ISRO launches PSLV-C51 carrying Brazil’s Amazonia-1 and 18 other satellites - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

ISRO launches PSLV-C51 carrying Brazil’s Amazonia-1 and 18 other satellites.

PSLV-C51 rocket, which is the 53rd mission of PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle), launched Amazonia-1 of Brazil as primary satellite and 18 co-passenger payloads from the first launchpad of the Sriharikota spaceport in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

For the first time, a Brazilian satellite was launched by an Indian rocket from Sriharikota spaceport on Sunday. This also marked Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) first launch of 2021.

PSLV-C51 rocket, which is the 53rd mission of PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle), launched Amazonia-1 of Brazil as primary satellite and 18 co-passenger payloads from the first launchpad of the Sriharikota spaceport in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh. The blastoff was scheduled at 10.24 hours from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota, where the countdown commenced at 08.54 hours on Saturday for the PSLV-C51/Amazonia-1 mission.

These co-passenger satellites include Satish Dhawan Sat (SD SAT) from Chennai-based Space Kidz India (SKI). A photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been engraved on the top panel of this spacecraft. “This is to show solidarity and gratitude for his (PM’s) Aatmanirbhar initiative and space privatisation,” said SKI, which is also sending up “Bhagavad Gita” in SD (secured digital) card.

PSLV-C51/Amazonia-1 is also the first dedicated commercial mission of Bengaluru-headquartered ISRO’s commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) which is undertaking it under an arrangement with US-based satellite rideshare and mission management provider Spaceflight Inc.

The 637-kg Amazonia-1, which is the first Brazilian satellite to be launched from India, is the optical earth observation satellite of National Institute for Space Research (INPE).”This satellite would further strengthen the existing structure by providing remote sensing data to users for monitoring deforestation in the Amazon region and analysis of diversified agriculture across the Brazilian territory,” an ISRO statement said. (Source: The Indian Express)

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ISRO launches PSLV-C51 carrying Brazil’s Amazonia-1 and 18 other satellites.

Isro says India's second Mars mission Mangalyaan-2 will be an orbiter mission - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Isro says India's second Mars mission Mangalyaan-2 will be an orbiter mission.

On a day when Nasa's rover Perseverance landed on Mar to look for signs of past life on the Red Planet, chief of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) K Sivan said India would also send a second Mars mission and this mission is likely to be an orbiter.

However it is not yet known when this mission, named Mangalyaan-2, will be ready.

As per a report by news agency PTI, Sivan said Mangalyaan-2 will be undertaken only after the launch of Chandrayaan-3, India's upcoming Moon mission.

In Chandrayaan-3, Isro would be aiming to land a rover on the Lunar surface. This mission has been delayed due to the coronavirus-induced pandemic. It is expected that that the mission will lift off in 2022.

Speaking about the Mar's mission to PTI, Sivan said landing there is "more tough".

After its first Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) was successful, Isro called for 'Announcement of Opportunities' on MOM-2.

Sivan said Mangalyaan-1, India's first Mars mission, is "still working good" and sending data.

"It is now planned to have the next orbiter mission around Mars for a future launch opportunity," according to the Announcement of Opportunities.

Sivan said the space agency had asked the scientific community for suggestions on possible experiments and it is in the process of receiving these. "Once we get these suggestions, we will prepare a project report and have discussion in (an expert) committee. Then we will go to Space Commission," Sivan was quoted as saying by PTI.

Speaking about Mangalyaan-2, he said it will only be an orbiter mission.

Mangalyaan-1 was launched in November 2013 and entered the Martian orbit in September 2014.

It was designed to work for six months but now the mission is in its seventh year.

Mangalyaan-1 or Mars Orbiter Mission was India's first Endeavour to successfully reach another planet.

The launch vehicle, spacecraft and ground segment cost Rs 450 crore, one of the cheapest missions to Mars so far.

The Mars orbiter has sent thousands of pictures to talling more than two terabytes. ISRO has other major projects lined up. After the Mars Orbiter Mission's success, it also decided to explore Venus.(Source:defencenews.in)

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Isro says India's second Mars mission Mangalyaan-2 will be an orbiter mission.

Geo Imaging Satellite GISAT-1 can keep a 24/7 watch on Indian subcontinent, say ISRO veterans - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Geo Imaging Satellite GISAT-1 can keep a 24/7 watch on Indian subcontinent, say ISRO veterans.

Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) latest earth observation satellite GISAT-1, the launch of which was postponed by the space agency due to technical reasons on March 4, 2020, can keep a 24/7 watch on Indian subcontinent.

