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
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.
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.
On the backdrop of World Space Week, AASTRO conducted an Astronomy lecture on 8th October at department of Physics, University College, Thiruvananthapuram. The lecture was given by Shri.S. Rajashekar, who is a scientist from ISRO on the topic "Mysteries of the cosmos" which is the theme of present year's space week. It was a colourful presentation about the various wonders and mysteries in the universe that fire human imagination and inspire thrill. The function, presided over by AASTRO office bearer Shri. Vaisakhan Thampi,and was formally inaugurated by Dr. K. Madhosoodanan Pillai, Head of the Department of Physics, University College. Around 50 people including teachers, undergraduate and post-graduate students in the department were present for the talk.
As part of its World Space Week celebrations, AASTRO -Thiruvananthapuram chapter conducted a lecture series on 7th October for students and public. The program started at 3 pm at the seminar hall of Kerala State Science and Technology Museum, PMG, Thiruvananthapuram. The first lecture was presented by Dr. Thirtha Pratim Das, Scientist, VSSC about 'Discovery of H2O on Moon'. Dr. T. P. Das, with the aid of beautiful slides, lucidly presented the chronological development of the explorations that finally confirmed the presence of water on moon. The second lecture was presented by Prof. K. Pappootty, Director, State Institute of Encyclopedic Publications and President of AASTRO, about 'Astronomy and Astrology'. He briefly explained the difference between the purely scientific concepts of of Astronomy and the superstitious interpretations given to them. The lectures were followed by interactive sessions where the audience could clear their queries.
ISRO Centralised Recruitment Board (ICRB) has invited applications from candidates having Post Graduate Degree in Engineering/Science for the recruitment to Scientists/Engineers 'SC'.
Candidates with Post Graduate Degree in Engineering [ME/M.Tech/MSc (Engg) or equivalent] having First Class with an aggregate minimum of 60% or CGPA/CPI grading of 6.5 on a 10 scale or equivalent and pre-eligibility qualification of BE/B Tech/B Sc (Engg) or equivalent having First class with an aggregate of 65% (Average of all semesters) areeligible to apply for the following posts and specialisation:
1. Scientist/Engineer-SC [Control Systems/Control Dynamics] :
Control Systems/Control Dynamics (ME/ MTech or equivalent in Control Systems/Control Dynamics)
2. Scientist/Engineer-SC [Structual Engineering] :
Structural Engineering (ME/M Tech in Structural Engg or equivalent with BE/B.Tech in Mech. Engg)
3. Scientist/Engineer-SC [Industrial Engineering] :
Industrial Engineering (ME/M Tech in Industrial Engg or equivalent with BE/B.Tech in Mech. Engg)
4. Scientist/Engineer-SC [Industrial Safety] :
Industrial Safety (ME/M Tech or equivalent in Industrial Safety with BE/B Tech in Mechanical /Chemical Engg)
5. Scientist/Engineer-SC [Micro Electronics/MEMS] :
Micro Electronics/MEMS (ME/M Tech or equivalent in Micro Electronics)
6. Scientist/Engineer-SC [Digital Electronics/Avionics] :
Digital Electronics/Avionics (ME/M Tech or equivalent in Avionics/Digital Electronics)
7. Scientist/Engineer-SC [RF and Microwave] :
RF,Microwave and Antenna (ME/M Tech in Electronics with RF/Communication/ Microwave / Radar or equivalent)
8. Scientist/Engineer-SC [Material Science] :
Material Science ( ME/M Tech or equivalent in Material Science)
9. Scientist/Engineer-SC [Optics/Applied Optics] :
Optics/Applied Optics ( ME/M Tech or equivalent in Optics/Applied optics)
10.Scientist/Engineer-SC [Mechanical/Machine Design] :
Mechanical/Machine Design (ME/M Tech or equivalent in Machine Design/CAD/CAE with BE/ B Tech in Mechanical Engg)
Candidates with MSc Degree having First Class with an aggregate minimum of 65% (Average of all semesters) or CGPA/CPI grading of 6.5 on a 10 scale or equivalent are eligible to apply for the folowing posts and specialisation:
Candidates can register through the website link: http://www.isac.gov.in/CentralME/advt.jsp.
Prior to the application formality, the candidate has to make a DD for Rs.100/- as application fee, from any of the Nationalized Bank in favour of the Sr. Accounts Officer, ISRO HQ, Bangalore, payable at Bangalore for entry of the details online. Women candidates, Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Persons with Disabilities (PWD) candidates are exempted from payment of Application Fee.
After filing the application, on-line, the applicant has to send the DD with his Full Name (as entered in web), Post Number and Registration No. written on the reverse of the DD to Sr. Administrative Officer (ICRB), ISRO Headquarters, Antariksh Bhavan, New BEL Road, Bangalore - 560231 by ordinary post superscribing on the envelope "ISRO RECRUITMENT-SCI/ENGR-SC(ME/M.TECH/MSc)".
