Promoting Space Technology for Development and Governance in NER of India

The North Eastern Space Applications Centre (NESAC),an autonomous organisation under Department of Space (DOS), Government of India was set up at Umiam, Shillong, Meghalaya on September 5, 2000 with joint initiative of DOS and the North Eastern Council (NEC). Since its inception, the centre has provided dedicated service to the North Eastern Region (NER) of India comprising of eight states viz. Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura. The centre was set up with a vision to play the catalytic role in holistic development of NER of India by providing Space Science and Technology support on natural resource management, infrastructure planning, healthcare, education, emergency communication, disaster management support, and space and atmospheric science research

NESAC has evolved as a unique centre by creating infrastructure and taking up projects for applications of space science and technology in all possible sectors. It has made its presence felt very strongly in the region by providing critical space based inputs in planning and developmental process of all NE states. Today, through several web-portals and standalone kiosks at state and district level, NESAC ensures that the entire space based database generated at NESAC and in other centres are available to the decision and policy makers. The centre also makes special effort on capacity building and space science popularisation in NER. The overall activities of NESAC are divided into Remote Sensing & Geographical Information System (RS & GIS) Applications, Satellite Communications Applications, Space and Atmospheric Science Research, and Disaster Management Support. They are discussed in detail in the following paragraphs:

RS & GIS Applications

The core activity of the centre is RS & GIS applications in Agriculture, Soil sciences, Forestry, Water resources, Geology, Infrastructure planning, Urban studies, health GIS, etc. and it has completed more than 100 projects in this area. While most of the projects focused on creation of thematic maps and database, development of new techniques, etc. a few projects were taken up exclusively to disseminate the data/information to the end user. The most significant among the projects are, early warning of outbreak of Japanese Encephalitis, RS and GIS inputs for forest working plan preparation for NE states, North Eastern District Resources Plan programme, database preparation for Natural Resources Data Bases (NRDB) & SIS-DP (Space based Information Support for Decentralised Planning) projects, etc. A national project on applications of RS and GIS in Sericulture development has also been completed for 108 districts covering 24 states in India. Sericulture Information Linkages and Knowledge System (SILKS) web portal developed under the project was awarded the National E-Governance award 2014-15 in the category of innovative use of GIS in e-governance. The centre coordinates with the State RS Applications Centres of NER and acts as a nodal centre for implementation of major national and regional programmes.

Improving Satellite Communication Infrastructure

Another very important area of activity is Satellite Communication applications and it is more significant because the NER of India is conventionally known to have poor connectivity. NESAC is implementing all key application projects of ISRO like Telemedicine, Tele-education, Village Resource Centre, communication support in disaster management etc. in NER. To bring all major space based communication services under one umbrella, ISRO has planned to demonstrate a single window delivery capability of several services like Telemedicine, Tele-education, E-governance, remote banking, extended mobile coverage, etc., as an integrated package catering to most of the needs of rural India. An Integrated Service Pilot Network is being set up by connecting a remote village named Umsaw in Meghalaya with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). NESAC with support from DECU, SAC have already installed the required communication system in the identified village to demonstrate the technology to PMO.

Research on Space and Atmospheric Science

The centre has set up a regional facility to conduct research on improving weather forecast, characterisation of aerosol and greenhouse gases, atmospheric boundary layer dynamics and to study their impact on regional weather and climate. The first ever land campaign along the east-west and north-south corridor of NER was conducted to understand the spatial distribution and consequent impact of aerosol on radiation budget over the region. The centre is also engaged in research to improve the accuracy of numerical weather forecast up to 48 hours to support forecasting flood and thunderstorm with actionable lead-time. To improve the surface observations, ISRO, through NESAC has established a network of 118 Automatic Weather Stations across NER and one S-band Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) at Cherrapunjee, Meghalaya. The data from the DWR shall improve flood early warning, thunderstorm and hailstorm nowcasting and several other applications.

Supporting Disaster Management

NER is one of the most disaster prone regions in India and of late, more attention has been given on efficient use of space technology for management of disasters. Flood Early Warning System (FLEWS) developed for forecasting flood in Brahmaputra and Barak valley in Assam covering 42 river basins, has been very effective with mean success rate of about 75% during 2009-2015 periods. With an objective to provide more coordinated service and single window delivery of all space based disaster management support, DOS took a new initiative and set up the North Eastern Regional node for Disaster Risk Reduction (NER-DRR) at NESAC. NER-DRR is mandated to support management of disasters like Floods, Forest Fire, Thunderstorms, Landslides, Drought, Earthquakes, and Health disaster. In addition to providing support during and post phases of disaster management, NER-DRR is focusing more on pre-disaster preparedness and early warning. Thunderstorm early warning has been done experimentally since 2014 and efforts are on for early warning of landslide, forest fire, and agricultural drought.

