ISRO EARTH OBSERVATION SATELLITE GISAT-1 LAUNCH - CRYOGENIC STAGE ANOMALY - WATCH LIVE STREAMING

TABLE OF CONTENTS
ISRO GISAT-1 - WATCH LIVE STREAMING - LAUNCH UPDATES
The GISAT-1 will be the country's first geostationary orbiting sky eye or earth observation satellite.
After the GISAT-1 launch, the EOS-4 or Risat-1A.
DESCRIPTION OF THE MISSION
GEOSYNCHRONOUS TRANSFER TARGETED ORBIT
Earth Observation Satellite - GISAT-1 Mission

ISRO GISAT-1 - WATCH LIVE STREAMING - LAUNCH UPDATES

UPDATE (6 am IST, Aug. 12th 2021) - Anomaly observed during the cryogenic engine phase of the GSLV F-10 launch vehicle. Mission could not be completed successfully as planned.

According to authorities, the Indian space agency is conducting pre-rocket launch operations at its rocket port in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, in preparation for the launch of its earth observation satellite EOS-03 or Geo Imaging Satellite-1 (GISAT-1) early on Thursday. 

• While ISRO authorities remain tight-lipped on the launch,  it has been learned that the rocket—the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-F10 (GSLV-F10)—is on its way to the second launch pad, laden with GISAT-1, and is set to blast off at 5.43 a.m. 

The GISAT-1 will be the country's first geostationary orbiting sky eye or earth observation satellite. 

• Just over 18 minutes into its journey, the 51.70-meter-tall, 416-ton GSLV-F10 will put GISAT-1 in the geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO), from where the satellite will be lifted to its ultimate location using its onboard engines. 

• In contrast to other remote sensing satellites in a lower orbit that can only come over a location at regular intervals, once put in geostationary orbit, the satellite will keep a constant eye on the areas of interest, moving in rhythm with the rotation of the globe and so seeming stationary. 

The GISAT-1 was originally scheduled to launch on March 5, 2020, however the ISRO announced the mission's delay only hours before launch due to a technical issue. 

• The COVID-19 epidemic and subsequent lockdown caused the mission to be postponed. 

• It was necessary to disassemble and clean up the rocket. 

• Following that, the GISAT-1 launch was scheduled for March 2021, however it was again postponed due to issues with the satellite's battery. 

• The satellite and rocket were getting prepared for their flight at Sriharikota after the battery was replaced when the second wave of COVID-19 swept in, infecting several at the rocket launch center. 

The 2,268 kilogram GISAT-1, according to the Indian space agency, would give a real-time picture of a wide area of the region of interest at regular intervals. 

• It will also allow for immediate monitoring of natural catastrophes, episodic occurrences, and any other short-term phenomena. 

• The satellite's payload imaging sensors will include a 42-meter resolution six-band multi-spectral visible and near-infrared sensor, 318-meter resolution 158-band hyper-spectral visible and near-infrared sensor, and 191-meter resolution 256-band hyper-spectral short wave infrared sensor. 

• For the first time, a four-metre diameter Ogive shaped payload fairing (heat shield) constructed of composite would be utilized in the rocket, according to ISRO. 

After the GISAT-1 launch, the EOS-4 or Risat-1A.

RISAT 1A  is a radar imaging satellite with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) that can capture images day and night seeing through clouds, would be launched, according to ISRO. 

• The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) will launch the Risat-1A satellite, which weighs over 1,800 kg, in September, according to ISRO. 

• The Risat-1A is a follow-on microwave remote sensing satellite to Risat-1, and is designed to guarantee SAR in C-Band continuity while also delivering microwave data to the user community for operational purposes. 

• With a mission life of five years and the capacity to operate day, night, and in all weather situations, the satellite will play a critical role in the nation's defense. 

Among other things, the satellite features high-capacity data handling systems and storage devices. 

• The satellite, according to the ISRO, will offer image data for a variety of applications linked to land, water, and the environment, including agriculture, forestry, and water resource management. 

• An ISRO official previously said that an earth observation satellite would transmit images that will be utilized by various agencies based on their requirements. 

• In 2012, a PSLV rocket launched the 1,858 kg Risat-1 satellite. It lasted five years on the mission.

DESCRIPTION OF THE MISSION

From the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota, India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle-F10 (GSLV-F10) will launch the Geo Imaging Satellite-1 (GISAT-1) satellite. From the Second Launch Pad, the launch will take place.