Women candidates, SC/ST and PWD candidates will have to send the certificate indicated against each category, as below, to Sr.Administrative Officer (ICRB) , ISRO HQ, Antariksh Bhavan, New BEL Road, Bangalore -560 231 duly indicating the Name, Post No. and Reg.No. on the reverse:
a) Women Candidate - Gender certificate issued by the Principal of the College where last studied OR attested copy of PAN Card / Voter's ID Card/ College ID Card / Passport / Driving License / Ration Card
b) SC/ST candidates - Attested copy of Caste Certificate
c) Persons with disabilities (PWD) - Attested copy of medical certificate issued by Medical Board
Last date for submission of application is 13th August 2010.
A team of Indian space scientists has established that the indigenously built cryogenic engine had ignited for a second during the failed last GSLV mission .
"This took place for a second and then the fuel supply to power turbo got blocked. Indian Space Research Organisation chairman and we knew this on Thursday but then we wanted to be doubly sure about it. And now this has been substantiated with the data. By all means this is a great achievement," said a senior scientist.He added that they have with them records to prove that compression had taken place and the cryogenic engine had ignited. The GSLV D3 blasted off with a GSAT 4 satellite around 5 pm. Thursday from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh but then stopped emitting signals within minutes.
A high-level meeting held to review the flight data of the failed mission.It was at ISRO's centre at Valiyamala, in Thiruvananthapuram, that the cryogenic project took shape from the design stage to the assembly stage.
Thiruvananthapuram : India's top space scientists are meeting in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday to analyse the data and find the cause for failure of GSLV-D3 rocket that was launched for the first time on Thursday using an indigenously made cryogenic engine. As per the initial indications, the problem could have been related to the ignition of the cryogenic engine leading to the rocket tumbling, losing altitude and finally plunging into sea little over eight minutes after the lift-off from Sriharikota spaceport.
The meeting would be chaired by S Ramakrishnan, Director (Projects), Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). The flight-testing of the indigenous cryogenic engine and the stage as part of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D3) mission was not successful, dashing India's hopes of joining the elite club of space-faring nations possessing the complex technology required for launching heavier satellites. The Thiruvananthapuram-based VSSC is the major centre of ISRO, where the design and development activities of satellite launch vehicles and sounding rockets are carried out and made ready for launch operations.
"The problem may be related to the ignition of the main engine. But it (the analysis) is going to be a tricky affair as the data we got is limited," the official said. ISRO officials would analyse the flight data in terms of parameters such as pressure and temperature and hold discussions on corrective measures to be taken for the next flight test of the indigenous cryogenic engine and stage within the next one year. GSLV-D3 vehicle lifted off as planned at 4.27 pm from the spaceport of Sriharikota after a countdown procedure lasting 29 hours. The countdown went off as planned. GSLV-D3 vehicle performance was normal up to the end of the second stage lasting 293 seconds. Afterwards, the cryogenic stage was to ignite and burn for about 720 seconds to provide the necessary velocity to inject the GSAT-4 satellite, carried by the rocket, into the intended geosynchronous transfer orbit, but things did not go as planned in that phase.
The Moon Minerology Mapper (M3) on Chandrayaan-1, which famously discovered the presence of water and hydroxyl molecules on the lunar surface material last year, has now identified a new lunar rock type on the far side of the moon. The M3 is a NASA instrument. This was reported here on Monday by Carle Pieters of Brown University, lead author of the present study, at the Sixth Chandrayaan-1 Science Meeting being held at the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), a unit of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The rock-type is dominated by a mineral termed as ‘magnesium spinel.’ Spinel is a generic name given to a class of minerals having the chemical formula AB{-2}O{-4} and the usual spinel formations found in lunar rocks is an iron-magnesium admixture of the form (Mg, Fe)(Al, Cr){-2}O{-4}. These rocks are usually found along with magnesium-iron silicate (olivine) and calcium-rich aluminium silicate (pyroxene).
Unique feature
According to Professor Pieters, the interesting feature of the new rock type is that it is exclusively composed of magnesium-rich spinel “with no detectable pyroxene or olivine present.” This, she said, does not easily fit with current lunar crustal evolution models.
Rich in anorthosites
The generally accepted characterisation of the lunar crust is based principally on retrieved lunar material by the Apollo-Luna missions and meteorite samples. The crust is described as a rocky accumulation, basically rich in calcium-aluminium silicates (anorthosites) infused with a mix of compounds containing magnesium and iron (‘mafic’ minerals).
However, the western ring of the Moscoviense Basin of the moon appears to be one of the several discrete areas that exhibit unusual compositions relative to their surroundings, but without morphological evidence for separate geological processes leading to their exposure.
The findings are based on data acquired by M3 in January 2009 during the first observation period of Chandrayaan-1 from its initial 100 km altitude orbit over a 40 km wide strip field of view, with a spatial resolution of 140 m/pixel. The mapping was done using the emission spectrum of the surface over the wavelength region 460-3000 nanometres with a spectral resolution of 20-40 nm.
Five anomalous areas
The general composition of the area observed had a low abundance of mafic minerals and a high abundance of feldspathic minerals such as pyroxene. While this was consistent with earlier observations, five anomalous areas that are widely separated were seen along the lower elevations of the ring (see pic.). Interestingly, no unusual feature or any compositional boundary was seen for any of these areas.
