Technoformation

NASA Announces "Roadmap" for Deep Space CEV

2011-05-25T07:52:00.002+05:30

It Seems NASA has reached an important milestone for the next U.S. transportation system that will carry humans into Near-deep space. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden announced that the system will be based on designs originally planned for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle. Those plans now will be used to develop a new spacecraft known as the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV).
"We are committed to human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit and look forward to developing the next generation of systems to take us there," Bolden said.

"The NASA Authorization Act lays out a clear path forward for us by handing off transportation to the International Space Station to our private sector partners, so we can focus on deep space exploration. As we aggressively continue our work on a heavy lift launch vehicle, we are moving forward with an existing contract to keep development of our new crew vehicle on track."

Lockheed Martin Corp. will continue working to develop the MPCV. The spacecraft will carry four astronauts for 21-day missions and be able to land in the Pacific Ocean off the California coast. The spacecraft will have a pressurized volume of 690 cubic feet, with 316 cubic feet of habitable space.

It is designed to be 10 times safer during ascent and entry than its predecessor, the space shuttle.

"This selection does not indicate a business as usual mentality for NASA programs," said Douglas Cooke, associate administrator for the agency's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate in Washington.

"The Orion government and industry team has shown exceptional creativity in finding ways to keep costs down through management techniques, technical solutions and innovation."

PSLV launch successful, 5 satellites placed in orbit

2010-07-21T09:13:00.000+05:30

In a textbook launch, India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) on Monday successfully placed into orbit remote sensing satellite Cartosat-2B and four other satellites after a perfect lift off from the spaceport here.

At the end of an over 51-hour countdown, the 44.4 metre-tall four-stage PSLV-C-15, costing Rs260 crore, blasted off from a launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre with ignition of the core first stage and placed the satellites in orbit one after the other.

Visibly relieved scientists, headed by Isro chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan, cheered as Isro’s workhorse PSLV soared into clear skies at 9.22 AM from the spaceport in the East Coast in Andhra Pradesh, about 100 km north of Chennai.

The PSLV launch assumes significance as it comes about three months after Isro suffered a major setback on 15 April when the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D3), which was launched using an Indian-designed and built cryogenic engine for the first time, failed and fell into the Bay of Bengal.

Cartosat-2B is an advanced remote sensing satellite built by Isro. This is the latest in the Indian remote sensing satellite series and the 17th in this series.

Cartosat-2B is mainly intended to augment remote sensing data services to the users of multiple spot scene imagery with 0.8 metre spatial resolution and 9.6 km swath in the panchromatic.

Cartosat-2 and 2A, two Indian remote sensing satellites in orbit, are currently providing such services.

A set of four satellites including Studsat built by students of seven engineering colleges in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, Alsat from Algeria, two nano satellites from Canada and Switzerland, and a pico (very small) satellite called Oceansat 2 accompanied Cartosat 2 on its trip to orbit.

Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahuluwalia, and former Isro chief Dr K Kasturirangan witnessed the launch.

“It has been a wonderful experience. The Isro has made the country proud,” Ahluwalia said, congratulating the scientists after the perfect take off.

Attributing the success of PSLV C-15 to the entire team behind the mission, Isro chairman K Radhakrishnan said, “We had an excellent flight. It injected precisely the five satellites. The entire Isro team is behind the success”.

In an apparent reference to the failure of GSLV D3 cryogenic stage, the space agency’s first mission after he took over as its chief, he said his team of scientists were inspired to work “especially after the last few weeks after a serious problem that we faced.”

“And I also want to say we have understood the problem with regard to the indigenous cryogenic engine and stage. We will confirm it in a few weeks with a few tests and then we will come back”, he said.

Russian resupply ship docks at International Space Station

2010-07-05T18:15:00.000+05:30

An unmanned Russian supply vessel docked Sunday without trouble at the International Space Station, two days after a technical glitch forced a similar maneuver to be aborted.

Space officials said they managed to avoid the radio signal problems that forced them to abandon last week's docking of the Progress M-06M cargo ship, launched on June 30, is carrying 2.6 tonnes of fuel, food and water for the three Russia and three US astronauts on the station.

"At 20:17 pm Moscow time (16H17 GMT), the 'Progress M-06M' docked at the 'Star' module of the ISS," the Russian Mission Control Centre said in an Internet statement.

An attempted docking on Friday was aborted when a radio link with the ISS was lost about 25 minutes before the planned rendezvous.

Sunday's successful docking was done automatically under the supervision of experts in Moscow and the ISS team, it said, without using the radio link.

Progress launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan on June 30.

It is the 40th Russian cargo vessel to dock at the station, the centre said.

In contrast to the troubles that plagued the first rendezvous attempt, Sunday's second try "was executed flawlessly," the US space agency NASA said on its website.

The space ship's failure to dock last week after flying past the ISS was notable largely because it was rare mishap in a space programme which usually strives for and achieves pinpoint accuracy.

During the mishap "in the beginning everything was normal, then the automatic (docking) mode failed, and later the station's crew could not dock the vessel in manual mode," a Russian space centre spokesman told the Itar-Tass news agency.

The automatic docking system also failed during the last Progress supply ship docking in May although the process was successfully carried out manually.

The ISS, which orbits 350 kilometres (220 miles) above Earth, is a sophisticated platform for scientific experiments, helping test the effects of long-term space travel on humans, a must for any trip to distant Mars.

Progress is carrying 1,918 pounds (862 kilos) of propellant, 110 pounds (50 kilos) of oxygen, 220 pounds (100 kilos) of water and 2,667 pounds (1,210 kilos) of experiment equipment, spare parts and other supplies to the station.

The rendezvous occurred 220 miles (350 kilometers) above Earth as both the ISS and resupply ship flew over the point where the borders of China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Russia intersect.

Progress is similar in appearance and design elements to the Russian Soyuz spacecraft, which brings crew members to the station, serves as a lifeboat while they are there and returns them to Earth. And unlike Soyuz, Progress has a refuelling module and a cargo module.

SMOS Safe in Orbit

2009-11-06T19:07:00.001+05:30

SMOS Forms Three-Pointed Star In The Sky

Carried on the SMOS satellite, the MIRAS instrument consists of a central structure and three deployable arms, each of which has three segments. During launch, these arms are folded-up. Just over 36 hours after SMOS has been injected into orbit, the arms are gently deployed. Credits: ESA - AOES Medialab. For an animation of this process please go here.
by Staff Writers
Paris, France (ESA) Nov 04, 2009
Following the launch of ESA's SMOS satellite on 2 November, the French space agency CNES, which is responsible for operating the satellite, has confirmed that the instrument's three antenna arms have deployed as planned, and that the instrument is in good health.

During launch and the first few orbits around Earth, the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) instrument's antenna arms remained safely folded up. Today, these three arms folded-out and now form a large three-pointed star shape. With its unusual shape, measuring eight metres across, SMOS can be dubbed a 'star in the sky'.

The SMOS instrument is called MIRAS - short for Microwave Imaging Radiometer with Aperture Synthesis - and is actually bigger than the satellite platform. It consists of a central hub and the three arms that have just deployed. This deployment is crucial to the success of the mission as they carry the key measuring devices: most of the 69 small antenna receivers called LICEFs.

To acquire data on soil moisture and ocean salinity, each of the LICEF antenna-receivers measures radiation emitted from Earth's surface within the 'L-band', around a frequency of 1.4 GHz. This frequency provides the best sensitivity to variations in moisture in the soil and changes in the salinity of the surface waters of the oceans. In addition, this frequency is not affected too much by the weather, atmosphere and vegetation cover.

To achieve the spacial resolution required by the data users, the MIRAS instrument employs a novel use of technology. Under normal circumstances, measuring these two environmental variables using L-band would only work with a huge antenna - which would be too big to be carried by a satellite. To overcome this challenge, the SMOS mission has borrowed techniques used in radio astronomy.

Radio astronomers, searching for celestial objects that are not detectable in optical astronomy, also faced the challenge of needing to detect small signals from point sources in space at a long wavelength, requiring a big antenna.

Since signals are detected as waves, signals from different telescopes can be added to synthesise the pinpointing of a much larger telescope. To achieve this, radio astronomers combined 27 radio telescopes, each 25 m in diameter, and deployed them on a Y-shaped track that can be extended up to 35 km. This is known as the Very Large Array in New Mexico, US.

Like the Very Large Array, the SMOS instrument also forms a Y-shape and through a process of interferometry the 69 small antenna receivers mimic a much larger antenna.

The deployment of the SMOS arms marks another significant milestone for ESA's water mission. The satellite will now undergo a series of health checks within its six-month commissioning phase. So far, however, all the signs are good that this second of ESA's Earth Explorer satellites in orbit is fit and healthy following launch and will be able to deliver the data to advance our understanding of Earth's water cycle

India to take second moon shot by 2012, eyes Mars

2008-11-19T06:50:00.000+05:30

Buoyed by the success of its maiden lunar mission, India on Thursday said it will send a second unmanned spacecraft to the moon by 2012.
The announcement came less than a week after Chandrayaan-1, India's first unmanned spacecraft, entered lunar orbit for the start of a two-year mission.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said the second spacecraft would also place a probe on the moon's surface.

"Chandrayaan-II will be launched by 2012," ISRO chairman Madavan Nair told reporters on the sidelines of a seminar in the southern Indian city of Chennai.

"We will have a lander that will drop a small robot on the moon, which will pick samples, analyse data and send the data back," the Press Trust of India quoted Nair as saying.

He said Chandrayaan-1 will on Friday drop a probe, painted in India's national colours, on the moon.

"Already 95 percent of the mission has been completed. The total success of the mission would be known only after the remaining work is completed," he said.

During its mission, Chandrayaan-1 will provide a detailed map of the mineral, chemical and topographical characteristics of the moon's surface.

India hopes the lunar missions will boost its space programme into the same league as regional powerhouses Japan and China.

"We cannot be lagging behind in terms of our capability to access space. China, the US and Japan are going ahead with huge plans for space," the ISRO chairman said.

Nair also dismissed criticism the 80-million dollar Chandrayaan-1 project was beyond ISRO's budget and said the agency would use the infrastructure created for the lunar mission for more ambitious programmes.

"Most of the expenses have gone to create infrastructural facilities, which will be used for our plans to send satellites to Mars and Venus," Nair said, adding the organisation would also launch a satellite to solar emissions.

Students Invited To Name New Mars Rover

2008-11-19T06:39:00.000+05:30

NASA is looking for the right stuff, or in this case, the right name for the next Mars rover. NASA, in cooperation with Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures' movie WALL-E from Pixar Animation Studios, will conduct a naming contest for its car-sized Mars Science Laboratory rover that is scheduled for launch in 2009.
The contest begins Tuesday, Nov. 18, and is open to students 5 to 18 years old who attend a U.S. school and are enrolled in the current academic year. To enter the contest, students will submit essays explaining why their suggested name for the rover should be chosen.

Essays must be received by Jan. 25, 2009. In March 2009, the public will have an opportunity to rank nine finalist names via the Internet as additional input for judges to consider during the selection process. NASA will announce the winning rover name in April 2009.

Disney will provide prizes to students submitting winning essays, including a trip to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., where the rover is under construction. The grand prize winner will have an opportunity to place a signature on the spacecraft and take part in the history of space exploration.

"Mars exploration has always captured the public imagination," said Mark Dahl, program executive for the Mars Science Laboratory at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This contest will expand our ability to inspire students' interest in science and give the public a chance to participate in NASA's next expedition to Mars."

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures in Burbank, Calif., will make it possible for WALL-E, the name of its animated robotic hero and summer 2008 movie, to appear in online content inviting students to participate in the naming contest.

The online WALL-E content will provide young viewers with a current connection to the human-robotic partnership that is transforming discovery and exploration. The contest coincides with Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment's release of WALL-E on DVD and Blu-ray.

The naming contest partnership is part of a Space Act Agreement between NASA and Disney designed to use the appeal of WALL-E in educational and public outreach efforts.

"All of us at Disney are delighted to be working with NASA in its educational and public outreach efforts to teach schoolchildren about space exploration, robot technology and the universe in which they live," said Mark Zoradi, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group. "WALL-E is one of the most lovable and entertaining characters that Pixar has ever created, and he is the perfect spokes-robot for this program."

The Mars Science Laboratory rover will be larger and more capable than any craft previously sent to land there. It will check whether the environment in a carefully selected landing region ever has been favorable for supporting microbial life. The rover will search for minerals that formed in the presence of water and look for several chemical building blocks of life.

"We are now in a phase when we're building and testing the rover before its journey to Mars," said John Klein, deputy project manager for the Mars Science Laboratory at JPL. "As the rover comes together and begins to take shape, the whole team can't wait to call it by name."

Additional assignments include imaging its surroundings in high definition, analyzing rocks with a high-powered laser beam, inspecting rocks and soil with a six-foot robotic arm, and cooking and sniffing rock powder delivered from a hammering drill to investigate what minerals are in Martian rocks.

India's moon mission enters lunar space!

2008-11-06T16:34:00.001+05:30

India's first unmanned moon mission entered lunar space early Tuesday as part of its final journey this week into the moon's orbit, a top space official said.

The Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft was launched with an Indian-built rocket on October 22 from the country's southeastern coast.

"The operation to put Chandrayaan into lunar space went off very well," S. Satish, director of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) told AFP.

The spacecraft is now 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) from the moon, enabling its terrain-mapping camera to shoot pictures of it.

