The Indian Space Research Organisation is going to launch a data relay satellite to track the activities of Gaganyaan mission throughout and after the launch.
According to the sources the rupees 800Cr. Project has been accepted, and the work has already begun. The further statement said that, “We’re planning to launch our own satellite, which will act as a data relay satellite before going for the first human space flight”.
The satellite will be launched before the final leg of the mission, which will send the astronauts to LEO (Low Earth orbit). The unmanned mission of first leg mission is supposed to launch in December.
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Satellites in orbit cannot pass their information to the ground stations on Earth if the satellite does not have a clear vision of the ground station. A data relay satellite acts as a way to pass along the satellites.
Information. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), U.S.A., with a robust human space mission programme, also has its own data relay satellite.
It’s tracking and Data Relay Satellite allows it to have global coverage of all the satellites round the clock without the need to build extra ground stations on Earth. The ISRO uses various ground stations spread across the globe -Mauritius, Brunei and Biak, Indonesia.
Past month, the ISRO Chairperson K. Sivan had said the space agency was also in talks with the Australian fellow to have a ground station at the Coco islands for the Gaganyaan mission. Nevertheless there are blind spots, due to which there are chances of not receiving signals the sources added up in the information. The data relay satellite will help address the issues.
Earlier this month, the ISRO treated an agreement with French space agency CNES for collaboration for the Gaganyaan, a move that will help to continue training of Indian flight physicians under French space agency’s support and observations.
Under the signed agreement, CNES-developed French equipment, tested and still operating aboard the International Space Station, will be made available for the Indian crews. The CNES will also be supplying fireproof carry bags made in France to protect the equipment from shocks and radiation, it said. Last month, four prospective astronauts also returned to India after spending nearly a year in Russia.
