Heena Sharma Blog

  The Indian Space Research Organisation has come out with an 'Announcement of Opportunity" (AO), seeking proposals towards scientific analysis and utilisation of data from all experiments of the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter. According to ISRO, the data from Chandrayaan-1 had been extensively used by Indian researchers to understand lunar morphology, surface age determination and composition of the lunar surface, studies on the possible presence of magmatic as well as exogenic water. "These studies have provided enhanced thoughtful views regarding lunar evolutionary processes", the Bengaluru-headquartered space agency said. "Such studies from Chandrayaan-1 have considerably expanded Indian lunar science community". To further strengthen the Indian research community for lunar science studies, Chandrayaan-2 orbiter payloads data are made available to public and scientific proposals are solicited for scientific analysis, it said. Chandrayaan-2 orbiter is cur

  The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) recently demonstrated free-space quantum communication over a distance of 300 m for the first time. The demonstration included live videoconferencing using quantum-key-encrypted signals. This is a major achievement for unconditionally secured satellite data communication using quantum technologies. Isro said that a number of key technologies were developed indigenously to accomplish this major feat, which included the use of an indigenously developed navigation satellite system, with an operational name of NavIC, a receiver for time synchronisation between the transmitter and receiver modules, and gimbal mechanism systems instead of bulky large-aperture telescopes for optical alignment. Read More

  The Indian space rockets are set to go green as ISRO is working to replace its existing hazardous fuel with non-hazardous and environment- friendly fuels for its rockets and satellites, the ISRO Chairman said. He also said that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is looking at green propulsion through hydrogen peroxide in its rocket that would take Indians into the space under its 'Gaganyaan' mission. "Since humans will be inside the rocket, we want only non-hazardous fuel and not the hazardous one to power the human space mission's Gaganyaan rocket ," ISRO chief K Sivan, who is also Secretary in Department of Space, told IANS. According to him, ISRO is also looking at rocket engines powered by hydrogen peroxide as a mono-propellant or as a bi-propellant along with ethanol. ISRO is also developing another green fuel - LOX/Methane- liquid oxygen as oxidiser and methane as fuel. Read More

  After a fast paced race to Mars and plans to return to the moon, there is still something left for science and astronomy enthusiasts in 2020, a rare celestial phenomenon —the Great Conjunction— when Jupiter and Saturn will align to form one of the brightest stars in the night sky on Monday being seperated by just one-tenth of a degree. The planets regularly appear to pass each other in the solar system, with the positions of Jupiter and Saturn being aligned in the sky about once every 20 years. However, this year the conjunction is special as it’s been nearly 400 years since the planets passed this close to each other in the sky, and nearly 800 years since the alignment of Saturn and Jupiter occurred at night. The rare phenomenon can be visible globally including in India between 6:30-7:30 pm. The planets will be easy to see with naked eye by looking toward the southwest just after sunset. Jupiter bigger and closer to Earth will be vastly brighter. Read More  

  The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro)'s PSLV-C50 lifted off successfully from the Sriharikota spaceport near Chennai. The rocket is carrying orbiting communication satellite CMS-01 (formerly GSAT-12R). The rocket lifted at 3:41 p.m. from the second launch pad at the rocket port in Sriharikota, in Andhra Pradesh. After about 20 minutes into its flight, it will eject CMS-01 into geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO) and from there, the satellite will be taken up and positioned in the geosynchronous stationary orbit. The 44-metre-high four-staged engine, PSLV-C50, is the 22nd flight of PSLV in 'XL' configuration (with six strap-on motors hugging the first stage). It will be the 52nd mission for India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Read More  

  India is poised to derive full benefit of global investments on 5G standards and ecosystems in the coming two-three years, as equipment prices come down and devices become available, Chairman of Bharti Airtel, Sunil Mittal said on Tuesday. Terming space as the "next frontier of communications", Mittal said India's proactive lead in the space industry and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Department of Space's call to private sector, would ensure that advantages move in the country's favour in space communication industry, as well. Speaking at India Mobile Congress 2020, a virtual event this year, Mittal said that onset of pandemic has accelerated digital adoption of various products and services. The force multiplier of pandemic has pushed digitalisation of the country, he added. The next-generation 5G would start to become the norm in the mobile broadband space in next two-three years. Read More

