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Oct 2014 | No Comment

Russian Transport Ministry authorized to create ERA-GLONASS system

The Russian Transport Ministry has been made the authorized federal body of executive authority for the creation, organization and ensuring functioning of the ERA-GLONASS automated information system. The large-scale ERA-GLONASS project was launched in Russia in 2011. This road accident urgent response system that uses Russia’s GLONASS envisages the introduction of the single 112 emergency phone number in the country. The project is implemented in conjunction with the Social GLONASS program that will help aged people and persons with impaired vision to find the needed route, and parents to be always in the now where their children are. http://en.itar-tass.com/

GPS pressure leads Ordnance Survey to ponder map co-ordinates change

Britain’s national mapping agency is considering abandoning a system of co-ordinates on its maps first devised more than 180 years ago.

Ordnance Survey is seeking views on changing its latitude and longitude markers to a system used by most GPS devices.

The organisation stressed it is not changing its national grid references, which are used by most outdoor enthusiasts, but may change the lat and long datum to the WGS84 model, in recognition that most users now refer to that, rather than its present Airy 1830, which was devised by Britain’s Astronomer Royal in the 19th century. www.grough.co.uk/

History created by ISRO! Mars Orbiter Spacecraft Successfully Inserted into Mars Orbit

India’s Mars Orbiter Spacecraft successfully entered into an orbit around planet Mars on September 24, 2014 by firing its 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) along with eight smaller liquid engines.

The events related to Mars Orbit Insertion progressed satisfactorily and the spacecraft performance was normal. The Spacecraft is now circling Mars in an orbit whose nearest point to Mars (periapsis) is at 421.7 km and farthest point (apoapsis) at 76,993.6 km. The inclination of orbit with respect to the equatorial plane of Mars is 150 degree, as intended. In this orbit, the spacecraft takes 72 hours 51 minutes 51 seconds to go round the Mars once.

Mars Orbiter Spacecraft was launched on-board India’s workhorse launch vehicle PSLV on November 05, 2013 into a parking orbit around the Earth. On December 01, 2013, following Trans Mars Injection (TMI) manoeuvre, the spacecraft escaped from orbiting the earth and followed a path that would allow it to encounter Mars on September 24, 2014.

With the successful Mars Orbit Insertion operation, ISRO has become the fourth space agency to successfully send a spacecraft to Mars orbit. In the coming weeks, the spacecraft will be thoroughly tested in the Mars orbit and the systematic observation of that planet using its five scientific instruments would begin.