ISRO releases new photos of moon craters by Chandrayaaan 2

AUG 27, 2019 BENGALURU: Chandrayaan-2, which is currently orbiting the Moon, has captured some more images of the lunar surface showing several craters, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said on Monday. Sharing the pictures, the ISRO said in a statement that the photos captured by the lunar spacecraft are those of craters Somerfeld, Kirkwood, Jackson, Mach, Korolev, Mitra, Plaskett, Rozhdestvenskiy and Hermite. These craters have been named after great scientists, astronomers and physicists. Crater Mitra has been named after Prof Sisir Kumar Mitra, an Indian physicist and Padma Bhushan recipient known for his pioneering work in the field of ionosphere and Radiophysics. The space agency said these pictures of the lunar surface were taken on August 23 by the Terrain Mapping Camera-2 of Chandrayaan-2 from an altitude of about 4,375 km. The first picture of Moon captured by Chandrayaan-2 was released by ISRO on August 22. Chandrayaan-2, a three-module spacecraft comprising an orbiter, lander and rover, was launched on July 22. ISRO had on August 21 performed second lunar bound orbit manoeuvre for Chandrayaan-2 and said all spacecraft parameters are normal. There will be three more orbit manoeuvres before the lander''s separation from the Orbiter on September 2 and eventual soft landing in the south polar region of the Moon, planned on September 7. Copyright © Jammu Links News, Source: Jammu Links News

Read More........→July 17, 2020

India launches high-power communication satellite GSAT-30

India today successfully launched its latest and most powerful communication satellite GSAT-30 from the European Space Agency’s spaceport in French Guiana during the early hours of the day.

The launch was carried out using European Space Agency’s launch vehicle Ariane. The Ariane 5 VA-251 lifted off from the Kourou launch base in French Guiana at 2:35 am IST carrying India’s GSAT-30 and EUTELSAT KONNECT for Eutelsat, as scheduled.

After a flight lasting 38 minutes 25 seconds, GSAT-30 separated from the Ariane 5 upper stage in an elliptical Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit, Isro stated in a release. 

With a lift-off mass of 3,357 kg, GSAT-30 will provide continuity to operational services on some of the in-orbit satellites. GSAT-30 derives its heritage from Isro’s earlier INSAT/GSAT satellite series and will replace INSAT-4A in orbit.

"A strong start to 2020 as Ariane 5 successfully deploys its two satellite passengers - EUTELSAT KONNECT and GSAT-30 - into geostationary transfer orbit! I appreciate the trust from the two customers on this mission: Arianespace CEO Stephane Israel tweeted confirming the successful launch.

Isro's UR Rao Satellite Centre Director P Kunhikrishnan, who was present in Kourou, congratulated the Isro community and Arianespace team on the successful launch.

Calling it an "excellent start" to 2020 for Isro with the launch, he said, "The mission team at the master control facility have already acquired the satellite and they will immediately complete the post launch operations...."

The 3,357-kg satellite is configured on Isro's enhanced I-3K Bus structure to provide communication services from Geostationary orbit in C and Ku bands. The communication payload of GSAT-30 is specifically designed and optimised to maximise the number of transponders on the spacecraft bus, Isro stated.

“GSAT-30 has a unique configuration of providing flexible frequency segments and flexible coverage. The satellite will provide communication services to Indian mainland and islands through Ku-band and wide coverage covering Gulf countries, a large number of Asian countries and Australia through C-band” Isro chairman K Sivan said.

“GSAT-30 will provide DTH television services, connectivity to VSATs for ATM, stock exchange, television uplinking and teleport services, Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) and e-governance applications. The satellite will also be used for bulk data transfer for a host of emerging telecommunication applications,” Sivan added.

Isro’s Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka took over the command and control of GSAT-30 immediately after its separation from the launch vehicle. Preliminary health checks of the satellite revealed its normal health.

In the days ahead, Isro will carry our orbit-raising manoeuvres to place the satellite in Geostationary Orbit (36,000 km above the equator) by using its on-board propulsion system.

During the final stages of its orbit raising operations, the two solar arrays and the antenna reflectors of GSAT-30 will be deployed. Following this, the satellite will be put in its final orbital configuration. The satellite will be operational after the successful completion of all in-orbit tests.