Scientists are preparing for the next major stage to enable the spacecraft to enter lunar orbit on Saturday and position itself about 100 kilometres from the moon's surface.

Once the mission is in the lunar orbit, it will stabilise in about a week, after which it will send a probe instrument to the moon's surface.

Chandrayaan carries 11 payloads -- five from India and others from abroad.

During a two-year orbital mission, it will provide a detailed map of the mineral, chemical and topographical characteristics of the moon's surface.

The mission will cost India 80 million dollars.

College Students Develop "Rocket Motors" In Tamil Nadu

2008-09-15T09:26:00.000+05:30

Applause

Well, Its not really a rocket motor , but a motor used onboard rockets,

And its by a team composing of faculty and students of VIT and AU.

Appreciation and Critical Point

Yes its an achievement for the stdent folk and needs to be appreciated, but I'll certainly say the staff of the universites shouldn't get sloppy after 2-3 innovations to account for the DRDO/ISRO Collobration funds in addition to CSIR funds, we need more and more turnkey solutions coming out of our universities to mainstearm Indian economy.

The News Piece:

Students of an engineering college here have developed for the first time in the country, two special brushless motors, which will form an important part in the soon to be launched GSLV rocket. These motors were previously being imported by Indian Space Research Organisation.

A prototype of this motor was displayed by the students of Sona College of Technology to ISRO scientists at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VVSC) and ISRO's inertial systems unit (IISU) at Thiruvanthapuram.

The first motor, which will be placed in the rocket nozzle for controlling its direction, is a 32 newton metre, 1000 rotations per minute quadruplex brushless DC torque motor, Director of Sona Special Power Electronics and Electric Drives (SSPEED) said.

The second, for controlling the rotation of the panels in a satellite, is a 2 newton metre, 50 rotations per minute slotless brushless DC motor. It will be used in the scan mechanism of microwave analysis detection of rain and atmospheric structures for the Megha Tropiques Spacecraft.

ISRO's inertial systems unit needed 'cog free' motors to enhance the performance of precision scanning mechanisms in spacecraft and SSPEED had met all the required parameters, he said.

Prof Kannan said this was a "unique" achievement by an institution, which designed and developed an aerospace quality component for actual use in ISRO's satellites and rockets. "This would save precious foreign exchange and provide valuable technical know how," he said.

Source: Press Trust of India

Military Space Race , Again?!

2008-08-28T07:51:00.000+05:30

The Americans seem determined to flood outer space with weapons. In early April U.S. Missile Defense Agency Director Lt. Gen. Henry Obering again called for the early deployment of space-based missile defense systems, a universal means of hitting either ground or space targets.

His Russian counterpart and longtime opponent on this issue, Space Forces Commander Col. Gen. Vladimir Popovkin, responded in late May, warning for the umpteenth time: "We are against any deployment or placement of weapons in outer space, as it is one of the few realms where frontiers do not exist. Militarization of outer space will disrupt the current balance in the world."

The Russian general is seriously worried that space-based attack weapons could increase the risk of igniting hostilities on the ground.

Putting the long-distance dispute between the two generals aside, let us recall that the defensive doctrines of most industrialized countries are space-oriented. Satellite systems are involved in every aspect of an industrialized country's activity, warfare included. The majority of modern weapon systems, both nuclear and conventional, include space-based components.

Russia is behind the United States in development and deployment of space-based systems. The figures are far from encouraging. A total of around 500 American and 100 Russian satellites currently are orbiting the Earth. The U.S. military satellite fleet is more than four times the size of Russia's, and some of the orbiting Russian satellites are inoperable.

The Americans also have the Navstar Global Positioning System, which has been working successfully already several years. Russia's equivalent, the widely publicized GLONASS, is undergoing its initial deployment, with only 12 operable satellites presently in orbit, compared with 31 American ones.

Obviously the Pentagon can afford to speak of space-based weapons deployment, possessing such impressive assets.

Now back to Col. Gen. Popovkin's idea that space-based weapons could spark a war. He says that present space systems and complexes are very sophisticated and susceptible to failures, and "in such cases, I cannot guarantee that a failure was not caused by hostile action."

Is this statement logical? Surely it is. Strategic nuclear stability -- that is to say, a high-degree guarantee against a surprise nuclear missile strike -- depends on the trouble-free operation of early warning and intelligence satellites. If a satellite fails with another country's attack weapons deployed in orbit, there will be an increase of mistrust, which could lead to a military disaster.

Besides, it is well known that tests involving satellite destruction result in a growing amount of orbital debris, which is difficult to counter. According to NASA and the U.S. Air Force, China's anti-satellite weapon tests in January 2007 left up to 2,000 baseball-sized fragments orbiting at altitudes of 120 to 2,340 miles above the Earth. High speed makes these fragments extremely dangerous for man-made space objects.

An international treaty banning weapons from outer space certainly would help avoid more such trouble, or at least minimize the risks. Yet the United States sticks to the opinion that such an agreement would be impracticable.

Mobile Healthcare program in Rural AP

2008-08-28T07:33:00.000+05:30

Satyam Computer Services has announced that it has embarked on a revolutionary program to deliver world-class healthcare to remote villages in India.

The public/private partnership between the government of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh and Satyam provides a fleet of healthcare vans - mobile health units (MHU) - that visit villages on designated days to deliver healthcare services to rural Indians, many of whom have never been seen by medical professionals before.

The program, known as 104 Mobile, is designed to expand the scope and delivery of healthcare in rural areas. The technology-enabled, comprehensive offering provides a range of health services to villagers located more than three kilometers from public health service providers.

While it will help cure numerous afflictions and prevent countless others, the program is expected to make a transformational difference with regard to maternal and infant health problems, as well as chronic ailments. It is also especially effective at delivering preventive medicine, which is lacking in most villages.

"Mobile 104 will enhance the lives of rural Indians dramatically," said Satyam Founder and Chairman B. Ramalinga Raju.

"Too many villagers are troubled by ailments that are entirely preventable or easily cured in this day and age; they simply need access to basic healthcare, which this program provides. Satyam is proud to participate in the initiative and we will leverage our expertise with other rural healthcare programs and public/private partnerships to ensure that its expansion is rapid and seamless."

Much of the expertise Raju mentioned concerns the Byrraju Foundation and the Emergency Medical Research Institute, organizations he founded.

Satyam works closely with the Byrraju Foundation, which establishes basic infrastructure elements in Indian villages, including sanitation, education, clean water and healthcare. The Foundation works on the premise that people must be healthy before they can tackle other problems.

As such, healthcare is its primary concern. Additionally, Satyam established EMRI, and was integral in the creation of Call 108, an emergency number based on 911 in the United States. Both Byrraju and EMRI have been tremendous successes; their programs, which began in Andhra Pradesh, are being replicated throughout India.

With each MHU serving villages of about 1,500 people for four hours per month, each vehicle will be able to visit approximately 56 villages every month. The "fixed-day" approach will enable villagers to adjust their schedules to accommodate MHU visits.

For instance, residents of a particular village - via posters and other marketing initiatives - will know that the vehicle will show up on the 3rd of each month. By November, the service will deploy 475 vehicles and cover 50,000 rural villages - 40 million people, most of whom live below the poverty line.

MHUs include paramedics, pharmacists and lab technicians. The modern, state-of-the-art vehicles are equipped to carry numerous drugs and can store blood/urine samples for testing. They even feature a television that can show public health education programs.

Services they provide include pre- and post-natal checkups, height and weight monitoring, nutritional supplements for mothers and children, basic blood and urine lab investigations and screening, advice and medicine dispensation for chronic illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension, epilepsy and anemia.

When seriously ill patients show up at an MHU, an ambulance is summoned via EMRI (Call 108) and the sick person is brought to an Andhra Pradesh hospital.

Moreover, because cultural sensitivities in many rural areas prevent some women from pursuing care they may need, the 104 Mobile program trains female health volunteers (known as ASHA workers) in rural communities. These female healthcare providers conduct beneficiary visits and provide villagers with 24-hour access to 104 advice, often via mobile phone. Eventually, Andhra Pradesh will feature 40,000 ASHAs.

Satyam is enabling much of the technology that drives the program. Its engineers designed the vehicles - with rural India in mind - and have established the infrastructure to support a rapidly growing initiative. Other examples of how technology enables the Mobile 104 abound:

+ Each patient is assigned a number, which is stored in a secure database. The tracking number, when accessed, will provide a patient's entire medical history. This will facilitate care and prevent distribution of drugs to which a patient is allergic.

+ The program is web-enabled; patients can communicate with the call center via phone, fax, chat, SMS or email. In addition, ASHA workers can send patient data from field visits via SMS.

+ Medical information is uploaded immediately to hospitals, enabling immediate follow-up.

+ Results of each patient contact are tracked daily in a database.

+ Villagers are connected with other healthcare services for which they qualify.

+ Mobile units use GPS to find remote villages quickly.

"We are proud to apply our world-class technology and healthcare management expertise, along with all we have learned with EMRI and the Byrraju Foundation, to help make Mobile 104 a success," Raju said. "The comprehensive, integrated virtual platform will enable Satyam to collaborate with healthcare delivery networks - government and private hospitals, clinics, etc. - to transform the way rural Indians receive medical treatment."

Tunguska Event Still A Mystery 100 Years OnTunguska Event Still A Mystery 100 Years On

2008-06-30T09:20:00.000+05:30

Scientists will gather in Siberia to mark the 100th anniversary of the Tunguska Event June 26-28, one of the world's most mysterious explosions which flattened 80 million trees but largely went unnoticed at the time. The massive blast, equivalent to around 15 megatons of TNT, occurred approximately 7-10 km (3-6 miles) above the Stony Tunguska River in a remote area of central Siberia early on June 30, 1908.

The explosion, which was estimated to measure up to 5 on the Richter scale, knocked people off their feet 70 km away and destroyed an area of around 2,150 sq km (830 sq miles).

And if the explosion had occurred some 4 hours and 47 minutes later, due to the Earth's rotation it would have completely destroyed the then Russian capital of St. Petersburg.

However, despite the fact that the night sky was lit up across Europe and Asia and the shock waves were detected as far away as Britain, the Tunguska Event largely went unnoticed eclipsed by global events leading up to World War I, the Russian Revolution and subsequent civil war and it was not until almost 20 years later in 1927 that any scientific expedition managed to visit the remote site.

The 1927-expedition led by Leonid Kulik, a leading meteorite expert at the Academy of Sciences, discovered the massive destruction left by the blast and gathered witness statements from locals living in the area. It was assumed that a huge meteorite had hit the area, although Kulik failed, during his research in Siberia, to find an obvious crater.

And around 33 years later another expedition was also unsuccessful in its search for the elusive crater and scientists were faced with the Tunguska mystery - an explosion, 1,000 times more powerful that the WWII atomic bomb at Hiroshima, but which had left no trace as to its cause.

Although there have been dozens of theories since, from UFOs, antimatter, doomsday events and black holes, the most likely being an airborne explosion of a 10-30-meter wide meteorite or comet, none of them has provided conclusive evidence which has merely fuelled the speculation surrounding Tunguska.

At the Tunguska conference in the Krasnoyarsk Territory in Siberia scientists from all over Russia will gather to discuss, using the latest computer technology, as well as less traditional methods, what actually caused the destruction in the remote Siberian region.

As part of the anniversary, in the Evenki autonomous area, a statue of the Evenki god of Thunder, which reflects eyewitness testimony to the events 100 years ago, will be erected at the site believed to be the meteorite crash location.

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China Deploys Bomber Coverage Of Korea And Taiwan From Shandong Peninsula

2008-06-26T23:40:00.000+05:30

The JH-7A fighter-bombers of China's No. 5 Attacker Division deployed on the Shandong Peninsula theoretically could cover all the U.S. military bases in Korea and the Taiwan Strait.

They also could receive aerial support from the J-11 fighters deployed at the No. 19 Fighter Division at Jining in southwestern Shandong. Jining has the best military airport on the peninsula, where huge underground aircraft hangars and first-line maintenance and support facilities have been completed.

By contrast, the No. 12 Fighter Division, armed with J-8II fighters, has been somewhat neglected both in terms of construction at its airport and upgrading of its equipment. In terms of combat missions assigned to the two fighter divisions in this region, the No. 12 Division probably would be responsible for territorial air defense, while the No. 19 Division would be engaged in out-line operations along with the No. 5 Attacker Division.

In line with this trend of development, as well as the experiences of the No. 2 and No. 3 Fighter Divisions, the No. 19 Fighter Division may very likely receive more advanced combat aircraft in the future.

The Navy Aviation Force No. 5 Division also has been strengthened. This division is now equipped with new-generation J-8F fighters. The electronic reconnaissance and intelligence collection capabilities of the Navy Aviation Units under the People's Liberation Army's navy North Fleet have been fully enhanced over the years.

In recent years, there have been quite a number of occasions on which U.S. or Japanese fighters have intercepted Y-8 serial high-tech electronic reconnaissance and maritime patrol aircraft in the airspace above the East China Sea. The key base of the Y-8 serial reconnaissance aircraft is Laiyang, in the middle of the peninsula, the home base of the Independent Reconnaissance Regiment of the North Sea Fleet.

By extensively reinforcing the air force units stationed in Shandong, the PLA has naturally upgraded its air defense posture. The Shandong Peninsula has become another key area for the deployment of S-300 or HQ-9 surface-to-air missiles. So far, two S-300 or HQ-9 SAM positions have been located, currently under construction in Shandong. One is at a location close to Qingdao, which obviously is intended to provide protection for the headquarters of the North Sea Fleet and the No. 1 Nuclear Submarine Flotilla.

