അന്താരാഷ്ട്ര രസതന്ത്ര വര്ഷത്തോട് അനുബന്ധിച്ച് തിരുവനന്തപുരം ഗവ.വനിതാ കോളേജിലെ ശാസ്ത്ര വിഭാഗങ്ങളുടെ ആഭിമുഖ്യത്തില് ഡിസംബര് ആദ്യവാരം വിദ്യാര്ത്ഥി കള്ക്കും പോതുജനങ്ങള്ക്കുമായി ശാസ്ത്ര പ്രദര്ശനം സംഘടിപ്പിച്ചു. കോളേജിലെ ആസ്ട്രോ ക്ലബ്ബിന്റെ നേതൃത്വത്തില് ഹബ്ബിള് ബഹിരാകാശ ദൂരദര്ശിനി പകര്ത്തിയ ചിത്രങ്ങളുടെ പോസ്റ്റര് പ്രദര്ശനം ഒരുക്കിയിരുന്നു. നഗരത്തിലെ വിവിധ വിദ്യാലയങ്ങളില് നിന്നുള്ള വിദ്യാര്ഥികള്, അധ്യാപകര്,പൊതുജനങ്ങള്, ശാസ്ത്ര തല്പരര് തുടങ്ങി ഒട്ടേറെ ആളുകള് പ്രദര്ശനം കാണാന് എത്തിയിരുന്നു. പ്രപഞ്ച സൌന്ദര്യത്തിന്റെ മനോഹാരിത ഒപ്പിയെടുത്ത ഹബ്ബിള് ചിത്രങ്ങളോടൊപ്പം അവയെ സംബന്ധിച്ചുള്ള അനുബന്ധ വിശദാംശങ്ങളും ക്ലബ്ബ് അംഗങ്ങള് സന്ദര്ശകര്ക്ക് വിശദീകരിച്ചു. 
ജില്ലയിലെ സജീവമായ ആസ്ട്രോ ക്ലബ്ബുകളില് ഒന്നാണ് ഗവ.വനിതാ കോളേജില് പ്രവര്ത്തിച്ചു വരുന്നത്. നവംബറില് ആസ്ട്രോ ക്ലബ്ബ് ഉത്ഘാടനത്തോട് അനുബന്ധിച്ച് വി എസ എസ സി യില് നിന്നുള്ള ഡോ.രാജശേഖര് നയിച്ച പ്രപഞ്ച വിജ്ഞാനീയത്തെ സംബന്ധിച്ചുള്ള സെമിനാര് സംഘടിപ്പിച്ചിരുന്നു. വരും കാലയളവിലും ക്ലബ്ബിന്റെ ആഭിമുഖ്യത്തില് വൈവിവിധ്യമാര്ന്ന കൂടുതല് പ്രവര്ത്തനങ്ങള് സംഘടിപ്പിക്കുവാന് ഉദ്ദേശിക്കുന്നു.
Category Archives: Space Agencies
തിരു. വനിതാ കോളേജില് ആസ്ട്രോ ക്ലബ്ബിന്റെ ഹബ്ബിള് ഗാലറി
50 years of Space Exploration
The first human spaceflight took place on April 12, 1961, when cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made one orbit around the Earth aboard the Vostok 1 spacecraft, launched by the Soviet space program and designed by the rocket scientist Sergey Korolyov.As of 2010, human spaceflight missions have been conducted by the former Soviet Union/(Russia), the United States, the People's Republic of China and by the private spaceflightcompany Scaled Composites.Several other countries and space agencies have announced and begun human spaceflight programs by their own technology, including India (ISRO), Ecuador (EXA), Japan (JAXA),Iran (ISA) and Malaysia (MNSA).
Currently the following spacecraft and spaceports are used for launching human spaceflights:
- Soyuz with Soyuz rocket—Baikonur Cosmodrome
- Space Shuttle—Kennedy Space Center
- International Space Station (ISS)—Assembled in orbit; crews transported by the previous two spacecraft
- Shenzhou spacecraft with Long March rocket—Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
Historically, the following spacecraft and spaceports have also been used for human spaceflight launches:
- Vostok—Baikonur Cosmodrome
- Mercury—Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
- Voskhod—Baikonur Cosmodrome
- X-15—Edwards Air Force Base,[4] (two internationally recognized suborbital flights in program)
- Gemini—Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
- Apollo—Kennedy Space Center (Apollo 7 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station)
- Salyut space station—Baikonur Cosmodrome
- Almaz space station—Baikonur Cosmodrome (Almaz was a series of military space stations under cover of the civilian name Salyut)
- Skylab space station—Kennedy Space Center
- Mir space station—Baikonur Cosmodrome
- SpaceShipOne with White Knight—Mojave Spaceport
As you can see, international collaboration has been key to the success of humans in space. The theme for World Space Week 2011 is "50 Years of Human Spaceflight." The theme is selected to increase the impact of World Space Week on all humanity. Further, by using a uniform theme globally, World Space Week demonstrates unprecedented global cooperation in space. AASTRO will organise vivid activities on the occasion.Please do join us in celebrating these great accomplishments.
