January 1, 2011. BMM wishes its readers a very happy and prosperous new year.
Yes, the new year has arrived. For ``Beyond Moon and Mars (BMM),'' it is a special day, because it hits a century today. The space blog which has been attempting to reflect BMM's passion for space exploration was launched on the night of September 5,2010 accidently.
To mark the century, BMM will reflect on the irony of manned space flight programme this year. Why irony? The reason is that on the one hand the 50th anniv celebrations of the world's first manned space flight by Yuri Gagarin will take off soon. Simultaneously, an important segment of the human space flight mission--the space shuttle--will be phased out. 2011 will, therefore, witness two major events relating to manned space flight---the golden jubilee of Gagarin's flight and the retirement of the shuttle. Indeed it is also the golden jubilee of the famous speech of John Kennedy on May 25,1961, which launched the manned mission to the moon.
Gagarin's flight on April 12,1961,eventually led to other human space missions, including the landing on the moon and then flights of the space shuttle. None other than Neil Armstrong himself has paid a handsome tribute to Yuri Gagarin saying that it was because of his flight that he was standing on the moon.
With just three months left for the 50th anniv of Gagarin's flight--April 12 2011-- major celebrations have been planned all over the world. Here in Mumbai, the Russian consulate is observing the golden jubilee of the historic 108-minute flight in phases starting from March. The question is who will be the chief guest? The chances of a cosmonaut coming to Mumbai and interacting with space enthus appears remote. As BMM had mentioned in an earlier blog, BMM hopes that the consulate will arrange to sell Gagarin's autobiography, ``The Road To Stars.'' A private enterprise should even think of making and marketing Gagarin goodies like t-shirts, ball pens, hats and perhaps even a dvd of his life. Those obsessed with space like BMM would grab them!
The flight took place during the Cold War between the US and the former Soviet Union. Shaken and humiliated by Gagarin's flight, the US was determined to catch up. So on May 25,1961, John F. Kennedy, made his famous speech which launched US"s manned mission to the moon. BMM is sure that Nasa and other American organisations will leave no stones unturned to mark the 50th anniv of this speech.
With regards to the space shuttle which had its maiden flight also on April 12, but 20 years later in 1981, its role has been understandbly a subject of intense debate. Within Nasa itself there are two schools of opinion whether it had served its purpose or not. Those at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, champions of robotic interplanetary missions, are convinced that the shuttle was a failure and served no useful purpose scientifically. But this has been challenged by those at Nasa HQ in Washington and particularly scientists and engineers at the Johnson Space Centre in Houston--the centre of the space agency's manned spaceflight programme.
This year the curtains will fall on the space shuttle after the three vehicles --Discovery, Endeavour and Atlantis complete their missions. The launch dates have yet to be firmed up. There is an air of uncertainty because more cracks have recently been found on the Discovery's external tank.
While the shuttle in a way can be considered a technological triumph, its scientific accomplishments however seem unclear. Perhaps it would have been better if the designers of the shuttle had made it capable of flying beyond the low earth orbit and the International Space Station (ISS) atleast to the moon and back. Unfortunately, it was condemned to the LEO which extends upto 2000 kms.
On the topic of the manned space flight, there is another important question---will the government of India approve India's human space flight programme or not?
So, as BMM crosses a century, it will certainly try to provide regular updates about global space programmes.
Wish all of you starry days ahead.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Russian President Fires Two Top Space Officials.
As the preliminary probe into the Christmas Day GSLV disaster is now underway, comes the news that the Russian President, Dmitry Medvedev, has sacked two top space officials for the failure of the Proton M rocket on December 5,2010, which were carrying three Glonass-M communication satellites What is of significance is that just three weeks after the accident the Russian President initiated action for the rocket's failure.
Space experts believe that Medvedev stepped in because the mission was a pet project of the Kremlin. If it had succeeded it would given competition to the the American GPS. The two officials who were sacked were the deputy head of Roskosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency, Viktor Remishevsky and the deputy president of Energia, Vyacheslav Filin. Enegia is a space rocket corporation.
The rocket failed to reach its orbit and the three satellites fell into the Pacific Ocean--a scene reminscent of the GSLV failing and falling into the Bay Of Bengal along with the satellite.
Their services were terminated following a report of the inquiry committee which blamed fuel miscalculation as the cause of the accident. According to an agency report, more fuel was loaded and the rocket became too heavy which made it difficult for it to reach orbit.
This finding reminds us of the speculation relating to the GSLV disaster which states that the heavy weight of the indigenous satellite--2310 kg--may be one of the reasons of the rocket's disintegration. But, this theory has been challenged by some other space experts.
Whatever it is.hats off to the Russian system for moving fast on the Proton mishap and taking quick action. Equally significant is the fact that Roskosmos has publicised this in its own website. With the Russian President ordering Roskosmos to pull up its sock and observe ``performance discipline'' and even reprimanding Roskosmos chief, Anatoly Perminov, the question now is whether the agency will feel confident about flying its lunar lander, a part of the Chandrayaan-2 mission, on the GSLV Mark-2? If the Russian lander does finally go on the GSLV, then what better marketing strategy for this somewhat unreliable rocket!
This is important because a Kremlin statement says that ``on the Russian President's instructions, Roskosmos, will take additional measures to strengthen its performance discipline.''
ends
Space experts believe that Medvedev stepped in because the mission was a pet project of the Kremlin. If it had succeeded it would given competition to the the American GPS. The two officials who were sacked were the deputy head of Roskosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency, Viktor Remishevsky and the deputy president of Energia, Vyacheslav Filin. Enegia is a space rocket corporation.
The rocket failed to reach its orbit and the three satellites fell into the Pacific Ocean--a scene reminscent of the GSLV failing and falling into the Bay Of Bengal along with the satellite.
Their services were terminated following a report of the inquiry committee which blamed fuel miscalculation as the cause of the accident. According to an agency report, more fuel was loaded and the rocket became too heavy which made it difficult for it to reach orbit.
This finding reminds us of the speculation relating to the GSLV disaster which states that the heavy weight of the indigenous satellite--2310 kg--may be one of the reasons of the rocket's disintegration. But, this theory has been challenged by some other space experts.
Whatever it is.hats off to the Russian system for moving fast on the Proton mishap and taking quick action. Equally significant is the fact that Roskosmos has publicised this in its own website. With the Russian President ordering Roskosmos to pull up its sock and observe ``performance discipline'' and even reprimanding Roskosmos chief, Anatoly Perminov, the question now is whether the agency will feel confident about flying its lunar lander, a part of the Chandrayaan-2 mission, on the GSLV Mark-2? If the Russian lander does finally go on the GSLV, then what better marketing strategy for this somewhat unreliable rocket!
This is important because a Kremlin statement says that ``on the Russian President's instructions, Roskosmos, will take additional measures to strengthen its performance discipline.''
ends
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Capturing the GSLV disintegration
Pix by Vijaykumar
Launch from Youtube
On Christmas Day, just before 4 p.m., a group of employees of Madras Fertilisers at Manali in Chennai gathered on the grounds of their establishment with a sense of eager anticipation and excitement.
Among them was 47-year-old star struck D.Vijaykumar, whose hobby is amateur astronomy.
Why should all of them leave their work stations and assemble outside their offices? Any idea.To witness the lift off of the GSLV.
As the moment was ticking away the feeling of excitement increased and as the mighty rocket shot into sight travelling in a yellowish plume of smoke, Vijaykumar instantly focussed his mobile camera on the spectacular launch and began clicking away every stage of what seemed to be then a grand take off carrying the heaviest indigenous satellite, the GSat-5P weighing 2310 kg.
Speaking to ``Beyond Moon and Mars (BMM)'' from Chennai on Tuesday night Vijaykumar said that his office is situated nearly 70 kms from Sriharikota. Despite the vast distance, he and his colleagues could easily observe the launch.
Recalled Vijaykumar: ``As I was clicking away everything seemed to be going okay initially. But, suddenly I saw that the rocket was changing its trajectory. I felt totally at a loss and was disappointed because we felt that it will be super success. All of us were quite disappointed,'' he told BMM.
Vijaykumar said that the historical pics will be a part of his personal collection. ``This was the first time I was photographing a rocket launch,'' he said, while pointing out that he has not taken a video. The superb and powerful pics were e mailed to BMM by its friend, Suhas Satam Naik of the Nehru Planetarium. Once again BMM thanks Suhas for the pics.
A few hours later on Tuesday my friend, Pradeep Mohandas, mailed a video of the GSLV launch and its disintegration taken by another amateur cameraman from the terrace---may be that of Brahm Prakash Hall--of a building at Sriharikota BMM feels that it could be from Brahm Prakash Hall because it could identify the water tank from where it has stood all these years and covered launches including that of Chandrayaan-1 on October 22,2008.
Thanks Pradeep because this is one of the best videos BMM has ever seen taken by an amateur cameraman of a rocket launch. The clip clearly shows that emotions of the huge crowd, the excitement and thrill sparked by the grand lift off--all the shouting and screaming. This mood of celebration soon gives way to a tremendous sense of disappointment as the rocket disintegrates and falls into the Bay of Bengal. This is clearly brought out in the video.
BMM has a number of CDs and DVDs of the Chandrayaan launch.
Undoubtedly, the best are those taken by the amateurs.
ends
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Who is conducting the GSLV probe----Isro or the media?
On Monday evening, ``Beyond Moon and Mars,'' accompanied by secretary of India chapter of Moon Society, Pradeep Mohandas, visited the Nehru Planetarium at Worli with a different aim---neither to listen to a talk nor watch an astronomy show. The purpose was to discuss the unfortunate Christmas Day failure of the GSLV which has hit international headlines.
But why the Nehru Planetarium? The reason is outside this beautiful centre--a great landmark of Mumbai--there is a huge model of the GSLV donated by Isro. BMM, therefore, felt it would be best to ponder over the possible causes of the crash with the model of the rocket right in front of us.