Though the launch was postponed for some time, ISRO veterans claimed that the the geo-imaging satellite GISAT-1, which is one of the first-of-its-kind satellites, is equipped with a very powerful telescope and very sensitive imaging sensors which have been developed indigenously.
Explaining reasons for placing the earth-observation satellites in GEO, Padma Shri Dr Mylswamy Annadurai, Programme Director Chandrayaan 1 and Mangalyaan, Vice President TN State Council for Science and Technology, said, ‘’Satellites in Low earth orbit can only click an image of a particular spot only 2-3 times a day, when they make a pass, but satellites in geostationary orbit (In sync with the movement of the earth) can constantly monitor a vast area. When a satellite is placed in GEO, it can click pictures of a particular spot in India or any spot that is visible to it, almost 24/7.’’
When asked if the image quality will not be adversely affected due to its distance of nearly 36000 km from earth, Annadurai said, ‘’It is true that the resolution and quality of an image would be affected due to the 36,000 km orbit at which the satellite is placed, but besides optical cameras, we can also use other infrared-based imaging sensors that are part of the satellite.’’
Replying to a question if there were other Indian satellites apart from communication satellites which have been placed in GEO, Annadurai said, ‘’Some of our earlier satellites such as Kalpana, INSAT 3D and INSAT 3DR can click images 24/7. INSAT 3D and 3DR are utilized for communication, monitoring climate, environment and for disaster management system and are placed in GSO.’’
‘’These are the satellites that help us track changing weather patterns every 15 minutes. While the earlier ones were multi-purpose satellites, the current satellite GISAT-1 is a more advanced version dedicated mainly to earth observation and can give higher resolution images and incorporates a different kind of technology,’’ he added.
Dr. Mylswamy Annadurai also explained how the new technology will change the functionality of the satellite and said, ‘’Some of our earlier generations of satellites like INSAT series had a scanning mirror in them, that moved east-west in a sweeping motion as a part of the image capturing process. However, since the satellites were also used for communications purposes(and are required to move in such a way that it appears fixed over a particular spot above the equator), the satellite was only moving on its GEO (in sync with the angular velocity of the earth). But since the GISAT is dedicated mainly for different kinds of earth observation, the satellite itself can rotate on an east-west, north-south axis to enable imaging of a specific region. In layman’s terms, its like tilting a handheld camera and moving it for getting the best shot.’’
Meanwhile, Padma Vibhushan Dr G Madhavan Nair, former Chairman, ISRO, said revealed some of the real world applications of the GISAT -1.
Nair said, ‘’If we have a natural calamity in a particular region or a region that has to be monitored, we can issue commands for the satellite to point towards that specific region, or a weather pattern such as a cyclone and look at it in more detail. Low earth orbit satellites can give us better quality pictures, but they can make a pass only every 110minutes or so. But in the case of GISAT, we can continuously observe the area. So if a region is affected by forest fires or floods, we will know it near-real time and (if required) can deploy the satellites in Low Earth Orbit to click high-resolution pictures to improve our awareness of the situation.’’
Explaining why ISRO calls it the first state-of-the-art agile earth observation satellite from Geostationary orbit, Nair said, ‘’As far as India is concerned this is the first-of-its-kind satellite. Basically this is a technology breakthrough as it requires a very powerful telescope and very sensitive imaging sensors which we have developed indigenously. We have been working on this technology for sometime.’’
The launch of ISRO’s GSLV-F10 rocket carrying the geo-imaging satellite GISAT-1, that was scheduled for 5:43 pm on Thursday, was postponed by the ISRO due to technical reasons. ISRO has said that a revised launch date would be announced in due course.
The GSLV rocket will be carrying what ISRO calls a state-of-the-art agile Earth Observation Satellite into Geo Stationary Transfer Orbit(GTO), which is 36,000 km at its farthest point from earth and 170km at its nearest point to earth.
After it is placed in GTO, the satellite would be issued a series of commands to fire its Liquid Apogee Motor(LAM) for a few sequential burns, until it is placed in Geostationary orbit (GEO) of 36000km circular from where the satellite would be seen stationary to all the points from the earth.
According to ISRO, the satellite is meant to provide near real time imaging of large regions of interest at frequent intervals, quick monitoring of natural disasters, episodic events and also obtain spectral signatures for agriculture, forestry, mineralogy, disaster warning, cloud properties, snow & glaciers and oceanography.
While conventionally, earth-observation satellites are placed in Low-Earth orbit (between 500 and 2000kms), to ensure high resolution imagery, better capabilities, it is pertinent to note that ISRO’s latest agile earth-observation satellite is to be placed in 36,000kms away. The GEO orbit is generally meant for Communication Satellites that are required to relay signals across a vast landmass. Being placed in the 36,000km circular orbit would also mean that the 2268kg GISAT-1 is beyond the range of Anti-satellite missiles. (Source: pib)

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Geo Imaging Satellite GISAT-1 can keep a 24/7 watch on Indian subcontinent, say ISRO veterans.

Explained: Eyes on the Sun, how ISRO is preparing for its next giant leap in space - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Explained: Eyes on the Sun, how ISRO is preparing for its next giant leap in space.

Explained: The ISRO is preparing to send its first scientific expedition to study the Sun. Named Aditya-L1, the mission, expected to be launched early next year, will observe the Sun from a close distance

Earlier this month, 47 new papers were published in a special supplement of The Astrophysical Journal, analysing data from the first three flybys of the Parker Solar Probe, NASA’s historic mission to the Sun. The probe, launched on August 12, 2018, completed its fourth close approach — called perihelion — on January 29, whizzing past at about 3.93 lakh km/h, at a distance of only 18.6 million km from the Sun’s surface.

So why is all of this exciting for India?
Alongside another mission to the Moon, being planned for next year, and the first human space flight scheduled for 2022, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is also preparing to send its first scientific expedition to study the Sun. Named Aditya-L1, the mission, expected to be launched early next year, will observe the Sun from a close distance, and try to obtain information about its atmosphere and magnetic field.
ISRO categorises Aditya L1 as a 400 kg-class satellite, that will be launched using the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in XL configuration. The space-based observatory will have seven payloads (instruments) on board to study the Sun’s corona, solar emissions, solar winds and flares, and Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs), and will carry out round-the-clock imaging of the Sun.
The mission will be undertaken in collaboration between various labs of ISRO, along with institutions like the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, and Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research (IISER), Kolkata. Aditya L1 will be ISRO’s second space-based astronomy mission after AstroSat, which was launched in September 2015.
What makes a solar mission challenging is the distance of the Sun from Earth (about 149 million km on average, compared to the only 3.84 lakh km to the Moon) and, more importantly, the super hot temperatures and radiations in the solar atmosphere.
All participating institutions are currently in the final stages of developing their respective payloads. Some payloads have been built, and are in the testing phase with each component being checked and calibrated. Some payloads are at the stage of integration of individual components.
But why is studying the Sun important?
Every planet, including Earth and the exoplanets beyond the Solar System, evolves — and this evolution is governed by its parent star. The solar weather and environment, which is determined by the processes taking place inside and around the sun, affects the weather of the entire system. Variations in this weather can change the orbits of satellites or shorten their lives, interfere with or damage onboard electronics, and cause power blackouts and other disturbances on Earth. Knowledge of solar events is key to understanding space weather.
To learn about and track Earth-directed storms, and to predict their impact, continuous solar observations are needed. Every storm that emerges from the Sun and heads towards Earth passes through L1, and a satellite placed in the halo orbit around L1 of the Sun-Earth system has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipses, ISRO says on its website.
L1 refers to Lagrangian/Lagrange Point 1, one of five points in the orbital plane of the Earth-Sun system. Lagrange Points, named after Italian-French mathematician Josephy-Louis Lagrange, are positions in space where the gravitational forces of a two-body system (like the Sun and the Earth) produce enhanced regions of attraction and repulsion. These can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption needed to remain in position. The L1 point is home to the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory Satellite (SOHO), an international collaboration project of NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).
The L1 point is about 1.5 million km from Earth, or about one-hundredth of the way to the Sun. Aditya L1 will perform continuous observations looking directly at the Sun. NASA’s Parker Solar Probe has already gone far closer — but it will be looking away from the Sun. The earlier Helios 2 solar probe, a joint venture between NASA and space agency of erstwhile West Germany, went within 43 million km of the Sun’s surface in 1976.
What kind of heat will Aditya L1 face?
The Parker Solar Probe’s January 29 flyby was the closest the spacecraft has gone to the Sun in its planned seven-year journey so far. Computer modelling estimates show that the temperature on the Sun-facing side of the probe’s heat shield, the Thermal Protection System, reached 612 degrees Celsius, even as the spacecraft and instruments behind the shield remained at about 30°C, NASA said. During the spacecraft’s three closest perihelia in 2024-25, the TPS will see temperatures around 1370°C.
Aditya L1 will stay much farther away, and the heat is not expected to be a major concern for the instruments on board. But there are other challenges.
Many of the instruments and their components for this mission are being manufactured for the first time in the country, presenting as much of a challenge as an opportunity for India’s scientific, engineering, and space communities. One such component is the highly polished mirrors which would be mounted on the space-based telescope.
Due to the risks involved, payloads in earlier ISRO missions have largely remained stationary in space; however, Aditya L1 will have some moving components, scientists said. For example, the spacecraft’s design allows for multiple operations of the front window of the telescope — which means the window can be opened or shut as required. (Source: The Indian Express)


