India - IIT Kanpur makes prototype of lunar robot for ISRO

Moving a step ahead in a nationally relevant space project, the IIT Kanpur has developed a prototype of a lunar robot for ISRO mission to the moon. The project, which was started in 2010 has a larger objective to send a mobile robot to the moon for performing experiments and
developing maps of the lunar terrain.
There were fundamentally two components which had to be completed by IITK, Dr Ashish Dutta, Associate Professor of mechanical engineering said. This included the structured light based 3D map generation of lunar terrain that is being carried out by Dr. K.S. Venkatesh, Associate Professor of Electrical engineering.

“As there is no ready made map of the lunar surface, the focus is to use structured light to generate a map of the lunar terrain after landing. Based on the map the robot is expected to move from one point to another for experiments,” Dr Dutta told HT.

The second component is kinematics and path planning. After the map is generated the robot has to move to a desired location. As the lunar terrain consists of dust, rocks etc the robot has to choose the safest path to travel by.

The focus of this part is to analyse all the possible feasible paths and then choose the best path in terms of safety and least energy consumption, he said, Underlining the major challenges confronted he said the lunar terrain consists of rocks, ash and craters.

Planning motion in such an environment is extremely difficult, as there is no scope of mistakes.

Besides the gravity on the moon is 1/6 that of earth and hence the design has to consider this sub gravity conditions.

Source:HT

NFC to set up critical facility for ISRO

Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), the main supplier of fuel for India’s nuclear power programme will now set up an exclusive facility to produce niobium, a key material with critical applications in the space and nuclear industry.

The Rs 30-crore facility will be funded by the Indian Space Research Organisation. To be located in its campus in Hyderabad, the centre will produce three tonnes per year of niobium and supply it to ISRO, according to Mr R.N. Jayaraj, Chief Executive of NFC.

The NFC has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, part of ISRO recently. Work will begin this month and the project would be ready for commissioning in the next 12-18 months, Mr Jayaraj told Business Line.

We get Niobhat when niobium is alloyed (combined) with hafnium. This alloy can withstand very high temperatures. It is used in the nozzles of spaceships, which need to be in space for long time. Hence, the critical nature of the product, explained Mr Jayaraj.

NFC has developed the technology to make both niobium and zirconium. The alloy of niobium and zirconium is used to fabricate the coolant channels of nuclear power reactors, which carry the fuel rods, whose burn up results in the generation of power.

NFC has also forged collaboration with C-Met and Midhani in getting the final product—Niobhat ready. NFC will make niobium thermite, and C-Met, Hyderabad will produce hafnium thermite. Finally, Midhani, the Defence public sector undertaking, here will manufacture the alloy.

Source:The hindu

ISRO’s design of reusable launch vehicle approved

India’s dream of joining the select group that possesses reusable launch vehicles is close to realisation. The design of the winged vehicle by Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro), the Reusable Launch Vehicle-Technology Demonstrator (RLV-TD), has been approved by the National Review Committee.

An Isro official said design-related issues have been addressed and presented to the National Review Committee and clearance obtained to go ahead to build the RLV-TD.

The space agency, as a first step towards realising a Two-Stage To Orbit (TSTO) re-usable launch vehicle, has developed a winged RLV-TD.

Isro, in its recently released annual report, stated that design options have been finalised. Besides, the mission design has been completed with a revised vehicle mass. The RLV-TD will act as a flying test-bed to evaluate various technologies — hypersonic flight, autonomous landing, powered cruise flight and hypersonic flight using air breathing propulsion.

The first in the series of trials is the hypersonic flight experiment (HEX) followed by the landing experiment (LEX), return flight experiment (REX) and scramjet propulsion experiment (SPEX).

During HEX, the vehicle will take lift off in the form of a rocket with a booster. Later, it can be recovered from sea. Though the trials for the first experiment are slated to take place this year, an Isro official said the launch date for carrying out HEX from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota has not been fixed. The development and flight testing of the Reusable Launch Vehicles-Technology demonstrator missions leading to Two-Stage To Orbit (TSTO) is part of India’s Space Vision 2025 and is expected to bring down cost significantly.

Isro, in January 2007, conducted the Space capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE-1). Launched by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C7) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on January 10, 2007, the capsule was successfully recovered on January 22, 2007, from the Bay of Bengal.

Source:DNA

ISRO launches four satellites from Sriharikota

New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched four big satellites on Wednesday from theSatish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.

Two of the satellites have been made by the students of IIT Kanpur and SRM University.

Guruditya Sinha, Student, SRM-SAT Project, said, "The main objective is to measure carbon dioxide and water vapour in the cities above India. To check how much Indian cities are contributing to climate change."

After Anusat and Studsat, it's the third student satellite to go up in the air.

Vishal Latha Balakumar, Student, SRM-SAT Project, said, "This chip is used in our cell phones. We are using it in our satellite. We are also using a flash memory very similar to a normal USB drive in the satellite. The objective is to use commercially available equipment and see how they survive in the radiation of space.

Tiny student satellites are a cheap, quick way of testing new ideas. For example, this satellite uses magnets, not motors to control its space flight.

Anushree Mahapatra, Student, SRM-SAT Project, said, "We have copper coils on three sides of the satellite. When we send electricity through them, a magnetic effect is generated. Since the earth already has a magnetic field, both fields cancel each other to keep the satellite exactly aligned.

THE SRM project employed fifty four students. But only four of them are women. Is it tough being outnumbered?

Anushree Mahapatra, Student, SRM-SAT Project, said, "Since we are all here on the basis of our ability, my male friends treat me like a colleague. There is no problem."

M Loganathan, a retired ISRO scientist, who taught these students, says lack of industry support was a big problem. We wanted some components from the industry and they asked for almost 40 lakh rupees. How can students afford so much?

But don't students have to be geniuses to make a complex satellite?

Loganathan, Project Architect, SRM-SAT Project, said, "Space works on simple laws of physics, mainly Newtons law. If you are good in the basic concepts of space, you can be a space scientist."

Source:IBN