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Following the launch of Chandrayaan last year, ISRO will roll out several ambitious initiatives to consolidate the gains and build on its last year’s achievements over the coming years. According to ISRO calendar the new year will mark a crucial testing phase  in its development of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mark III, which is slated for space flight in 2010-11.

GSLV Mark III is a next generation launch vehicle designed to put four tonne satellites into orbit. But more importantly, it is expected to cut the costs of launching satellites by half, to enable Antrix Corporation, ISRO’s commercial arm offer the cheapest space launches in the niche market. The current GSLV can put 2.2 tone satellites in orbit.

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Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set for its second moon mission `Chandrayaan II’ and space scientists plan to send a robot to moon in 2012, followed by a spacecraft to Mars in 2013.

ISRO will also sent a man to space astride a Russian spaceship the same year, its chairman G Madhavan Nair said.

Besides, ISRO has lined up a slew of missions, which also include landing a spacecraft on an asteroid and sending a probe to fly past a comet, the ISRO chief told reporters at a function organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to felicitate the members of the Chandrayaan I team.

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After the historic moon mission, India will redesign Russian space capsule Soyuz to send its astronauts on the country’s maiden manned space mission. "We will be redesigning the Soyuz space capsule of the Russian agency for our mission," Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman G Madhavan Nair told reporters.

ISRO signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Russian space agency Roskosmos on Joint Activities in the Field of Human Spaceflight Programme during the recent visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev here. Under the MoU signed by Nair and his Russian counterpart Anatoly Perminov, space scientists from the two countries will jointly build the spacecraft for India’s manned mission.

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Some were eloquent, others struggled for words and yet others preferred one liners to describe the success of their years of hard work as the Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft soared into skies on Wednesday morning making India a member of the elite club of countries probing the moon.

"It’s a historic moment," said Indian Space Research Organisation chairman G Madhavan Nair.

"Our baby is on way to the moon," said Chandrayaan project director Mylswamy Annadurai.

"Words don’t come," said George Koshy, director of ISRO Space Application Centre, Ahmedabad.

Here are the quotes from top ISRO scientists after the spacecraft was placed in its orbit, a little over 18 minutes after a "perfect, textbook, beautiful" launch from this spaceport off the Andhra Pradesh coast, 80 km from Tamil Nadu capital Chennai.

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India’s trusted space workhorse, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), proved its mettle for the 13th time in a row today when it successfully launched India’s first unmanned mission to the moon, the Rs 386 crore Chandrayaan-1.

The towering PSLV C-11 breathed fire and left plumes of smoke as it lifted off from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here, as India set out on a journey to explore the moon, thus joining a select band of countries.

After an unsuccessful debut (PSLV-D1) in 1993, PSLV has come a long way, and there has been no looking back with the 13 various improvised versions of the launch vehicles reaping the fruits of Indian scientists’ hard toil.

In a textbook launch, PSLV C-11 took off in a perfect liftoff and separation of each stage went off as planned without any hitch.

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After the successful launch of India’s first unmanned mission to moon, Chandrayaan-1, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is planning to send its second lunar odyssey, Chandrayaan-2, an Indo-Russian joint venture, likely by the end of next year or early 2010.

The work on this project would be taken up after Chandrayaan-1 starts its task of researching the moon, ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair told reporters here after the PSLV-C11 launched the spacecraft.

"One of the two GSLV missions next year could carry Chandrayaan-2," he said.

The team behind the success of the first mission would work on Chandrayaan-2 also, he added.

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It was truly a historic moment for the entire country. The PSLV-C11, which carries India’s first unmanned moon spacecraft Chandrayaan-1, was successfully put into initial orbit from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on Wednesday morning at around 6.40 am.

At the end of the 49-hour countdown, the 44.4 meter tall four-stage PSLV-C11 blasted off from the second launch pad with the ignition of the core first stage at 6.22 am.

Large crowds had gathered at Sriharikota since early Wednesday morning to witness this historic event. The crowds cheered at the PSLV, which weighs 316 tonnes soared majestically into the skies. However, the thick black clouds played spoil sport for those waiting to watch the PSLV launch into the skies.

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When the Chandrayaan-launched moon impact probe (MIP) hurtles down towards the lunar surface, amongst other payloads it will be carrying an item of special significance for ISRO scientists – the Indian flag. A successful conclusion of the MIP sub-mission will see India becoming only the fourth country after the US, Russia and Japan to plant its flag on the lunar surface.

Given the increasingly envious response that the Indian lunar mission is already evincing in foreign capitals, unused as they are to the thought of Asian nations such as India and China successfully launching increasingly sophisticated space programmes, the launch of the MIP will indeed be a proud moment for ISRO and the nation.

