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MISSION SUPPORT SERVICE

With ISRO's experience of having accomplished around 100 satellite missions and 50 launches, NSIL, as its commercial arm, caters to mission operations and related support services for customer satellites. The services are extended through the state-of-art facilities and networks built for both low earth orbiting and geostationary satellite missions. The facilities are backed by strong technical expertise and experience in satellite operations and management. The satellite ground stations support operations in a variety of frequency bands (S, C, Ku, Ka, UHF and VHF ) and, with configurations to provide round-the-clock uninterrupted services for critical mission functions.

Industries/Academia/Space agencies building Satellites in S & X band for Deep Space Mission can use ISRO's antenna terminals.

These services may be obtained from NSIL

For further details:

  • Director NSIL: aa-nsil[at]isro[dot]gov[dot]in 080-22172696
  • Deputy manager (Electronics): nishu-nsil[at]isro[dot]gov[dot]in 080-22172048

DOS offers complete turnkey solutions to the following:

  • TTC & Payload data acquisition services for Deep Space Missions. Through Telemetry Tracking, Commanding & Payload services for Deep Space Missions through ISRO's Deep Space 32m and 18m antenna terminals.
  • TTC & Payload data acquisition Services for Satellite Missions Through Telemetry Tracking, Commanding & Payload services for Low Earth Orbit Satellites through ISRO's 10m and 11m antenna terminals located across the globe.

Launch Vehicle Tracking Services.

Launch Vehicle tracking services from ISRO's Ground Station infrastructure located across the globe.

Telemetry Tracking, Commanding (TTC) & Payload Support services for Low Earth Orbit Satellites, launch vehicles through ISRO's 4.6m transportable antenna terminals.

Deep Space Mission Antenna for Delta-DOR (DDOR)/Very long Base line Interferometry experimentsservices for Deep Space Missions through ISRO's Deep Space 32m antenna terminal.

Real time Telemetry and Tele-command data distribution

The ground stations and the control centers are geographically apart from each other. Telemetry data acquired at various ground stations is distributed to all the control centers in real time. Tele-commands issued at the control centers are transferred to the appropriate ground station for uplink.

The spacecraft controllers at the control center shall be able to see the telemetry data and issue commands from and to the ground stations through a common interface and shall be transparent to the network architecture and other lower level details pertaining to the connectivity between the sites

Optimal satellite contact scheduling for Telemetry, Tracking, Command, and Payload operations

In case of many operational satellites and few ground stations for tracking, there is a need to optimally schedule communication contacts to the satellites with required operations over the available ground stations, so that all the satellites are sufficiently monitored, controlled and maintained in good health.

Required satellite contacts are scheduled for the spacecraft to regularly monitor, operate and control the satellites so that they are maintained in good health and serve their intended purpose.

Technical Consultancy for Spacecraft Orbit Determination and Prediction

ISTRAC provides technical consultancy for realizing orbit determination, precise orbit prediction and orbital products for the Earth orbiting / Interplanetary mission

Spacecraft Orbit Determination and Prediction services

ISTRAC provides orbit determination, precise orbit prediction and orbital products for the Earth orbiting / Interplanetary mission

Technical consultancy for Preliminary Orbit Determination

ISTRAC provides technical consultancy for realizing Initial orbit determination and trajectory analysis of the launch vehicle.

Location Estimator using MEOSAR (Medium-altitude Earth Orbiting Search and Rescue) data as per COSPAS-SARSAT standard. It provides distress beacon's location as output. MEOSAR location estimator provides distressed beacon's location in near real time. Useful for to Search & Rescue team establishing the control center.

Flight Dynamics Operations(FDO) services for spacecraftand trajectory analysis

This involves following services:

  • trajectory analysis of spacecraft
  • Daily Orbit Determination based on SPS/S-Band Orbit Determination
  • Trajectory and Products Generation
  • Performing Orbit maintenance maneuvers periodically.

All activities such as Ground-Station Tracking, Station Visibility Timings for Scheduling, Orbit-Coefficients for onboard commanding, Space Situational Awareness to avoid collision are dependent on the daily Flight Dynamics Operations service.

Design and establishment of Mission Control Centre for Spacecraft operation

Mission Control Centre (MCC) provides necessary infrastructure for mission operations management. It involves computer infrastructure, network, communication service, hosting database and mission control software.

Online Beacon Registration for Search and Rescue Services

This is Search and Rescue service provided during distress in the form of alerts and position location services through Low Earth Orbiting & Geo-synchronous Orbiting Search and Rescue satellite systems.

Alert Dissemination System for Satellite Aided Search And Rescue Services (SASAR)

INMCC along with Local User Terminal is a part of International CSPAS-SARSAT programme, providing distress alerts and position location services through Low Earth Orbiting Search And Rescue and Geo-synchronous Orbiting Search And Rescue satellite systems.

Received Alert with identity and location of distress will help the Search And Rescue authorities in rescue operation. Timely dissemination of location will facilitate faster rescue operations and reducing the loss of man/material.

