Space Capsule Recovery Experiment

SRE-1

The SRE-1 spacecraft on public display at Thiruvananthapuram in April 2007

Mission type| Technology
Operator| ISRO
COSPAR ID| 2007-001C
SATCAT no.| 29711
Mission duration| 12 days
Spacecraft properties
Manufacturer| ISRO
Launch mass| 555 kilograms (1,224 lb)[1]
Start of mission
Launch date| 10 January 2007, 03:54 (2007-01-10UTC03:54Z) UTC
Rocket| PSLV PSLV C7
Launch site| Satish Dhawan FLP
Contractor| ISRO
End of mission
Landing date| 22 January 2007, 04:16 (2007-01-22UTC04:17Z) UTC
Landing site| Bay of Bengal
Orbital parameters
Reference system| Geocentric
Regime| Low Earth

The Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SCRE or more commonly SRE or SRE-1) is an Indian experimental spacecraft which was launched at 03:53 UTC on January 10, 2007, from Sriharikota by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). The launch was conducted using the C7 launch of the PSLV rocket, along with three other satellites. It remained in orbit for 12 days before re-entering the Earth's atmosphere and splashing down into the Bay of Bengal at 04:16 UTC on January 22.[2][3][4]

## Contents

* 1 Overview
* 2 Design
* 3 Re-entry
* 3.1 Splashdown and recovery
* 3.2 Disposition
* 4 Experiments and results
* 5 See also
* 6 References
* 7 Bibliography

## Overview

SRE-1 was designed to demonstrate the capability to recover an orbiting space capsule, and the technology of an orbiting platform for performing experiments in microgravity conditions. It was also intended to test reusable Thermal Protection System, navigation, guidance and control, hypersonic aero-thermodynamics, management of communication blackout, deceleration and flotation system and recovery operations.[5][6][7][8] The data obtained from the SRE mission was useful for the design and construction of the Gaganyaan Crew Module.[9]

## Design

SRE-1 is a 555 kg capsule. It comprises aero-thermo structure, internal structure, Mission Management Unit, Altitude sensors and Inertial measurement unit, S-band transponder with unique belt array antenna embedded to ATS, power and electronics packages to support deceleration and flotation system. It also houses two microgravity payloads. It has a sphere-cone-flare configuration with a spherical nose of about 0.5 m radius, base diameter of 2 m and 1.6 m height. The parachute, pyro devices, avionics packages of triggering unit and sequencer, telemetry and tracking system and sensors for measurement of system performance parameters are placed inside the SRE-1 capsule. Parachutes for SRE capsule were provided by Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE).[10]

To withstand the heat of re-entry, the cone-shaped SRE-1 has a thermal protection system composed of 264 silica tiles of 14 different types over conical surface,[11] and an ablative nose cap of carbon-phenolic composite. Scaled replica of SRE with this thermal protection system was validated in Plasma Wind Tunnel facility of CIRA, Italy.[12] ISRO is also working on technology to manufacture carbon-carbon composite TPS, which, along with the silica tiles tested with the SRE-1, could find use in future reusable spacecraft such as ISRO's planned Reusable Launch Vehicle.

## Re-entry

SRE-1 was traveling around the Earth in a circular polar orbit at an altitude of 637 kilometers. In preparation for its reentry, SRE-1 was put into an elliptical orbit with a perigee of 485 kilometers and an apogee of 639 kilometers by issuing commands from the spacecraft control centre of ISTRAC at Bangalore on January 19, 2007. The critical de-boost operations were executed from SCC, Bangalore supported by a network of ground stations at Bangalore, Lucknow, Sriharikota, Mauritius, Biak in Indonesia, Saskatoon in Canada, Svalbard in Norway besides shipborne and airborne terminals.

