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ISRO Launches Six Singaporean Satellites (thehindu.com)

Posted by Soulskill on from the populating-the-sky dept.

vasanth writes: The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched six Singapore satellites on Wednesday. The agency also tested the fourth stage of its PSLV rocket, a four stage/engine rocket powered by solid and liquid fuel, alternatively.

The test to restart the fourth stage of the PSLV rocket will help India in its future launches while attempting to launch multiple satellites in different orbits. Restarting a rocket engine soon after being shut off is a critical technology that must be mastered. Once a rocket engine is activated, a great deal of heat is generated. The trick is to cool it down in space and restart it after a short pause. India has now launched a total of 57 foreign satellites for 20 countries, and Wednesday's launch earned the country 26 million euros.

TeLEOS-1 is Singapore's first commercial earth observation satellite. It was launched into a low Earth orbit for "remote sensing" applications. The satellite was put into a 550-km-high, circular orbit inclined at 15 degrees to the equator. The next three satellite launches using the Indian PSLV rocket will be navigation satellites.

29 comments

  1. Press release? by Brett+Buck · · Score: 2

    This appears to be a press release, nearly verbatim, from ISRO. I am happy for them, but is blipping out public relations information with no other content the new Slahsdot?

    1. Re:Press release? by m00sh · · Score: 3, Informative

      This appears to be a press release, nearly verbatim, from ISRO. I am happy for them, but is blipping out public relations information with no other content the new Slahsdot?

      This is not press release information.

      India Today, the Hindu and the Indian Times are independent newspapers in India.

    2. Re: Press release? by ArmoredDragon · · Score: 1

      I think they are just showing how inexpensive it is to launch rockets these days. But Mexico already does it for $200.

    3. Re: Press release? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes you are right about the $200 mexican rocket. It goes 200ft high.

    4. Re: Press release? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But Mexico already does it for $200.

      You mean its a fire cracker right? ;-)

  2. first place alliteration by turkeydance · · Score: 0

    post

  3. Insurance costs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is it still worth it to use this provider after counting the insurance costs?

  4. Space Buffet by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

    Venusian Vindaloo.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
    1. Re:Space Buffet by Zontar+The+Mindless · · Score: 1

      Lilla Karachi on Lilla Nygatan in the Old Town has lax tandoori to die for.

      --
      Il n'y a pas de Planet B.
  5. Re:Bible Spoiler Alert by turkeydance · · Score: 1

    yeah, but he pulls an O.B.1 and shows up later.

  6. Malware on site by GabeGhearing · · Score: 3, Informative
    The article on indiatoday.intoday.in is redirecting me to Malware... It's a problem with their ad system.
    • - Smartyads is serving an ad from srv23.therightways.com
    • - which redirects to www.preparednewupdate.net
    • - which redirects to www.search4newupdates.net
    • - which redirects to ask24update.onlinechecknow.com
    • - which serves a Mac-Chrome-update that is really a trojan that does a number of nasty things. It's properly signed so Apple's Gatekeeper won't have a problem installing it.
    1. Re:Malware on site by GabeGhearing · · Score: 2
      Sadly, I can't figure out how to report this to anyone involved...
      • - If IndiaToday sees this; properly block ads from being able to redirect your page... and maybe dump SmartyAds
      • - If SmartyAds sees this, block whatever is going to srv23.therightways.com
      • - If Apple sees this, block this Codesigning: ( TeamIdentifier=G39CCLH4QP, Executable=/Volumes/Installer/Installer.app/Contents/MacOS/oxytonesis, Identifier=com.greige.worldliness)
      • - If Slashdot sees this... don't link to IndiaToday
    2. Re:Malware on site by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sadly, I can't figure out how to report this to anyone involved...

      • - If IndiaToday sees this; properly block ads from being able to redirect your page... and maybe dump SmartyAds
      • - If SmartyAds sees this, block whatever is going to srv23.therightways.com
      • - If Apple sees this, block this Codesigning: ( TeamIdentifier=G39CCLH4QP, Executable=/Volumes/Installer/Installer.app/Contents/MacOS/oxytonesis, Identifier=com.greige.worldliness)
      • - If Slashdot sees this... don't link to IndiaToday

      Report it to all sources.
      Chances are you will be ignored by all of them.

    3. Re:Malware on site by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's called Capitalism.

      Move along, Citizen (or Subject, if you're British).

    4. Re:Malware on site by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Fail, you ignorant fat cunt.

    5. Re:Malware on site by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Have you tried tried restarting your computer?
      Have you tried reinstalling windows?
      Please do the needful.

  7. Who cares? by AndyKron · · Score: 1

    The nanny state launches a rocket.