Software for Ground station data acquisition and dissemination. Software caters to the following:
  • Real-time data acquisition for launch vehicle/satellite Telemetry & Payload data acquisition.
  • Real-time commanding as per the international Space data exchange standards.
  • International Space Data standards compliant data exchange on SLE protocol.
  • General purpose gateway for secure Telemetry, Tracking and Tele-command support of any standard ground station.
  • Monitoring and control software for ground station operations.

Precise coordinate estimation services

Through this service, the user can obtain the precise estimate of the coordinates of the point of interest to an accuracy of a few centimetres. This service can be used by various departments such as Airport Authority, Roads and Railways, Survey departments, Public works departments, forestry etc, to cater various services to the public

Site survey for establishment of satellite ground stations.

Site survey is prerequisite prior to establishing any satellite ground station. Site survey ensures that site is free from RF interference and multipath. This also includes elevation profile survey to ensure that the site is clear from obstacles for ensuring a clear visibility of satellites.

This will ensure that the selected site is suitable for establishment of ground station and is free from interference and multipath. It shall also ensure clear visibility to the satellite constellation

Technology transfer/ Technical consultancy for System engineering and design of Precise Time Scale

Precise Time scale is the generation of highly stable and accurate time and frequency signal using atomic clocks. The output is a continuous and reliable time/frequency signal which is a weighted average of the participating clocks. The time scale is traceable to a chosen reference such as UTC or IST.

Precise Time scales can act as the reference time for the satellite navigation constellations (e.g. NavIC, Galileo etc.) as well as for any other precise application such as national timekeeping (e.g. Generation of Indian Standard Time), VLBI, precise time dissemination for users such as financial institutions, telecom service providers and other strategic applications where precise timekeeping is required.

NavIC Timing Receiver Calibration

Absolute calibration of NavIC time transfer and timing receivers with respect to NavIC system time. Users of NavIC receivers can get the receivers calibrated with respect to NavIC system time generated at NavIC control centre. The calibration procedure is absolute in method and hence, has very low uncertainty.

Technical Consultancy: Precise Time and Frequency Dissemination

Precise time and frequency dissemination carried out through a variety of techniques to the users depending on the requirements. The final output (steered to NavIC System Time) can be in the form of 5 MHz, 10 MHz, 100 MHz, 1 PPS, NTP, PTP or IRIG.

Time Transfer with NavIC System Time

Measurement of time offset of a remote time laboratory with respect to the NavIC system time using NavIC receivers. Traceability to NavIC system time can be established using this service to an accuracy of 40 ns (2-sigma) accuracy. Time transfer solution can be tailored based on the accuracy requirements of the user:
  • GNSS-NavIC Common view: ≤10 ns
  • b. Two-way Satellite Time and frequency transfer: ≤1 ns

Users can be provided with better accuracy with post-processing methods as well.

NavIC advisory System

Navic Advisory is service which provides early information about the planned outages and in real time information about the unplanned outage in the services of NavIC constellation. Academic institutes, research organisations utilizing NavIC services for design, development of survey grade NavIC receivers, post processing for GNSS modelling and other GNSS application users who utilizes NaVIC services can use this services to get the information of planned/unplanned outages of the constellation. This shall aid them in effective planning of survey works, etc.

Web Based IRNSS Messaging Service

IRNSS Messaging service is short messaging services that use NavIC satellites to transmit text messages to general users having NAVIC Messaging Receiver (NMR). The messages can be broadcasted to multiple users at once. Organisation such as IMD, Railways, INCOIS, Coast Guard, Home Department, Ministry of Roadways and all other government agencies who interact with citizens for early warning such as Tsunami, Flood, Rescue, Road Blocks, etc can use this service.

Design and system engineering of earth station

This program can facilitate the design and system engineering for the establishment of ground station meant for tracking and ranging of satellites depending on the user requirements. This program will enable any user who wants to establish an earth station for tracking and ranging of satellites based on CDMA.

Design and system engineering of Continuously operating Reference (CORS) station

Network of permanent multi frequency multi constellation GNSS stations to operate continuously. This dense network of stations geographically spread will be design and established to cater various location based services. This network of stations will facilitate various positioning, surveying and mapping applications, supporting various navigation and transportation applications, Scientific community usages such as geodynamics, troposphere and ionosphere studies etc.

Environment Monitoring System (EMS)

This product is capable to perform Temperature measurement, Humidity measurement, fire detection and capable to control a set of fan array based on configurable temperature levels. This product is having remote monitoring and control feature via TCP/IP Ethernet protocol. This system can be installed in places where continuous monitoring of temperature, humidity and detection of fire is required.

Weather Data for Disaster Management

Doppler weather radars are ground based radar sensors for continuous weather surveillance and weather forecasting. Multiple Doppler weather radars are deployed across India in multiple frequency bands. S band DWRs at SDSC SHAR, Cherrapunjee, Gopalpur, Kochi, C band DWR at Trivandrum, X Band DWRs at Chennai and NARL gadanki.

Weather monitoring and forecasting for rocket launches

Consultancy for establishment of S band Doppler weather radar at launch stations to support mission related weather monitoring and forecasting activities.

