Page 41 - Isro

Isro planning second development SSLV flight next month: Officials

India will test a space-based aircraft monitoring system when it undertakes a development flight of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) next month, senior officials said on Wednesday. The SSLV, aimed at launching up to 500 kg satellites in planar orbit, was unsuccessful in its first development flight on August 7 last year. The second development flight of the SSLV is likely to be held next month, which if successful would allow ISRO to provide on demand launch services for smaller satellites weighing from 10 kg to 500 kg. "I cannot give you a specific date, but we are planning a test flight next month," ISRO chairman S Somanath told reporters here on the sidelines of the 108th Indian Science Congress. He said India was also planning scientific missions to Mars and Venus besides attempting a land rover to the moon sometime this year. "The Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft is almost ready. The orbiter, lander and rover. But we are waiting for the right time to launch the mission, which is

India ready to launch 1st Atmanirbhar human space flight Gaganyaan by 2024

Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh on Sunday announced that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is ready to launch India's first Atmanirbhar human flight "Gaganyaan"

TN launches Isro developed transponders on 4,000 boats to help fisherman

Marking the launch of fixing ISRO-developed upgraded transponders on over 4,000 mechanised boats to help fishermen engaged in deep sea fishing, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday gave away the devices to owners of fishing vessels. At the Secretariat, 10 owners received the devices from Stalin under the Blue Revolution Scheme, which envisages fixing transponders on 4,997 mechanised boats in Tamil Nadu at an estimated cost of Rs 18.01 crore. The owners belong to Chennai, Nagapattinam, Thoothukudi and Kanyakumari districts. The device provides two-way communication and it is to help fishermen send and receive information. It would enable authorities to spot with precision the location of a boat in the deep sea, its route and aid them to take appropriate measures for rescue efforts. During a cyclone, storm or heavy rains, messages could be transmitted from boats in deep sea to Fisheries department's Central control room and the boat owner as well. Messages could be received

Here are five global space exploration missions to watch out for in 2023

With many bold advances and launches due in 2023, we are entering a new phase akin to the "Golden era" of space launches in the 1960s and '70s

ISRO launched 177 foreign satellites in last 5 years: Jitendra Singh

ISRO has successfully launched 177 foreign satellites during the last five years, Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh said on Thursday. In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Singh said the forex generated through the launch of these foreign satellites was approximately USD 94 million and Euros 46 million. From January 2018 to November 2022, the Indian Space Research Organisation has successfully launched 177 foreign satellites belonging to countries such as Australia, Brazil, Canada, Finland, France, Israel, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom and USA, on-board PSLV and GSLV-MkIII launchers under commercial agreement, he said. The minister said far-reaching reforms were announced in June 2020 with an intent to enhance participation of non-government entities in the sector and bring in a commerce-oriented approach to space activities all steps towards enhancing the nation's share in the global spac

SpaceX puts 40 OneWeb satellites into orbit from Kennedy Space Centre

This is OneWeb's 15th launch till date and second since it resumed its campaign with a launch from India in Oct

ISRO to develop spatial infrastructure geoportal for Ladakh: Union minister

The government of the Union Territory of Ladakh has approached a unit of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for developing Spatial Data Infrastructure geoportal 'Geo-Ladakh' for UT-Ladakh

Start-ups line up for space glory, but still very far from 'SpaceX moment'

Roughly 70% of these start-ups were launched after 2020; of $245 mn that the sector has received in last seven years, $198 mn came after 2020

SC cancels Kerala HC order granting pre-arrest bail to 4 in Isro spy case

The Supreme Court Friday quashed the Kerala High Court order granting anticipatory bail to four people, including a former Director General of Police (DGP), in a case of alleged frame-up of scientist Nambi Narayanan in the 1994 ISRO espionage matter. A bench of Justices M R Shah and C T Ravikumar remanded the matter back to the high court and directed it to decide the issue within four weeks. "All these appeals allowed. Impugned orders granting anticipatory bail passed by HC are quashed and set aside. All matters are remitted back to the HC to be decided afresh on it own merits. This court had not observed anything on merits for either of the parties. "It is ultimately for the HC to pass orders. We request the HC to decide the anticipatory bail applications at the earliest preferably within four weeks from date of this order," the bench said. The top court directed the registry of the high court to notify bail applications before the bench concerned within one week from today. "T

