Aerospace Diary

Neelam Mathews May 5, 2011 Time: 9:36 PM IST Arianespace’s third Ariane 5 mission of 2011 has entered the final phase in French Guiana following the heavy-lift launcher’s transfer for the integration of its ST-2 and GSAT-8 dual-passenger payload. The launch is scheduled for May 19. While ISRO’s 15 consecutive successes with its workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle ( PSLV), have allowed India to launch Remote Sensing satellites into sun synchronous orbits, the persistent unreliability of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) is raising concerns of delays to the planned second moon mission, Chandrayaan-2, and the future three-stage 629 ton launch vehicle GSLV -Mk III, will be delayed. GSAT-8 uses Indian Space Research Organization’s   I-3K satellite bus with a liftoff mass of 3,100 kg.  Its payload of 24 transponders will augment India’s Ku-band relay capabilities, while the two-channel GAGAN (GPS and GEO augmented navigation) system will support India’...

Aerospace Daily PROGRAMS BENGALURU, INDIA — Next year,Russian space agency Roscomos plans to test the lander that will be part of India’s second Moon mission, Chandrayaan-2,Roscosmos Deputy Head Anatoly Shilov says. Scheduled to be lofted in 2013, Chandrayaan-2 will have an orbiter, a lander and a rover. It is slated to fly on a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle from Satish Dhawan Space Center on Sriharikota Island. While the lander will be provided by Russia, the orbiter and the rover are being built by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). The rover will move on wheels on the lunar surface, pick up samples of soil or rocks, perform a chemical analysis and send the data to the spacecraft orbiting above. The rover will weigh 30-100 kg. (70-220 lb.), depending on whether it is to do a semi-hard landing or soft landing. During its planned one month of surface operations, it will run predominantly on solar power. Initially two lunar rovers were planned — one f...

April 16, 2010 TECHNOLOGY An Indian Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV D3),powered by India’s first indigenous cryogenic engine,was lost due to an apparent engine failure April 15, taking with it an experimental satellite. While the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization,K. Radhakrishnan, says India plans to test fly another cryogenic engine within a year following corrective measures,the failure is being seen as a major crisis for ISRO. The vehicle deviated from its planned path and within 500 sec. of reaching a height of 60 km. stopped emitting signals. The GSLV D3 was to place in orbit GSAT-4, an experimental satellite with a multibeam Ka-band transponder.It had several payloads,including one for augmenting the U.S. Global Positioning Satellite navigation system, called Gagan (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation)— a test run for the Indian regional navigational satellite system (IRNSS) to be in place by 2014. It was also carrying an experimental system ...