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Home , Aryabhata (satellite), Gaganyaan

Successful Endeavour in Space

Dr K Sivan

Tlae nr:diam spaee programme irmplenaemted hy ISRO has enabled the pursuit of vario,us fromtier areas oil spaee researah hesicles faeitrirta,timg tlae eountny's overail 'devefiopment and technologi.cal advaneememt. Today, ISRO sprawls across tFre eoiuntry wi',tla huge laun,ctr sitations, traeking eenters, R&D faeitrirties amd maanufaeturimg arad clata proeessing units, ail engaged in traighly sophist,ieatedl amd aornplex feenrnologieal aartivi,ties.

he Indian space programme rocket on November 21. 1963 from It was at this time Dr Vikram has come a long way in the , then a fishing hamlet near Sarabhai, the architect of the Indian 57 years since its inception. Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of space programme, set up a Space From a fledgling Sounding Kerala. Later, Thumba became an Science and Techlology Centre at Rocket Launch Facility established intemational sounding rocket larurching Thumba for the development of in the early 1960s in Thumba near facility and such rockets were launched technologies necessary for space Trivandrum, it has mafured into a for upper atmospheric, geomagnetic research. In 1969, the Indian Space giant world-class space power. Today, and space research by many countries. Research Organisation, better known ISRO sprawls across the country with huge launch stations, tracking centers, R&D facilities and manufacturing and data processing units, all engaged in highly sophisticated and complex technological activities.

Notwithstanding its presence as one of the strong space faring nations today, the Indian space progralnme began in a modest way in 1962 with the formation of the Indian National Committee on Space Research (INCOSPAR), barely five years after the launch of the 's first artificial Sputnik-I, that heralded the space age. This farsighted critical decision and the later perseverant philosophy of the people who steered the programme, facilitated India to master space technology.

The formal beginning of the Indian space programmg can be traced to the launch of a Nike-Apache sounding

The author is the Secretary, Deparlment of Space and Chairman, ISRO. Email: [email protected]

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its by ubiquitous acronym ISRO, was operational satellite launched in 1983, formed. Today, with a total work force demonstrated its ability to bring about of over 18,000, ISRO's establishments a rapid and major revolution in India's are functioning in many parts of the telecommunications, television broad- country with each concentrating on casting and weather forecasting fields. a specific area. The country's public Today, communication as well as private sector industries are an integral parl of our economic are playing a crucial role in our infrastructure. space programme. Besides, academic An indication of India's ability institutions have also contributed to to design, build and maintain a the lndian space endeavour. complex remote sensing satellite was The 70s were the learning phase demonstrated in 1988 when IRS-lA, during which many experimental the first operational satellite built in satellites were built, including India's India started imaging the earth from first satellite , which was orbit. The images sent by that satellite launched on April 19, 1975 from a circling the Earth from its 900 km launch centre in the former Soviet Additionally, APPLE, India's high polar orbit were utilised in such Union. Aryabhata laid firm foundation first experimental communication diverse fields like agriculture, ground for the later immensely successful satellite, though launched by the water prospecting, mineral sulvey, Indian satellite programme. European Ariane rocket, reached its forestry etc. I and 2, the two experimental earth final geosynchronous orbital home in During the 1990s, ISRO observation satellites, provided the June 1981 with the help of a rocket began building INSAT-2 series of rich experience and the confidence motor developed in India. Aryabhata, multipurpose satellites indigenously. to build complex operational remote the two Bhaskaras, as well as APPLE At the same time, systematic usage sensing satellites. Today, India is a were launched free of cost, which of imagery from our remote sensing world leader in the satellite-based refl ects India's successfu I international satellites for tasks like crop yield remote sensing area. space cooperation policy. In the recent estimation, ground water and past, India has not only flown foreign mineral prospecting, forest survey, scientifi c instruments on-board Indian urban sprawl monitoring and but has also launched them. wasteland classiflcation and fisheries APPLE Satellite development, began. Besides taking a leap into the Today, India has a fleet of domain of satellites, ISRO conducted advanced remote sensing satellites two significant experiments in the 70's equipped with high resolution and - SITE and STEP - to obtain hands- multispectral cameras dedicated to on experience on the utilisation of the themes of cartography, resource satellites for television broadcasting survey and ocean and atmospheric and telecommunications. And, it was applications. Apart from these polar in this decade that ISRO developed orbit-based observation satellites, its first SLV- weather watching satellites INSAT-3D 3, which had its successful launch on and NSAI-3DR- circling the earth in July 18, 1980 thrusting India into the the 36,000 km high geosynchronous select league of six countries with the orbit, are providing valuable inputs to capability to launch satellites on their weather forecasting. Apart from these own. satellites, the Indian National Satellite The 1980s were the times for (INSAT) system today is one of the experimentation for the launch vehicle largest domestic communication technologies when it endeavoured satellite systems in Asia-Pacific to demonstrate the country's ability region. The INSAT system with over to develop ASLV a more capable 300 transponders in the C-band, launch vehicle compared to SLV-3. Extended C-band, Ku-band, Ka/Ku During the same period, INSAI: band and S-band provides services 1B, India's first multipurpose to telecommunications, television

