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
Sunday, December 5, 2010
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.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Active December
It could be a action-filled month with regards to space and astronomy.
First, if all is a `go' the three-stage indigenous Geo-Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) powered with a Russian cryogenic engine carrying the GSat-5p communication satellite is slated for launch between December 10 and 20. The original launch window was from December 10 to December 15.
The India-made GSat-5p satellite weighing approx 2300 kgs, having a 12-year life span, has 24 normal c band transponders and 12 extended c-band transponders. Its role: to augment tv and telecommunication services. The satellite will replace the ageing Insat-2e satellite.
The G-Sat-5p will be positioned in the geostationary orbit 36,000 kms above the equator.
After this Isro can launch just one more GSLV with a Russian cryogenic engine. Following the final GSLV mission with a Russian engine, space experts wonder when the next launch of this rocket will be scheduled because it will be powered with an indigenous cryogenic engine. The maiden attempt to launch a GSLV with an Indian engine flopped in on April 15, 2010. Isro chief, K. Radhakrishnan, announced that day that within a year a GSLV will fly with an indigenous engine. This means that it will lift off between March and April 2011.
Will Isro be able to adhere to this schedule?
Another event which can occur this month is the launch of the final flight of Nasa's space shuttle ``Discovery,'' to the International Space Station. The earlier date fixed for the mission was December 17,2010. But in view of the huge amount of repairs which have to be carried out the shuttle's external tank following a series of cracks, Nasa officials are doubtful about launching the shuttle on that date. Speculation is rife in space circles that the status will turn green for lift only in February 2011.
On the astronomy front, the month will witness the annual Gemenid meteor showers and a lunar eclipse.
Will announce the dates soon.
First, if all is a `go' the three-stage indigenous Geo-Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) powered with a Russian cryogenic engine carrying the GSat-5p communication satellite is slated for launch between December 10 and 20. The original launch window was from December 10 to December 15.
The India-made GSat-5p satellite weighing approx 2300 kgs, having a 12-year life span, has 24 normal c band transponders and 12 extended c-band transponders. Its role: to augment tv and telecommunication services. The satellite will replace the ageing Insat-2e satellite.
The G-Sat-5p will be positioned in the geostationary orbit 36,000 kms above the equator.
After this Isro can launch just one more GSLV with a Russian cryogenic engine. Following the final GSLV mission with a Russian engine, space experts wonder when the next launch of this rocket will be scheduled because it will be powered with an indigenous cryogenic engine. The maiden attempt to launch a GSLV with an Indian engine flopped in on April 15, 2010. Isro chief, K. Radhakrishnan, announced that day that within a year a GSLV will fly with an indigenous engine. This means that it will lift off between March and April 2011.
Will Isro be able to adhere to this schedule?
Another event which can occur this month is the launch of the final flight of Nasa's space shuttle ``Discovery,'' to the International Space Station. The earlier date fixed for the mission was December 17,2010. But in view of the huge amount of repairs which have to be carried out the shuttle's external tank following a series of cracks, Nasa officials are doubtful about launching the shuttle on that date. Speculation is rife in space circles that the status will turn green for lift only in February 2011.
On the astronomy front, the month will witness the annual Gemenid meteor showers and a lunar eclipse.
Will announce the dates soon.
Mumbai goes to the moon
On Monday morning, ``Beyond Moon and Mars, (BMM)'' was among the hundreds of visitors, mostly drivers in white uniforms with placards, hotel reps and a few family members, standing in the arrival zone of the swanky and renovated terminal 1a of Mumbai airport at Santa Cruz. The information board provided the updated flight data, Except for an extremely brief moment, there was a constant flow of pax from the arrival hall, most of them talking on their mobile,
Spontaneously they, were received by the drivers and hotel reps who immediately grabbed the baggage trolleys and escorted their guests to the vehicles. This is has now become a mechanical process! Some had come with just a lap top to give a presentation and return by their evening flight. There was sense of excitement in the area because three sports people who had won medals at the Asian games had arrived and were giving bytes to the electronic media.
