Aryabhata (satellite)

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Aryabhata
Aryabhata, India's first indigenously built satellite.
Mission typeAstrophysics
OperatorISRO
COSPAR ID1975-033A Edit this at Wikidata
SATCAT no.7753
Mission duration5 years, 11 months
(Experiments ended during 5th day in orbit)[1]
Spacecraft properties
ManufacturerISRO
Launch mass360 kg (790 lb)[2][3]
Dimensions1.4 × 1.4 m (4.6 × 4.6 ft)
Power46 watts[3]
Start of mission
Launch date19 April 1975, 07:30 (1975-04-19UTC07:30Z) UTC[4]
RocketKosmos-3M[5]
Launch siteKapustin Yar 107/2
ContractorYuzhnoye
End of mission
Last contactMarch 1981 (1981-04)[3]
Decay date10 February 1992[3]
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric
RegimeLow Earth
Perigee altitude563 km (350 mi)[3]
Apogee altitude619 km (385 mi)[3]
Inclination50.7 degrees[3]
Period96.46 minutes
Epoch19 May 1975[6]
Transponders
Bandwidth256 bit/sec[7]
Capacity137.44 MHz[7]

Aryabhata was India's first satellite,[2] named after the astronomer.[3] It was launched on 19 April 1975[2] from Kapustin Yar, a Soviet rocket launch and development site in Astrakhan Oblast using a Kosmos-3M launch vehicle. It was built by ISRO, and launched by the Soviet Union as a part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme which provided access to space for friendly states.

Launch

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It was launched by India on 19 April 1975[2] from Kapustin Yar, a Russian rocket launch and development site in Astrakhan Oblast using a Kosmos-3M launch vehicle. It was built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).[8] The launch came from an agreement between India and the Soviet Union directed by UR Rao and signed in 1972. It allowed the USSR to use Indian ports for tracking ships and launching vessels in return for launching various different Indian satellites.[9]

On 19 April 1975, the satellite's 96.46-minute orbit had an apogee of 619 kilometres (385 mi) and a perigee of 563 kilometres (350 mi), at an inclination of 50.7 degrees.[6][3] It was built to conduct experiments in X-ray astronomy, aeronomics, and solar physics. The spacecraft was a 26-sided polyhedron 1.4 metres (4.6 ft) in diameter. All faces (except the top and bottom) were covered with solar cells.[5] A power failure halted experiments after four days and 60 orbits, with all signals from the spacecraft lost after five days of operation.[1] Spacecraft mainframe remained active till March 1981.[3] the satellite entered Earth's atmosphere on 10 February 1992 due to orbital decay.[3]

Legacy

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Martand Jha (17 April 2020). "Aryabhata: Remembering India's first satellite". The Interpreter. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "Aryabhata". The New Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (15th ed.). Chicago, USA: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc. 1992. p. 611.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Aryabhata". www.isro.org. ISRO. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  4. ^ Jonathan McDowell. "Launch Log". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  5. ^ a b c "Aryabhata". usrc.gov.in. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  6. ^ a b Jonathan McDowell. "Satellite Catalog". Jonathan's Space Page. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  7. ^ a b Gunter D. Krebs. "Aryabhata 1". Gunter's Space Page. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  8. ^ Arun Dev (12 April 2021). "Four sheds in Bengaluru and one big dream: How India's 1st satellite took form". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 16 August 2024.
  9. ^ a b Brian Harvey (2000). The Japanese and Indian Space Programmes: Two Roads into Space. London, UK: Springer. pp. 133–134. ISBN 978-1-852-33199-3.
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