India makes history - launches record 104 satellites in single mission today
24 replies, posted
[IMG]http://ichef-1.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/13051/production/_94650977_mediaitem94650975.jpg[/IMG]
[QUOTE][B]India has created history by successfully launching 104 satellites on a single mission, overtaking the previous record of 37 satellites launched by Russia in 2014.[/B]
All but three of the satellites are from foreign countries, most of them from the United States.
The launch took place from the Sriharikota space centre in east India.
Observers say it is a sign that India is emerging as a major player in the multi-billion dollar space market.[/QUOTE]
[URL]http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-38977803[/URL]
Huh - so do companies in need of satellites often pay various space agencies and/or foreign governments to launch them into orbit?
Also, how are these satellites deployed in order to avoid interfering with each other and spread out along their orbital path? Is each one fitted with its own little engine and gyros?
Paindoc, any insight?
That's cool and all, but I can't help but be reminded that most of India's population is still dirt poor. Having a space program is nice and all, but...priorities, man.
-snip i forgot i have college reading levels-
[QUOTE=KnightLight;51824857]That's cool and all, but I can't help but be reminded that most of India's population is still dirt poor. Having a space program is nice and all, but...priorities, man.[/QUOTE]
Actually, the government's prioritizing economic reform way, way more than its space program. They've been doing stuff like this for ages, it only made news now because it broke a record.
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVwIZzGHxwc[/media]
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYlWUEqwEy8[/media]
Western news media, as a rule, seldom reports on the internal affairs of non-European or North American countries unless it's something remarkable or scandalous.
[QUOTE=KnightLight;51824857]That's cool and all, but I can't help but be reminded that most of India's population is still dirt poor. Having a space program is nice and all, but...priorities, man.[/QUOTE]
High tech industry is a very good way to lift populace from poverty. The benefit of contracts spreads over by way of local sub-contractors. It's great to see India becoming more competitive in global market.
[QUOTE=KnightLight;51824857]That's cool and all, but I can't help but be reminded that most of India's population is still dirt poor. Having a space program is nice and all, but...priorities, man.[/QUOTE]
Because, you know, governments are capable of working on multiple things at a time, hence their size.
Since I knew from the moment I posted this here that this was going to be one of the comments, this is going to be a teachable moment for you and for anyone out there who'll be thinking the same thing.
Why spending money on space research/exploration while there are other issues facing India? Here's why:
1) ISRO's(Indian Space Research Organization) budget is only [B]0.34 percent[/B] of Central Government expenditure currently and [B]0.08 per cent of the GDP(~USD 800 Million)[/B]. Compare that to billions spent on "Fix Poverty" programs such as Employment Guarantee Programs(NREGA, USD 7.24+ Billion spent each year) and Subsidized/Free Food Program(FSB,USD 20+ Billion to be spent each year) etc.
2) And Mars Orbiter Mission/Mangalyaan cost USD ~27 Million only.
3) ISRO is actually funding itself thanks to annual revenue from foreign satellite launches and sale of satellite data/imagery(that is useful for things like Google Maps for example) through its Antrix Subsidiary. Last time I checked it was INR 9 BILLION. [URL="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antrix_Corporation"]source.[/URL]
4) Data generated by ISRO and related organizations is helping the poorest of poor in India:
[QUOTE]Voluminous data from the Indian remote sensing satellites has benefited millions of farmers and fishermen in achieving higher productivity and making optimal utilisation of resources, a senior space scientist said Saturday. "Studies by the premier economic research institute NCAER have shown that remote sensing data has accrued multiple benefits to farmers across the country with seven percent increase in productivity and helping the farm sector to contribute about Rs.50,000 crore to the national gross domestic product (GDP) over the years," Indian Society of Remote Sensing president V.K. Dadhwal told reporters here. Similarly, application of remote sensing data by the fishing community contributed about Rs.24,000 crore to the GDP and saved fuel consumption by 30 percent with timely advisories on weather, sea conditions and identification of potential fishing zones for maximizing the catch.[/QUOTE]
5) And it is saving lot of lives:
[QUOTE]India was hit hard by Cyclone Phailin, with 12 million people impacted, including millions evacuated from the Odisha coast to safety. This was the strongest storm to hit the state in 14 years, and it devastated homes and villages in both Orissa and Andhra Pradesh states, with flooding that has closed roads and left some 100,000 people stranded.[..] The country's satellite imagery satellites are being credited with saving lives thanks to better forecasting, and the ability to share intensity with citizens and policymakers to urge evacuation. [..] There are 11 Indian remote sensing satellites in service, allowing the National Remote Sensing Centre in Hyderabad to help agencies forecast cyclones more than 72 hours in advance. [..] The synthetic aperture radar satellites, Risat-1 launched in April last year and Risat-2 which has been in orbit since April 2009 have the ability to look for impending cyclones even at night and through clouds. The synthetic aperture radar in the satellites enables applications in agriculture too, especially for paddy monitoring during kharif season. Saral, an Indio-French satellite launched on February 25, 2013, can study ocean circulation and sea surface elevation. "Those who criticise the expenditure on space science don't realise its contribution to not just saving lives but alleviating poverty," says Bhargava, who founded the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad. "You can argue that the space department gets higher allocation, but it is well justified. After all, Indian space scientist makes satellites and rockets at a fraction of the cost of similar US projects."[/QUOTE] [URL="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-10-13/india/42992231_1_satellites-cyclones-isro"]source1[/URL] [URL="http://www.asmmag.com/2012-12-30-14-40-18/feature/5908-india-credits-satellite-sentinels-for-saving-lives.html"]source2[/URL]
[B][U][I]TL;DR: Investment in Science and Technology == Good.[/I][/U][/B]
[URL="https://np.reddit.com/r/space/comments/3r7hir/indian_rocket_rises_through_the_atmosphere/cwlucvc/?context=3"]Source for this post (which at this point really ought to be a sticky everytime India decides to actually do something world-positive for a change. [/URL]
Now, if there's anything factually incorrect about the post, feel free to post it so that there can be an informed discussion.