On January 22, 2007, the re-orientation of SRE-1 capsule for de-boost operations commenced at 08:42 am IST. The de-boost started at 09:00 am with the firing of on-board rocket motors and the operations were completed at 09:10 am. At 09:17 am, SRE-1 capsule was reoriented for its re-entry into the dense atmosphere. The capsule made its re-entry at 09:37 am at an altitude of 100 kilometers with a velocity of 8 km/s (ca. 29,000 km/h). During its reentry, the capsule was protected from the intense heat by carbon phenolic ablative material and silica tiles on its outer surface.

By the time SRE-1 descended to an altitude of 5 km, aerodynamic braking had considerably reduced its velocity to 101 m/s (364 km/h). Pilot and drogue parachute deployments helped in further reducing its velocity to 47 m/s (169 km/h).

### Splashdown and recovery

The main parachute was deployed at about 2 km altitude. SRE-1 splashed down in the Bay of Bengal with a velocity of 12 m/s (43 km/h) at 09:46 am IST (04:16 am UTC). The flotation system, which was immediately triggered, kept the capsule afloat. Recovery operations were supported and carried out by the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy using ships, aircraft and helicopters.

### Disposition

Following recovery of all payloads, the SRE capsule has been put on display at the VSSC museum in Trivandrum.[13]

## Experiments and results

During its stay in orbit, the following two experiments on board SRE-1 were successfully conducted under microgravity conditions.

* One of the experiments studied metal melting and crystallisation under microgravity conditions. This experiment, jointly designed by the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore and Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, was performed in an isothermal heating furnace.
* The second experiment, jointly designed by National Metallurgical Laboratory, Jamshedpur and ISRO Satellite Centre Bangalore, studied the synthesis of nano-crystals under microgravity conditions. This was an experiment in designing biomaterials that better replicate natural biological products. The experimental results have yet to be analysed.

Performance of Silica TPS tiles in conical region of capsule was satisfactory and tile surfaces were found intact with some minor handling related damage during recovery operations. The spacecraft remained afloat for approximately two hours in seawater before recovery, causing minor cracks and seawater deposits on tile surfaces.[11]

## See also

* SRE-2
* CARE
* List of Indian satellites
* Atmospheric Reentry Demonstrator (ARD was a suborbital reentry test vehicle built by Aérospatiale of France for the European Space Agency and flown on the third Ariane 5 flight on October 21, 1998)

## References

1. ↑ "PSLV C7 CARTOSAT-2/SRE Mission". ISRO. https://www.isro.gov.in/media_isro/pdf/Missions/PSLVC7/publication.pdf.
2. ↑ PSLV to put recoverable satellite into orbit, The Hindu December 22, 2006
3. ↑ The Hindu: PSLV-C7 launch a success January 11, 2007
4. ↑ ISRO Ready For Launch Of Multi-Mission PSLV January 05, 2007
5. ↑ China View: India's first space capsule returns to earth January 22, 2007
6. ↑ ISRO Press Release January 22, 2007
7. ↑ 46-minute splash into elite space club The Telegraph January 22, 2007
8. ↑ "Space Capsule Recovery Experiment(SRE)". 21 November 2007. http://www.aprsaf.org/data/aprsaf14_data/day1/SEU10_SRE slides for web.pdf.
9. ↑ Mukunth, Vasudevan (2024-03-02). "What will Gaganyaan change for India? | Explained" (in en-IN). The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/what-will-gaganyaan-change-for-india-explained/article67908278.ece.
10. ↑ Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment, Agra, provided the parachutes
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "Welcome to ISAMPE". http://www.isampe.org/artinew1.htm.
12. ↑ "Testata con successo nella galleria al plasma del CIRA la nuova capsula spaziale indiana". 3 October 2006. http://www.capuaonline.it/eventi/cira/comstampa031006.html.
13. ↑ "ABOUT SPACE MUSEUM". https://spacemuseum.vssc.gov.in/about.html.