  N95 masks may be the most effective at reducing the spread of the novel coronavirus, according a study by researchers, including those from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which suggests that any mask is better than no mask at preventing COVID-19 . The researchers noted that airborne transmission by respiratory aerosol droplets produced during coughing and sneezing is the dominant mode of spreading for infectious diseases such as COVID-19. Padmanabha Prasanna Simha, from ISRO, and Prasanna Simha Mohan Rao, from the Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences and Research in Karnataka, experimentally visualised the flow fields of coughs under various common mouth covering scenarios. The, study published in the journal Physics of Fluids, found N95 masks to be the most effective at reducing the horizontal spread of a cough. Read More  

India was among several countries in the world where greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission from fossil fuels combustion reduced due to lockdowns imposed to contain the coronavirus pandemic, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said after observing satellite data. America’s NASA , the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) collaborated for the first time to document planet-wide changes in the environment and societies during the lockdowns. The agencies collated data from their Earth-observing satellites tracking changes in air and water quality, climate change, economic activity, and agriculture. Read More

Vestaspace Technology, a nano, cube, and small satellite-manufacturing company and space service provider, is launching a constellation of 35-plus satellites pan-India, to build 5G speed network connections and IoT functionalities across industries. With its AI-powered novel communication architecture, the company is set to release a beta version of next-generation satellite constellations this September. It plans to launch a fully operational constellation of satellites in early 2021 into Low-Earth-Orbit or Geosynchronous Equatorial Orbit. The company plans to replace traditional fiber networks with the satellite constellations and provide high-speed 5G network connections pan-India with its unmanned Software Data processing. Read More

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday said that GSLV-F10 will launch geo imaging satellite, GISAT-1 , from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on March 5. The launch is scheduled to take place at 5.43 pm. "Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F10) will launch geo imaging satellite (GISAT-1) from the second launch pad of the SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota. The launch is tentatively scheduled at 1743 Hrs IST on March 05, 2020, subject to weather conditions," ISRO said. Weighing about 2,275 kg, GISAT-1 is a state-of-the-art agile Earth observation satellite that will be placed in a 'geosynchronous transfer orbit' by GSLV-F10. Subsequently, the satellite will reach the final geostationary orbit using its onboard propulsion system. A four metre-diameter ogive shaped payload fairing is being flown for the first time in this GSLV flight. This is the fourteenth flight of the GSLV, the space organisation said. Read More

Smartphone and smart TV brand Xiaomi on Tuesday announced it would bring ISROs Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System NavIC technology to its smartphones. Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) is the regional geo-positioning system designed in the country by the city-headquartered Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to provide accurate positioning in India and 1500 km around the Indian mainland. The capability has been currently enabled by Qualcomm Technologies Inc on several of their Qualcomm Snapdragon Mobile Platforms and will be made available across multiple Xiaomi smartphones in India, Xiaomi said in a statement. In 2020, several Xiaomi smartphones across multiple price points will support NavIC initially supported by some Snapdragon chipsets. The implementation was possible after R&D efforts from Xiaomi for software along with ISRO's (Indian Space Research Organisation) and Qualcomms efforts, it said. Read More

The Indian Space Research Organisation is readying low-cost satellite launch vehicles costing about Rs 30-35 crore each, which can put into orbit satellites weighing 500 kg. The first such launch from the country is expected to take place in the next four months. This capability will give ISRO a big commercial boost as it will be able to cater to micro, mini and medium segments of the market, Haridas T V, Deputy Director, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre said, taking part in the panel discussions at 'EDGE 2020, The Space Conclave', here on Friday. "The biggest advantage is that ISRO now can manufacture these vehicles in a turnaround time of just three weeks," he said. ISRO has earmarked $1,600 million for launch vehicles, of which $870 million will be for PSLV and the remaining for Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle, he revealed. ISRO has planned some 500 Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle launches in the next five years, a press release quoting Haridas s

The ISRO on Wednesday announced that work on the country's third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3 was on and the launch may shift to next year. The announcement comes a day after Union Minister Jitendra Singh said India will launch Chandrayaan-3 in 2020. Addressing a press conference here, ISRO chairman K Sivan said all activities related to the third lunar mission were going on smoothly. It will also have a lander, rover and a propulsion module like its predecessor, he said. On the cost of the project, Sivan said, "the mission would cost Rs 250 crore." The launch of Chandrayaan 3 may shift to next year, he said. Read More

The Kerala government has in principle decided to give Rs 1.3 crore as compensation to former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan, who was falsely implicated in the 1994 espionage case. The amount is for settling the case filed by 77-year-old Naryananan against the government in a sub-court here, seeking enhanced damages for his illegal arrest and harassment. The compensation is in addition to the Rs 50 lakh provided by the government to the former scientist on a Supreme court order and the Rs 10 lakh recommended by the National Human Rights Commission. The cabinet meeting, which took the decision here on Thursday, also decided that the settlement agreement would be submitted before the court after consulting legal experts and further action would be taken as per the court's directions, a government press release said. Read More

