ISRO Chandrayan landing on the moon indeed?
Filed Under (Business) by Rajesh Kumar on 23-04-2007
The newspapers, television and radio are screaming- Indian Space Programme goes commercial and likes. Indeed, after decades of research, our scientists are all set to do a commercial launch- a 309 kg Italian satellite would be lobbed into a polar orbit this afternoon on board a PSLV rocket. This is a low orbit satellite would find its position somewhere 300 kms above the ground and orbit earth every 90 minutes or so.
Communication satellites of any real worth – running communication channels and costing megabucks – operate in geo stationary orbit at about 36000 kms, and they must be transported to 8000 kms by rockets.These satellites weigh 3-4 tonnes.This is where the real money is. The US space programme and Arianne rockets compete heavily in this commercial space. China and Japan have their own programmes and at least China does not outsource the launches though not sure about Japan. India’s own GSLV is far from ready, even after burning time and money and couple of Russian engines to tow.Apollo 11 took four days to reach moon. That was 1969. We are in 2007. Indian geostationary satellites are still launched from Arianne rockets.
And now hear this.
In 2008, they want to launch a mission to moon, called Chandrayan – 1. Dreams are alright but should our feet not be on the ground?Should painful truth not be confronted for better results? My thoughts.
Updated Nov 20, 2008: You may want to read my recent post on Chandrayaan success.
Helpful links: ISRO website
i think you lack knowlede and you talk like a kid ! the sattelite was placed in a unique orbit that is defficult to achieve , and india charged premium rated of 29,000 $ per kg and the contract was won through tender , there isro beat respected names . india has come up with its own cryogenic engine offcourse we don’t have capacity to put 4/5 ton satellite in GEO orbit but we can put upto 2000kg sattelite . but in the coming versions of gslv u will see india puting 4/5 tone satellites into space . mind it only US n russia space prog is independent . many european countries contributes in ariane . offcourse it was a great day for isro and india , it was the starting of commercialization of isro .
@ Anonymous a.k.a Mr Knowledge a.k.a Mr Grown up: Are you shy of associating your name with your opinion? Do not think there is a need.
You say: Satellite was placed in a unique orbit which is difficult to achieve – Did I write otherwise?
You say: ISRO beat respected names – Did I write otherwise?
You say: we can put 2000 satellite in GEO orbit.For our knowledge Can you please name the satellite, is it INSAT what? And how many times has this success been repeated
You say:US and Russia programme is independent- Independent of what, pray?
It is common knowledge that while India’s satellite production capabilities are well proven, orbit delivery is something we need to work on.
All said, if Chandrayaan makes to Chandrama, I would be as happy as anyone else
Please refrain from personal comments. Generally such comments are not published but in the interest of a debate this is going ahead.
“the sattelite was placed in a unique orbit that is defficult to achieve”
LMAO! Can we get some figures instead of adjectives here? WTF made it “unique” and “defficult”?
Hii, Rajesh and the other person, this is Chandana, and doing my Btech and I would like to know about Chandrayan but couldn’t understand well about it, my doubt is that,
” Is chandrayan the mission in which first Indians are going to ne launched like Neil Armstrong or else is it just a satellite for its research about the moon “
Hope my doubt would be cleared with ur answers and really I didn’t understood ur debate…….
Hi this is Md.Rameez, i have been associated with isro indirectly though…frankly ur article belittles isro’s achievement…and i stand by that anonymous comment that u lack knowledge…ISRO has bagged 2 satellite cotracts to make satellites for respected firms like EADS…all contracts isro has won r through competition…what isro has achieved in all these years others can only dream of…chandrayaan is on track and will launch very soon.
Dear Rajesh Kumar,
‘Tonight is your answer!’…. heard that somewhere before?
Watch the achievement tonight!
(Nothing personal dude..)
B Manoj, Chennai.
“Dreams are alright but should our feet not be on the ground?” ..
answer today is “yes” our feet were on ground and dreams were also alright.
Hi
Its nice to see that the Chandrayaan is a Thing that is current, either in origin or in thought, and provokes us all
Well there have always been fingers raised regarding anything whatsoever that is INDIAN, and almost always we reply in fashion.
(btw, India beat Aus 2-0
Coming to Chandrayaan, for sure it was a project which was under much scrutiny, and now its finally on the moon.Moreover, ISRO apart from a few failures, has performed well and is the most banked up on Space Agency for Launches.
Heaving said that Indian Space Industry still needs to improve leaps and bounds(esp. in HEO satellites) , but by keeping in mind the funding which we get (both monetary and technical) as compared to other Countries I don’t think its a time to worry…
So, let us rejoice and Wish Chandrayaan 2, best of luck
Hi All…This is Radhakrishnan doing my masters at IIT ….This reply is to Rajesh.(though it happens after a year i feel it is necessary)…Indians like u r always interested in criticising and ppl like u r not even worth a penny….if u think u have rights to criticize better prove it wrong with ur duely submitted technical report..i think ISRO has asked for these technical reports way back from 2004. !!! rather than bluffing with ur half baked knowledge…try to think why ur point is correct……. and try to produce Results rather than bluffing!!!..Thanks..Radhakrishnan.S