BMM being not a techie, therefore. felt it would be good to have a person with an engineering background. Who else but Pradeep in this case? The guy who came all the way from Chedda Nagar where he stays, near Chembur, did his best to explain the causes of the disaster by pointing towards the model. And since it was a weekly holiday at the planetarium, we managed to access the spot close to the rocket thanks to my good friend Suhas Satam Naik of the planetarium. Thank you Suhas.
With the rocket close to us, we wondered who was conducting the initial probe of the mishap---Isro or the media? Minutes after the disaster, the electronic and print media as well as some of the internet sites have been flooded with speculative reports about the reasons behind the crash.
While Isro chief, K.Radhakrishnan, announced that the possible cause could be snapping of four chords between the rocket's equipment bay and the first stage, journalists have been tracking Isro scientists who have been coming out with their own theories. These scientists, moreoever, do not want to be named because of a gag order by Radhakrishnan. Satish told BMM that as of now the cause of chords snapping will be investigated.
One of the reports suggested a structural error because of the heavy weight of the satellite and today Pradeep's friend, an aerorspace engineer, pooh poohed the report. Whom are we to believe? Why cannot we wait for the actual official report to be released which will have credibility. Pradeep incidentally was inclined to believe that the structural error theory could be plausible.
Remember, Isro has a huge staff strength of nearly 14,000. In such a large organisation internal disputes and rivalries among the employees is something inevitable. So let the media not be used by one set of employees to settle scores with the others using the GSLV disaster.
This problem has arisen because even in the previous case relating to the GSLV failure on April 15,2010, Isro only released half the report through a press release. In this case, BMM feels that the full document should be hosted on Isro's website unedited. Even the damning comments and remarks should be made public as it happens with the case of Nasa and Arianespace.
About Chandrayaan-2 Isro seems confident that it will fly in GSLV Mark 2 with an indigenous cryogenic engine. BMM hopes that its optimism does not prove baseless at the end.
If it does not what are the choices--either delay the launch till the GSLV finally proves it is really reliable. Alternatively, explore the possibility of depending upon a foreign launcher.
But, let us wait for the official report. Let the media consisting of journalists, not scientifically qualified not play the role of investigators atleast in this case.
May the new year bring luck to Isro.
But why the Nehru Planetarium? The reason is outside this beautiful centre--a great landmark of Mumbai--there is a huge model of the GSLV donated by Isro. BMM, therefore, felt it would be best to ponder over the possible causes of the crash with the model of the rocket right in front of us.
BMM being not a techie, therefore. felt it would be good to have a person with an engineering background. Who else but Pradeep in this case? The guy who came all the way from Chedda Nagar where he stays, near Chembur, did his best to explain the causes of the disaster by pointing towards the model. And since it was a weekly holiday at the planetarium, we managed to access the spot close to the rocket thanks to my good friend Suhas Satam Naik of the planetarium. Thank you Suhas.
With the rocket close to us, we wondered who was conducting the initial probe of the mishap---Isro or the media? Minutes after the disaster, the electronic and print media as well as some of the internet sites have been flooded with speculative reports about the reasons behind the crash.
While Isro chief, K.Radhakrishnan, announced that the possible cause could be snapping of four chords between the rocket's equipment bay and the first stage, journalists have been tracking Isro scientists who have been coming out with their own theories. These scientists, moreoever, do not want to be named because of a gag order by Radhakrishnan. Satish told BMM that as of now the cause of chords snapping will be investigated.
One of the reports suggested a structural error because of the heavy weight of the satellite and today Pradeep's friend, an aerorspace engineer, pooh poohed the report. Whom are we to believe? Why cannot we wait for the actual official report to be released which will have credibility. Pradeep incidentally was inclined to believe that the structural error theory could be plausible.
Remember, Isro has a huge staff strength of nearly 14,000. In such a large organisation internal disputes and rivalries among the employees is something inevitable. So let the media not be used by one set of employees to settle scores with the others using the GSLV disaster.
This problem has arisen because even in the previous case relating to the GSLV failure on April 15,2010, Isro only released half the report through a press release. In this case, BMM feels that the full document should be hosted on Isro's website unedited. Even the damning comments and remarks should be made public as it happens with the case of Nasa and Arianespace.
About Chandrayaan-2 Isro seems confident that it will fly in GSLV Mark 2 with an indigenous cryogenic engine. BMM hopes that its optimism does not prove baseless at the end.
If it does not what are the choices--either delay the launch till the GSLV finally proves it is really reliable. Alternatively, explore the possibility of depending upon a foreign launcher.
But, let us wait for the official report. Let the media consisting of journalists, not scientifically qualified not play the role of investigators atleast in this case.
May the new year bring luck to Isro.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
For Isro a White Christmas turned into a Black Christmas
On Saturday afternoon, the scene repeated itself in the room of ``Beyond Moon and Mars (BMM).
It did what it did on April 15,2010.
BMM placed its brass model of the GSLV (Geo Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), on the dressing table, sat next to it, switched on the TV and surfed various channels to watch the live telecast of the much awaited GSLV launch.
Around 3.30 p.m. secretary of India chapter of Moon Society, the ever helpful, Pradeep Mohandas, called to say that DD National was telecasting the life of the father of the Indian nuclear bomb, Raja Ramanna, in which the eminent scientist explained why India had to go nuclear. Was there a connection?
At 3.45 p.m. sharp, the telecast started when the countdown had reached Mark-22 minutes to lift off. This means there was 22 minutes left for the three-stage GSLV carrying the heaviest India-made communication satellite, the 2310 kg GSat-5P, This exciting mission had a three-fold significance:-
*For the first time an India-made rocket was carrying the heaviest satellite.
*For the first time the length of the rocket itself was lengthened from 49 metres to 51 metres.
*For the first time fuel mass of the Russia-made cryogenic engine was raised from 12.5 tonnes to 15.3 tonnes.
So it had many firsts to its credit and understandbly it triggered a lot of interest, thrill and curiousity.
As the countdown progressed, BMM kept looking at the brass model, touching it now and then and saying to itself that in a few moments its actual counterparts would take off.
Mark-18 minutes: mission director G.Ravindranath gives the `go' for launch to vehicle director, Jaychandra Nair. In the hi tech mission control room at Sriharikota, the scientists kept monitoring their computers observing data from the rocket and the satellite. At that point all systems were a `go' for launch.
Mark-five minutes: Weather is a `go.'
Mark-3 minutes: On board computers get into the flight mode.
-55 seconds, - 50 secs-45-35-30-25-20-15-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-the strap ons ignite-3-2-1-0. The rocket lifted off triggering as usual a huge round of applause from the scientists and engineers in the mission control room and several onlookers at Sriharikota.
Barely had the applause subsided and when the flight had touched the 53 second mark the rocked started began to behave erratically, veered off its designated trajectory and Isro chairman K.Radhakrishnan gave destruct command T plus 63 seconds. Should BMM keep this super model next to it in the next launch?!!!!!! Yes, it will!
There was a huge fireball and it seemed as though there was a nuclear explosion rather than a rocket flight. Therefore, starting the launch telecast on Saturday with a profile of Raja Ramanna seemed appropriate!!!! Doordarshan was unaware of this connection!
A GSLV mission for the second time in six months had flopped--the previous one on April 15,2010 when the rocket was powered with an indigenous cryogenic engine. At that time the rocket was at an altitude of eight kms and was 2.5 kms from Sriharikota. The debris fell into the sea and it was the third failure of the seven GSLV flights. It appears that the Bay of Bengal atleast off Sriharikota exists to receive the debris of the GSLVs.
Sometime after this Christmas Day space disaster---ironically the space programme was born in the beautiful St Mary's Magdelene's Church in Thumba 47 years ago---Radhakrishnan announced the preliminary cause of the setback could be attributed to a snapped chord resulting in a command from the equipment bay failing to reach the first stage of the rocket. Pradeep feels that it was too early to come to any firm conclusion.
BMM does not want to speculate on the technical cause of the mishap. But, on its possible impact space scientists like M.N.Vahia of the Tifr feel that it could perhaps delay the prestigious Rs 425-crore Indian moon mission, Chandrayaan-2 slated for lift off in 2013, the manned space flight in 2015 for which the formal okay has yet to come from the government and the launch of communication satellites by the GSLV. If there was a delay in launching the communication satellites Isro will have to depend upon foreign launchers like Arianespace or hire foreign satellite which it had done in an earlier case.
Nehru Planetarium director, Piyush Pandey, is of the view that the next launch of the GSLV should be tried with a dud satellite. He feels that it should be test flight of this somewhat unreliable rocket. His opinion is bound to find unanimous support among the scientists of Isro's Ahmedabad-based Space Application Centre whose communication payloads, instead of hitting the sky, have been drowning in the sea instead!
But, there is one school of thought within Isro which is confident that none of these projects would be delayed. They are now faced with a challenging task of proving that their optimism.despite the disaster was justified.
BMM, though by no means a technical expert, however has these suggestions.
* The government should appoint a committee headed by an outside expert to probe the cause of Saturday's failure.
* Its functioning should be transparent and should emulate the example of the US system in which a certain degree of public participation is allowed. After all the tax payer has the right to know what is happening.
* The full report of this committee, not an edited, diluted or abridged one should be available on Isro's website. Just not a press release,
In this connection BMM wants to know whether Chandrayaan report of the Prime Minister's committee will be made public?
It did what it did on April 15,2010.
BMM placed its brass model of the GSLV (Geo Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), on the dressing table, sat next to it, switched on the TV and surfed various channels to watch the live telecast of the much awaited GSLV launch.
Around 3.30 p.m. secretary of India chapter of Moon Society, the ever helpful, Pradeep Mohandas, called to say that DD National was telecasting the life of the father of the Indian nuclear bomb, Raja Ramanna, in which the eminent scientist explained why India had to go nuclear. Was there a connection?
At 3.45 p.m. sharp, the telecast started when the countdown had reached Mark-22 minutes to lift off. This means there was 22 minutes left for the three-stage GSLV carrying the heaviest India-made communication satellite, the 2310 kg GSat-5P, This exciting mission had a three-fold significance:-
*For the first time an India-made rocket was carrying the heaviest satellite.