The other SAM position is located at Penglai, in northeastern Shandong. It is likely that the purpose of deploying S-300s or HQ-9s in this region is to provide protection for the nuclear power stations that are now in the planning stages. Shandong is planning to construct three nuclear power stations along 120 kilometers (about 75 miles) of coastline connecting three major cities -- Qindao, Yantai and Weihai.

Of course, reinforcing air defense on the Shandong Peninsula will also enhance Beijing's air defense posture. Some of the U.S. Air Force units stationed in Korea and Japan would have to cross the Shandong Peninsula in order to attack Beijing. The above two S-300 or HQ-9 SAM positions, both currently under construction, very likely will be put into use after receiving S-300PMU2 air defense systems.

Reinforcing Shandong's air defense naturally will give nearby Henan province an effective air defense shield as well. Henan is the key strategic base of the PLA Second Artillery Force, with the mission of exerting strategic nuclear deterrence against the United States.

Also, some unconfirmed source says that a DF-31 long-range strategic missile (ICBM) brigade of the No. 52 Group Army is based at Laiwu in central Shandong province. China's immense efforts to reinforce Shandong's long-range air defense system seem to have special significance.

Glonass Avaliable for India

2007-02-06T15:02:00.000+05:30

Russia's global space navigation system Glonass is available for India to use, Russia's defense minister said Monday. Sergei Ivanov, who is also a deputy prime minister, said Moscow and New Delhi had agreed to launch Glonass M satellites with the help of Indian carrier rockets, and to create new-generation navigation satellites.
"Two agreements are to be signed to develop cooperation on the program during the Russian president's forthcoming visit [January 25-26]," Ivanov said.
Earlier, the head of Russia's Federal Space Agency, Anatoly Perminov, said Russia and India plan to jointly use Glonass.
Glonass, a Russian version of the U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS), is designed for both military and civilian purposes, and allows users to identify their positions in real time. It can also be used in geological prospecting.
President Vladimir Putin ordered in December 2005 that the system be ready by 2008 and in March this year Ivanov said Glonass will be available to domestic consumers for military as well for civilian purposes by the end of 2007.
Perminov said earlier Russia is in talks with the United States and the European Space Agency to prepare agreements on the use of Glonass jointly with GPS and Galileo satellite navigation systems.
The agency plans to have 18 satellites in orbit by late 2007 or early 2008, and a full orbital group of 24 satellites by the end of 2009, he said.
In November Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Russia will lift all precision restrictions, from the start of 2007, in the use of Glonass to enable accurate and unlimited commercial use of the military-controlled global positioning system. Current restrictions limit the accuracy for civilian users of Glonass to 30 meters.
The first launch under the Glonass program took place October 12, 1982, but the system was only formally launched September 24, 1993.
Andrei Kozlov, the head of the Reshetnev Research and Production Center in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia's leading spacecraft manufacturer, said earlier the Glonass system has 13 satellites in orbit.
The satellites currently in use are of two modifications - Glonass and its updated version Glonass-M. Glonass-M has a longer service life of seven years and is equipped with updated antenna feeder systems and an additional navigation frequency for civilian users.
A future modification, Glonass-K, is an entirely new model based on a non-pressurized platform, standardized to the specifications of the previous models' platform, Express-1000.
Glonass-Ks' estimated service life has been increased to 10-12 years and a third "civilian" L-range frequency was added.
Tests on Glonass-K satellites are scheduled for 2007

Russia And China Could Sign Moon Exploration Pact In 2006

2006-09-12T16:05:00.000+05:30

Russia And China Could Sign Moon Exploration Pact In 2006

One big happy moon family.

Russia and China may conclude a Moon exploration agreement by the end of the year, the head of the Russian Space Agency said. China has already successfully launched into orbit two manned space vehicles. Its first manned flight three years ago made it the third country to launch a human being into space on its own, after Russia and the U.S.
"I can say that as a result of the Russian-Chinese space sub-commission's work, our priority is a joint program on Moon exploration," Anatoly Perminov said. "A number of contracts have been signed involving both Russian and Chinese enterprises."
"We are currently working on the Moon as partners, and we have concluded that Russia and China have moved beyond their previous relationship, when China was a buyer and we [Russia] were a seller," Perminov said.
He also said he received an invitation to visit leading air and space enterprises in Shanghai.
"China is now a leading space power - right now, only three countries explore space intensively, namely Russia, the United States and China," he said.
Perminov said the Russian-Chinese Space Exploration Commission will hold a concluding session in Beijing by the end of 2006, and that the Russian delegation will be led by Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov.
"The work of our sub-commission should create a favorable context for the visit of our [Russian] prime minister to China," he said. "We have already adopted a cooperation program with China for 2007-2009."
Perminov also said China may sign a contract to participate in a Russian project to bring soil back from one of Mars' moons - Phobos.
"One of the directions we are working in is a flight to Phobos, with Chinese participation, which will bring back some of its soil to Earth," Perminov said. "We plan to reach the final stage [of our talks] by the end of 2006, possibly even by the start of the sub-commission's work under Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov

Cracking The Secret Codes Of The European Galileo Satellite Network

2006-08-02T21:50:00.000+05:30

Mark Psiaki, left, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, hooks up an experimental GPS/Galileo digital storage receiver and patch antenna with the assistance of graduate students Todd Humphreys, center, and Shan Mohiuddin in Rhodes Hall. by Staff WritersIthaca NY (SPX) Jul 19, 2006Members of Cornell's Global Positioning System Laboratory have cracked the so-called pseudo random number codes of Europe's first global navigation satellite, despite efforts to keep the codes secret. That means free access for consumers who use navigation devices - including handheld receivers and systems installed in vehicles - that need PRNs to listen to satellites.The codes and the methods used to extract them were published in the June issue of GPS World.
The navigational satellite, called the GIOVE-A, for Galileo In-Orbit Validation Element-A, is a prototype for 30 satellites that by 2010 will constitute Galileo, a $4-billion joint venture of the European Union, European Space Agency and private investors. Galileo is Europe's answer to the U.S. GPS system.
Because GPS satellites, which were put into orbit by the Department of Defense, are funded by U.S. taxpayers, the signal is free -- consumers need only purchase a receiver. Galileo, on the other hand, must make money to reimburse its investors -- presumably by charging a fee for PRN codes.
Because Galileo and GPS will share frequency bandwidths, Europe and the United States signed an agreement whereby some of Galileo's PRN codes must be "open source." Nevertheless, after broadcasting its first signals on Jan. 12, 2006, none of GIOVE-A's codes had been made public.
In late January, Mark Psiaki, an aerospace engineer at Cornell and co-leader of the GPS Laboratory, requested the codes from Martin Unwin at Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd., one of three privileged groups in the world with the PRN codes.
"In a very polite way, he said, 'Sorry, goodbye,'" recalled Psiaki. Next, Psiaki contacted Oliver Montenbruck, a friend and colleague in Germany, and discovered that he also wanted the codes. "Even Europeans were being frustrated," said Psiaki. "Then it dawned on me: Maybe we can pull these things off the air, just with an antenna and lots of signal processing."
Within one week Psiaki's team developed a basic algorithm to extract the codes. Two weeks later they had their first signal from the satellite, but were thrown off track because the signal's repeat period was twice that expected. By mid-March they derived their first estimates of the code, and -- with clever detective work and an important tip from Montenbruck -- published final versions on their Web site on April 1. Two days later, NovAtel Inc., a Canadian-based major manufacturer of GPS receivers, downloaded the codes from the Web site in a few minutes and soon afterward began tracking GIOVE-A for the first time.
Galileo eventually published PRN codes in mid-April, but they weren't the codes currently used by the GIOVE-A satellite. Furthermore, the same publication labeled the open source codes as intellectual property, claiming a license is required for any commercial receiver. "That caught my eye right away," said Psiaki. "Apparently they were trying to make money on the open source code."
Afraid that cracking the code might have been copyright infringement, Psiaki's group sought outside help. "We were told that cracking the encryption of creative content, like music or a movie, is illegal, but the encryption used by a navigation signal is fair game," said Psiaki. The upshot: The Europeans cannot copyright basic data about the physical world, even if the data are coming from a satellite that they built.
"Imagine someone builds a lighthouse," argued Psiaki. "And I've gone by and see how often the light flashes and measured where the coordinates are. Can the owner charge me a licensing fee for looking at the light? … No. How is looking at the Galileo satellite any different?"
Other authors of the GPS World article are Cornell colleagues Paul Kintner, Todd Humphreys, Shan Mohiuddin, Alessandro Cerruti and Steven Powell

New Horizons Crosses The Asteroid Belt

2006-08-01T11:25:00.000+05:30

New Horizons Crosses The Asteroid Belt

New Horizons has entered the main asteroid belt and will be traversing this part of our solar system through August. May, like April, was a busy month for New Horizons' instrument payload commissioning. In particular, our instruments LORRI, PEPSSI, Alice and Ralph all continued their in in-flight checkouts.In addition, the spacecraft itself received a new suite of onboard fault-protection autonomy software, resolving a number of needed bug fixes discovered in ground and flight testing.
We continue to see software-induced guidance computer resets once or twice per month on average, but the spacecraft recovers flawlessly from these, without any interruption to plans. New software for this computer is in the works and will resolve the bug that causes this; we expect to have it tested and aboard the spacecraft around Oct. 1.
Highlights of our payload-commissioning activities included door openings for PEPSSI (May 3), Alice (May 20) and Ralph (May 29). The Student Dust Counter registered each of these events at the precise time of the door openings by the noise they made on the spacecraft.
Each of these instruments also saw first light, i.e., detecting signals from stars (Ralph) or the interplanetary medium (PEPSSI and Alice). From these tests we appear to have a little higher-than-spec sensitivity with Ralph's color and panchromatic cameras.
We also found that Alice's background counts are only about half of what we predicted, indicating the RTG induces a significantly lower background than we estimated before launch. This lower background rate will substantially enhance Alice's signal-to-noise ratio on faint spectral features.
From the Alice, Ralph, and PEPSSI testing this month, we can continue to say, from all of the data surrounding the careful, step-by-step instrument-commissioning activities to date, that our instrument payload continues to look like it's performing as well or better than predicted from ground testing. This is a testament to the exacting engineering that went into their development.
In other news for May, we began to finalize the suite of Jupiter observations planned for next year during our Jupiter flyby, and we continued to track New Horizons to determine whether a fine course correction will be needed this fall. So far, none appears necessary, but the final verdict won't be in until we have about another 90 to 100 days of tracking.
Planning activities began in May for the 60 day checkouts we'll perform each year during Cruise 2, also known as Glen's Glide: the coast from Jupiter to Pluto.
From 2008 to 2011, these checkouts will occur in the fall of each year, but in 2012, 2013 and 2014 the checkouts will occur in the summer. The summertime checkouts will occur in 2012 and 2014 because we'll be rehearsing the Pluto encounter aboard the spacecraft during these checkouts, and we want the Earth-Sun geometry at rehearsal time to reproduce faithfully what will occur at the encounter, in the summer of 2015. The 2013 checkout provides a backup opportunity for an additional rehearsal if one becomes necessary.
I'll now turn to the "water cooler news story" of the month for New Horizons: In early May, we got word from Lockheed-Martin that tourists in the Bahamas found several large pieces of our Atlas V 551 launch vehicle's nose fairing that had washed up on shore.
Now, turn to the significance of our current location: deep in the solar system's main asteroid belt. This region comprises a handful of dwarf planets, such as Ceres - itself 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) in diameter - and literally millions of debris bits created by collisions between asteroids.
These small bodies range in size from mountains to objects as large as 100 kilometers (62 miles) across. The asteroid belt also contains innumerable boulders, rocks and dust motes created by the same collisions.
The first spacecraft to transit the asteroid belt was NASA's Pioneer 10, which made its epic crossing in 1972 on the way to the historic first encounter of a spacecraft with Jupiter.
Later, Pioneer 11, Voyagers 1 and 2, Galileo, Cassini, NEAR and Ulysses have all made the same kind of journey across the main belt. Now it is our turn.
Fortunately, the asteroid belt is so huge that, despite its large population of small bodies, the chance of running into one is almost vanishingly small - far less than one in a billion. That means if you want to come close enough to an asteroid to make detailed studies of it, you have to aim for one.
The first such asteroid flyby was made by Galileo in October 1991, and Galileo made a second asteroid encounter in 1994.
Other spacecraft, most notably the NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) mission, also have made close main-belt-asteroid flybys, yielding important geological and geophysical insights into these bodies.
Galileo made the first discovery of an asteroid satellite in its 1991 flyby of Gaspra. Since then, ground-based observers have found dozens of asteroid satellites.
In addition to main belt asteroid flybys, NASA's NEAR and the Japanese Hayabusa mission both have made orbital rendezvous and landings on asteroids closer to Earth.
Next year, NASA plans to launch the Dawn Discovery mission to orbit two of the largest asteroids: Vesta and Ceres. Dawn will arrive in orbit about Vesta in 2012, and will reach Ceres, the largest asteroid, in August 2015, just a month or so after New Horizons encounters Pluto.
A long time ago, we considered the possibility of targeting a close asteroid flyby with New Horizons during our main belt traverse. As the mission's principal investigator, I rejected this early on for two reasons.
First, such an encounter would take about half of our Kuiper Belt fuel to accomplish. Second, even for this amount of fuel, the only asteroids we could hope to reach would be tiny - just a few kilometers across.
Though such an encounter certainly would be scientifically useful, it couldn't be justified for the amount of fuel it would cost us - after all, our job is to reconnoiter bodies in the Kuiper belt with that fuel, not the asteroid belt.
As a result, we specifically decided not to target any asteroid, but after launch we did conduct a thorough search for chance encounters along our trajectory. Just the statistics of such chance encounters indicated that we might expect to pass perhaps 1 million to 3 million kilometers (620,000 to 1.8 million miles) from a small asteroid by chance as we transited the main belt. We found several such opportunities back in February.
As it turned out, we got more than what we expected: In early May we also discovered we'd pass within just 104,000 kilometers (63,000 miles) of the little-known asteroid 2002 JF56 on June 13. This little mountain-sized body is only 3 kilometers to 5 kilometers (1.9 miles to 3.1 miles) across, and virtually nothing is known about it - not even its compositional type or rotational period.
We cannot resolve something as small as 2002 JF56 from this distance with Ralph (LORRI, which has higher resolution cannot open its door until late August to guard against accidental Sun pointings), but the June 13 encounter with 2002 JF56 is still going to be useful to New Horizons.
The primary use of this distant flyby will be to test Ralph's optical navigation and moving-target tracking capabilities. We also will be able to get a handle on the asteroid's light curve, composition, phase curve, and perhaps even refine its diameter, if all goes as planned.
The event is really a flight test, so we aren't guaranteeing anything but a best effort. If it works, you'll see images that just barely resolve the asteroid into perhaps one or two pixels and perhaps a spectrum of this chip off some larger body.
More important, of course, we will gain some valuable experience that will yield benefits at both the Jupiter and Pluto flybys, so we're excited to give this a try. Stay tuned, we'll report on the results at mid-month on our Web site.
Other flight activities for June will center on SWAP instrument testing, Ralph instrument calibrations and beam-mapping observations for our high gain antenna and REX (radio science) instrument.
By July Fourth, we'll be 3 AU from the Sun. Although the sunlight there is still 100 times as strong as it is on the brightest day at Pluto, it'll be about 10 times dimmer than at Earth's orbit. Less than six months into a 114 month journey to Pluto, New Horizons is beginning to reach the cooler thermal conditions it was designed to thrive in!
That's all I have for now. So, until next time, keep exploring.

