India's ISRO Successfully Launches 100th Mission

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India's ISRO Successfully Launches 100th Mission

Posted by timothy on Sunday September 9, 2012 @01:15AM from the let's-go-ahead-and-call-it-the-space-age dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Five decades after a humble start to its space program, the Indian Space Research Organization has successfully launched its 100th mission. From the news article: 'Making history in its space Odyssey, India on Sunday successfully launched its 100th mission with its workhorse PSLV-C21 placing in orbit two foreign satellites in a flawless flight from the spaceport here. The third wholly commercial launch with no Indian satellite was a textbook mission as Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) placed in orbit French spacecraft SPOT 6 and Japanese micro satellite PROITERES some 18 minutes after lift-off at 9:53 a.m..' ISRO has so far launched 62 satellites, one space recovery module, and 37 rockets."

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Being Pedantic by pushing-robot · 2012-09-09 01:28 · Score: 3, Insightful

I'm more impressed with how they managed 100 successful launches with only 37 rockets. Trebuchet-to-orbit isn't as easy as it sounds.

--
How can I believe you when you tell me what I don't want to hear?
1. Re:Being Pedantic by K.+S.+Kyosuke · 2012-09-09 01:32 · Score: 2
  
  They probably used an ancient Indian technique to accomplish that.
  
  --
  Ezekiel 23:20
2. Re:Being Pedantic by ShanghaiBill · 2012-09-09 01:52 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  I'm more impressed with how they managed 100 successful launches with only 37 rockets.
  This is explained in the article. Each rocket launch is considered a "mission". Each satellite placed in orbit is considered a "mission". So if a rocket is launched with two satellites on board, that counts as three "missions".
  Maybe this mission counting system was devised by some ex-Arthur Andersen accountants.
3. Re:Being Pedantic by K.+S.+Kyosuke · 2012-09-09 01:59 · Score: 1
  
  Each rocket launch is considered a "mission". Each satellite placed in orbit is considered a "mission". So if a rocket is launched with two satellites on board, that counts as three "missions".
  What happens when a screw falls out in orbit?
  
  --
  Ezekiel 23:20
4. Re:Being Pedantic by blind+biker · 2012-09-09 02:02 · Score: 1
  
  This is explained in the article. Each rocket launch is considered a "mission". Each satellite placed in orbit is considered a "mission". So if a rocket is launched with two satellites on board, that counts as three "missions".
  Maybe this mission counting system was devised by some ex-Arthur Andersen accountants.
  Or maybe some of the people who worked at my previous employer, brought back with them the awesome ideas about software metrics we used :/
  
  --
  "The agriculture ministry is not in charge of Gundam" - Japanese ministry official.
5. Re:Being Pedantic by cruff · 2012-09-09 02:11 · Score: 2
  
  What happens when a screw falls out in orbit?
  I believe it is called "a mission of opportunity".
6. Re:Being Pedantic by Dexter+Herbivore · 2012-09-09 08:00 · Score: 2
  
  If you're going to be pedantic, according to Dr. Who it's the "ISA" not the "ISRO". :)
7. Re:Being Pedantic by WhiteDragon · 2012-09-10 01:32 · Score: 1
  
  What happens when a screw falls out in orbit?
  these guys have to go collect it.
  
  --
  Did you mount a military-grade, variable-focus MASER on an unlicensed artificial intelligence?
foreign by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-09 01:56 · Score: 1

"placing in orbit two foreign satellites"
Aren't all their satellites foreign ? I mean they aren't American are they?
But I suppose space is the next thing to be outsourced...
1. Re: foreign by PPH · 2012-09-09 02:12 · Score: 2
  
  Interesting fact: In most of the world, 'American' is foreign.
  