• For the first time in GSLV history, a 4 meter diameter Ogive shaped payload fairing (OPLF) is flown to accommodate a larger spacecraft.

• GISAT-1 is the first state-of-the-art agile Earth observation satellite that GSLV-F10 will put into a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit. The satellite will next use its onboard propulsion engine to reach geostationary orbit.

GEOSYNCHRONOUS TRANSFER TARGETED ORBIT

170 km perigee

36,297 km Apogee

19.4 degrees of inclination

Earth Observation Satellite - GISAT-1 Mission

GISAT-1 is the world's first state-of-the-art agile Earth observation satellite to be launched from Geostationary Orbit.

Mission Objectives 

 

 

• To offer regular imaging of a wide area region of interest in near real time.

• To keep track of natural catastrophes, episodic events, and any other short-term occurrences.

• Obtaining spectral fingerprints for agriculture, forestry, mineralogy, disaster warning, cloud characteristics, snow and glaciers, and oceanography.

The satellite is built on a modified I-2k bus that can carry multispectral and hyperspectral payloads in several bands with better spatial and temporal resolution.

You may also want to read more about space based systems here.

ISRO's Chandrayaan - 3 Lunar Mission Launch Date.

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), which has a busy year ahead of it, has made significant progress on Chandrayaan-3, the country's third moon mission. 

The team is getting closer to integrated testing after successfully completing numerous associated hardware and special tests. 

Chandrayaan-3 has undergone a number of evaluations, enhancements, and strengthening. 

Some of them are based on the problems we've already experienced in Chandrayaan - 2. However, the problems discovered thus far may not be the only ones. 

The queries are many, and we must anticipate many of them, which may need more revisions. The hardware is also being developed.

While Somanath is set to undertake a formal evaluation of the project later this month, Jitendra Singh, minister of state for space, has said that Chandrayaan-3 is being developed based on the lessons learned from Chandrayaan-2 and proposals offered by national-level specialists. 

"The Chandrayaan - 3 launch date is set for August 2022." ~ Somanath , ISRO Chairman.

Testing and construction of the lander and other equipment that will be part of Chandrayaan-3 are proceeding at several ISRO centers, according to many scientists involved with the project, while design alterations are nearing completion. 

ISRO came up with Chandrayaan-3 after failing to soft-land Vikram (lander) on the lunar surface, despite the fact that it still had a fully operating Chandrayaan-2 orbiter orbiting the Moon. 

While the mission was originally scheduled for late 2020 or early 2021, the Department of Space (DoS) announced earlier this year that the launch will be delayed until 2022 due to Covid-19. 

"...Because we need a certain launch window, we must work toward a deadline, failing which the launch will be postponed until the next year." 

"However, high management has made it plain that all stages in the procedure must be completed before the mission can be launched," a source added. 

"Chandrayaan-3 design adjustments integrating and testing has witnessed significant progress, by the middle of the year, the mission may be launched." stated then-ISRO chairman K Sivan in his New Year speech on January 3. 

Chandrayaan-3 would have significant design differences from the previous mission.

1. The most notable of which being the decision to remove the fifth engine, which was installed at the last minute to Vikram (Chandrayaan-2's lander). 
2. The lander for this mission will only have four engines, and the supervising committee has proposed a slight alteration to the lander's legs, as well as the addition of a laser doppler velocimeter (LDV) for improved speed measurement during landing. 
3. Upgrades in software and algorithms, leg strengthening, and improved power and communication systems are among the suggested changes for Chandrayaan-3, which were signs of deficiencies in Chandrayaan-2. 

The fact that one GSLV-Mk3 mission is named in the Union Budget 2022-23, among other things, is considered as a source of hope for Chandrayaan-3. 

"The realization of Chandrayaan-3 is in process, based on the lessons learned from Chandrayaan-2 and proposals offered by national level specialists." 

Many associated hardware and special testing have been done satisfactorily. 

Mr. Singh responded to Ravneet Singh and Subburaman Thirunavukkarasar's question about the mission's delay by saying, "The launch is slated for August 2022." 

The Minister blamed the delays to "pandemic-related" delays and project "reprioritization." 

The ISRO's (Indian Space Research Organization) most recent big satellite launches were the Earth Observation Satellite-3 in August and the Amazonia satellite in February. 