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The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs today gave its approval for implementation of GPS (Global Positioning System) Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) project for seamless navigation over Indian airspace at an estimated cost of Rs.774 crore.

The project involves development of indigenous technology in frontier areas. Project has numerous benefits to the aviation sector and would enable aircraft to navigate on a straight path/route instead of navigating in zig-zag path over land based stations. This system would also enable multiple approach capability.

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India will soon acquire a comprehensive global navigation satellite system to meet the requirements of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Airports Authority of India (AAI).

"India has tied up recently with US aerospace major Raytheon Company for the final phase of its ambitious Global Positioning Satellite-Aided Geosynchronous Augmented Navigation System (GAGAN)," said Andy Zogg, the company’s vice president of Airspace Management and Homeland Security.

GAGAN will provide satellite-based navigation for civil aviation across South and East Asia, which will provide India with "the most accurate, flexible and efficient" air navigation system deployed.

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Having achieved a high success rate in launching satellites, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) plans to step up its commercial launches to earn revenue and is negotiating with countries that restrict the use of Indian launch vehicles.

“Our domestic requirement is four to five launches per year and we are trying to increase commercial launches. We are favourably placed since our costs are about 80% of international launching costs. But some countries have restrictions on launching their satellites from other countries as well as Indian launch vehicles. The technology which we use is applicable for dual purpose - hence some of these countries have reservations,” Isro chairman G Madhavan Nair said. Dual purposes refers to launching satellites for military as well as civilian use.

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The Indian Space Research Organisation.said that cameras on board the recently launched Cartosat-2A and the Indian Mini Satellite (IMS-1), launched by a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C9) on Monday, have begun sending pictures and the quality of these images was ”excellent.”

The PSLV-C9 launch has also created a world record by putting eight foreign nano-satellites in accurate orbits, making it a total of ten satellites in a single launch. ISRO said that telemetry data received indicated that all sub-systems on the Indian satellites were normal.

According to ISRO, on Wednesday, the hyper-spectral camera on the IMS-1 and the panchromatic camera on Cartosat-2A were switched on. The multi-spectral camera on board the IMS-1 transmitted high quality images of a wide swathe of territory from Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh to Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu.

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India plans to undertake 70 space missions in five years, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, G Madhavan Nair, told reporters here on the sidelines of a function.

"We have proposed something like 70 missions totally (in the 11th plan (April one 2007 to March 31, 2012) compared to about 26 missions in the tenth plan period," Nair said, adding that the proposed missions would include a "good mix" of both INSAT class satellites and remote sensing ones.

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The recent launch of an Israeli TECSAR satellite by an Indian PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) rocket has been criticised by sections of the Indian political class. The Israeli satellite is said to be a spy satellite and Israel’s interest is to use the satellite to gather intelligence on the Islamic countries.

All over the world, countries launch satellites eastwards to take advantage of the eastward rotation of earth. Israel has unfriendly countries to its east and therefore finds it unable to launch its satellites eastwards. India has such facilities in Sriharikota and therefore it is logical for Israel to seek India’s aid.

India does not approve of Israeli policies towards Palestinians. But this satellite is not meant to be used against the Palestinians. Israel has enough capabilities to collect intelligence on the Palestinians without using any satellite. These satellites are meant to collect intelligence over the areas east of Palestine, the volatile region from Iraq to Pakistan and beyond — including India, China and Russia if necessary — but primarily the area between Israel and Pakistan.

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Chandrayaan-1, India’s first mission to the Moon, scheduled to be launched in April this year, is likely to be postponed to June, an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) official said here today.

The much-awaited mission was originally scheduled to be held on April nine or April 23 from India’s spaceport at Sriharikota.

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The US-India Business Council (USIBC), a business advocacy organization representing American and Indian companies, has hailed American cooperation in India’s first unmanned lunar mission, Chandrayaan-I. In a statement the organization has said that this cooperation marks the beginning of a new era of trust and partnership between the two countries in the field of space exploration.

The USIBC represents 260 of the largest US companies investing in India, along with two dozen of India’s largest global companies.

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India on Monday launched an Israeli satellite ‘Polaris’ from the spaceport at Sriharikota by a homegrown Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle and successfully placed it in the intended orbit.

The PSLV-C10 lifted off from the First Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 9.15 am with the ignition of the first stage, ISRO said in a statement.

The 300 kg TECSAR satellite, equipped with a Synthetic Aperture Radar payload, a capability to see through the clouds and carry out day and night all weather imaging, was

placed in its intended orbit with a Perigee (nearest point to earth) of 450 km and Apogee (farthest point fromearth) of 580 km with an orbital inclination of 41 degree with respect to the equator.

