Editorial Resourses
Contains
editorials and opinions published in major newspapers and journals of
India
March -
GSLV failure unfortunate
The Tribune 30-03-2001
The failure of ISRO scientists to send into space the Global Satellite Launch Vehicle should be seen as a hiccup, not a heart attack. It is a setback to the organisation's objective of earning for India the membership of the global space club. However, it is not a disaster keeping in mind the overall global track record of the failures of space missions. The US space shuttle Challenger, carrying a crew of six plus a school teacher who was to address a "global classroom" from space, had blown up 73 seconds after take-off. To date, it is the worst tragedy in the history of space exploration. Earlier, in 1971 the accidental opening of a pressure valve in the descending Soyuz capsule had caused the death of all the three cosmonauts on board. There is no doubt that the successful launching of the GSLV would have helped the country take a giant economic leap in the global market controlled by space and satellite-related technologies. The veritable scramble among big and small nations for putting their own satellites in space is a clear indication of the importance of this technology in deciding the contours of the global economy. However, the prophets of doom should not go overboard in renouncing ISRO for not being able to put the GSLV in space. They should instead take note of the good news. The launch vehicle itself is safe and as soon as the fault in the lift-off system is identified and corrected, ISRO would announce a fresh date for the launching of the GSLV. In any case, it is not for the first time that an ISRO mission has failed. In August, 1979, the SLV-3 EI was only partially successful because of a jammed valve in the second stage control system. The ASLV-DI and D2 in 1987 and 1988 and the PSLV-DI in 1993 are part of ISRO's history of failed missions.
A point on which the scientists can be put in the dock is the high rate of failure in space-related missions compared to other countries. The rate of success in launching the INSAT series of satellites too is embarrassing. ISRO would do well to remember that even a minor glitch, as the one which caused the cancellation of the GSLV launching, causes a big hole in the pocket of the exchequer. And it is a major reason why it should try to drastically reduce the margin of error in space projects.
Reaching for the skies
The Indian Express 03-04-2001
Failures are the stepping stones to success, they say. It's a saying ISRO seems to have taken to heart, given its brave statements on the aborted GSLV launch. To this, ISRO could add another one: better late than never. For, the 'last second reprieve' might well have given it a chance to do a rethink on the programme.
Eleven years have elapsed since the programme was first conceived. The question that begs attention is whether there's any real value in today's globalised market for reinventing a second-generation launcher with the middling capabilities of the Geo Stationary Launch Vehicle?
The twin objectives of the GSLV mission according to ISRO are ''to launch communication satellites for India and to provide commercial satellite launch services''. While the former suited the quest for self-reliance and local technological superiority, GSLV's commercial utility is questioned by ISRO itself: Dr. K Kasturirangan, ISRO chairperson, acknowledged that the net saving on launching a satellite using GSLV compared to other commercial launchers like the French-made Ariane rocket could be as low as $ 4,000 per kg of load sent into space.
It's not clear how ISRO hopes to translate this small cost differential into a long-term commercial advantage. Wouldn't it be better to rely on commercial launchers like Arianespace or the even cheaper sea-based launch facilities being provided by Russia, which is utilising its inventory of inter-continental ballistic missiles for shooting satellites into outer space?
Space faring is clearly an expensive business, what with the GSLV programme costing Rs 1,400 crore incidentally, the cost over-run has been to the tune of almost 100 per cent since the programme was kicked off and each rocket expecting to cost around Rs 150 crore.
Also, at its peak, GSLV can place only a 2,000 kg satellite in the communications orbit. This capability seemed not-so-modest 11 years ago, but is out of sync in an age where commercial communications satellites are utilising state-of-the-art Ku Band and other Internet services being put above the Earth are all in the order of 4,000-4,500 kg each.
The GSLV in its present format will never be able to reach that capability. Kasturirangan acknowledges as much: ''GSLV is competitive only with medium range payloads, but not with the heavier class of satellites.'' It's the heavier ones that are in vogue today.
The scenario in the global communications sector is undergoing an upheaval, with land-based optical fibre technology giving tough competition to the risky business of communicating through satellites placed 36,000 km above the Earth.Kasturirangan plays the self-reliance card: ''It is the quest for developing indigenous capability and the philosophy of self-reliance that's behind GSLV,'' he says. However, the realities of cold commerce state otherwise. The GSLV programme was conceived during the Cold War, when pursuing an indigenous technology development programme made sense. But governments today leave the business of launching satellites to commercial companies: for instance, Brazil launches its satellites using Arianespace, a consortium of European-based companies. India's INSAT too has been launched by Arianespace.
Up, up and away
Prakash Chandra
The Hindustan Times 18-04-2001
Barring any more hiccups, the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
(GSLV)-D1 should finally be launched on Wednesday. (There is a possibility of a
postponement due to inclement weather.) After its first scheduled launch was
aborted a moment before lift-off on March 28, technicians and engineers of the
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are leaving nothing to chance. They
have been swarming all over the launcher with technical toothcombs to ensure an
uninterrupted countdown and lift-off.
If all goes well at Sriharikota, it would lift heavenwards much more than its
payload, the 1400 kg experimental satellite, GSAT-1. For the mission will also
carry aloft the spirit of the country's space scientists.
Rocketry is one field where one just cannot be too careful, and no one knows this
better than ISRO scientists. Launch vehicles cannot be fully tested on the ground,
and developmental flights are the only way to learn how the spacecraft systems
would - or would not - work in a real, dynamic environment. There are no
shortcuts and engineers have to figure out the limitations of spacecraft through
trial and error at this stage of development.
Thus the unsuccessful first flights of the Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV-3), its
subsequent augmented version (the ASLV), and the Polar SLV never dampened
the enthusiasm of ISRO scientists. Still, there would be quite a few prayers
around at mission control as the big booster lifts off. If anyone prays louder than
the technicians and scientists, it will probably be the industry sectors - both
public and private - that have chipped in with various components and electronic
modules for the project.
Rockets belonging to the GSLV class are the workhorse launchers for the US,
Russian, European and Chinese satellite launching agencies. But India took more
than 30 years to build its first GSLV, wasting a lot of time in making a policy
decision on whether to buy the all-important cryogenic engine technology
off-the-shelf, or to develop it on its own. The cryogenic engine uses liquid oxygen
as an oxidiser and liquid hydrogen as fuel, storing both of them below 180 degrees
celsius. This is quite unlike liquid engines where earth-storable propellants are
used.
The GSLV-D1's configuration indicates that its present avatar derives from ISRO's
need for a cost-effective means to launch its Insat communication satellites from
home turf. So it's no eyebrow raiser that ISRO's flagship launcher still uses the
first two stages of the PSLV, with the only change being the replacement of the
PSLV's six solid strap-on stages with four liquid propellant motors which are more
energy-efficient. The restartable, power-packed cryogenic stage, of course, stands
in for both the third and fourth stages.