ISRO And DRDO Deal Differently With Disastrous Launches

2006-07-23T14:11:00.000+05:30

ISRO And DRDO Deal Differently With Disastrous Launches
File photo: The doomed Agni-III missile.by Staff WritersNew Delhi, India (PTI) Jul 18, 2006It was a Black Sunday and an even worse Monday for India's aerospace ambitions. Two much-hyped rocket systems - one the guided missile Agni-III, and another the GSLV-FO2 launch vehicle carrying a satellite - built by two famed institutions, (RDO and ISRO, landed in the sea, drowning with them years of effort and hundreds of crores of rupees.

It was a rare back-to-back failure and ISRO chairman Madhavan Nair was forthright on what could have gone wrong: "The pressure in one of the four strap-on motors dropped to zero and did not develop enough thrust, as a result the vehicle veered off the trajectory," he said, adding that the failure was "a rarest phenomena".

"One of the liquid strap-ons had a workmanship problem with the engine valve, leading to a shutdown after one second," a source revealed.

Unlike ISRO, who even after the failure showed a genuine eagerness to share available information, there was total silence from the DRDO. An indifferent defense minister summed up the situation: "The take-off was successful ... but there was some problem later."
Repeated efforts to talk to DRDO officials in Hyderabad met with no success, though one scientist did say there could have been a "component flaw, but even that would be premature to say".

ISRO and DRDO are studies in contrast, two high-profile organizations heavily funded by public money and trying to meet India's goals of self-reliance in critical technology. The difference is one seems to have learned from its failures and has a brilliant track record, while the other seems lost.

Much of ISRO's talent and innovation has been used by DRDO for its missile program, "but the spirit and resilience of ISRO was never transferred to DRDO even though conceptually there is proximity between the two," said a scientist who has worked in both organizations.
What makes ISRO different? "The one great thing about ISRO is that it is extremely open, people are committed, they have faith in themselves and a failure is seen as a learning curve. Our reviews are open," said ex-ISRO chairman U.R. Rao.

"Nowhere in the world will you find another organization like ISRO," said another official. "Everything is done here from end to end. We do R&D; build satellites and launch vehicles; meet the specific requirements of our users and also process data."
Of the 21 launches ISRO has attempted in India, only five have failed, the last in April 1994. This is a highly respected success rate, even globally. At DRDO, however, the missile program has been the only effort that has met with some success.

Now, with Agni-III's failure, the Integrated Guided Missile Program, which began in 1983, has suffered a major setback. The Agni test, said DRDO sources, was supposed to give a technical push to the intercontinental missile program.

"DRDO has got into the problem of talking big and delivering little," said a scientist, recalling how in 2003 the much touted short-range surface-to-air missile Trishul was dumped. DRDO had worked on it for 18 years and spent nearly Rs 300 crore. Other missiles in the IGM program - Akash and Nag (promised long ago and yet to be delivered) - already have consumed thousands of crores.

It is ironic the DRDO was set up to cut down on arms imports via indigenization. A few years ago, President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam had spoken of 70 percent self-reliance in defense requirements by 2005. That date and year have passed, and India is still a long way away from that goal.

China To Develop Deep Space Exploration In 5 Years

2006-07-20T14:09:00.000+05:30

China To Develop Deep Space Exploration In 5 Years
China hopes to send its spacecraft beyond the moon
Beijing, China (SPX) Jul 20, 2006
A senior Chinese space agency official said Wednesday that China would actively plan its deep space exploration over the next five years, focusing on lunar and Mars exploration.

Sun Laiyan, administrator of the China National Space Administration, said China would study the distribution and utilization of lunar resources and terrestrial planetary science as well as exploring scientific measures for supporting mankind's sustainable survival on Earth.

Key research areas will also include astronomy and solar physics, space physics and solar system exploration, micro-gravity sciences and space life science.
Sun urged Chinese scientists to increase their understanding of star and universe evolution through the observation and study of the sun and black holes.

In the next five years, Sun said, China will independently develop and launch an astronomical satellite.

China will advance its exploration of the integral behavior of the chain reaction of solar-terrestrial space, establish a space weather forecast pattern on which a weather support system for space flight safety and communication will be based, he told the 36th Scientific Assembly of the Committee on Space Research.

Sun said, "Priorities shall be given to innovative projects on major scientific problems, and the emphases will be laid on Sun-Earth space environment study, solar system exploration and space astronomy."

Sun's administration is striving to establish an open, fair and scientific competition system for the selection of all space science projects, he said.
"We need to avoid unorganized competition by publicly collecting and evaluating proposals, and carrying out feasibility studies," Sun said.

"We'll also encourage and support other countries to join in the programs initiated by China in space science, and Chinese scientists will participate in international space science programs," the administrator said.

During the 11th Five-Year (2006-2010) Program period, research into micro-gravity science will be coordinated with national scientific and technological strategic objectives.
This will promote the development of high technology for biological engineering and new materials and basic research on gravity theory and life science.

Chinese scientists have already conducted space experiments in astronomy, environment, microgravity fluid physics, material science, life science and earth science.
In February 2004, China initiated the Lunar Exploration Mission and started the research and development of the Chang'e lunar probe.

In October 2005, Shenzhou VI for the first time operated manned space lab experiments. China also launched four recoverable satellites.The results achieved through many years of research have laid a foundation for the fulfillment of space science development goals set out in the 11th Five-Year Program. After over ten years of advanced research on Space Solar Telescope and Space Hard X-Ray Modulation Telescope, scientists have tackled problems on key technologies and manufactured models of main components.

It is estimated that in the past decade, China's space science investment, including infrastructure and programs, had exceeded 900 million yuan ($112.5 million).
The National High-Tech Research and Development Program initiated in the mid 1980s and the Manned Space flight Program begun in 1992 substantially promoted the development of China's space research.

GSLV Failure, Yes this does happen., Now & then

2006-07-11T09:40:00.000+05:30

The Official Press Release from the ISRO is below and it describes that the GSLV "cannot complete its mission" ie. putting the satelitte on orbit. But, as it came to know the Liquid strap-ons were (seems to be ) the reason for this hitch too., (as was in 1999).

PRESS RELEASE
Date Released: Monday, July 10, 2006
Source: Indian Space Research Organisation
India's Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F02), with INSAT-4C on board, was launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR (SDSC SHAR), Sriharihota today (July 10, 2006).

The lift-off took place at 5:38 p.m. IST.
However, GSLV-F02 could not complete the mission.

The detailed analysis of the data received from the vehicle is being analysed to pinpoint the exact reasons.

The Anatomy of the " Failure "
The second operational flight of the GSLV rocket that was to hurl the country’s heaviest satellite yet built , 36,000 km into space instead plunged into the sea, within a minute of launch from the country’s space port at Sriharikota.
One of the four strap-on motors, attached to the 49-metre-tall, 414 tonne GSLV did not give the required thrust forcing the rocket to deviate from its flight path by about 10 degrees. The project director, who found that the first stage did not separate from the upper two stages, pressed the button to destroy the rocket for safety reasons. “It appears from preliminary data that the pressure had dropped to zero in one of the four strap-on motors and it failed to give the required thrust to the GSLV,” Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman G Madhavan Nair said, after the mishap, the first major incident in 12 launches of the space agency.(considering 9 Succesful launches in Row with 6 Foreign Satelittes/Payloads)
Five years ago, the first experimental GSLV rocket had faced a pressure drop in one of the boosters, but the onboard computers aborted the rocket, barely two seconds before lift-off. ISRO top brass had then claimed that they had perfected the in-built safety systems to prevent a disaster.
On Monday it seemed like ISRO officials had a hint of a problem in the rocket, when they delayed the launch by almost one hour. But, they went ahead at 17:38 hours, to find television sets across the world beam the five-storeyed gigantic machine bursting into flames.
Post-Moterm:

But,The strap-on Boosters is belived to have developed a snag well before the launch, and according to some reliable sources, its actually the executive decession and the political will that made to go ahead with the launch even after the strapons developed some pressure loss., (meaning the motor used for pumping fuel din't worked upto the mark.) (but the pride of completing the mission on the announced day seems to have rushed the decassion rather than wait for the saftey check to complete) all said and done, such accidents do happen and cannot be parted with, So i personally think the ISRO guys will come up with more robust and efficent "on-board " security measures......

Commercial Remote Sensing Satellite Market Stabilizing

2006-06-03T19:18:00.000+05:30

Commercial Remote Sensing Satellite Market Stabilizing

Lately, trends have been leaning toward applications in urban planning and development and search-and-rescue operations. Comparative satellite imagery could also be used to track endangered species and to help protect the Earth’s natural resources.

In a new study, "The Market for Civil & Commercial Remote Sensing Satellites," Forecast International is projecting deliveries of approximately 139 imaging satellites worth $16.3 billion over the next 10 years. The first half of the period will be more active than the second, with 97 spacecraft slated for production within the next five years.

Despite the ever-growing list of remote sensing spacecraft destined for orbit during the next 10 years, very few new players are expected to enter the commercial operator market.

The U.S. commercial remote sensing market is headed toward a period of stability thanks to the acquisition of Space Imaging by Orbimage, now known as GeoEye., without which there could be much chaos.

"The narrowing of the field from three down to two should take a burden off the U.S. government, as ensuring adequate support to all three U.S. players had been problematic," said John Edwards, Forecast International Space Systems Editor.

"Leaning on this government support, U.S. remote sensing operators now seem content to court government business almost exclusively, as there is much less emphasis on development of the commercial base," said Edwards. "A rebound toward the commercial side is anticipated but it’s not expected for at least another five years or more," he added.

Through 2009 production lines will remain very active, turning out an average of 19 spacecraft per year. The overwhelming majority will be low-Earth-orbiting (LEO) satellites, with 19 such systems planned for 2006, followed by 23 in 2007 and 25 in 2008.

The value of annual LEO satellite production during the first half of the forecast period will range between $848 million at the low end and $3.2 billion at the high end. Production of the eight geostationary Earth-orbiting (GEO) spacecraft planned for the forecast period is valued at approximately $1.4 billion.

The top unit producer in the LEO remote sensing satellite market is expected to be the Indian Space Research Organization, which is forecast to supply 14 satellites over the next 10 years. "India's production plans for remote sensing satellites are ambitious and unrivaled," said Edwards.

"Of course, he added, "the United States has a handful of large satellites in the pipeline to serve individual companies like DigitalGlobe and GeoEye, but again, these serve individual companies, whereas the ISRO and Antrix drive the plans for Indian production."

This centralized approach has led to one of the most powerful and cohesive satellite fleets in orbit. India currently owns and operates a fleet of six remote sensing satellites.

Over the next 10 years, as the shared aims for satellite-based imagery are realized, international cooperation on civil programs will become more mainstream. The markets for the data are myriad, starting with serving governments during wartime, engineers during development, and farmers during the growing season.

Lately, trends have been leaning toward applications in urban planning and development and search-and-rescue operations. Comparative satellite imagery could also be used to track endangered species and to help protect the Earth’s natural resources.