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Neustrelitz: Euromap GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of GAF AG, and Antrix Corporation Limited of India have announced a new agreement which will expand Euromap’s participation in the Indian Remote Sensing satellite programme with the reception and distribution of high-resolution stereo imagery from the Cartosat-1 (IRS-P5) satellite.

The Indian constellation of Earth Observation satellites is marketed through Antrix, the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), and Earth Observation Technologies LLC (EOTec) as agents for ANTRIX.

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YEAR ENDER 2007

Indian space programme witnessed several major accomplishments and scaled newer heights in mastering space technology during the year. It is significant to note that the remarkable successes were the result of well-orchestrated programmes undertaken by the department aimed at achieving total self-reliance in this cutting edge technology solely through indigenous efforts and utilizing the expertise available within the organization. Some of the recent, important developments, were the successful orbiting and recovery of a space capsule from the Indian soil using our own launch vehicle, launching of the state of the art remote sensing satellite Cartosat-2 with better than one meter resolution, launching of a satellite exclusively for an European customer under a commercial contract, successful ground testing of indigenously developed cryogenic upper stage and fabrication and installation of a large antenna for providing tracking and command support for deep space missions in general and Chandrayaan-I, India`s first un-manned lunar mission in particular.

Launch Vehicle Programmes: The launching of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C7) on January 10, 2007 carrying our own 680 kg remote sensing satellite Cartosat-2, 56 kg LAPAN-TUBSAT satellite from Indonesia, 6 kg Pehuensat from Argentina and 550 kg Space capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE) aimed at establishing India`s capability to orbit and bring back to earth successfully heralded a new era in the launch vehicle and satellite technology development in the country. PSLV-C7 also demonstrated our capability to launch multiple payloads into different orbits precisely. Space capsule Recovery Experiment carried two experiments to conduct studies in micro gravity was launched into 485 km by 639 km orbit. SRE comprises aero thermal structure, spacecraft platform, deceleration and floatation system besides the micro gravity payloads. After successfully accomplishing the mission the SRE was reoriented and de-orbited to splash down at the designated location in the Indian Ocean region on January 22, 2007. The precise splash down established India`s capability to launch and control accurately to bring back a space capsule. The demonstration of SRE experiment has given confidence to undertake more complex manned missions into low earth orbit. Closely following this was the launch of PSLV-C8 on April 23, 2007 carrying an Italian satellite AGILE into a low earth orbit. Considering the mission requirements PSLV-C8 was launched in core alone configuration which also proved the versatility of PSLV as the vehicle.

Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F04) was launched successfully on September 2, 2007 carrying INSAT-4CR into the desired orbit. The launch of GSLV-F04 was significant as the previous flight GSLV-D3 had failed to accomplish the mission owing to a fabrication anomaly. The detailed failure analysis carried out established that the design of GSLV is robust and certain strict quality control measures needs to be enforced during fabrication and inspection. The successful launch of GSLV-F04 reinforced ISRO`s ability to look at failures critically and draw lessons. The recent successful ground testing of the Cryogenic Upper Stage to be used in place of Russian cryogenic stages in GSLV was the crowning glory for ISRO. The cryogenic upper stage was tested for the full flight duration of 12 minutes and the test results fully met all the specified parameters. The development of cryogenic engines involves mastering materials technology, operating rotary pumps and turbines which run at 42,000 rpm at cryogenic temperatures. The successful testing has resulted in total self-reliance in launch vehicle technology.

Efforts to develop and launch the advanced version of GSLV namely GSLV - Mark III capable of putting 4 t payloads into geosynchronous transfer orbit is progressing well with the establishment of necessary infrastructure at ISRO centres such as the casting of 200 t solid boosters etc. GSLV-Mk III uses heavy propulsion stages such as 200 t solid boosters, 110 t liquid stages and 25 t cryogenic upper stages. The launch of GSLV Mk III is scheduled during 2008-09.

Research and development activities in semi-cryogenic propulsion stages, air breathing propulsion, re-usable launch vehicle technology is also being pursued vigorously in an effort towards reducing the launch costs.

Satellite Programes: The launching of the state of the art remote sensing satellite Cartosat-2 twelfth in the IRS series of satellites will provide panchromatic imageries with a resolution of better than 1 m onboard PSLV-C7 will provide further fillip to the remote sensing application programmes in the country especially in the area of urban planning, water resources survey, crop acreage and prediction estimation projects.

