Mighty India Power

Krishnamurthy, Director of ISRO’s Regional Remote Sensing Service Centre here on Monday. The integration of the satellite, designed to identify potential fishing zones, assists in forecasting marine trends and coastal zone studies will also provide inputs for weather forecasting and climate studies. Krishnamurthy said that all pre-launch tests on the functional aspects of the satellite have been successfully completed. “We are launching a satellite called Oceansat-2 based on the ocean colour and the wind vectors. This scatterometer, which gives us, the wind vectors will provide information on where the fish potential zones are and how these are moving. In a dynamic situation also, the fishermen can get the advisories from the remote sensing information,” he added. Oceansat-2 would blast off on board India’s indigenous workhorse, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota located on the Indian east coast. This satellite...

The first batch of the indigenously built T-90 Bhishma tanks was on Monday (August 24) flagged off by Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju at the rolling out ceremony held at the Heavy Vehicles Factory, Avadi, in Chennai. The T-90S tank incorporates many new technologies in terms of mobility, protection, fighting capabilities, safety and communication. The tank is equipped with 125mm smooth bore gun stabilised in Elevation and Azimuth, 12.7mm anti-craft machine gun and 7.62mm co-axial machine gun supported with high accuracy sighting systems and Automatic Loader ensuring high rate of fire. A significant feature of this tank is its capability to fire guided missile in addition to conventional ammunition using the same main gun barrel. The integrated fire control system consisting of the gunner’s sight, guided weapon system and ballistic computer facilitates accurate firing of conventional ammunitions as well as the guided missiles. The built in Explosive Reactive Arm...

The Indian Army has received its first homemade unmanned ground vehicle, which will be used for surveillance, and to detect nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and mines. The prototype of the vehicle, which has been developed and handed to the Indian Army for trials, is based on an infantry fighting vehicle, the BMP-II, and has been developed by the state-owned Combat Vehicles Research & Development Establishment. It is operating under India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). The prototype consists of a drive-by-wire system, which includes electromechanical actuators and drives for the driver interfaces, such as acceleration, brake, gear shifting, steering, clutch, parking brake, etc., said a DRDO scientist. The signals from the engine are acquired by a data acquisition card and displayed in the graphical user interface. The vehicle would be a precursor to the development of a future unmanned battle tank.

After its success with its first unmanned lunar arbiter, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has begun preparation for the ambitious Chandrayaan-2, a joint venture with Russia that will have a moon rover supplied by the latter. ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair told that the design of the mission was complete and the space organisation would be building the orbital flight vehicle while the '''Lunar Craft' would be supplied by Russia. ISRO would be building the entire spacecraft that would also have other scientific payloads acquired internationally. ''The landing of the rover would be decided after we analyse the data sent by Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft. Now we are set to build a prototype of Chandrayaan-2 and this would happen next year. We will build upon our success with Chandrayaan-1,'' he said. ISRO had gained lot of positives from the first lunar mission and received valuable inputs on heat radiation on moon's surface. Accordingly the ...

With the US clearing the decks for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to launch Algerian Satellites with American components, the space agency is planning to put the satellites in orbit by the end of 2009 or early 2010. The clearance given to launch the Algerian satellites ALSAT-2A and ALSAT-2B -- which have US components on board an Indian space launch vehicle -- comes after the signing of the Technical Safe Guards Agreement (TSA) between the US and India during US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s recent visit to the country. “Now that the clearance has been given, we plan to launch the Algerian satellites from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre by the end of the year or early next year if the weather permits,” ISRO spokesperson S Satish. He added that the space agency’s main priority is to launch the Oceansat- 2 in September followed by the GSAT-4 onboard the GSLV in Octobe or November. The TSA gives an opportunity for the launch of foreign built non-commercial sat...

fter the challenging mission to moon, ISRO today said it has begun preparations for sending a spacecraft to Mars within the next six years. Government has sanctioned seed money of Rs 10 crore to carry out various studies on experiments to be conducted, route of the mission and other related details necessary to scale the new frontier, said ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair.  "Already mission studies have been completed.Now we are trying to collect scientific proposals and scientific objectives," he told reporters on the sidelines of a day-long workshop of the Astronautical Society of India here.  He said the space agency was looking at launch opportunities between 2013 and 2015. Chandrayaan-I, the country's maiden unmanned moon mission, appears to have fired the imagination of young scientists who have taken to space sciences and ISRO plans to tap this talent for its mission to Mars. "A lot of young scientists are being brought into the mission, particul...