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Explained: Eyes on the Sun, how ISRO is preparing for its next giant leap in space

ISRO to 'split up & unite' a satellite in space this year - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

ISRO to 'split up & unite' a satellite in space this year.

Among things in Isro’s pipeline this year, the space agency will be splitting up a satellite and then re-uniting it in space. This Space Docking Experiment (SPADEX) will be key in realising technologies for future human missions and the proposed space station.

While the technology Isro is aiming to eventually have is one that will allow it to transfer humans from one vehicle or spacecraft to another, the immediate goal is to enable refuelling of spacecraft to give them a longer life and also transfer other crucial systems to an existing spacecraft, by transporting another to space.
Confirming this to TOI, Isro chairman K Sivan, said: “The satellite we will launch will have two components. It will be separated into two pieces and then they will get docked into a single piece. This single unit will then function as a full-fledged satellite. This is a very crucial technology.”
A successful SPADEX experiment will also give Isro data on space rendezvous technology — capabilities wherein two spacecraft can find each other and remain in the same orbit — advancements in which are critical if India wants to have its own space station built in the future.
“The space station is a long-term project. We are working on it, but the immediate focus is on big missions like Chandrayaan-3, Aditya-L1, Gaganyaan, and other satellite launches,” Sivan said. The SPADEX project has so far received Rs 10 crore, but Isro will need more money in the future.
The challenges of the experiment would be that docking has to be automatic and many of the functions thereon will have to be robotic. There is also the challenge of managing the speeds of each of the crafts (or two units in this case) when they near each other and to then dock one vehicle in a manner that it doesn’t crash or collide into each other.
The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) is working on rendezvous and docking. “To achieve docking during the final phase of the mission, the relative position and velocity of the target spacecraft and chaser spacecraft has to be brought to zero. To ensure proper alignment of the docking port, the relative angular orientation needs to be precisely aligned,” an Isro document reads.
This technology will be a forerunner to future planetary missions including crew transfer, international participation et al, the document added.
“The satellite will be ready by mid-year but then we have a lot of tests to be done. The experimental launch may happen towards the end of this year,” Sivan added.
Isro has already worked on several systems like signal analysis equipment, high-precision videometer for navigation, docking system electronics and real-time decision making for landing systems, all of which will be used in this experimental flight. (Source: defencenews.in)


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ISRO to 'split up & unite' a satellite in space this year

ISRO to launch an unprecedented 10 earth imaging satellites - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

ISRO to launch an unprecedented 10 earth imaging satellites.

They include new categories such as first Geo Imaging Satellite

The country will send up an unusually large number of 10 earth observation (EO) satellites during 2020-21, according to the latest annual report of the Indian Space Research Organisation for 2019-20.
On a quick look, such a pre-ponderence of the EO launches is unprecedented and includes new categories such as the first Geo Imaging Satellite, GISAT-1.
In comparison, only three communication satellites — which is another major category in space infrastructure — and two navigation satellites are planned for the coming financial year starting April.

The annual plan mentions 36 missions, another high for a year: these includes both satellites and their launchers.
The high number also stands out amidst the immediate two years before and after the plan. For the ongoing fiscal, ISRO had proposed launching six EO satellites, of which two are due to go. For 2021-22, the plan is to add eight EO satellites.
ISRO says 19 national EO satellites, 18 communication satellites and eight navigation satellites are in service, driving uses from broadcasting, telephony, Internet services, weather and agriculture-related forecasting, security, disaster-time rescue and relief and location-based services. Three of the communication satellites are dedicated for military communication and networking.
In the ongoing fiscal 2019-20, 17 missions have been planned to be launched and up to six of them are due to be completed by March 31, it says.
ISRO was recently given a budget of nearly ₹13,480 crore for the next fiscal.
The EO sats are ostensibly for benign uses such as land and agriculture watch. But their images also have a very important use for the military, for keeping an eye on the borders. The satellites such as RISATs, which carry a synthetic aperture radar on them, provide all-weather, 24-hour information to security agencies.
Apart from GISAT-1 that is apparently fixed over the subcontinent at an orbit 36,000 km high, the space agency plans to launch a new series of high resolution HRSATs as a threesome on a single PSLV launcher.
The upcoming EO satellites include radar imaging satellites RISAT-2BR2, RISAT- 1A and 2A; Oceansat-3 and Resourcesat-3/3S.
The RISAT-2BR2 will form a triad fleet with its predecessors RISAT-2B and RISAT-2B1, all going around 120 degrees apart. They will “increase the frequency of observation in the areas of interest to provide all-weather, day/night imaging services from space,” the report said.


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ISRO to launch an unprecedented 10 earth imaging satellites.