  --
  Have gnu, will travel.
Re:Forgive my Americocentricity by ShanghaiBill · 2012-09-09 02:07 · Score: 4, Insightful

relinquishing the scientific leadership of the planet
India just put a satellite into low Earth orbit.
America just put a robot rover onto the surface of Mars.
I think your concerns are overstated.
Re:Forgive my Americocentricity by Shinobi · 2012-09-09 02:10 · Score: 1

A large portion of the scientists responsible for putting the robot on Mars? From outside the USA
Re:Forgive my Americocentricity by ShanghaiBill · 2012-09-09 02:26 · Score: 4, Insightful

A large portion of the scientists responsible for putting the robot on Mars? From outside the USA
A large portion of the scientists responsible for putting a man on the moon? From outside the USA
A large portion of the scientists responsible for building the first atomic bomb? From outside the USA
A large portion of the scientists responsible for the industrial revolution? From outside the USA
America has always been a nation of immigrants.
Go India! by fantomas · 2012-09-09 03:29 · Score: 1

The more national organisations and other countries running successful space operations, the more chance all us geeks have a chance of our dreams to take a tourist package into space come true :-)
More seriously - it's got to be a good thing that India can develop and manage its own space program, bringing its own researchers through and increasing its high tech industrial capacity. More space programs means more cross fertilisation of ideas across programs. Perhaps we are finally getting past the faltering early days and the analogy is now closer to the 1920s and 30s air flight parallel, with an industry maturing?
1. Re:Go India! by Stiletto · 2012-09-09 04:42 · Score: 1, Interesting
  
  In twenty years, these "developing countries" are going to be the leaders in science and technology (if they aren't already), have mature, productive space programs and transportation systems, while the USA is still busy arguing whether evolution is the work of Satan himself or whether it's simply the work of the liberal elite.
2. Re:Go India! by ShanghaiBill · 2012-09-09 04:58 · Score: 1
  
  the USA is still busy arguing whether evolution is the work of Satan
  You need to get yourself a passport and go out into the world and get some perspective. Americans may argue about evolution on talk radio, but Indians kill each other over this stuff. Thousands of Indians have died in religious violence in recent years. The USA may seem religiously extreme compared to Western Europe, but compared to the "developing world", not at all.
3. Re:Go India! by timeOday · 2012-09-09 05:56 · Score: 4, Informative
  
  Oooh, you're not kidding:
  
  People were asked which statements were closest to their own opinion about how evolutionary theories should be taught in science lessons in schools. The highest proportion agreeing that evolutionary theories alone should be taught was in India, at 49%, followed by Spain (42%).
4. Re:Go India! by Anonymous Coward · 2012-09-09 09:43 · Score: 1
  
  it's got to be a good thing that India can develop and manage its own space program
  The "India" part of the development needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
  If the "Indian" military is any indication, almost nothing in the "Indian" arsenal of planes, ships, missiles is actually "Indian" in origin.
  They have all been pretty much lifted intact from Russian, American, European manufacturers, often even manufactured outside of India, as India lacks the technological infrastructure even to kit-build many of these high-tech systems.
  You can start the list of deficiencies with India cannot yet master reliable electric power.
  Not trying to bash Indians, but it is what it is.
India’s 2013 Mars Mission by Advocatus+Diaboli · 2012-09-09 05:13 · Score: 1

and here is my take on the proposed 2013 mars mission. I believe that it can be done, based on what others have done in the past. http://dissention.wordpress.com/2012/08/22/educated-speculation-on-indias-2013-mars-mission/
Re:Forgive my Americocentricity by rmdingler · 2012-09-09 06:31 · Score: 1

Stipulated. Were not a decent portion of the German scientists more spoils of war than willing immigrants?

--
Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.
Ernest Hemingway
Space-D mission by Taco+Cowboy · 2012-09-09 13:36 · Score: 1

100th space mission
With 37 rockets?
More like "100th spaced mission"

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Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
Re:Forgive my Americocentricity by shutdown+-p+now · 2012-09-10 06:38 · Score: 1

And if you look at the history of American immigration laws, and how they evolved - it might not remain one for long.