ff,*t ons. Cryogenic technology involves storage of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen at very low temperatures. Materials used to operate at these very low temperafures, chilling processes, interplay of engine parameters make the development of cryogenic stage a very challenging and complex task. With the successful qualification of the indigenously developed Cryogenic Upper Stage (CUS) in the GSLV-D5 flight on January 5, 2014, ISRO demonstrated its mastery of cryogenic rocket propulsion. From January 2014, the vehicle has achieved six consecutive successes. GSLV Mk III, India's fifth generation satellite launch vehicle has two solid strap-ons, a core liquid booster and a cryogenic upper stage. The vehicle is designed to cany 4 ton class of satellites into Geosynchronous broadcasting, radio networking, launching large satellites, had its first Transfer Orbit (GTO) or about 10 tons satellite newsgathering, societal successlul flight in 1994. to (LEO). LVM3-X/ applications, weather forecasting, Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle CARE Mission, the first experimental disaster and Search and waming (PSLV) is the third generation launch suborbital flight of GSLV Mk III Rescue operations. High throughput vehicle of India. It is the first Indian December 18,2014 and injected the satellites such as GSAT-ll, GSAT- launch vehicle to be equipped with Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry 29 ard GSAT-l9 are supporting the liquid stages. With 49 successful flights experiment (CARE) in December "Digital India" campaign by boosting retuin over the years, PSLV has emerged as 2014. CARE module began its the broadband connectivity to the rural joumey the reliable and versatile workhorse and a little later, re-entered the and inaccessible Gram Panchayats in launch vehicle of India. In fact, it earth's atmosphere. It was successfully the country. The transponders on these Bengal has launched 328 foreign satellites recovered over Bay of satellites will bridge the digital divide about 20 minutes after its launch. as on November 7, 2020 and has of users including those in Jammu & Subsequently, after successful carved out a niche in the commercial two Kashmir and North Eastern regions of developmental flights and with the satellite launch arena. On February 15, India. successful inj ection of Chandrayaan-2 2017, PSLV created a world record in to Earlh Parking Orbit in July 2019, Perfecting the launch vehicie by successfully placing 104 satellites GSLV Mk III successfully entered technology is an immensely difficult in orbit during a single launch. Wel1, a into its operational phase. and challenging task. Thus, only as numbers go, it was undoubtedly a few countries possess it. Till now, record, but the real significance of it Besides these, India's Reusable launch ISRO has developed flve is the immense confidence reposed Launch Vehicle Technology Demons- (SLV-3, PSLY vehicles ASLY by foreign countries, including the trator (RLV TD) was successfully GSLV and GSLV Mk III which is USA, in the capability of ISRO. This flight tested in May 2016 ar'd several also known as LVM3) and mastered success was the result of meticulous critical technologies were successfully the technology of rockets that use planning and flawless execution of the validated. The first experimental solid. liquid as well as cryogenic mission by ISRO. mission of ISRO's Supersonic propellants. Combustion Ramjet (SCRAMJET) Launch of 104 Satellites by PSLV-C37 lndia developed its first launch engine towards the realisation of vehicle SLV-3 in the 70s and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch air breathing propulsion system persevered to perfect its second Vehicle Mark II (G SLV Mk II) is fourth was also successfully conducted in generation launch vehicle ASLV generation launch vehicle having August 2016. With this, India became during the 80s and early 90s. PSLV three stages (including the cryogenic the fourth country to flight test the India's first launch vehicle capable of upper stage) with four liquid strap- SCRAMJET engine.

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a" lndian space programme country to send a probe to the lunar has always focused towards the surface after the United States, the Dr , development and utilisation of the the Soviet Union and Japan. Laler, space technologies to achieve overall architect 0f the lndian space when Chandrayaan-1 conclusively development of the country. Despite p!0gr*nlme, set up a Spaee discovered water molecules on the its emphasis on applications, ISRO 5cience and Technology lunar surface, it was widely hailed as has pursued many space science a path-breaking discovery. Centre at Thumba for rNre projects in eamest to perform developm:ent Encouraged by the success of meaningful exploration of space. 0f techncllogies Chandrayaan-1, ISRO endeavoured India's first satellite Aryabhata was a necessa!'y for space research. to realise , lor scientiflc satellite. 2n Inciian 1q69, the 5pace demonstrating India's capability After Aryabhata, ISRO entered Researeh 0nga:risation, better to build, launch and navigate an into the realm of science missions kriown by its ubiquitouls unmanned spacecraft to Mars. again with a unique mission which acrOnym 15R0, was fori"ned" Launched by PSLV on November caught the attention of the world was 5, 2013, the 1340 kg Mars Orbiter Recovery Experiment- 1 Spacecraft encountered Mars on (SRE-l). Launched by PSLV in of Indians as well as the outside September 24,2014. With this, ISRO January 2007, SRE- 1 with its scientific world. has become the fourth space agency experiments orbited the Earth for 12 successfully send spacecraft Launched by PSLV on October to a to days and was successfully deorbited 22,2008, the 1380 kg Chandrayaan-1 Mars orbit. Ach ieving success in and recovered over Bay of Bengal. yet spacecraft was successfully navigated the first mission itself is another This proved several technologies accomplishment ISRO. to the Moon in three weeks and was of necessary for reusable launch vehicles put into an orbit around the moon. On launched by PSLV and . November 14, 2008, when a TV set in September 2015, is the first The space science missions of sized'' separated dedicated Indian astronomy mission India-Chandrayaan-1, Mars Orbiter from Chandrayaan-l spacecraft and aimed at studying celestial sources Mis sion, Astrosat and Chandr ay aan -2 successfully impacted on the surface in X-ray, optical and UV spectral have caught the attention of millions of the nToon, India became the fourth bands simultaneously. AstroSat

