this satellite will change the face of South Asia.“ Tshering Tobgay added, “Launch of this satellite augurs well for our region and for small nations like Bhutan.“

Recalling Modi's `sabka saath sabka vikas' slogan, Abdulla Yameen said, “This launch is an example of India's neighbour first policy.We must work for common good and better economic opportunities.“ Dahal said, “The satellite will enhance connectivity and will help in providing communication services in the mountain and hilly regions of Nepal.“ Sirisena thanked India and said, “May this initiative support people in all regions, enhance economic conditions and help in eliminating poverty .“

Pakistan had opted out saying “India was not willing to develop the project on a collaborative basis“. Though Pakistan has five satellites in space, it lacks heavy duty launchers and satellite fabrication facilities, and its space programme is highly dependent on China.

Sri Lanka and Afghanistan also have communications satellites, which were launched by other nations.The Indian project project will be of great benefit to Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives, which do not have space programmes of their own and are particularly susceptible to climate-related disasters.

Augmenting the communications sector

Chethan Kumar, GSAT-09 adds to India's comsat constellation, May 6, 2017: The Times of India

1|3 rd Of Transponders We Use Are Leased | 4 More Launches Planned in 2017

The GSAT-09 is not only a gift to India's neighbours but will augment India's communications sector. It'll join 13 other communication satellites in orbit , allowing India to offer a series of applications to its citizens.

Adding to over 200 transponders Isro owns, the 12 transponders which will be shared with its South Asian neighbours will add to India's communication infrastructure.

Isro chairman AS Kiran Kumar, in September 2016, had conceded that India was “significantly short in space“. India currently has a 36-satellite constellation spread across observation, communication, navigation and space science.

According to estimates, a third of the 286 satellite transponders India uses were non-Indian with more than 90 hired transponders used specifically for directto-home broadcasting, and the severe shortage -with a growing population and increasing number of phone and internet users -had prompted Isro to issue a request for proposal seeking to lease out some more transponders in December 2016.

“We need to at least double the number of satellites to be able to give reasonable service to the nation,“ Ku panel array undergoing tests mar said, adding that for this, the space agency must also enhance launch capa bility and reduce satellite building time. “Isro is now reaching a stage where we can launch one satellite a month, but that must be in creased to at least 1.5 or two launches a month,“ he said.

While the launch of GSAT-09 will not completely solve this problem, four other launches Isro has lined up for this year is seen to be providing a major boost areas such as tele phone, broadcasting and internet service. among other things.

The communication satellites in service are: Five in the INSAT family (3A, 3C, 4A, 4B, 4CR) and eight in the GSAT family (6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 15 and 18). Augmenting the INSAT and GSAT capacity was Isro's focus during the 12th Five Year Plan. However, of the 14 communication satellites Isro hoped to launch during the period, only seven were achieved, which has pushed the space agency to line up a series of launches this year.

In what will become a personal record if achieved (launch of five communication satellites in a year), Isro has lined up the launches of: GSAT-19, GSAT-17, GSAT-6A -for the defence forces -and GSAT-11. Of these, GSAT-11 and 17 are scheduled to be launched by foreign vehicles.

First Indian spacecraft with Electric Propulsion System

Electric Propulsion System could reduce fuel, be a gamechanger, May 6, 2017: The Times of India

The Geostationary Communication Satel lite-9 (GSAT-09) became the first Indian spacecraft to carry an Electric Propulsion System (EPS), which was successfully tested paving the way for development of future satellites that will be considerably lighter.

“The EPS can significantly reduce the fuel satellites need to carry. This leaves more room for payloads if we want to pack more into the satellite, and it reduces the satellite weight which helps us decide how to launch it,“ a senior scientist explained.

The GSAT-09 carried just 25% of chemical fuel it would have had to carry in the absence of EPS. The 2,000-kg class communication satellites generally carry around 200-300 kg of ch e m i c a l p ro p e l l a n t s which push them into the desired orbit and keep with them alive for more than a decade.

This means the workload a 5,000-kg satellite can take can be achieved by a 3,500-3,700 kg satellite equipped with EPS.

“To cut that burden to just 25% is a gamechanger.It allows us to manage satellites with long lives -GSAT-09 has 12 years of expectancy -more efficiently,“ the scientist said.This will also reduce India's dependence on foreign satellites.