*For the first time the length of the rocket itself was lengthened from 49 metres to 51 metres.
*For the first time fuel mass of the Russia-made cryogenic engine was raised from 12.5 tonnes to 15.3 tonnes.
So it had many firsts to its credit and understandbly it triggered a lot of interest, thrill and curiousity.
As the countdown progressed, BMM kept looking at the brass model, touching it now and then and saying to itself that in a few moments its actual counterparts would take off.
Mark-18 minutes: mission director G.Ravindranath gives the `go' for launch to vehicle director, Jaychandra Nair. In the hi tech mission control room at Sriharikota, the scientists kept monitoring their computers observing data from the rocket and the satellite. At that point all systems were a `go' for launch.
Mark-five minutes: Weather is a `go.'
Mark-3 minutes: On board computers get into the flight mode.
-55 seconds, - 50 secs-45-35-30-25-20-15-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-the strap ons ignite-3-2-1-0. The rocket lifted off triggering as usual a huge round of applause from the scientists and engineers in the mission control room and several onlookers at Sriharikota.
Barely had the applause subsided and when the flight had touched the 53 second mark the rocked started began to behave erratically, veered off its designated trajectory and Isro chairman K.Radhakrishnan gave destruct command T plus 63 seconds. Should BMM keep this super model next to it in the next launch?!!!!!! Yes, it will!
There was a huge fireball and it seemed as though there was a nuclear explosion rather than a rocket flight. Therefore, starting the launch telecast on Saturday with a profile of Raja Ramanna seemed appropriate!!!! Doordarshan was unaware of this connection!
A GSLV mission for the second time in six months had flopped--the previous one on April 15,2010 when the rocket was powered with an indigenous cryogenic engine. At that time the rocket was at an altitude of eight kms and was 2.5 kms from Sriharikota. The debris fell into the sea and it was the third failure of the seven GSLV flights. It appears that the Bay of Bengal atleast off Sriharikota exists to receive the debris of the GSLVs.
Sometime after this Christmas Day space disaster---ironically the space programme was born in the beautiful St Mary's Magdelene's Church in Thumba 47 years ago---Radhakrishnan announced the preliminary cause of the setback could be attributed to a snapped chord resulting in a command from the equipment bay failing to reach the first stage of the rocket. Pradeep feels that it was too early to come to any firm conclusion.
BMM does not want to speculate on the technical cause of the mishap. But, on its possible impact space scientists like M.N.Vahia of the Tifr feel that it could perhaps delay the prestigious Rs 425-crore Indian moon mission, Chandrayaan-2 slated for lift off in 2013, the manned space flight in 2015 for which the formal okay has yet to come from the government and the launch of communication satellites by the GSLV. If there was a delay in launching the communication satellites Isro will have to depend upon foreign launchers like Arianespace or hire foreign satellite which it had done in an earlier case.
Nehru Planetarium director, Piyush Pandey, is of the view that the next launch of the GSLV should be tried with a dud satellite. He feels that it should be test flight of this somewhat unreliable rocket. His opinion is bound to find unanimous support among the scientists of Isro's Ahmedabad-based Space Application Centre whose communication payloads, instead of hitting the sky, have been drowning in the sea instead!
But, there is one school of thought within Isro which is confident that none of these projects would be delayed. They are now faced with a challenging task of proving that their optimism.despite the disaster was justified.
BMM, though by no means a technical expert, however has these suggestions.
* The government should appoint a committee headed by an outside expert to probe the cause of Saturday's failure.
* Its functioning should be transparent and should emulate the example of the US system in which a certain degree of public participation is allowed. After all the tax payer has the right to know what is happening.
* The full report of this committee, not an edited, diluted or abridged one should be available on Isro's website. Just not a press release,
In this connection BMM wants to know whether Chandrayaan report of the Prime Minister's committee will be made public?
Monday, December 20, 2010
``Apollo 8. You are a go for TLI
``Apollo 8. You are a go for TLI (Trans Lunar Injection).'' This was the historical message flashed by Michael Collins, who was the first capsule communicator, for the Apollo 8 mission to its crew. The important transmission took place around 8.30 p.m. and 22 seconds (IST). The date: December 21, 1968. The signal meant that officially mission control at Nasa's manned spacecraft centre in Houston, Texas. has given the green signal for Apollo 8 to fly to the moon
This happaned 42 years ago on December 21,1968 The mission commander was Frank Borman, command module pilot, James Lovell and lunar module pilot, William Anders, The trio lifted off from the Kennedy Space Centre in what turned to be a major path breaking mission to the moon. Though there was some resistance to the plan from top Nasa scientists, including from adminstrator, James Webb, finally they all came around to this challenging and daredevil flight plan, The CIA had stated that the Russians were working on a similar type of mission of going around the moon.
The main significance of the Apollo 8 flight was that:-
* It was the first human spaceflight to leave the earth's orbit.
" It was the first to be captured by and escape from the gravitational field of another celestial body and the first crewed voyage to return to earth.
* The crew members became the first humans to directly see the far side of the moon.
* It paved the way for first human landing on the moon on July 20,1969.
After lift off Apollo 8 took three days to fly to the moon and orbited it 10 times in 20 hours. Apart from other important factors, this mission is also remembered for the fact that on Christmas Eve, the crew members read out the first 10 verses from the Book Of Genesis.
Also who will not remember the famous and beautiful picture of earthrise? This super shot was taken by Anders and has become the cover of many mags and has been framed and displayed. What a pic? Apollo 8 was one of the most important space missions making Time magazine chose the crew as the ``Men Of The Year,''
Spacelog, a new website, in a few days will be reproducing the transcripts of entire mission. Wait for it.
``Beyond Moon and Mars )BMM)'' is at present a reading called ``Chariots For Apollo--The Nasa History of Manned Lunar Spacecraft to 1969.'' For spacebuffs like BMM, the book is a great buy: packed with details and hitherto unknown spicy accounts of what really went behind planning the first manned landing on the moon---the Apollo 11 mission.
On one of the pages, a historical invitation has been reproduced which says: ``You are cordially invited to attend the departure of the United States Spaceship Apollo V111 on its voyage around the moon, departing from launch complex 39A, Kennedy Space Centre, with the launch window commencing at seven a.m. on December 21, 1969. The Apollo V111 crew.''
BMM on Sunday photocopied the invite to a larger size, had it laminated it and is now on display on its room.
If only BMM had received the real invite in December 1968, said yes to the rsvp and witnessed the grand lift off on December 21,1968 what a memorable moment it would have been,
You need luck, This is certain.
This happaned 42 years ago on December 21,1968 The mission commander was Frank Borman, command module pilot, James Lovell and lunar module pilot, William Anders, The trio lifted off from the Kennedy Space Centre in what turned to be a major path breaking mission to the moon. Though there was some resistance to the plan from top Nasa scientists, including from adminstrator, James Webb, finally they all came around to this challenging and daredevil flight plan, The CIA had stated that the Russians were working on a similar type of mission of going around the moon.
The main significance of the Apollo 8 flight was that:-
* It was the first human spaceflight to leave the earth's orbit.
" It was the first to be captured by and escape from the gravitational field of another celestial body and the first crewed voyage to return to earth.
* The crew members became the first humans to directly see the far side of the moon.
* It paved the way for first human landing on the moon on July 20,1969.
After lift off Apollo 8 took three days to fly to the moon and orbited it 10 times in 20 hours. Apart from other important factors, this mission is also remembered for the fact that on Christmas Eve, the crew members read out the first 10 verses from the Book Of Genesis.
Also who will not remember the famous and beautiful picture of earthrise? This super shot was taken by Anders and has become the cover of many mags and has been framed and displayed. What a pic? Apollo 8 was one of the most important space missions making Time magazine chose the crew as the ``Men Of The Year,''
Spacelog, a new website, in a few days will be reproducing the transcripts of entire mission. Wait for it.
``Beyond Moon and Mars )BMM)'' is at present a reading called ``Chariots For Apollo--The Nasa History of Manned Lunar Spacecraft to 1969.'' For spacebuffs like BMM, the book is a great buy: packed with details and hitherto unknown spicy accounts of what really went behind planning the first manned landing on the moon---the Apollo 11 mission.
On one of the pages, a historical invitation has been reproduced which says: ``You are cordially invited to attend the departure of the United States Spaceship Apollo V111 on its voyage around the moon, departing from launch complex 39A, Kennedy Space Centre, with the launch window commencing at seven a.m. on December 21, 1969. The Apollo V111 crew.''
BMM on Sunday photocopied the invite to a larger size, had it laminated it and is now on display on its room.
If only BMM had received the real invite in December 1968, said yes to the rsvp and witnessed the grand lift off on December 21,1968 what a memorable moment it would have been,
You need luck, This is certain.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
It is a `no go' for the GSLV launch,
Is the three-stage Geo Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) jinxed?
On April 15, 2010, a GSLV for the first time powered with an indigenous cryogenic engine, instead of zooming towards the skies took a turn and plunged into the sea. The reason: the India-made cryogenic engine failed.
Thousands of people who were eagerly awaiting the outcome of the mission were were terribly disappointed when Isro chairman, K.Radhakrishnan, formally declared the mission a failure and announced that within a year the next flight of the rocket with an indiigenous cryogenic engine will be launched,. This means that the launch should take place in the next four months. The question is whether the Indian cryo is ready for another flight? There is no word from Isro as yet.
On December 19, 2010, all was a `go' for the GSLV launch, Hectic preparations were in progress at Sriharikota. There was excitement in the air because Isro was to have launched one of its heaviest communication satellites--the 2310 kg G-Sat 5(Prime), which would have enhanced telecom and television services.
The final 29-hour launch countdown was to kick off at 11 a.m. on Sunday targetting towards a launch at 4 p.m. on Monday. The status was green until a leak was discovered in the Russian-made cryogenic engine during the pre countdown checks. The launch authorisation board then decided to give a `no go' to initiate the final 29-hour countdown.
