Tag Archives: Indian Space Research Organisation
NYT’s profile of India’s space startup scene
The New York Times published a ‘profile’ of the Indian spaceflight startup scene on July 4. The article is typical in that: a) by virtue of being published by one of the world’s most-read news outlets, it can only be … Continue reading
Posted in Scicomm
Tagged Alex Travelli, GSLV, Indian Space Research Organisation, Lvm 3, pharmaceuticals, PSLV, The New York Times
Comments Off on NYT’s profile of India’s space startup scene
A request to ISRO about Chandrayaan 3
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has said its launch window for the Chandrayaan 3 mission is July 12-19. For now, the mission is expected to lift off on July 14 (at 2.35 pm IST). Chandrayaan 3’s mission is the … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds, Science
Tagged Artemis Accords, Chandrayaan 2, Chandrayaan 3, Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, K Sivan, Pragyan rover, S Somanath, Vikram lander
Comments Off on A request to ISRO about Chandrayaan 3
Something more foolish than completing phase 3 trials in 1.5 months?
That the Union government and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had entered into a more intimate, but not necessarily more beneficial, relationship became evident in 2019 when then ISRO chairman K. Sivan trotted out a series of dubious claims … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds, Science
Tagged Balram Bhargava, Covaxin, Gaganyaan, human spaceflight, Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, K Sivan
Comments Off on Something more foolish than completing phase 3 trials in 1.5 months?
ISRO’s national interest bullshit
For data and other objects, like images and videos, it places in the public domain, the Indian government attaches the GODL license – short for ‘government open data license’. The terms of this license are fairly straightforward: that … all … Continue reading
Posted in Analysis
Tagged Chandrayaan 2, Chandrayaan 3, Government Open Data License, Indian Space Research Organisation, K Sivan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Comments Off on ISRO’s national interest bullshit
Reading fog data from INSAT 3DR
At 7.57 am today, the India Meteorological Department’s Twitter handle posted this lovely image of fog over North India on January 21, as captured by the INSAT 3DR satellite. However, it didn’t bother explaining what the colours meant or how … Continue reading
Posted in Scicomm
Tagged albedo, atmospheric science, atmospheric sounder, brightness temperature, cumulonimbus, humidity, India Meteorological Department, Indian Space Research Organisation, INSAT 3A, INSAT 3D, INSAT 3DR, ISRO Space Applications Centre, Kalpana 1, microphysics, optical radiometry, radiometer, solar reflectance, storm forecast, VHRR, weather forecasting
Comments Off on Reading fog data from INSAT 3DR
Being on the NSI podcast
Narayan Prasad, the CEO of SatSearch, hosts a popular podcast called NewSpace India. Every episode, he hosts one person and they talk about something related to the Indian and international space programmes. I was the guest for the episode published … Continue reading
Posted in Scicomm
Tagged Chandrayaan 2, Indian Space Research Organisation, Jonathan McDowell, NewSpace India, podcast, SatSearch, space journalism, TS Kelso, two-line element set
Comments Off on Being on the NSI podcast
The virtues and vices of reestablishing contact with Vikram
There was a PTI report yesterday that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is still trying to reestablish contact with the Vikram lander of the Chandrayaan 2 mission. The lander had crashed onto the lunar surface on September 7 instead … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds, Scicomm
Tagged Chandrayaan 1, Chandrayaan 2, Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, K Sivan, Pragyan rover, Shillong, transparency, Vikram lander
Comments Off on The virtues and vices of reestablishing contact with Vikram
The mission that was 110% successful
Caution: Satire. On October 2, Kailash S., the chairman of the Indian Wonderful Research Organisation (IWRO), announced that the Moonyaan mission had become a 110% success. At an impromptu press conference organised inside the offices of India Day Before Yesterday, he … Continue reading
Posted in Culture
Tagged Chandrayaan 2, Gaganyaan, human spaceflight mission, Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, K Sivan, Mangalyaan, Mars Orbiter Mission, Pragyan rover, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vikram lander
Comments Off on The mission that was 110% successful
Review: ‘Mission Mangal’ (2019)
This review assumes Tanul Thakur’s review as a preamble. There’s the argument that ISRO isn’t doing much by way of public outreach and trust in the media is at a low, and for many people – more than the most … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Scicomm
Tagged Akshay Kumar, Bollywood, Chandrayaan 2, frugal engineering, frugal innovation, GSLV Mk-III, Hinduism, Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, Make in India, Mangalyaan, Mars Orbiter Mission, Mission Mangal, NASA, nationalism, PSLV, science communication, Vidya Balan
Comments Off on Review: ‘Mission Mangal’ (2019)
Discovering Vikram Sarabhai
I just read through a collection of Vikram Sarabhai’s important speeches and papers compiled by members of the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, to pick a suitable portion to excerpt on the occasion of Sarabhai’s birth centenary tomorrow. There was … Continue reading
Posted in Science
Tagged birth centenary, Homi Jehangir Bhabha, IIT Madras, Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, Jawaharlal Nehru, Physical Research Laboratory, Vikram Sarabhai
Comments Off on Discovering Vikram Sarabhai