The common man can now view sharper pictures of any part of the world on their personal computer using satellite images with ISRO today unveiling 'Bhuvan', its version of Google Earth. Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan launched the beta version of the geoportal www.bhuvan.nrsc.gov.in at a day-long workshop of the Astronautical Society of India on "21st Century Challenges in Space -- Indian Context." The new web-based tool allows users to have a closer look at any part of the subcontinent barring sensitive locations such as military and nuclear installations. The degree of resolution showcased is based on points of interest and popularity, but most of the Indian terrain is covered upto at least six meters of resolution with the least spatial resolution being 55 meters, an ISRO official said.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is developing a constellation of seven satellites to give a boost to the country's  security apparatus, a top scientist said here Sunday. ISRO chief G. Madhavan Nair said the Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System (IRNSS) was being developed "considering security related issues". Speaking at the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, Nair said: "The proposed system would consist of a constellation of seven satellites and a ground support segment. Three of the satellites will be placed in the geostationary orbit and four near the geostationary orbit. "Such an arrangement would mean all seven satellites would have continuous radio visibility with the Indian control stations. The satellite payloads will consist of atomic clocks and electronic equipment to generate the navigational signals," he said. "The system is intended to provide an absolute position accuracy of more than 20 meters throughout...

A top Russian defence official said a new takeoff engine for launching of the missile in air and at extreme high altitudes had been developed. Alexander Leonov, Director of the Russian Machine Building Research and Production Center, said: "we are ready for test launches." Leonov was quoted as saying by the Itar-Tass news agency that the initial test firing of the missile would be undertaken from the Sukhoi-30 MKI, but did not specify the exact dates. After testing, the IAF would be launch customers for the air launched BrahMos cruise missile, which will make the Indian Air Force, the only force in Asia to have such a capability. The BrahMos is already inducted in its ship to shore role and land-to-land versions in the Indian Navy and Army. Leonov for the first time disclosed that Moscow and New Delhi were also "very close" to  designing and testing of the submarine launched version of the BrahMos missile. India's indigenous nuclear powered sub...

The recent launch of an indigenously produced nuclear powered submarine once again brought to fore India’s expanding military capabilities and its ambitions to be a global player. Clearly, when the 6,000-ton Arihant along with the other additional two (or four) of its class are commissioned around 2020 it would be a quantum jump in its strategic posture and assets. Acquisition of a nuclear powered submarines forms part of India’s nuclear doctrine that is based on the concept of triad i.e. developing land, air and sea strike capability and adherence to “No First Use” (NFU). Major nuclear powers consider submersible launched nuclear-tipped missiles critical in terms of providing second-strike capability. Submarines are autonomous under water platforms for launching nuclear-tipped missiles and are relatively safe from enemy action as these are practically noiseless and stealth makes it hard to detect by sonar and radar. Thus they are able to achieve both mobility and surprise. And by esca...

India has joined the league of countries like South Africa, China, US and Germany which are trying to develop a high temperature reactor for generating hydrogen on a large scale. Hydrogen can be used as fuel for vehicles, besides other scientific applications in the future. The technology demonstrator reactor would be ready by 2015 and work is currently in progress on the project, Anil Kakodkar, Atomic Energy Commission chairman told reporters here on Sunday. Srikumar Banerjee, director, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), said the reactor would generate hydrogen by splitting water. The reactor's operational efficiency would be very much enhanced. Already efforts are on in countries to develop such a reactor, he said. "The programme is on course. Technology development is on, we are developing the reactor design, materials, material processing capabilities. The actual construction of the reactor will take some time," he said. Kakodkar said India would have ...

The secrecy attached to the development of the indigenous nuclear submarine project is almost legendary. What’s little known is the extent to which the Indian N-establishment went to conceal the research not only from the public but also large sections of the scientific community within the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). For almost nine years, most staff working at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in Kalpakkam believed the Plutonium Recycle Project (PRP) in the complex was used only for that purpose, that is recycling plutonium. But with the launch of INS Arihant on July 25, top DAE officials have finally begun to lift the veil and reveal that they were actually building the core (nuclear reactor and propulsion systems) of the submarine as well as the land-based version of the hull of the indigenous vessel, which served as the technology demonstrator of the main vessel, within the PRP unit. For those in the know, even the term ‘PRP’ denoted the N-sub....

Jaisalmer: The Block-II version of the BrahMos land attack cruise missile successfully completed its fourth and final test firing on Wednesday and has now been declared ready for induction. In a test firing at the Pokhran test range in Rajasthan, the missile went on to score a "bull's eye" hit on a target 25km away on Wednesday. The previous test-firing of the Block-II land attack version took place 29 March 2009. "The missile took off successfully and hit the desired target at Ajasar area range situated 25 km away from launching pad, meeting all mission parameters," defence sources said. The missile had failed its first test firing, leading to a second test in short order which was a success. "With this launch, the requirement of Army for the land attack version with Block-II advanced seeker software with target discriminating capabilities has been fully met and this version is ready for induction," defence sources said. The Block-II versio...

India's technology safeguards agreement signed with US during the recent state visit of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in New Delhi will soon yield fruitful results for the space research program of the country. It will enable India to launch smaller satellites for United States at much competitive prices using indigenously developed rockets. Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) Chairman, Madhavan Nair said, "Space cooperation with the US has been the agenda of the government. The pact will enable US made satellites or with components of US to be launched from India." He said that the space body is already providing satellite launching services to various nations at very economical prices and more countries to avail the service on mutually agreeable terms. Country has been developing heavier rocket GSLV-MKIII that will help to further reduce the cost of sending a satellite to space. Mr. Nair, while launching an indigenous GIS mapping software in Ahmadabad, ...