India launched five satellites: one each for Germany, and Singapore and two for Canada, which were co-passengers with the main load of SPOT-7, a French optical Earth Observation Satellite. After the high-profile launch of India’s Mars Orbiter Mission in November 2013, the launch of these satellites by the Indian Space Research Institute (ISRO) could have turned into a relatively low-key affair. But Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi chose the first space programme-related event since he assumed office to voice his thoughts on and plans for India’s space research programme. That all five satellites were foreign and had been launched by India under a commercial agreement also generated interest. “India has been launching foreign satellites since 1999. Till January 2007, they were all co-passenger satellites, the main payload always being an Indian satellite. The first dedicated launch for a foreign satellite by PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) was that of an Italian satellite in April 2007,” explains an ISRO official. “This is the first time, however, that we have had a single exclusive commercial launch of so many foreign satellites. In the past we have launched 10 satellites at a time, eight of which have been foreign. But when it comes to the exclusive launch of foreign satellites, the maximum number we had launched at a single time, before June 30, had been two.” At the Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota, the Prime Minister displayed his familiarity with the highs and lows of India’s space odyssey and stressed that space research would form an important part of his plans for the country for the next five years. “India’s Space program is a perfect example of my vision of Scale, Speed and Skill,” he stated, urging that “continued progress in space must remain a national mission”. But what prompts developed countries like Germany, France, Japan and UK — for we have launched satellites for all these countries — to approach India to launch satellites for them? Surely these countries have the technical know-how to do it themselves. As always, the answer has everything to do with economics.
Projects to look forward to
Mars Orbiter Mission: Expected to reach Mars orbit on September 24, 2014. “The main aim of the Mars Orbiter Mission was to demonstrate India’s capability to successfully build and launch a mission to Mars. It will carry various equipment for research such as a colour camera to study the surface of the planet, a thermal infrared imaging spectrameter for the study of the minerals there, and a methane sensor to study whether the minute amounts of methane present in the atmosphere have a biological or geological source. If the methane was produced by biological activities, it would hint at the possibility of life on Mars. The mission will also study how water was lost from the surface of the planet and look at its outer atmosphere and space.
GSLV Mark III: Designed to launch heavier communication satellites weighing 4500 to 5000 kg, it would also enhance the capability of the country to be a competitive player in the multimillion dollar commercial launch market. GSLV is designed to put satellites to geosynchronous transfer orbit, an intermediate orbit to which satellites ultimately destined for geostationary orbit are normally taken by launchers. GSLV-MK III is designed to be a two-stage vehicle with strap-ons, and will be 42.4 m tall with a lift off weight of 630 tonnes
Chandrayaan II: While the Chandrayaan I was designed to circle the moon and impacted a probe on its surface, India’s second moon mission, Chandrayaan II, set to be launched in 2016-17, will have a soft land rover – a wheeled robotic vehicle to explore the landing area, said an ISRO official.
Manned mission to space: 30 years after Indian astronoaut Rakesh Sharma travel in space as part of a mission partnered with the Soviet Union, India is working on its first independent crewed space mission. “A project report has been prepared, but we are yet to get government approval,” said a source in ISRO
Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/
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