Indian Space Exploration at 61

  • November 27, 2024
  • Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
  • Category: DPN Topics
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Indian Space Exploration at 61

Sub : Sci

Sec: space sector

Why in News

  • November 21, marked 61 years since the launch of India’s space program with the first Nike-Apache sounding rocket at Thumba, Kerala.

GSAT-N2 (GSAT-20) Satellite:

  • Type: High Throughput Communication Satellite.
  • Operating Band: Ka-band.
  • Weight: 4,700 kg at lift-off.
  • Mission Life: 14 years.
  • Developer: New Space India Ltd., the commercial arm of ISRO.
  • Objective: To enhance broadband services, boost in-flight connectivity, and provide high-speed communication across India using advanced Ka-band technology.
  • Multi-beam Architecture: Equipped with multiple spot beams and Ka x Ka transponders, which enable:
    • Frequency reuse for increased system capacity.
    • Support for a large subscriber base using compact user terminals.
    • Enhanced overall system throughput.
  • The satellite will significantly improve broadband connectivity, reaching underserved and remote areas.
  • Aims to offer better internet services on aircraft flying over the Indian region.
  • This mission marks India’s first venture with SpaceX, opening possibilities for future international partnerships in space technology and exploration.
  • The satellite was placed in a geosynchronous transfer orbit, a crucial step before moving it to its final geostationary position.
  • GSAT-N2’s advanced Ka-band technology facilitates high-speed data transfer, essential for modern communication needs.

Ka-Band Communication:

  • The Ka-band is a part of the microwave segment of the electromagnetic spectrum, operating at frequencies between 5 GHz and 40 GHz.
  • It is widely used in satellite communication for a variety of applications, including broadband services, military uses, and remote sensing.
  • The Ka-band offers a broader bandwidth compared to lower-frequency bands like C-band and Ku-band. This wider bandwidth enables high data transfer rates, allowing for faster communication, which is ideal for applications requiring large volumes of data, such as video conferencing and satellite internet​
  • Due to the shorter wavelengths in the Ka-band, it supports smaller antennas and ground equipment. This makes it easier to deploy in compact or mobile systems while reducing infrastructure costs​
  • The Ka-band’s high frequency is suitable for modern communication technologies like phased-array antennas and multi-beam satellites, enhancing the capacity and flexibility of satellite networks. It supports various advanced applications, including telecommunication networks, wireless systems, and direct-to-home (DTH) TV services​

About Proba-3 mission:

  • The mission will also attempt the first-ever “precision formation flying”, where two satellites will fly together and maintain a fixed configuration in space.
  • Proba-3 is part of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Proba missions.
  • Predecessors: Proba-1 (2001) and Proba-2 (2009)
  • Collaborators: Scientists from Spain, Belgium, Poland, Italy, and Switzerland.
  • Mission Life: 2 years.
  • Orbit: Highly elliptical, 600 x 60,530 km, with a 19.7-hour orbital period.
  • Satellite Configuration: Two satellites will separate post-launch and fly in tandem to form a solar coronagraph, an instrument that blocks the Sun’s bright light for better observation.
  • India’s First Astronaut to ISS: Shubhanshu Shukla is undergoing training at the European Space Agency for ISS missions.

About Pixxel’s Hyperspectral Satellites:

  • Launch Plans: Six hyperspectral satellites named ‘Fireflies’ set to launch in early 2024.
  • Capabilities: Spatial resolution: 5 meters.
  • Applications: Detection of crop diseases, water stress, deforestation, and ocean pollution.

GalaxEye Space:

  • Focused on testing synthetic aperture radar (SAR) subsystems for high-resolution Earth observation.
  • Conducting experiments aboard PSLV’s Orbital Experimental Module (POEM).
  • Aims to develop advanced imaging technologies for environmental and disaster monitoring.

PierSight Space – Varuna Mission:

  • Demonstrates deployable reflect array antennas for enhanced satellite communication.
  • Testing avionics onboard the PSLV’s Orbital Experimental Module.
  • Supports advancements in space-borne radar and aeronautical information systems.

HEX20’s Nila Satellite:

  • A compact 5-kg cubesat designed for hosting various payloads and data processing.
  • Scheduled for launch on SpaceX Transporter-13 in February 2025.
  • Will establish a ground station in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, for operations and data acquisition.

AAKA Space Studio – Analog Mission in Ladakh:

  • Simulates lunar and Martian conditions to test habitat sustainability and isolation effects.
  • Conducts experiments on life-support systems for human spaceflight.
  • Involves a 21-day human-inhabitation trial in a specialized habitat.

SatSure’s Property Mapping:

  • Partners with the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) under the ‘Svamitva’ scheme.
  • Utilizes drones and satellite data for mapping rural properties with high precision.
  • Employs machine-learning tools to extract features such as building footprints and water bodies.

Square Kilometre Array Observatory:

  • The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project is an international effort to build the world’s largest radio telescope, with eventually over a square kilometre (one million square metres) of collecting area.
  • Objectives: The SKA will eventually use thousands of dishes and up to a million low-frequency antennas that will enable astronomers to monitor the sky in unprecedented detail and survey the entire sky much faster than any system currently in existence.
  • Significance: Its unique configuration will give the SKA unrivalled scope in observations, largely exceeding the image resolution quality of the Hubble Space Telescope.
  • It will also have the ability to image huge areas of sky in parallel a feat which no survey telescope has ever achieved on this scale with this level of sensitivity.
  • Whilst 10 member countries are the cornerstone of the SKA, around 100 organisations across about 20 countries are participating in the design and development of the SKA.
  • Location: Thousands of SKA antenna dishes will be built in South Africa (in the Karoo), with outstations in other parts of South Africa. Another part of the telescope, the low-frequency array, will be built in Western Australia.
Indian Space Exploration at 61 Science and tech