ISRO planning 'Indian Data Relay Satellite System' - New satellites will help Gaganyaan crew - Pragnya IAS Academy - News analysis.

ISRO planning 'Indian Data Relay Satellite System' - New satellites will help Gaganyaan crew.

India plans to ring in its own era of space-to-space tracking and communication of its space assets this year by putting up a new satellite series called the Indian Data Relay Satellite System.

The IDRSS is planned to track and be constantly in touch with Indian satellites, in particular those in low-earth orbits which have limited coverage of earth.
In the coming years, it will be vital to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), whose roadmap is dotted with advanced LEO missions such as space docking, space station, as well as distant expeditions to moon, Mars and Venus. It will also be useful in monitoring launches, according to K. Sivan, ISRO Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space.
The first beneficiary would be the prospective crew members of the Gaganyaan mission of 2022 who can be fully and continuously in touch with mission control throughout their travel.

“When we have the Gaganyaan mission we want it to be covered and be visible 100% so that action can be taken in any exigency,” he said.
Work initiated :
Work on the two IDRSS satellites planned initially has begun. The first of them will be sent towards the end of 2020. It will precede the pre-Gaganyaan experimental unmanned space flight which will have a humanoid dummy. A second one will follow in 2021. The two will offer near total tracking, sending and receiving of information from the crew 24/7.
Older space majors such as the U.S. and Russia started their relay satellite systems in the late 1970s-80s and a few already have around 10 satellites each. They have used them to monitor their respective space stations Mir and the International Space Station, and trips that dock with them, as well as the Hubble Space Telescope.
Dr. Sivan said IDRSS satellites of the 2,000 kg class would be launched on the GSLV launcher to geostationary orbits around 36,000 km away. In such apparently fixed orbits, they would be covering the same area on earth. A satellite in GEO covers a third of the earth below and three of them can provide total coverage.
‘IDRSS is imperative’ :
During the launch of the human mission and also when the crew craft orbits earth from a distance of 400 km, at least one ground station must see and track it. But with available ground stations, that would not be the case. Without data relay satellites, ISRO would have to create a large number ground stations everywhere or hire them globally and yet the crewed spacecraft would not be visible all the time.
“We require the IDRSS system when our astronauts are in space. But I would prefer the relay spacecraft to be in place even before we launch the unmanned mission,” Dr. Sivan said.
While the U.S. is putting up its third-generation advanced fleet of TDRS (Tracking & Data Relay Satellites), Russia has its Satellite Data Relay Network and Europe is building its own European Data Relay System. China is into its second generation Tianlian II series. (Source: Livemint)


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ISRO planning 'Indian Data Relay Satellite System' - New satellites will help Gaganyaan crew.

ISRO, DRDO sign MoUs for Gaganyaan mission - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

ISRO, DRDO sign MoUs for Gaganyaan mission.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday inked MoUs with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for development of human-centric systems for the Gaganyaan project, the Defence Ministry said.

Some of the critical technologies to be provided by the DRDO to ISRO include space food, space crew health monitoring and emergency survival kit, radiation measurement and protection, parachutes for the safe recovery of the crew module, the ministry said in a statement.

A delegation of ISRO scientists, led by Director of Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) Dr S Unnikrishnan Nair, signed a set of MoUs with various DRDO labs here to provide technologies for human-centric systems and technologies specific to the Human Space Mission, it said.
The MoUs were signed by directors of the Aerial Delivery Research & Development Establishment (ADRDE), Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), Defence Bio-Engineering & Electro Medical Laboratory (DEBEL), Defence Laboratory (DL) Jodhpur, Centre for Fire, Explosive & Environment Safety (CFEES), Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Sciences (DIPAS) and Institute of Nuclear Medicine & Allied Sciences (INMAS) in the presence of DRDO Chairman Dr G Satheesh Reddy and Scientist & Director General (Life Sciences), Dr A K Singh.
Speaking on the occasion, Satheesh Reddy said the technological capabilities existing in DRDO laboratories for defence applications will be customised to meet the requirements of the human space mission of ISRO.
Singh said the DRDO is committed to providing all necessary support to ISRO for the human space flight and customisation of the required technologies has already been initiated to meet the stringent timelines.
ISRO aims to demonstrate human spaceflight capability before the 75th anniversary of India’s independence in 2022.


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ISRO, DRDO sign MoUs for Gaganyaan mission.

Chandrayaan-2 launch to take place between July 9-16: ISRO - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Chandrayaan-2 launch to take place between July 9-16: ISRO.

• According to ISRO, Chandrayaan-2 is the second lunar mission and has three modules Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan)
• After launch into earth bound orbit, the integrated module will reach Moon orbit using Orbiter propulsion module

The Indian Space Research Organisation is all set to embark on its most complex mission ever undertaken as thespace agency is gearing to launch Chandrayaan-2 between July 9 and 16. The landing on the moon is expected to be on September 6, ISRO chairman K Sivan said.
"It is going to land at a particular location where nobody has gone before," he added. Sivan said following the successful launch of the radar imaging earth observation satellite, RISAT-2B, on-board PSLV-C46 Wednesday, the next one- Chandrayaan-2 -is going to be a landmark mission for India. "It is going to be the most complex mission ever undertaken by ISRO. It is going to take place between July 9 and 16, this year", he said, addressing scientists from the Mission Control Centre.
The agency would look at the landing (rover) on the surface of the Moon on September 6, he said.
According to ISRO, Chandrayaan-2 is the second lunar mission and has three modules Orbiter, Lander (Vikram) and Rover (Pragyan).
The Orbiter and Lander modules would be interfaced mechanically and stacked together as an integrated module and accommodated inside the launch vehicle -- GSLV-MkIII.
After launch into earth bound orbit, the integrated module will reach Moon orbit using Orbiter propulsion module.
The Lander would separate from the Orbiter and soft land at the pre-determined site close to lunar South Pole.
The Rover would roll out for carrying out scientific experiments on the lunar surface.
Chandrayaan-2 would have 13 payloads and one passive experiment from American space agency NASA.
ISRO had said earlier that eight payloads on Orbiter, three on lander and two on Rover and one passive experiment from NASA would be carried on Chandrayaan-2.
Chandrayaan 2 is an advanced version of the previous Chandrayaan 1 mission successfully launched about 10 years ago.
Chandrayaan 1 had 11 payloads -- five from India, three from Europe, two from USA, 1 from Bulgaria and the mission was credited with the discovery of water on the lunar surface.
The 1.4 tonne spacecraft was launched using PSLV and the orbiter had orbited 100 km from the lunar surface. (Source: Livemint)


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Chandrayaan-2 launch to take place between July 9-16: ISRO.

