Page 5 - Isro Projects

Isro delays SpaDeX docking to Jan 9 for validation by ground simulations

ISRO on Monday said the docking experiment of SpaDeX satellites scheduled for January 7 is now postponed to January 9. The Bengaluru-based space agency said the docking process requires further validation through ground simulations based on an abort scenario identified on Monday. "The SpaDeX Docking scheduled on (January) 7th is now postponed to 9th. The docking process requires further validation through ground simulations based on an abort scenario identified today," ISRO said in a post on 'X'. ISRO had successfully launched the ambitious Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission on December 30. The PSLV C60 rocket carrying two small satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), along with 24 payloads, had lifted off from the first launchpad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, and about 15 minutes after liftoff, the two small spacecraft weighing about 220 kg each were launched into a 475-km circular orbit as intended. According to ISRO, SpaDeX mission is a ...

Indian space industry's funding falls 55% to $59.1 mn in 2024, data shows

Globally, space companies raised about $28 billion over the last five years, while their Indian counterparts secured approximately $354 million in the same period, Tracxn data showed

Prep for Chandrayaan-4, Gaganyan to NISAR: What's in Isro's kitty for 2025

Apart from the SPADEX, Isro is focussing on multiple missions, ranging from the conventional satellite launches to unconventional space exploration programmes

Isro's SpaDeX satellites first to be built by industry on its own: Official

The launch of two satellites for the space docking experiment (SpaDeX) also marked a first for the industry, which built the two spacecraft on their own under guidance from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) engineers. The two satellites -- SDX01 (chaser) and SDX02 (target) -- each weighing 220 kg were integrated and tested by Ananth Technologies Limited (ATL), which has been associated with a number of ISRO projects for the past several years. "So far, large satellites have not been realised in the industry by themselves. This is the first time that the two satellites have been integrated and tested in the industry," said U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) Director M Shankaran after the two satellites were placed in a 476 km circular orbit by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C60) on Monday night. Shankaran described the launch of the two satellites a trailblazer for the industry. "We hope that this is going to be the first of the several such satellites done by the

India achieves space docking with indigenous system: Jitendra Singh

Taking to X, Singh said, India has become the fourth country to join the select league of nations to achieve space docking, through its own indigenously developed Bharatiya Docking System

NVS-02 satellite launch set for Jan 2025; more missions planned: Isro chief

On May 29, 2023, the GSLV-F12 rocket successfully launched the NVS-01 satellite, weighing 2,232 kg, into Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO)

Isro to launch historic PSLV-C60 SpaDex mission tonight; where to watch?

Showcasing India's spacecraft docking capabilities is crucial for advancing future space missions, including lunar exploration and development of India's own space station, Bharatiya Antariksh Station

Govt's push for home-grown satellite constellation gets 30 aspirants

The regulator had sought "expressions of interest" (EoI) in July to build home-grown satellite constellations as part of a broader strategy to monetize the sector and ensure data sovereignty

SpaDeX mission for space docking tech to be launched on Dec 30: Isro

India's SpaDeX mission, intended to develop and demonstrate technology required to dock and undock spacecraft in space, will be launched using PSLV-C60 on December 30 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, ISRO said. On December 21, the launch vehicle was integrated and moved to the First Launch Pad, for further integration of satellites and launch preparations. ISRO has also put up the fast time-lapse video of the moving of PSLV-C60, which was fully integrated up to PS4 at the PIF facility for the first time, to the First Launch Pad, in its X account. On December 30, people can witness the launch live at the Launch View Gallery after registering for it. The registration started on Monday at 6 pm, ISRO said in its website. SpaDeX mission is a cost-effective technology demonstrator mission for the demonstration of 'in-space docking' using two small spacecraft launched by PSLV, ISRO said in an explainer on the subject. This technology is essential for India's space ambitions

ISRO's POEM-4 to test seed germination, debris capture, green fuel in space

Demonstration of seed germination in outer space, a robotic arm to catch a tethered debris there, and testing of green propulsion systems are some of the experiments planned on the POEM-4 -- the fourth stage of ISRO's PSLV rocket that remains in orbit after launching a satellite. The PSLV-C60 mission, slated for an yearend launch, is scheduled to place the twin satellites 'Chaser and Target' to demonstrate the space docking technologies that are crucial for building India's space station. The PSLV Orbital Experiment Module (POEM) will carry 24 experiments -- 14 from various ISRO labs and 10 from private universities and start-ups -- to demonstrate various technologies in space. ISRO plans to grow eight cowpea seeds from seed germination and plant sustenance until the two-leaf stage in a closed-box environment with active thermal control as part of the Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies (CROPS) developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. The Amity Plant Experimenta