As countdown proceeds, the four strap-ons will be ignited first, followed five
seconds later by the solid propellant stage. The 'strap-on burn' (lasting some 150
seconds) and the 100-second 'solid booster burn' will together propel the rocket to
an altitude of over 50 miles before the first stage is jettisoned and the second
stage takes over. For the next 150 seconds, the giant rocket will growl through
scattered cloud high above the Bay of Bengal. Then the second stage also
separates as the crucial cryogenic stage bursts into life.
The cryogenic concoction of liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen makes for a potent
mixture and its 700-second burn should effortlessly hurl the GSLV to its
geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO), at an injection speed of 10.2 kilometres per
second.
Engineers will use the launch vehicle's first test flight to validate the launcher's
different systems. Performance parameters of propulsion stages, avionics, control
and guidance systems, stage and spacecraft separation, will all be carefully
monitored. There is a long way to go yet before advanced avatars of the GSLV like
the Mark-III (Mark-II, which is next in line, will fly with the indigenously developed
cryo stage) routinely hoists 4,000 kilogram payloads to GTO. But the GSLV-D1's
launch would certainly signal that the GSLV programme has come of age.
Even grabbing a slice of the niche market for two-tonne satellites would be a
lucrative proposition and ISRO is obviously well on its way to finding its place in
the sun. ISRO can then seriously start thinking of entering the satellite launch
market in a big way.
It has already made these intentions clear in May last year when it offered
promotional prices for the Korean Kitsat and German Tubsat which were sent into
orbit aboard the PSLV-C2. And Sriharikota has the potential to become a busy
commercial space port along the lines of the European Space Agency (ESA)'s
Kourou, in French Guiana.
It may seem grossly irresponsible to be talking about space exploration at a time
when half the world is short of food, medicine and education. But it must be
remembered that the same scientists who plan space flights are today also
bringing to bear their skills on projects aimed at solving terrestrial problems. The
results are already visible in the radical way in which activities such as farming,
fishing, mining and forestry have changed.
A single satellite photograph, for instance, is as good as thousands of serial
photographs and this proves a boon for cartographers and geologists in their
search for minerals.
It is thanks to space images beamed down by satellites in earth orbit that scores
of oilfields have been identified and exploited. The Indian space programme can
proudly boast of its remote sensing satellites - IRS 1C (launched in December,
1995) and IRS 1D (launched in September, 1997) - which are probably the most
advanced civilian applications satellites in the world.
Their images have resolutions that show objects little larger than five metres
across. Little wonder that even the world's largest satellite manufacturer in the US
orders expensive subcontinental space hardware from Antrix Corporation, the
commercial wing of the Department of Space. Or that even top European
companies turn to India for importing satellite subsystems.
Make it pay
The Economic Times 20-04-2001
The flawless liftoff of the Geo-Synchronous Satellite
Launch Vehicle is a key milestone for the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO). But the real challenge is to
make one's presence felt in the fast-growing global market
for commercial satellite launches, estimated to be worth
more than $4.3 billion last year.
India seems to be on a good wicket to take on the
competition, what with launch costs here said to be a
small fraction of that of the other three or four space-faring
nations. Besides, it is good that India's launch capability
(to put into orbit large communications satellites) has
taken off just when the ``renaissance'' in such systems is
around the corner. The worldwide market for satellite
products and services has already topped $66 billion and is
poised for fast-paced growth. There are sound reasons to
expect heightened satellite launches, for years.
The future of broadband communications is now hitched to
satellites like never before. The sky could soon be filled
with more than 400 satellites providing internet users with
low-cost, direct to home connections that are hundreds of
times faster than the fastest ground-based networks
accessed via dial-up modems.
The best part is that the new systems will operate at
extremely high, narrow-beam, radio frequencies and all that
is required for receiving signals would be ultra-small
antennas that can be easily mounted on most homes.
The fact is that digital subscriber line signals decay on
long distance telephone lines; cable performance
deteriorates if too many log on at the same time; and
fibre-to-the-home remains a costly proposition. Now,
satellites have been round for three decades and more,
true. But it is only in the last few years that the digital
revolution has much improved the price performance ratio
of satellite communications.
Actually, satellite technology seems to be emerging as the
right platform for the whole gamut of communication
services. But it is a moot point whether the commercial
arm of ISRO is in a position to leverage its resources and
acquire market share in the lucrative launch segment. We
already have a functional polar satellite launch vehicle
(PSLV), for much smaller remote sensing satellites, but
commercial usage has been minimal. That surely needs to
change.
Further into space
The Hindu 20-04-2001
India's quest for self-reliance in space technology has now been met in
substantive measure with the launch of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle
(GSLV) from Sriharikota. The majestic Indian triumph marks the fruition of a dream
dared four decades ago by a few visionary nation-builders, especially Vikram Sarabhai:
to create a full-fledged space programme for the nation. What makes the latest lift-off an
occasion to mark in India's chequered space history is the ability of the nation's scientists
to handle complex systems. That the launch took place exactly three weeks after the
March 28 last-second abort reflects not just the mastery of the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) over launch vehicle techniques. It is also a testimony in space to
the ability of the organisation that it can quickly and accurately identify its mistakes and
correct them. With its success, the ISRO has proved yet again that it can deliver what it
promises to do, despite initial setbacks. In its immediate recovery from the aborted
launch, the standing of ISRO as a `can- do' organisation has been established by
becoming the sixth in the world to develop the capability to launch satellites into the
highly challenging geosynchronous transfer orbit, which calls for mastery over launch
vehicle and guidance systems.
While there is no doubt that Indian space capability has gained a remarkable boost with
the GSLV, it would also be necessary to place the latest achievement in perspective.
The most important factor to be weighed while evaluating the significance of the launch is
that the very crucial cryogenic stage of the launch vehicle is imported. The ability of the
GSLV to launch heavier communication satellites presently in vogue would also come
under question, especially given the rapid advances made by other agencies.
Nonetheless, the success should give the Indian space establishment the confidence to
proceed with its own developments in cryogenic technology. Moreover, the latest Indian
success has come against some odds. Some of which, especially the difficulties faced on
account of restrictions in transfer of cryogenic technology, could have been averted if
India had unhesitatingly chosen to go indigenous in this core area. The immediate need is
to intensify the efforts to make up for the
lost time. The placing of the satellite in geosynchronous transfer orbit puts to test the
Indian ability to handle complex satellites. In the years ahead, ISRO should take its
aggressive efforts at indigenisation further, now that it has the confidence of a successful
developmental launch. The nation's space organisation should also embark upon a
programme to popularise its efforts to draw upon the wider support and enthusiasm that
prevails in the country for advances in science and technology.