Competition to sell these products is fierce, and Forecast International expects this competition to spur another round of limited consolidation during the forecast period.

India Cancels Agni III Test

2006-06-01T12:51:00.000+05:30

India Cancels Agni III Test

The Agni III (pictured) is said to be able to deliver a 440-pound to 550-pound warhead with a high degree of accuracy.

The Indian government has decided to cancel the first test-firing of its Agni III inter-continental ballistic missile.

The Agni III was the pride of the Indian strategic missile program and was designed to have a range of at least 1,400 miles, and possibly as far as 2,000 miles, giving it the capability of hitting cities across southern China with nuclear weapons.

According to a report in Asia Times Online May 25, U.S. pressure may have played a role in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's decision to cancel the test, which has angered pro-military hawks in the Indian defense establishment and right-wing Hindu nationalists.

"The United States has always been very suspicious about India's Agni program, and in 1994 persuaded it to suspend testing of (earlier, shorter-range versions of) the missile after three test flights," theAsia Times Online report said. The U.S.-backed Missile Technology Control Regime seeks to prevent the proliferation of missiles capable of delivering an 1,100-pound payload over distances of more than 180 miles.

"Decisions concerning the country's strategic program, including the development and testing of different classes of missiles, are based on technical factors and a continuous review and assessment of our overall security environment," an Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.

The Agni III is said to be able to deliver a 440-pound to 550-pound warhead with a high degree of accuracy. The longest-range, surface-to-surface Agni III has reportedly been ready for launch for two years, but the tests have been repeatedly postponed, Asia Times Online said.

India's military capabilities and arsenal are developed by the Defense Research and Development Organization which works in close coordination with space and nuclear-power institutions. "There is no doubt that it is the shadow of Washington and access to nuclear energy that finally tilted the scales against the Agni III." the Asian Times Online report said

Indian Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said that self-imposed "restraint" was behind India's failure to test-fire the Agni III.

"Self-restraint does not mean that the DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organization) can't go ahead with cold-bed tests for the missile's subsystems," he said.

However, Jane's Defense Weekly noted on May 24 that Indian analysts have said Mukherjee's "ambiguous" explanation was due to "sensitive and crucial" diplomatic and strategic talks with the United States and China. New Delhi did not want the Agni III to be a stumbling block during Mukherjee's visit to Beijing this week. Missile tests could also hamper U.S. congressional ratification of the bilateral nuclear cooperation agreement offered by the United States, Jane's Defense Weekly said.

An Agni III test launch would also send the "wrong signals" to the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers Group meeting in Rio de Janeiro in June, an Indian official told Jane's.

However its understandable that the pro-nuclear hawks in the US is gunning for bush's blood and specefically in this time when the crucial Indo-US civilian nuclear cooperation treaty is to be introduced in the senate, the reason behind the canceling of the test

The Light Combat Aircraft : Tejas

2006-01-27T13:59:00.000+05:30

The Light Combat Aircraft : Tejas

LCA is the world's smallest, light weight, multi-role supersonic combat aircraft. It has been designed to meet the requirements of Indian Air Force as its frontline multi-mission single-seat tactical aircraft.
It is India's second indeginous fighter, the first one being the 1960's HF-24(Hindustan Fighter) 'Marut'. 129 Marut fighters were manufactured. Marut had limited supersonic capability (It could go supersonic in dives). The LCA will be the first supersonic combat aircraft to be built and flown in India itself. Interestingly, the requirements of both LCA and HF-24 and very similar. India had previously attempted to build a supersonic fighter : the HF-73, a development of the Marut. HF-73 was to use engines with more power. The project was cancelled after a crash.
LCA can be inducted starting 2008(as per a recent ADA Release) into the Indian Air Force (IAF) in limited numbers, though 'full-scale' induction won't happen anytime before 2010. Further delays are expected. Most critics put the date of induction between 2012 and 2015.
The idea for this plane was born in 1983. It's development has been an extremely painful process. The Indians had to develop most of the workings themselves, with some 'hand holding' by foreign firms. The US sanctions following their nuclear blasts only worsened the situation.
If the LCA succeeds, India may go ahead with development of the MCA, a stealthy twin-engined jet.

Development Plan
On 4th January 2001, India's 'Light Combat Aircraft' or LCA flew for the first time. The maximum speed achieved was 400 kph and the maximum altitude was 3,000 m. The 18 min long test flight was performed by Wing Commander Rajiv Kothiyal. This plane was the LCA TD-1 and was given the serial number 'KH2001'. 'KH' stands for Kota Harinarayana - Director of ADA while 'TD' stands for Technology Demonstrator. LCA TD-1 was powered by a General Electic F404-F2J3 turbofan.
No official name has been given to the LCA as yet, but it will probably get a HF-X designation. The word is 'LCA' is used in the same way 'ATF' is for F-22 Raptor.

Before the design is ready for induction, 5 Prototype Vehicles [PVs] will be constructed along with the 2 TDs. TD-1 and TD-2 are already flying. TD-2 flew after an agonising wait of 5 years after its roll-out in 1995. It completed its first block of 12 flights in June 2001 and was sent for modification before the next block of flights. TD-2 flew first on 6th June 2002. The 8th and 9th LCA prototypes built will be Naval version.
TD Vehicles, as the name itself suggest, are basically to prove the concept and test only the fundamental technology involved. PVs will be the final design, though minute changes should be possible still. LCA Prototype Vehicles will be lighter by an impressive 200 kg than TD-1. TD-2 itself was lighter than the TD-1. Work is under progress on the PVs. These are expected to be weaponised. PV-1 is expected to fly by the end of 2002. PV-5 will be a trainer and hence will be twin seat.
TD-2 specifically incorporates the following changes as compared to TD-1:
An indigenous Head Up Display (HUD) replaces the imported HUD. The new HUD, developed by CSIO, Chandigarh, has a larger field of view, three times the brightness, higher redundancy and is noiseless since the design does not call for a cooling fan.
An indigenous single LRU Integrated Communication System (INCOM) replaces a three LRU INCOM in LCA-TD1. The new INCOM developed by HAL , Hyderabad is a second generation software based system with significant weight saving (17 Kg), reduced volume(43% of original volume), and improved system performance and reliability.
A marginal reduction in empty weight of aircraft.
Longer flight duration with increased useable fuel.
Reduced noise levels in cockpit with improved ECS design. Cockpit noise was an unexpected problems initially encountered in TD-1.
Delays that have plagued the program since its inception, and they are expected to hinder plans even in the future.
If all goes well, LCA will go supersonic after atleast 100 hrs of flight testing. A minimum of 2000 flying hrs is needed to certify it ready for production. The first flight of TD-2 signalled the completion of the first 12 hrs. The development phase involving two technology demonstrators is estimated to have cost Rs. 21.88 billion.
Why India needs the LCA
The IAF heavily relies on the 1950's design MiG-21 to maintain its numbers, if not its effective force. The LCA was essentially envisioned as a replacement for it. Delays in LCA's development have caused a lot of problems - The MiGs are old, and unforgiving - pilots are losing their lives each year. Such is its reputation, that it is now called 'the flying coffin' in the pilot's mess.
Part of the problem also arose from the fact that the IAF had to rely on the sub-sonic Kiran jet trainer for pilot's training for last 15 years of the 20th Century. The junior pilots had to jump right from the Kiran to the bisonic MiG. IAF's MiG-21Us are aeging too and limits the performance of these aircraft. It is not surprising that most deaths were those of young pilots. Only recently did the Government decide to acquire Hawk AJTs [Advanced Jet Trainer] from Britain. However, even after intense negotiations an agreement could not be worked out and acquisition of an AJT has been postponed to the unforseeable future.
During the decade 1990-2000 the IAF lost 172 MiG series aircraft in crashes, much more than its losses in wartime operations.During the two wars with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971 as well as the Kargil border conflict of 1999, the Indian Air Force lost a total of 115 aircraft. From 1995-2000 alone, the losses due to aircraft involved in accidents amounted to Rs 2.74 billion. During the same period, 52 pilots lost their lives in accidents. India has paid a very heavy price for LCA delays.
An $340 million upgrade program was started in 1996. These new aircraft are called MiG-21-93 in Russia and MiG-21UPG in India. While some will be upgraded in Russia, most upgradation will be done in India itself. The deal was meant to be completed within two years but the first two upgraded MiG-21-93 jets were only delivered to India in December 2000. The first 2 upgraded MiGs done in India were shipped to the IAF in May 2001. These new aircraft have a mix of French, Israeli, Indian and Russian equipment. It is claimed that the fighters are equivalent to any 4th Generation fighter, with the ability to lock on to 8 different targets at once. The upgrading of the 125 MiG-21s is now slated for 2005, with the implementation of the plan expected to enable the IAF to extend the life of the jets uptil 2015.
Apart from the MiG-21, LCA will also replace MiG-23 and MiG-27, also in service with the IAF.
Will the LCA itself be obsolete by 2015? Certainly not considering India's main rivals, China and the Pakistan fly aircraft like the Chinese F-7(a copy of MiG-21). Other Chinese fighters include the FC-1 (Fighter China 1) and the J-10(F-10 for foreign markets).
Rivals

FC-1 is based on the MiG-33 which was rejected by the Soviet Air Force. MiG-33 was a single engined version of MiG-29. Pakistan hopes to buy 150 of them to replace most of its existing air force while the Chinese Air Force does not want to purchase it. Lastest reports say that FC-1 may never enter production - Russia has refused to supply the powerful RD-93 engine. Pakistan has given the FC-1 the 'Super-7' designation.
FC-1 has not been flown. Chengdu is working on it though, and models have been displayed at many exhibitions. While FC-1 design itself is not very advanced, the fact is that China will buy many avionics components from outside and hence has the capability of getting the FC-1 into active service much before the LCA. However, recent reports suggest that it might now be replaced by a different design : J-7MF (a Chinese MiG-21 upgrade).

The J-10 started off as a chinese attempt at reverse engineering a Pakistan bought US F-16. However, it ended up being a modification of Israel's Lavi (Young Lion) multirole fighter. Lavi program was cancelled in 1987 in Israel due to political reasons. A J-10 crash in 1995 forced a shift manufacturing plans till atleast 2005 (flights resumed in 1998). The J-10 is believed to be powered by 122.6kN (27,650 lb) Saturn AL-31F turbofans with afterburners.

Interestingly, both LCA and J-10 are due to serve on indigenous Indian and Chinese aircraft carriers, both set to sail by 2010.

Two other contemporary aircraft began in the same period (1982/83): the European Eurofighter Typhoon and Swedish Jas-39 Gripen. The eurofighter first flew in March 1994 while Gripen took off in December 1988. Gripen joined squadron in 1998(making it the first new 4th generation fighter of the world) while Eurofighter will in 2002. Both faced problems with their digital flight control systems which enable the inherently unstable delta-wing aircraft to fly by using computers to command its flight control surfaces and provide unusual moaneuverability to the jets. Both are being promoted in the foreign markets. JAS-39 has already been chosen by the South African Air Force as their backbone. It is infact regarded as a direct competition to the LCA.
Indians have boldly claimed that the "LCA has more advanced technology than JAS- 39 Gripen and as much advanced technology as the Typhoon." And if it does, then it needs to be proved on the ground and in flight.

The Airplane
LCA has a double delta wing configuration with no tailplanes or foreplanes and features a single vertical fin. The LCA is constructed of aluminium-lithium alloys, carbon-fibre composites, and titanium. It's design has been configured to match the demands of modern combat scenario such as speed, acceleration, maneuverability and agility. Other features of the design include Short takeoff and landing, excellent flight performance, safety, damage-tolerant design, reliability and maintainability.
According to current estimates, the LCA will cost about $17-$20 million and efforts are being made to bring down the cost to $15 million. At this price the LCA has considerable bang for buck value. In comparison, a Su-30 fetches $35 million per piece for Russia, while France's Rafale cost $70+ million.
It integrates modern design concepts and the state-of-art technologies such as relaxed static stability, flyby-wire Flight Control System, Advanced Digital Cockpit, Multi-Mode Radar, Integrated Digital Avionics System and a Flat Rated Engine.
Around 70% of the jet is to be made in India itself. The rest will have to be imported for sometime. No mistake must be made with regards to LCA's modernity and design. It is truly advanced and has all the necessary equipment and more.
A naval carrier based version of LCA is also being developed. This version will feature a strengthened undercarriage and sturucture, additional leading edge control surfaces (in the area where the wing joins the fuselage) and lowered nose for better visibility. News reports suggest that US help has been sought for the LCA Navy. The 8th and 9th LCA prototypes built will be Naval version.

Air Frame Among the most significant breakthrough is the use of advance carbon composites for more than 40% of the LCA air frame, including wings, fin and fuselage. Apart from making it much lighter, there are less joints or rivets making the aeroplane more reliable. Fatigue strength studies on computer models optimise performance. National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) has played a lead role. Materials include Aluminium - Lithium alloys , Titanium alloy and Carbon compositites. Composities for wing (skin , spars and ribs ) fuselage (doors and skins), elevons, fin, rudder, airbrakes and landing gear doors.
The skin of the LCA measures 3 mm at its thickest with the average thickness varying between 2.4 to 2.7 mm. BAe was consulted. The fin for the LCA is a monolithic honeycomb piece. No other manufacturer is known to have made fins out of a single piece. The cost of manufacture reduces by 80 per cent from Rs 2.5 million in this process. This is contrary to a subtractive or deductive method normally adopted in advanced countries, when the shaft is carved out of a block of titanium alloy by a computerized numerically controlled machine. A 'nose' for the rudder is added by 'squeeze' riveting.