ISRO chairman calls for investment in aerodynamic test facilities in India

ISRO chairman S Somanath on Thursday said that there was a lack of sufficient aerodynamic testing facilities in India and therefore, huge investments need to be made to create such facilities. Speaking at the SAROD 2024 event organised here by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Somanath emphasised the importance of scaling up the country's computational capability. The ISRO chairman said that with the advancements in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), there was an initial line of thought that aerodynamic testing facilities were no longer required as most of the problems could be identified and solved computationally through simulations. "So, many of the test programs that were required to be done for the future aero vehicles were actually cut down and at one point we were told to do more simulations than testing. But, as time goes by, we realised that this is not the case. It became clear that the complementary nature of analysis and simulation with testing will continue. I

Proba-3 mission would help in understanding Sun's Corona: Ex-Isro scientist

ISRO's successful launch of European Space Agency's (ESA) Proba-3 satellites onboard PSLV-C59 rocket is a 'groundbreaking mission' and would significantly advance the understanding of Sun's corona and solar wind, a former ISRO scientist said. According to P V Venkitakrishnan, former director of Capacity Building Programme Office, ISRO headquarters, the 'innovative design and advanced technologies' used in the mission would pave the way for future space weather forecasting and solar physics research. "This mission is a collaborative effort between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation. Proba-3 is a pioneering mission designed to explore the Sun's corona, the outer atmosphere of the Sun", he told PTI. It aims to study the Corona, which is hotter than the Sun's surface, and explore the solar wind which is a stream of charged particles emanating from the Sun, Venkitakrishnan said. "The data from Proba-3 satellites would help scientists better ...

Isro launches Europe's Proba-3 mission to orbit: Why it's crucial to India?

ISRO today successfully launched European Space Agency's Proba-3 satellites into Earth's orbit from Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota launchpad. Previously, it was scheduled for Dec 4

Isro reschedules Proba-3 mission launch to December 5. Here's why

Proba-3 is a joint mission to study the Sun's corona, the outermost layer of its atmosphere, which is vital for understanding solar activity and space weather

Isro to launch Proba-3 mission satellites on December 4 from Sriharikota

Isro will launch the PSLV-C59/Proba-3 mission on December 4 from Sriharikota. The mission, in collaboration with European Space Agency, aims to study the Sun's corona using precision formation flying

Countdown begins for Isro's commercial mission for European Space Agency

The countdown for ISRO's dedicated commercial mission, the launch of Proba-3 spacecraft of the European Space Agency (ESA) slated for December 4. began here on Tuesday. Wednesday's launch would be a technology demonstration mission. NewSpace India Ltd is the commercial arm of ISRO which would launch client vehicles and has secured the order from the European Space Agency for its latest mission. "The 25-hour countdown started at 3.08 pm on Tuesday and right now the preparatory works (for the launch) are going on," an ISRO official told PTI on Tuesday. Dubbed as the world's first initiative, the Proba-3 (Project for Onboard Autonomy) consists of a double-satellite in which two spacecraft would fly together as one, maintaining precise formation down to a single millimetre to study the sun's outer atmosphere. 'Probas' is a Latin word, which refers to 'Let's try'. The mission objective is to demonstrate precise formation flying and the two spacecraft - 'Coronagraph' and 'Occulter' would

Musk's SpaceX launches Isro's GSAT-20 satellite, marks first collaboration

Isro doesn't have operational launch vehicles to handle the GSAT-N2's 4,700 kg payload, leading to the first-ever collaboration with SpaceX

ISRO sets up first space education lab in AP's Keyi Panyor district

In Arunachal Pradesh's Keyi Panyor district, ISRO opens its first space education lab. It was inaugurated by state Education Minister Pasang Dorjee and set up in collab with Vyomika Space Academy

Simulating extraterrestrial life: Isro's analogue mission begins in Ladakh

The mission's objective is to replicate conditions of living in an interplanetary habitat, tackling the potential obstacles that astronauts may face on future deep-space missions

Isro satellites keep an eye on cyclone Dana: How is real-time data shared

The Indian Space Research Organisation has been actively monitoring the cyclone situation since October 20, ensuring that accurate data is provided to officials for effective action planning