The time was 9.25 a.m. and the person whom I had come to receive from Hyderabad should be coming out any moment. But there was no sign of him. Though we are constantly in touch on the telephone,or e mail, this was the first time I was meeting him and I was looking forward to shaking hands with him. Wait, you will know who he is.
The indicator showed that the Air India flight from Hyderabad was 30 minutes behind schedule. At 10.10 a.m., it said that the flight had finally landed. Five and 10 minutes passed and there was no sign of my friend from Hyderabad. Has he, by chance, missed the flight? Twenty minutes--where is my friend? A panic situation prevaled and I called my good friend, Dhaval Desai, of the prestigious think tank,Observer Research Foundation, and explained the situation. I started breaking into a cold sweat because I was wondering what would be the fate of the evening presentation by my friend organised by the foundation.
I tried reaching my friend from Hyderabad on the cell, but it was futile. The enterprising Dhaval atlast managed to access him---he was still inside the aircraft because the plane had not yet reached the parking bay! After several attempts I too at last got to speak to him Yes, he was waiting to disembark! What a relief!
I waited and waited and there he was---at last! He is none other than Syed Maqbool Ahmed, the man behind the discovery of water and carbon diaxide on the moon by Chandrayaan-1. He was the project manager of an instrument known as Chace (Chandra Altitudunal Composition Explorer) on board the 30-kg Moon Impact Probe (MIP) of Chandrayaan-1 which crash landed on the south pole region of the moon on the night of November 14,2008. Chace discovered water and CO2 during the MIP's 22-minute flight to the moon after it separated from the mother craft. It had made this sensational discovery even before the other scientific instruments of Chandrayaan-1 had become operational, I felt honoured to shake hands with him. What a moment.
I know Syed likes to interact with students. So while driving out of the airport, I called my wife Usha, and inquired whether we could drop in for a few minutes at her office, Muktangan a NGO. Muktangan is partnering with the muncipal corporation in running schools. It was a tough day for Usha because she had an open day at Rimanika's (my daughter) school which is JB Petit. Honestly I am scared of these open days! Also she had to attend to our car's insurance. Despite this she said yes, and we went to her office at Worli en route home.
Usha introduced all her colleagues, including Sunil Mehta, managing trustee, Paragon Charitable Trust-Muktangan, to Syed. They seemed pretty thrilled and excited meeting the very person who is credited with discovering water and carbon diaxide on the moon through the Chandrayaan-1 mission. After spending a few minutes in the office, accompanied by Usha's helpful colleague, Kinjal, we went to the nearby Globe Mill Passage School which is backed by BMC and Muktangan.
It was at this moment that Mumbaikars--both young and old--were rocketed to the moon on Monday--a day which one will never forget.
Originally, Syed was supposed to interact with the youngsters and teachers only for a few moments, but it stretched to nearly 45 minutes. They put a variety of questions to him--about the moon, planets, human space flight and related areas--and he patiently answered all their questions. Pointing to the image of the MIP on my T-shirt he explained the role of this instrument in the Chandrayaan-1 mission. This T-shirt which Rimanika ordered for my birthday certainly had an educational role! Syed was extremely happy with the quality of the questions. A school volunteer, Sanjana Sheth, incidentally a ex-JB ite, came out of the room and asked Syed questions while we were leaving, which he answered in detail. ``The questions were wonderful. They are so intelligent and enthusiastic,'' he told Kinjal.
From the school to my home in Breach Candy where I introduced him to Rimanika, showed him all that I had connected with Chandrayaan-1 mission---video recordings, books and posters. I also showed him Neil Armstrong's autograph on one of my books about the Apollo 11 mission---``First On The Moon.'' Syed was nice enough to copy his evening presentation about Chandrayaan and Chace to my computer. Thank u Syed.
