the New Kid on the Block

GIThruster · Post by **GIThruster** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 6:20 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n0uWyEJ ... re=related

Giorgio · Post by **Giorgio** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 6:25 am

A description could be useful for the one of us unable to reach youtube due to filtered internet access

GIThruster · Post by **GIThruster** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 6:51 am

Sorry about that. It's a link to the official news announcement made in India last July 31 concerning their new space shuttle which they say will be flying shortly. In the video, one of the newscasters calls India "the New Kid on the Block" which I found to be amusing since I'd thought it was an American euphemism.

Giorgio · Post by **Giorgio** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 7:19 am

Thanks!
Interesting news indeed, though I do not understand why they are making a shuttle like system..... I guess they did not follow the American shuttle experience too closely

GIThruster · Post by **GIThruster** » Mon Oct 24, 2011 8:07 am

The details have not been released yet, but it is not the AVATAR system they spoke about years ago--SSTO. It's a small, unmanned spaceplane that sits atop what looks like a small stick. My guess is like the AVATAR, it's intended to put 1 metric ton in a relatively low orbit. Not very different from X-37 which is pretty state of the art.

ladajo · Post by **ladajo** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 2:10 am

So you think it has on orbit manueverability and potential 365 day misson?

GIThruster · Post by **GIThruster** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 2:57 am

ladajo wrote:So you think it has on orbit manueverability and potential 365 day misson?

I dunno. ISRO is pretty tight lipped because of their connection with Indian Defense. Point is, it's supposed to fly very soon. Reports were it was supposed to fly in 2009. Since the Indian Government made an official announcement, we ought to see what we see pretty soon. It'd be sad if they don't have control on orbit. I think we're looking at something close to X-37.

GIThruster · Post by **GIThruster** » Tue Oct 25, 2011 3:05 am

I should say, India is very much like the US 30 years ago. They've wrestled through their class issues. They're optimistic. They have the tension with Pakistan that drives innovation much like the old Cold War. They're really smart peeps.

I would not be much surprised if they suddenly pulled a hat trick. We ought to be watching.

They are after all, the world's largest democracy, and they haven't fallen into decadence the way Europe and the US have.

ladajo · Post by **ladajo** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:46 am

I wonder if they have inked deals to gain 360 ground station coverage.

Skipjack · Post by **Skipjack** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 3:10 am

Hmm, I am slightly sceptical, but still very curious. Is this supposed to be a SSTO, or a spacecraft launched on top of a multistage launch vehicle?

GIThruster · Post by **GIThruster** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 3:22 am

Pretty sure the latter.

ladajo · Post by **ladajo** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 3:35 pm

Any thoughts on ground control and mission monitoring?

Skipjack · Post by **Skipjack** » Thu Oct 27, 2011 4:46 pm

Any thoughts on ground control and mission monitoring?

Well this is not the first orbital spacecraft that India has built/flown. So I am assuming that they have something in place. I could imagine them renting facilities from other agencies/nations, but I dont know what exactly they are doing. So far I have not really cared enough about their space program. This is the first time I have been really interested.

ladajo · Post by **ladajo** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 1:32 am

True, but the other birds were not potential on orbit manueverable. And that is another class of ground control. Say hello to my little friend Mister Kepler.

Skipjack · Post by **Skipjack** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 1:51 am

True, but the other birds were not potential on orbit manueverable.

I thought that India had several science spacecraft, IIRC even a moon orbiter. I am pretty sure they had to control that somehow...