General Science – 4 - India in Space

 

Shiksha Mein Sahayog - Hamara Sankalp

General Science – 4 - India in Space

Genesis of Indian Space Programme

The space research activities were initiated in India during the early 1960’s, when applications using satellites were in experimental stages even in the United States. With the live transmission of Tokyo Olympic Games across the Pacific by the American Satellite ‘Syncom-3’ demonstrating the power of communication satellites, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the founding father of Indian space programme, quickly recognized the benefits of space technologies for India.

Important Terminologies and Abbreviations

ISRO - Indian Space Research Organisation – HQ at Bangalore

INSAT - Indian National Satellite 

TERLS - Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station at Thumba near Thiruvanathapuram.

SITE - Satellite Telecommunication Earth Station

STEP - Satellite Telecommunication Experiments Project

SLV - Satellite Launch Vehicle

ASLV - Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle

GSLV - Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle - is an expendable launch system operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). GSLV was used in fourteen launches from 2001 to 2021, with more launches planned. Even though GSLV Mark III shares the name, it is an entirely different launch vehicle.

PSLV - Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle - is an expendable medium-lift launch vehicle designed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was developed to allow India to launch its Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites into sun-synchronous orbits

APPLE - Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment

INCOSPAR - Indian National Committee for Space Research

DOS - Department of Space                

RLV - Reusable Launch Vehicle - Technology Demonstration Program

GAGAN - GPS-aided GEO augmented navigation - is an implementation of a regional satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) by the Government of India

IRNSS - Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System

NavIC - Navigation with Indian Constellation - is an autonomous regional satellite navigation system that provides accurate real-time positioning and timing services

LUPEX - Lunar Polar Exploration Mission - is a joint Indo-Japanese mission to study the surface of polar moon where India is tasked with providing soft landing technologies.

NISAR - NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) is a joint Indo-US radar project carrying an L Band and an S Band radar. It will be world's first radar imaging satellite to use dual frequencies

GPS - Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS - is a satellite-based radio-navigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force

AVATAR - Aerobic Vehicle for Trans atmospheric Hypersonic Aerospace TrAnspoRtation - is a concept study for a robotic single-stage reusable spaceplane capable of horizontal take-off and landing, by India's Defence Research and Development Organisation

Major milestones in Indian Space Programme

1.       Indian Space Programme began at Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) located at Thumba near Thiruvanathapuram. The geomagnetic equator of the earth passes over Thumba.

2.       On November 21, 1963, the first sounding rocket was launched from TERLS.

The first rocket, a Nike-Apache was procured from the USA. A sounding rocket is a rocket, which is intended for assessing the physical parameters of the upper atmosphere.

3.       The Satellite Telecommunication Earth Station was set up at Ahmedabad on January 1, 1967.

4.       India’s first indigenous sounding rocket, RH-75, was launched on November 20, 1967.

5.       Aryabhata - First Indian Satellite was launched on April 19, 1975. It was launched from the former Soviet Union. It provided India with the basis of learning satellite technology and designing.

6.       During January 1, 1977 — January 1, 1979, Satellite Telecommunication Experiments Project (STEP), a joint project of ISRO-and Post and Telegraphs Department (P&T) using the Franco-German Symphonie satellite was taken up. Conceived as a sequel to SITE which focused on Television, STEP was for telecommunication experiments.

7.       Bhaskara-I - an experimental satellite for earth observations was launched on June 7, 1979.

Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV-3) is the first launch vehicle of India.

8.       Second Experimental launch of SLV-3, Rohini satellite successfully placed in orbit. (July 18, 1980).

9.       Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment (APPLE), an experimental geo-stationary communication satellite was successfully launched on June 19, 1981.

It became the forerunner for future communication satellite system.

10.   On April 2, 1984, the first Indo-Soviet manned space mission was launched. Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian citizen to go into space. He flew aboard in the Soviet rocket Soyuz T-11, as part of a three-member Soviet-Indian crew.

11.   The first operational Indian Remote Sensing Satellite, IRS-1A was launched on March 17, 1988.

12.   On March 24, 1987, the first developmental launch of Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) that supported a larger payload than the SLV-3 and was meant to be low-cost happened.

13.   The first developmental launch of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)-D1 with GSAT-1 on board took off from Sriharikota on April 18, 2001. It was developed keeping in mind the heavier and more demanding Geosynchronous communication satellites.

14.   INSAT-4CR weighing 2130 kg and launched by GSLV-F04 on September 2, 2007 is the heaviest satellite launched from India.

15.   Second developmental launch of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) with IRS-P2, on board took place on October 15, 1994. Satellite successfully placed in Polar Sunsynchronous Orbit.

16.   PSLV-C11 successfully launches CHANDRAYAAN-1 from Sriharikota on October 22, 2008. Chandrayaan-1 is a scientific investigation – by spacecraft – of the Moon.

The name Chandrayaan means “Chandra- Moon, Yaan-vehicle”, –in Indian languages (Sanskrit and Hindi) , – the lunar spacecraft. Chandrayaan-1 is the first Indian planetary science and exploration mission. Chandrayaan-1 was operational for 312 days till August 28, 2009.

17.   November 5, 2013 - PSLV - C25 successfully launches Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan) Spacecraft from Sriharikota.

18.   Gaganyaan Programme - Cabinet has approved Indian Human Spaceflight Initiative - Gaganyaan Programme. Two unmanned & one manned flight has been planned. Estimates for Phase-I expenditure- Rs 9023 Crores.