INSAT-4B was successfully launched on Ariane launch vehicle on March 12, 2007. INSAT-4B is the second satellite in the series in INSAT 4 series. INSAT4B carries 12 high power Ku Band transponders and 12 C Band transponders and has augmented the Direct to Home (DTH) television services and other communication and TV services. The launching of INSAT - 4CR on September 2, 2007 onboard GSLV-F04 with 12 high power Ku Band transponders has augmented TV broadcast services especially in the area of DTH services, Video Picture Transmission (VPT) and Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG). The INSAT system currently has about 210 transponders providing telecommunication, TV broadcast and meteorological services to the country. Concerted efforts to augment the capacity to about 500 transponders by the end of 11th Five Year Plan have been initiated.

Chandrayaan-1: India`s first un-manned lunar mission Chandrayaan-1 is targeted for launch during April 2008. Final integration and testing of the spacecraft is in progress. The spacecraft carries eleven payloads of which five are from India and six payloads from USA, Europe and Bulgaria. Chandrayaan – 1 spacecraft will be launched onboard India`s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle.

The Chandrayaan-1 mission features a satellite orbiting the moon at an altitude of 100 km for two years mapping the topography and the mineralogical content of the lunar soil. Chandrayaan-1 will also carry a Moon Impact Probe payload for demonstrating the technology needed towards accurate landing on the Moon`s surface.

India and Russia have signed an agreement on joint lunar research and exploration. The cooperation envisages Chandrayaan-2, a joint lunar mission involving a lunar orbiting spacecraft and a lander/rover on the Moon`s surface. Chandrayaan-2 will be launched using India`s Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) in the time frame of 2011-12.

The design, development, fabrication and successful installation of a 32 meter antenna to provide tracking, command and telemetry support for the Chandrayaan mission in association with ECIL and BARC is a significant achievement for the country in the complex technology of large size antennas.

Lunar mission is a step towards our conquest for exploration of outer space and inter planetary missions. Towards this, India and Russia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for joint development of Lunar rover and robotic arms to be used in the Chandrayaan-II mission targeted for launch during 2011-12 time frame.

Manned Mission Programme: Indian Manned Mission Programme is envisaged as a National effort to develop a fully autonomous orbital vehicle carrying 2-3 crew members to 400 km orbit low earth orbit and safely return them to earth with ISRO playing the lead role.

ISRO has carried out a detailed study on the feasibility of undertaking indigenous manned space missions with an aim to build and demonstrate the capability for carrying humans to low earth orbit and their return back to earth. It is planned to envisage the programme in about 8 – 10 years time frame.

Societal Applications: The services offered by INSAT Satellites in the area of tele-education and tele-medicine received further impetus. Today, in tune with the dreams of Dr Vikram A Sarabhai, the founding father of the Indian Space Programme, Edusat satellite network has about 30,000 class rooms connected to various academic institutions and universities. Tele-medicine network facilities expanded further and about 223 hospitals and 41 super speciality hospitals are connected providing health care to citizens especially in rural areas to about 3,00,000 patients per year.

Combining the services from INSAT and Indian Remote Satellites, a new concept namely Village Resource Centre (VRC) has been operationalised. VRCs provide tele-medicine, tele-education, adult education, health and family welfare programmes. About 300 VRCs have been established in various states in the country.

Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology: Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) was inaugurated on September 14, 2007 with the objective of offering high quality education in space science and technology to meet the growing demands of the Indian Space Programme. The Institute offers Bachelors degree in Space Technology with specialization in avionics, and aerospace engineering as well as Integrated Masters degree in applied sciences with special emphasis on space related subjects. The Institute started from the current academic year and 140 students from various parts of the country have enrolled for under graduate and masters courses.

The space programme in the country is poised for several major breakthroughs in the development of advanced technology needed for realization of the future launch vehicle and spacecraft missions in the coming years. Efforts to establish necessary infrastructure for casting large boosters, liquid propellant engines, heavy cryo boosters and for development of advanced missions in the area of remote sensing, communications, navigational satellites and space science systems. Necessary ground infrastructure for providing mission support during launch phase and in orbit support for the planned missions is under realization.

In what may well be the first step towards establishing the first “human colony” on the moon, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is examining the possibility of establishing a robotic set-up or unmanned mission on the moon.

Called Chandrayaan I and II, the basic objective of the project is to examine whether a robotic set-up can function as a stopover to refuel reusable spacecraft for various planetary missions and, eventually, create a self-sustaining environment to support a human colony on the moon.

Chandrayaan I, which is scheduled for launch in April 9, 2009, will examine the possibility of processing Helium-3 to produce energy, said M Annadurai, Project Director, Chandrayaan, Isro.

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