ISRO’s PSLV-C60/SPADEX (Space Docking Experiment) mission, to be launched on December 30, 2024, is all about high-profile experiments it is It is aimed at enabling India’s human spaceflight ambitions and exploration missions like Chandrayaan-4. While SPADEX satellite docking is a preliminary step towards space station assembly technology, ISRO is also testing several other instruments that could be used on the proposed ‘Bharataya Antariksh Station’. obtain It will be fully operational by 2035.
ISRO plans to launch the first module of the space station by 2028 and expand it in stages by docking more modules. that It is envisioned as a robotic space station. First, which one? Later on, it will be able to accept astronauts.
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Some of the exciting experiments that ISRO Center is initiating onboard POEM or PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) are:
walking robot arm
The Thiruvananthapuram-based ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU) has already developed Vyomitra, a humanoid robot that will fly on Gaganyaan’s unmanned test flight. However, the walking robot arm is an attempt to create a walking robot arm that moves around like an earthworm.
“In the microgravity environment of space, any free object floats around. Therefore, we wanted to build and demonstrate a robotic arm that can roam through space. We added several grappling points to the experimental platform. The robot arm can move like a bug according to commands. If attached to one grapple point, its head will move to the next grapple point and attach there.Thus, using multiple grappling points located throughout the proposed Indian space station. They can try to move and perform various functions including operating the system, making repairs etc.,” ISRO’s IISU Director Padmakumar told WION.
he added: The robot arm is 1 meter long. It was developed specifically for the space environment and cannot be used on Earth. He said the walking robot arm could be used for a variety of future purposes, including making repairs on and off the space station.
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“Typically, astronauts have to leave the space station and go into the harsh and dangerous space environment to perform repairs. But with a walking robot arm like this, we can someday perform some of this role. “This seems practical given the speed at which robotics and AI technology is advancing,” he explained.
Debris capture robot manipulator
Developed by ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, which focuses on developing space transportation systems, the experiment aims to: Use a robotic arm to capture tethered (bound but free-floating) debris. Once in space, the robotic arm will perform “visual servoing” – a control technique that uses visual feedback from a camera to guide the robot’s movements – to capture tethered objects floating freely in space.
“There are various possible applications, but What can be captured Manipulate objects in space using a robotic arm. It can be deployed to capture free-floating pieces of space debris. “It can be used for satellite capture, repair and refueling of satellites,” ISRO’s VSSC Director Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair told WION. According to ISRO, the robotic arm is capable of capturing floating debris and refueling. Future POEM missions will use tethered and free-floating spacecraft.
Lead Exemption Experimental System (LEXS)
For lead traditionally Used for soldering (joining pieces of metal or wire using a mixture of metals). In other words heat to melt). The main reasons for using lead in soldering include desirable properties such as low melting point, reliability, and ease of use, which makes it suitable for a variety of applications such as electronics, aerospace, and electrical wiring.
However, despite its effectiveness, the use of lead in soldering is becoming increasingly restricted due to health and environmental concerns associated with lead exposure.
Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive; it is Adopted by the European Union in 2003, it limits the use of lead and other hazardous substances in electronic products.
ISRO’s VSSC has developed DC-DC converters using lead-free (RoHS compliant) components and processes. The objective is to demonstrate and evaluate the reliability and functionality of RoHS-compliant systems in microgravity environments.
“Our goal is to test this new system of terrible conditions of space. If it is proven to work in space, it can be adopted for processes here on Earth. in the same wayThis improves compliance with electronics industry-approved practices,” VSSC Director Dr. Unnikrishnan Nair explained to WION.
Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Research (CROPS)
The CROPS payload developed by VSSC is envisioned as a multi-phase platform. develop and evolving ISRO’s ability to grow and sustain plants in extraterrestrial environments.
Designed as a fully automated system and conducted over a week-long experiment scheduled We demonstrate seed germination and plant maintenance to the two-leaf stage in a microgravity environment. In the experiment, we plan to grow eight cowpea seeds. In a closed box environment with active thermal control.
Passive measurements such as camera images, O2 and CO2 concentrations, relative humidity (RH), temperature, and soil moisture monitoring are available. surveillance plant growth.
“Plant growth in the microgravity environment of space is very different from that on Earth. On Earth, there is gravity, but in space, plant buds do not need gravity.” against gravity. This is our attempt at space agriculture. This will be very useful when we have our own functional space station with astronauts on board,” Dr. Unnikrishnan Naar, Director, VSSC, ISRO, explained to WION.
Reaction wheel assembly (RWA)
reaction weeI is a critical component used in a satellite’s attitude control system (ACS). It contributes to controlling and stabilizing the orientation (attitude) of a spacecraft in space without relying on thrusters or external forces.
According to mission requirements, The satellite must be oriented in the following direction specific direction, and reaction wheels will help you achieve it. This payload, developed by IISU, aims to study the attitude stabilization of POEM platforms.
“All of our satellites are controlled by reaction wheels. When the wheels are activated, rotate When moving in one direction, the satellite moves in the opposite direction. This time, we created these reaction wheels using off-the-shelf electronics. This reduces the overall cost of the device and makes it affordable for academia and start-ups,” Padmakumar, director of IISU, explained to WION.
