ISRO on a mission to cut cost on launches

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ISRO plans to cut costs by using miniature avionics and advanced electronics.

Details

• The Chairman of ISRO said the space body was trying to lower the cost of satellites by using miniaturised avionics, advanced electronics and the recently tested EPS ”” electric propulsion system ”” among others.
• On the launch vehicles or rockets that put these satellites into space, the use of low-cost, space-grade materials and components can reduce the weight of the rocket and allow it to carry heavier payloads.
• ISRO is also targeting a substantial lowering of cost and attacking it on all sides with available technology.
• Among the innovations and value additions being developed is the augmentation of the GSLV Mark II launch vehicle. ISRO said its lifting capability would soon be enhanced from 2.2 tonnes to 3.3 tonnes. The capability then would go up by 1.5 times and would reflect in its per-kilo cost, which could make it quite competitive to future commercial users in the launchers market.
• The first launch of the enhanced GSLV, after necessary tests and confirmations, will be the 3.2-tonne Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft, scheduled to be launched in April. It carries the first Indian moon lander and rover.
• To reduce the size of the satellite without affecting its efficiency, ISRO has begun experimenting with EPS in place of chemical propulsion. The system was first used in GSAT-9 (South Asia Satellite) in May last year to manage satellite functions in orbit and ISRO officials had then said it reduced fuel cargo to 25%.
• The EPS is a promising technology. By bringing this in, a four-tonne satellite can do the job of a six-tonne spacecraft; it will also cost less to launch it. However, its full use in orbit correction is yet to be explored as the satellite will then take six to 12 months to reach its orbit.

Source

The Hindu