## Bibliography

* ISRO Presentation on Day 1 of the 14th annual meeting of the Asia Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum

* v
* t
* e

Indian space program

* Department of Space (DoS)

Organisations|

* Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
* Antrix Corporation
* Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST)
* Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS)
* Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS)
* National Atmospheric Research Laboratory (NARL)
* New Space India Limited
* Physical Research Laboratory (PRL)
* Development and Educational Communication Unit (DECU)
* Integrated Space Cell
* Defence Space Agency

Programmes|

* Bhaskara
* GAGAN
* GSAT
* INSAT
* IRNSS
* IRS
* Cartosat
* RISAT
* Rohini
* SROSS
* Chandrayaan
* Human Spaceflight Programme

Satellites|

* APPLE
* Aryabhata
* HAMSAT
* IMS-1
* Megha-Tropiques
* NISAR
* SARAL
* South Asia Satellite
* SRE
* SRE II
* Kalpana-1
* CARE

Space observatories|

* Astrosat
* Aditya-L1 (planned)
* AstroSat-2 (planned)

Lunar and
planetary spacecraft|

* Chandrayaan-1
* Chandrayaan-2
* Chandrayaan-3 (planned, 2021)
* Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (proposed)
* Mars Orbiter Mission
* Mars Orbiter Mission 2 (proposed)
* Shukrayaan-1 (proposed)

Crewed spacecraft|

* Gaganyaan (Under development)

Rockets|

* Engines
* CE-7.5
* CE-20
* Vikas
* Orbital
* SLV
* ASLV
* PSLV
* GSLV
* Mk I
* Mk II
* Mk III
* Suborbital
* Rohini
* ATV
* Concepts
* ULV
* Under development
* RLV Technology Demonstration Programme
* RLV-TD
* HEX
* SSLV
* SCE-200

Facilities|

* Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN)
* ISRO Satellite Centre (ISAC)
* ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC)
* Master Control Facility (MCF)
* Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC)
* Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS)
* ISRO Satellite Integration and Testing Establishment (ISITE)
* Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC)
* Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC)
* ISRO Propulsion Complex
* Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC)

Related|

* SAGA-220 (supercomputer)
* RESPOND

* List of Indian satellites
* List of Satish Dhawan Space Centre launches
* List of ISRO missions

* v
* t
* e

Indian spacecraft

* List of Indian satellites
* List of Satish Dhawan Space Centre launches
* List of ISRO missions

Satellites|

| Communication|

* GSAT
* 1
* 2
* 3 (EDUSAT)
* 4
* 5P
* 6
* 6A
* 7
* 7A
* 8
* 9 (South Asia Satellite)
* 10
* 11
* 12
* 14
* 15
* 16
* 17
* 18
* 19
* 29
* 31
* HAMSAT
* INSAT
* 1A
* 1B
* 1C
* 1D
* 2A
* 2B
* 2C
* 2D
* 2DT
* 2E
* 3A
* 3B
* 3C
* 3D
* 3DR
* 3DS
* 3E
* 4A
* 4B
* 4C
* 4CR
* 4E
* 4F
* 4G
* Planned: GSAT
* 20
* 22
* 23
* 24

|

Earth observation|

* Bhaskara
* I
* II
* Cartosat
* 1
* 2
* 2A
* 2B
* 2C
* 2D
* 2E
* 2F
* 3
* EMISAT
* HySIS
* IMS-1
* IRS
* 1A
* 1B
* 1C
* 1D
* 1E
* P1
* P2
* P3
* Megha-Tropiques
* Microsat
* Microsat-R
* Oceansat
* 1
* 2
* Resourcesat
* 1
* 2
* RISAT
* 1
* 2
* 2B
* 2BR1
* Rohini
* RS-D1
* RS-D2
* SARAL
* SCATSAT-1
* Technology Experiment Satellite (TESS)
* Planned: NISAR
* GISAT
* Oceansat-3
* Resourcesat-3
* RISAT-1A

Experimental|

* APPLE
* Aryabhata
* Rohini
* RS-1
* Rohini Technology Payload (RTP)