The Indian Space Research Organisation has gotten over the setback it suffered on account of the Chandrayaan-2 mission , and has ended the year with six launch vehicle missions and seven satellite missions. The number is lower than that achieved in 2018, when Isro had completed 16 missions and was preparing for some major milestones, including the launch of Chandrayaan-2, preparing for India's first human space programme 'Gaganyaan' and its mission to the Sun: Aditya-1. At the beginning of the year 2019, Isro said it was planning as many as 32 missions, including 14 launch vehicles, 17 satellite and one Technology Demonstration missions. The complex Chandrayaan-2 and the development flights of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle or SSLVs, were an intrinsic part of this plan. SSLVs are the new member in the Launch Vehicle family. After completing 16 missions in 2018, Isro started the year 2019 not with a launch, but with the signing of an MoU with industries to outsourc

India launched 14 satellites Wednesday morning, boosting the morale of its space agency which lost contact with a spacecraft to trying to land on the moon in September. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C47 (PSLV-C47) placed in orbit India's earth observation satellite Cartosat-3 and 13 nano-satellites for the US when it blasted off from the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro's) Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 9:28am. Seventeen minutes after lift-off, Cartosat-3 separated from the launch vehicle and put into orbit. The 13 US satellites will be launched in the next eight minutes, completing the first business order of Isro's newly formed commercial arm NewSpace India Ltd. Cartosat-3, India’s third-generation earth observation satellite, will be used for large-scale urban planning and to monitor coastal land, rural resources and infrastructure development. The satellite, which will last for five years and weighs 1,625kg, can pick a 25-cm object fr

Indian space agency has released fresh set of pictures of impact craters on moon surface taken by its Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday releasing a picture on its Twitter handle said the images were taken by the Dual Frequency-Synthetic Aperture Radar (DF-SAR) on its Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter. According to ISRO, the Moon has been continuously bombarded by meteorites, asteroids and comets since its formation. This has resulted in the formation of innumerable impact craters that form the most distinct geographic features on its surface. Impact craters are approximately circular depressions on the surface of the moon, ranging from small, simple, bowl-shaped depressions to large, complex, multi-ringed impact basins. "In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal collapse, impact craters typically have raised rims and floors that are lower in elevation than the surrounding terrain," ISRO said. Read

NASA has found no evidence of Chandrayaan-2's Vikram lander in the images captured during a latest flyby of its Moon orbiter of the lunar region where India's ambitious mission attempted a soft landing, the US space agency said. On September 7, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) attempted a soft landing of Vikram on the uncharted lunar south pole, before losing communication with the lander. "The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter imaged the area of the targeted Chandrayaan-2 Vikram landing site on October 14 but did not observe any evidence of the lander," Noah Edward Petro, the Project Scientist for the LRO mission, told PTI in an exclusive email interaction. Petro said that the camera team carefully examined the images and employed the change detection technique -- using a ratio of an image from prior to the landing attempt to the one acquired on October 14. This approach, he said, is used for finding new meteorite impacts on the Moon that also hel

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has invited applications for 327 Isro scientist/engineer posts in Level 10 of Pay matrix. The last date to submit the form is November 4, 2019. Eligible candidates can apply online through the official website of Isro isro.gov.in . Important dates to remember Online application starts: October 15, 2019 Registration last date: November 04, 2019 Fee payment last date: November 06, 2019 Exam date: To be notified soon Admit card: To be notified soon Age Limit: 35 years as on 04.11.2019. Ex-serviceman and persons with benchmark disabilities (PWBD) are eligible for age relaxation according to Government of India orders. General/OBS categories will be charged Rs 100 for the application fee, while SC, ST and PH will be exempted from payment. Read More Article Source -> Business Standard

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) said that it was yet to establish any communication with Chandrayaan-2 's lander, Vikram. On September 7, minutes before landing, Vikram, which was carrying a rover, Pragyan, went out of contact during its final descent, when it was just 2.1 km above the lunar surface. "Vikram Lander has been located by the orbiter of Chandrayaan 2, but no communication with it yet. All possible efforts are being made to establish communication with lander," said Isro. While reports claim that the Vikram lander lies on the lunar surface as a single piece, unbroken, and it is in a tilted position following a hard landing, Isro officials did not confirm, stating that they were trying to establish communication with the lander. Chandrayaan-2 comprises an orbiter, lander (Vikram) and rover (Pragyan). The mission life of the lander and rover is one lunar day, which is equal to 14 Earth days. Isro Chairman K Sivan earlier said that the