A striking feature of the LCA is its small size. It is much smaller than even the JAS-39, which a ~1m longer. An effort was made to reduce the number of individual composite parts to the minimum and hence keep the plane light.

The use of composites results in a 40 per cent reduction in the total number of parts (if the LCA were built using a metallic frame): For instance, 3,000 parts in a metallic design would come down to 1,800 parts in a composite design. The number of fasteners has been reduced to half in the composite structure from 10,000 in the metallic frame. The composite design helped to avoid about 2,000 holes being drilled into the airframe. Though the weight comes down by 21 per cent, the most interesting prediction is the time it will take to assemble the LCA -- the airframe that takes 11 months to build can be done in seven months using composites.
When lightning strikes the LCA, four metal longerons stretching from end to end, afford protection. In addition, all the panels are provided with copper mesh. One out of five is 'bonding' bolt with gaskets to handle Electr-Magnetic Interference. Aluminum foils cover bolt heads while the fuel tank is taken care of with isolation and grounding.

LCA is expected to be highly maneuverable by virtue of its double delta wing and relaxed static unstability of its Fly-By-Wire system.

Flight Control and Software and Other Avionics

The LCA uses advanced digital fly-by-wire technology which essentially employs computers to optimise the aircraft's performance. Foreign companies were consulted. Infact, LCA avionics were first flight tested on a US F-16XL.

Witout the automatic flight control, the LCA will not be flyable, due to the Delta wing's inherent instability. As more and more flights are conducted, the software is updated to allow the aircraft to do more complex maneuvours. To combat the threat of obsolescence in the LCA Programme, a concerted effort has been made to introduce an Open-architecture Avionics system which permits hardware scalability and upgradability to state-of-the-art technology levels with reusability of the software.

LCA Avionics architecture is configured around a three bus system (MIL-STD-1553B) in a distributed environment. The heart of the system is a 32-bit Mission Computer (MC) which performs mission oriented computations, flight management, reconfiguration / redundancy management and in-flight system self-tests. In compliance with MIL-STD-1521 and 2167A standards, Ada language has been adopted for mission computer software.Accurate navigation and guidance is realised through RLG based Inertial Navigation System (INS) with provision for INS / Global Positioning System (GPS) integration. Jam resistant radio commumication system with advanced Electronic Warfare (EW) environment. In the EW suite, Electromagnetic and Electroptic receivers and jammers provide the necessary "soft-kill" capability.

The digital FBW system of the LCA is built around a quadruplex redundant architecture to give it a fail op-fail op-fail safe capability. It employs a powerful Digital Flight Control Computer (DFCC) comprising four computing channels, each powered by an independent power supply and all housed in a single line replaceable unit (LRU). The system is designed to meet a probability of loss of control of better than 1x10-7 per flight hour. The DFCC channels are built around 32-bit microprocessors and use a safe subset of Ada language for the implementation of software. The DFCC receives signals from quad rate, acceleration sensors, pilot control stick, rudder pedal, triplex air data system, dual air flow angle sensors, etc. The DFCC channels excite and control the elevon, rudder and leading edge slat hydraulic actuators. The computer interfaces with pilot display elements like multifunction displays through MIL-STD-1553B avionics bus and RS 422 serial link.

For maintenance the aircraft has more than five hundred Line Replaceable Units (LRUs), each tested for performance and capability to meet the severe operational conditions to be encountered.

Mission Computer(MC): MC performs the central processing functions apart from performing as Bus Controller and is the central core of the Avionics system. The hardware architecture is based on a dual 80386 based computer with dual port RAM for interprocessor communication. There are three dual redundant communication channels meeting with MIL-STD-1553B data bus specifications. The hardware unit development was done by ASIEO, Bangalore and Software Design & Development by ADA.
Control & Coding Unit (CCU): In the normal mode, CCU provides real time I/O access which are essentially pilot's controls and power on controls for certain equipment. In the reversionary mode, when MC fails, CCU performs the central processing functions of MC. The CCU also generates voice warning signals. The main processor is Intel 80386 microprocessor. The hardware is developed by RCI, Hyderabad and software by ADA.

Display Processors (DP): DP is one of the mission critical software intensive LRUs of LCA. The DP drives two types of display surfaces viz. a monochrome Head Up display (HUD) and two colour multifunction displays (MFDs). The equipment is based on four Intel 80960 microprocessors. There are two DPs provided (one normal and one backup) in LCA. These units are developed by ADE, Bangalore
Mission Preparation & Data Retrieval Unit (MPRU): MPRU is a data entry and retrieval unit of LCA Avionics architecture. The unit performs mission preparation and data retrieval functions. In the preparation mode, it transfers mission data prepared on Data Preparation Cartridge (DPC) with the help of ground compliment, to various Avionics equipment. In the second function, the MPRU receives data from various equipment during the Operational Flight Program (OFP) and stores data on Resident Cartridge Card (RCC). This unit is developed by LRDE, Bangalore.

USMS Electronic Units:

The following processor based digital Electronics Units (EU) are used for control and monitoring, data logging for fault diagnosis and maintenance.
Environment Control System Controller (ECSC)
Engine and Electrical Monitoring System Electronics Unit (EEMS-EU)
Digital Fuel Monitoring System Electronics Unit (DFM-EU)
Digital Hydraulics and Brake Management System Electronics Unit (DH-EU)
V/UHF Equipment: V/UHF equipment is a secure jam resisant airborne radio communication set which provides simplex two way voice and data communication in the VHF and UHF frequency bands. This unit is developed by HAL, Hyderabad.

Multi Function Keyboard (MFK):

MFK is an interfce for pilot dialogue concerning certain selected equipment of Avionics system. It comprises LCD panel, alphanumeric keys, push buttions for power ON / OFF and LEDs indicating power ON / OFF status of certain Avionics equipment. This unit is developed by BEL, Bangalore.
Head Up Display (HUD): HUD is of conventional type with a Total Field of View (TFOV) of 24 degrees circular. A Change Coupled Device (CCD) based camera is mounted on the HUD for recording purposes. HUD dsplays various navigation and weapon related data. This unit is developed by CSIO, Chandigarh.

Colour Multi Function Displays (MFDs): LCD based colour MFDs hava a useful screen area of 125 mm x 125 mm. They have soft keys around their periphery for interaction with the systems. This display provides various aircraft system pages and navigation pages in addition to RADAR & FLIR display.
Digital fly-by-wire Flight Control System is another advanced feature of LCA. The unstable configuration of LCA demands a highly efficient Integrated Flight Control System (IFCS) to fly the aircraft. Control law resident in the flight control computer synthesises inputs from pilot's stick and rudder pedals with flight parameters from inertial and airdata measurements to generate commands to the actuators that move various control surfaces. The design of the control law is evaluated susing real-time flight simulator for acceptable flight handling qualities. The IFCS ensures stability, agility, manoeuvrability and carefree handling over the entire operating envelope of LCA. The Digital Flight Control Computer (DFCC) is the heart of IFCS, and uses a quadruplex redundant system to achieve high reliability and safety.

Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) activity is an integral part of the Software development process. From requirement specification to final testing, IV&V ensures correctness, consistency, completeness and adherence to MIL standards of the software.
The flight control system along with all the associated software is tested and validated at the iron-bird rig.
The Cockpit
Its new-generation glass cockpit has the latest avionics systems for pilot comfort and efficiency. No tangle of dials and switches. Multi-function digital displays provide information of all vital parameters with the click of a button. Critical information is flashed on the head-up display. Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) and NAL were major partner in these developments.

Two Multi Function Displays present required information to the pilot. Critical information required in close combat situations is flashed onto the Head Up Display. Hands on Throttle and Stick (HOTAS) concept ensures availability of every control needed during a critical combat situation, right under the fingers of the pilot. The Environmental Control System (ECS) is designed to give a high degree of comfort to the pilot and to provide adequate cooling to all onboard electronic systems. The compressed air for pressurisation of cockpit, radar and fuel tank is also supplied by ECS.
ADA has also tied up with India's National Institute of Design (NID), Ahemdabad to bring in the elements of ergonomics and modular design. The aim is to help build the aircraft in such a manner that it has more standardised units or dimensions allowing increased flexibility. The NID design team for this project will be lead by Dr S Ghosal who is the director of NID's Bangalore centre.

Weapons
The LCA has a choice of seven pylons three under each wing and one under its fuselage to carry a wide range of armoury. It is designed to be a precision launch platform with air-to-air missiles and air-to-ground weapons, including laser guided bombs. A total of 4000 kg can be carried. Plenty of work to be done. It is expected that the R-73 (AA-12 Archer) will be integrated into the PV-1.

LCA will be armed with a Gasha Gsh-23mm gun. The R-73 will be directed by a Helmet Mounted Sight (HMS) ensuring quick action. It is not clear what medium range AAMs it will carry - the IAF currently operates the Matra Super 530D, R-27RE1 and RVV-AE(R-77) BVR missiles. The choice depends a lot on the radar, unlike dogfight missiles which are usually heat seeking. For example, IAF has integrated both Magic-2 and R-60MK with the MiG-21. A range of weapons, from Russia, West or India will be made available.
A total of 7 hardpoints will be available: 3 on each wing plus one under the fuselage.
As the name itself suggests, LCA's delivery capacity will not be high compared to say the Su-30, but it can carry as much as the MiG-2ML, which the IAF's primary Close Air Support (CAS) fighter. Hence even with LCA's multi-role capability the IAF will need a 'bigger' fighter - the Su-30MKI Super Flanker has already been picked as its frontline fighter for the first Quater of the 21st Century (Su-30MKI Info and pictures).
RadarThe multi-mode radar is to take care of detection, tracking, terrain mapping and delivery of guided weapons. The track-while-scan feature keeps track of multiple targets (maximum 10) and also allows simultaneous multiple target engagement. Pulse-Doppler gives the look-down shoot-down capability. Ground mapping feature, frequency agility and other ECCM techniques make the radar truly state-of-the-art.
The antenna is a light weight (less than 5 kg), low profile slotted waveguide array with a multilayer feed network for broad band operation. The salient technical features are: two plane monopulse signals, low side lobe levels and integrated IFF, and GUARD and BITE channels. The heart of MMR is the signal processor, which is built around VLSI-ASICs and i960 processors to meet the functional needs of MMR in different modes of its operation. Its role is to process the radar receiver output, detect and locate targets, create ground map, and provide contour map when selected. Post-detection processor resolves range and Doppler ambiguities and forms plots for subsequent data processor. The special feature of signal processor is its real-time configurability to adapt to requirements depending on selected mode of operation.
To be jointly developed by State owned HAL and Electronics Radar Development Establishment (ERDE) the project has run into major delays and cost escalations.
Two Avro aircraft - HS748M have been modified for the purposes of testing the radar. The idea of doing these tests on an Avro is that these planes can fly for a longer time and hence collect a lot more data.
PV-2 is planned to be equipped with the Radar and Fire Control System (FCS).
Engine & Fuel System
Kaveri engine is a two-spool bypass turbofan engine having three stages of transonic low pressure compressor driven by a single-stage low pressure turbine. The core engine consists of six-stage transonic compressor driven by single-stage cooled high pressure turbine. The engine is provided with a compact annular combustor with airblast atomisers. The aerothermodynamic and mechanical designs of engine components have been evolved using many in-house and commercially developed software for solid and fluid mechanics.

