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Topic: Sounding Rocket (RH-560)

Why in News?

• The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched a sounding rocket (RH-560) to study attitudinal variations in the neutral winds and plasma dynamics.

About Sounding Rockets

• Sounding rockets are one or two stage solid propellant rockets used for probing the upper atmospheric regions and for space research.
• They also serve as easily affordable platforms to test or prove prototypes of new components or subsystems intended for use in launch vehicles and satellites.
• Sounding rockets made it possible to probe the atmosphere in situ using rocket-borne instrumentation.
• ISRO has developed a series of sounding rockets called Rohini series, important among them being RH-200, RH-300-Mk-II and RH-560-Mk-II, number in the name indicating the diameter of the rocket in mm.

Background

• With the establishment of the Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station (TERLS) in 1963 at Thumba, a location close to the magnetic equator, there was a quantum jump in the scope for aeronomy and atmospheric sciences in India.
• The launch of the first sounding rocket from Thumba near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on 21 November 1963, marked the beginning of the Indian Space Programme.
• The first rockets were two-stage rockets imported from Russia (M-100) and France (Centaure).
• While the M-100 could carry a payload of 70 kg to an altitude of 85 km, the Centaure was capable of reaching 150 km with a payload of approximately 30 kg.

Upcoming Events of ISRO

• On March 28, ISRO will launch GISAT-1.

• GISAT-1 is an earth observation satellite that will provide near real-time images of India’s borders and also enable quick monitoring of natural disasters.