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Tag: Satish Dhawan Space Centre

  • India’s southern spaceport progressing; to take aim at polar satellites

    India’s southern spaceport progressing; to take aim at polar satellites

    MUMBAI: India is racing to complete its second spaceport on the Tamil Nadu coast, promising to revolutionise the country’s small satellite launch capabilities. The Kulasekarapattinam facility, targetted for commissioning in 2026-27, will unlock dramatic payload improvements that existing infrastructure simply cannot match.

    Minister of state in the prime minister’s office Jitendra Singh told parliament that the Rs 985.96 crore project has consumed Rs 389.58 crore so far, with land acquisition nearly complete and technical facilities under construction. What makes the coastal location special is geography: launching southward over open ocean eliminates the orbital gymnastics required at the existing Satish Dhawan Space Centre.

    The numbers tell the story. India’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle can carry just 300kg to sun-synchronous polar orbits from Kulasekarapattinam—but “inadequate” payloads from the established Sriharikota facility. The problem lies in trajectory: rockets launching from Sriharikota must perform complex manoeuvres to avoid dropping spent stages on populated areas, gutting their carrying capacity.

    Sun-synchronous polar orbits are the sweet spot for earth observation satellites, keeping spacecraft in constant sunlight as they circle the planet. But reaching these orbits from India’s existing spaceport requires fuel-guzzling course corrections that leave little room for actual cargo.

    Kulasekarapattinam changes the equation entirely. The southern facility’s coastal position allows rockets to fly straight into polar trajectories without dodging landmasses or cities. Once operational, the spaceport will handle launches for both ISRO’s Small Satellite Launch Vehicle and equivalent rockets from private companies.

    The project represents India’s push to capture more of the booming small satellite market, where payload efficiency often determines commercial viability. With fabrication of equipment underway at various work centres and construction proceeding on technical facilities, the race is on to bring India’s orbital ambitions down to earth—or rather, up to space—by 2027.

  • ISRO to launch eight satellites using PSLV on 26 September

    ISRO to launch eight satellites using PSLV on 26 September

    MUMBAI: It will be the second satellite launch this month for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). On 26 September 2016 at exactly 9:12 am the PSLV C35 will blast off from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. It will mark the 37th mission and 15 th flight of the PSLV in ‘XL’ configuration (with the use of solid strap-on motors) which will put eight satellites into orbit.

    ISRO will, with the PSLV C35, be undertaking its longest launch and probably most complicated mission ever attempted as it is using the same rocket to launch satellites into two different orbits. The Scatsat-1 satellite, weighing 371 kg for ocean and weather related studies, will be hurled into polar sun synchronous orbit at an altitude of 730 km 17 minutes after liftoff.

    Two Indian universities/ academic institute satellites (Pratham-10kg, IIT – Bombay and Pisat-5.25 kg, PES University, Bengaluru and its consortium) and five foreign satellites will be placed into a 670 km polar orbit. The five co-passenger satellites are from Algeria (three of them – Alsat-1B 103kg, Alsat-2B 117kg, Alsat-1N 7kg), Canada (NLS-19, 8kg) and the US (Pathfinder-44kg).

    What makes the mission complicated is that once Scatscat-1 is launched, the fourth stage engine of the PSLV-C35 will come to a halt. India’s space agency will then keep a tab on the engine health from the ground and will restart it after about 60 minutes for another 20 seconds which will give it the required thrust to take the rocket into the next orbit and release the payload of seven satellites. ISRO has planned to attempt ‘multiple burn technology’ as it is an effective method in cutting costs during satellite launches.

    Earlier this month on 8 September, IISRO had successfully launched its weather satellite INSAT-3DR, a two tonner, using the GSLV-F05, the tenth flight of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), The launch took place from the second launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre. It was significant because it was the first operational flight of GSLV carrying Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS). The indigenously developed CUS was carried on-board for the fourth time during a GSLV flight in the GSLV-F05 flight.

  • ISRO to launch eight satellites using PSLV on 26 September

    ISRO to launch eight satellites using PSLV on 26 September

    MUMBAI: It will be the second satellite launch this month for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). On 26 September 2016 at exactly 9:12 am the PSLV C35 will blast off from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. It will mark the 37th mission and 15 th flight of the PSLV in ‘XL’ configuration (with the use of solid strap-on motors) which will put eight satellites into orbit.