CMFRI, ISRO sign MoU for mapping smaller wetlands - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

CMFRI, ISRO sign MoU for mapping smaller wetlands.

The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have joined together to map, validate and protect smaller wetlands in coastal region aimed at restoring them through coastal livelihood programmes.

An MoU has been signed between the CMFRI and the Space Applications Centre (SAC) of the ISRO to develop a mobile app and a centralised web portal with a complete database of wetlands that are smaller than 2.25 hectares in the country.
Such smaller wetlands cover an area of more than five lakh hectares across the country, with Kerala having as many as 2592 smaller wetlands. The two scientific institutes aim to identify and demarcate wetlands, and restore the degraded wetlands through suitable livelihood options like coastal aquaculture. The app will be used for real-time monitoring of the wetlands and giving advisories to stakeholders and coastal people.
The collaborative move is part of a national framework for fisheries and wetlands recently developed by the national innovations in climate resilient agriculture (NICRA) project of CMFRI. The NICRA project aims to find ways and means to mitigate the impact of climate change in marine fisheries and coastal region..
Dr P U Zacharia, principal scientist and principal investigator, NICRA project of CMFRI said the real-time data of demarcated coastal wetlands would greatly help developing a conservation plan for degraded wetlands in the region besides utilising these resources for livelihood prospects such as shrimp and crab farming in the area. “Smaller wetlands across the country are highly in neglected state owing to multiple reasons.
Climate variability induced rainfall drastically changes the physio-chemical characteristics of such wetlands which was evidently seen during the last year’s devastating flood in Kerala. The collaborative initiative will help develop a comprehensive wetland information system which could facilitate the village level wetland advisories to the local people by scientific communities”, he said. (Source: The Economic Times)


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CMFRI, ISRO sign MoU for mapping smaller wetlands.

Isro launches EMISAT and 28 other satellites from US, Spain - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Isro launches EMISAT and 28 other satellites from US, Spain.

Isro has launched the EMISAT satellite along with 28 other satellites from other nations. The EMISAT will conduct space experiments.

Days after India tested its first anti-satellite missile, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has fired off a new variant of its old workhorse, PSLV sending 29 satellites into three different orbits in space.
The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) which is on its 47th flight took off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota at 9:27 am, on Monday. The new variant uses four strap-on motors.
PSLV C45 carries 28 foreign satellites, 24 from United States which are mostly for earth observation, two from Lithuania and one each from Switzerland and Spain. All the foreign satellites would be injected into the low-earth orbit, at an altitude of 504 kms above the earth’s surface.
The primary satellite onboard is India’s EMISAT, an observation satellite which weighs 436 kgs and would measure the electromagnetic spectrum to help locate positions of enemy radars.
After removing the heat-shield at an altitude of 115 kms, the fourth-stage of rocket (PS4) would first inject EMISAT into an orbit of 749 km. It would then fire its engines twice and come down to an orbital of 504 kms where all the foreign satellites together weighing about 220 kg would be released.

The fourth stage would then eventually come down to 485 kms orbit, where it will act as an orbital platform for three other payloads - ISRO’s Automatic Identification System which would help in automatic identification of ships by capturing messages from ships and relaying them to ground stations.
The other two payloads include - an Automatic Packet Repeating System from Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation(AMSAT) to assist amateur radio operators in tracking and monitoring position data and an payload from Indian Institute of Space Science and technology (IIST) for study of structural and composition of ionosphere.
It is the first time that scientists have equipped the fourth stage with a solar panel so that it can sustain itself by generating electrical power in orbit.
The decision to use PS4 as an orbital platform was one of the several firsts marked by the space agency this year. Since, the fourth stage of the rocket becomes debris after it takes a satellite into its desired orbit, the idea was to innovatively use this wasted stage for payloads and conduct experiments in space.
It would also enable space researchers to study earth’s ionosphere in real time which can help in improving accuracy of satellite navigation signals.
The previous launches by ISRO this year include the imaging satellite Microsat-R for military purpose along with 1.2 kg Kalamsat in January onboard PSLV-C44.
In February, Isro launched India's communication satellite GSAT-31 from the European launch service provider Ariane from French Guiana.(Source:Livemint)


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Isro launches EMISAT and 28 other satellites from US, Spain.

ISRO to launch electronic intelligence defence satellite Emisat for DRDO in March - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

ISRO to launch electronic intelligence defence satellite Emisat for DRDO in March.

ISRO will also launch 28 third-party satellites and demonstrate its new technologies like three different orbits with a new variant of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket in March.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Sivan on Wednesday said that the Bengaluru-based space agency is set to launch an electronic intelligence satellite Emisat for the DRDO in March.
Sivan added that ISRO will also launch 28 third-party satellites and demonstrate its new technologies like three different orbits with a new variant of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket in March. He, however, did not give a specific date.
"It is a special mission for us. We will be using a PSLV rocket with four strap-on motors. Further, for the first time we will be trying to orbit the rocket at three different altitudes," K. Sivan, Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) told IANS.
"The main passenger for the PSLV rocket will be the defence intelligence satellite Emisat belonging to Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The satellite weighs about 420 kg. The 28 satellites belonging to our customers would cumulatively weigh about 250 kg," Sivan added.
The ISRO chief said that Emisat is an electronic intelligence satellite. It is to be noted that ISRO is also gearing up to launch two more defence satellites in July/August. The space agency will use its new rocket Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) for launching these defence satellites.
It may be recalled a defence imaging satellite Microsat R was launched by ISRO for the DRDO in January.
Providing more details about Emisat, Sivan said that after launching this satellite at an altitude of 763 km, the rocket will be brought down to place the 28 satellites at an altitude of 504 km.
"Following that the rocket will be brought down further to 485 km where the fourth stage will turn into a payload platform carrying three experimental payloads -- one developed by the students of Indian Institute of Space Science and Tecnology, besides ISRO`s own technology demonstrator and a Hamsat," Sivan said.
PSLV is a four-stage engine expendable rocket with alternating solid and liquid fuel. On January 24, the ISRO flew a PSLV with two strap-on motors.


