
India’s Space Agency Hits New Milestone With Satellite Launch - alphakappa
http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2016/09/26/indias-space-agency-hits-new-milestone-with-satellite-launch/
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petermcd
I've been to India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre for work. They do a _lot_ with
the resources they have been given.

The on-base museum exhibits show how their weather and communications
satellites help India with its national development goals (agriculture,
connecting the countryside, etc.).

Space is hard. India has very reliable rocket (PSLV) that gets satellites to
orbit. They have also successfully sent a probe to Mars, which is a real
accomplishment for any space program. I was living in China at the time, and
the Chinese felt a bit shown up by what they consider to be a less developed
economy.

~~~
MarkMc
> The on-base museum exhibits show how their weather and communications
> satellites help India with its national development goals.

My question is: Can India achieve those goals with less money using a
commercial satellite launching company like SpaceX? And if India does have a
competitive advantage in launching satellites, should it be run by the
government or as a private enterprise?

~~~
swatkat
India has been launching rockets and satellites since 1960s. SpaceX wasn't
there, then ;)

ISRO launch vehicles (PSLV and GSLV MkII) do have competitive advantages in
launching commercial payloads (up to 2.5 tonne). They already have a
commercial/marketing arm called Antrix Corporation[1]. Also, there are a few
private launch brokers like Earth2Orbit[2] who can procure ISRO launches.
However, ISRO doesn't yet have heavy lift (4+ tonne to GTO, 8+ tonne to LEO)
launch vehicle. They are working on it, and they have a new heavy lift
launcher called LVM3 (aka GSLV MkIII)[3]. First developmental flight is
scheduled in Dec 2016.

[1] [http://www.antrix.gov.in/](http://www.antrix.gov.in/)

[2] [http://www.earth2orbit.com/](http://www.earth2orbit.com/)

[3]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geosynchronous_Satellite_Launc...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geosynchronous_Satellite_Launch_Vehicle_Mark_III)

------
swatkat
Primary payload of this launch was ScatSat-1 satellite[1]. ScatSat-1 contains
a scatterometer to monitor weather conditions over ocean (weather forecasting,
cyclone prediction etc.). ScatSat-1 data can predict/reveal bad weather
conditions as early as five days before the actual bad weather conditions
occur.

ScatSat-1 satellite is a stopgap replacement for OCSCAT payload, which stopped
functioning recently, onboard Oceansat-2 satellite.

ISRO's Oceansat-2 data is widely used by various weather and space agencies
such as ESA, NOAA, NASA/JPL[2][3][4] etc.

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCATSAT-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCATSAT-1)

[2] [https://earth.esa.int/web/guest/missions/3rd-party-
missions/...](https://earth.esa.int/web/guest/missions/3rd-party-
missions/current-missions/oceansat-2)

[3] [https://www.wmo-sat.info/oscar/satellites/view/344](https://www.wmo-
sat.info/oscar/satellites/view/344)

[4]
[https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/OS2_OSCAT_LEVEL_2B_OWV_C...](https://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov/dataset/OS2_OSCAT_LEVEL_2B_OWV_COMP_12_V2)

~~~
wizardforhire
I'm a huge fan of India's space program. This latest accomplishment is
awesome. However, I can't help but think what an unfortunate name for an
instrument and subsequently a satellite.

~~~
swatkat
Haha! Yea! NASA also has one, named RapidSCAT.

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tathastu
Non-paywalled stories:

[http://spacenews.com/indias-pslv-launches-7-satellites-
in-a-...](http://spacenews.com/indias-pslv-launches-7-satellites-in-a-record-
fifth-mission-this-year/)

[http://www.firstpost.com/india/isro-successfully-launches-
ps...](http://www.firstpost.com/india/isro-successfully-launches-pslvs-
longest-flight-scatsat-1-seven-others-into-orbit-3020486.html)

------
perseusprime11
"Engineers repurposed spare parts from previous satellites to construct
ScatSat, according to the Indian Space Research Organization"

This only happens in India. I am saying this in a good way.

