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(GIST OF SCIENCE REPORTER) Bharatiya Antariksh Station

(OCTOBER-2024)

Bharatiya Antariksh Station

Cabinet approved Gaganyaan Follow-on Missions and building of Bharatiya Antariksh Station:

Key highlights:

The union cabinet has approved the building of first unit of the Bharatiya Anatriksh Station by extending the scope of Gaganyaan program.
Approval by the cabinet is given for development of first module of Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS-1) and undertake missions to demonstrate and validate various technologies for building and operating BAS.
Now the human spaceflight program of technology development and demonstration is through eight missions to be completed by December 2028 by launching first unit of BAS-1.

Significance:

The nation will acquire essential technological capabilities for human space missions to Low Earth Orbit.
A national space-based facility such as the Bharatiya Antariksh Station will boost microgravity based scientific research & technology development activities.
This will lead to technological spin-offs and encourage innovations in key areas of research and development.
Enhanced industrial participation and economic activity in human space programme will result in increased employment generation, especially in niche high technology areas in space and allied sectors.
This programme will provide a unique opportunity, especially for the youth of the country to take up careers in the field of science and technology as well as pursue opportunities in microgravity based scientific research & technology development activities.
The resulting innovations and technological spin-offs will be benefitting the society at large.

Bharatiya Antariksh Station

ISRO is meticulously examining the overall architecture, including the quantity and types of modules and docking ports required for BAS.
This space station will feature fundamental components such as a crew command module, a habitat module, a propulsion module, and docking ports.
ISRO aim to initiate the launch of the first module in 2028. Subsequently, within seven years, by 2035, ISRO plans to construct additional modules to achieve full operational status for the space station.
The reason for this timeline is that ISRO’s current rocket, the LVM-3, has a payload capacity of only 10 tonnes, hence the initial module to be launched in 2028 will weigh approximately eight tonnes.
Future modules are anticipated to be larger, ranging from 20-25 tonnes. However, due to their size, they cannot be accommodated by the existing rocket. Consequently, ISRO is in the process of developing a new, more powerful rocket.
The 2028 launch will involve a robotic module serving as a satellite, enabling docking, experimentation, and return. Human missions to the space station are envisioned to commence only after 2035.
Indian space station, upon completion, would operate independently from the International Space Station (ISS) and would be of a smaller scale.
The establishment of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station holds the promise of significantly enhancing India’s presence in space research and exploration. It will serve as a unique platform for conducting scientific experiments in microgravity, driving advancements in space technology.