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ISRO to launch electronic intelligence defence satellite Emisat for DRDO in March.

ISRO’s Human Space Flight Centre Has Eyes on The Gaganyaan Project - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

ISRO’s Human Space Flight Centre Has Eyes on The Gaganyaan Project.

The Gaganyaan project will involve a first unpiloted flight next year, in December 2020. The second stage of the project will involve a crewed mission flying into space in December 2021.

Almost 38 years after India sent a cosmonaut into space on a Russian aircraft, the country will become one of the handful of countries to embark on a crewed spaceflight again. The Gaganyaan mission, which will involve a manned mission in the year 2022 is part of the Rs 10,000 crore Gaganyaan Project. The plan is to send a 3-member crew into space, for around seven days.
The newly opened Human Space Flight Centre in Bengaluru will be responsible for key aspects of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Gaganyaan project. “HSFC shall be responsible for implementation of Gaganyaan Project which involves end-to-end mission planning, development of Engineering systems for crew survival in space, crew selection & training and also pursue activities for sustained human space flight missions. HSFC will take support of the existing ISRO Centres to implement, the first development flight of GAGANYAAN under Human Space Flight Programme,” says the official communication from ISRO, clarifying the exact role of the HSFC.
This comes after the Government’s major push for the Gaganyaan project. “Our space programe Gaganyaan will make India the launchpad of satellites for the world and place an Indian astronaut into space by 2022, which reflects the seventh dimension of our vision which aims at the outer skies,” the Finance Minister Piyush Goyal had said during the interim Budget speech last week. In December, the cabinet had approved Rs 10,000 crore for the project, after repeated mentions of the need for India to assert its prowess in space, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The Gaganyaan project will involve a first unpiloted flight next year, in December 2020. The second stage of the project will involve a crewed mission flying into space in December 2021.


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ISRO’s Human Space Flight Centre Has Eyes on The Gaganyaan Project.

ISRO to Launch Exclusive Satellite to Help in Securing Pakistan, Bangladesh Borders - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

ISRO to Launch Exclusive Satellite to Help in Securing Pakistan, Bangladesh Borders.

A satellite will be launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) exclusively for the home ministry to help it further strengthen its frontiers with Pakistan and Bangladesh among others, according to an official statement issued on Thursday.

The move is part of recommendations made by a task force on the use of space technology in improving border management which have been accepted by home minister Rajnath Singh.
To execute the project in a time bound manner, a short, medium and long-term plan has been proposed for implementation in five years in close coordination with the ISRO and the defence ministry.
"Major recommendations of the report are to build capacity in border guarding forces to use space resources for security, operational planning and border infrastructure development," the statement issued by the home ministry said.
In short term, immediate needs of border guarding forces will be met by procurement of high resolution imagery and hiring of bandwidth for communications, it said.
"In mid-term, one satellite is being launched by the ISRO for exclusive use of the MHA," the statement said.
Over the long term, the MHA will develop ground segment and network infrastructure to share satellite resources by user agencies, develop a central archival facility for storing various imagery resources and dissemination of the same to user agencies, it said.
"Deployment of the Central Armed Police Forces in remote areas will be also coordinated by satellite communications. Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-based GPS will provide navigation facilities for operational parties in high altitude, remote and difficult borders and Naxal areas," the home ministry said.
The Border Security Force (BSF) has been designated as lead agency for implementation of ground segment and network infrastructure, including establishment of archival facility, it said.
India shares land borders with Pakistan, China, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar.
With the assistance of the department of space, the ministry of home affairs would implement the project, the statement said.
"This project will strengthen island and border security and facilitate development of infrastructure in border/island areas," it said.
The home minister has approved report of the task force created by the MHA to identify areas for use of space technology in improving border management, the statement said.
The task force headed by Joint Secretary (Border Management), having members from the BSF, the Department of Space and BM division of the Home Ministry, consulted all stakeholders including border guarding forces, the ISRO, National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) and the Ministry of Defence to finalise the report.
Island development, border security, communication and navigation, Geographic Information System (GIS) and operations planning system, and border infrastructure development are the areas identified for use of space technology, it added.


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ISRO to Launch Exclusive Satellite to Help in Securing Pakistan, Bangladesh Borders.

ISRO successfully launches Military Communication Satellite GSAT-7A from Sriharikota - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

ISRO successfully launches Military Communication Satellite GSAT-7A from Sriharikota.

ISRO today launched its military communication satellite GSAT-7A from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The satellite GSAT-7A is the 35th Indian communication satellite weighing 2,250 kg. The satellite is expected to add a new space-based dimension to the way Indian Air Force interlinks, operates and communicates with its aircraft as they fly and with command centres on ground.

GSAT-7A will be the first satellite built primarily for the IAF to qualitatively unify its assets and improve combined, common intelligence during operations.
GSAT-7A is designed to expand the communication capabilities of the Indian Air Force (IAF). It will do this by connecting many of the ground radar stations, airbases and aircrafts operated by the IAF, and is also expected to boost some of their network-dependant warfare and drone capabilities.
Hailing the launch, Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa said, GSLV-7A would enhance the networking and communication capabilities of the Air Force.
"We have several platforms (aircrafts) which have capabilities of communication through satellite. The communication to the platform (aircrafts) through the satellite will be made possible with this launch," stated B S Dhanoa.
Satellite using Ku band will enable superior real time aircraft-to-aircraft communication; and between planes that are in flight and their commanders on the ground.
The GSAT-7A/GSLV-F11 mission will also wrap up the calendar year for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The GSLV-F11 space vehicle will release it to an eventual geostationary orbit about 36,000 km from Earth. However, it will become fully functional after a month of testing payloads. GSLV F-11 with indigenous cryogenic upper stage has a total of three stages before reaching the destined orbit using the onboard propulsion system.


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ISRO successfully launches Military Communication Satellite GSAT-7A from Sriharikota.

In a first, ISRO will make dead rocket stage ‘alive’ in space for experiments - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

In a first, ISRO will make dead rocket stage ‘alive’ in space for experiments.

