Indian Space Station

VYOM, IIST Student Sounding Rocket Launched

Sunday, 13 May 2012 04:21

VYOM, IIST Student Sounding Rocket blasts-off succesfully on 11 May 2012

VYOM, the Sounding Rocket designed by the B.Tech students of IIST showed itself up as a new-born star in the dark cloud-laden skies above the Arabian Sea in the evening hours of 11th May 2012, after lighting up its own 15-km long trail of thick smoke.

The blast-off of VYOM from the launch-pad at the Thumba Equitorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) at 7.25pm was a delight for the IISTians and their family-members who were given the privilege to view it from a nearby location. The crowd of students, scientists, faculty-members and officials waited patiently in eager anticipation of a perfect flight, as the scheduled launch-time was offset by about 55 minutes due to heavy rains and the untimely presence of aircrafts and sea-faring vessels.

Last Updated on Sunday, 13 May 2012 04:34 Read more...

Ruby Year Celebrations at ISRO

Thursday, 10 May 2012 15:43

Ruby Year Celebrations at ISRO Satellite Centre, Bangalore

ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC), Bangalore, the lead Centre of ISRO for design, development, fabrication and testing of all Indian made satellites is celebrating its 40 years of fruitful existence on May 11, 2012. It was May 10, 1972 that the agreement between India and erstwhile USSR was signed to build the first Indian Satellite 'ARYABHATA'-which heralded the satellite activities in the country.

ISAC Campus

Since then, the Centre has built more than 50 satellites that cover a wide spectrum of technologies and applications such as TV broadcasting, telecommunications, Tele-medicine, Distance education, Radio networking, Disaster warning and a number of remote sensing applications in natural resources survey, monitoring and management. Satellites built by ISAC are the key elements of national infrastructure.

From a modest beginning in the industrial sheds of Peenya, Bangalore, ISAC was shifted to its present main campus at HAL Airport Road in the 1980s. The ISRO Satellite Integration and Test Establishment (ISITE) was established in 2006 near Marathahalli for integration and testing of large, high power communication spacecrafts. The Center houses sophisticated design, development and fabrication facilities besides specialized R&D labs. A Space Research Facility (SRF) to augment the assembly and integration capacities and to support special projects of national importance is coming up at Chellakere, near Chitradurga.

Last Updated on Thursday, 10 May 2012 15:57 Read more...

RISAT-1 successfully placed in its final orbit

Sunday, 29 April 2012 14:26

Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-1) successfully placed in its final orbit

The Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-1), launched by PSLV-C19 on April 26, 2012, has now been placed in its final Polar Sun-synchronous Orbit of 536 km height.

It may be recalled that PSLV-C19 had placed RISAT-1 in a polar orbit of 470 km X 480 km. As planned, on April 27-28, 2012, the satellite propulsion system was used in four orbital maneuvers to raise height of the orbit of RISAT-1 to 536 km. The satellite is now in its final orbital configuration and in good health. In the coming days, various elements of the C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar will be tested and calibrated as a prelude to payload operations.

As compared to the optical remote sensing satellites that depend upon sunlight, the Synthetic Aperture Radar of RISAT-1 transmits its own radar pulses (at 5.35 GHz) to study the objects on Earth. This facilitates

cloud penetration and
imaging even without sunlight.

Last Updated on Sunday, 29 April 2012 14:31 Read more...

Countdown commences for PSLV-C19

Monday, 23 April 2012 16:11

Countdown Commences for the Launch of PSLV-C19 Carrying India's First Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-1)

The Launch Authorisation Board (LAB) for Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C19)/Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-1) mission, which met on April 21, 2012 at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota has cleared the launch of PSLV-C19/RISAT-1 mission at 05:47 hrs (IST) on Thursday, April 26, 2012.

The 71-hour countdown commenced at 06:47 hours today (April 23, 2012). During the Countdown, propellant-filling operations of the liquid propellant second stage (PS2) and fourth stage (PS4) of the launch vehicle will be carried out. Besides, mandatory checks on the launch vehicle and spacecraft will be carried out. Also, charging of batteries and pressurisation of propellant tanks onboard the satellite will be performed. Readiness of various ground systems such as tracking radar systems and communication networks will also be checked.

PSLV-C19 will inject RISAT-1 satellite into an orbit of 480 km altitude at an inclination of 97.552o. The satellite will be put in its final orbital configuration at 536 km altitude using thrusters onboard the satellite.

PSLV to launch SPOT-6

Tuesday, 03 April 2012 14:34

PSLV to Launch French Remote Sensing Satellite - SPOT - 6

A commercial Launch Services Agreement between Antrix Corporation Limited (ANTRIX), the commercial arm of ISRO; and ASTRIUM SAS, a Company under EADS, France; has been signed recently. Under this agreement, an advanced Remote Sensing satellite - SPOT -6, weighing nearly 800 kg, built by ASTRIUM SAS, will be launched on-board ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), during the second half of 2012. Along with SPOT - 6 satellite, the PSLV, in its core alone configuration, will also carry other co-passenger payloads.

This Launch Services Agreement signed between ANTRIX and ASTRIUM is a part of the Long Term Agreement signed between the two agencies in September 2008.

It may be recalled that in November 2010, under a commercial contract between ANTRIX and ASTRIUM, an advanced communication satellite HYLAS was successfully built by ISRO and ASTRIUM together for a EUROPEAN customer. In the coming days, further collaboration possibilities between ANTRIX/ISRO and ASTRIUM would be explored.

INSAT-2E completes 13 years

Tuesday, 03 April 2012 14:32

INSAT-2E Completes 13 years of Successful Operation

After 13 years of satisfactory service, INSAT-2E, the last of the five satellites in the INSAT-2 series, has successfully completed its mission life. INSAT-2E was built with a planned mission life of 12 years and continued to function beyond its mission life. Launched on April 3, 1999 by the European Ariane-5 launcher, INSAT-2E was positioned at 830 East longitude in the geostationary orbit.

INSAT-2E carried 14 C-band and 5 lower extended C-band transponders for various communication services. The satellite also carried a Very High Resolution Radiometer and a Charge Coupled Device camera for meteorological observation. It may be recalled that 11 communication transponders of 36 MHz bandwidth onboard INSAT-2E satellite were leased to International Telecommunication Satellite Organisation (INTELSAT), the first such lease from an Indian satellite. INSAT-2E was controlled from Master Control Facility at Hassan.