Pradeep's Space Newsletter #64
Still a lot of PSLV-C60/SPADEX/POEM-4 updates, Transporter-12 launch upcoming, TakeMe2Space interview, Aditya-L1 data release, and NSIL Report out!
SpaDeX Updates
We’re still waiting for docking. ISRO posted on X that the docking experiment has been postponed as they found the drift to be more than expected when the spacecraft was reducing the distance from 500 m to 225 m.
The Swiss firm, s2a Systems has been posting regular updates on its X feed. They had to be asked the inter-satellite distance by Indian space watchers on X before they started including the distance in the post itself.
India-based Digantara also started similar updates (see here, here, and here) on its X feed, but they have not been as consistent with the updates, compared to s2a. But, another Indian company contributing to a mission without being on the spacecraft.
ISRO shared a selfie-video of the SpaDeX chaser.
ISRO shared a video of the release of SDX-02’s launch restraint and the extension of the docking ring.
POEM-4 Updates
The cowpea seeds that flew inside the VSSC's Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies (CROPS) experiment germinated and leaves were spotted! (X post with a timelapse video in which you see the leafs come out).
ISRO shared a video of Relocatable Robotic Manipulator-Technology Demonstrator (RRM-TD). This is the Walking Arm robot on board POEM-4.
Debris Capture Robotic Arm Manipulator (DC-RM) also demonstrated its capability. I found it hard to spot the tethered debris in the video that ISRO shared on X.
ISRO Chairman designate
Director, Liquid Propulsions Systems Centre (LPSC), Dr. V, Narayanan, has been announced as Secretary, Department of Space and Chairman, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) from 14 January 2025 for a period of 2 years.
With the opening up of the space sector and the expansion of entities in the Department of Space, I expected these two roles to be split. However, in the absence of a law governing various aspects of the space sector, I think continuing with the status quo is a good idea.
Transporter-12 Dedicated Smallsat Mission with Indian satellites
A bunch of Indian satellites are flying on a dedicated smallsat mission flying into a Sun synchronous orbit (SSO) called Transporter 12 on a Falcon-9 launch vehicle. Launch is expected on 14 January 2025 at 6 pm (UTC) or 11:30 pm (IST).
Three of the six Fireflies satellites belonging to Pixxel Space. These are hyperspectral satellites weighing about 50 kg each. Their X post here.
Elevation-1 communications payload to demonstrate E-band communications with digital modulation from XDLINX Space Labs.
Space Climate and Object Tracker (SCOT) sensor that will monitor space debris and space weather from Digantara. Their X post is here.
TakeMe2Space interview
There was a nice interview on rediff.com (H/T r/ISRO) that had interesting details about the mission that is flying on-board POEM-4. From the interview:
Yes, MOI-TD (My Orbital Infrastructure-Technology Demonstrator). It is India's first demonstration of an AI lab in space.
Our satellite is not just a normal satellite with camera, sensor etc, it has capabilities to run large AI models.
You can write AI algorithms to test AI based experiments in orbit. That's why we call it an AI lab in space.
It is a lab where anybody can walk in and test their ideas.
The three customers who have written experiments to test in space include a group of engineering students from Malaysia, Class 9 and 10 students from Chandigarh and a group of students from Delhi.
Aditya L-1 Data is Public
The data is here.
NSIL 2023-24 Annual Report is out
The report is here [PDF]. The discussion on r/ISRO is here. I have not read it yet.