• Up till December, the ISRO has scheduled 19 missions, including eight launch vehicle missions, seven spacecraft missions, and four technology demonstration flights. 

• This financial year, the ISRO has been given a budget of Rs 13,700 crore, approximately 1,000 crore higher than the previous year. 

• Despite the fact that multiple missions are scheduled this year, the projected expenditure is lower than the 13,949 crore allocated last year. 

• Minister Jitendra Singh informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that India wants to launch the Chandrayaan-3 mission in August. 

Despite the fact that the government previously declared that the mission will take place in 2022, this is the first time a particular month has been confirmed. 

• The Chandrayaan-3 mission is a follow-up to Chandrayaan-2, which landed a rover on the lunar South Pole in July 2019. 

• It was launched on the GSLV-Mk 3, the country's most powerful geosynchronous launch vehicle. 

However, instead of a safe landing, lander Vikram crashed on the moon's surface on September 7, 2019, preventing rover Pragyaan from reaching the surface. 

It would have been the first time a nation landed a rover on the moon in its first attempt if the mission had been successful. 

Following the failure of Chandrayaan-2's soft landing attempt following a successful orbital insertion due to a last-minute malfunction in the soft landing guidance software, another lunar mission to demonstrate soft landing was suggested. 

Chandrayaan-3 will be a mission duplicate of Chandrayaan-2.

With the exception that Chandrayaan-3 will only include a lander and rover comparable to Chandrayaan-2. 

• It will be devoid of an orbiter. In August 2022, the spacecraft will be launched. 

• The rocket for the spacecraft's launch has been deemed ready and is awaiting the module. 

ISRO launched Chandrayaan-2 with a GSLV Mk III launch vehicle, which included an orbiter, a lander, and a rover, in the second phase of the Chandrayaan mission to test soft landing on the Moon. 

Earlier rumors suggested that India and Japan will collaborate on a mission to the lunar south pole, with India supplying the lander and Japan providing both the rocket and the rover. 

Site sampling and lunar night survival technology may be included in the expedition. 

The failure of the Vikram lander led to the development of a new mission to show the landing capabilities required for the Lunar Polar Exploration Mission, which is planned for 2024 in collaboration with Japan. 

• The lander for Chandrayaan-3 will only have four throttle-able engines, as opposed to Vikram's five 800 Newtons engines on Chandrayaan-2, one of which was centrally positioned with a set thrust. 

• A Laser Doppler Velocimeter will also be installed on the Chandrayaan-3 lander (LDV). 

• ISRO requested initial funding for the project of 75 crore (US$10 million) in December 2019, of which 60 crore (US$8.0 million) will be used to meet expenditures for machinery, equipment, and other capital expenditures, and the remaining 15 crore (US$2.0 million) will be used to meet revenue expenditures. 

ISRO chairman K. Sivan confirmed the project's existence and estimated the cost to be approximately 615 crore (US$82 million).

~ Jai Krishna Ponnappan.

Find Jai on Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram

You may also want to read more about space based systems here.

What Is The SSLV Rocket?

What Is SSLV?

The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) is an ISRO-developed small-lift launch vehicle with a payload capacity of 500 kg (1,100 lb) to low Earth orbit (500 km (310 mi)) or 300 kg (660 lb) to Sun-synchronous orbit (500 km (310 mi)) for launching small satellites, as well as the ability to support multiple orbital drop-offs. 

SSLV is designed with low cost and quick turnaround in mind, with launch-on-demand flexibility and minimum infrastructure needs. 

The SSLV-D1 launched from the First Launch Pad on August 7, 2022, but failed to reach orbit. 

SSLV launches to Sun-synchronous orbit will be handled in the future by the SSLV Launch Complex (SLC) at Kulasekharapatnam in Tamil Nadu. 

After entering the operational phase, the vehicle's manufacture and launch operations would be handled by an Indian consortium led by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL). 

What Is The Origin And Evolution Of SSLV?

The SSLV was created with the goal of commercially launching small satellites at a far lower cost and with a greater launch rate than the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). 

SSLV has a development cost of 169.07 crore (US$21 million) and a production cost of 30 crore (US$3.8 million) to 35 crore (US$4.4 million). 

The expected high launch rate is based on mostly autonomous launch operations and simplified logistics in general. 

In comparison, a PSLV launch employs 600 officials, but SSLV launch procedures are overseen by a tiny crew of about six persons. 