Space Scientist Courses, Classes and Training Programs

Programs in space science fields can lead students to careers in such areas as observation astronomy or particle physics, just to name a few. Keep reading for some essential information about this field of study, and get a list of classes for students who are interested in space.

Essential Information

The term 'space scientist' can refer to many different types of scientists, but if you want to study outer space, courses can be found in such degree programs as cosmology, space studies, astronomy, engineering and astrophysics. The space sciences can be studied at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. People pursuing careers in research may require more advanced degrees. Several courses within these degree programs include lab-based instruction.

Space scientist courses may examine some of the following concepts:

Physics and related aerospace theories

Telecommunications and satellites

Satellite fabrication and design

Space systems and electronics

Applications of thermodynamics

List of Courses

Stellar Evolution and Structure

In this space scientist course, students explore the evolution of the universe. This includes examining the origin of planets and galaxies. Students also observe the energy production and mass of stars, including suns, then determine their effects on nearby planets and other astronomical objects.

Planetary Exploration and Comparison

Using pictures gathered from space telescopes and recent space missions, students learn about planets in the Milky Way. They compare the surface, atmosphere and interior composition of Earth and other planets. Students learn how space exploration continues to further our understanding of the galaxy and universe. This is an intermediate course that requires at least one year of mathematics, physics and engineering studies.

Astronomy Lab and Observations

Students in this course use telescopes to observe stars, planets, moons, galaxies and other astronomical bodies. They catalog space systems, recording such factors as the mass, composition and the temperature of objects they observe. This course requires at least one year of prior study in physics.

Juno Instrument Overview

NASA’s Juno Spacecraft carries a science payload consisting of nine instrument packages to provide unprecedented data on Jupiter’s magnetic environment, its gravitational field, the incredibly dense atmosphere & cloud cover, the interior of the planet and Jupiter’s puzzling aurora.

Juno uses it instruments to look for clues about Jupiter’s formation which will allow scientists to infer details on the solar system’s formation since Jupiter maintained its current state since the early stages of the solar system. Also, the mission sets out to determine whether Jupiter has a solid core, find out how much water is present within the planet’s dense atmosphere, & study winds that can reach more than 600 Kilometers per hour.

Gravity Science – GS

To reveal the interior structure of Jupiter, Juno makes detailed measurements of the planet’s gravitational field which will point to internal structures that are hidden by the planet’s dense atmosphere.

The experiment is a radio science experiment that involves X-Band and Ka-Band ranging from ground stations on Earth to follow the spacecraft in its orbit around the planet and detect even minute changes in the motion of the spacecraft. Local variations in gravity can act on the spacecraft in orbit and cause it to speed up or slow down – those changes in spacecraft motion can be detected using the Doppler Shift in the X and Ka band transponders used by the radio sub-system.

For the gravity experiment, the High Gain Antenna needs to be pointed directly at Earth so that Ka-Band Ranging Signals and X-Band Signals can be sent and received. The Deep Space Network has only one Station capable of providing Ka-Band uplink which is Deep Space Station 25 at DSN Goldstone.

Turnaround ranging using the Deep Space Network involves the DSN station that sends an Ka-Band signal to the spacecraft containing ranging tones that it imposes on a carrier using phase modulation. When the spacecraft receives the tones, it sends them right back via X-Band downlink. The DSN station records the timing of the ranging tones uplink and the timing of the tone’s reception order to calculate the line-of-sight distance to the spacecraft.

After processing of the data taking into account delays by the electronics on the spacecraft and the ground, atmospheric and ionospheric properties, interplanetary plasma, and relativistic effects, the ranging method has an accuracy of about one meter in the outer regions of the solar system.

Magnetometer – MAG

The MAG instrument of Juno measures Jupiter’s magnetic field to create a detailed three-dimensional map of the Gas Giant’s magnetic environment.

Juno uses a fluxgate magnetometer developed at NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center that is installed on one of the three solar arrays of the spacecraft to move the instrument as far away from the spacecraft platform to avoid false readings caused by Juno’s own magnetic emissions.

MAG uses dual-fluxgate magnetometers to measure the magnetic field vector and a 3-cell scalar Helium magnetometer sensor provided by JPL is used to measure the strength of the field. An Advanced Stellar Compass provides precise attitude data for each of the sensors.