Yes, there was disappointment among space scientists and engineers, but they said that such discoveries of snags at the last moment are not uncommon in space missions. ``Beyond Moon and Mars (BMM)'' recalls that when it was at Sriharikota on March 30 2001, to cover the very first launch of the GSLV, the mission was halted by the computer when the countdown hit the T-0 mark. The reason: the computer discovered a technical snag preventing the launch of the mission.
Though K.Kasturirangan who was then chairman of Isro announced that it would take atleast a year for the mission to the relaunched, everyone was surprised when the space agency resked it by just three weeks. The flight lifted off on April 19,2001. and it was flawless, launching India into higher orbits in space technology.
So there is really nothing to feel disappointed about. See what has happened to Nasa's space shuttle ``Discovery.'' On account of leaks and cracks in its external tank, the flight has been tentatively postponed till February 2011.
All the same the GSLV as compared to the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) has not been entirely trouble-free triggering speculation whether it is jinxed. India's second mission to the moon, ``Chandrayaan-2,'' is slated to lift off atleast provisionally in 2013 with a GSLV..
All the very best!
On April 15, 2010, a GSLV for the first time powered with an indigenous cryogenic engine, instead of zooming towards the skies took a turn and plunged into the sea. The reason: the India-made cryogenic engine failed.
Thousands of people who were eagerly awaiting the outcome of the mission were were terribly disappointed when Isro chairman, K.Radhakrishnan, formally declared the mission a failure and announced that within a year the next flight of the rocket with an indiigenous cryogenic engine will be launched,. This means that the launch should take place in the next four months. The question is whether the Indian cryo is ready for another flight? There is no word from Isro as yet.
On December 19, 2010, all was a `go' for the GSLV launch, Hectic preparations were in progress at Sriharikota. There was excitement in the air because Isro was to have launched one of its heaviest communication satellites--the 2310 kg G-Sat 5(Prime), which would have enhanced telecom and television services.
The final 29-hour launch countdown was to kick off at 11 a.m. on Sunday targetting towards a launch at 4 p.m. on Monday. The status was green until a leak was discovered in the Russian-made cryogenic engine during the pre countdown checks. The launch authorisation board then decided to give a `no go' to initiate the final 29-hour countdown.
Yes, there was disappointment among space scientists and engineers, but they said that such discoveries of snags at the last moment are not uncommon in space missions. ``Beyond Moon and Mars (BMM)'' recalls that when it was at Sriharikota on March 30 2001, to cover the very first launch of the GSLV, the mission was halted by the computer when the countdown hit the T-0 mark. The reason: the computer discovered a technical snag preventing the launch of the mission.
Though K.Kasturirangan who was then chairman of Isro announced that it would take atleast a year for the mission to the relaunched, everyone was surprised when the space agency resked it by just three weeks. The flight lifted off on April 19,2001. and it was flawless, launching India into higher orbits in space technology.
So there is really nothing to feel disappointed about. See what has happened to Nasa's space shuttle ``Discovery.'' On account of leaks and cracks in its external tank, the flight has been tentatively postponed till February 2011.
All the same the GSLV as compared to the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) has not been entirely trouble-free triggering speculation whether it is jinxed. India's second mission to the moon, ``Chandrayaan-2,'' is slated to lift off atleast provisionally in 2013 with a GSLV..
All the very best!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Voyager 1 breaks another space record.
Syed Maqbool Ahmed (fourth from right) along with scientists against the backdrop of the engineering model of the Voyager spacecraft at the visitor centre of Nasa's Jet Propulsion Labaratory.
Beyond Moon and Mars (BMM) succeeded in uploading this historic pix to the blog thanks to secy of India chapter of Moon Society, Pradeep Mohandas.Thank You Pradeep.
--------------------------------
On November 29,2010, my good friend, Syed Maqbool Ahmed, project manager of the Chandra Altitudunal Composition Explorer (Chace) which was one of the three payloads on board Chandrayaan-1's Moon Impact Probe (MIP), came home during his visit to Mumbai before addressing the Observer Research Foundation in the evening.
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We talked and talked mainly about space exploration and I got very excited when he told me that when he was working at Nasa's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at Pasadena in California between 1994 and 1996, he saw the engineering model of what has become one of the greatest unmanned spacecrafts in the world. Any guess? The Voyager spacecraft.
While Voyager 2 was launched on August 20,1977, Voyager 1 took off on September 5, the same year--coincidentally this year on September 5 this blog was inaugurated as though it was a commeration of 33 years of flight of Voyager 1! Both were flown by the Titan-Centaur rocket and the launch was from Cape Canaveral in Florida.
BMM has frequently been following the Voyager mission on the net, and on Tuesday Nasa announced that Voyager 1 crossed an important milestone by reaching a distant point at the edge of the solar system where there is no outward motion of the solar wind.
On reading this BMM recalled Syed saying that he had seen the engineering model of Voyager when he was at JPL. BMM contacted him in Hyderabad for his response and he said he had read about the new milestone Voyager 1 had crossed and it was something great. He said: ``I remember at the visitor centre of JPL there was an engineering model of Voyager and I was extremely excited and thrilled because I knew its cousin had embarked on a grand stellar tour making several important discoveries. I have appreciation for Voyager in astronomical units,'' he said.
Said Syed: ``I have appreciation for those who designed and developed the instruments on board Voyager. I compared the hardship the Voyager team faced while working on instruments which worked for decades and are still functioning, as compared to us who worked on instruments which functioned for a few hours,'' he said.
According to Nasa, Voyager 1 was 17.4 billion kms from the sun. It has crossed into an area where the velocity of the hot ionised gas or plasma, emanating directly outward from the sun has slowed to zero. Nasa has described the event as a major milestone.Voyager project scientist, the legendary Ed Stone, has been quoted as saying that Voyager 1 is nearing interstellar space.
Voyager 1 and 2 have explored all the giant planets of the outer solar system and they carry a golden record containing greetings from the earth of various countries and in different languages. There is one from India too. Incidentally, a few days when I visited a book exhibition close to my house in Breach Candy I found a book about Voyager called ``Murmers of Earth: The Voyager Interstellar Record.'' Those involved with this great book include none other than Carl Sagan who was a part of the Voyager team.Currently I am reading a book called the ``Chariots of Apollo,'' which is about the development of Nasa's lunar lander, and the next book is ``Murmers of Earth.''
The total cost of the Voyager mission is 865 million dollars, Each Voyager spacecraft consists of nearly 65,000 individual parts. Voyager 1's distance from earth is 17,206,000,000 kms and the total distance travelled since launch is 22. 364, 000, 000 kms. As of September 1,2008, at the speed of light, it took about 14 hours and 52 minutes for a signal from Voyager 1 to reach one of the giant antennas of the deep space network.
Ed Stone says: ``The Voyager mission has opened up our solar system in a way not possible before the space age. It has revealed our neighbours in the solar system and showed us now much there is to learn and how diverse the bodies are that share the solar system with our own planet earth,'' he added.
A true marvel of the space era.
BMM has a chart of the Voyager mission clock in its room.
It only hopes that it had worked!
ends
Monday, December 13, 2010
December 20 ---- 4 p.m--We a a go for launch.
Friday December 10 2010: Top shots of Isro have assembled in the conference rrom at Sriharikota. Heading them is none other than the space agency's chairman. K. Radhakrishnan. It was an important meeting and they have to take a crucial decision. On their much awaited verdict will depend the fate of an important Indian space mission next Monday----December 20.
Not far from where they had gathered was the rocket, the mighty 49-metre tall three-stage Geo Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). It will carry an important payload--the 2,400 kg communication satellite, designated as Gsat-5p (prime) with a 12-year-life span. It has been configured as an exclusive c-band communication satellite which will help in long distance radio telecommunication.
Radhakrishnan asked each of them about the status of the launch, The unanimous verdict was that the mission was `go' for launch. The date: Monday December 20, 2010. Time: 4 p.m. The launch complex: Sriharikota. All systems are go. Range is go; satellite is go; vehicle is go; telemetry and tracking are go; weather is go and so on. The status as of Monday December 13 is green for launch. BMM hopes there will be live webcast of the launch. Watching the lift off on doordarshan is okay. but definately it cannot replace a live webcast.
What is the significanct of the flight? The significance is that it will help to augment telecom and television services.
Speaking to ``Beyond Moon and Mars (BMM) on Monday, Isro chief spokesperson, S.Satish, said that there will be a 90-minute launch window. In layman’s terms it means that the flight can be launched till 5.30 p.m. on December 20.
Gsat-5 which will replace the ageing Insat-2e satellite, has been configured as an exclusive c-band communication satellite. It is equipped with 12 c-band transponders and six extended c-band transponders. The primary role of the c-band is to help in long distance radio telecommunication.
As a result the satellite will have wider coverage in uplink and downlink over Asia, Africa and Eastern Europe as well as zonal coverage.
The first stage of the GSLV has solid propellant, the second stage liquid and the third stage is powered by a Russian cryogenic engine. As BMM has repeatedly pointed out after this flight, Isro will find itself in a piquant situation because it will have just one Russian-made cryogenic engine left which allows the space agency to fix one more GSLV flight firmly.
The reason: the remaining flights will be have the indigenous cryogenic engine. Space experts, explained to BMM that the future GSLV missions will depend upon when the Indian engine will become fully operational. It may be recalled that the maiden attempt to launch a GSLV flight with an India-made engine on April 15, 2010 flopped.
Experts say that if the indigenous cryogenic engine is not ready. then there was every likelihood of Isro having to depend upon a foreign rocket to carry its communication satellites till the indigenous one has been declared operational.
The mission on December 20,2010 is the third launch for the year, the first one being the failed GSLV on April 15, 2010 and the second one which was a tremendous success was that of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle on July 12, 2010 carrying the Cartosat-2b satellite, a student satellite, Studsat, one from Algeria, Alsat and two nano satellites from
For the mission on December 20, BMM wishes it God Speed and success!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Bad day for milspace---Agni fails
It is a coincidence for ``Beyond Moon and Mars.(BMM).''