Calcium-rich pyroxene is prominent in areas 2 and some parts of 3 and 4. Olivine is prominent across 5 and parts of 4. In contrast, the whole of region 1 and part of region 3 were exceptionally dark in the images. This, according to Professor Pieters, is because of the high absorption that the areas seem to have in the 2000 nm region, together with the near complete absence of pyroxene or olivine (less than 5 per cent) as indicated by the lack of any absorption around 1000 nm.
While regions rich in olivine or pyroxenes have been seen in other basins, this is the first time a magnesium-rich spinel region has been identified. “The clear interpretation of these spectra is that the surfaces represent a new rock type dominated by magnesium-rich spinel with no other detectable mafic minerals,” Professor Pieters said.
No easy explanation
There does not seem to be any easy explanation for the occurrence of these spinel formations. Since magnesium-spinels have been seen in some asteroids, one possible explanation is that the source is exogenous asteroid or comet impacts. However, there is no evidence of any impact or dispersion of rubble pile and the like from the impact’s aftermath.
An interesting feature of the Moscoviense Basin is that the crust in the region is much thinner, compared to other basins. This is indicative of a magma upturning over much recent time scales as compared to other regions. Also this offers one possible explanation for the occurrence of magnesium-rich minerals because these are very dense and would have been deposited right at the bottom during the cooling and crystallization of the crust. The recent upturning may have brought it up from the lunar deep crust during the basin formation, Professor Pieters pointed out.
Lunar crust origin
But that still does not explain the localised nature of the anomalous regions that extend only about a few kilometres across, she said. “Creating foreign deposits without a trace of their origin is hard to do. We, therefore, favour a lunar crust origin,” she said. “But even that interpretation is not entirely satisfactory. We need to fully characterise the morphology of the anomalous regions with high resolution data from TMC [ISRO’s Terrain Mapping Camera] images,” she added.
The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) at Thiruvananthapuram today launched as many as 11 Rohini series of indigenous sounding rockets to investigate the effects of the annular solar eclipse on the atmosphere.
The longest annular eclipse of this millennium occurred today and was visible best from the southern tip of the country.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said the rockets were launched from the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) at Thumba in Thiruvananthapuram district and the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), Sriharikota.
All the payloads (scientific instruments) of the rockets were developed in-house by VSSC, an ISRO press release said.
According to it, yesterday, two Rohini sounding rockets of the type RH 300 Mk II were launched at 12:20 pm and 1:05 pm respectively. This was followed by two RH 200 launches at 1:07 pm and 3 pm.
Following the same pattern, another four launches were carried out today. Later, one more sounding rocket of RH 300 Mk II type was launched at 4 pm today. Two larger Rohini rockets of the series RH 560 MK II were also launched from SDSC, one each yesterday and today, which had a peak altitude of 548 km.
Today at around IST 1:14 pm, the eclipse passed close to TERLS with 91% obscuration. The obscuration of Sun during the eclipse was about 11 min 08 sec. The maximum obscuration occurred around 1:15 pm. All the sounding rocket launches were conducted to study the effects of the annular solar eclipse on the atmospheric structure and dynamics, the release said.
The release said many scientifically interesting phenomena occur in the diurnal equatorial atmosphere. Equatorial Electrojet (EEJ), Equatorial Ionization Anomaly (EIA) and Equatorial Temperature and Wind Anomaly (ETWA) are examples of such phenomena.
When a solar eclipse occurs, there will be a sudden cut-off of solar radiation. This cut-off will affect the atmospheric structure and dynamics and there will be a large reduction in ionization and temperature.
The release said today's eclipse offered a unique opportunity to scientists to investigate the effects of fast varying solar flux on the photochemistry and electrodynamics of the different atmospheric regions, especially the equatorial mesopause and ionosphere-thermosphere regions.
The main payload instruments that flew in the sounding rockets during these experiments are:
Langmuir Probes and Electric Field Probes to study the characteristics of E-region plasma waves and generation process associated with sub-meter waves in relation to plasma temperature.
Trimethyl Aluminum Experiment (TMA) to derive neutral winds using TMA trails, ground based photography and a chain of magnetometers.
Electron density and Neutral Wind (ENWi) Probe consisting of a velocity probe and a Langmuir probe, for measurement of ionospheric E-region neutral winds, electron density and irregularity strength.
Earth's Atmospheric Composition Explorer (EACE) - to make very fast measurements on the neutral atmospheric composition. The measurements were taken in a scanning mode during the ascent and descent of the rocket flights during and after the eclipse.
Chaff Experiment to investigate the temperature and horizontal wind perturbations in the middle atmosphere.
The release said the results of these experiments will coordinate ground-based eclipse observations with in situ space measurements. Interpretation of eclipse data together with space data is expected to give new insights to the earlier eclipse observations.
This was the first ISRO effort to realise sounding rocket systems for a record 11 flights during a short period of two days from TERLS and SDSC, the release added.
Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Conducts a Series of Sounding Rocket Launches to Study the Annular Solar Eclipse on January 14, 2010.
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