Source: [https://spaceflightnow.com/2016/09/26/india-declares-
success...](https://spaceflightnow.com/2016/09/26/india-declares-success-on-
pslvs-most-complex-mission/)

------
ankimal
Google linked link which is not subject to paywall:
[http://bit.ly/2cGd7E7](http://bit.ly/2cGd7E7)

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sidcool
This is a great achievement for a developing country. A space race between
India and China is probably better than an arms race. Kudos India

------
Herodotus38
For those interested, there is an ISRO subreddit at www.reddit.com/r/ISRO
which is well updated.

~~~
praveer13
Yes, the moderators are ex employees of ISRO iirc.

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zump
Is it possible to work for ISRO with an OCI card?

~~~
pavanky
Indian government agencies have weird recruiting procedures and age limits as
far as I can tell. I am not sure if things changed now. Perhaps getting work
at Antrix would be different ?

------
sriram_iyengar
as an Indian techie, have always looked up to ISRO from my younger days.

------
bogomipz
I am curious if someone from the India can comment on what the coverage for
this has been in the local media. I know its been a bit controversial.

~~~
machbio
What controversy ? If your referring to the cost of the ISRO program - we are
very proud of the Space Program in India, both media and People.There is no
doubts about the cost effectiveness of the Space Program. It is just the
western media, who highlight the short commings of other areas of India and
compare it to our Space Program.

~~~
finid
And for all those highlighting the short comings of other areas of India
compared to its space program, do you recall what other aspects of life in the
US were like at the initiation and heights of its space program?

Just as in the US, benefits of India's space efforts will soon begin to show
up in the life of the average Joe/Jane, if it hasn't already.

~~~
maverick_iceman
In 1999, a devastating cyclone hit the Indian state of Odisha killing 10000
people.[1] In 2013, Odisha was again hit by a cyclone of similar magnitude[2].
However due to advance warnings by weather satellites[3] 550,000 people were
evacuated and only 45 people died this time. What is the worth of 10,000 human
lives?

[1]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Odisha_cyclone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_Odisha_cyclone)

[2]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Phailin#Odisha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclone_Phailin#Odisha)

[3] [http://www.skymetweather.com/content/weather-news-and-
analys...](http://www.skymetweather.com/content/weather-news-and-
analysis/satellite-images-thwarted-the-threat-of-cyclone-phailin-isro/)

------
known
India is a vigorous democracy that has sent an orbiter to Mars. Yet its
children are more likely to starve than children in far poorer nations in
Africa. [http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/15/opinion/half-these-kids-
ar...](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/15/opinion/half-these-kids-are-
stunted.html)

~~~
mrwindmill
I guess you're unaware that satellites are used for

    
    
        Space Based Inputs for Decentralized Planning (SIS-DP)
        National Urban Information System (NUIS)
        ISRO Disaster Management Support Programme (ISRO-DMSP)
        Biodiversity Characterizations at landscape level- http://bis.iirs.gov.in
        Preharvest crop area and production estimation of major crops.
        Drought monitoring and assessment based on vegetation condition.
        Flood risk zone mapping and flood damage assessment.
        Hydro-geomorphological maps for locating underground water resources for drilling well.
        Irrigation command area status monitoring
        Snow-melt run-off estimates for planning water use in down stream projects
        Land use and land cover mapping
        Urban planning
        Forest survey
        Wetland mapping
        Environmental impact analysis
        Mineral Prospecting
        Coastal studies
        Integrated Mission for Sustainable Development (initiated in 1992) for generating locale-specific prescriptions for integrated land and water resources development in 174 districts.
    
    

Source:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Remote_Sensing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Remote_Sensing)

There are probably other uses as well. This argument of "cant-go-to-space-
till-every-other-problem-is-solved" makes no sense. You need space programs to
solve major problems. If you take away all the budget from space programs and
other research, and then put all of that into providing food, it'll take much
longer to get rid of poverty. Think "teaching a man to fish" vs "giving a man
a fish".