The long saga of the GSLV has also provided a much-required avenue of expression for
the latent pool of scientific talent available in the nation. The involvement of over 150
organisations - including industries in the private sector and leading academic institutions
- in this success story only proves the need for a convergence of the available domestic
capabilities for furthering scientific advances. With appropriate adaptations, the success
of the ISRO's linkages with industry and academia could be replicated in other crucial
areas. To build on the successful launch of the GSLV, there should be adequate support
from Parliament as well as the Government, especially at a time when the Tenth Plan
allocations are under way. The thrust of the future of ISRO should be to make the
required quantum leap to take the nation closer to the rapid developments that are
taking place in the select group of nations involved in space technology. India should not
be happy with merely remaining in the space club. It is important that it does not remain
a laggard.
Sky high
The Pioneer 20-04-2001
For hundreds of space scientists and thousands of others associated with the Indian space programme,
Wednesday afternoon was special. The sight of the GSLV-D1 blasting off with aplomb, sketching the azure
sky with a fiery plume, was sheer visual poetry.
For a nation besieged by stock scams and defence scandals, it was a moment to reflect on India's strength.
India's scientific endeavour has persistently tried to venture beyond the horizon against all odds. In this
context, the successful launch is a significant scientific milestone. It has placed India in the exclusive club of
heavy-payload satellite launchers. For scientists, it has been a major breakthrough in integrating different fuel
technologies to give the launch vehicle the additional thrust it requires for optimal performance. The use of
the cryogenic engine will go a long way in improving the next generation of launch vehicles, which, not in the
distant future, might make the dream of an Indian mission to the moon possible. The present success should
be viewed in the light of other scientific achievements in the past three months, starting with the first test
flight of the Light Combat Aircraft and the successful test flight of Agni II.
The GSLV project, in fact, takes this success story several steps further. It will be the first major Indian
scientific product that will have immediate commercial applications. The experimental launch is expected to
lead to commercial flights that will launch satellites for a fee. Satellites are today the backbone of
communications worldwide, both for civil and military use. Since the perfection of launch technology requires
tremendous financial resources and advanced scientific skills, most countries launch their communication
satellites through others that have these capabilities. China has, for instance, launched satellites for private
industrial houses in the US. After more developmental work is done on the launch vehicle to enable it to carry
heavier payloads, India will join the satellite launch industry. This will boost the morale of the Indian scientific
community, and make it financially independent to explore other challenging scientific frontiers.
The GSLV will now render it easier to launch military satellites to keep a watchful eye on the world. More
important is the crucial link that exists between India's space and missile programmes since both use
launch vehicles. A space programme uses launch vehicles for sending satellites into orbit, whereas a missile
programme uses launch vehicles for delivering warheads to targets. Missile launchers are often refined
versions of space launchers. They are usually smaller and lighter and are built to withstand not only
atmospheric pressure but also enemy missile attacks. The successful use of a cryogenic engine paves the
way for a more sophisticated and powerful missile. In fact, the GSLV will help the Indian missile programme
leapfrog into the ICBM club. With the Agni series of long range missiles passing all operational parameters,
defence scientists will now be busy putting together an ICBM for a test flight within a year.
Big leap in space
The Tribune 20-04-2001
The sense of euphoria in the country following the success of the geosynchronous
satellite launch vehicle GSLV-D1 on Wednesday is understandable. It is a historic
achievement indeed. However, there is need to ensure that one does not go
overboard while celebrating, just as it was wrong to feel despondent after the failure
of the earlier attempt on March 28. The mission is still in developmental stage and
successes and failures have to be taken in our stride. There is no country that has
not had a good measure of both in the initial stages. Equanimity in the face of such
hits as also the misses should be the watchword. Wednesday's success is only a
stepping stone to more such validations that will be necessary before the country
can claim to have arrived on the scene. Placing satellites in geosynchronous orbit
36,000 km above the earth is such a complex and costly affair that the margin of
error has to be brought down as close to zero as possible. It is a tall order indeed,
but the fruits of perfection are many. At stake is a multi-billion dollar commercial
satellite launch business. India can give other countries like the USA, Russia,
European Union, China and Japan a run for their money in this field, because it can
offer its services at much cheaper rates. Even more significantly, India can launch its
own INSAT class of satellites at a fraction of the cost it is currently incurring. Its
needs have been growing manifold over the years. The satellites are needed not only
for civilian purposes, but also for surveillance and communications. More than the
cost factor, it is the ability to do so at a time of our convenience that will be
enhanced once India starts launching satellites of over 1500 kg that would stay
stationary over India.
There are four specific reasons which put the achievement in a class of its own.
One, it was notched up in the face of stringent American sanctions following the
Pokhran-II explosions. Two, the Rs 1,400-crore project has been hamstrung by cost
overruns. Three, Russia has been rather ambivalent on the issue of the supply of the
cryogenic technology. And four, Indian scientists tried out several unique and
cost-effective technologies in this GSLV. The next step will be to make India's own
cryogenic engine. Mastering the capability of launching huge satellites comprises only
one part of the exercise. Simultaneously, we have to learn to ward off international
pressures. There is fierce, cutthroat rivalry in satellite launch business and certain
countries think nothing of using questionable means of undermining the position of a
potential rival. All such factors will have to be taken into account and neutralised.
But for the time being, what is most important is the boost to the self-esteem that
the Indians in general and the Indian scientific community in particular have got.
Whistling with moonlight
The Hindustan Times 10-05-2001
Few people would argue the point that the dinosaurs became extinct because
they did not have a space programme.
For if the dinos had the technological means to deflect killer comets or asteroids
hurtling through the void, man wouldn't be sitting here today pondering his future
on this planet and in space. The same moral seems germane to the space
agencies as they struggle for survival and superiority in an increasingly
competitive global market. Those who have the vision -and, of course, the
technological wherewithal - will turn out to be the outriders when it is
reality-check time. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is no
exception to this rule and it is unfortunate that its plans to embark on a lunar
exploration has come in for criticism.
There are humanistic and political reasons for sending unmanned probes to the
moon. The earth's lone satellite will be an important staging post for future space
missions and no space agency can afford to fall behind in the race to do research
on the lunar atmosphere and surface. For instance, it makes sense to send a
polar orbiter with spectrometers to the moon since the regions around the lunar
poles are believed to hold frozen water, which can be detected spectroscopically.
More than three decades after the first American manned moon missions,
scientists are still analysing data and samples brought back by the Apollo crew.
International space agencies have ambitious plans for the moon that can hardly be
called 'cathedral science' - huge projects that are more inspirational than useful.
It is important that these plans are not sunk under the weight of bells and whistles
which critics attach to them by quoting the economic, food and energy problems
facing the world. At the end of the day, any space programme will pay for itself
many times over by the scientific perspective and advancements it provides.
India finds first customer for GSLV
The Hindustan Times 16-05-2001
For the first time, an Indian company will help Malaysia launch its modules and satellites using Indian launch
vehicles such as PSLV and GSLV. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect was signed by Antrix
Corporation, a company under the administrative control of the Indian Space Department, and Astronautic
Technology (ATSB), a company under Malaysia's Finance Ministry.