  8. Payload around 500 Kg by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 2

    Of the six satellites, TeLEOS-1 is the primary satellite weighing 400 kg whereas the other five satellites include two micro-satellites and three nano-satellites. TeLEOS-1 is the first Singapore commercial earth observation satellite. It will be launched into a low Earth orbit for "remote sensing" applications. Antrix Corporation Ltd, the commercial arm of ISRO, has provided launch services in PSLV for 51 customer satellites from 20 countries so far.

    It is an impressive feat no doubt. Also it tested its fourth stage liquid fuel rocket motor with start-stop capability. But as launch vehicles go it is definitely on the low end, with a 400Kg to 500Kg payload at 550 Km orbit. It is not a polar orbit or sun synchronous orbit. Looks like a plain vanilla orbit.

    India is not really interested in a full fledged ICBM capability. Its enemies are local. It can probably deliver a 1000 Kg payload on Beijing or Shanghai. Or a 2000 Kg payload at Islamabad. That is all the capability it wants and it demonstrates. India is probably deliberately staying away from any capability to attack US mainland. It should not have to worry. It does not have oil. So it is in no danger of being invaded by USA ;-)

    --
    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
    1. Re:Payload around 500 Kg by nojayuk · · Score: 1

      This PSLV launch was a "core alone" configuration without any strap-on boosters. In its max configuration with six solid-fuel strap-ons it's good for about 3 tonnes to LEO.

    2. Re:Payload around 500 Kg by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 1

      The PSLV C-29 seems to be having four strap on boosters according to the picture. I did not notice it did not have all the six strap ons in the picture, thanks for pointing out.

      --
      sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
    3. Re:Payload around 500 Kg by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 1

      ISRO is using its trusted workhorse PSLV which is on its 32nd flight in 'core-alone' configuration without the use of solid strap-on motors.

      But the press release says it is a core alone configuration. Very confusing.

      --
      sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
    4. Re:Payload around 500 Kg by nojayuk · · Score: 1

      They aren't strap-on boosters, they're liquid tanks for the vectoring system for the solid-fuel core first stage. It works by injecting a strontium-based liquid into the nozzle to change the burn characteristics. It's crude by the standard of other solid-fuel launchers like Vega and Epsilon which use nozzle deflection systems but it works and it's cheap.

      The solid-fuel strap-ons are considerably larger than the liquid tanks. You can see a diagram of what they look like on the Wikipedia page about the PSLV.

      Engineering-wise the PSLV is a bit of a dog's breakfast -- the first stage and third stage are solid-fuel as are the strap-ons (if flown), the second and fourth stages use UDMH and N2O4, old Cold-War missile hypergolic fuels that have generally fallen out of favour with other launcher builders. The one advantage they have is storability with no cryogenic handling required on the pad, not even LOX.

      ISRO have another launcher, the GSLV which is more advanced in design with a nozzle-vectoring solid-fuel core and solid strap-ons but it's got a UDMH/N2O4 second stage and a new fully-cryogenic upper stage. Interestingly enough they flew a prototype crew capsule with it on a suborbital mission last year.

    5. Re:Payload around 500 Kg by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 1

      Thanks for the info,

      --
      sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
    6. Re:Payload around 500 Kg by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      Thanks for the news nojayuk :)
      India created a lot of skill sets by working on its own domestic production lines over decades. Over the years all the tech works and parts are ready and all work together well as designed. No stop start decades, mil only production lines, lack of funding that has caused so many complex issues in many other nations.
      India had the correct idea to plan, design, prototype, build and then production line its own complex systems over time. Thats the key: years of good funding, decades of staff skills, decades of design and quality domestic production.
      Indian Space Research Organisation
      http://www.isro.gov.in/about-i...
      "...we must be second to none in the application of advanced technologies to the real problems of man and society" Vikram Sarabhai

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
  9. Almost a day.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wow, slashdot crowd seems to be getting mature... almost a day and not even one comment on how India should instead use the money to build toilets...

  10. Profit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Wednesday's launch earned the country 26 million euros"
    Do people still think India should stay out of space because it is poor?

  11. uBlock by DrYak · · Score: 1

    What are these "Ads" that you speak of ?~~

    Happy uBlock user here.

    To big media: don't be surprised that poeple use ad blockers if crap like this keep happening.

    --
    "Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
  12. mass launch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I believe they did a Mars launch sometime ago. I have not heard much about it. Good advertising. Good national pride act. Not much of a price tag. We were once pretty good at throwing money around and sometimes getting big results. I think they might be better than us at one step at a time these days. If course you need to keep the budget okay for a long time or all the smarts goes off and does not ever come back.