    ISRO will, with the PSLV C35, be undertaking its longest launch and probably most complicated mission ever attempted as it is using the same rocket to launch satellites into two different orbits. The Scatsat-1 satellite, weighing 371 kg for ocean and weather related studies, will be hurled into polar sun synchronous orbit at an altitude of 730 km 17 minutes after liftoff.

    Two Indian universities/ academic institute satellites (Pratham-10kg, IIT – Bombay and Pisat-5.25 kg, PES University, Bengaluru and its consortium) and five foreign satellites will be placed into a 670 km polar orbit. The five co-passenger satellites are from Algeria (three of them – Alsat-1B 103kg, Alsat-2B 117kg, Alsat-1N 7kg), Canada (NLS-19, 8kg) and the US (Pathfinder-44kg).

    What makes the mission complicated is that once Scatscat-1 is launched, the fourth stage engine of the PSLV-C35 will come to a halt. India’s space agency will then keep a tab on the engine health from the ground and will restart it after about 60 minutes for another 20 seconds which will give it the required thrust to take the rocket into the next orbit and release the payload of seven satellites. ISRO has planned to attempt ‘multiple burn technology’ as it is an effective method in cutting costs during satellite launches.

    Earlier this month on 8 September, IISRO had successfully launched its weather satellite INSAT-3DR, a two tonner, using the GSLV-F05, the tenth flight of India’s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), The launch took place from the second launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre. It was significant because it was the first operational flight of GSLV carrying Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS). The indigenously developed CUS was carried on-board for the fourth time during a GSLV flight in the GSLV-F05 flight.

  • ISRO test fires scramjet engine successfully

    ISRO test fires scramjet engine successfully

    MUMBAI: The Indian satellite launch program got a shot in the arm this morning at 6 am with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully test firing its Supersonic Combustion Ramjet (scramjet) or air breathing engine from the spaceport of Sriharikota.

    Usually rocket engines carry both fuel and an oxidiser tank on board for combustion, scramjets use oxygen from the atmosphere The newly developed engines make the spacecraft’s weight ligher, smaller and faster – thereby reducing launch costs.

    Two scramjets were used on a RH-560 big sounding rocket that took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. 11 km into space and 55 seconds into flight, the two scramjets were tested for six seconds. And the tests proved successful.

    Scientists from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) who were at Sriharikota had earlier told The Times of India that the Air-Breathing Propulsion System (ABPS) technology scramjets would be used to power the advanced reusable launch vehicle, which can return to earth after depositing the payload into its designation orbit.

    The scramjet test was planned for July 21 this year but was postponed as ISRO was assisting in the search operations to locate the missing IAF aircraft AN-32.

    After a smooth countdown of 12 hours, the solid rocket booster carrying the scramjet engines, lifted off at 0600 hrs (6:00 am) IST. The important flight events, namely, burn out of booster rocket stage, ignition of second stage solid rocket, functioning of Scramjet engines for 5 seconds followed by burn out of the second stage took place exactly as planned.

    After a flight of about 300 seconds, the vehicle touched down in the Bay of Bengal, approximately 320 km from Sriharikota. The vehicle was successfully tracked during its flight from the ground stations at Sriharikota.

    With this flight, critical technologies such as ignition of air breathing engines at supersonic speed, holding the flame at supersonic speed, air intake mechanism and fuel injection systems have been successfully demonstrated.

    The scramjet engine designed by ISRO uses Hydrogen as fuel and the Oxygen from the atmospheric air as the oxidiser. Today’s test was the maiden short duration experimental test of ISRO’s scramjet engine with a hypersonic flight at Mach 6. ISRO’s Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV), which is an advanced sounding rocket, was the solid rocket booster used for today’s test of scramjet engines at supersonic conditions. ATV carrying scramjet engines weighed 3277 kg at lift-off.