The MoU was one of the fifteen that were inked in several areas including health care, information technology,
construction and space technology by Indian and Malaysian companies at the institutional and corporate levels.
With regard to cooperation in space technology, the Indian company would provide training to ATSB engineers in
satellite technology and applications at the facilities of Antrix Corporation and the Indian Department of Space.
The joint venture between Antrix and Malaysia's Binariang Satellite Systems will help create a joint platform
which would provide C-band and KU-band capacity. The tie-up covers sales and marketing of the transponder
capacity on the joint venture platform, creation of products and services for DTE, data broadcast and multi-media
infrastructure and consolidation and optimisation of the orbital slots.
Satellite as good as abandoned
The Tribune 31-05-2001
India's experimental communications satellite GSAT-1, launched with much fanfare
by the country's first Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) on April 18, is
drifting and is as good as abandoned.
It was to reach the designated parking slot above 36,000 sq km in deep orbit, but
fell short by 1,000 km. All the fuel onboard was exhausted in trying to raise it to the
required height. But the desired results could not be obtained. As a result, the
satellite has been drifting. The Master Control Facility at Hassan (Karnataka) has
been repeatedly losing contact with the 1,540-kg satellite. It had a life span of three
years, but because of the drift mode, it is not a functional satellite any more.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has tried to make light of the failure
by saying that the satellite was only an experimental one and that there had been
no impact at all on communication or transmission links.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the shortfall might have occurred because of
the underperformance of the Russian cryogenic engine.
The second launch of the GSLV scheduled for next year is also to be powered by a
Russian cryogenic engine.
Over the moon
The Hindustan Times 04-07-2001
Critics may make the Indian Space Research Organisation's decision to set up a
lunar task force out to be a 'mission implausible'.
But ISRO's moon programme is probably the only way for India to ensure that it is
part of the international effort incorporating space research and communications.
ISRO has modest ambitions based on cost efficiency while opting for an
unmanned exploration of the moon. The tried and tested Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle (PSLV) has been earmarked for lofting a series of robotic probes to the
earth's lone natural satellite. These will initially be flyby missions that will later
orbit the moon, and eventually carry out experiments on the lunar surface.
The excitement created by the Apollo moonshots of the late Sixties and early
Seventies was such that anyone who is now over 35 would have imagined humans
would be all over the moon before 2000 was out. But this was not to be. It was
only in 1998 that lunar exploration was revitalised with a little robot called the
Lunar Prospector. The data it sent back electrified the world: it indicated tiny
flecks of ice deep in shadowy craters at the moon's poles.
The presence of water meant the cost of setting up a lunar station would be cut by
more than ten-fold. The ice could be melted and oxygen extracted from it. The
hydrogen could be used to fuel spaceships that may someday leave moonbases
for other planets and stars. Moonrocks have been found to contain iron and
uranium, which could all be mined by future settlers. The good news is that
landing on the moon - once again - is no longer just a romantic fantasy.
Shared space for war and peace
N.K. Pant
The Telegraph 22-08-2001
There is some good news for the Indian military
establishment. Media reports suggest that the Indian Space
Research Organization is shortly going to launch its next polar
satellite launch vehicle rocket with the Cartosat surveillance
satellite as its principal payload, exclusively for defence use.
Cartosat would be equipped with a powerful camera which will
enable the field commanders to acquire point-specific
information about target areas. To cap it all, one of the four
proposed deputy chiefs of the defence staff in charge of
combined intelligence set up under the combined defence services
would control the Cartosat operationally.
Military and civilian space launches have no clear
distinction since any satellite can be used for either sector.
According to the former air chief, S.K.Sareen, "It is easy to
convert satellites from civil to military use." For inst-ance,
communication satellites can carry either military or civilian
traffic, and navigation satellites are widely used by both the
armed forces and civilian organizations in some of the advanced
countries.
The same is true about communication satellites.The
information from the navigation and meteorological satellites is
also used by the military for both defense and offense. However,
the potential military impact is most conspicuous with regard to
imaging and reconnaissance satellites.
Ballistic development
For India, the capacity to launch satellites into the earth's
orbit is closely linked to ballistic development, an area where
the country has made significant progress ,despite limitations
imposed by the missile technology control regime. Technically,
once the country fully develops dependable launchers, they can
also be easily modified into intermediate or intercontinental
range ballistic missiles. In this way, the high cost of the
military missile system will be absorbed largely.
Despite being a late entrant in the field, India has
developed the most active and advanced civilian space programme
among the emerging space powers. But India has been slow to take
military advantage of such capabilities. The government has yet
to take explicit policy decisions to utilize outer space for its
defence needs.
Although, India's space research programme is intended for
peaceful purposes with specific emphasis on satellite
communications and survey of earth resources, there is no
denying that these will have inherent military spin-offs. In
1980, India became the first developing country to launch its
own satellite on its own launch vehicle. Missile development
began in earnest in the early Eighties when the integrated
guided missile development programme led to the development of
the Prithvi missile.
Peaceful purposes
The INSAT communication series is built indigenously by ISRO,
but is launched by Ariane IV launchers of the European Space
Agency. These satellites have telecommunication and television
channels in the country, and contain meteorological imaging
systems. India has also given high priority to the development
of imaging satellites, which are apparently designed for
civilian purposes, such as estimating agricultural yields,
mapping water resources and so on.
However, they have promising defence potential too. Data
obtained from Indian remote sensing satellites are believed to
have been used by army commanders during the Kargil conflict in
1998.
But their spatial resolution of 8 to 10 metres was inadequate
to spot intrusions of the type that led to the Kargil military
offensive. But the soon-to-be-launched Cartosat, with a
capability of one metre, will be able to read the license plates
of the vehicles on the roads and thus provide vital intelligence
input about hostile activities.
Till now, apart from IGMDP, there has not been any effort
worth naming to coordinate civilian and military space
programmes in India. Now that Agni II is operationally
available, and there are indications of future versions such as
Agni III and Surya intercontinental missile as deterrents, a
stronger interface between the civilian and military launch
vehicle progammes will be needed. Similarly, attention should be
given for the dual use of satellites in the field of
communications and remote sensing.
Eye in the sky
The Hindu 24-10-2001
There is justifiable pride among Indian space scientists in
the latest success achieved from the country's spaceport,
Sriharikota. With the slotting of the Technology Experiment
Satellite (TES) and the two other commercial payloads carried by
the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV C3) in their planned
orbits, Indian space technology has now gained significant
international credibility. While on the face of it, the
successful lift-off of the PSLV C3 to place in orbit three
satellites may appear to be a repeat of the past; the
achievement is not confined to a successful encore. The better
capability attained in satellite launch technology, the quantum
leap in high-resolution remote sensing and the ability to
deliver upon its international commercial commitments mark
important milestones in the country's long quest to leave its
footprint in space. The most notable achievement by India's
space scientists with this successful launch is the fruition of
the work carried out by the scientists of the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO) on the TES, which could well turn
out to be a much- required eye in the sky.