Highlights
• The Indian Space Research Organisation is working on a new technology where it will use the last stage of the PSLV rocket for space experiments
• It will perform a technology demonstration of this new system when it launches the PSLV C44 rocket in January.
• The organisation will invite students and scientists to make use of this new technology.

Can a dead rocket in space be anything but debris? Isro believes it might actually be useful. Feted for its frugality and tech savvy, the Indian Space Research Organisation is working on a new technology where it will use the last stage of the PSLV rocket for space experiments. It will perform a technology demonstration of this new system when it launches the PSLV C44 rocket in January.
Talking to TOI here, Isro chairman K Sivan said, “Normally, the last stage of a PSLV rocket after releasing the primary satellite in space becomes dead and categorised as debris. It remains in the same orbit as that of the released satellite. Now, we are working on a new technology where we will give life to this “dead” last stage of PSLV, also called PS4 stage, for six months after its launch. This rocket stage will double up as a satellite. This will be the most cost-effective way to perform experiments in space as we don’t have to launch a separate rocket for the purpose.” He said that “India is the only country in the world that is working on this new technology”.
Explaining the technology, the chairman said, “The rocket stage of PSLV C44, which will be carrying a microsat as the primary satellite in January, will be made alive with the help of new systems that will include batteries and solar panel. Even after the primary satellite separates from the PSLV, the last stage of the rocket will remain active and can be used as an experimental platform for new space technologies. Students or space scientists can use this “alive” rocket stage for space experiments for free. They can attach their small experimental module or satellite (micro or nano) in the last stage and can perform experiments in space once the PSLV delivers the primary satellite into its orbit.” He said that Isro “can do the same with the GSLV rocket as well where we can use its last stage as an experimental platform”.
Sivan said Isro is going to make an "announcement of opportunity in a few days to invite proposals from students and space scientists to make use of this new technology."
Till now, space agencies around the world can use a rocket only once to deliver satellites in space. Elon Musk-promoted SpaceX is the only exception as the US private space agency has mastered the technology of repeating the same rocket stage for relaunches. However, SpaceX’s experiments with its Falcon 9 rocket are confined to the first stage of the rocket. It has also never experimented with the last stage. (Source: The Business Standard)


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In a first, ISRO will make dead rocket stage ‘alive’ in space for experiments.

ISRO launches earth monitoring satellite HysIS - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

ISRO launches earth monitoring satellite HysIS.

The data from ISRO’s HysIS satellite can be used in wide-ranging areas including agriculture.

India on Thursday successfully launched its latest earth observation satellite HysIS, the data from which can be used in wide-ranging areas including agriculture, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here onboard ISRO’s trusted workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
The rocket, PSLV-C43, successfully injected state of the art HysIS and 30 other co-passenger satellites from eight countries into their designated orbits.
The rocket lifted off majestically into cloudy skies in a burst of orange flames at 9.57 am from the first launch pad at this spaceport at the end of the 28-hour countdown.
The Hyper Spectral Imaging Satellite (HysIS) was placed in its orbit 17 minutes and 27 seconds after lift-off while the 30 co-passenger satellites were dropped into the designated orbit one by one after an hour.
HysIS, the latest earth observation satellite developed by ISRO, has several uses.
The satellite’s data will be useful in many fields including agriculture, forestry, soil survey, geology, coastal zone studies, inland water studies, environmental monitoring and pollution detection from industries.
ISRO chief K Sivan and the space agency’s scientists broke into cheers as the earth observation satellite was injected into sun-synchronous polar orbit.
Thursday’s launch is significant as scientists restarted the fourth stage engine twice to place the 30 co-passenger satellites into their orbit.
According to an official, the fourth stage engine was cut off after the earth observation satellite separated at an altitude of 636.3 kilometers exactly 17.27 minutes after the rocket lifted off.
After the earth observation satellite was placed in its orbit, the scientists undertook an operation to restart the fourth stage engine twice. They reduced the altitude from 636 kilometers to around 504 kilometres to place the 30 satellites in the sun-synchronous polar orbit one by one.
The mission was one of the longest for ISRO.
A similar campaign was undertaken when scientists injected eight different satellites including the country’s weather satellite SCATSAT-1 and five from other nations in two different orbits on September 25, 2016.
The primary mission of the HysIS, whose mission life is five years, is to study the earth’s surface in visible, near infrared and shortwave infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
It is the primary satellite of the PSLV-C43 mission, which is on its 45th flight.
The mass of the spacecraft is about 380 kilograms, ISRO said.
The co-passenger satellites have been contracted for launch through ISRO’s commercial arm Antrix Corporation Limited.
PSLV-C43 is the ‘Core Alone’ version of PSLV. It is the lightest version of the launch vehicle.
Sivan congratulated the team on the successful launch and said Indian scientists have shown their excellent work yet again, just 15 days after the spectacular dual mission of GSLV MkIII D2 and GSAT29.
“Today our PSLV has injected hyperspectral imaging satellite and subsequently after two manoeuvres, once again PSLV has injected 30 customer satellites into their designated home,” he said.
Speaking about the high-tech hyperspectral satellite, Sivan said it came with state-of-the-art technology.
“The heart of the system required for the HysIS satellite is basically an optical imaging detector chip,” he said.
The chip was indigenously designed and developed by the space application centre of ISRO and fabricated indigenously at the semiconductor lab in Chandigarh, he added.
“I am sure that team ISRO can be proud that they are really giving excellent space assets to India. Let me thank the entire team ISRO for this wonderful satellite (launch),” Sivan said.
He said the international customers will be very happy to see their “babies” delivered home “safely and precisely”, one by one.
The space body chief said the success was a result of team ISRO’s hard work along with excellent mechanisms and the quality system in place.
“Looking forward, our journey ahead, road ahead, is full of traffic,” Sivan said. The next mission will be GSAT11, which is India’s heaviest satellite. It is set to be launched from French Guiana on December 5 at 2.08 am.
The long-awaited launch of GSAT-7A is also planned for December.
Sivan said several missions including Chandrayaan-II are lined up for next year.
“I am sure this team will rise to the occasion and will achieve (in) the missions whatever we want, not for ISRO, it is for India. I am sure that our team will do (a) very good job in future also,” he said. (Source:Livemint)


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ISRO launches earth monitoring satellite HysIS.

