Published on: December 24, 2024

ISRO AND KARNATAKA

ISRO AND KARNATAKA

NEWS – ISRO to Launch Experimental Payloads by Karnataka-Based Academia and Start-Ups

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Mission Name: PSLV-C60 SpaDeX.
  • Launch Timeline: Expected by the end of the month.
  • Launch Location: Sriharikota.
  • Payloads:
    • Total of 24 PS4-Orbital Experiment Module (POEM-4) payloads.
    • Four developed by Karnataka-based academia and start-ups.

PAYLOADS DEVELOPED BY KARNATAKA INSTITUTIONS

RVSat-1 Payload

  • Developer: R.V. College of Engineering, Bengaluru.
  • Purpose:
    • Microbiological experiment in microgravity in Low Earth Orbit.
    • Study growth kinetics of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron (gut bacterium) in space.
  • Applications:
    • Understanding astronaut health and human physiology in space.
    • Development of antibiotics, waste management, recycling, and bioremediation processes for space exploration.

BGS ARPIT Payload

  • Developer: SJC Institute of Technology, Chickballapur.
  • Functionality:
    • Multimode message transmitter payload using FM modulation and VHF band.
    • Capable of transmitting audio, text, and image messages from satellite to ground.
  • Objective: Provide amateur radio satellite services globally.

RUDRA 1.0 HPGP Payload

  • Developer: Bellatrix Aerospace Pvt. Ltd., a space start-up.
  • Key Features:
    • High-performance green propulsion system.
    • Demonstrate steady-state thruster firing for 50+ seconds.
    • Monitor the thermal profile of the propulsion system.

GLX-SQ Payload

  • Developer: GalaxEye Space Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
  • Objective:
    • Demonstrate generation, capture, and processing of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images.

ADDITIONAL KEY PAYLOADS ON THE PSLV-C60 SPADEX MISSION

Walking Robotic Arm (RRM-TD)

  • Full Name: Relocatable Robotic Manipulator-Technology Demonstrator.
  • Significance: India’s first space robotic manipulator with walking capability.

Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies (CROPS)

  • Purpose:
    • A multi-phase platform for plant growth in extraterrestrial environments.
    • Fully automated system for a 5–7-day experiment.
  • Objective:
    • Demonstrate seed germination and plant sustenance up to the two-leaf stage in microgravity.