Currently, Isro uses foreign launch vehicles to launch heavy satellites.While the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) family, especially the Mark-III to be tested later this year, will augment its capacity, much more is needed.

The EPS on GSAT-09 will begin functioning two weeks after the launch, when the satellite will eventually go to its final slot in space, and continue to operate after that.

Spacecraft, industry-built

The Hindu, December 11, 2016

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has signed the first contract for an industry-built spacecraft with a consortium of six companies based in Bengaluru.

The contract includes the assembly, integration and testing (AIT) of two spare navigation satellites in 18 months. It was signed between M. Annadurai, director of ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), and the consortium lead, Alpha Design Technologies P Ltd.

ISAC assembles the country's satellites for communication, remote sensing and navigation. While ISRO has purchased sub-systems from its suppliers, this is the first time that it will be outsourcing entire satellites to industry, Col. Shankar said.

Alpha is a defence manufacturing contractor while the others are small and medium-sized companies which already supply components to ISRO's programmes.

"The second spacecraft will be made entirely by us but at ISRO's readily available facilities. From the second year onwards, the consortium must provide four to five [small- to medium-sized] satellites each year," Col. Shankar said.

ISAC said, "In order to meet the growing demands of satellites realisation, ISAC has been looking [for] active participation of industry in assembly, integration and testing of standard ISRO satellites. As part of this initiative, a contract was awarded to a consortium of six companies led by Alpha Design Technologies Private Ltd."

Interstellar spacecraft (sprites)

2017: Breakthrough Starshot

Surendra Singh|Isro sows seed of interstellar missions|Jul 31 2017 : The Times of India (Delhi)

Remember the 2014 Oscar-winning sci-fi movie “Interstellar“, where a group of volunteers travels across the galaxy in search of a new home for humanity? In real life, however, only five Nasa spacecraft have gone beyond the planets of our solar system. Interstellar missions (travelling between stars or planetary systems) remain only in the realms of possibility.

Indian Space Research Organisation became part of a global project that will help bring star travel closer to reality when its PSLV C38 rocket launched six prototypes of tiny interstellar spacecraft, or sprites, into low-earth orbit on June 23 this year.

The good news is that one of these six stamp-sized sprites, which weigh just 4gm and are 3.5cm long, has managed to establish contact with ground stations, becoming the smallest spacecraft ever to do so. It's being seen as a giant step in space technology , with the Isro launch sowing the seed of what could be future interstellar missions. The six interstellar space craft are part of an ambitious, multi-million dollar `Breakthrough Starshot' research project being funded by Rus sian billionaire and tech investor Yuri Milner and supported by cosmologist Stephen Hawking.

Breakthrough Starshot aims to send a fleet of sprites to Alpha Centauri -our closest star system located about 4.37 light years away from the Earth. Each sprite, weighing just 4gm, carries with it sensors, solar panels, radio equipment and computers on a single circuit board. The sensors on each circuit board will enable scientists to track their movement in space.Though India's Cartosat-2 satellite was the main payload of the June 23 launch, the PSLV C38 carried with it 29 nano satellites from 14 countries. The six sprite prototypes piggybacked on Venta and Max Valier educational satellites (two of the 29 satellites). While Venta-1 is a Latvian satellite built in collaboration with Germany , Max Valier is a nano satellite co-developed by teams of Germany and Italy . Another four sprites are still mounted on Max Va lier and await deployment.

Confirming the development, Isro chairman A S Kiran Kumar told TOI, “Venta-1 and Max Valier nano satellites (on which six sprites were mounted) were indeed launched by PSLV C38 on June 23.“

Sprites, Breakthrough Starshot and ISRO, July 2017

Though currently only prototypes of interstellar spacecraft have been launched for preliminary tests, Breakthrough Starshot wants to use lasers to launch the sprites deep into space. The sprites, once accelerated by laser, will reach up to 15% to 20% of the speed of light. Even with such great speeds, it will take over 20 years for a sprite to reach Alpha Centauri.

Once there, the sprites will capture images of the star and its planet Proxima b, and send images back to Earth. Scientists expect to launch thousands of sprites to study the Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere, and this could become a reality within the next decade.

See also

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

Satellites: India