Navigation|

* IRNSS
* 1A
* 1B
* 1C
* 1D
* 1E
* 1F
* 1G
* 1I

Student satellites|

* ANUSAT
* Jugnu
* SRMSAT
* StudSat
* StudSat-2
* YouthSat
* Pratham

Space probes|

| Scientific|

* SROSS
* A
* B
* C
* C2

|

Astronomical|

* Astrosat
* Aditya-L1 (planned)
* XPoSat (planned)
* AstroSat-2 (planned)

Lunar programme|

* Chandrayaan-1
* Moon Impact Probe
* Chandrayaan-2
* Vikram
* Pragyan
* Chandrayaan-3 (planned)

Interplanetary|

* Mars Orbiter Mission
* Mars Orbiter Mission 2 (planned)
* Shukrayaan-1 (planned)

Human spaceflight|

* Indian human spaceflight programme
* SRE-1
* SRE-II
* SRE-III
* Gaganyaan
* CARE

* Future spacecraft in italics.

* v
* t
* e

Orbital launches in 2007

Cartosat-2 * SRE-1 * Lapan-TUBsat * Pehuensat-1 | Progress M-59 | NSS-8 | Beidou-1D | THEMIS A * THEMIS B * THEMIS C * THEMIS D * THEMIS E | IGS Radar 2 * IGS Optical 3V | ASTRO * NEXTSat * MidSTAR-1 * FalconSAT-3 * STPSat-1 * CFESat | Skynet 5A * INSAT-4B | DemoFlight 2 | Soyuz TMA-10 | Anik F3 | Hai Yang 1B | Compass-M1 | EgyptSat 1 * Saudisat-3 * SaudiComsat-3 * SaudiComsat-4 * SaudiComsat-5 * SaudiComsat-6 * SaudiComsat-7 * CP-3 * CP-4 * CAPE-1 * Libertad 1 * AeroCube 2 * CSTB-1 * MAST | AGILE * AAM | NFIRE | AIM | Astra 1L * Galaxy 17 | Progress M-60 | NigComSat-1 | Yaogan 2 * Zheda PiXing 1 | Globalstar 65 * Globalstar 69 * Globalstar 71 * Globalstar 72 | Sinosat-3 | Kosmos 2427 | COSMO-1 | STS-117 (ITS S3/4) | Ofek-7 | TerraSAR-X | USA-194 | Genesis II | Kosmos 2428 | SAR-Lupe 2 | zhongxing 6B | DirecTV-10 | Progress M-61 | Phoenix | STS-118 (ITS S5 * SpaceHab LSM) | Spaceway-3 * BSAT-3a | INSAT-4CR | JCSAT-11 | Kosmos 2429 | Kaguya (Okina * Ouna) | Foton-M No.3 * YES2 | WorldView-1 | CBERS-2B | Dawn | Intelsat 11 * Optus D2 | Soyuz TMA-11 | USA-195 | USA-196 | Globalstar 66 * Globalstar 67 * Globalstar 78 * Globalstar 70 | Kosmos 2430 | STS-120 (Harmony) | Chang'e 1 | Kosmos 2431 * Kosmos 2432 * Kosmos 2433 | SAR-Lupe 3 * Rubin-7 | USA-197 | Yaogan 3 | Skynet 5B * Star One C1 | Sirius 4 | Globus-1M No.11L | COSMO-2 | USA-198 | Radarsat-2 | USA-199 | Horizons-2 * Rascom-QAF 1 | Progress M-62 | Kosmos 2434 * Kosmos 2435 * Kosmos 2436

Payloads are separated by bullets ( * ), launches by pipes ( | ). Crewed flights are indicated in bold text. Uncatalogued launch failures are listed in italics. Payloads deployed from other spacecraft are denoted in brackets.

0.00

(0 votes)

Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space Capsule Recovery Experiment. Read more

|

Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Engineering:Space_Capsule_Recovery_Experiment&oldid=3873193"
*[no.]: number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template