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Exploring the Future: What to Expect from ISRO's Chandrayaan 4 Mission

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 The Chandrayaan 4 Mission: A New Era in India's Space Exploration Chandrayaan 4 mission The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is gearing up for its ambitious Chandrayaan-4 mission, scheduled for launch in 2027. This mission aims to build on the successes of its predecessors, Chandrayaan-1 , Chandrayaan-2 , and Chandrayaan-3 , by not only achieving a soft landing on the Moon's south pole but also collecting and returning lunar samples to Earth. This will mark India's first attempt at a lunar sample return mission, placing ISRO among the select group of space agencies that have successfully brought extraterrestrial material to Earth. Mission Objectives and Strategy The primary objectives of the Chandrayaan-4 mission are to achieve a safe and gentle landing on the lunar surface, collect and store lunar samples, lift off from the Moon's surface, dock and undock in lunar orbit, transfer samples between spacecraft modules, and return the collected samples safely to...

India's Gaganyaan Mission

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 India's Gaganyaan Mission: A Leap Towards Manned Spaceflight India's Gaganyaan Mission: A Leap Towards Manned Spaceflight India's Gaganyaan mission, spearheaded by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), stands as a monumental leap in the nation's space exploration endeavors. This ambitious project aims to send Indian astronauts into space, marking India's entry into the elite league of countries capable of human spaceflight. With the Gaganyaan mission, India is not only showcasing its technological prowess but also igniting the aspirations of its citizens, especially the youth. Genesis of the Mission The Gaganyaan mission was officially announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day speech on August 15, 2018. He articulated a vision for India to send astronauts, referred to as “ Gagannauts ,” into space by 2022 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. While the timeline has since been extended, the mission remains ...

ISRO's NGLV Rocket: What's the Big Deal

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NGLV: Will This Rocket Change Space Travel? The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is making significant strides in space technology with the development of its Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV). This new rocket is designed to replace the aging Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV), offering enhanced capabilities and cost-efficiency. ISRO New rocket NGLV The NGLV is a three-stage, partially reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle. It features a robust design that allows for bulk manufacturing, modularity in systems, sub-systems, and stages, and minimal turnaround time. The vehicle's first stage is powered by semi-cryogenic propulsion, using refined kerosene as fuel and liquid oxygen (LOX) as an oxidizer.  This design choice not only improves the rocket's performance but also reduces the overall cost of launches. One of the key advantages of the NGLV is its high payload capacity. It can carry up to 30 tonnes to...
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India to launch its first satellite on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket Gsat_20/falcon9 I ndia is set to launch its first satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in a historic mission that marks a new era of collaboration between the two space-faring nations. The satellite, named GSAT-20, is a high-throughput communication satellite that will provide broadband internet connectivity and digital video and audio transmission across the Indian region. GSAT-20 is a joint project of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and its commercial arm, New Space India Limited (NSIL). The satellite is funded, owned and operated by NSIL, which has signed a contract with SpaceX for the launch. The launch is expected to take place in the second quarter of 2024 from Cape Canaveral, Florida. GSAT-20 is a continuation of the GSAT series of communication satellites that ISRO has been developing since 2001. The satellite features a Ka-band payload with 70 Gbps throughput, utilizing 40 beams that offer a tot...
ISRO to launch XPoSat and 10 other payloads on January 1 ISRO to launch XPoSat and 10 other payloads on January 1 The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is set to launch the PSLV-C58 X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) mission on January 1, 2024. The PSLV will launch XPoSat and 10 more payloads. The rocket will lift off at 9.10 a.m. from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. XPoSat is the first dedicated scientific satellite from ISRO to carry out research in space-based polarisation measurements of X-ray emission from celestial sources. It carries two payloads, namely POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing). POLIX has been developed by Raman Research Institute and XSPECT is by Space Astronomy Group of URSC, Bengaluru. The PSLV will also launch 10 payloads developed by start-ups, education institutions and ISRO centres. They are the Radiation Shielding Experimental Module (RSEM) by TakeMe2Space, Women...

ISRO's XPoSat Mission: Unlocking the Mysteries of Black Holes and Neutron Stars

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  The Indian Space Research Organisation ( ISRO ) is all set to launch its first polarimetry mission, XPoSat, on January 1, 2024 at 9:15 AM IST⁵. The X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) will be onboard a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)-C58 ⁵. The mission aims to study black hole emissions and neutron stars ¹²³. The XPoSat mission is a significant milestone in India's space exploration journey. It is a collaborative effort between ISRO and the Raman Research Institute (RRI) ⁴. The satellite is equipped with a payload called POLIX, which is an X-ray polarimeter for astronomical observations in the energy band of 8-30 keV ⁵. POLIX is being developed by RRI in collaboration with U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) ⁵. The instrument is made of a collimator, a scatterer, and four X-ray proportional counter detectors that surround the scatterer. The scatterer is made of low atomic mass material which causes anisotropic Thomson scattering of incoming polarised X-rays ⁵. The XPoSat m...

How Space Agency Is Turning India's Human Spaceflight Into A Reality

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 New ISRO Report Details How Space Agency Is Turning India's Human Spaceflight Into A Reality How Space Agency Is Turning India's Human Spaceflight Into A Reality The Indian Space Research Organisation has been actively working on a number of projects to achieve its goal of sending humans to space , according to the Indian space agency's' recently released annual report These projects include the development of a human-rated LVM3 launch vehicle, upgrading ISRO's mission control complex, building an ‘umbilical tower’ on the second launch pad for maintenance of the rocket while on the launch platform, and setting up a direct-to-ground communication mobile unit in Australia's Cocos Island. India's Gaganyaan Mission will be launched from the second pad at the country's only spaceport in Sriharikota. The astronauts selected for the mission have completed the first semester of mission-specific initial training, after completing a generic training for spacefar...