Fighting challenges, scientists prove their mettle
Kalyan Ray New Delhi: Dec 31, 2015, DHNS
Overcoming technology denial, Indian space scientists tasted a rare success in 2015 when the geo-synchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV) with indigenous cryogenic engine carried a communication satellite to its desired orbit, 36,000 km above the earth.
The GSLV success is a culmination of two decades of research after Russia buckled under US pressure and backtracked from an agreed contract of providing cryogenic technology – needed in intercontinental ballistic missile as well—to India. Moscow supplied only six cryogenic engines to India but not the technology.
Cryogenic engines
This compelled space scientists and engineers to undertake an ambitious research programme to develop the cryogenic engines at home.
Five of the six Russian engines were used to launch five GSLV between 2001 and 2007, out of which two missions failed. Left with only one Russian engine, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) badly wanted success on the indigenous cryo front.
A more powerful version of the rocket called GSLV Mark-III is in the making for ferrying 4 tonnes class satellites to the orbit. Its first test was successful but there are still miles to go for this heavy-duty rocket. In its first flight, the rocket was used to test re-entry performance of an unmanned crew module, which would later be used by Isro for its manned flight. The module came out with flying colours.
Isro was also successful in launching the first Indian space observatory, Astrosat, riding high on the success of Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter Mission. Astrosat will observe Neutron stars, Black Hole, star birth regions beyond the Milky Way galaxy and bright X-ray sources, marking Isro’s foray into space-based astronomy.
Keen to emerge as a serious player in the global space launch market, Isro’s workhorse PSLV launched as many as 17 foreign satellites from seven countries including one from the US.
Nuclear sector
Other clients are Canada, the UK, Indonesia and Singapore. The nuclear sector, on the other hand, had a rather low-key year and Kudankulam nuclear power plant remains shut for the last six months.
The government finally managed to fill up top posts in scientific establishments, but attracted criticism for having a session at the Indian Science Congress, Mumbai on ancient Indian aviation and organising a science fest at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, with the support of an RSS-backed outfit.
Though there are barely any high-profile scientific discovery in Indian science laboratories, an index prepared by the UK-based journal Nature, suggests India's research output is growing steadily to figure among the world's top 15 countries in terms of research papers, chemistry being the strongest point of Indian scientists.
A new optical telescope in the Himalayas is almost ready while the giant meter-wave radio telescope near Pune underwent a major upgradation drive to improve its performance.
But possibly the biggest scientific breakthrough from India was achieved by a group of biologists at the National Centre of Biological Sciences, Begaluru, who gave new insights into the functions of cell membrane. Because of the fundamental nature of the research and its implications, it was published in Cell – one of the world's most respected peer-reviewed science journals.
DH News Service
The GSLV success is a culmination of two decades of research after Russia buckled under US pressure and backtracked from an agreed contract of providing cryogenic technology – needed in intercontinental ballistic missile as well—to India. Moscow supplied only six cryogenic engines to India but not the technology.
Cryogenic engines
This compelled space scientists and engineers to undertake an ambitious research programme to develop the cryogenic engines at home.
Five of the six Russian engines were used to launch five GSLV between 2001 and 2007, out of which two missions failed. Left with only one Russian engine, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) badly wanted success on the indigenous cryo front.
A more powerful version of the rocket called GSLV Mark-III is in the making for ferrying 4 tonnes class satellites to the orbit. Its first test was successful but there are still miles to go for this heavy-duty rocket. In its first flight, the rocket was used to test re-entry performance of an unmanned crew module, which would later be used by Isro for its manned flight. The module came out with flying colours.
Isro was also successful in launching the first Indian space observatory, Astrosat, riding high on the success of Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter Mission. Astrosat will observe Neutron stars, Black Hole, star birth regions beyond the Milky Way galaxy and bright X-ray sources, marking Isro’s foray into space-based astronomy.
Keen to emerge as a serious player in the global space launch market, Isro’s workhorse PSLV launched as many as 17 foreign satellites from seven countries including one from the US.
Nuclear sector
Other clients are Canada, the UK, Indonesia and Singapore. The nuclear sector, on the other hand, had a rather low-key year and Kudankulam nuclear power plant remains shut for the last six months.
The government finally managed to fill up top posts in scientific establishments, but attracted criticism for having a session at the Indian Science Congress, Mumbai on ancient Indian aviation and organising a science fest at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, with the support of an RSS-backed outfit.
Though there are barely any high-profile scientific discovery in Indian science laboratories, an index prepared by the UK-based journal Nature, suggests India's research output is growing steadily to figure among the world's top 15 countries in terms of research papers, chemistry being the strongest point of Indian scientists.
A new optical telescope in the Himalayas is almost ready while the giant meter-wave radio telescope near Pune underwent a major upgradation drive to improve its performance.
But possibly the biggest scientific breakthrough from India was achieved by a group of biologists at the National Centre of Biological Sciences, Begaluru, who gave new insights into the functions of cell membrane. Because of the fundamental nature of the research and its implications, it was published in Cell – one of the world's most respected peer-reviewed science journals.
DH News Service
0 comments:
Post a Comment