Kaveri three-stage transonic fan, designed for good stall margin and bird strike capability, handles an air mass flow of 78 kg/s and develops a pressure Combustion Chamber Liner ratio of 3.4. The six-stage variable capacity transonic compressor of Kaveri develops a pressure ratio of 6.4. The variable schedule of inlet guide vanes and two rows of stator is through FADEC control system to open the stator blades in a predetermined manner. High intensity low UD ratio annular combustor of Kaveri engine incorporates air blast injection of fuel for uniform outlet temperature profile and reduced carbon emission.
Kaveri high pressure turbine is provided with an efficient cooling design incorporating augmented convection-cum-film cooling for the vanes and combination cooling for the rotor blade to handle up to 1700 K turbine entry temperature. Kabini engine comprising high pressure compressor, combustor and high pressure turbine has undergone high altitude test at facilities abroad successfully demonstrating the flat rating concept of Kaveri engine assembly and in particular the combustor high altitude ignition and stability performances.
Kaveri engine has been specifically designed for Indian environment. The engine is a variable cycle-flat-rated engine in which the thrust drop due to high ambient, forward speed is well compensated by the increased turbine entry temperature at the spool Kabini altitude test speed. This concept has been already demonstrated with high temperature and pressure condition in DRDO's High Mach Facility. Kaveri engine is controlled by Kaveri full authority digital control unit {KADECU), which has been developed and successfully demonstrated at DRDO's test bed.
Kaveri
Air-mass flow
78 kg/s
By-pass ratio
0.16
Overall pressure ratio
21.5
Turbine entry temperature
1487-1700 K
Maximum dry thrust
52 kN (5302 kg)
Maximum dry SFC
0.78 kg/hr/kg
After burner maximum power thrust
81 kN (8260 kg)
After burner maximum power SFC
2.03 kg/hr/kg
Thrust-to-weight ratio
7.8
Currently, the protoypes are powered by the US made GE F404 engine. India's Defence Research and Development Organisation [DRDO] had purchased 11 F404 engines for the LCA project in the 1990s but further collaboration with the engine's manufacturers is no longer possible due to sanctions imposed by the US in the wake of India's nuclear tests of 1998. The US sanctions against India have now been lifted by the Bush Administration. Another lot of 40 engines were ordered but it is not clear whether the deal has been signed on the dotted line.
The HF-24 Marut could not achieve its full potential due to the abscence of a suitable powerplant. Currently, the only Jet Engine developed completely in India remains the one used in the Lakshya drone.
The State owned Gas Turbine Research Establishment [GTRE] was to indigenously develop the Kaveri engine to power the LCA. But there have been major slippages in all the milestones apart from cost overruns of Rs 380 crore. It is difficult work but is finally getting underway.
It was initially expected that a LCA (PV-1) with a Kaveri engine will fly in 2002 - it now seems unlikely it will. GRTE has made four Kaveri engines and one of these, the K4, will be sent to Russia [which has inexpensive testing facilities] for high-altitude tests in the second half of 2001. The test-bed is a Tupolew Tu-16 bomber. These airborne tests will allow Indian scientists to study the functioning of the engine in flight. Some 80 hrs of airborne testing and around 1000 hrs of ground testing had been completed by February 2001. Atleast 1000 hrs of flight testing are needed for air-worthiness certification.
The Jet Fuel Starter [JFS] GTSU-110 is indigenous and has the capability to provide in flight starting of the LCA main engine up to an altitude of 6 km. It has been successfully tested at Leh, which has the world's highest altitude airport.
It is now clear that the LCA will be inducted initially with GE engines and later be upgraded with the Kaveri. It is now certain that atleast the first couple of PVs will be powered by the F404.
Fuel tanks are integrated into the fuselage and wings. For extended range, additional 800 lt / 1200 lt fuel tanks are carried at midboard / inboard wing stations and also at centreline station under the fuselage. The inflight refuelling probe further extends the range and endurance.
The GE F404 is a rather popular engine: F/A-18 Hornet, F-117 Nighthawk and even the famed B-2 Stealth bomber is powered by (Four) F404s! The JAS-39 too is powered by a modification of the F404 made by Volvo. When the Rafale prototype first flew, it too had the GE F404 engines. The Rafale has entered service with the M88 and infact the M88 has been offered to India. Now that the sanctions are gone, it is unlikely that either the M88 or the other european counterpart EJ200 (used in the Eurofighter and perhaps later in the JAS-39) will ever be seen in the LCA. Snecma however, is collaborating with GTRE to develop the Kaveri.
Stealth Features
Stealth is an important feature for all new combat aircraft coming up. LCA does not have any stealth charactristics like in F-117 or F-22, but considering its small size, tail-less design and simple delta wing config, a GE-404 engine(atleast for now) - which is also used in the F-117 - it should be stealthier that atleast a MiG-21 or MiG-23/27. It is also expected that LCA will get DRDO developed Radar-absorbent paint. Composites are inherently stealthier than metal.
Timeline
Note: Rs 1 crore = Rs 10 million, $1 = Rs 47
1985: LCA launched with a time frame of 10 years after the Union cabinet sanctioned Rs 560 crore for the project in 1983. Aeronautical Development Agency to be the nodal agency.
1988: ADA prepares project definition phase (PDP) after consulting MBB, France, on some aspects.
1990: Air HQ finds PDP deficient in crucial parameters. Expert committee formed to resolve deadlock. It is agreed that two technology demonstration aircraft to be built before investments cleared for production.
1993: After three years of uncertainty, Phase 1 is sanctioned at a cost Rs 2,188 crore. Milestones include a roll out of first aircraft by 1995 and first flight by 1996.
1995: Roll out does happen but there are serious doubts as to whether the first flight would occur as major problems bedevil flight control systems as well as mastery over composites.
1998: With the aircraft far from ready, the US sanctions after Pokhran tests cause setbacks in flight control technologies and systems integration.
1999: Low speed and high speed taxi trials are done. But flight trials delayed because of minor fire caused by overheating valve near cockpit.
2001: First flight on January 4. More flights follow, including one on Feb 9 at Aero India 2001 [Bangalore, February 7 to 11]. It completes it's first block of tests on June 2.
Within 10 days after the first flight, both MiG and Sukhoi Bureaus expressed desire for joint LCA manufacture. Deputy Prime Minister[Russia] Ilya Klebanov too brought up this issue during his visit to India. They also offered to co-operate with India to develop a 5th Generation fighter(LFI). Other 5th gen aircraft include USA's ATF F-22 Raptor and Joint Strike Fighter [JSF].
LCA completed its first batch of tests in 12 flights instead of 15 - ahead of schedule - on June 2, 2001. TD-1 was subsequently sent for further modifications including advanced flight controls software as well as extended range of flight endurance.
For TD-1's block of first 12 flights:
Max Velocity: 610 km/h(0.71 Mach) Max Altitude: 8 km Max Angle of Attack: 18 degrees
Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Limited Series Production of Indian LCA. 8 aircraft are to be delivered by 2006.

2002: The TD-2 (KH2002) flies for 30 mins on 6.jun.2002. It is piloted by Wing Commander Tarun Banerjee.
India now has 4 pilots who have flown the LCA. Wing Commander Kothiyal flew the first six on TD-1, Wg. Cdr. Nambiar piloted the TD-1 on the next six flights. Wg. Cdr. Banerjee flew the TD-2 on its first 4 flights. "I think it's going to be an aircraft that our fighter pilots are going to love", he remarked after the first one. Sqd Ldr Sunith Krishna flew for the first time in the LCA on the TD-2's 5th flight.
Following TD-2's first flight, Kota Harinarayan left ADA for a stint at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. M.B.Verma took over as Programme Director.
Along with the LCA, India is also developing aircraft like Saras, a 14 seater civilian turboprop aeroplane, Hansa trainer and Intermediate Jet Trainer [IJT]. The sub-sonic IJT, whose first flight should take place in 2002, will replace the aged Kiran jet trainers. IJT shares some 100 parts with the LCA. The IAF has placed orders for 225 such aircraft which cost $5 million a piece.
TD-2 during its first flight (Right). TD-2 raised its undercarriage on this flight unlike the TD-1.These are vidcaps from the Mirage-2000TH chase plane that is employed on every LCA flight.
Total number of LCA TD-1 (KH2001) flights (Last Flight June 2, 2001) : 12
Total number of LCA TD-2 (KH2002) flights (Last Flight August 17, 2002) : 5
Stats
Length :
13.2 m
Height :
4.4 m
Wingspan :
8.2 m
Weight :
5.5 ton
Max. Speed :
Mach 1.8
Propulsion :
GE-F404 F2J3 18,097 lbs GTRE GTX-35VS Kaveri 20,200 lbs
Armament :
7 stations, 4 ton
Altitude :
50,000 ft
Fuel capacity:
3000 L
Flight Record
TD-1 (KH2001)
1.
January 4, 2001
18 min3100 m(wheels down)
2.
January 30, 2001
52 min
3.
February 3, 2001
23 min
4.
February 9, 2001(Aero India 2001)
~20 min4000 m560 kmph
5.
2001

6.
2001

7.
March 20, 2001

8.
2001

9.
2001

10.
2001

11.
May 31, 2001

12.
June 2, 2001

TD-2 (KH2002)
1.
June 6, 2002
28 min600 kmph
2.
July 6, 2002
30 min
3.
July 9, 2002
30 min
4.
July 26, 2002
~60 min(?)
5.
August 17, 2002
26 minPilot: Sqdn Ldr Sunith Krishna
The development effort for the LCA is lead by ADA. Apart from govt labs and agencies, many educational institutes and private companies also have a role. A list of some of the government agencies involved in the LCA and MCA projects:
Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA)
Aeronautical Defense Establishment (ADE)
Defense Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
National Aerospace Laboratries (NAL)
Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE)
National Test Flight Centre (NTFC), Hosur (near Bangalore)
Electronic Radar Development Establishment (ERDE)
Council for scientific and Industrial Researh(CSIR)
Some of the people associated with LCA development:
ADA Programme Director: M.B.Verma
Programme Director,NFTC: Air Marshal Philip Rajkumar
Project Director,General Systems: K.G. Vivek
K.V.L.Rao, Project Director,Propulsion Systems
T.G.Pai, Project Director,Technology Development, LCA Navy
M.B.Verma, Project Director, General System
Director-General, Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA): Vasudeva Aatre
Test/Chase Pilots: Wing Commander Rajiv Kothiyal, Wing Commander R Nambiar, Wing Commander Banerjee
Director, National Institute of Advanced Studies: Roddam Narasimha(chairman of the committee that reviewed the LCA in 1990)
HAL Chairman: C.G. Krishnadas Nair
NID LCA Team Leader: Dr S Ghosal
Head of Advanced Composites Unit,NAL: M.Subba Rao
Director-General (CSIR): Dr R.A Mashelkar

Manned Spaceflight Plans For India To The ISS And Beyond

2006-01-18T11:30:00.000+05:30

Manned Spaceflight Plans For India To The ISS And Beyond

The Geostationary Launch Vehicle that ISRO has already successfully used three times can put at least two or three tons into low Earth orbit (LEO). From its launch site on the Bay of Bengal, it could reach the ISS with a reasonable load of fuel, water, or other supplies. This India Space Logistics Vehicle (ISLV) could be designed by India's own space industry, with minimal help from the US or Russia, and prove to be far more cost effective than existing craft. Mumbai, India (SPX) Jan 16, 2006India is at a crossroads in its national space development program, having to decide if it will invest more of its small budget on manned space flight - which could be very lucrative, long-term, but which depends on certain conditions beyond its present control- or on continued robotic and scientific missions designed to benefit national development goals.Indian Space Research Organisation's Chairman, G Madhavan Nair, recently announced that his country will decide in a year's time on whether to develop a manned space mission.
"We have to first decide how far such a manned mission is beneficial and whether we can afford to remain without it. Only a national debate can throw up answers for a consensus to go for a manned mission," he said. Such a program is expected to cost up to Rs 15,000 to 20,000 crore.
"We need to develop a lot of new technologies to build a life-supporting system, a space capsule with safety features to survive, and a recovery operation to complete the mission. If it is decided, then we do not want to lag behind in our preparations," Nair said, adding it will take at least seven to eight years for the agency to prepare for the mission.
An un-manned mission, by comparison, would cost around Rs 3000 crore, "therefore, it has to be debated and decided whether it is worthwhile to go on with a manned mission, when the same can be achieved by robotic instruments," he added.
India sent its first astronaut, Rakesh Sharma (the 138th astronaut to go into space), aboard the Soviet spacecraft Salyut 7 in April 1984, while another astronaut, the Indian-American Kalpana Chawla (who flew into space on board the Challenger twice), was killed along with six others in the Columbia shuttle disaster in February on February 1, 2003.
The United States offered to include an Indian astronaut in future manned-space missions during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Washington, in July 2005, but haven't made any further commitments yet.
"ISRO is still reviewing the possibility of sending an Indian astronaut in the US-backed International Space Mission. But so far no such proposal has been drafted", Mr Nair also said recently.
If an Indian citizen were to visit the ISS, alleged areas of study would include protein synthesis, aerobic cell cultivation and efficacy of yogic exercises under micro gravity.
Since the Soviets orbited Rakesh Sharma in 1984, India has refocussed its space activities on finding ways to use space technology for the direct benefit of India's national development goals. As India becomes a greater player in the global economy, though, ISRO's policy is changing - with the Chandrayaan 1 moon probe a sign, perhaps, that India is aiming at becoming a full-fledged space power with civilian, commercial, military, and even human space capabilities.
The key to helping India build its human spaceflight program is the United States' role in the ISS partnership. As an apparent new long-term strategic and economic partner of the US, it's in America's national interest to see India develop some of its space activities in close cooperation with the US.
President Bush has committed the US to finishing the ISS assembly process by around 2010, which it will then use for human spaceflight research, until about 2015, after which, it plans to stop funding ISS operations and concentrate on the human exploration of the Moon and Mars.
There are no official US plans for the ISS after this date but it seems unlikely that America's partners would abandon the complex. It is probable that, within the next few years, negotiations will begin covering the long-term future of the ISS, whereby the US might consider handing over to India some of its ownership rights in the ISS. If this happens, one could expect future ISS crews to include at least one Indian astronaut.
After 2015 the ISS partnership will have to evolve into something quite different from what it is today. The US will fade into the background while the Russians, Japanese and Europeans will share the leading roles. India - and perhaps China - will have the chance to fill the void left by the Americans.
India would earn its stake in the ISS by developing and building an automated logistics spacecraft, like Russia's Progress or Europe's Automated Transfer Vehicle (ATV).
The Geostationary Launch Vehicle (GSLV) that ISRO has already successfully used three times can put at least two or three tons into low Earth orbit (LEO). From its launch site on the Bay of Bengal, it could reach the ISS with a reasonable load of fuel, water, or other supplies. This India Space Logistics Vehicle (ISLV) could be designed by India's own space industry, with minimal help from the US or Russia, and prove to be far more cost effective than existing craft.
India may even want to design the ISLV so that it could evolve to deliver cargo anywhere within cislunar space, including, eventually, the surface of the Moon. A low-cost, Earth-to-Moon supply carrier, launched by a future version of the GSLV, might be a valuable business niche for India's future, giving the country a strong claim for participation in the Vision for Space Exploration.