On Wednesday afternoon BMM was at the Barc--India's top nuclear weapon lab--interacting with a scientist who had played a key role during ``Operation Shakti,''--India's highly successful nuclear weapons tests which were conducted at Pokhran on May 11 and 13,1998
Though BMM cannot delve into the specifics about the unsked meeting for obvious reasons, all it can say was that the scientist spoke in general terms about our nuclear capable missiles especially ``Agni,'' and ``Prithvi.'' He sounded extremely happy that day. But today, he was a sad man---the reason--the hi tech Agni-2 Prime had failed.
Told that failures were inevitable in rocket flights and examples were aplenty the scientist replied: ``Remember this is the third failure of Agni. It should not happen repeatedly. God forbid what would have happened if this mission was for retaliation?''
BMM asked him to take it easy. It has reproduced an advanced report from ``The Hindu,'' about the failure of the flight.
According to ``The Hindu,''the experimental launch of a new intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) Agni II Prime, has failed on Friday after the missile deviated from the trajectory and nosedived into the sea.
The new missile with a range of more than 3,000 kms deviated soon after its lift-off at 10.05 am from the Wheeler Island at the Integrated Test Range, Balasore, off the Orissa coast.
Agni II Prime is a new and upgraded version of Agni II which has a range of 2,000 kms. This is basically aimed at filling the gap between Agni II and Agni III with the latter having a range of more then 3,500 kms. New technologies introduced into the missile to make it lighter were providing it greater thrust.
DRDO sources said a detailed analysis was in progress to find out the exact cause for the failure and it might take at least two to three days to make a preliminary assessment. They said new technologies like composite rocket motor, indigeneous ring-laser gyro navigation system and road mobile launcher were being tested in the mission. Many of them have been proven in the test flight, they said.
(BMM requests viewers to ignore the earlier report about the failure)
Go with Bhuvan
Hi folks! If you have not a visited a particular place do not worry. Now, all you have to do is to sit in the comfort of your home, start your com, and log on to http:// bhuvan,nrsc.gov Then chose your place and be sure of having a really 3-d image of the area..
How did you in such a lightening speed---assuming of course the com and the internet work (!)--reach the place? It is thanks to Bhuvan--the revamped and upgraded geoportal of Isro which wonderfully showcases Indian imaging capabilities. Trust Isro to do something great.
There is a special section devoted exclusively to Indian remote sensing satellites and videos on how to to use the site. You will definately get hooked on to it. Secretary of India chapter of Moon Society, Pradeep Mohandas, informed me about the new Bhuvan and I plan to seek his guidance on how to use it further.He is a compu savvy guy.
Board Bhuvan anytime and you can enjoy a comfortable flight around the entire globe. While flying you can scan the satellite imagery with overlays of natural resource information, roads and geographic features. Not only this, but viewers can add their own points of interest and share them with others, chart routes, plot areas and calculate distances. Sure it is an interactive visualisation system The upgraded version has made it really exciting and thrilling.If ``Beyond Moon and Mars'' succeeds in flying it confidently then it will make the first trip to Tirupathi and then to Sriharikota.
It is a hit with scientists,academics and students and even the general public. It is definately an useful educational tool because students can use it to leam about places they are studying. You can get info about topics like land use, agriculture, watershed development, weather services and disaster management.
Check in, collect your boarding card and happy flying with Bhuvan.
ends
How did you in such a lightening speed---assuming of course the com and the internet work (!)--reach the place? It is thanks to Bhuvan--the revamped and upgraded geoportal of Isro which wonderfully showcases Indian imaging capabilities. Trust Isro to do something great.
There is a special section devoted exclusively to Indian remote sensing satellites and videos on how to to use the site. You will definately get hooked on to it. Secretary of India chapter of Moon Society, Pradeep Mohandas, informed me about the new Bhuvan and I plan to seek his guidance on how to use it further.He is a compu savvy guy.
Board Bhuvan anytime and you can enjoy a comfortable flight around the entire globe. While flying you can scan the satellite imagery with overlays of natural resource information, roads and geographic features. Not only this, but viewers can add their own points of interest and share them with others, chart routes, plot areas and calculate distances. Sure it is an interactive visualisation system The upgraded version has made it really exciting and thrilling.If ``Beyond Moon and Mars'' succeeds in flying it confidently then it will make the first trip to Tirupathi and then to Sriharikota.
It is a hit with scientists,academics and students and even the general public. It is definately an useful educational tool because students can use it to leam about places they are studying. You can get info about topics like land use, agriculture, watershed development, weather services and disaster management.
Check in, collect your boarding card and happy flying with Bhuvan.
ends
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Japanese Akatsuki mission to Venus fails
Space is unfriendly and failures are inevitable in space missions. Infact they are not called ``failures,'' but a ``learning process.'' Count the number of US and former Soviet Union space missions which have ``failed.'' But eventually after studying the cause of the failure, the errors are rectified and subsequent missions become a success.
Yes, since Tuesday we have all been anxiously waiting for the successful Venus Orbit Insertion of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Akatsuki mission to Venus. At one point the ground controllers lost radio contact, but regained it after a while giving them hope that the orbit insertion will take place successfully.
They waited and waited, but nothing happened. All efforts to contact the spacecraft failed. And finally after the spectacular success of JAXA's sample return mission Hayabusa from an asteroid, the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) (ISAS/JAXA) declared on Wednesday night: `` Venus orbit insertion maneuver (VOI-1) for the Venus Climate Orbiter "AKATSUKI" was performed at 8:49 a.m. on December 7 (Japan Standard Time,), But, unfortunately, we have found that the orbiter was not injected into the planned orbit as a result of orbit estimation.''
It said: The "AKATSUKI" was launched from the Tanegashima Space Center on May 21,
2010 (JST.)
JAXA has set up an investigation team led by ISAS Director within JAXA to study
the cause of the failure.
We are sure that the next attempt will succeed.
Yes, since Tuesday we have all been anxiously waiting for the successful Venus Orbit Insertion of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's (JAXA) Akatsuki mission to Venus. At one point the ground controllers lost radio contact, but regained it after a while giving them hope that the orbit insertion will take place successfully.
They waited and waited, but nothing happened. All efforts to contact the spacecraft failed. And finally after the spectacular success of JAXA's sample return mission Hayabusa from an asteroid, the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) (ISAS/JAXA) declared on Wednesday night: `` Venus orbit insertion maneuver (VOI-1) for the Venus Climate Orbiter "AKATSUKI" was performed at 8:49 a.m. on December 7 (Japan Standard Time,), But, unfortunately, we have found that the orbiter was not injected into the planned orbit as a result of orbit estimation.''
It said: The "AKATSUKI" was launched from the Tanegashima Space Center on May 21,
2010 (JST.)
JAXA has set up an investigation team led by ISAS Director within JAXA to study
the cause of the failure.
We are sure that the next attempt will succeed.
Space history created at 9 p.m. (IST) on December 8 2010
On Wednesday, the countdown progressed at Cape Canaveral in Florida.On account of a telemetry error the mission was aborted just three minutes before lift off in the first attempt. The problem was rectified and the countdown restarted. The mood was a mixture of nervous apprehension and excitement.
T-20 minutes: The countdown clocked picks up, Space X launch director gives `go' to enter the terminal countdown.
T-14 minutes: The rocket known as Falcon-9 goes on internal power.
T-12 minutes: The launch director verifies ``we are go for launch.''
T-11 minutes: Range officer verifies ``we are go for launch.''
It was a flight of significance heralding a new era in space travel.
As the moment nears, more events follow and then a minute before 9 p.m. (IST) the Falcon rocket lifts with a roar carrying the unmanned Dragon spacecraft. Space history has just been created. A few minutes later the spacecraft separated from the rocket initiated its propulsion.
It was a historical moment because it was the first full test of what is known as the Commercial Orbital Transportion Service (COTS). The flight assumes significance in the context of Nasa's space shuttles being phased out in 2011 and Nasa having to depend solely on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to ferry its crew and cargo to the International Space Station (ISS).
It is nearing 10 30 p.m. (IST) on Wednesday and as ``Beyond Moon and Mars (BMM) writes this blog, the Dragon spacecraft would have initiated its reentry and perhaps would have already splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after circling the earth twice at an altitude of 160 miles in low earth orbit.
Earlier in the evening my friend Pradeep Mohandas who is also secy of the India Chapter of Moon Society, was monitoring the first countdown on the twitter on his mobile. While he was about to board a bus to his Chedda Nagar residence, he told me that the launch was temporarily scrubbed. Then he called me from the bus to say that it was resked for 8,45 p.m. (IST). Jaydeep Mukherjee, director, Nasa Florida Space Grant Consortium and interim director, Florida Space Institute, Kennedy Space Centre, who gave a presentation at the Nehru Planetarium in the evening told BMM that his organisation could even consider sending an educational payload on such future missions.
The rocket built by Space Exploration Technologies Corporation of Space X was on its full first test flight. The Dragon spacecraft will eventually ferry cargo and humans to the ISS. The flight is important for the Obama adminstration because it hopes to launch commercial space missions to the low earth orbit. This is expected to free Nasa funds for missions to send astronauts to deeper space and later to Mars.
According to Nasa, the mission will help the private sector to develop and demonstrate its own cargo space transportation capabilities. While the industry directs its own efforts, Nasa provides technical and financial assistance. The space agency is investing five hundred million dollars between 2006 and 2011 for the project.
Elon Musk ceo of Space X said: ``When Dragon returns, whether on this mission or a future one it will herald the dawn of an incredibly exciting new era in space travel.''
ends n
T-20 minutes: The countdown clocked picks up, Space X launch director gives `go' to enter the terminal countdown.
T-14 minutes: The rocket known as Falcon-9 goes on internal power.
T-12 minutes: The launch director verifies ``we are go for launch.''
T-11 minutes: Range officer verifies ``we are go for launch.''
It was a flight of significance heralding a new era in space travel.
