HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYBODY........

India has successfully crash landed moon probe on moon's surface. Further details will be posted soon..

some pics sent by chandrayaan

Commercial Orbital Transportation Services

Commercial Orbital Transportation popularly referred to as "COTS" could be an exciting prospect for Indian space Industry.

NASA's single space shuttle flight costs more than $500 million and apart from that the shuttle is going to retire after 2010. This has prompted NASA to look for alternative sources to launch cargo to the International Space Station.

In august 2006, NASA awarded COTS to two private entities viz SpaceX and Rocketplane Kistler. SpaceX has twice tried unsuccessfully to launch rocket in space and whereas Kistler is yet to test its launch vehicle.

COTS will be used to transport cargo to International Space Station(ISS). ISS is located approximately 360 km above earth usually called as Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Currently, the transport of cartgo to ISS is done using Russian rocket Soyuz, which can carry payload of 7.5 tonnes in LEO.

Indian launch vehicle PSLV can launch 1.5 tonne satellites in sun synchronous Orbit which has about 600-800 km altitude. while GSLV I can launch satellites weighing upto 5 tonnes in LEO. GSLV III is under process of development which is touted to have capability to launch 10 tonne satellites in LEO.

My Recommendations:

Space Launch industry is growing by leaps and bounds. considering the number of private sector companies like burt rutan's spaceshipone, Bigelow's inflatable orbital outposts and spaceX, the race is becoming more exciting with the fact that commercial viability is being achieved.

India on the lines of Brahmos, should have a joint venture with Russian space agency. The outline of the joint venture would be as follows:

• India will launch all the small & medium satellites of Russia at a zero profit basis.
• Russia will outsource all the small & medium launches to ISRO.
• India will use both of the launch pads(one at sriharikota & other which is under development) for Russian satellite launches at priority basis.
• Russia will concentrate its energies in developing advanced manned space vehicles.
• The joint venture entity will bid for COTS for NASA.
• In return Russia will provide docking tech to isro to incorporate in GSLV.
• GSLV will be used for COTS.
• India will provide for 75% of the funding requirments of the entity.

This entity will help to Russia and India both to tap the emerging space industry. Russia will also get funding for its cash strapped Space industry.

India will benefit technologically and reduce its time required to develop techs for manned space exploration.

Orbital Outposts....Idea gaining ground

A lot of activity is brewing on the lunar race and space tourism. All the countries having requisite technology are in the plans(either short term or long term) to setup a base either in moon or mars. The lunar race comes after a lull of almost 35 years when US first launched its mission to moon. That was the peak of the cold war. The recent developments however are not the cold war race, rather a show of technological prowess and space tourism is encouraged on its commercial viability.

The race to set up a colony on moon has over shadowed the fact that humans still have to perfect the technology to safe long space journeys. Rather we need to focus our energies which can give us some short term successes, which would boost our efforts for long term plans.
Already the ISS (International Space Station) has proved that its is very costly to even host a facility in LEO (low Earth Orbits). we are still unable to even service ISS efficiently. The space shuttles even after flying for so many years cannot be completely reliable for transportation services. The lunar race will rather put financial strain on all the participant nations. When we are still not able to service ISS, is it worthwhile to use those energies for lunar race, just for the reason that it holds water. The rational given for such a race is that it will augment the resources of the humans. are the costs involved in such expeditions justified when we still need not even know about our own planet completely.

If we really feel that the space crunch on our planet can be solved by further expeditions in space, we need to look out alternative low cost options rather than facing uncertain issues in lunar race.

My Recommendations :
The outward expansion of humans will be possible only if we master the art of space travel, conquer the fears of space difficulties, remove the limitations of physics in development of inter-stellar travel. This all will be possible not by launching a mission to moon or mars but rather perfecting the tech to reach low orbits effectively and efficiently.
We should have more low earth posts like ISS where more developmental work can be done and technologies for further travel could be developed. we could have many benefits by having an orbital outposts like :

• Able to more efficiently observe the incoming dangerous asteroids or meteorites.
  
• The development of physics in an completely new environment, which will help us understand space more better and improve our instruments for further travel.
  
• Mining of incoming meteorites for resources.
  
• Space tourism can help to develop more efficient technologies to launch hman in low eartn orbits by involving private sector. (which is already happening). what further can be done is part the profits of such space tourism companies needs to be shared incommon pool so as develop further technologies.
  
• Space crunch will be solved with less resources as compared to costs involved for setting up bases on moon or mars.
  
• Space travel from space to moon or other planets will be very cheap as most energy is required to escape from earth's gravity which will almost missing while travelling from one space-point to other.
  
• Solar energy can be more efficiently converted into energy as no atmosphere is present.
  
• Development of fuels and rockets in space will help earth get rid of GHG(green house gases) generated from launching of these rockets on earth.
  
• Such colonies will also help to deflect some (though miniuscle) of the suns ultraviolet rays and help to cool the warming earth.
  

I see a ring of orbital space colony which will look like saturn's ring from far off. If anybody has seen movie called "Starship Troopers" can understand what kind of space colony am I envisaging.

Well all the above stated developments will take some time but if the resources now used for moon and mars are diverted towards these causes, then the amount of time required can scaled down dramatically. The foremost requirement is to involve private sector in this so as help reduce costs.

If the world does not rise to these facts let it be so, India should instead focus on the above said achievements so that it can reap the benefits and also make profits from it. If we have a orbital posts, they can be good stopover for flights to further travels. So instead using our energies for long travel, lets harness it towards more relevant objectives.....

