Slashdot Mirror
India Launches Record 20 Satellites In Space Using A Single Rocket (indiatimes.com)
William Robinson writes from a report via Times of India: The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) used its workhorse PSLV-C34 to inject 20 satellites which includes 17 satellites from various countries like US, Canada, Germany and Indonesia, into orbit in a single mission and set a new record on Wednesday. In the final stages of the mission, ISRO also demonstrated the vehicle's capability to place satellites in different orbits. In the demonstration, the vehicle reignited twice after its fourth and final stage and moved further a few kilometers into another orbit. Also included are a couple of satellites from academic institutions, Sathyabamasat from Sathyabhama University, Chennai and Swayam from College of Engineering, Pune. From the report: "The 320 ton Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C34) took off on its 36th flight at 9:26 a.m. from the Satish Dhawan Space Center with 20 satellites including its primary payload Cartosat-2 series, which provides remote sensing services, and earth observation and imaging satellites from U.S., Canada, Germany and Indonesia. It was also the 14th flight of PSLV in 'XL' configuration with the use of solid strap-on motors. ISRO scientists said, the vehicle had been pre-programmed for today's launch to perform tiny maneuvering to place the 20 satellites into polar sun-synchronous orbits with different inclinations and velocities. It ensured that the satellites were placed with enough distance to prevent collision."
I think the PSLV is getting close to a world record for the most consecutive launches without problems. I'm too lazy to look it up right now, but hopefully someone will chime in with the real numbers.
XML is like violence. If it doesn't solve your problem, you're not using enough of it. --AC
> We already have far too many satellites and pieces of debris in orbit [...]
Says you while whipping out the smartphone to get location (GPS) and directions (mapping satellites) -- and a weather forecast for tomorrow (weather satellites) to attend the open-air folk festival.
Look, I'm too of the opinion that our current system is too wasteful of everything (human, natural resources) and that we should be thinking hard on how to do things better, on how to rein-in uncontrolled capitalism, led by pure greed, to better serve us humans. There's lot to criticize. Let's do that.
But "India... sholdn't be doing this" is not part of my utopia. Who should? USA? Finland? Vanuatu? Nobody?
If you possess any tiny bit of modern tech *you* are part of it. If you don't want it: go to the Amish. But then you would be cut off from wanking on slashdot.
Not sad at all. If you think to get your country out of the dark ages by building sanitation first, and only then tackling education, followed by modernisation of agriculture, decent justice and law enforcement, health care, and social security, before embarking on a space programme (or paying other countries to launch your sats), then you have another think coming. India's space program is both cheap and successful and it will pay off in the long run. In terms of reputation and inspiration, it is already paying off now.
I hear the same stupid question when there's news of a programme to get Internet to rural Africa, or to get smart phones in the hands of Asian farmers: "what would they need with that when they barely survive?" Just as subsistence farmers derive huge benefits from having a connected smart phone (more than we selfie-posting drones do with our phones), a developing nation can reap a great return from space technology. And for a nation like India it makes sense to get into the space game themselves instead of relying on others: the space programme helps their industry and their defense, which in turn helps inspire and retain valuable talent. As long as they can do so cheaply.
If construction was anything like programming, an incorrectly fitted lock would bring down the entire building...
Africa isn't a country.
I guess Slashdotters must think bitter Indo-Pakistani wars, conflict, religious sectarianism and racism are just amusing or something.
I find religious people horrifying, and if I don't laugh at their insanity and idiocy, I'm going to cry.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"