ISRO marshals its forces towards RISAT-1 launch | It will be a huge boost for disaster-management: Radhakrishnan

By Anantha Krishnan M

Express News Service

Bangalore: It's business hours as usual for the Indian Space Research Oragnisation (ISRO). The message amidst the mess, is to stay focused on immediate missions and not the madness orbiting them, thanks to the Devas-Antrix row. Warming up for a possible mid-March launch is PSLV-C19 carrying the Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-1).

Not cowed down by non-stop criticism and direct shelling by the scientific czars, ISRO Chairman K Radhakrishnan has made up his mind not to enter the boxing ring. “Our onus is on the next launch. So many critical technologies are being readied and I am moving forward in confidence. As I said earlier, only mission matters,” Radhakrishnan told Express.

“We are putting everything in place towards this launch. ISRO has a huge work culture that's inspiring. We have our peers to whom we look forward. They are our guiding lights. They advice us ahead of critical mission. All my team assemble in an auditorium to debate and question about various launch preparedness,” Radhakrishnan said.

According to him, the PSLV-C19 will be the 21st launch of PSLV and in this mission, the 'XL' version of PSLV with six strap-on motors (PSOM-XL) is used. “These strap-ons are larger than the ones used in PSLV 'standard' version.  This will be the third launch of the 'XL' version of PSLV. The 44-metre tall PSLV-C19 will have a lift-off mass of about 320 tonnne and it will carry the RISAT-1 remote sensing satellite into orbit,” Radhakrishnan said, in the company of his two trusted lieutenants.

The home-grown remote sensing satellite is capable of taking day and night images of Earth even under hostile weather conditions. “It will be one launch to watch as the disaster-management capabilities of India will increase immensely. Outsmarting the cloud-cover to take images will be a significant achievement, only a few nations can boast of. We are delighted about the prospects of this launch,” Radhakrishnan said.

The microwave remote sensing RISAT-1 carries a C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload, operating at 5.35 GHz in multi-polarization and multi-resolution mode (ScanSAR, Strip and Spot modes) to provide images with coarse, fine and high spatial resolutions respectively.

“The SAR, being an active radar sensor, operating in the microwave region of electromagnetic spectrum, has the unique capability of imaging in all weather conditions. The SAR payload is based on an active phased array technology using transmit/receive (TR) modules, which would provide necessary electronic agility for achieving the multi-mode capability, providing spatial resolutions of one m to 50 m, and a swath of 10 to 240 km catering to multiple applications,” said an aide along with Radhakrishnan, who preferred not to be quoted.

The satellite weighs around 1851 kg and has the power handling capacity of 4.8 kW. The RISAT-1 will be launched into a 476 km orbit. “After three-axis attitude acquisition, the orbit will be raised to 536 km with 25 days repetitivity with an added advantage of 12 days inner cycle for CRS (Coarse Resolution ScanSAR) mode,” he said.

(Copyright@The New Indian Express)

ISRO chief breaks maun vrat, says mission matters | There's an 'ISRO Culture,' there's truth: Radhakrishnan

ISRO Chief  K Radhakrishnan

By Anantha Krishnan M

Express News Service

Bangalore: It's official! Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman K Radhakrishnan has broken his maun vrat. On Tuesday, he spoke to Express in his first silence-breaking mission, despite being battered by hostile media and bombed by his fuming former colleague Madhavan Nair. “Mission matters and my mind is now focused on ISRO's future programmes,” Radhakrishnan said.

While the road to this man-hunt-interview itself qualifies for another story, Radhakrishnan was at ease and presented a perfect picture of a man who came out of a cajoling breeze and not one hit by a hurricane. ”I am worried about ISRO and nothing-else. I have a couple of major missions lined-up this year and they are close to my heart. They include: The launch of PSLV-C19 (21st launch of PSLV), Radar Imaging Satellite (RISAT-1) carrying a C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload, indigenous Cryogenic upper stage and GSLV Mk II , GSLV-MK-III and Indian Regional Navigation Satellite Systems (IRNSS) constellation consisting of seven satellites,” Radhakrishnan said, resembling a schoolteacher wanting his 'pupil' to be all attention.

When Express made a valiant bid to make him react on the D-Company (not Dawood, but Devas), the man in the middle of 2012's maiden Indian controversy, said: “The truth is there. I am unfazed. ISRO is an efficient organisation. Our fabric is unique. There's an 'ISRO culture' and there's a vision which is shared among all. There's lot of openness in the system.” He reminded this Correspondent to put ISRO culture in quotes.

When asked whether he is hurt by the comments of Madhavan Nair and what the media is reporting round-the-clock, the ISRO chief said he hasn't seen any reports. “I don't want to be dragged into any controversy. ISRO should move on and it will. When the cryo-engine failed in April 2010, I faced it alone. When we had another failure in December 2010, you (media) saw I was alone. While going in a ship you often come across rough weather, but your journey is never stopped,” Radhakrishnan said and stood up, probably signaling like a commander that “your time is up.”

A standing attempt by Express to get one more response on the D-row, was met with a smile and two words, with pause. “Mission Matters.”

Nair checks-out of Bangalore: Moon Man Madahvan Nair took a Qatar Airways flight to Salalah (Oman) from Bangalore International Airport on Tuesday, giving a break to the scientific spitfire show, after he was unceremoniously banned by ISRO from getting onboard any government missions. “I am off to Salalah for an interaction with students of Indian Schools' Association. I also have an interaction in Muscat,” Nair said.

To a query whether the government would reverse the ban. “That's what we have demanded. Let's wait and see,” Nair said. Sources say that a nation-wide movement 'Justice for Madhavan Nair' might hit social networks soon, with a group of IT professionals working out the nitty-gritty. Karnataka CM Sadananda Gowda's Office released the copy of a one-page letter he had sent to former President A P J Abdul Kalam.

Copyright@The New Indian Express