    ATV is a two stage spin stabilised launcher with identical solid motors (based on Rohini RH560 sounding rocket) as the first as well as the second stage (booster and sustainer). The twin scramjet engines were mounted on the back of the second stage. Once the second stage reached the desired conditions for engine “Start-up”, necessary actions were initiated to ignite the Scramjet engines and they functioned for about 5 seconds. Today’s ATV flight operations were based on a pre-programmed sequence.

    Some of the technological challenges handled by ISRO during the development of Scramjet engine include the design and development of Hypersonic engine air intake, the supersonic combustor, development of materials withstanding very high temperatures, computational tools to simulate hypersonic flow, ensuring performance and operability of the engine across a wide range of flight speeds, proper thermal management and ground testing of the engines.

    India is the fourth country to demonstrate the flight testing of scramjet engine. The successful technology demonstration of air-breathing scramjet engines in flight by ISRO today is a modest yet important milestone in its endeavour to design and develop advanced air breathing engines including engines for ISRO’s future space transportation system.

  • ISRO test fires scramjet engine successfully

    ISRO test fires scramjet engine successfully

    MUMBAI: The Indian satellite launch program got a shot in the arm this morning at 6 am with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully test firing its Supersonic Combustion Ramjet (scramjet) or air breathing engine from the spaceport of Sriharikota.

    Usually rocket engines carry both fuel and an oxidiser tank on board for combustion, scramjets use oxygen from the atmosphere The newly developed engines make the spacecraft’s weight ligher, smaller and faster – thereby reducing launch costs.

    Two scramjets were used on a RH-560 big sounding rocket that took off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. 11 km into space and 55 seconds into flight, the two scramjets were tested for six seconds. And the tests proved successful.

    Scientists from the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) and Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) who were at Sriharikota had earlier told The Times of India that the Air-Breathing Propulsion System (ABPS) technology scramjets would be used to power the advanced reusable launch vehicle, which can return to earth after depositing the payload into its designation orbit.

    The scramjet test was planned for July 21 this year but was postponed as ISRO was assisting in the search operations to locate the missing IAF aircraft AN-32.

    After a smooth countdown of 12 hours, the solid rocket booster carrying the scramjet engines, lifted off at 0600 hrs (6:00 am) IST. The important flight events, namely, burn out of booster rocket stage, ignition of second stage solid rocket, functioning of Scramjet engines for 5 seconds followed by burn out of the second stage took place exactly as planned.

    After a flight of about 300 seconds, the vehicle touched down in the Bay of Bengal, approximately 320 km from Sriharikota. The vehicle was successfully tracked during its flight from the ground stations at Sriharikota.

    With this flight, critical technologies such as ignition of air breathing engines at supersonic speed, holding the flame at supersonic speed, air intake mechanism and fuel injection systems have been successfully demonstrated.

    The scramjet engine designed by ISRO uses Hydrogen as fuel and the Oxygen from the atmospheric air as the oxidiser. Today’s test was the maiden short duration experimental test of ISRO’s scramjet engine with a hypersonic flight at Mach 6. ISRO’s Advanced Technology Vehicle (ATV), which is an advanced sounding rocket, was the solid rocket booster used for today’s test of scramjet engines at supersonic conditions. ATV carrying scramjet engines weighed 3277 kg at lift-off.

    ATV is a two stage spin stabilised launcher with identical solid motors (based on Rohini RH560 sounding rocket) as the first as well as the second stage (booster and sustainer). The twin scramjet engines were mounted on the back of the second stage. Once the second stage reached the desired conditions for engine “Start-up”, necessary actions were initiated to ignite the Scramjet engines and they functioned for about 5 seconds. Today’s ATV flight operations were based on a pre-programmed sequence.

    Some of the technological challenges handled by ISRO during the development of Scramjet engine include the design and development of Hypersonic engine air intake, the supersonic combustor, development of materials withstanding very high temperatures, computational tools to simulate hypersonic flow, ensuring performance and operability of the engine across a wide range of flight speeds, proper thermal management and ground testing of the engines.

    India is the fourth country to demonstrate the flight testing of scramjet engine. The successful technology demonstration of air-breathing scramjet engines in flight by ISRO today is a modest yet important milestone in its endeavour to design and develop advanced air breathing engines including engines for ISRO’s future space transportation system.