The SSLV's launch preparation phase is predicted to be less than a week rather than months. 

The launch vehicle may be erected vertically, similar to the current PSLV and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), or horizontally, similar to the decommissioned Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV) and Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV). 

The vehicle's initial three stages employ HTPB-based solid propellant, with a fourth terminal stage consisting of a Velocity-Trimming Module (VTM) with eight 50 N reaction control thrusters and eight 50 N axial thrusters for altering velocity. 

SSLV's first and third stages (SS1) are novel, while the second stage (SS2) is derived from PSLV's third stage (HPS3). 

Where Is The SSLV Launch Complex?

Early developmental flights and those to inclined orbits would launch from Sriharikota, first from existing launch pads and ultimately from a new facility in Kulasekharapatnam known as the SSLV Launch Complex (SLC). 

In October 2019, tenders for production, installation, assembly, inspection, testing, and Self Propelled Launching Unit (SPU) were announced. 

When completed, this proposed spaceport at Kulasekharapatnam in Tamil Nadu would handle SSLV launches to Sun-synchronous orbit. 

What Is The History Of The SSLV?

Rajaram Nagappa recommended the development route of a 'Small Satellite Launch Vehicle-1' to launch strategic payloads in a National Institute of Advanced Studies paper in 2016. 

S. Somanath, then-Director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, acknowledged a need for identifying a cost-effective launch vehicle configuration with 500 kg payload capacity to LEO at the National Space Science Symposium in 2016, and development of such a launch vehicle was underway by November 2017. 

The vehicle design was completed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in December 2018. 

All booster segments for the SSLV first stage (SS1) static test (ST01) were received in December 2020 and assembled in the Second Vehicle Assembly Building (SVAB). 

On March 18, 2021, the SS1 first-stage booster failed its first static fire test (ST01). 

Oscillations were detected about 60 seconds into the test, and the nozzle of the SS1 stage disintegrated after 95 seconds. 

The test was supposed to last 110 seconds. 

SSLV's solid first stage SS1 must pass two consecutive nominal static fire tests in order to fly. 

In August 2021, the SSLV Payload Fairing (SPLF) functional certification test was completed. 

On 14 March 2022, the second static fire test of SSLV first stage SS1 was performed at SDSC-SHAR and satisfied the specified test goals. 

How Will The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) Be Manufactured?

ISRO has begun development of a Small Satellite Launch Vehicle to serve the burgeoning global small satellite launch service industry. 

NSIL would be responsible for manufacturing SSLV via Indian industry partners. 

 

What Are The Unique Features Of The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV)?

SSLV has been intended to suit "Launch on Demand" criteria while being cost-effective. 

It is a three-stage all-solid vehicle capable of launching up to 500 kilograms satellites into 500 km LEO. 

What Are The Expected Benefits Of The SSLV Rocket?

Reduced Turn-around Time Launch on Demand Cost Optimization.

Realization and Operation Ability to accommodate several satellites.

Minimum infrastructure required for launch Design practices that have stood the test of time.

The first flight from SDSC SHAR was originally scheduled during the fourth quarter of 2019. It occurred only in August of 2022.

Following the first developmental flights, ISRO plans to produce SSLV via Indian Industries through its commercial arm, NSIL. 

What Is The Operational Performance History Of The SSLV?

The SSLV's maiden developmental flight was place on August 7, 2022. 

SSLV-D1 was the name of the flying mission. 

The SSLV-D1 flight's mission goals were not met. 

The rocket featured three stages and a fourth Velocity Trimming Module (VTM). 

The rocket stood 34m tall, with a diameter of 2m, and a lift-off mass of 120t in its D1 version. 

The rocket launched EOS 02, a 135 kilograms Earth observation satellite, and AzaadiSAT, an 8 kg CubeSat payload designed by Indian students to promote inclusion in STEM education. 

The SSLV-D1 was planned to deploy the two satellite payloads in a circular orbit with a height of 356.2 km and an inclination of 37.2°. 

The ISRO's stated reason for the mission's failure was software failure. 

The mission software identified an accelerometer anomaly during the second stage separation, according to the ISRO. 

As a result, the rocket navigation switched from closed loop to open loop guidance. 

Despite the fact that this change in guiding mode was part of the redundancy incorporated into the rocket's navigation, it was not enough to save the mission. 

During open loop guiding mode, the last VTM stage only fired for 0.1s rather than the required 20s. 