India notches another space success
India notched another milestone in its space programme when it successfully launched a heavy-duty rocket,PSLV that placed a major communications satellite GSAT 12 in space.
A beaming Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief K Radhakrishnan told reporters after the launch that the mission was a success."It is a tricky mission. I am extremely happy to state that the PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle)-C17 GSAT-12 mission is successful. The satellite was launched in the intended orbit," he said at the launch site @ Sriharikotta
// Economic Times //
India to launch communication satellite on July 15th
India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket will blast off July 15 evening carrying a communication satellite with transponders for communication and weather forceast services, the space agency said Thursday.
Preparations for the launch of GSAT-12 are progressing well at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, around 80 km from Chennai, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said in a statement Thursday.
The GSAT-12 satellite weighs 1,410 kg at lift-off has 12 extended c-band transponders - automatic receivers and transmitters for communication and broadcast of signals.
The satellite is expected to serve the Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) sector, which transmits data like point of sale transactions or to provide satellite internet access and others.
ISRO said the satellite has undergone necessary tests at Sriharikota and it has been filled with propellants June 28.
GSAT-12 will be integrated with the rocket July 3 after the clearance from the Launch Authorisation Board.
According to ISRO, the four stages/engines of the rocket has been fully assembled and tests are being conducted to check the electrical systems.
As to the sequence prior to the launch, ISRO said the rocket loaded with the satellite will be moved to the second launch pad July 10.
On July 13, the 52.5 hour countdown for the launch is expected to start.
The actual lift of the rocket is expected to be between 4.48 pm and 5.08 pm July 15.
Though PSLV rockets are largely used by ISRO to launch remote sensing/earth observation satellites, it has also been used to put into orbit communication satellites in geo-transfer orbit (GTO).
According to ISRO officials, the PSLV rocket that will carry GSAT-12 will weigh over 300 tonne-higher than the standard PSLV rocket that weigh around 290 tonne at lift off.
Atlantis docks with space station one last time
Space shuttle Atlantis Sunday arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) for one final visit.
It docked at the station at 1507 GMT, space.com reported. The hatches between the shuttle and the station will be opened after the crews complete checking for any leaks between the seals, it said.
Atlantis was launched Friday from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Its four astronauts will be joined by six others currently working at the orbiting station.
The shuttle's 12-day mission is to deliver food and equipment. It is carrying a system called the Robotic Refuelling Mission, which will test methods to robotically refuel and repair satellites in orbit. The refuelling mission will be installed on the exterior of the station.
Shuttle commander Chris Ferguson, pilot Doug Hurley, and mission specialists Sandra Magnus and Rex Walheim plan to remain at the space station till July 18, when they are due to undock Atlantis and head home to Earth.
Thousands of people, including some who came to the Kennedy Space Centre three decades ago for the first launch, had gathered Friday to witness Atlantis' final mission.
Atlantis will be on display at the Kennedy Space Centre after it returns to Earth, ending the US' 30-year space shuttle programme. Other retired shuttle orbiters will also be displayed at various scientific institutions in the US.
Discovery’s final space trip begins
NASA launched the Space Shuttle Discovery on its last journey into space today. Six crew members commanded by NASA astronaut and Air Force officer Steven W. Lindsey, will stay in space 10 days and 19 hours and land at the Kennedy Space Center on 7 March 2011 at approximately 16:50 UTC. Discovery will spend two days heading toward its rendezvous with the International Space Station. On the second day of the flight, the crew will perform the standard scan of the shuttle’s thermal protection system using the orbiter boom sensor system attached to the end of Discovery’s robotic arm. On the third day of the flight, Discovery will approach and dock with the space station.
The mission will transport the Permanent Multipurpose Module Leonardo and the third of four ExPRESS Logistics Carriers (ELC4) to the ISS. The Permanent Multipurpose Module (PMM) is a large, reusable pressurized element, carried in the space shuttle’s cargo bay, originally used to ferry cargo back and forth to the station. For STS-133, the PMM, known as Leonardo, was modified to become a permanent module attached to the International Space Station. Once in orbit, the PMM will offer 70 additional cubic meters of pressurized volume for storage and for scientific use. The module is carried in the cargo bay of Discovery and will be connected to the Unity node on the station.