In its timing, the launch of the PSLV C3, with the TES
payload, could not have been more appropriate. Present strategic
compulsions require not just an Indian presence in space but
also an independent capability for high-resolution imaging. This
is what the TES, the 1,108-kg satellite, with a one-metre
resolution capability aims to achieve. Technically, the TES
should be able to provide images of vital strategic importance.
The arrival of the TES is important for India on two counts:
better preparedness through reliable surveillance and the
innumerable benefits for domestic planning and development. The
economic gains of this technological advance should also
translate into additional income in the form of sale of
satellite photographic data. In addition to the high-resolution
imaging capabilities, the improvements that have gone into the
programme are considerable improvements in space technology.
Another achievement that the ISRO can take pride in is the
success it attained in launching two passenger satellites -
Belgium's PROBA and Germany's BIRD. By doing so the second time
in succession, the PSLV's proven capability as a reliable
vehicle to carry out successful commercial launches should pave
the way for more international clients. It will also be in order
to point out that the PSLV, which has come to be the workhorse
of the Indian space programme, reached a new highpoint in
yesterday's flight when the third satellite, PROBA, was launched
after the orbit of the equipment bay was raised at the final
stage. The final manoeuvres are testimony to the control over
complicated technology by the ISRO. This achievement should
encourage the ISRO to move forward with its other plans,
including the one to launch a separate meteorological satellite.
The need for a meteorological satellite requires not much of
elaboration, given the pressures on the Indian National
Satellite (INSAT), which is designed primarily to provide
communication and broadcasting capability.
Possessing technology is only one part of the Indian
achievements. It is now imperative that the advances made by
space scientists are utilised properly by Governments. The
developments made by India since the launch of its space
programme four decades ago have no doubt drastically changed
communications in the country. Yet, important responsibilities
remain. Effectively utilising the advances made in space
research will be of particular importance in town planning,
flood control, locating groundwater and assessing crop and soil
conditions, among several others. The success story of the PSLV
C3 launch will not be complete unless the technological advances
at the command of the country are effectively utilised to
address important development issues through remote sensing.
Success in space
The Tribune 24-10-2001
It is heartening to note that while India wallows in mediocrity
and misery on terra firma, it manages to post spectacular
triumphs in space. The country which still moves on bullock
carts is making a name for itself in the field of satellite
launches . The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) added
another feather to its cap on Monday when its Polar Satellite
Launch Vehicle (PSLV) placed three satellites in orbit. In this
cutting-edge field, reliability is the key factor as is
self-reliance. Indian scientists are coming good on both counts.
Once technology stabilises, success becomes a routine, but this
endeavour is indeed a major step forward, considering that this
is the first time that the PSLV has achieved the task of placing
satellites in different designated orbits. The Belgian payload
was injected at a markedly higher orbit than that of the other
two satellites, one Indian and the other German. That
achievement can open new visas in the field of commercial
launching. What is remarkable is that India has enhanced its
capabilities with every launch and achieved an amazing 30 to 40
per cent growth in recent years. This may be maintained for
another three to four years. That is highly credible in the face
of stifling sanctions imposed on India following the Pokhran-II
blasts. ISRO perhaps has the most cost-effective launch vehicle
for medium and small satellites today. Moreover, it can boast of
remarkable precision. For instance, the Indian Technology
Experiments Satellite (TES) has been placed in an orbit of 567
km by 572 km, meaning a creditable precision of plus or minus 4
km. In fact, now that the USA has decided to ease technology
transfer, there might be even faster refinement.
While commercial multiple-orbit launches can be a welcome
foreign exchange earner, India has multifarious needs of its
own. The Rs 75-crore TES not only has civilian capabilities but
it can also serve several security purposes. In the backdrop of
unpredictable developments taking place in the neighbourhood,
the need for procuring vital information in real time cannot be
overstressed. The satellite's uncanny earth observation capacity
can be fully geared to collect vital data. ISRO scientists are
confident that it would be a forerunner for a high-resolution
satellite system. That is why some countries have described TES
as the first Indian attempt at a military satellite. That
capability is indeed present in the magnificent structure.
However, India does not have to be apologetic about it,
considering that several countries already have such payloads in
orbit. As the developments after September 11 have proved, India
has to take care of its security concerns on its own and it is
very much within its rights to take all steps in that
direction.
Another milestone
The Tribune 25-01-02
The successful launching of INSAT-3C on Thursday is yet
another feather in the cap of the Indian missile programme. Ever
since INSAT-3C's predecessor, INSAT-3B, was launched on March
22, 2000, scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
have been striving for this momentous occasion. The importance
of the Rs 250-crore satellite can be gauged by the fact that it
is said to be the third generation communication satellite with
a designed 12-year mission life. It is also the first commercial
launch of any satellite in the world this year. Undoubtedly, the
credit for the redounding success of INSAT-3C should go to the
scientists of ISRO and the ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC) at
Bangalore, the Space Application Centre at Ahmedabad, the Liquid
Propulsion Centre at Valiamala and Bangalore, the Vikram
Sarabhai Space Centre and the ISRO Inertial Systems Unit at
Thiruvananthapuram. No less is the contribution of several
industries in both public and private sectors in the realisation
of the new satellite project. Scientists have pinned great hopes
on the success of INSAT-3C because it is expected to help the
Indian missile programme in various ways. Besides augmenting the
present INSAT capacity for telecommunications and TV coverage
over the subcontinent, it will provide resources that will be
analysed by the government as to how they will be used through
the Department of Communications. It would also provide
continuity of services of INSAT-2C, which is expected to
complete its mission life later this year.
The report that INSAT-3C's performance level, after the
launch, has been normal should bring in cheer to the scientists
involved. There is no doubt that the new generation of
satellites built by ISRO has been showing an excellent level of
Indian space technology. Its good track record notwithstanding,
ISRO has been facing certain problems associated with the
missile programme. Consider, for instance, the difficulties it
had to face regarding INSAT-3C. The satellite had been kept
ready for launch as far back as August last year. It was
originally planned to be launched onboard an Ariane five
launcher in mid-September. However, following the failure of an
Ariane five launch, the subsequent launches had been deferred by
ArianeSpace. Considering the fact that ISRO has plans to launch
INSAT-3D and INSAT-3E some time this year, it should stick to
its schedules and try to avoid delays in their launching so that
it would not only save the time and energy of the scientists but
also the cost overrun. There is no doubt that with five
satellites in the orbit and 85 transponders, India has a fairly
large infrastructure to carry out its space activities. ISRO's
vision is to have satellites with a kilometre-to-one-metre
resolution with global coverage and specific applications. It
also plans to strengthen and expand its space-based services in
areas like remote sensing, meteorology and telemedicine.