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Helght :22Jm Heiqht :23.5m Height :44m Height dOm Height :43.43 m Lift-offweight l,ft-offweight:171 :39t Lift offweight :3201 Lift-offweighl 414 1 Lift-offweig ht : 640 t : Solid Propulsion : All Solid Propulsion All Propulsion : Solid & Liquid Propulsion Solid, Liquid & tryogenk Propulsion : Solid, Liquid & Cryogenic Payload mass : 40 kg Payload mass :150 kg Payload mass :1860 kg Payload mass 2200 kg Payload mass :4000 kg 0rbit : Low Earth Orbit : Low Earth 0rbit : 475 km 0rbit Geosyn(hronous 0rbit : Geosynchronous 0rbit 0rbit 5un 5ynchronous Transfer 0rbit Tranifer 0rbit Polar 0rbit (1 300 kg in Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit)

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f r { the series of test to qualify the Crew Escape System (CES). The Pad Abort Test flight was a demonstration of the capability of CES to evacuate the crew in case of a contingency at launch Pad. With this, India has become the iourth country in the world to acquire this vital technology after the USA, and China. Towards capacity building in human resources and to meet the growing demands of the Indian Space Programme, the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), a deemed university, was reccntiy made a major breakthrough ISRO is providing Satellite-based established at Thiruvananthapuram by discovcring one of the earliest Navigation services with accuracy in 2007. The institute offers galaxies rn extreme-Ultraviolet light. and integrity required for civil Bachelor's Degree in Space The Chandrayaan-2 mission, aviation applications and to provide Technology with specialisation lndia's second mission to the moon, better Air Traffic Manasement over in Aerospace Engineering and was suocessfully launched on July Indian Airspace. Electronics & Communication and Masters Programme 22, 2019. Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter Apart from this, ISRO has also in areas of spacecraft was placed in its intended facilitated students in building/ space technology. orbit. The eight instruments onboard launching satellites for various Recently, the space sector was the Orbiter are continuously providing applications. So far, l0 student opened up to promote, handhold, useful scicnce data which will enrich satellites have been launched bv regulate and authorise private our understanding of the moon's ISRO. enterprises and staft-ups to underlake evolution and mapping of the minerals The " Programme" space activities by creation of the and watcr rnoiecules in Polar regions. approved by the Government of Indian National Space Promotion and i Authorization (IN-SPACe). Havirrg successfully built many India in 2018 is a point of inflection Center ctlnrmunioations, meteorological in the growth profile of India's This will enhance the diffusion of space (we.rther rnonitoring). remote sensing space endeavour, marking a seminal technology and boost space aud sciontilic satellites, ISRO foray into the new age of human economy within the country. has successfully established and . The Human The Indian space programme operationalised Navigation with Indian Space Flight Centre (HSFC) was has many challenges ahead. There C'onstellation (NavlC) which provides constituted in ISRO in January, are plans to build heavier and more highly aocurate Position, Navigation 2019 for implementing the vision capable and efficient satellites. and Time infbrmation to users in India on human space flight programme. And, space science missions like and its surror-rndings. Global Standards HSFC is entrusted to implement the Chandrayaan-3, Aditya-L1, Mission boclv l'r Generation Partnership Gaganyaan programme and to act to Venus to fuither explore the solar Plo.jecl (l(iPP), which develops as the lead centre for the sustained system, are in progress. Pursuit of protocols fbr mobile telephony, has and affordable human spaceflight research and developmenr activities approved NavlC. Ma;or mobile chipset activities. The Caganyaan project perlaining to small satellite launch rnauulircturers such as Qualcomrn, has the objective of demonstrating vehicle, air breathing rocket Media l'ek, Broadcor.n, Allystar have human space flight capability to propulsion and demonstration of Lrrcorporatcd NavlC in their releases. Low Earth orbit (LEO) with 3 reusable rocket technology, are also (.rsing thesc chipsets, Xiaomi and crew members for 5-7 days in orbit progressing. OnePlus have already released mobile and safely recovers them after the Thus, Indian space programme handsets with processors enabled to mission. implemented by ISRO has enabled receive NavlC signal and other OEM's ISRO successfully proved a the pursuit of various frontier areas are slated to l'ollou, suit. crucial technology element of Human of space research besides facilitating Pur-ther. through GPS Aided GEO spaceflight in July 2018-The Pad the country's overall development and Augmented Navigation (GAGAN), Abofi Test (PAI), which is the first in technological advancement. tr

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