Why does every country with a space program have cool rail systems except for the US, which has kickass moving football fields?
[QUOTE=Cakebatyr;51824908]Why does every country with a space program have cool rail systems except for the US, which has kickass moving football fields?[/QUOTE]
Our railway isn't the best, but if you wanted to learn more about the US in particular when it comes to their oddly-stagnant railway growth, this video by Wendover Productions is very insightful.
[video=youtube;mbEfzuCLoAQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbEfzuCLoAQ[/video]
[QUOTE=archangel125;51824855]Huh - so do companies in need of satellites often pay various space agencies and/or foreign governments to launch them into orbit?
[/QUOTE]
Yes, companies that need to get a satellite into orbit often hire a space agency to place their stuff into orbit, if not to develop the satellite as well. How so many US satellites end up being launched by India is just economics. India is much cheaper, and since this is very likely a launch of small cubesats the owners of the satellites usually don't have that much budget to spend, as these are small scale projects. It is simply cheaper to ship a small satellite to India and launch it there. It is very likely that a large part of the US satellites are university cubesat projects, designed to be in orbit for about a year or two, so the universities don't want to spend too much money on a launch.
Something else to think about is launch windows and orbit accessibility, depending on the long- and latitude of the launch site getting to specific orbits is significantly easier or harder, and the launch windows can vary as well. A more convenient launch window could also be a reason to hire a foreign company.
[QUOTE]
Also, how are these satellites deployed in order to avoid interfering with each other and spread out along their orbital path? Is each one fitted with its own little engine and gyros?
[/QUOTE]
Yes, each satellite is required to have its own little thruster setup and miniature gyro system. It is not very much but enough to put it into its own orbit and keep it from collision.
The easiest way to handle such a big amount of cubesats is a very slow deployment. The satellites are ejected one-by-one, during the time between ejections the launch vehicle changes its own orbit so that the satellites launched do not interfere. On bigger satellites they have enough fuel to manoeuvre the satellite itself into its orbit, but with these smaller cubesats it is wise to conserve as much fuel as possible.
I wonder how long it's going to take people in the west to realise that India's going to be one of the next superpowers in the next 20 years.
[QUOTE=BlackMageMari;51825166]I wonder how long it's going to take people in the west to realise that India's going to be one of the next superpowers in the next 20 years.[/QUOTE]
It's not.
[QUOTE=Radical_ed;51825216]It's not.[/QUOTE]
people said the same of china
[QUOTE=archangel125;51824855]
Also, how are these satellites deployed in order to avoid interfering with each other and spread out along their orbital path? Is each one fitted with its own little engine and gyros?[/QUOTE]
Timed releases most likely, and possibly solid boosters for plane changes as these require the greatest amount of fuel of all orbital maneuvers. And, yes, most satellites do have a small thruster on them, usually just for orbital maintenance. Reaction control systems are mandatory as satellites don't work if they can't face their antennae and their solar panels properly, usually this uses reaction wheels.
[QUOTE=BlackMageMari;51825166]I wonder how long it's going to take people in the west to realise that India's going to be one of the next superpowers in the next 20 years.[/QUOTE]
I just hope it doesn't mean we all have to wipe shit with our bare hands.
[QUOTE=KnightLight;51824857]That's cool and all, but I can't help but be reminded that most of India's population is still dirt poor. Having a space program is nice and all, but...priorities, man.[/QUOTE]
Most of the launches were foreign, right? That must be a huge profit for India you know.