Ultimately, the space missile programme will have achieved its
larger mission if satellites such as INSAT-3C particularly help
in weather forecasting and consequently saving precious human
lives and properties from natural disasters like earthquakes,
cyclones and floods.
India does it!
The Tribune 12-02-02
It is odd that while the announcement of a satellite
launch generates tremendous interest, the successful test firing
of an indigenously developed powerful cryogenic engine on
Saturday has not been greeted with similar jubilation. The fact
of the matter is that the latter marks the crossing of an
equally important milestone. The achievement becomes all the
more creditworthy since that this was the first "full test"
after a similar test in mid-February, 2000, had to be
prematurely aborted. India has now entered an elite club of five
with this liquid-fueled engine. The USA made determined efforts
in 1994 to force Russia to cancel its contract for an initial
supply of the engines to this country, but did not succeed.
However, it did manage to stop technology transfer and training.
That was a setback indeed as far as the timeframe was concerned,
but it has proved to be a blessing in disguise. Indian
scientists managed to prise open the engines and put them
together locally without any training or technical knowhow.
Considering the complexity involved, it is a major victory that
will facilitate the launch of satellites in geostationary orbits
36,000 km above the earth. Cryogenics is the science of keeping
propellants as liquids in the extreme cold of deep space, at
temperatures as low as minus 253 degrees C. The success will
make the launches cost-effective and also impart perfection to
the flight of space vehicles.
There has been a seachange in the political situation since
the time when the USA turned the screws on India. Today, it may
not be as harsh on Russia for transferring the technology to
India. In fact, it may not even mind if some US companies go
ahead with the lucrative deal. But the fabrication of the engine
within the country is a tremendous morale booster. That a
country, which is struggling to keep a large percentage of its
population above the poverty line, can at the same time have
such cutting-edge skills is thrilling. It should spur the whole
nation to have confidence in itself and prepare itself to scale
greater heights. In any case, depending on foreign technology is
a risky venture. Sanctions may be off for now, but it may not
take much to switch them on again in a unipolar world. Just as a
country has to fight its own battles, it also has to fend for
itself, whether it is in the field of medicine or space.
New thrust for ISRO
The Pioneer 12-02-02
The first full test-firing of an indigenous cryogenic engine
is no doubt an important milestone in India's space programme.
The fact that only five other nations have this capability quite
clearly underlines the immense talent, and admirable diligence,
of Indian scientists. Technologically, a test of this nature is
certainly an achievement, especially when one notes that a
similar test had failed two years ago and the Russians had not
kept their promise of transferring cryogenic engine technology
as agreed to earlier. With the US administration arm-twisting
the Russians to lay off on the cryogenic deal with India, it
took a dedicated band of scientists at the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) just about two years to prove a small but
significant point on Saturday.
The significance of the cryogenic engine is in the phenomenally
powerful thrust it provides to a satellite launch vehicle,
enabling it in the process, to place high-altitude satellites in
a geo-synchronous orbit. This is an essential factor in
satellites that are used mainly for broadcasting and
communications. With a cryogenic engine, India can launch
2.5-ton satellites to an orbit of up to 22,000 miles from earth.
Once India is able to produce these engines, it can become a key
player in the highly lucrative commercial launch market
currently cornered by the US, Russia, France, Japan and China.
Another significant fall-out would be on India's ambitious plans
to build an Inter Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) in the
next few years.
The test, conducted at the ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems
Centre at Mahendragiri Hills in Tamil Nadu, constitutes only the
first step. A series of similar tests, for fine-tuning various
parameters, is essential before the cryogenic engine can become
operational. Scientists expect that these tests would be over in
two years. The resultant engine could provide a thrust of 7.5
tonnes to carry the third Geo-Synchronous Launch Vehicle (GSLV)
flight in 2003. The cryogenic engine is conceptually quite
different from the conventional liquid propulsion-driven engine
used in satellite launch vehicles. It uses a cocktail of
seemingly contradictory fuel types-liquid hydrogen at -265� C
as fuel and liquid oxygen at -240� C as the oxidiser-which,
when burnt, produces temperatures up to several thousand degrees
Celsius. The key is to keep the fuel stable at such exceedingly
low temperatures even when excessive heat is being generated
within the insulated metal chambers of the launch vehicle. This
aspect of the technology is jealously protected by the five
nations that have mastered it. India has been working on the
project since the 1980s, when the ISRO first tested a single
element injector generating a 60 kg thrust. Though subsequently,
a one-tonne subscale engine was tested up to 600 seconds,
progress was stymied by the rigid technology controls imposed by
western nations. The Russians were very keen to part with the
know-how in 1992, but were forced to back out a year later by
the US which said such a sale would violate the Missile
Technology Control Regime guidelines. Although the Russians did
sell 7 cryogenic states and a ground mock-up stage, instead of
the stipulated 5 stages and technology, ISRO scientists were
keen on going it alone. The successful test is an important step
towards fulfilling that cryogenic dream.
The PSLV-Metsat launch
N. Gopal Raj
The Hindu 02-09-02
It is only now that a separate meteorological satellite has
become a viable option... This will also be the very first time that
the PSLV is sued to take a satelite to geostationry tranfer orbit.
For nearly a decade, success has been the norm for satellite
launches carried out from Sriharikota and it is easy to become blase
about "yet another launch". But the upcoming launch of the
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), which is likely to happen
some time in the second week of September, is particularly
significant.
The PSLV will be carrying aloft the Metsat, India's first
dedicated meteorological satellite. Other nations have long had such
satellites. But in the 1970s when the Indian Space Research
Organisations set out to convince sceptical user agencies of the
advantages of satellite-based services, it became necessary to
include the weather cameras as part of the Insat communication
satellites. It is only now that a separate meteorological satellite
has become viable.
The PSLV was designed to put remote sensing satellites into polar
orbit, a path which sends the satellites in a loop close to the
Earth's north and south poles. But the Metsat has to be stationed in
geostationary orbit, some 36,000 km above the equator. In this
orbit, the satellite matches the Earth's rotation and therefore
appears stationary from the ground. A meteorological camera on such
a satellite can keep constant watch over a developing weather
system, such as a cyclone. The unavailability of a suitable weather
camera in geostationary orbit was given as one of the reasons why
the path of the `super cyclone' which struck Orissa in 1999 was not
predicted accurately.
This will be the very first time that the PSLV is used to take a
satellite to geostationary transfer orbit (GTO), an oval-shaped
intermediate path from which the satellite will subsequently be
moved to the final geostationary orbit using its own small rocket
engines. Putting a satellite into GTO requires more effort from the
launch vehicle. The rocket needs to impart almost 40 per cent more
velocity to the satellite to put it into GTO as compared to putting
it into an 800-km polar orbit. For the GTO orbit, the PSLV will be
launched eastwards, taking advantage of the Earth's rotation to get
an extra push.