As the moment nears, more events follow and then a minute before 9 p.m. (IST) the Falcon rocket lifts with a roar carrying the unmanned Dragon spacecraft. Space history has just been created. A few minutes later the spacecraft separated from the rocket initiated its propulsion.
It was a historical moment because it was the first full test of what is known as the Commercial Orbital Transportion Service (COTS). The flight assumes significance in the context of Nasa's space shuttles being phased out in 2011 and Nasa having to depend solely on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft to ferry its crew and cargo to the International Space Station (ISS).
It is nearing 10 30 p.m. (IST) on Wednesday and as ``Beyond Moon and Mars (BMM) writes this blog, the Dragon spacecraft would have initiated its reentry and perhaps would have already splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after circling the earth twice at an altitude of 160 miles in low earth orbit.
Earlier in the evening my friend Pradeep Mohandas who is also secy of the India Chapter of Moon Society, was monitoring the first countdown on the twitter on his mobile. While he was about to board a bus to his Chedda Nagar residence, he told me that the launch was temporarily scrubbed. Then he called me from the bus to say that it was resked for 8,45 p.m. (IST). Jaydeep Mukherjee, director, Nasa Florida Space Grant Consortium and interim director, Florida Space Institute, Kennedy Space Centre, who gave a presentation at the Nehru Planetarium in the evening told BMM that his organisation could even consider sending an educational payload on such future missions.
The rocket built by Space Exploration Technologies Corporation of Space X was on its full first test flight. The Dragon spacecraft will eventually ferry cargo and humans to the ISS. The flight is important for the Obama adminstration because it hopes to launch commercial space missions to the low earth orbit. This is expected to free Nasa funds for missions to send astronauts to deeper space and later to Mars.
According to Nasa, the mission will help the private sector to develop and demonstrate its own cargo space transportation capabilities. While the industry directs its own efforts, Nasa provides technical and financial assistance. The space agency is investing five hundred million dollars between 2006 and 2011 for the project.
Elon Musk ceo of Space X said: ``When Dragon returns, whether on this mission or a future one it will herald the dawn of an incredibly exciting new era in space travel.''
ends n
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Wake Up India! Iran getting ready to launch manned space mission.
Wake Up India! For the past one year or so all we have heard is Isro chairman, K.Radhakrishnan, announcing at various forums that India is making preparations for launching a manned space flight around 2015. Nothing has happened beyond this. And, certainly Isro cannot be blamed for the sorry state of affairs, but the government of India which is delaying the process of giving the formal green signal for embarking on a manned space flight.
The total cost of the Indian human space flight programme is around Rs 14,300 crores, and the funding till now has been pathetic triggering speculation among space scientists that the government is not enthusiastic about the project. Perhaps, the government has not realised the scientific, geopolitical and technological significance of a major space power like India launching a man into space from its own soil----Sriharikota.
On its part, ``Beyond Moon and Mars,'' feels that Isro should provide a clear road map regarding its manned space mission programme. It should specify whether there will be one or two flights, would it be a technological demonstration or will it have scientific goals as well and above all will it lead to an ultimate landing of an Indian on moon and Mars.
In contrast see the scenario in Iran. In August 2010, Iranian President, Ahmadinejad, announced that Iran's first manned astronaut will be flown to space by 2017. And how? By Iran's own space shuttle! This historic flight is slated for lift off sometime between 2017 and 2021. If this happens, then Iran will be the fourth nation to join the exclusive manned spaceflight club after Russia, the US and China.
Unlike in India, after the President's announcement in August, the country has been moving in full steam in trying to implement this important project. The Iranian communication and IT minister, Reza Taqipour, has been quoted as saying in the Mehr news agency that the country is on the right track to launch its first manned space mission after completing the study phase.
He said: ``The initial steps for the plan have been taken and the study phase on the definition of sub systems, projects, costs have been conducted which will be submitted to the Supreme Council Of Space. In addition, according to him, studies were also underway at different Iranian universities with regards to the astronauts' training programme. Last year the country's aerospace organisation carried out a 12-year project to send an astronaut into space by 2021. It may be recalled that Iran launched its first indigenouis satellite, Omid, in 2009.
In 2005, Iran declared that in order to reach her ambitious goal of ranking among the top 10 space-faring nations, the government would allocate 500 million dollars over the next five years. The nation considers manned space programme a significant aspect in its technological race and is leaving no stone unturned in its human spaceflight mission, moving faster than the 15-year duration which China took.
What is the message? Wake up India. Or get ready to be overtaken by Iran in the human spaceflight mission.
ends
The total cost of the Indian human space flight programme is around Rs 14,300 crores, and the funding till now has been pathetic triggering speculation among space scientists that the government is not enthusiastic about the project. Perhaps, the government has not realised the scientific, geopolitical and technological significance of a major space power like India launching a man into space from its own soil----Sriharikota.
On its part, ``Beyond Moon and Mars,'' feels that Isro should provide a clear road map regarding its manned space mission programme. It should specify whether there will be one or two flights, would it be a technological demonstration or will it have scientific goals as well and above all will it lead to an ultimate landing of an Indian on moon and Mars.
In contrast see the scenario in Iran. In August 2010, Iranian President, Ahmadinejad, announced that Iran's first manned astronaut will be flown to space by 2017. And how? By Iran's own space shuttle! This historic flight is slated for lift off sometime between 2017 and 2021. If this happens, then Iran will be the fourth nation to join the exclusive manned spaceflight club after Russia, the US and China.
Unlike in India, after the President's announcement in August, the country has been moving in full steam in trying to implement this important project. The Iranian communication and IT minister, Reza Taqipour, has been quoted as saying in the Mehr news agency that the country is on the right track to launch its first manned space mission after completing the study phase.
He said: ``The initial steps for the plan have been taken and the study phase on the definition of sub systems, projects, costs have been conducted which will be submitted to the Supreme Council Of Space. In addition, according to him, studies were also underway at different Iranian universities with regards to the astronauts' training programme. Last year the country's aerospace organisation carried out a 12-year project to send an astronaut into space by 2021. It may be recalled that Iran launched its first indigenouis satellite, Omid, in 2009.
In 2005, Iran declared that in order to reach her ambitious goal of ranking among the top 10 space-faring nations, the government would allocate 500 million dollars over the next five years. The nation considers manned space programme a significant aspect in its technological race and is leaving no stone unturned in its human spaceflight mission, moving faster than the 15-year duration which China took.
What is the message? Wake up India. Or get ready to be overtaken by Iran in the human spaceflight mission.
ends
Monday, December 6, 2010
Experience space missions
When Apollo 13 was released in Mumbai years ago, I remember seeing it not less than 10 or 15 times. On a particular week I recall going daily in the afternoon ---of course quietly leaving the Times of India (!)--and returning in the evening after seeing this great film. I managed to convert several of my colleagues into space buffs like me.
As though this was not enough, I managed to obtain three cds of the film and I still have them with me.
Therefore for those passionate about space exploration like ``Beyond Moon and Mars,'' it was a real gift for us to experience space exploration through radio transmissions and photos. For this one needs to thank the new website spacelog.org.
In this fantastic website--so refreshingly different from other space websites--the main textual content comes of a transcript of radio communications between the crew and mission control. The designers of the website have acknowledged that that are some limitations which stem from the original recordings.
Each line starts with a timestamp in ground elapsed time. This is the time in days. hours, minutes and seconds since lift off. This is accompanied by photographs. The website has been so designed that viewers can navigate through the transcript using phases of the mission, and the key scenes within them, according to the designers.
Or can even search for things which might interest an individual.
The designers have invited viewers' participation either by correcting errors or adding more photos or making more glossary items.
To repeat--- it is a fantastic website. Thank You Spacelog.Org.
There is just one suggestion. Cannot sound be added to the website to make it really exciting. For example in the section dealing with the lift off maybe there should be a provision which will allow the user to hear the countdown and the roar of the rocket's lift off.?
Please explore this idea.
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By the time you read this blog, Japan's first spacecraft would have hopefully entered another plant.
The name of the spacecraft is Akatsuki and its mission is to study Venus.
Its success depends upon its capability of reversing the thrust of its engines for 12 minutes.
More about it later.
As though this was not enough, I managed to obtain three cds of the film and I still have them with me.
Therefore for those passionate about space exploration like ``Beyond Moon and Mars,'' it was a real gift for us to experience space exploration through radio transmissions and photos. For this one needs to thank the new website spacelog.org.
In this fantastic website--so refreshingly different from other space websites--the main textual content comes of a transcript of radio communications between the crew and mission control. The designers of the website have acknowledged that that are some limitations which stem from the original recordings.
Each line starts with a timestamp in ground elapsed time. This is the time in days. hours, minutes and seconds since lift off. This is accompanied by photographs. The website has been so designed that viewers can navigate through the transcript using phases of the mission, and the key scenes within them, according to the designers.
Or can even search for things which might interest an individual.
The designers have invited viewers' participation either by correcting errors or adding more photos or making more glossary items.
To repeat--- it is a fantastic website. Thank You Spacelog.Org.
There is just one suggestion. Cannot sound be added to the website to make it really exciting. For example in the section dealing with the lift off maybe there should be a provision which will allow the user to hear the countdown and the roar of the rocket's lift off.?
Please explore this idea.
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By the time you read this blog, Japan's first spacecraft would have hopefully entered another plant.
The name of the spacecraft is Akatsuki and its mission is to study Venus.
Its success depends upon its capability of reversing the thrust of its engines for 12 minutes.
More about it later.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Isro signs Rs 500 crore contract with Arianespace. Russia space programme suffers a setback
Two indigenous communication satellites, Gsat-8 and Gsat-10, each weighing around three tonnes will be launched by Arianespace in 2011 and 2012.
A Rs 500-crore agreement to this effect was signed by Isro and the Arianespace during the visit of the French President, Nicolay Sarkozy, to Bangalore on Saturday. Both satellites have the Gagan payload which will be used for satellite aviation navigation.
India's dependence on Arianespace will continue till the advanced version of the Geo Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) designated as GSLV Mark 3 becomes fully operational. This rocket, now under development, will have the capability to launch communication satellites weighing four tonnes. The current version of GSLVs can place in the geo stationary orbit satellites weighing about two tonnes.