Govt exempts Isro from provisions of explosives rule to promote business

The government has exempted the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) from taking its approval for manufacturing, storage, use and transportation of solid propellant for space rockets to promote ease of doing business. Earlier, ISRO was required to take a license from the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisations (PESO), an arm of the department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT). A solid propellant is the main fuel used in a category of space rockets. According to a notification of the DPIIT, the exemption is subject to a few conditions. "The central government hereby exempts Indian Space Research Organisation from the operation of all the provisions of the Explosives rule 2008 for manufacturing, storage, use and transportation of solid propellant for space rockets falling under UN Class I (explosives)," the notification said. As per the conditions, ISRO has to follow the guidelines of the Storage and Transportation of Explosives Committee (STEC) for the

Can India launch space firms like Skyroot into higher orbit?

India's first privately-developed rocket, Vikram-S, blasted off towards the sky this month. Find out how India's commercial space industry may become a tech powerhouse and taste commercial success

PSLV-C54 successfully places earth observation satellite into orbit

A Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle of ISRO on Saturday successfully injected the earth observation satellite (Oceansat) into a sun-synchronous orbit, Indian Space Research Organisation said on Saturday. The 44.4 metre tall rocket lifted off at a prefixed time at 11.56 am from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at this spaceport at the end of a 25.30-hour countdown. After reaching the intended orbit 17 minutes after PSLV-C54 lifted off, the Earth Observation Satellite or the Oceansat successfully separated from the rocket and was placed into orbit, ISRO chairman S Somanath said. Scientists would perform lowering of the rocket to place the other co-passenger satellites into a different orbit which is expected to take place in a two-hour duration. The Earth Observation Satellite-6 is the third-generation satellite in the Oceansat series. This is to provide continuity services of Oceansat-2 spacecraft with enhanced payload specifications as well as application areas.

Latest LIVE: Take back 'Amazon parcel': Thackeray asks Centre to recall Guv

LIVE News: Catch all the updates from around the world here

ISRO conducts 200th consecutive successful launch of RH200 sounding rocket

RH200, the versatile sounding rocket of ISRO, on Wednesday registered its 200th consecutive successful launch from the shores of Thumba, Thiruvananthapuram. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) termed it a "historic moment". It was witnessed by former President Ram Nath Kovind and ISRO chairman S Somanath, among others. The successful flight of RH200 took off from the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS). "Indian sounding rockets are used as privileged tools for the scientific community for carrying out experiments on meteorology, astronomy and similar branches of space physics," an ISRO statement said. Campaigns such as Equatorial ElectroJet (EEJ), Leonid Meteor Shower (LMS), Indian Middle Atmosphere Programme (IMAP), Monsoon Experiment (MONEX), Middle Atmosphere Dynamics (MIDAS), and Sooryagrahan-2010 have been conducted using the sounding rocket platform for scientific exploration of the Earth's atmosphere, it said. The Rohini Sounding Rocket (RSR) series

ISRO successfully launches 200th 'RH-200' Rohini sounding rocket

ISRO's journey into the indigenous rockets began with a sounding rocket in 1963

Skyroot's Vikram-S rocket launch creating space for private sector

The launch of a sounding rocket by Skyroot marks the start of a surge in start-ups entering a sector that was opened up only in June 2020

Space for start-ups

A Nasa-like PPP policy could make India an aerospace powerhouse

Vikram-S rocket launch shows what an Indian start-up can do: Skyroot exec

Company behind privately developed rocket is looking for investors, says its co-founder

Isro to launch PSLV-54 on Nov 26 with Oceansat-3, 8 nano satellites

The Indian Space Research Organisation will launch PSLV-54/ EOS-06 mission with Oceansat-3 and eight nano satellites on board from Sriharikota spaceport on November 26. The launch is scheduled at 11.56 am on Saturday, said the national space agency headquartered here. Asked about the passengers aboard the rocket, a senior ISRO official told PTI on Sunday: "EOS-06 (Oceansat-3) plus eight nano satellites (BhutanSat, 'Anand' from Pixxel, Thybolt two numbers from Dhruva Space, and Astrocast - four numbers from Spaceflight USA).

And, blast-off: Skyroot launches India's first pvt sector rocket Vikram-S

'Great milestone' for Indian space sector as rocket completes parameters for successful launch