Two fluxgate magnetometers are installed on the magnetometer boom that is installed on the solar array – one is installed 9.8 meters from the spacecraft structure and the other resides 11.8m from the S/C bus and is rotated 180 degrees relative to the other sensor. The scalar Helium magnetometer is located inboard, 8.8m from the platform.

Jupiter Energetic Particle Detector Instrument

The JEDI instrument will measure energetic particles and their interaction with Jupiter’s magnetic field, investigating Jupiter’s polar space environment with special focus on the physics of the intense Jovian auroras. JEDI measures the energy, spectra, mass species (H, He, O, S), and angular distributions of the higher energy charged particles. The JEDI instrument weighs 6.4 Kilograms including 5 Kilograms of shielding material.

The instrument consists of three nearly identical sensors – each with six ion and six electron views that are arrayed in 12 by 160 degree fans with six 26.7° look directions. Two of those units are installed in a way so that nearly a complete 360-degree coverage normal to the spacecraft spin axis can be achieved in order to get complete pitch angle snapshots. The other sensor is aligned with the spin axis to gather complete sky-views over one spin period of 30 seconds. Each of the JEDI-270/90 units measures 23.3 by 15.9 by 16.1 centimeters while the single JEDI-180 unit is 23.3 by 16.9 by 12.8cm. JEDI sensors are self-contained, they have no additional hardware inside the electronics vault of the spacecraft.

ISRO all set to launch remote sensing satellite on December 7!

Chennai: It has been a fruitful year for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) with many achievements that have established the country's position as one of the front-runners in the world of space.

However, the space agency's plans for the end of 2016 as well as the year 2017, it has sent out a clear statement that this is just the beginning.

After ISRO announced its decision to launch 83 satellites in January 2017, it revealed today, its plans to launch PSLV-C36 carrying remote sensing satellite RESOURCESAT-2A from the spaceport of Sriharikota on December 7.

The 44.4 metre tall PSLV C36 is expected to place the 1,235 kg RESOURCESAT-2A into an 827km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit in about 18 minutes after lift off.

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C36, in its 38th flight, will blast off at 10.24 AM from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, about 125 km from here, ISRO said on its website.

The mission life of the satellite is five years.

RESOURCESAT-2A is a remote sensing satellite developed by ISRO and succeeds RESOURCESAT-1 and RESOURCESAT-2 launched in 2003 and 2011, respectively.

It is intended to continue the remote sensing data services to global users and would carry similar payloads as carried by its predecessors RESOURCESAT-1 & RESOURCESAT-2.

RESOURCESAT-2A would carry a high resolution Linear Imaging Self Scanner camera, medium resolution LISS-3 camera and an advanced wide field sensor camera that operates in various bands.

It would also carry two solid state recorders with a capacity of 200GB to store the images taken by the cameras and which can be shared with ground stations.

Between 1994 and 2016, PSLV has successfully launched 121 satellites of which 79 are from overseas, the rest being Indian satellites, ISRO said.

EPIC 220504338b: Dense 'hot Jupiter' exoplanet orbiting a sun-like star discovered

Washington: Astronomers have discovered a dense "hot Jupiter", an exoplanet transiting a distant six-billion-year-old Sun-like star located about 1,800 light years from the Earth.



The newly discovered planet, designated EPIC 220504338b, was discovered using photometry from Campaign 8 of the Kepler-2 (K2) mission and high-resolution spectroscopic follow up obtained with the FEROS spectrograph.
Researchers led by Nestor Espinoza of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile conducted follow-up observations using European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere's (ESO) Fibre-fed, Extended Range, Echelle Spectrograph (FEROS).
FEROS spectroscopic observations allowed the team to perform radial velocity measurements that confirmed EPIC 220504338b is a dense "hot Jupiter" transiting a solar analogue as well as provided initial stellar parameters of its host star.



"We have presented the discovery of EPIC 220504338b, a new hot Jupiter orbiting a metal-rich solar analogue discovered using photometry from Campaign 8 of the K2 mission and follow-up radial velocities using the FEROS spectrograph," researchers said.
The "hot Jupiters" like EPIC 220504338b are gas giant planets, similar in characteristics to the solar system's biggest planet, with orbital periods of less than 10 days.
They have high surface temperatures, as they orbit their parent stars very closely, 'Phys.Org' reported.
According to the research, EPIC 220504338b, which was first spotted by NASA's Kepler K2 mission, is about 10 per cent smaller than Jupiter and about 30 per cent more massive. The exoworld orbits its six-billion-year-old Sun-like parent star every 5.8 days.
With a density of nearly 2.1 grammes per cubic centimetre and an equilibrium temperature of about 886 degrees Celsius, the planet is one of the densest "hot Jupiters" below two Jupiter masses known to date.
The newly discovered planet's mass and radius should be on the order of at least 110 Earth masses, researchers said.

