Poet | Journalist (Space, Science & More + Karnataka) with @timesofindia | @APCSS Fellow | Expert Consultant On 2 (award winning) Space Films For @wbd
The analogue mission is being conducted at a facility — Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration (#HOPE) — established at Tso Kar, Ladakh, by Bengaluru-based firm Protoplanet. It was formally inaugurated by Isro chairman V Narayanan on Thursday. 2/n
Starlink, operated globally by #ElonMusk-led SpaceX, has been seeking to enter the Indian market for some time. 2/n
“One option is to build a huge rocket and take a single module. But what will you do with that rocket thereafter? Economically, we have to understand and really look at all aspects. So, we are not going to build a huge rocket. We are going to have multiple modules. 2/n
In a first, Isro will send a robotic arm to experiment with retrieving space debris, while India’s first astrobiology payloads to reach space — both developed by students, RV College of Engineering (RVCE) in B'luru & and Amity Univ, Mumbai — are part of the 24 #POEM payloads. 2/n
A study published in the ‘Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters’, accessed by TOI, reveals that lunar surface temperatures showed an anomalous dip during the strictest lockdown period of April-May 2020. 2/n
This marks the first collection of seismic data from Moon’s southern polar region and the first such data anywhere on the lunar surface since the #Apollo era. 2/n
#POEM3 was part of the #PSLVC58 mission that launched #XPoSat on Jan 1, 2024. After deploying satellites into their intended orbits, the spent rocket stage was transformed into a stabilised platform for conducting experiments. 2/n
The IAO, operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru, is renowned for its astronomical research and observations. 2/n
Among many things the global scientific community is expected to learn from Vikram and Pragyan’s work before they went to sleep is new knowledge about the lunar soil, which will be useful for future missions, including ambitious projects aiming to send humans back to #Moon. 2/n
Sunday, which is the 12th day since India achieved the historic soft-landing on the lunar surface, will see both Vikram and Pragyan retire for the night, Chandrayaan-3 project director P Veeramuthuvel told me. 2/n
#AdityaL1 will be launched in the 59th flight of #PSLV, after several yrs of devp. PSLV-C57, in XL configuration, will place #AdityaL1 in a highly eccentric Earth-bound orbit, an elliptical orbit whose Perigee is expected to be around 235km & Apogee more than 19,000km. 2/n
“LIBS is a scientific technique that analyses the composition of materials by exposing them to intense laser pulses. High-energy laser pulse is focused onto the surface of a material (rock or soil). The laser pulse generates an extremely hot and localised plasma,” Isro said. 2/n
In his first full-fledged interaction after #Vikram’s picture perfect landing & deployment of the rover, #Chandrayaan3 project director P Veeramuthuvel, in an exclusive interaction said the team was expecting a good amount of science at the end of the lunar day. 2/n
#Vikram is better prepared to overcome challenges of landing. Among other things — I’ve reported these in detail earlier — it’ll be able to withstand landing at greater velocities (3m/s). Isro has also made several other changes learning from the failure of #Chandrayaan2. 2/n
All 4 pics taken on Aug 19, a day before #Vikram entered pre-landing orbit. @isro would now be carrying out internal checks on landing module. Powered descent is expected to commence on August 23 at around 5.45pm and Vikram is set to land on the lunar surface around 6.04pm. 2/n
Isro chairman S Somanath, confirming this, said: “It has too much fuel, way beyond our expectations… 2/n
@isro has completed the last #LBN & #Chandrayaan3 is in a 153km x 163km orbit... In his post-launch remarks on July 14, Isro chief had said the spacecraft’s altitude will be reduced to a 100km circular orbit a day before the lander is separated... 2/n
“#AdityaL1, the first space-based Indian observatory to study the Sun, is getting ready for launch. The satellite realised at the URSC has arrived at SDSC-SHAR (spaceport) in Sriharikota,” Isro said. 2/n
Mohan took charge from Umamaheswaran R, who superannuated on May 31. Mohan’s appointment will not change the composition of #Gaganyaan team as the project director and other positions continue to remain with the same personnel. 2/n
@isro has adopted a cautious approach for the mission with chairman S Somanath having categorically directed scientists and engineers working on the project to ensure validation of all technologies, systems and subsystems. 2/n
A senior Isro scientist said: “This will be what we call a gateway station, which will be used to link the proposed Indian Data Relay Satellites (IDRS). We’ve made the proposal and the site has been identified by our partners in France… 2/n