As a result, the two satellites and the rocket's VTM stage were injected into an unstable elliptical 35676 km orbit. 

The SSLV-final D1's VTM stage had 16 hydrazine-fueled (MMH+MON3) thrusters. 

Eight of them were to regulate the orbital velocity and the other eight were to control the altitude. 

During the orbital insertion maneuvers, the VTM stage also controlled pitch, yaw, and roll. 

The SSLV-three D1's major stages all worked well. 

However, this was insufficient to provide enough thrust for the two satellite payloads to establish stable orbits. 

The VTM stage required to burn for at least 20 seconds to impart enough extra orbital velocity and altitude adjustments to put the two satellite payloads into their designated stable orbits. 

Instead, the VTM activated at 653.5s and shut down at 653.6s after lift-off. 

After the VTM stage was partially fired, the EOS 02 was released at 738.5s and AazadiSAT at 788.4s after liftoff. 

These failures occurred, causing the satellites to reach an unstable orbit and then be destroyed upon reentry. 

What Was The Performance Outcome Of The SSLV D1 Mission?

SSLV's maiden developmental flight. 

The mission goal was a circular orbit of 356.2 km height and 37.2° inclination. 

Two satellite payloads were carried on the trip. 

1. The 135-kilogram EOS-02 Earth observation satellite 
2. and the 8-kilogram AzaadiSAT CubeSat. 

Due to sensor failure and flaws in onboard software, the stage and two satellite payloads were put into an unstable elliptical orbit of 35676 km and then destroyed upon reentry. 

The mission software, according to the ISRO, failed to detect and rectify a sensor malfunction in the VTM stage. 

The last VTM stage only fired momentarily (0.1s). 

What Were The Overall Lessons From The SSLV-D1/EOS-02 Mission?

Mission ISRO developed a small satellite launch vehicle (SSLV) to launch up to 500 kilograms satellites into Low Earth Orbits on a 'launch-on-demand' basis . 

The SSLV-D1/EOS-02 Mission's first developmental flight was slated for August 7, 2022, at 09:18 a.m. 

(IST) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre's First Launch Pad in Sriharikota. 

The SSLV-D1 mission would send EOS-02, a 135 kilograms satellite, into a low-Earth orbit 350 kilometers above the equator at an inclination of roughly 37 degrees. 

The mission also transports the AzaadiSAT satellite. 

SSLV is built with three solid stages weighing 87 t, 7.7 t, and 4.5 t. 

The satellite is inserted into the desired orbit using a liquid propulsion-based velocity trimming module. 

• SSLV is capable of launching Mini, Micro, or Nanosatellites (weighing between 10 and 500 kg) into a 500 km planar orbit. 

• SSLV gives low-cost on-demand access to space. 

• It has a quick turnaround time, the ability to accommodate numerous satellites, the ability to launch on demand, minimum launch infrastructure needs, and so on. 

SSLV-D1 is a 34-meter-tall, 2-meter-diameter vehicle with a lift-off mass of 120 tonnes. 

ISRO developed and built the EOS-02 earth observation satellite. 

This microsat class satellite provides superior optical remote sensing with excellent spatial resolution in the infrared spectrum. 

The bus configuration is based on the IMS-1 bus. 

AzaadiSAT is an 8U Cubesat that weighs around 8 kg. 

It transports 75 distinct payloads, each weighing roughly 50 grams and performing femto-experiments. 

These payloads were built with the help of female students from rural areas around the nation. 

The payloads were assembled by the "Space Kidz India" student team. 

A UHF-VHF Transponder operating on ham radio frequency to allow amateur radio operators to transmit speech and data, a solid state PIN diode-based Radiation counter to detect the ionizing radiation in its orbit, a long-range transponder, and a selfie camera are among the payloads. 

The data from this satellite was planned to be received using the ground system built by 'Space Kidz India.'  

Both satellite missions have failed as a result of the failure of SSLV-D1's terminal stage.

When Is The SSLV D2 Planned To Lift Off?

The SSLV's second developmental flight is planned for November of 2022. 

It is intended to transport four Blacksky Global satellites weighing 56 kg to a 500 km circular orbit with a 50° inclination.  

It will place the X-ray polarimeter satellite into low Earth orbit(LEO).

~ Jai Krishna Ponnappan.

Find Jai on Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram

You may also want to read more about space based systems here.