As mentioned by ``Beyond Moon and Mars,'' in an earlier blog, this month there is a GSLV launch which will carry the Gsat-5p communication satellite. The rocket will be powered with a Russian cryogenic engine. After this there is just one more Russian engine left with Isro, which means just one more launch of GSLV till the indigenous cryogenic engine is declared operational. It may be recalled that the maiden trial of the Indian engine on a GSLV on April 15,2010 was a failure.
If the indigenous cryogenic engine is not ready, the question then is will it upset the home-made satellite launch sked? Quite a few are in queue. If Isro is unable to launch the GSLVs because of a non availability of the cryogenic engine, it is possible that the space agency will have to depend upon Arianespace to carry its communication satellites---even those weighing less than four tonnes.
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The Russian space programme suffered a major setback on Sunday after the Proton rocket carrying three navigation satellites under Glonass system fell into the sea, 1500 kms off Honalalu, according to a space website, SpaceDaily.com
According to the website, the Proton rocket which lifted off around 4 p.m. (IST) on Sunday veered off its flight path and went into a wrong trajectory. Consequently, the rocket failed to place the satellites in their intended orbit.
Spacedaily.com states that once separated from the Proton rocket, a second stage booster rocket with the three satellites should have put them in orbit about 20 kms above the earth.
Russian PM, Vladmir Putin, has been quoted as saying that a total of seven new Glonass satellites would be launched which would ensure coverage of the entire planet making the total number of satellites 28
ends
A Rs 500-crore agreement to this effect was signed by Isro and the Arianespace during the visit of the French President, Nicolay Sarkozy, to Bangalore on Saturday. Both satellites have the Gagan payload which will be used for satellite aviation navigation.
India's dependence on Arianespace will continue till the advanced version of the Geo Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) designated as GSLV Mark 3 becomes fully operational. This rocket, now under development, will have the capability to launch communication satellites weighing four tonnes. The current version of GSLVs can place in the geo stationary orbit satellites weighing about two tonnes.
As mentioned by ``Beyond Moon and Mars,'' in an earlier blog, this month there is a GSLV launch which will carry the Gsat-5p communication satellite. The rocket will be powered with a Russian cryogenic engine. After this there is just one more Russian engine left with Isro, which means just one more launch of GSLV till the indigenous cryogenic engine is declared operational. It may be recalled that the maiden trial of the Indian engine on a GSLV on April 15,2010 was a failure.
If the indigenous cryogenic engine is not ready, the question then is will it upset the home-made satellite launch sked? Quite a few are in queue. If Isro is unable to launch the GSLVs because of a non availability of the cryogenic engine, it is possible that the space agency will have to depend upon Arianespace to carry its communication satellites---even those weighing less than four tonnes.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Russian space programme suffered a major setback on Sunday after the Proton rocket carrying three navigation satellites under Glonass system fell into the sea, 1500 kms off Honalalu, according to a space website, SpaceDaily.com
According to the website, the Proton rocket which lifted off around 4 p.m. (IST) on Sunday veered off its flight path and went into a wrong trajectory. Consequently, the rocket failed to place the satellites in their intended orbit.
Spacedaily.com states that once separated from the Proton rocket, a second stage booster rocket with the three satellites should have put them in orbit about 20 kms above the earth.
Russian PM, Vladmir Putin, has been quoted as saying that a total of seven new Glonass satellites would be launched which would ensure coverage of the entire planet making the total number of satellites 28
ends
Saturday, December 4, 2010
India and France to jointly explore space
``Why should we work together? Because we refuse to allow the space adventure to ever become the monopoly of just one or two states and we want on the contrary that all states that have the means, remain in the race,''
Guess who uttered these words? None other than French President, Nicolay Sarkozy, while addressing Isro scientists and others at the space agency's satellite centre in Bangalore on Saturday. It is apparent that his statement is directed against one country--namely the US. He has made it clear that US should not have a global monopoly in space, It is in this context he feels that more countries should team up to colloborate to challenge the monopoly of the US.
If India, Japan, Russia and China formed a space consortium, it would prove a big challenge to the US.
Turning to other relatated topics, 2011 which is just three weeks away, promises to be a promising year for Indo-French space colloboration. Two satellites--Megha Tropiques and Saral--a product of this tie up are slated for launch next year.
The French President saw the Megha Tropiques satellite a joint venture between the French Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales and Isro, when he visited the Isro Satellite Cente on Saturday. The main role of the satellite, slated for launch by the indigenous Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in 2011 is to study the water cycle in the tropical atmosphere in the context of climate change.
With a three-year life span, having a weight of 500 kg, its main payload are Madras, a microwave imager, Saphir, a sounding instrument and ScaRab, a scanning radiative budget instrument.
Another satellite, a product of Indo-French colloboration, ``Saral,'' which will provide observations about ice, rain, coastal zones and wave heights is also scheduled for lift off next year by the PSLV.
In another develoment followiing Sarkozy's visit Isro signed two more commercial agreements with Ariannespace, the French commercial launch services company, ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan said in his address during French President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to the space agency on Saturday
Ariannespace has launched 12 Indian communications satellites on a commercial basis so far.
Guess who uttered these words? None other than French President, Nicolay Sarkozy, while addressing Isro scientists and others at the space agency's satellite centre in Bangalore on Saturday. It is apparent that his statement is directed against one country--namely the US. He has made it clear that US should not have a global monopoly in space, It is in this context he feels that more countries should team up to colloborate to challenge the monopoly of the US.
If India, Japan, Russia and China formed a space consortium, it would prove a big challenge to the US.
Turning to other relatated topics, 2011 which is just three weeks away, promises to be a promising year for Indo-French space colloboration. Two satellites--Megha Tropiques and Saral--a product of this tie up are slated for launch next year.
The French President saw the Megha Tropiques satellite a joint venture between the French Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales and Isro, when he visited the Isro Satellite Cente on Saturday. The main role of the satellite, slated for launch by the indigenous Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in 2011 is to study the water cycle in the tropical atmosphere in the context of climate change.
With a three-year life span, having a weight of 500 kg, its main payload are Madras, a microwave imager, Saphir, a sounding instrument and ScaRab, a scanning radiative budget instrument.
Another satellite, a product of Indo-French colloboration, ``Saral,'' which will provide observations about ice, rain, coastal zones and wave heights is also scheduled for lift off next year by the PSLV.
In another develoment followiing Sarkozy's visit Isro signed two more commercial agreements with Ariannespace, the French commercial launch services company, ISRO Chairman K. Radhakrishnan said in his address during French President Nicolas Sarkozy's visit to the space agency on Saturday
Ariannespace has launched 12 Indian communications satellites on a commercial basis so far.
ISRO has also renewed its five-year contract (of 2005) with EADS Astrium, a European satellite system specialist that provides civil and defence space systems and services. ISRO has envisaged that this alliance between its commercial arm, the Antrix Corporation Limited, and the EADS Astrium “will jointly address the commercial market for communications satellites with payload power below 4 kw and a launch mass in the range of two to three tonnes.”
ends
Friday, December 3, 2010
ISS and its future manager and the 2011 Span Calendar--a treat for spacebuffs
While India is debating whether it should partner with the International Space Station (ISS), Nasa is preparing to place the 15-member space station on a new trajectory.
This does not mean that its orbit is being raised to much higher altitudes. Far from it. Nasa is looking for an independent non profit research management organisation which will in future develop and manage the US portion of the ISS which was designated as a national laboratory in 2005.
Plans envisage of it being managed by other US government agencies, academic institutions and private firms.
According to Nasa, the new organisation will stimulate uses of the station as a national lab and maximise US investment in this initiative.
On December 10,2010, Nasa is holding a public forum in Washington DC for those organisations which want to know more about the new venture.
Though no date has been given when the process will be completed, the question it raises is whether the European Space Agency and Japan will follow suit at a later period before 2020 when the life span of the station ends. Russia is not being mentioned because there is no big private enterprise in that country.
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For spacebuffs like ``Beyond Moon and Mars,'' the 2011 calendar of Span, the official magazine of the American Embassy, is a super gift. The reason: it is dedicated to space.
The cover page of this beautiful calendar is a image of the water on the moon taken by Chandrayaan-1.
It says that ``this calendar produced for the enjoyment and information of Span magazine readers presents images from Nasa, the US National Aeronautics and Space Adminstration, showing the earth, moon, sun stars and other celestial bodies.''
Go thru the calendar and you will find images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, the Ultraviolent Imaging Telescope, the New Horizon mission to Pluto, the space shuttle Endeavour over the earth's horizon, a photograph of Neptune taken by Voyager 2, Bruce McCandless 11 floating above the earth nearly 100 metres away from the space shuttle ``Challenger,'' and a pics of Saturn taken by the Cassini spacecraft.
It is a real treasure.
Thank U Span.
This does not mean that its orbit is being raised to much higher altitudes. Far from it. Nasa is looking for an independent non profit research management organisation which will in future develop and manage the US portion of the ISS which was designated as a national laboratory in 2005.
Plans envisage of it being managed by other US government agencies, academic institutions and private firms.
According to Nasa, the new organisation will stimulate uses of the station as a national lab and maximise US investment in this initiative.
On December 10,2010, Nasa is holding a public forum in Washington DC for those organisations which want to know more about the new venture.
Though no date has been given when the process will be completed, the question it raises is whether the European Space Agency and Japan will follow suit at a later period before 2020 when the life span of the station ends. Russia is not being mentioned because there is no big private enterprise in that country.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For spacebuffs like ``Beyond Moon and Mars,'' the 2011 calendar of Span, the official magazine of the American Embassy, is a super gift. The reason: it is dedicated to space.
The cover page of this beautiful calendar is a image of the water on the moon taken by Chandrayaan-1.
It says that ``this calendar produced for the enjoyment and information of Span magazine readers presents images from Nasa, the US National Aeronautics and Space Adminstration, showing the earth, moon, sun stars and other celestial bodies.''