The PSLV has been upgraded to carry the 1,050 kg Metsat. The most
significant of the enhancements to this PSLV, the seventh to be
launched, is the improved third stage. The new high performance
stage has less inert weight and accommodates more solid propellant,
making it a truly world class upper stage solid motor. If used for a
polar launch, this PSLV could carry a satellite of about 1,500 kg.
But more than brute force is required. A GTO launch from
Sriharikota is quite an obstacle course. Once the Bay of Bengal is
crossed, there are islands and landmasses speckled all over the
place. When the spent stages of the PSLV are separated and
abandoned, they have to fall into empty ocean. As India would be
liable for any damage caused, it cannot afford to have the spent
stages fall on land or in territorial waters. It is a measure of the
confidence of ISRO's launch vehicle teams that they believe that the
PSLV will be able to precisely fly the chosen trajectory.
When the Insat-1 satellites were configured in the mid-1970s,
ISRO made sure that user groups, such as the Department of
Telecommunications, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and
the India Meteorological Department were fully involved. At that
time, when the utility of satellite services was still to be proven
in India, it was difficult enough for ISRO to persuade these
departments that satellites were needed at all.
In the end, the user departments agreed to jointly fund the
Insat-1 satellites which became multi-purpose, with a meteorological
camera included along with the conventional communications payload.
The Insat-1 series were both built and launched abroad. These
satellites cost about Rs. 100 crores each then.
The multipurpose configuration was retained for the Insat-2
series which were built by ISRO but launched abroad. At the time,
three major options were considered, including one with separate
communication and meteorological satellites. The multipurpose
configuration still turned out to be technically and financially the
most attractive.
Since meteorological payloads are not revenue earning and in the
nature of a societal service, it would have been difficult to make
out a case for a separate meteorological satellite, according to a
source who was closely involved in those studies and
inter-departmental negotiations. The Insat-2 satellites were one and
a half times heavier than the Insat-1 satellites and had more
communications capacity too. An Insat-2 satellite could cost about
Rs. 130 crores to build and a further Rs. 200 crores for its launch
on Europe's Ariane rocket.
The present PSLV-Metsat mission was conceived with the long-term
objective of separating the meteorological segment from the existing
multipurpose Insat satellite, says the ISRO Chairman, K.
Kasturirangan. The considerations which led to the multipurpose
configuration in the late 1970s were less applicable in today's
context of increasing demand for telecommunications and broadcasting
capacity. Now it was possible to think in terms of exclusive
communication satellites, packed with the maximum number of
transponders and designed for an operational life of 15 years,
thereby providing services at competitive prices, he told The
Hindu.
The meteorological segments too stands to evolve in the coming
years, points out Dr. Kasturirangan. The addition of improved and
more advanced sensors, which were being contemplated, would demand
increased satellite resources. From that point of view also "it
appears pragmatic at this point of time to go for stand-alone
meteorological satellites", he added.
Other factors too appear to have contributed to ISRO's decision
to separate the meteorological payload. One is the availability of
India's own launch vehicles. The first Geosynchronous Satellite
Launch Vehicle (GSLV), intended to put Insat satellites into GTO,
was successfully launched in April 2001. The two tonne Insat-3D, a
dedicated meteorological satellite with advanced sensors for climate
and weather studies, is expected to be launched by the GSLV in two
years' time. Now, with the PSLV, ISRO has an even cheaper option for
GTO launches of one tonne class satellites. Each PSLV probably costs
in the neighbourhood of Rs. 75 crores while a GSLV could cost twice
as much.
The three indigenous Very High Resolution Radiometers (VHRRs),
providing weather images from space, flown on Insat satellites have
given trouble. Even though these meteorological cameras may not earn
revenue, the 1999 Orissa cyclone showed the importance of always
having an operational VHRR in space. In recent times, the
Meteorological Department has been using VHRR data from Europe's
Meteosat-5 satellite. The conflicting demands of increasing Insat's
communications capacity in space rapidly enough and of replacing the
VHRR played an important part in ISRO's decision to build the Metsat.
A Metsat can be built relatively quickly and cheaply. The present
Metsat was sanctioned with a project cost of Rs. 75 crores. Unlike
with communication satellites, which require complicated
international coordination to avoid interference with the radio
signals from other satellites, the Metsat can be placed more easily
in an advantageous position in the geostationary orbit. Moreover, as
the Insat satellites grow in size and carry more radio transponders
which generate a good deal of heat, it is better that the VHRR,
which needs to be kept cool, is carried on another satellite. The
basic structure of the Metsat satellite can be used to create a
small 1,000 kg class communication satellite carrying four to six
transponders, observes P.S. Goel, Director of the ISRO Satellite
Centre in Bangalore. Such a satellite, combined with the low cost of
a PSLV launch, could provide an attractive option which ISRO could
offer on the international market.
Another milestone for ISRO
The Hindu 14-09-02
The successful launch of the Metsat on a Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle from the newly-named Satish Dhawan Space Centre is yet
another landmark achievement for the Indian Space Research
Organisation. Once the satellite with its high resolution camera is
moved to its geostationary orbit, it should provide substantial
additional meteorological information on South Asia and its
environs. With Metsat, a satellite that will be used exclusively to
generate images for meteorological analysis, the ability of the
Indian Meteorological Department to successfully keep track of
rapidly developing weather patterns is likely to be considerably
enhanced. The absence of a weather satellite in geostationary orbit
was cited as one reason why the IMD could not estimate with any
degree of accuracy the path or intensity of the devastating cyclone
which struck Orissa in 1999.
There are two special features of the latest ISRO launch. The
first is, of course, the launch of India's first exclusive
meteorological satellite. Until now, weather-related information was
obtained from the ISRO satellites in the Insat series, which have
all been multipurpose satellites where the main focus has been on
providing communication capacity. While such multipurpose satellites
made sense in the early years of ISRO's satellite programme - when
the need for such services was itself debated - it appears that it
is now in the organisation's interests to launch satellites devoted
solely to providing communication capacity. These satellites would
contain many more communications transponders, which ISRO could
offer at more competitive rates to potential users than if it had to
also carry a camera for meteorological purposes. The Metsat will not
fetch ISRO any revenue though a stand-alone weather satellite
provides priceless non-commercial information. But by separating the
meteorological from the communications services, ISRO has the chance
of realising the considerable commercial potential in the growing
demand for communications capacity on satellites. The second unique
feature of the launch that has sent up the Metsat is the adaptation
of the PSLV, which is normally used to put satellites in a polar
orbit, to send the 1,060 kg satellite into a geostationary transfer
orbit. Launches for geostationary transfer orbits, the intermediate
stage to the geostationary position when the satellite matches the
Earth's rotation and is therefore at a fixed relative point in the
sky, are usually conducted by a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle. But the GSLV is more economical for heavier satellites, not
for relatively lightweight ones like the Metsat. ISRO's successful
adaptation of the PSLV (whose launch costs are considerably less
than the GSLV) for sending the weather satellite into the
geostationary transfer orbit is an indication of its ability to
innovate according to the demands of the situation. The
organisation's involvement in the launch of weather satellites does
not end with the successful send-up of the Metsat. In a couple of
years, ISRO plans to launch a two-tonne exclusive weather satellite,
the Insat-3D, which will then add substantially to the IMD's
information gathering capacity.
