AstrotalkUK

Not for profit website/blog on astronomy, space and my writing

Episode 80 – S Somnat. Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

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S Somnath. Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre. Credit. Author

S. Somnath joined the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala in 1985 and today he is its director. With more than three decades at ISRO he has held several key posts including director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre. This episode is available in audio and video below.

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This interview was recorded on 5th October 2018 in Bremen germany during the IAC2018., so is a little noisy in parts.

  • ISRO delegation at IAC2018. Credit IAC2018
  • Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre Credit ISRO
  • ISRO Stand at IAC 2018. Credit Author

Some highlights include

  • Satish Dhawan – Brought a new vision and restructured ISRO at the organisation level. He consolidated and integrated specialist centres throughout India to the national organisational structure that exists today.
  • Only solid propellants are manufactured on site at Sriharikota. Liquid and cryogenic propellants are transported over a journey of a day and a half from ISRO’s Liquid Propulsion Centre to Sriharikota. Currently, only roads are used but sea transport may be an option in the future.
  • The heavy lift GSLV Mk3  second development flight is scheduled to launch before the end of 2018.  A target of three successful development flights is required before GSLV Mk3 is designated as operational.
  • Currently, Sriharikota launch capacity of 12 to 18 launches per year, is determined by the capacity of industry to manufacture launch vehicles. The private sector has all the technological competencies but lacks the capacity. 
  • An additional launch site would not be of value at this time. Once the private sector capacity increases – within the next 2 to 3 years, then additional launch sites would be of use.
  • VSSC played a key role in developing the technologies required for the Human Space Flight programme. The  Pad Abort Test was successful. The parachute detached at the planned time and not prematurely as it looks in the video.
S Somnath. Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

Public talk at the British Interplanetary Society Thursday 29th November 2019

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BIS HQ – Arthur C Clarke House

Event – A talk about the Indian Space Programme – based around my 2017 book of the same title.
Date – 29 November 2018
Time – 19:00- 20:30
Address – British Interplanetary Society, Arthur C. Clarke House, 27-29 South Lambeth Road, London, SW8 1SZ  (Nearest tube – Vauxhall station on the Victoria Line)
Cost – £10 for non-members, book online  here 
More details – See the BIS website

The format is a standard – standup and talk using a powerpoint presentation with a Q&A.  Limited signed copies of the book will be available on the day.  Book reviews here.

Only a limited number of copies will be available on the day. If you do want to reserve a copy of the book in advance – please send an email (info@astrotalkuk.org). 

The BIS has been around since 1933 and has a fantastic library. If you have not visited before it is worth arriving 30 mins early and having a look at the space related display – tea and coffee are available for a small donation. 

Post event photos. Thanks to Geir Engene from BIS.

Episode 79 – satsearch.co – A single digital marketplace for the global space supply chain?

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Satsearch co-founders  – Kartik Kumar, Alberto Vaccarella and Narayan Prasad

A space startup based in The Netherlands – www.satsearch.co is attempting to establish a single digital global marketplace for space components, products and services.  Ultimately, Satsearch’s goal is to reduce cost and time by helping customers for and suppliers of space components, products and services find each other online.  This episode available in audio and video below.

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The Satsearch website/portal is hosted on a cloud-based environment (Amazon Web Services) and is only available in English but other languages are in the pipeline. Currently, the service to both suppliers and customers is free of charge. How it will make money in the future is not yet year clear but the current focus is on growth. The founders hope to develop Satsearch into a  sort of “yellow pages” for space products and services but with a richer vendor-neutral metadata interface supported by modern AI tools and applications.

Full steam ahead for ISRO after a successful GSLV-MK3 launch

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  • Credit: ISRO

On Wednesday 14th November 2018, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully placed a 3.4-ton communication satellite GSAT-29 in orbit with the third launch (and the second developmental flight) of its heavy launch vehicle – GSLV-Mk3. This is a huge milestone for ISRO. 

This mission was critical for ISRO. Had it not been successful the impact would have had profound on it is immediate and near-term plans. In addition to taking a huge financial hit and loss of morale within the organisation, there would have been additional consequences.

  • ISRO has been building and launching satellites for almost 3 decades. But operational launchers  (PSLV and GSLV-MK2) do not have the capacity to launch heavy (more than 2.5 tons)  satellites. So has outsourced those launches to the European Space Agency’s  Ariane launcher. The successful launch of GSLV-Mk3 D2 mission means that India need not continue to rely on EAS’s Araian.
  • A mission review earlier this year increased the mass of  ISRO’s  Lunar Lander mission Chandrayaan-2. The increased mass is beyond the capacity of a PSLV or a GSLV MK2. The Chandrayaan-2 mission is scheduled for launch in January next year. Without this success, this key mission to the Moon would have been delayed indefinitely.
  • Another casualty could have been the 2022 timeline for the recently announced Human Spaceflight programme, Gaganyaan. In August, India’s Prime Minister announced India to launch a crewed spaceflight from India by 2022.

As a result of this mission, the GSLV MK3 will move from development (with D prefix) to an operational phase (with a C for continuous prefix)  from 2019. 

Geosynchronous Satellite (GSAT-29)  is a communication satellite that will provide high-resolution imagery, radio and digital communication for northern parts of India. Designed to operate for 10 years, the ISRO chairman announced that the launch was so precise, the extra fuel will extend the satellites lifetime to at least 12 years. In the near future, GSAT-29 will be joined by two more similar satellites to support the “Digital India” programme. A more detailed report of GSLV-Mk3-D@ mission from William Graham on Nasaspacflight.com

  • Credit: ISRO
  • Credit: ISRO
  • Credit: ISRO
  • Credit: ISRO
  • Credit: ISRO

If you missed the live stream of the pre-launch, launch and post-launch commentary – its here (all 90 minutes) on youtube.

Credit: ISRO