[QUOTE=snookypookums;51824922]Our railway isn't the best, but if you wanted to learn more about the US in particular when it comes to their oddly-stagnant railway growth, this video by Wendover Productions is very insightful.
[video=youtube;mbEfzuCLoAQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbEfzuCLoAQ[/video][/QUOTE]
I was unspecific, I meant cool rail systems [i]at the launch facility[/i]. Take the Baikonur Cosmodrome for example.
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYv89dC7rn0[/media]
Whereas the US has the Crawler-Transporter.
[t]https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/crawler-transporter_2.jpg[/t]
[QUOTE=Cakebatyr;51827837]I was unspecific, I meant cool rail systems [i]at the launch facility[/i]. Take the Baikonur Cosmodrome for example.
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYv89dC7rn0[/media][/QUOTE]
That is pretty rad. It looks a lot like it was built specifically for the launch of that type of rocket.
[QUOTE=Cakebatyr;51827837]
Whereas the US has the Crawler-Transporter.
[t]https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/thumbnails/image/crawler-transporter_2.jpg[/t][/QUOTE]
Actually I always thought this thing is super cool. I mean, it's a giant tracked platform designed to carry a goddamn space rocket! That's some red alert tier stuff.
The crawler has only been used for the Saturn V and Shuttle, and will be used for the SLS.
Other American rockets use a weird railroad vertical thing or have a whole hanger on rails that rolls back from the pad.
Atlas 5:
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW-4fIFtoxE[/media]
Then there's the Delta 4 which gets trucked out on a huge truck and then lifted directly onto the pad with the neat roll away hanger, which is probably the most similar to the Indian set up above:
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWq_5gyPbMU[/media]
SpaceX has a rail system that rolls out and then lifts vertical for launch:
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzEsXL3S_mc[/media]
A lot of has to do with Horizontal vs. Vertical integration. SpaceX and Russia integrate horizontally, while the ULA/Air Force, China, and that Indian rocket integrate vertically.
[editline]15th February 2017[/editline]
[QUOTE=archangel125;51827849]That is pretty rad. It looks a lot like it was built specifically for the launch of that type of rocket.[/QUOTE]
I think most pads are vehicle exclusive. Not counting different variants of the same vehicle. (Falcon 9/Falcon Heavy, etc)
[editline]15th February 2017[/editline]
Anyway, here's a video of the rocket deploying the satellites. It just kinda spits them out as it goes along on its way:
[media]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvJYSmplzXc[/media]
Payload separation begins at 0:56
[QUOTE=Radical_ed;51825216]It's not.[/QUOTE]
It probably will be
A population that size can get a lot of things done. Look at China.
Their governance is on the rise too. They're getting better at administration
[QUOTE=Radical_ed;51825216]It's not.[/QUOTE]
India will become a major player at some point, the bureaucratic mess the country is facing [I]will[/I] slow them down significantly however.
Passing legislation is a lot harder in India than it is in, say, China. The amazing analysis by Caspian Report a few posts above me explains this in further detail.
[QUOTE=Saphirx;51829411]India will become a major player at some point, the bureaucratic mess the country is facing [I]will[/I] slow them down significantly however.
Passing legislation is a lot harder in India than it is in, say, China.[/QUOTE]
Yep. Thing about India is, to the best of my knowledge, each region demands a great deal of autonomy, and getting them to agree on laws is very, very difficult.
[QUOTE=Saphirx;51829411]India will become a major player at some point, the bureaucratic mess the country is facing [I]will[/I] slow them down significantly however.
Passing legislation is a lot harder in India than it is in, say, China. The amazing analysis by Caspian Report a few posts above me explains this in further detail.[/QUOTE]
You are correct - currently, the biggest problem plaguing Indian politics (outside of rampant, unchecked corruption) is the use of caste politics, subsidies and regional divides to form voting blocs within the country that stall any attempt at progress that hasn't happened by their hand. The FDI issue, allowing foreign investors to directly invest in Indian businesses is a good example of the two-faced nature of Indian politics.
It is unlikely to improve at any point in the future - the ISRO is one of the few government organizations that, much like the army, seem to run exceptionally despite the government. At the rate things are progressing in this country, we could see some bare semblance of a superpower-like influence on world events around 2050. However, if we don't immediately take steps to curb the bureaucratic mess we're in to allow India to grow a strong manufacturing base to rival China's, we run the risk of wasting our best resource at the moment - one of the youngest working populations.
It's a really interesting thing, tbh - but yes, the tiger and the dragon's fight isn't going to be seen for atleast another 30 - 40 years, if that.
Immediately thought of this
[img]http://i2.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/063/016/511.png[/img]
It's happening
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