I then took the moonman to lunch at a restaurant close home called ``The Sun.!'' While walking to the restaurant, he telephoned Pradeep Mohandas, my good friend, and secretary of India chapter of Moon Society. Syed was keen that Pradeep should attend his presentation because he writes an informative blog and has a good knowledge of the developments in the space sector. But unfortunately he could not make it because he has to appear for an examination on December 1. All the best Pradeep. Better luck next time!
A quick vegetarian lunch and we were back home, Briefly showed him the dvd ``The Moon Wtihin Reach,---the Chandrayaan-1 Saga Continuos'' produced by an organisation which is an afflilate of Isro.Syed could only copy part of it on his pen drive, It was brief because we had to leave for the ppt at the Observer Research Foundation. The time was around 3.30 p.m.
On the way to the foundation's office, located in the NKM International House at Backbay Reclamation, we stopped at the Saraswathi Temple near JB Petit High School and introduced Syed to the priest who is a good friend of mine. He was certaintly thrilled to see Syed.
We reached ORF around 4.30 p.m.and met its chairman, the extremely affable Sudheen Kulkarni, in his office. Later, after the ppt Sudheen had an interesting story as to how the mission was named Chandrayaan--none of us knew this aspect. He has worked with former PM Atal Behari Vajpayee and was at the Red Fort on August 15,2003, when he made the grand announcement about the Indian moon mission and christened it, ``Chandrayaan.'' I plan to interview Sudheen about this and write a blog.
Syed was happy to meet his former colleague from University of Hyderabad, Leena, who introduced him to the audience, after a curtain raiser by Sudheen. The guests included director of Nehru Science Centre, Anil Manekar, who readily agreed to preside over the function, and Nehru Planetarium director, Piyush Pandey.
In his ppt at the ORF Syed justified the Rs 386-crore Indian lunar mission, saying it had led to a lot engineering and technological spin offs, created new business opportunities for Isro’s commercial arm, Antrix Corporation, placed India on par with other global space powers, rejunuvated the mind of the younger generation, triggered a feeling of national pride and was the first step towards embarking on a mission to Mars.
Also Chandrayaan-1 was the world’s first global effort in launching a mission to the moon, he said. Apart from the five Indian instruments there were six from abroad—two from Nasa, three from the European Space Agency and one from Bulgaria
The man behind India
According to Syed one of the important benefits of the Chandrayaan-1 mission was that it had completely scotched suggestions that Nasa’s Apollo manned flights to the moon were faked. ``Such rumours were spread in bad spirit by some eccentric people,’’ he said. ``The Terrain Mapping Camera of Chandrayaan-1 had taken shots of the descent stage of Apollo’s lunar module,’’ he said.
He attributed the success of Chandrayaan-1 to what he called unbiased selection of projects, a thorough assessment of these projects by experts and more importantly the freedom given to junior team members to freely question their seniors ignoring hierarchy if they had any doubt. ``This is an important aspect of Isro’s work culture which has resulted in the success of many of its missions,’’ he told the audience.
Referring to the discovery of water on the moon, he said while Nasa’s two payloads on board Chandrayaan-1, the Moon Minerology Mapper and the Mini-Sar used remote sensing methods to detect water, the indigenous Chace on the other hand employed direct measurement which in plain terms meant that it was the actual sampling of the lunar environment.
According to him one of the reasons behind the success of Chace is because of meticulous planning by the design team in setting the instrument parameters in such a way that the equipment was kept in its ``highest sensitive regime.’’ ``This helped in overcoming the failures faced in earlier attempts employing similar mass spectrometer-based observations by Apollo-era experiments,’’ he stated.
Prior to launch the Chace instrument was subjected to severe vibration tests because it had to withstand 22gs during lift off by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) at Sriharikota.
At the end I had dinner with Syed at the Chaitanya Tower guest house at Prabhadevi not far from the Siddhivinayak Temple, and left for home around 10 p.m.
It was a memorable day. Thank U ORF for giving me this opportunity!
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