IRNSS-1B (PSLV-C24)

India is going to launch IRNSS-1B (Navigation Satellite) on April 4, 2014 around 5:14 pm (IST).

Aim:
To provide navigational services to the region. The satellite will provide navigation, tracking and mapping services.

Payloads:
Navigation payload
CDMA ranging payload
Laser retro-reflector

The satellite is powered by 2 solar arrays, which generate power up to 1,660 watts, and has a life-time of 10 years.

Aditya

India's upcoming space missions are Astrosat and Aditya. The expected launch of Astrosat is in the year 2015 while that of Aditya is 2017-18. In this post, I will briefly describe about the Aditya mission.

Aim:
To study the Sun, the fundamental problems of coronal heating and other phenomena that take place in the Earth's magnetosphere.

Payloads:

1. Advanced Solar Coronagraph

2. Ultraviolet Imager Telescope (to observe the entire solar disc for     solar storms)

3. High Energy X-ray Imager (to scan smaller region of the solar           disc to study flares)

4. Wind Particle Detector (to sample the solar wind)

5. Soft X-ray Spectrometer

6. Variable Emission Coronagraph

Description:
Mass: 400 kg
Cost: 100 crore rupees (estimated)
Orbit: Near Earth Orbit of 800 km

Objectives:

1. To study the coronal mass ejection.

2. To study the crucial physical parameters for space weather such       as the coronal magnetic field structures, evolution of the coronal     magnetic field etc.