Source: https://www.domain-b.com/

Read More........→July 16, 2020

Isro's PSLV-C28 successfully places 5 British satellites in orbit

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Friday successfully launched five British commercial satellites aboard its PSLV-C28 launch vehicle from its space port in Sriharikota, marking its heaviest commercial mission ever. ISRO's workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C28, in its 13th flight, placed the five satellites, including three identical DMC3 optical earth observation satellites, in sun synchronous orbit about 20 minutes after lift-off at 9.58 PM from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. The three DMC3 satellites, each weighing 447 kg, were launched into a 647 km sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) using the high-end version of PSLV (PSLV-XL). ''It's been a wonderful mission… an extremely successful mission,'' a beaming ISRO chairman Kiran Kumar said from the Mission Control Centre. The three identical DMC3 optical earth observation satellites were built by Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) of the United Kingdom. The PSLV-C28 also carried two auxiliary satellites from the UK, viz, CBNT-1, a technology demonstrator earth observation micro satellite built by SSTL, and De-OrbitSail, a technology demonstrator nano satellite built by Surrey Space Centre. PSLV-C28 will be the ninth flight of the launch vehicle in 'XL' configuration. With the overall lift-off mass of 1,440 kg of the five satellites, this launch becomes the heaviest commercial mission till date undertaken by Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of ISRO . Accommodating the three DMC3 satellites each with a height of about 3 metre within the existing payload fairing of PSLV was a challenge, according to Isro. To mount these satellites onto the launcher, Isro designed a circular launcher adaptor called L-adaptor and a triangular deck called Multiple Satellite Adapter-Version 2 (MSA-V2). These international customer satellites have been launched as part of the arrangement entered into between DMC International Imaging (DMCii), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SSTL, UK and Isro's Antrix Corporation Limited (Antrix). The DMC3 constellation, comprising of three advanced mini-satellites DMC3-1, DMC3-2 and DMC3-3, is designed to address the need for simultaneous high spatial resolution and high temporal resolution optical earth observation. Launched into a single low-earth orbit plane and phased with a separation of 120° between them, these satellites can image any target on the Earth's surface every day. Major application areas include surveying the resources on earth and its environment, managing urban infrastructure and monitoring of disasters. CBNT-1, weighing 91 kg, is an optical earth observation technology demonstration micro satellite built by SSTL. The 7-kg De-orbitSail from Surrey Space Centre, is an experimental nano satellite for demonstration of large thin membrane sail and drag deorbiting using this sail. Source: Article 

Read More........→July 19, 2015

After Mars, Isro aims for Venus probe in 2-3 years

A top French astrophysicist will be working with Isro team: Venus beckons India’s space scientists after their successful outing to Mars, and if everything goes according to plan, a home-grown probe should be cruising towards the brightest and hottest planet in the solar system in about two-and-a-half years, in yet another shot at understanding the evolution of the world. This mission to Venus could have a French connection as Prof. Jacques Blamont, a renowned astrophysicist and a friend of the late Dr Vikram Sarabhai, who was awarded the Padma Shri this year, has offered to help the Indian Space Research Organisation with gigantic balloons carrying several instruments but designed to pop in and out of the extremely hot atmosphere of the planet after being unfettered from the orbiter. “It is possible to build and launch the spacecraft in about two-and-a-half years. Dr Adimurthy (who, incidentally, wrote the first feasibility report on the Mars Orbiter Mission) and a big team at VSSC (Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram) are working out all the details like the ideal launch window, the best orbit for the orbiter and the instruments to go on board,” Prof U.R. Rao, former chairman of Isro and head of the space agency’s Advisory Committee for Space Sciences, told this newspaper. He said Isro could bank on its workhorse rocket, Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, which hurled Chandrayaan-I and MOM into space for its outing to Venus as well. Source: The Asian Age, Image: flickr.com

Read More........→July 11, 2015

ISRO to launch Google satellite

The Indian Space Research Organisation will be launching a satellite for Google’s Sky Box Imaging for GPS maps this year from its spaceport at Sriharikota. This will be the first US satellite to be launched by Isro. Google, which has acquired the satellite imaging company Sky Box Imaging, wants to develop precision maps using its own network of 180-odd satellites. The first among them is Sky Sat Gen II. Sky Box had entered into an agreement with Antrix Corporation before its takeover to launch the 120-kg satellite. It will be flown as a co-passenger along with the main payload during one of the satellite launchings this year. According to senior officials involved in space research, Google is keen on making use of Skybox satellites to keep Google Maps closer to real-time, accurate with up-to-date imagery. Google is also keen on using Skybox’s team and technology to help improve Internet access and disaster relief, the areas in which the company has long been interested. Shar director Dr M.Y.S. Prasad said that Sky Box Imaging had approached them to launch one of its satellites and had also informed that they had plans to place 180 micro satellites in orbit. “They may launch experimental satellites before going ahead. Although they want to us to launch a single satellite now, there is potential in future. This is the first US-based satellite being launched by Isro,” Dr Prasad said. Source: The Asian Age

Read More........→March 12, 2015