Another feat for ISRO! For the first time, India to launch Colombian satellite from PSLV-C43 on November 29 - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

Another feat for ISRO! For the first time, India to launch Colombian satellite from PSLV-C43 on November 29.

For the first time ever, a Colombian satellite will be launched from Sriharikota by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) along with other countries onboard PSLV-C43 on Nov 29.

The workhorse of ISRO will be carrying India’s earth observation satellite HysIS and 30 satellites from other countries out of which almost 23 belong to the US.
Sources confirmed to FE that “Colombia has chosen to get its satellite launched by ISRO for the first time. This launch has been commercially contracted through Antrix Corporation Ltd, the commercial arm of ISRO. ”
Earlier this year, FE was the first to break the news of South American nation Colombia being in touch with ISRO to launch the nano-satellite belonging to Colombian air force, ‘Facsat1’, which is 30 cm long and 10 metres high, and will be used for that country’s national security, as well as monitor the effects of climate change and prevent emergencies.
According to ISRO, PSLV’s 45th flight will be launched from the First Launch Pad (FLP) of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota and the satellite will be placed in 636 km polar sun synchronous orbit (SSO) with an inclination of 97.957 deg. The mission life of the satellite is 5 years.
The main aim of India’s HysIS is to study the earth’s surface in visible, near infrared and shortwave infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
The other satellites which will be onboard are micro and nano satellites from other countries including the US, Australia, Canada, Colombia, Finland, Malaysia, Netherlands and Spain, will be put in a 504 km orbit by the work horse.
It was after India’s successful Mars mission some years ago that which was proved that ISRO has the capability of achieving inter-planetary missions in a cost-effective manner, that several countries from across the globe have started looking at the agency for launching their satellites.
As reported earlier by FE, countries including Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia and Nicaragua are reaching out to the space agency for launching or developing satellites.
In 2017, for launching its first homemade palm-sized satellite, the University of Chile got a ride onboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C38 rocket. The faculty of the university is already working with professors at IIT-Madras for doing joint missions.
Launch, of SUCHAI, the nano-satellite of the University of Chile, was successfully accomplished by ISRO at the end of June 2017. The SUCHAI project was a standardised satellite of Cubesat type of 1 litre of volume and 1 kg of weight. Also, it was the first ever satellite built in Chile by students at the university.
The Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), which already has long-standing space cooperation with China, has been in touch with ISRO and the ground stations in Brazil (Alcantara and Cuiaba) which have been providing tracking support for Indian satellites (Chandrayaan-I, Megha Tropiques, MOM, and ASTROSAT) on a commercial basis.
Even Bolivian Space Agency (ABE) has concluded a MoU on space cooperation with ISRO, which will help to conduct preliminary studies of establishing a ground station in Bolivia for supporting India’s space agency’ s space operations.(Source:Livemint)


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Another feat for ISRO! For the first time, India to launch Colombian satellite from PSLV-C43 on November 29.

ISRO Completes "Scaled-Down" Test For Safe Landing Of Chandrayaan-2 - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

ISRO Completes "Scaled-Down" Test For Safe Landing Of Chandrayaan-2.

Indian Space Research Organisation said on Friday, that it has successfully conducted a scaled-down test for the soft and safe landing of its Chandrayaan-2 lander for India's second Moon mission.

The moon lander, Vikram, named after the father of Indian space programme Vikram Sarabhai, will carry out various tests on the moon surface. "Scaled-down version of Chandrayaan-2 Lander Vikram completed, critical Lander Actuator Performance Test (LAPT) to demonstrate capabilities of navigation, guidance and control system of Vikram for a safe, soft and precise landing on the Moon," ISRO said in a release.
The LAPT test was meant for compensating the effect of earth's gravity as compared to the moon's and to match the thrust generation of sea level liquid engines as compared to flight engines, which will operate in vacuum environment, it said.
The module was tied to a crane hook for conducting the test at a special test facility at ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu.
It was the third and final test to demonstrate retargeting in a parabolic tragectory.
The LAPT demonstrated the capability of the NGC system of 'Vikram' to meet the mission requirement of safe, soft and precise landing on the lunar surface by steering the module horizontally as well as vertically down to a pre-defined target, the release said.
"With this, all the tests have been completed successfully. This is a major milestone accomplished in Chandrayaan-2 Lander," it said.
ISRO intends to launch Chandrayaan-2 sometime in January next year. The Mission will have an orbiter, lander and a rover.
India's first lunar mission Chandrayaan 1 was successfully launched in October 2008.


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ISRO Completes "Scaled-Down" Test For Safe Landing Of Chandrayaan-2.

For India's Second Moon Mission, ISRO Tests Cryogenic Engine - Pragnya IAS Academy - News Analysis.

For India's Second Moon Mission, ISRO Tests Cryogenic Engine.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), on Friday said it has successfully tested the Cryogenic Engine (CE-20) for GSLV Mk-III, which is earmarked for the launch of India’s second moon mission, Chandrayaan-2. The test was done on October 11.

The GSLV MK-III vehicle’s upper stage is powered by the CE-20, which operates on a gas generator cycle using a combination of liquid oxygen (LOX) and liquid hydrogen (LH2) propellants.
The fifth hardware of CE-20 integrated engine designated as E6 is earmarked for GSLV Mk-III M1-Chandrayaan 2 mission. According to Isro, the “flight acceptance hot test” test lasted 25 seconds, and it was conducted at the High Altitude Test facility, Isro Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri. “The test demonstrated steady state operation of engine and the performance of all engine subsystems were observed to be normal during the hot test,” Isro said.
“The major subsystems of the engine are thrust chamber, gas generator, LOX and LH2 turbo pumps, igniters, thrust and mixture ratio control systems, Start-up system, control components and pyro valves,” Isro said, adding that the CE-20 develops a nominal thrust of 186.36 kN with a specific impulse of 442 seconds in vacuum.
Chandrayaan-2, unlike the first mission, involves a Lander soft-landing on the lunar surface and unloading a Rover to study and take measurements from the Moon, while the orbiter will go around the Earth’s satellite.


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For India's Second Moon Mission, ISRO Tests Cryogenic Engine.