One Launch, 4 Parts & One Step to Moon

ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) today(January 10, 2007) successfully conducted launch of it tenth flight of their workhorse launch vehicle PSLV from SHAR, Shriharikota. This launch was unique from many aspects for Indian scientists and also an great leap in their faith in indigenous Space Technology.

The homegrown PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) successfully launched India' CARTOSAT - 2 and Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE) -1, Indonesia's LAPAN-TUBSAT and Argentina's PEHEUNSAT. Cartosat had payload of 680 kg, SRE-1 of 550 kg, LAPAN of 56 kg and PEHEUNSAT of 6 kg.

PSLV has made 10 consecutive(including this one) successful launches since 1994. PSLV was actually designed to launch one tonne payload satellites but its capability has been gradually scaled up. The current flight had total payload of about 1292 kg. Its first stage is one of the largest solid propellant boosters in the world. The fourth stage's propellant has been reduced from 2.5 tonnes to 2 tonnes. The first stage's weight has also reduced by 500 kg. This all has led to sugnificant improvement in its payload capacity.

Cartosat was injected into high polar SSO after 981.3 seconds, 45 seconds later 6 kg PEHEUNSAT was injected. 120 sec later SRE got separated and finally 190 seconds later TUBSAT mounted on fourth stage was separated.

For the first time DLA (Dual Launch Adapter) was used for launching the satellites.

Cartosat carries PAN (Panchromatic Camera) with the spatial resolution better than one metre and swath of 9.6 km. The satellite can be steered upto 45 degrees along as well as across the track. The data from it can be used in LIS (Land Information Systems) and GIS (Geographical Information Systems).

SRE is intended to demonstrate the technology of an orbiting platform for performing experiments in microgravity conditions. After completion of experiments, the capsule will be de-orbited and recovered after splashing it into bay of bengal. The results of this experiment will useful for further manned missions to space and use of Resusable rockets for launching satellites, which will immensely reduce the cost of launching. More information is available of ISRO website.

This launch of today has vindicated the technological prowess of India and also proved that inspite of sanctions by developed nations, India can pursue its space ambitions on it own mettle.

This will also re-establish ISRO and its commercial arm Antirx in commercial launch market and bring in valuable forex for the country.

Countdown to PSLV C7

On Janurary 10 morning, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) will be launching PSLV C7 from sriharikota launch range, which, if successful, will catapult India into the league of select nations who have the capability to launch reusable launch vehicle. it would be controlled through Satish Dhawan Space Centre located at Sriharikota.

PSLV launch will include Cartosat-2, used for mapping of earth & environment, two foreign satellites- Indonesia's Lupan & Argentina's Pehuensat. It will also carry experimental reusable launch vehicle. This experimental RLV is to demonstrate the RLV technology and further refine it. This RLV would orbit earth for about 10-15 days then would brought down. Initially, it would land using parachutes and splash into ocean, later the tech would be further refined to make it land like an aircraft.
Successful completion of this mission would mean India can now lower costs of launching satellites and also look forward to manned missions which require such critical technology. Further missions of ISRO include Chandrayaan, manned mission to space and also unmanned mission to Mars.

Indian Age of Spacetech

According to Sources, India is going to test a Reusable Launch Vehicle in the coming PSLV launch scheduled in the second week of January. The forthcoming launch of PSLV(Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) is scheduled between 10-15 january 2007. It will be carrying three satellites, Cartosat II, a foreign made satellite on commercial basis and an experimental space recovery capsule.

All the major countries will be minutely tracking the Indian progress on this front. This technological demonstrator, if successful, will catapult India into the select states who are having this kind of capability. Unlike China, the reentry technology and related technologies are indigenously developed.

India already has a robust PSLV tech to launch satellites in the Polar Synchronous orbit. The PSLV has the capability to launch satellites weighing upto 1.5 ton. India is also in the advanced stages of developing a cryogenic engine for its GSLV, which would be test flown sometime next year. History is proof of the fact that India has always risen as a phoenix from the failure of launch vehicles. Development of all the launch vehicles have preceded by a failure in the respective category. It seems that the history seeks to repeat itself in the case of GSLV too. Though according to me as stated in earlier posts, failure for recent GSLV launch may not be same as stated by the authorities, its better to wait and watch the developments.

Russian Lunar dreams

RUSSIA wants to join Lunar Race started by USA. The article here almost says that Russia is unable to fund its space dreams although it possesses requisite technology to attain its goals.

In a gradual shift of tactics it has now associated itself with several others to complete its ambitions. It has tied up European Space Agency wherein it will supply the technology for launches in form of rockets and boosters while the European Space Agency will give financial aid and help Russia with upgrading Launch facilities. It also wants to enter into similar kind of agreement with USA. Russia's Energia has the requisite technology and complete rpadmap as how to reach for the stars. Earlier in this same column, an article had expounded how Russia is close to attaining Nuclear Propulsion Rocket with speeds almost to 1/10th of the speed of light (albeit these are theoretical findings, actual tests may show a great variance in performance)

The current article also reveals a fact that China's space plans are based on the technology provided by the Russia and it was not an indigenious program as claimed by them at the time of the manned space launch in 2003.

The bottomline is that we too need to acquire tecnology at great speed irrespective of mode of acquiring the same. The end result has become more important than the means used to attain the same. Better India wakes up to these facts or remains always a laggards in the race.....

Space Industryworth $180 Billion

Report Reveals Space Industry At $180 Billion, Outperforming NASDAQ

As per my last post, Space Industry is going to be one of most promising & fastest growing sector. The news on the above specified link confirms the same. India has to make sure that we do not remain behind atleast in this race.....