  • ISRO successfully flight tested India’s Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD)

    ISRO successfully flight tested India’s Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD)

    MUMBAI: On May 23, 2016 ISRO successfully flight tested India’s first winged body aerospace vehicle operating in hypersonic flight regime.   

    In this experimental mission, the HS9 solid rocket booster carrying RLV-TD lifted off from the First Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota at 07:00hr IST.  After a successful flight of 91.1second, HS9 burn out occurred, following which both HS9 and RLV-TD mounted on its top coasted to a height of about 56 km. At that height, RLV-TD separated from HS9 booster and further ascended to a height of about 65km.  

    From that peak altitude of 65 km, RLV-TD began its descent followed by atmospheric re-entry at around Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound). The vehicle’s Navigation, Guidance and Control system accurately steered the vehicle during this phase for safe descent. After successfully surviving a high temperatures of re-entry with the help of its Thermal Protection System (TPS), RLV-TD successfully glided down to the defined landing spot over Bay of Bengal, at a distance of about 450km from Sriharikota, thereby fulfilling its mission objectives. The vehicle was successfully tracked during its flight from ground stations at Sriharikota and a shipborne terminal. Total flight duration from launch to landing of this mission of the delta winged RLV-TD, lasted for about 770seconds.

    In this flight, critical technologies such as autonomous navigation, guidance & control, reusable thermal protection system and re-entry mission management have been successfully validated.

     

  • ISRO successfully flight tested India’s Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD)

    ISRO successfully flight tested India’s Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD)

    MUMBAI: On May 23, 2016 ISRO successfully flight tested India’s first winged body aerospace vehicle operating in hypersonic flight regime.   

    In this experimental mission, the HS9 solid rocket booster carrying RLV-TD lifted off from the First Launch Pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota at 07:00hr IST.  After a successful flight of 91.1second, HS9 burn out occurred, following which both HS9 and RLV-TD mounted on its top coasted to a height of about 56 km. At that height, RLV-TD separated from HS9 booster and further ascended to a height of about 65km.  

    From that peak altitude of 65 km, RLV-TD began its descent followed by atmospheric re-entry at around Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound). The vehicle’s Navigation, Guidance and Control system accurately steered the vehicle during this phase for safe descent. After successfully surviving a high temperatures of re-entry with the help of its Thermal Protection System (TPS), RLV-TD successfully glided down to the defined landing spot over Bay of Bengal, at a distance of about 450km from Sriharikota, thereby fulfilling its mission objectives. The vehicle was successfully tracked during its flight from ground stations at Sriharikota and a shipborne terminal. Total flight duration from launch to landing of this mission of the delta winged RLV-TD, lasted for about 770seconds.

    In this flight, critical technologies such as autonomous navigation, guidance & control, reusable thermal protection system and re-entry mission management have been successfully validated.

     

  • Satellite requirements for next decade being analysed: Jitendra Singh

    Satellite requirements for next decade being analysed: Jitendra Singh

    NEW DELHI: An expert committee has been constituted by the Government to carry out detailed analysis considering the launch requirements of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the next decade, keeping in view that a number of countries have requested India to launch their satellites.

     

    The committee will also study the azimuth corridor for flight path, impact points of spent stages, safety zones and mission requirements. The report of the committee is expected to be finalised by October this year. 

     

    ISRO has two satellite launch pads at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, which is the main spaceport of the country. These launch pads have been built with state-of-the-art technology and also are designed and built to withstand cyclones. 

     

    Meanwhile in reply to another question in Parliament today, Department of Space Minister Jitendra Singh said the GSAT-12 satellite launched on 15 July 2011 is providing linkage for the telemedicine network to the extent of supporting 384 telemedicine centers in the country. 

     

    It is thus carrying out a part of the work that had been assigned for a communication satellite GSAT-5P carrying 24 C-band and 12 Extended C-band transponders which was launched on 25 December 2010 on-board GSLV-F06 but could not accomplish the mission due to launch failure.

     

    The transponder capacity on GSAT-5P was planned to augment the INSAT/GSAT capacity for supporting ongoing satellite communication services including telemedicine.