Technical Consultancy for Design and establishment of Wind Profiler systems

Wind Profiler system is phased array radar providing vertical profiles of horizontal winds continuously. Wind Profiler generates atmospheric wind moment in U, V and W directions; it generates vertical profiles of horizontal wind velocities & directions, along with noise level estimation and spectrum width. Wind profiler helps to study the atmospheric dynamics over seasons, geographies and different heights, by generating the wind dynamics from Wind Profiler system data. Study of atmospheric dynamics is an important input to the meteorologists / researchers and space scientists for devising the real time atmospheric model and hence to forecast / now cast the weather phenomena.

Wind Profiler data processing software

Advanced Data Products (ADP) is an advanced signal processing software. It is used in atmospheric wind moment's generation in U, V and W directions; from phased array based wind Profiler radar system data.it generates vertical profiles of horizontal wind velocities & directions, along with noise level estimation and spectrum width. Advanced Data products software helps to study the atmospheric dynamics over seasons, geographies and different heights, by generating the wind dynamics from Wind Profiler system data.

For a country like India, where agriculture is the prime source of survival, precise study and forecasting of weather is very critical to safe guard the lives and livelihood. Study of atmospheric dynamics is an important input to the meteorologists / researchers and space scientists for devising the real time atmospheric model and hence to forecast / now cast the weather phenomena.

Weather Radar Data processing software

Weather radar data products” is signal processing and display software for polarimetric Doppler weather radars. It generates critical weather data products, like, reflectivity, velocity, spectrum width, differential reflectivity, differential propagation phase and correlation coefficient. Weather radar data products software is used in all the Doppler weather radars for generating important data products like reflectivity, velocity, spectrum width, differential reflectivity, differential propagation phase and correlation coefficient. It provides real-time or near real-time weather monitoring, tracking & reporting of weather events like cyclones, cloud burst, thunderstorm, rain-fall estimates etc. DWR data products along with their advanced derived data products are used for weather forecasting by several models or agencies (like IMD). These data products are used for rain fall estimation and classification of hydrometeors

Dual-polarimetric Doppler Weather radars (DWRs)

Doppler Weather Radars are the ground based microwave radar sensors detecting & tracking weather phenomenon up to 500kms. The operating frequencies of DWRs can vary from S-band to X-band depending on the terrain, application and range coverage. Doppler weather radar provides real-time or near real-time weather monitoring, tracking & reporting of weather events like cyclones, cloud burst, thunderstorm, rain-fall estimates etc. DWR data products along with their advanced derived data products are used for weather forecasting by several models or agencies (like IMD).

Design and development of Wind Profiler Radars

Wind Profiler Radars are the ground based microwave clear-air radars which records the wind speed, direction and its vertical profiles w.r.t elevation up to troposphere (10-15 km.) altitude. These vertically pointing radars sense the fluctuations in the refractive index of the clear air created due to wind turbulence, and measure radar reflectivity and radial velocity (amongst several other data product) from the echo of its own transmitted signal. Wind Profiler Radars helps to study the atmospheric dynamics over seasons, geographies and different heights, by generating the wind dynamics and its profile over elevation. Study of atmospheric dynamics is an important input to the meteorologists / researchers and space scientists for devising the real time atmospheric model and hence to forecast / now cast the weather phenomena. The same is also used for launch vehicle or airport flight preparation and readiness where vertical wind turbulence is a critical factor.

Ground Station Antenna Mechanical Design and Development

Mechanical design and development of state of art full-motion, high performance antenna systems on end to end basis.The major features of the antenna system
  • Upto17m aperture diameter.
  • High dynamics and pointing accuracy.
  • Commissioning of Ground station antenna,useful for Launch vehicles and Low Earth Orbit (LEO), MEO, GEO and navigation satellites for Telemetry Tracking, Commanding (TTC).

Mechanical design and development of 18m to 32m deep space antenna system.

Mechanical design and development of full motion multi band(S/X Band) deep space network antenna system. The major features of the antenna system
  • 18m to 32 m aperture diameter.
  • High Performance precise full motion antenna.
  • Highly stiff and rugged design.
  • Multi frequency (S/X) band compatible.

Commissioning of antenna for deep space antennas

Mechanical design and development of indigenous upto4.6m Ship Borne Transportable Terminal Antenna

Mechanical design and development of state of art three axis upto4.6m transportable antenna system.The major features of the antenna system
  • Can be place on sea and land both.
  • S/X Band frequency of operation compatible.
  • 3-axis antenna mounts to compensate for the pitch, roll and yaw disturbances of the ship during tracking of the launch vehicle.
  • Entire system can be packaged and shipped within a standard 40 ft. ISO container. Antenna can be placed at remote locations in deep seas where ground stations are not available and require critical data from launch vehicle.

Mechanical design and development of S/X/Ka Band feed for Antenna systems.

Feed system is a major element of antenna system in communicating with launch vehicle and satellite.

Major features are:

  • Auto tracking feature in both S and X-Band.
  • Compactly designed to house all the feed components inside a single feed cone
  • Stringent mechanical tolerances achieved resulting into Low loss and high performance hardware

Feed system is a major element in antenna system in communicating with the satellite. Assembly of feed system to the antenna.