ISRO To Launch Remote Sensing Satellite On December 7

CHENNAI:Capping a year of successful launches, Indian Space Research Organisation is all set to launch PSLV-C36 carrying remote sensing satellite RESOURCESAT-2A from the spaceport of Sriharikota on December 7, the space agency said today.

The 44.4 metre tall PSLV C36 is expected to place the 1,235 kg RESOURCESAT-2A into an 827km polar Sun Synchronous Orbit in about 18 minutes after lift off.

The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C36, in its 38th flight, will blast off at 10.24 AM from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, about 125 km from Chennai, ISRO said on its website.

The mission life of the satellite is five years. RESOURCESAT-2A is a remote sensing satellite developed by ISRO and succeeds RESOURCESAT-1 and RESOURCESAT-2 launched in 2003 and 2011, respectively.

It is intended to continue the remote sensing data services to global users and would carry similar payloads as carried by its predecessors RESOURCESAT-1 & RESOURCESAT-2.

RESOURCESAT-2A would carry a high resolution Linear Imaging Self Scanner camera, medium resolution LISS-3 camera and an advanced wide field sensor camera that operates in various bands.

It would also carry two solid state recorders with a capacity of 200GB to store the images taken by the cameras and which can be shared with ground stations.

A trusted workhorse of the space agency, PSLV has launched satellites in various orbits including sun synchronous orbit, low earth orbits, geosynchronous transfer orbt and sub-GTO, registering 36 successful launches so far.

Between 1994 and 2016, PSLV has successfully launched 121 satellites of which 79 are from overseas, the rest being Indian satellites, ISRO said.

On September 8, ISRO launched advanced weather satellite INSAT-3DR onboard GSLV-F05, tasting success on its maiden operational flight of its heavy-duty rocket fitted with the indigenous cryogenic upper stage.

On September 26, in its longest ever mission spread over two hours, PSLV successfully launched eight satellites, including the country's SCATSAT-1 and five satellites from other nations, in two different orbits to achieve another milestone.

GSAT-18, India's communication satellite, was launched on October 6 by a heavy-duty rocket of Arianespace from the spaceport of Kourou in French Guiana.

Pentagon Ready to Launch First Upgraded WGS Satellite

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Air Force's first upgraded Wideband Global Satcom satellite is ready for a planned Dec. 7 launch, Air Force officials told reporters during a press call-in Tuesday (Nov. 29).

It's the eighth WGS satellite in the military's communication constellation, first launched in 2007. It's also the first to carry an upgrade that will allow it to carry more traffic than previous WGS satellites.

Despite having launched similar satellites before, Walter Lauderdale, the WGS-8 mission director at the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), said the team is taking time for all necessary precautions.

"Just like each human being is a unique individual, each rocket is unique as well," he said.

WGS-8, like all but the first WGS satellites, will launch atop a United Launch Alliance Delta 4 rocket.

The satellite is already encapsulated inside its fairing, awaiting launch from Complex 37 at Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Officials are shooting for liftoff between 6:53 p.m. and 7:42 p.m. EST.

Thomas Becht, SMC's deputy director for MILSATCOM Systems, said WGS features "broadcast, multicast, and point to point connections anytime at anywhere around the world" as well as supporting "X- and Ka- band communications simultaneously and seamlessly connect the two bands."

It will also feature several spot beams that will aid in cutting through jamming attempts.

The satellite costs an estimated $425 million, but will provide 45 percent more bandwidth than previous WGS satellites.

That's due to a digital channelizer that more efficiently handles communications. According to information from WGS prime contractor Boeing, the channelizer divides uplink bandwidth into 1,900 sub-channels, providing communications more routes for transmission. The Air Force added $111 million to Boeing Satellite System's contract in 2012 to add the digital channelizer to WGS-8 and WGS-9. The new channelizer will also be included on WGS-10, which the Air Force ordered from Boeing around the same time for roughly $340 million.

"We see the information age has resulted in an explosion of communication needs for everybody," said Rico Attanasio, the director of Boeing MILSATCOM programs. "For our armed forces, wideband communications are necessary for the people that defend the United States."

Two more WGS satellites are planned for launch, bringing the constellation total up to 10 by 2019. Each satellite is designed with a 14 year service life.

Becht said the Defense Department is "kicking off an analysis of alternatives" to see what the next step in military satcom might be after WGS concludes, which could include purchasing communication services from private companies.

"There is an enormous demand from the warfighter for satellite communications," he said. "Unfortunately 10 dedicated satellites isn't enough to meet that demand."