ISRO making headways in Technology for Future Space Programmes
- Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Successfully Develops TRAVELING WAVE TUBE AMPLIFIER (TWTA) for Advanced Satellites
- ISRO is developing Deep Space Optical Communication Capability
Bangalore, July 2. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), is making huge headways in technology upgradation for its future Space Programmes.
In this endeavour it has successfully designed, developed & tested traveling wave tube amplifier (TWTA) which will be used with satellite and sent to space early next year.
This apart, the Indian Space Agency ISRO is developing Deep Space Optical Communication which enables Terra Byte data transmission at high speeds.
The Travelling Wave Tube Amplifier is commonly used in satellite communication links, earth observation payloads, scientific missions or probes and inter-spacecraft communications links.
This is a very difficult technology only very few firms have the capability to build it.
It is a complex multidisciplinary technology involving controlled interaction of microwave with electron beam under ultra-high vacuum.
ISRO said its Space Applications Centre has developed space qualified C-Band TWTA for space borne applications, jointly with the Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CEERI), Pilani.
It said qualification involves testing of fragile TWTA for severe vibration withstanding capability, which is critical during rocket launch and also satisfactory stable performance during thermal vacuum condition.
Due to the requirement of such a device, indigenous development can significantly reduce the dependency on foreign sources, ISRO said.
ISRO is developing Deep Space Optical Communication Capability
ISRO is developing deep space optical communication capability.
The Space Agency has already launched a payload & is testing now. Soon ISRO will be able to develop the complete system.
Optical Communication enables Terra Byte data transmission at high speeds. It will enable high speed communication anywhere in the world & deep space. Conventional RF communication has limitation of band width and data transmission speed is low.
Much like fibre optics replacing old telephone lines on Earth as demand for data grows, going from radio communications to laser, or optical, communications will allow increased data rates throughout the solar system with 10 to 100 times the capacity of state-of-the-art radio systems currently used by spacecraft.
(Photo courtesy: ISRO)