19.   Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, GSLV MkIII-M1 rocket, carrying Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on July 22, 2019. Chandrayaan-2 is India's second mission to the moon. It comprises a fully indigenous Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan). The Rover Pragyan is housed inside Vikram lander.

Chandrayaan-2 has several science payloads to facilitate a more detailed understanding of the origin and evolution of the Moon. To know more about Chandrayan 2.

20.   India’s PSLV-C47 successfully launched Cartosat-3 and 13 commercial nanosatellites from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota on November 27, 2019.

ISRO - Indian Space Research Organisation

The Indian Space Research Organisation is the national space agency of India, headquartered in Bengaluru. It operates under the Department of Space (DOS) which is directly overseen by the Prime Minister of India, while Chairman of ISRO acts as executive of DOS as well.

The Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) was set up by Dr. Vikram Sarabhai in 1962 to formulate the Indian Space Programme. At the time, the committee was part of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. The committee took over the responsibilities of the Department of Atomic Energy in space science and research.

INCOSPAR took the decision to set up Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) at Thumba on the southern tip of India. INCOSPAR was superseded by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1969.

In 1972, the Government of India had set up a Space Commission and the Department of Space (DOS), bringing ISRO under the DOS. The establishment of ISRO thus institutionalised space research activities in India.

ISRO built India's first satellite, Aryabhata, which was launched by the Soviet Union on 19 April 1975. In 1980, ISRO launched satellite RS-1 onboard its own SLV-3 making India the sixth country to be capable of undertaking orbital launches.

ISRO has the world's largest constellation of remote-sensing satellites and operates the two-satellite navigation systems GAGAN and NAVIC. It has sent two missions to the Moon and one to Mars.

Goals in near future include expanding satellites fleet, landing a rover on Moon, sending humans into space, development of a semi-cryogenic engine, sending more unmanned missions to the Moon, Mars, Venus and Sun and deployment of more space telescopes in orbit to observe cosmic phenomena and outer space beyond the Solar System.

Long-term plans include development of reusable launchers, heavy and super heavy launch vehicles, deploying a space station, sending exploration missions to external planets like Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune and asteroids and manned missions to moons and planets.

Human Spaceflight Programme

First proposal to send humans into space was discussed in ISRO in 2006 which subsequently led to the beginning of work on required infrastructure and spacecraft. The trials for crewed space missions began in 2007 with the 600 kg Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE), launched using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket, and safely returned to earth 12 days later.

A space capsule recovery experiment in 2014 a pad abort test in 2018 were followed by PM Modi's announcement on Independence Day address 15 August 2018 that India will send astronauts into space by 2022 on the new Gaganyaan spacecraft.

Astronaut training and other facilities

The newly established Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) will coordinate the IHSF campaign, The training of four Indian Air Force personnel was undertaken in Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center and was completed in March 2021.

Crewed spacecraft

ISRO is working towards an orbital crewed spacecraft that can operate for seven days in a low Earth orbit. The spacecraft, called Gaganyaan, will be the basis of the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme. The spacecraft is being developed to carry up to three people, As of February 2021, the crewed mission is planned to be launched on ISRO's GSLV Mk III in 2023

Space station

India plans to build a space station as a follow-up programme of the Gaganyaan mission. ISRO chairman K. Sivan has said that India will not join the International Space Station programme and will instead build a 20 tonne space station on its own. It is expected to be placed in a low Earth orbit at 400-kilometre (250 mi) altitude and be capable of harbouring three humans for 15–20 days. The rough timeframe is five to seven years after completion of the Gaganyaan project

 

Satellite Launch Vehicles of India

During the 1960s and 1970s, India initiated its own launch vehicles owing to geopolitical and economic considerations. In the 1960s–1970s, the country developed a sounding rocket, and by the 1980s, research had yielded the Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 and the more advanced Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV), complete with operational supporting infrastructure.

 ISRO further applied its energies to the advancement of launch vehicle technology resulting in the realisation of the successful PSLV and GSLV vehicles.

Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV)

Satellite Launch Vehicle (known as SLV-3) was the first space rocket to be developed by India. The initial launch in 1979 was a failure followed by a successful launch in 1980 making India sixth country in world with orbital launch capability. The development of bigger rockets was pushed ahead thereafter.

Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV)

Augmented or Advanced Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV) was another small launch vehicle realised in 1980s to develop technologies required to place satellites into geostationary orbit.

ISRO did not have adequate funds to develop ASLV and PSLV at once. Since ASLV suffered repeated failures, it was dropped in favour of a new project.

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)

Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle or PSLV is the first medium-lift launch vehicle from India which enabled India to launch all its remote-sensing satellites into Sun-synchronous orbit.

PSLV had a failure in its maiden launch in 1993. Besides other two partial failures, PSLV has become the primary workhorse for ISRO with more than 50 launches placing hundreds of Indian and foreign satellites into orbit.

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle was envisaged in 1990s to transfer significant payloads to geostationary orbit. ISRO initially had great problem in development of GSLV as development of CE-7.5 in India took a decade.

US had blocked India from obtaining cryogenic technology from Russia which induced India to develop its own cryogenic engines.

GSLV Mark III or Launch Vehicle Mark 3

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III), also known as LVM3, is the heaviest rocket in operational service with ISRO. Equipped with a more powerful cryogenic engine and boosters than GSLV, it has significantly higher payload capacity and allows India to launch all its communication satellites.

LVM3 is expected to carry India's first manned mission to space and will be the testbed for SCE-200 engine which will power India's heavy lift rockets in future.