Almost 200 people from 15 countries have visited the International Space Station, but so far the orbiting complex has only ever had human crew members – until now. Robonaut 2, the latest generation of the Robonaut astronaut helpers, is set to launch to the space station aboard space shuttle Discovery on the STS-133 mission. It will be the first humanoid robot in space, and although its primary job for now is teaching engineers how dexterous robots behave in space, the hope is that through upgrades and advancements, it could one day venture outside the station to help spacewalkers make repairs or additions to the station or perform scientific work.
Discovery was NASA’s third space shuttle orbiter to join the fleet at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Discovery also is known inside the space agency by its designation Orbiter Vehicle-103, or OV-103. Construction of Discovery began on Aug. 27, 1979 and was completed four years later. Discovery rolled out of the assembly plant building in Palmdale, California, October 1983 and was first launched Aug. 30, 1984 (STS-41D).
Discovery flew its maiden voyage on Aug. 30, 1984, on the STS-41D mission. Later missions included NASA’s return to flight after the loss of Challenger (September 1988) and Columbia (July 2005), launch of the Hubble Space Telescope in April 1990, the final Shuttle/Mir docking mission in June 1998 and Senator John Glenn’s shuttle flight in October 1998.
When first flown, Discovery became the third operational orbiter, and it currently is the oldest orbiter in service. It was named after two historic, Earth-bound exploring ships of the past. One was a vessel used by Henry Hudson in the early 1600s to explore the Hudson Bay and search for a northwest passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The other was one of two ships used by the British explorer James Cook in the 1770s. Cook’s voyages in the South Pacific led to the discovery of the Hawaiian Islands. Another of his ships was the Endeavour, the namesake of NASA’s newest shuttle.
After STS-133 Discovery will be the first space shuttle to retire from NASA’s fleet, having flown in space 39 times – more than any other shuttle.
News and Photo Credit : NASA
NASA’s Kepler Space Telescope Discovers New Solar System 2,000 Light Years from Earth
NASA's Kepler space telescope, in an Earth trailing Solar Orbit, designated Kepler-11 about two thousand light years from Earth.
Five of the planets, ranging from 2.3 to 13.5 times the mass of the Earth, are orbiting Kepler-11 in a tight orbit that has a period of only about fifty days, closer to the their star than Mercury is to the Sun. The sixth planet is larger and farther out with an orbital period of 118 days and has a mass yet to be determined.
The Kepler space telescope's mission is to find Earth-like planets orbiting other stars, which would be about the same size and mass as the Earth with an orbit around a star similar to the Sun in the "zone of habitability", far enough out to not be too warm, but not so far as to be too cold. While Kepler has been, it has yet to discover another Earth. The discovery at Kepler-11 comes close and is, in itself, scientifically significant.
The Kepler detects planets by measuring the slight decrease in a star's brightness when a planet transits in front. The size is determined by the amount of decrease. The orbital period is determined by the time between transits.
Usually when a new planet is discovered, its mass is measured with Doppler spectroscopy which determines the amount of star's wobble that the gravitational pull of the planet causes. But Kepler-11 is too far away and the planets too small to use this method. Instead scientists measured the variations of the orbital periods caused by gravitational interactions among the planets.
Most new planets that have been discovered orbiting other stars have been gas giants, some of them much larger than Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, and mostly just one planet per star. The Kepler-11 discovery is remarkable in the number, size, and orbits of the newly discovered planets. Though none of Kepler-11's world could sustain life (at least as we know it) the discovery will allow scientists to study the interactions of a multi planet solar system, other than our own, for the first time in history.
The Kepler-11 discovery, while remarkable, is still short of the hoped filled detection of an Earth-like world orbiting another star. When that happens, whether it is on the Kepler mission or by some other means, the perception of humankind's role in the universe will change. Other Earth-like planets have been a staple of science fiction for many decades and scientists, simply by the law of averages, believe that other Earths exist. But the confirmation of one would be the most significant scientific discovery of this century so far.
CREDIT : Mark Whittington,Yahoo Contributors Network
Mark R. Whittington is the author of Children of Apollo and The Last Moonwalker. He has written on space subjects for a variety of periodicals
2010: A Year of Historic Milestones in Spaceflights
2010 was a big year for spaceflight
This year was a big one for spaceflight, with governmental agencies and the private sector alike marking many key milestones.
During this watershed year, for example, NASA changed course to pursue new goals, the first private space capsule was launched into orbit and the International Space Station reached the 10-year mark of continuous human habitation.
