Indian Space Research Organisation designs man carrier

India is getting set to send its first astronauts to space. The design of the spacecraft to take them on a seven-day journey is ready and was released here on Thursday by S Satish, director, publications and public relations, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).

“The design of the spacecraft, which will take the two Indian astronauts to a low earth orbit by 2015 is ready in principle. The spacecraft will have three stages, a crew module, a service module and the crew escape system,” Mr Satish said on the sidelines of a seminar on space organised by the Tamil Nadu Science and Technology Centre on the 100th day of Chandrayaan’s lunar odyssey. Mr Satish said Isro was waiting for the Union Government’s approval of its proposal to send a man to space. “The spacecraft was designed as part of the initial studies undertaken by us with the Rs 95 crore sanctioned by the government,” he said.

Mr Satish said a man rated version of the Geo Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle would be used to launch the spacecraft into space.

To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit: http://www.dc-epaper.com

Indian Space Research Organisation hopes tricolour on moon by October 28

Indian Space Research Organisation scientists are sitting pretty, preparations done and fingers crossed. The rocket PSLV-C11 is ready, the satellite Chandrayaan 1 is ready as well, and the country is waiting for the launch of what will be the first Indian step towards the moon and beyond.

Scientists are confident they will be able to launch India’s first mission to the moon — mainly an orbiter but also a 30-kg moon impact probe piggyback satellite — that is expected to hit the moon’s surface and unfurl the Indian flag between October 22 and 28. The only worry is that the north-eastern monsoon is expected to be more severe than usual. But Isro chairman Madhavan Nair was on Monday gung-ho about India’s entry into the elite club of space-faring nations.

Speaking exclusively to this newspaper, Dr Nair called upon the nation’s scientific community to rise to the opportunity and come up with innovative science studies by going to Venus, Mars, and other planets and their satellites in the solar system.

To read the full article, click here..
To read the ePaper, visit:
http://epaper.asianage.com/Asian/AAge/2008/10/07/index.shtml