jairamesh Posted September 8, 2012 Posted September 8, 2012 http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3871937.ece This Sunday, the Indian Space Research Organisation is set to make another mark in its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) launcher business when it flies French earth observation satellite SPOT 6. In the 13 years since the PSLV went commercial, the 720 kg SPOT 6 will be its biggest commercial lift. PROITERES, a 15-kg Japanese observation satellite, will also be put in orbit that day. For the third time in 21 PSLV (one failed) missions, there will be no Indian satellite on it. In the other two dedicated or exclusively-for-client launches, it put in orbit 350 kg Agile in 2007 and Israeli radar spy satellite TECSAR the following year. Agile has been its biggest lift to date. The other two-dozen foreign commercial satellites were below 300 kg and sent up with a primary domestic satellite. The cost of a PSLV ride depends on the satellite's weight and the distance it must reach. It also launched the first Indian lunar probe, Chandrayaan-1, in 2008. ISRO officials say it costs about Rs. 90 crore to build the present bare-bones or "core alone" version of the PSLV. Antrix officials were not available for comments on the PSLV's business prospects. France has chosen an outside launch for a SPOT for the first time: the previous five SPOT satellites went up on aboard earlier versions of European Ariane rocket. Although Europe now has the new Vega light lifter in the PSLV class, its reliability is still to be proven after a maiden flight this year. The SPOT 6 contract came to the ISRO from its maker, Astrium SAS, in September 2008. In an e-mail, a spokesperson for Astrium said: "We needed to launch SPOT 6 quickly by mid-2012. Its low weight needed a small launcher and the PSLV was the best match; its choice was perfectly in line with the longstanding cooperation between Astrium and Antrix." The two are partners in the global satellite building market. 20 successfully completed missions so far :hatsoff: There is another launch planned soon for French, Italian, Canadian, and Danish Satellites.
beetle Posted September 9, 2012 Posted September 9, 2012 Isro's 100th mission: PSLV rocket lifts off successfully NEW DELHI: The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) witnessed a historic moment on Sunday with the launch of two foreign satellites by PSLV rocket in the agency's 100th mission from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, about 80 km from Chennai. The rocket carried two foreign satellites - Spot 6, a French satellite and a Japanese micro satellite called Proiteres. Manmohan Singh along with minister in PMO, V. Narayanasamy, were present to witness the launch at the Isro. Sriharikota is around 80 km north of Chennai. PM Manmohan Singh congratulated Isro scientists after the successful launch. Exactly at 9.51 a.m., the rocket - Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C21 (PSLV-C21), standing around 44 metres tall and weighing around 230 tonne, with a one way ticket - hurtled towards the skies ferrying the two foreign satellites - Spot 6, a French earth observation satellite weighing 712 kg and 15 kg microsatellite Proiteres of Japan. The cost of the rocket is around Rs 75 crore. Proiteres is intended to study powered flight of a small satellite by an electric thruster and observe Japan's Kansai district with a high resolution camera. Manmohan Singh watched the historic 100th mission of the Indian space agency and scientists at Isro rocket's mission control room kept an eye on the rocket that escaped the earth's gravitational pull. The PSLV-C21 rocket is expected to deliver SPOT 6 and Proiteres into a 655 km polar orbit. Interestingly SPOT 6 is the heaviest foreign satellite to be carried by a PSLV rocket since 1999 when Isro started launching satellites owned by foreign agencies. Isro has been carrying foreign satellites since 1999 initially as an add-on luggage to its own satellite. As the rocket thunders higher and higher carrying a French and Japanese satellite, it marked a proud moment for Isro. With this flight, the space agency completed its 100 missions. The first one began with the launch of Aryabhata, India's first satellite, by a Russian rocket on April 19, 1975. The PSLV took Spot 6, the 720 kg French advanced remote sensing satellite and Proeiteres, the Japanese 10 kg micro satellite. Isro chief spokesperson Dev Prasad Karnik said that till date, 62 Indian satellites and 37 rockets have been launched. Of these, the PSLV has proved a star performer. Its missions included carrying Israeli spy satellite Tescar on January 21, 2008, placing 10 satellites in different orbits in rapid succession on April 28,2008, and taking India to the moon on October 22,2008, with the launch of Chandrayaan-1. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Isros-100th-mission-PSLV-rocket-lifts-off-successfully/articleshow/16320086.cms :two_thumbs_up::isalute::isalute::isalute:
superstar Posted September 9, 2012 Posted September 9, 2012 :hatsoff::hatsoff: Need to fix GSLV soon. All future missions are getting delayed because of that.
jairamesh Posted September 9, 2012 Author Posted September 9, 2012 Launched successfully :two_thumbs_up: Well done ISRO.
Clarke Posted September 9, 2012 Posted September 9, 2012 Success :nice: So there is after all a high-tech area where two economic & technological giants think "Lets have the Indians handle this" :desiman:
donkey Posted September 9, 2012 Posted September 9, 2012 ISRO is so talented, only if DRDO was half as good.
superstar Posted September 9, 2012 Posted September 9, 2012 ^^ Thanks for the insight Donkey :D. I think DRDO officials get bribed by foreign defence companies which want to sell their weapons to India.
surajmal Posted September 9, 2012 Posted September 9, 2012 ^^ Thanks for the insight Donkey :D. I think DRDO officials get bribed by foreign defence companies which want to sell their weapons to India. I doubt DRDO officials are corrupt. More like Incompetent. Corruption lies at the level of MOD and upper echelon of the Army. What DRDO needs is better project management (need better pay packets for those hi fi IIT and IIM graduates) and more synergy with the three services' decision makers (which is a problem because of kickbacks that come with purchase of foreign maal).
Clarke Posted September 9, 2012 Posted September 9, 2012 What a story across the decades From here: to here and currently here The future looks BRIGHT
Precambrian Posted September 9, 2012 Posted September 9, 2012 big kudos to vajpayee as well for kickstarting the excellence in S & T...
Clarke Posted September 9, 2012 Posted September 9, 2012 ^ Loved that slogan: Jai Jawaan, Jai Kisaan, Jai Vigyaan :isalute: A big show is scheduled for this yr: the GSLV Mk III which in total weighs 630 tonnes
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