Stardust in Excellent Condition

2006-01-16T14:29:00.000+05:30

The US space probe "Stardust" which i reffered in my earlier blog was reportedly in superb condition after returning to Earth Sunday carrying precious dust from stars and comets, according to mission officials.
The 46-kilogram (101-pound) capsule was in "absolute excellent condition" after landing in the Utah desert, ending a seven-year journey across billions of kilometers (miles) in space, said Joe Vellinga, the Stardust program manager for US aeronautics firm Lockheed Martin.
Launched in 1999, Stardust collected the samples in the first attempt to gather, beyond the Moon, space particles that date back to before our solar system was born, or about 4.5 billion years ago.
Scientists believe the samples could offer vital clues about the origins of our solar system.
"I am very proud to say that after seven years and almost 2.9 billion miles (4.63 billion kilometers), in a harsh environement space, the Stardust capsule is back on earth, back home in our hands," said Andrew A. Dantzler, director of NASA's Solar System Division. as reported in CNN.com
NASA described the capsule's entry speed -- at 46,444 kilometers per hour (28,860 miles per hour) -- as the fastest ever of any human-made object, topping the record set in May 1969 by the returning Apollo 10 command module.
"When we saw that drop chute open, we knew we were home safe," said Tom Duxbury, the mission's manager for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

US Probe Stardust Returning To Earth With Rare Samples

2006-01-13T13:38:00.000+05:30

After a seven-year journey, US space probe Stardust is scheduled to deliver to Earth on Sunday samples of rare dust it has collected from stars and comets that scientists believe could offer vital clues about the solar system's origins.

A capsule weighing 46 kilograms (101 pounds) and carrying a teaspoonful of space dust is expected to land in a Utah desert at 1012 GMT Sunday after flying 4.63 billion kilometers (2.88 billion miles) in space, or 10,000 times more than the distance separating Earth from the Moon.
The samples were collected during the first attempt to gather beyond the Moon space particles that date back to before the solar system was born, or about 4.5 billion years ago.
It also follows the 1972 mission of Apollo 17 that allowed US astronauts to bring Moon rocks back to Earth.
"Locked within the cometary particles is unique chemical and physical information that could be the record of the formation of the planets and the materials from which they were made," said Don Brownlee, Stardust principal investigator at the University of Washington, Seattle.
Launched in 1999, the 385-kilogram (849-pound) probe, circled the Sun twice and then flew in January 2002 by comet Wild 2, which was located at the time next to Jupiter.
During the hazardous traverse, the spacecraft first deployed a shield to protect itself from gases and space dust contained in the halo of the comet.
It then flew within 240 kilometers (149 miles) of Wild 2, catching samples of comet particles and scoring detailed pictures of Wild 2's pock-marked surface.
The 72 pictures of Wild 2 taken by the probe show its rugged surface, including craters as well as about 20 "geysers" spewing gas and dust.
During 195 days of the flight, NASA engineers used a collector to gather interstellar dust that will allow scientists to study the make-up of stars.
The special collector contains aerogel, a unique substance that can trap the particles and store the precious cargo safely until it's returned to Earth.
Mary Cleave, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, said the load Stardust will return to Earth could help space explorers on many future missions.
"Comets are some of the most informative occupants of the solar system," she said. "The more we can learn from science exploration missions like Stardust, the more we can prepare for human exploration to the moon, Mars and beyond."
If everything goes according to plan, on Sunday at 0557 GMT, Stardust will release its return capsule.
About Four hours later, the capsule will enter Earth's atmosphere 410,000 feet (125 kilometers) over the Pacific Ocean.
The capsule will release a drogue parachute at approximately 105,000 feet (32 kilometers).
Once the capsule has descended to about 10,000 feet (three kilometers), its main parachute will deploy.
The capsule is scheduled to land at a military base in Utah at 1012 GMT.
After the capsule lands, a helicopter crew will fly it to the US Army Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, for initial processing.
If the weather is inclement and helicopters cannot fly, special off-road vehicles will retrieve the capsule and return it to Dugway.
The samples will be moved to a special laboratory at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where they will be preserved and studied.
The analysis could take scientists as long as 10 years. The work, according to one scientist, could be compared to finding 45 ants on a football field, studying five square centimeters of earth at a time.
To help the researchers, the University of California, Berkeley, has launched a drive to recruit 30,000 volunteer students, who will have access to a powerful microscope via the Internet.

2006-01-08T17:03:00.000+05:30

MultipleMode of DOS operations..

U.S Air Force Wants Space War Game

2006-01-08T17:00:00.001+05:30

U.S Air Force Wants Space War Game

Blasting space ships can be mighty fun, as anyone who's ever played Galaga can tell you. The Air Force thinks it can put all that joystick time to good use, too -- by using games to help airmen prepare for real-life outer space combat.
The service is looking for game maker to build a sim for what it calls “counterspace operations” -- military-speak for stopping enemy satellites.
Right now, it’s hard to train folks to handle these kinds of missions. Wargaming in orbit is an expensive and risky proposition. And most – but definitely not all -- of the coolest counterspace toys are still on the drawing board. So the Air Force wants a video game “where these tasks can be trained and rehearsed in a realistic set of scenarios and simulations.”
“Access to any classified data would be eliminated” in the simulation, the Air Force says in its request for proposals (scroll down). “[B]ut the training that is provided could be conceptually valid and of sufficient fidelity to support the key [counterpsace] tasks.”
The idea of using games to train kids for a space fight has been around for years – at least since 1985’s sci-fi classic, Ender’s Game.
The U.S. armed forces have been using games to prep its troops for even longer. Back in World War II, a flight simulator in New York’s Coney Island amusement park was turned into a training tool for military pilots. Recent years have only brought the worlds of gaming and the world of war closer, as more of combat has become a matter of pushing the right buttons; and the game have grown more realistic.
Still, you’ve got to hope that this new sim won’t be too true-to-life. What’s a space game, after all, without a tractor beams and a “challenging stage?”

2006-01-08T17:00:00.000+05:30

Satellite Based "DOS" weapons..

2006-01-08T16:59:00.000+05:30

Land Based Satellite/ASAT Weapons

2006-01-08T16:56:00.000+05:30

Counter Space Weapons Intended or in Service with the USAF

2006-01-08T15:04:00.000+05:30

Light Combat Aircraft - "TEJAS"

Background:The Light Combat Aircraft Program was started with Two Goals, a, Indigenous Production of a combat aircraft for the Air force with its requirement as a base rather than stretching or curtailing operational parameters. b, To replace the aging MiG-21 Fighters/Fighter-Bombers, nearing (or some say) end of operational life.Conception & Development :Due to the force’s familiarity with old-soviet era hardware and the mission parameters , the basic design overlay and requirement was floated by the then Air force operations directorate. The DRDO, HAL and various agencies were involved in the initial design of the same by 1983 (that was when I was 3 yrs old L) . In 1985 the overall coordination of the project was given to the Aeronautical Development Agency., With HAL taking the back seat as prime contractor. HAL brought about the integration of the various works being done under various Govt. labs and Universities (including IITs of course) . But like most of the programs before (I really am ashamed to state it here) some technology wasn’t in place or cannot be sourced. But that didn’t stop the development though significantly delayed, It was decided to design 2-4 Technology demonstrators to see if we could design this. And viola.! By 1995 march the 1st of the TD-1 was rolled out . And soon certain problems emerged like the composites (which up to that stage were never fabricated in India or worst didn’t had facilities for their fabrication in a mass level) and some 3 years we also got the Sanctions from Clinton administration due to the “Laughing Buddha” events., and the GE404 engines were in the list of restricted technologies and we hadn’t had a clue how to test the Indigenous “Kaveri” engine for Hi-Altitude Flight simulation and had to get help from the Russian(S) friends, though they were more interested in selling the Klimov 513E engines rather than test our engines . And finally we somehow tested and being making some improvements (what its, I really don’t understand , may be they are doing the engines MS style. Releasing or completing before the proj is over and sending SP and bug fixes for five years). And in 2003 we also named in “Tejas” by our former PM . Vajpayee. Now we are really in a breakthrough (the reason I thought of posting it in the 1st place) The Engine is in place and the technology (I really admire the electronics part (not bcoz I am an electronics engr) but because its really amazing)

Features:
If I told you , that it’s the world’s most technologically advanced fighter in its class , would you believe me? . but the answer is surprisingly yes.
The digital FBW system of the LCA is built around a quadrauplex redundant architecture to give it a fail-op-fail-op-fail safe capability. It employs a powerful digital flight control computer (DFCC) comprising four (independent ) computing channels, each powered by an independent power supply and all housed in a single line replaceable unit (LRU). The system is designed to meet a probability of loss of control of better than 1x10-7 per flight hour. The DFCC channels are built around 32-bit microprocessors (though talks suggest this may be upgraded to the 64bit elrbus based core manufactured locally in BEL in operational versions) and use a safe subset of Ada language for the implementation of software. The DFCC receives signals from quad rate, acceleration sensors, pilot control stick, rudder pedal, triplex air data system, dual air flow angle sensors, RWR , Satellite Navigation Beacons, C4P and many others mission and op-sensors. The DFCC channels excite and control the elevon, rudder and leading edge slat hydraulic actuators. The computer interfaces with pilot display elements like multifunction displays through MIL-STD-1553B avionics bus and RS 422 serial link. Multi-mode radar (MMR) is the primary mission sensor of the LCA in its air defence role, will be a key determinant of the operational effectiveness of the fighter. This is an X-band, pulse Doppler radar with air-to-air, air-to-ground and air-to-sea modes. Its track-while-scan capability caters to radar functions under multiple target environment

And when I tell its amazing , I mean the following ,

This quadrauplex redundancy is yet to be perfected by Boeing and (believe) Boeing is talking with HAL for the Tech-transfer for that.
This elevon , rudder and leading control surface is really one of its kind tech and Not even Lockheed-Martin F-22 has been able to adapt it .(its said the F-35 and Eurofighter along with S-37(not su-37)employs them )
The Antenna is really very-light in weight , supposedly <5Kg and can simultaneously track upto 25 targets and can lock on to 2 diff target at once (ie. An Arial target and a ground or sea based target whose coordinates can be passed to other fighter-bombers or sea/land assets or may be it can engage with its ordinance itself) . this capability is new in our country outside of Vetrivel (Su-30MKI) Actually I can write on and on but its really great with one short coming though the engines and their development. And I personally feel that we can go on for some engine intermediately while kaveri is being developed . May be Klimov or Snemeca (I don’t favour Ge404 or B.Ae because they are highly underpowered than the airforce’s requirement) Other technical specs are given below.

HISTORY:
First Flight : January 2001

Service Entry :planned for 2005 to 2010

CREW: 1 (Pilot)

ESTIMATED COST: $21 million (FY:2000)

AIRFOIL SECTIONS:
Wing Root : composites and Duralmium Alloy
Wing Tip : FRB and Titanium aluminium alloy

DIMENSIONS:
Length 43.27 ft (13.20 m)
Wingspan 26.88 ft (8.20 m)
Height 14.42 ft (4.40 m)
Wing Area 412.6 ft2 (38.4 m2)
Canard Area :not applicable

WEIGHTS:
Empty 12,125 lb (5,500 kg)
Typical Load 18,740 lb (8,500 kg)
[clean] Max Takeoff 27,560 lb (12,500 kg)
Fuel Capacity internal: 795 gal (3,000 L)
external: 1,055 gal (4,000 L)
Max Payload 8,820 lb (4,000 kg)

PROPULSION:

Powerplant (prototype) one General Electric F404-F2J3 turbofan
(production) one GTRE GTX-35VS Kaveri turbofan

Thrust (F404) 18,100 lb (80.50 kN)(GTX) 20,200 lb (89.86 kN)

PERFORMANCE:
Max Level Speed at altitude: 1,195 mph (1,920 km/h)
at 36,000 ft (11,000 m), Mach 1.8 at sea level: unknown
Initial Climb Rate unknown
Service Ceiling 50,000 ft (15,250 m)
Range 460 nm (850 km) g-Limits +9 / -3.5

ARMAMENT: Gun one 23-mm GSh-23 twin-barrel cannon (220 rds) Stations seven external hardpoints Air-to-Air Missile medium- and short-range AAM Air-to-Surface Missile up to two conventional cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles Bomb laser-guided bombs, conventional bombs Other rocket pods

KNOWN VARIANTS: LCA-TD-1 First technology demonstrator equipped with a General Electric F404 turbofan LCA-TD-2 Second technology demonstrator LCA-PV-1 thru PV-4 Single-seat prototype vehicles that should be at or very close to production form, equipped with in-flight refueling capability LCA-PV-5 Two-seat trainer prototype vehicle LCA Production model for the Indian Air Force Trainer Two-seat trainer model Navy model A navalized version with strengthened landing gear and a redesigned forward fuselage has been proposed for use aboard a future Indian aircraft carrier MCA Planned Medium Combat Aircraft derived from the LCA, supposed to possess greater stealth characteristics and thrust-vectoring capability

KNOWN COMBAT RECORD: not yet in combat service
KNOWN OPERATORS: India ·

Sources and Methods
Specs from FAS and many petty discussion groups and some official groups like DRDO and ADA. Picture courtesy of ADA and may be subject to copyright .

Special Thanks : I really longed long to write this long time before but since Chandra asked me to post some details If I can .

For Further information See:
www.drdo.com/products/lca.htm
www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ac/row/lca.htm
www.defencejournal.com/jun99/lca.htm
www.bharat-rakshak.com/IAF/Info/LCA-Section.html
http://www.ada.gov.in/