SRE 1

Launch data: Designation  29711 / 07001C Launch date  10 Jan 2007 - 04:16 UT Launch site  Sriharikota, SLP Launch vehicle  PSLV (3) (#10) Mission  Experimental - Space capsule Earth orbit on Jan 10.68: Perigee / Apogee  620 x 640 km Inclination  97.94° Period  97.30 min

Mission details:

• Owned by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre and ISRO Satellite Centre
  Is intended to demonstrate the technology of an orbiting platform for performing experiments in microgravity conditions and recovering them. The recovery experiment is needed for a future lunar mission in 2010.
  
  
• Space Recovery Experiment 1 (SRE 1) is India's first recoverable capsule. The 550 kg (or 615 kg) capsule intended to demonstrate the technology of an orbiting platform for performing experiments in microgravity conditions. It is also a technology demonstrator for the planned 2010 launch of a lunar mission, with adequate heat shield, deceleration and floatation systems. The mission provide valuable experience in such important fields like navigation, guidance and control during the re-entry phase, hypersonic aero-thermodynamics facilitating the development of reusable thermal protection system, recovery through deceleration and floatation besides acquisition of basic technology for reusable launch vehicles.  It carries out microgravity experiments: an Isothermal Heating Furnace and a Biomimetic (Biomineralisation of Inorganic materials). The first experiments is related to study of metal melting and crystallisation under micro gravity conditions. The second experiment is intended to study the synthesis of nano-crystals under microgravity conditions. This experiment can help in designing better biomaterials having closest proximity with natural biological products.  The capsule, made of mild steel, has a sphere-cone-flare configuration with a spherical nose of about 0.5 meter radius, base diameter of 2 meters and 1.6 meters height.
• During its 12 days in orbit, the two experiments on board SRE-1 were successfully conducted. The craft was placed into a 620 x 640 km polar orbit that was lowered to 485 x 643 km on 20 January. Its capsule re-entered in the Bay of Bengal precisely as planned at 150 km east of Sriharikota, and was hauled by a helicopter from a coast guard vessel. The 10-minute deorbit burn began at 3h30 UTC on 22 January, with entry at 4h07 and splashdown at 4h16 UTC. The main parachute was deployed at about 2 km altitude and finally, SRE-1 splashed down in the Bay of Bengal near 13.3N 81.4E, with a velocity of 12 m/sec (about 43 km per hour) at 9h46. The flotation system, which immediately got triggered, kept the capsule floating. Recovery operations were supported and carried out by the Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy using ships, aircraft and helicopters. 
• The successful launch, in-orbit operation of the on board experiments and reentry and recovery of SRE-1 has demonstrated India’s capability in important technologies like aero-thermo structures, deceleration and flotation systems, navigation, guidance and control. SRE-1 is an important beginning for providing a low cost platform for micro-gravity experiments in space science and technology and return specimen from space.
• First Indian satellite recovered from orbit.