Go thru the calendar and you will find images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, the Ultraviolent Imaging Telescope, the New Horizon mission to Pluto, the space shuttle Endeavour over the earth's horizon, a photograph of Neptune taken by Voyager 2, Bruce McCandless 11 floating above the earth nearly 100 metres away from the space shuttle ``Challenger,'' and a pics of Saturn taken by the Cassini spacecraft.
It is a real treasure.
Thank U Span.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
The Race For Being the African Space Power
First, it was the post Cold War race between the US and the former Soviet Union to become the global space power. Though initially, the Soviet Union was in the lead with the launch of Sputnik and the flight of Yuri Gagarin, at a later stage the US had the advantage with the first manned landing on the moon on July 20,1969.
The global space competition then moved to Asia and the countries aiming to become the Asian space power are India, China and Japan. Right now China appears to be in the lead, but do not be surprised if India overtakes it with its excellent capabilities.
After Asia, the scene shifts to Africa and there could be a race among three countries to emerge as an African space power. The three are Nigeria, South Africa and Algeria. All three are involved in the development of space technology.
To start with Nigeria is making preparations to launch its second and third earth observation satellites in February 2011. According to Nigeria's National Space Research and Development Agency (Narsda), NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X are slated for lift off in the first quarter of 2011, with February being mentioned as the most probable month.
NigeriaSat-2, a high resolution earth observation satellite will be used primarily for resource management and mapping of the Nigerian territory.When it becomes fully operational it will help in implementing Vision-20 2020 in the key sectors of the country's economy.
NigeriaSat-X was built by Nigerian engineers and scientists to showcase Nigeria's capacity in satellite technology. This satellite will focus on disaster management and global environmental monitoring campaigns. Both the satellites will be launched by the Russian-Ukraine Dnepr rocket.
Nigeria launched its first earth observation micro satellite, NigeriaSat-1 in September 2003; and the first Pan-African communication satellite, NigcomSat-1 in May 2007. Nigeria became the third African country to zoom into the space age after South Africa and Algeria.
South Africa: This country has played a major role in international space exploration programmes. Between 1950 and 1970, South Africa tracked satellites to assess the effects of the upper atmosphere on their orbits. Lunar and interplanetary missions of other countries were tracked from a South African tracking station.
This station also received images of Mars transmitted by Nasa's Mariner 1V spacecraft In 1999 South Africa launched its first satellite, SunSat. Weighing 64 kgs, the mircosatellite was built by university students.
Algeria: The Algerian space programme focusses on micro satellite technology, space telecommunications, space instrument and remote sensing. Its first satellite, Alsat-1, was launched on November 28,2002, and had a five-year life span. On July 12, 2010 an Algerian satellite, Alsat-2a was launched by India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. The signficance of this flight was that it was the first time that India was launching a satellite with American components after the signing of the Technology Safeguards Agreement with US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, visited New Delhi.
Algeria's national space programme between 2006 and 2020 includes the setting up of additional space facilities and more space systems and application projects. Its future plans include the launch of telecommunication satellites.
Four African countries, Algeria, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa are co-operating for a satellite constellation dedicated to the monitoring and management of African resources and environment. Kenya is space programme is being aided by Italy,
Now, will there be a space race among Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia?
The global space competition then moved to Asia and the countries aiming to become the Asian space power are India, China and Japan. Right now China appears to be in the lead, but do not be surprised if India overtakes it with its excellent capabilities.
After Asia, the scene shifts to Africa and there could be a race among three countries to emerge as an African space power. The three are Nigeria, South Africa and Algeria. All three are involved in the development of space technology.
To start with Nigeria is making preparations to launch its second and third earth observation satellites in February 2011. According to Nigeria's National Space Research and Development Agency (Narsda), NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X are slated for lift off in the first quarter of 2011, with February being mentioned as the most probable month.
NigeriaSat-2, a high resolution earth observation satellite will be used primarily for resource management and mapping of the Nigerian territory.When it becomes fully operational it will help in implementing Vision-20 2020 in the key sectors of the country's economy.
NigeriaSat-X was built by Nigerian engineers and scientists to showcase Nigeria's capacity in satellite technology. This satellite will focus on disaster management and global environmental monitoring campaigns. Both the satellites will be launched by the Russian-Ukraine Dnepr rocket.
Nigeria launched its first earth observation micro satellite, NigeriaSat-1 in September 2003; and the first Pan-African communication satellite, NigcomSat-1 in May 2007. Nigeria became the third African country to zoom into the space age after South Africa and Algeria.
South Africa: This country has played a major role in international space exploration programmes. Between 1950 and 1970, South Africa tracked satellites to assess the effects of the upper atmosphere on their orbits. Lunar and interplanetary missions of other countries were tracked from a South African tracking station.
This station also received images of Mars transmitted by Nasa's Mariner 1V spacecraft In 1999 South Africa launched its first satellite, SunSat. Weighing 64 kgs, the mircosatellite was built by university students.
Algeria: The Algerian space programme focusses on micro satellite technology, space telecommunications, space instrument and remote sensing. Its first satellite, Alsat-1, was launched on November 28,2002, and had a five-year life span. On July 12, 2010 an Algerian satellite, Alsat-2a was launched by India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. The signficance of this flight was that it was the first time that India was launching a satellite with American components after the signing of the Technology Safeguards Agreement with US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, visited New Delhi.
Algeria's national space programme between 2006 and 2020 includes the setting up of additional space facilities and more space systems and application projects. Its future plans include the launch of telecommunication satellites.
Four African countries, Algeria, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa are co-operating for a satellite constellation dedicated to the monitoring and management of African resources and environment. Kenya is space programme is being aided by Italy,
Now, will there be a space race among Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia?
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Mars and Spain
Undoubtedly, this is of significance. Spain is getting ready to make its presence felt on Mars in a big way.
When Nasa's next 2000-pound car-sized Martian rover, ``Curiosity,'' is launched between November 25 and December 18, 2011, and touches down on the surface of Mars in August 2012, Spain too would landed on the Red Planet.
Not that Spain is sending a spacecraft on its own to Mars. Spain, which all these years has helping Nasa in its interplanetary missions through its deep space network has a significant share in the Nasa's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) flight. The MSL was christened ``Curiosity,'' by a school girl following a competition.
``Curiosity's'' mission objectives include assessing the modern environment in the landing zone as well as providing clues to the environment billions of years ago. The Spain-made instrument on board ``Curiosity,'' will provide information about whether local conditions are favourable for habitability. according to ``Mars Daily,''.a web-based space journal.
The daily says the instrument will fill a central role in studying modern conditions by measuring daily and seasonal changes. Called Rover Environment Monitoring Station (REMS), it is one of the 10 instruments in Curiosity's science payload. It uses sensors on the mast, on the deck,and inside the body of the rover, The instrument has been supplied by Spain's ministry of Science and Innovation and Spain's Centre For Industrial Technology Development. Currently it is being tested at the JPL.
According to Mars Daily, while most of ``Curiosity's'' electronics will be protected from the Martian environment, the Spanish team has built their instrument in such a way which will allow it to withstand extreme temperature conditions on Mars.
The main role of the instrument would be to record wind speed, wind direction, air pressure, relative humidity, temperature and ultra violet radiation---this has not been done by any of the earlier weather stations on Mars. Measurements will be taken for five minutes every hour during the 23-month long mission.
REMS principal investigator, Javier Gomez-Elvira, an aeronautical engineer,.has been quoted as saying" ``We will gain information about whether local conditions are favourable for habitability.'' About 40 researchers and scientists will analyse data from REMS and post daily Mars weather reports.
Regarding the public outreach of the Curiosity programme, it has really made the world increasingly curious about it. How else does one explain that more than one million people watched the assembly and testing of Curiosity via a live webcam since it on line in October 23, 2010. It totalled to 400,000 hours between October 21,2010 and November 23,2010.
Yes sounds impressive. Let us hope the mission is flawless too.
When Nasa's next 2000-pound car-sized Martian rover, ``Curiosity,'' is launched between November 25 and December 18, 2011, and touches down on the surface of Mars in August 2012, Spain too would landed on the Red Planet.
Not that Spain is sending a spacecraft on its own to Mars. Spain, which all these years has helping Nasa in its interplanetary missions through its deep space network has a significant share in the Nasa's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) flight. The MSL was christened ``Curiosity,'' by a school girl following a competition.
``Curiosity's'' mission objectives include assessing the modern environment in the landing zone as well as providing clues to the environment billions of years ago. The Spain-made instrument on board ``Curiosity,'' will provide information about whether local conditions are favourable for habitability. according to ``Mars Daily,''.a web-based space journal.
The daily says the instrument will fill a central role in studying modern conditions by measuring daily and seasonal changes. Called Rover Environment Monitoring Station (REMS), it is one of the 10 instruments in Curiosity's science payload. It uses sensors on the mast, on the deck,and inside the body of the rover, The instrument has been supplied by Spain's ministry of Science and Innovation and Spain's Centre For Industrial Technology Development. Currently it is being tested at the JPL.
According to Mars Daily, while most of ``Curiosity's'' electronics will be protected from the Martian environment, the Spanish team has built their instrument in such a way which will allow it to withstand extreme temperature conditions on Mars.
The main role of the instrument would be to record wind speed, wind direction, air pressure, relative humidity, temperature and ultra violet radiation---this has not been done by any of the earlier weather stations on Mars. Measurements will be taken for five minutes every hour during the 23-month long mission.
REMS principal investigator, Javier Gomez-Elvira, an aeronautical engineer,.has been quoted as saying" ``We will gain information about whether local conditions are favourable for habitability.'' About 40 researchers and scientists will analyse data from REMS and post daily Mars weather reports.
Regarding the public outreach of the Curiosity programme, it has really made the world increasingly curious about it. How else does one explain that more than one million people watched the assembly and testing of Curiosity via a live webcam since it on line in October 23, 2010. It totalled to 400,000 hours between October 21,2010 and November 23,2010.
Yes sounds impressive. Let us hope the mission is flawless too.
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