India spares slowing ISRO’s space missions

India spares slowing ISRO’s space missions
(Express News) May 12, 2010
The quality of home-grown electronic components, which are integrated to satellites and launch vehicles, is very poor and hence is hampering the process of indigenisation of the Indian Space programme, said Dr D Narayanamoorthy, senior scientist at Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He was delivering the National Technology Day lecture on Indian Space Endeavour on Tuesday. He said that while the percentage of indigenous components in the launch vehicles was very high, the percentage of indigenous components integrated into spacecrafts was about 50 per cent. This, he said, was despite the very poor quality of home-grown electronic components.

Naro ready for June 9 rocket launch

Naro ready for June 9 rocket launch
(Korea Times) May 10, 2010, By Kim Tong-hyung
South Korea's first space rocket launch was a dismal failure, although government officials insist on calling it a ``half-success.'' The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), the country's space agency, doesn't intend to leave any doubts this time around as it prepares to light up the Korea Space Launch Vehicle 1 (KSLV-1) again for an optimistic retry on June 9. Yet it is difficult to pinpoint the areas required for improvement, when engineers and officials are still unsure what caused KSLV-1 to fail to place its payload satellite into orbit on its maiden flight last August.

ISRO aims for the skies, targets space tourism

ISRO aims for the skies, targets space tourism
(Economic Times India) April 7, 2010
Even as countries are vying to grab a share of the tourism pie, ISRO is aiming at the skies, literally. They are seriously taking upthe challenge of pursuing space tourism in a big way. Newly-appointed chief of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Dr K Radhakrishnan says the space agency is exploring new strategies and technologies for human space flight programmes, low-cost access to space tourism and the colonisation of Mars and the Moon. As of 2009, space tourism opportunities have been limited and expensive, with the Russian Space Agency providing this facility. The price for a flight brokered by Space Adventures to the International Space Station aboard a Soyuz spacecraft is $20-35 million. Space tourists usually sign contracts with third parties to conduct certain research while in orbit. This helps minimise their own expenses. Countries like the US, Russia and Japan have already started work to have a habitat in Mars by 2030 and are devising a transportation system to reach Mars.

India: Climbing into space

Climbing into space

(Financial Express India) April 5, 2010, By Huma Siddiqui

Until now, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) has used Russian-made cryogenic engines for putting its satellite launch vehicles into space. The polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV) is used for launching remote sensing satellites into polar orbits and geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) for launching communication and meteorological satellites into geo-synchronous transfer orbit. But later this month, if the Indian space agency’s attempt to launch its largest rocket, the GSLV-D3 with an indigenous cryogenic engine succeeds, then India will join the elite club of five nations in the world to have successfully developed such technology. For the country’s rocket scientists, the yet-to-be-achieved breakthrough is significant on two fronts—one, they will achieve self reliance and confidence in space technology. Two, India will emerge as a serious player in the $4 billion global satellite launch market.

U.S. mocks Venezuelan space plans

U.S. mocks Venezuelan space plans

(MSNBC) April 2, 2010, By Matthew Lee

The Obama administration on Friday dismissed Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's suggestion that his country wants to set up a space program with Russian help. The State Department said that Venezuela and Russia are free to cooperate in any area they want but pointed out that the populist Chavez's government is dealing with potentially more pressing matters for its citizens than "space travel." "We would note that the government of Venezuela was largely closed this week due to energy shortages," spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters. "To the extent that Venezuela is going to expend resources on behalf of its people, perhaps the focus should be more terrestrial than extraterrestrial."

South Korean Rocket Will Launch Again in June

South Korean Rocket Will Launch Again in June
(Space.com) April 1, 2010, By Stephen Clark
South Korea plans another flight of its small satellite launcher in June, nearly a year after the rocket's first mission was doomed when its payload shroud did not separate, according to the rocket's Russian contractor. The first stage of the Korea Space Launch Vehicle is about to be shipped from Russia to South Korea, the program's Russian industrial partner said in a statement Wednesday. The 93-foot-long first stage was transported by train from Khrunichev to an airfield Wednesday. The vehicle will next be loaded into a cargo plane to fly to Busan, South Korea.

Moon and beyond - India's space programme in take-off mode

Moon and beyond - India's space programme in take-off mode

(Earth Times) March 8, 2010

As the United States winds down its space shuttle programme, emerging economy India is developing its own reusable launch vehicle that it hopes will make it a space power. The Avatar, a reusable launch vehicle (RLV), would be capable of delivering a 500 to 1000-kilogramme payload into orbit at a fairly low cost. The Aerobic Vehicle for Hypersonic Aerospace Transportation (Avatar) is just one example of how far India's space programme has travelled since it first launched a sounding rocket in 1963 from a fishing village Thumba in southern Kerala. India's space scientists have, over four decades, slowly but steadily developed a mature capability despite small budgets and an embargo on high technology transfers because of its nuclear tests.

South Africa to return to space: Pandor

SA to return to space: Pandor
(Defense Web) February 23, 2010, By Leon Engelbrecht
Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor says her department is looking at the possibility of reactivating and re-establishing space rocket launch facilities in South Africa, confirming a statement by an official in Parliament last year. Nomfuneko Majaja, the government`s Chief Director Advanced Manufacturing Space Affairs at the Department of Trade and Industry told the National Assembly last July that "it was hoped that SA would be in a position to be a launching state in five to ten years time." Pandor was speaking at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research's (CSIR) Satellite Applications Centre (SAC) at Hartebeeshoek, west of Pretoria, at an event at which a live video feed from South Africa’s SumbandilaSat microsatellite was publicly shown for the first time, the Engineering News and other media this morning reports. “We intend to strengthen the technological and space skills in South Africa,” Pandor said. “Sumbandila is a very significant development for us. Our new satellite provides us with a number of cost and competitive advantages.” Pandor added SA has previously spent more than R60 million a year buying images from other satellite owners.

Iran launches space probe

Iran launches space probe

Tehran has successfully launched a probe into space - with two turtles, a hamster and a worm on board. The Islamic republic also plans to unveil three new satellites on Wednesday - all part its ambitious independent space programme - which coincides with celebrations of the country's 31st Islamic revolution anniversary. The development is a great concern to the US who fears that the country's nuclear programme is at a threateningly advanced stage. Some experts think the Iranian nuclear programme and space programme are linked.