A decade of Continuous Occupation in International Space Station
The first live-in crew arrived at the International Space Station on Nov. 2, 2000. Since then, individuals have come and gone, but NASA and its international partners have been occupying the station uninterrupted. This year, they reached the 10-year anniversary of continous human presence on the orbital laboratory.
The fact that humanity has an established, on a space outpost 220 miles (354 kilometers) above Earth's surface is a big deal, NASA officials have said. It highlights the progress we've made in becoming a true spacefaring civilization, and it hints at bigger achievements to come.
Assembly of the station began in 1998 and is almost complete. The station, now nearly as long as a football field, has hosted more than 600 science and technology experiments over its lifetime, NASA officials have said. That number should rise substantially as the station transitions fully from its assembly phase to a fully-functioning research laboratory.
NASA plans to operate the space station until at least 2020.
First Successful Solar Sail Mission
For years, engineers have dreamed about powering a craft through space using nothing but the constant stream of photons from the sun. That dream finally became a reality this year with the launch of .
Ikaros lifted off on May 20 along with Japan's troubled Akatsuki Venus probe. In June,Ikaros successfully deployed its solar sail, which catches photons the way a ship's sail catches wind. The probe is now riding that photon wind, speeding toward the far side of the sun.
Ikaros is demonstrating the viability of solar sail technology, showing that probes can travel through space without relying on costly (and heavy) chemical propellant. Its success could lead to the development and launch of many more solar sail craft.
Japan's space agency, for example, is planning to launch a solar sail mission to Jupiter around 2019 or 2020, officials have said.
Space Shuttle Program Winds Down
Three of the last-ever space shuttle missions lifted off this year, as NASA prepares to shut down the shuttle program in 2011.
All of the 2010 shuttle missions delivered key parts and supplies to the International Space Station, helping put the finishing touches on the orbiting outpost. On Feb. 8, the shuttle Endeavour blasted off on mission STS-130, ferrying a cupola with seven windows and a robotic control station.
The STS-131 mission of the shuttle Discovery launched April 5, bringing up racks for scientific experiments, as well as new sleeping quarters for the station's crew. Then Atlantis launched May 14 on the STS-132 mission to deliver the Russian-built module known as Rassvet. Rassvet provides additional storage space and serves as a new docking port for Russia's Soyuz and Progress spacecraft.
Discovery was supposed to make another trip to the station this year. Its STS-133 mission — which will deliver a storage room and a humanoid robot called Robonaut 2 — was slated to launch in November, but the discovery of cracks in the shuttle's external fuel tank pushed the mission back to February 2011.
SpaceShipTwo's First Flights
Space tourism made some big strides in 2010, as Virgin Galactic's suborbital space plane SpaceShipTwo took to the skies for the first time.
SpaceShipTwo will eventually ferry customers on joyrides to suborbital space, at $200,000 a pop. The space plane is designed to ride a mothership known as WhiteKnightTwo up to about 50,000 feet (15,240 meters); at that altitude, it will drop off, fire its own rocket engines and cruise up to the edge of space.
Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson publicly unveiled SpaceShipTwo in December 2009. In March 2010, it made its first flight, staying firmly anchored to WhiteKnightTwo the entire time. Then, on October 10, the space plane , detaching from WhiteKnightTwo and gliding back down to Earth.
Next up is a powered test flight, giving SpaceShipTwo the chance to fire its rocket motors. That could take place in early 2011. If all goes well, tourists could be flying to the edge of space by late 2011 or 2012, Virgin Galactic officials have said.
SpaceX Launches, Returns Dragon Capsule
NASA will need help getting cargo to the space station after the space shuttle fleet retires in 2011, and late this year a private company served notice that it's just about ready to step up.
On Dec. 8, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) became the first commercial outfit to from low-Earth orbit — something only six nations or governmental agencies had ever done before.
The California-based company lifted its Dragon capsule into space aboard its Falcon 9 rocket. Dragon orbited Earth twice, then splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico, where SpaceX crews retrieved it.
The mission was the first test flight under NASA's Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, which is designed to foster the development of private vehicles capable of carrying cargo and crew to the International Space Station.SpaceX holds a $1.6 billion NASA contract to make 12 supply flights to the station with Dragon through 2016.
Dragon's next test flight could take it directly to the space station, SpaceX officials have said. The capsule could begin making bona fide supply runs as early as next year.
NASA's New Space Plan
President Barack Obama's new plan for NASA, announced as part of his administration's 2011 budget request, calls for the space agency to shift gears, goals and priorities.