An additional advantage of having Metsat in the sky is that the
IMD will no longer have to use information gathered by other
satellites like Europe's Meteosat-5. While the earlier Very High
Resolution Radiometers, the cameras that generate images, on the
Insat satellites did not function perfectly, the improvements that
have since been made make it likely that the IMD will now get the
best possible information. The Metsat has an improved VHRR that will
beam a stream of images from its geostationary orbit. The range of
successful launches that ISRO has conducted in recent years means
that it is now ready to actively solicit contracts in the satellite
launch business. ISRO has already launched a couple of satellites on
commercial considerations, but given its increasingly enviable
record these can only be the first of many more contracts.
Another eye up there
But it is what
happens down here that will measure the worth of the METSAT
The Indian Express 16-09-02
The Indian space programme has moved a notch higher with the
launch of METSAT last Thursday. The satellite is meant to keep a
tab, from the sky, on nature's footprints. The launch has also
marked some major milestones: the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
has once again proved that it is a versatile workhorse, capable of
carrying heavier payloads to greater heights. Also, this is the
first time that a meteorological satellite has been catapulted into
space using the PSLV, the earlier ones being remote sensing
satellites. Finally, the use of solid and liquid propellants at the
four stages to fuel and push the satellite into the geo-synchronous
transfer orbit has proved their merit.
While we applaud the textbook launch, the time has come to
scrutinise how various developmental agencies on the ground have
been able to use the data from the country's various eyes in the
sky to benefit ordinary people on earth. The METSAT has a very high
resolution radiometer (VHRR), that will capture and beam back
crucial data on, say, groundwater levels or forest tracts. The
satellite will also man crucial meteorological platforms that were,
hitherto, left unattended.
With such a wealth of information flowing in from the sky, the
big question is can planners rein in the rogue elements in nature by
ensuring that there are fail-proof plans drawn up in advance to
mitigate the effects of natural disasters? After all, putting up a
satellite is only half the story. Using the data with care and
auditing the performance of user agencies will complete this
process. India has a string of some of the best remote sensing
satellites in the world. For years, these mappers have been beaming
a wealth of data. But development agencies been not quite risen to
the challenge of using this data to improve lives - both in rural
areas and urban centres. There is no denying that there have been
some occasional success stories, as for instance, using remote
sensing data to zero in on the right place to build a check dam. But
unless India, as a whole, can benefit from the data, it will have
failed in exploiting this great scientific resource that is now at
its command. It's easy to be complacent. To pat our backs for a
perfect launch. The much harder part is to use the data
appropriately to change things on the ground. That would be the
ideal way to congratulate ourselves for having putting METSAT into
space.
A bumpy landing on the moon
Samar Halarnkar
The Indian Express 27-09-02
The merit in action lies in finishing it to the end, the creator
of the 13th century Mongol empire, Genghis Khan, once said. That
simple declaration is hugely relevant to the Indian space programme
as it ponders its greatest action yet: a mission to the moon.
Earlier this month, K. Kasturirangan used the opportunity of
India's latest space success - the launch of Metsat, our first
exclusive meteorological satellite - to renew a call for government
funding for the Rs 400-crore mission. In its present shape, the push
for the moon is folly: a half-baked idea that promises little and
will achieve less.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) only intends to
orbit an unmanned space vehicle around the moon. The spacecraft
would not actually land on the moon. So what purpose would this
serve, considering that probes have been exploring earth's
satellite since the 1950s? Well, ISRO will tell you that lunar
exploration is not yet done; fundamental questions on the moon's
origins remain. We could study the distribution of rare elements, or
particle and radiation environment in the moon's vicinity - there's
no dearth of minor scientific trivia.
But it's quite clear that the real purpose of the mission would
be to tell the world that, apart from building and launching
world-class satellites for cheap, India is ready for deep-space
exploration. Really? An unmanned spacecraft flung out to the moon by
a rocket not terribly different from the ones we would use to
deliver a nuclear bomb to middle China could do that? When the
Europeans and the Japanese are between them sending up three moon
orbiting missions over the next two years? It's unlikely. At a
time when the sheer complexity and cost of deep-space NASA missions
has caused many to be scrapped, it makes sense to ponder our
ambitions en route to the moon.
None of this is meant to run down the space programme. We've
come a long way scientifically and its potential to earn money is
significant. We charged the Germans and the Belgians a million
dollars each to launch their piggyback companions with Metsat.
Three years ago, a launch of our premier rocket, the PSLV, cost
12 times less than a comparable Chinese Long March rocket launch.
Once we build a decent launch capability - at least three times a
year instead of once in two years - and learn to send heavier
payloads higher, we could really shake out the satellite launch
business.
Obviously, all these advances will be gradual. They will spool
out to create a work-in-progress kind of essay. They will not make a
statement. And Kasturirangan is right when he implies that the
Indian space programme needs to make a statement. Sorry, but that
orbiter around the moon isn't the statement that will really catch
the world's attention. And it just won't be worth the cost. So,
here's a real statement for Kasturirangan and his people at ISRO:
put a man on the moon.
Yes, of course it's been done, by Armstrong, Aldrin and the
anonymous astronauts who followed. Yes, it happened before colour
television (in India). Yes, no one else thought it worth the while
to follow suit. But people are what grand human statements are all
about. We might have trouble distinguishing a PSLV from a GSLV, we
might have even greater trouble figuring out the huge technological
chasms between INSAT1s, 2s and 3s, but we will not forget the first
Indian in space, Squadron Leader Rakesh Sharma. While in space, he
photographed the Himalayas with special cameras that we were told
would help in constructing hydroelectric dams in the mountains. He
also did a spot of yoga.
Scientifically, it was zilch. And despite the fact that he was no
more than a passenger on a Soviet Soyuz mission, Sharma electrified
India. Can you imagine then, what a man on the moon would do for us?
It would of course mean a radical change in thought, a massive leap
in capability and ambition, and definitely require a lot more than
Rs 400 crore. And, if it works, would a world that has refrained
from attempting a manned moon mission for all these years applaud?
There might be snickers from the top echelons of the western
scientific community, but make no mistake: the world would notice.
So, let's urge ISRO to do merit to this particular course of
action by taking it to its end. Let Tranquility Base become
Saraswati Sagar, if it must. By all means, let's go to the moon -
but one of us should go along.
Top Stories| National | Business | State
| Sports | World
| Entertainment 
India-Neighbours
