ISRO Missions: A look at what’s happening and coming from India’s Space Research Agency

While the reason for the change in timing was not immediately known, according to news agency PTI, it could be due to rainfall and cloudy weather conditions.

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Amid the ongoing mission, let’s take a look at what else the space research agency is planning.

NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) satellite

NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory jointly developed by NASA and ISRO, according to the agency’s website.

NISAR will map the entire globe in 12 days, providing spatially and temporally consistent data to understand changes in Earth’s ecosystems, ice mass, vegetation biomass, sea level rise, groundwater and natural hazards , including earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes and landslides, it added.

The mission will use L and S dual-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), which works with the Sweep SAR technique to achieve a long trajectory with high-resolution data. The SAR payloads mounted on the Integrated Radar Instrument Structure (IRIS) and the spacecraft bus are collectively called an observatory. Jet Propulsion Laboratories and ISRO are realizing the observatory that will not only meet respective national needs but also nourish the scientific community with data encouraging studies related to surface deformation measurements through repeat-pass InSAR technique, the website said .

This flagship partnership would receive significant contributions from both agencies. NASA is responsible for providing the L-Band SAR payload system in which ISRO provided the S-Band SAR payload and both SAR systems will use a common large size (approximately 12 meters in diameter) deployable reflector antenna. In addition, NASA would provide technical payloads for the mission, including a Payload Data Subsystem, High-rate Science Downlink System, GPS receivers and a Solid State Recorder.

The NISAR Observatory is planned to be launched in the first quarter of 2024 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota. The target launch date is January 2024, according to website data.

Also read: Explanation | What is ISRO’s Gaganyaan Mission? Meaning, launch date, other details

SPADEX

SPADEX or Space Docking Experiment is a dual spacecraft mission being developed by ISRO to develop technologies related to orbital rendezvous, docking, formation flying, with a scope of applications in human spaceflight, on-orbit satellite servicing and other proximity operations, according to a ISRO document . The SPADEX campaign would consist of two IMS-class satellites (200 kg), one would be Chaser and the other Target, and both would be launched as co-passengers or as additional payloads. Both spacecraft would be injected into slightly different orbits.

The Space Docking Experiment is currently scheduled for launch from the Satish Dhawan Space Center aboard a Polar Satellite launch vehicle. The planned launch date is in the third quarter of 2024. As of July 2022, Space Docking Experiment has been approved ₹124.47 crore in funding.

X-ray polarimeter satellite (XPoSat)

XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) is India’s first dedicated polarimetry mission to study the various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources under extreme conditions. The spacecraft will carry two scientific payloads in low Earth orbit, ISRO’s website said.

Also read: Gaganyaan mission: Why couldn’t the TV-D1 rocket take off? ISRO chief Somanath narrates

The primary payload POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) will measure the polarimetry parameters (degree and angle of polarization) in an average X-ray energy range of 8-30 keV photons of astronomical origin. The XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) payload will provide spectroscopic information in the energy range of 0.8-15 keV.

The emission mechanism of various astronomical sources such as black holes, neutron stars, active galactic nuclei, pulsar wind nebulae, etc. arises from complex physical processes and is challenging to understand. The mission thus aims to help the Indian scientific community with important observations and measurements.

Polarimetric observations together with spectroscopic measurements are expected to break the degeneracy of various theoretical models of astronomical emission processes. This would be the main research direction of XPoSat by the Indian scientific community.

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Updated: Oct 21, 2023 10:38 IST