Gone, for example, is the Constellation program, which aimed to take astronauts back to the moon using Ares I and Ares V rockets, along with a spacecraft called Orion. Instead of Constellation, President Obama proposed that NASA work to get by 2025 and then to Mars by the mid-2030s.
NASA's new direction isn't responsible for mothballing the shuttle fleet in 2011; that plan has been in place since 2004. But the new plan looks outside of the space agency to fill the looming hole in low-Earth orbit transportation capability that the shuttle retirement will create.
In the short term, Russian Soyuz spacecraft will ferry cargo and crew to and from the International Space Station. But NASA's new plan aims to spur the development of American commercial space capabilities, with private companies — such as SpaceX and the Virginia-based outfit Orbital Sciences — soon shouldering much of the load.
NASA would then be free to concentrate on more ambitious projects to explore deeper space — the asteroid and Mars missions, for example.
V S/AASTRO/space.com
WORLD SPACE WEEK 2010
World Space Week is observed annually from October 4 to October 10 as announced by the United Nations General Assembly and has been considered as an International Celebration of Science and Technology. This day is observed for its contribution to the improvisation of the human condition. World Space Week is supported by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs with the assistance of World Space Week Association, an NGO.
Each year World Space Week commemorates this week with a mission to encourage, educate and commemorate space exploration across the world through various programs and events centered at a specific theme. For 2008 that theme was "Exploring the Universe", and for 2009 it was "Space for Education.".
The theme for World Space Week 2010 is "Mysteries of the Cosmos."
Throughout history, humans have looked to the heavens and wondered about the universe and our place within it. Today, we are learning much about our universe but, with each answer comes more questions. Not only do the questions deal with the nature of the galaxies and stars, but the nature of life itself. This year World Space Week is a time to probe what we know, what it means, and what we have yet to learn about the mysteries of the cosmos.
World Space Week is a transnational observance of space science and the mileages enjoyed by the human race in terms of space-related technology. Objectives were encouraging public in space exploration, educating children, and promoting international coordination in space-related endeavors.The first World Space Week, held in 2000, was commemorated in 31 countries. The event has grown gradually with 54 countries participating in the year 2009. Participants come from every continent excluding Antarctica.
We have come a long way since the inception of human race, but we are still oblivious of the immense secrets and facts the space and astronomy holds in store for us, which will take years for us to explore.
Let’s celebrate and move a pace ahead towards the next level of development and our destination to explore even new aspects and facets of milky space in 2010, the New Year, which has already ushered in our lives with yet more hopes and with new enthusiasm.
v s / AASTRO
Kepler spacecraft Discovers Multiple Planets Transiting a Single Star
NASA's Kepler spacecraft has discovered the first confirmed planetary system with more than one planet crossing in front of, or transiting, the same star.
The transit signatures of two distinct Saturn-sized planets were seen in the data for a sun-like star designated "Kepler-9." The planets were named Kepler-9b and 9c. The discovery incorporates seven months of observations of more than 156,000 stars as part of an ongoing search for Earth-sized planets outside our solar system. The findings will be published in the issue of journal Science.
Kepler's ultra-precise camera measures tiny decreases in the stars' brightness that occur when a planet transits them. The size of the planet can be derived from these temporary dips.
An artist's concept of two Saturn-sized planets in the Kepler-9 planetary system.
The distance of the planet from the star can be calculated by measuring the time between successive dips as the planet orbits the star. Small variations in the regularity of these dips can be used to determine the masses of planets and detect other non-transiting planets in the system.
In June, mission scientists submitted findings for peer review that identified more than 700 planet candidates in the first 43 days of Kepler data. The data included five additional candidate systems that appear to exhibit more than one transiting planet. The Kepler team recently identified a sixth target exhibiting multiple transits and accumulated enough follow-up data to confirm this multi-planet system.
Scientists refined the estimates of the masses of the planets using observations from the W.M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii. The observations show Kepler-9b is the larger of the two planets, and both have masses similar to but less than Saturn. Kepler-9b lies closest to the star with an orbit of about 19 days, while Kepler-9c has an orbit of about 38 days. By observing several transits by each planet over the seven months of data, the time between successive transits could be analyzed.
In addition to the two confirmed giant planets, Kepler scientists also have identified what appears to be a third, much smaller transit signature in the observations of Kepler-9. That signature is consistent with the transits of a super-Earth-sized planet about 1.5 times the radius of Earth in a scorching, near-sun 1.6 day-orbit. Additional observations are required to determine whether this signal is indeed a planet or an astronomical phenomenon that mimics the appearance of a transit.
For more information about the Kepler mission, visit
Credit: Science@NASA/AASTRO Kerala