[MUSIC]
>> We've looked at
including this one,
something which we can classify
as India's case society problems,
social issues, and things like that.
So what we move on to
now is we can classify
as aspirational or India pride,
that kind of thing,
which is landing on the
moon as a private company.
So you hear about SpaceX
which is a launcher.
So we're talking about,
and I'll invite Dr. P.S.
Nair to talk about the details of it,
the lunar lander and the rover,
completely built indigenously
as a private company.
A brief introduction
about the speaker,
PhD, as I said,
from IST in the '70s.
When the Director of IST was
Professor Satish Dhawan,
with whom he worked
later and at his row,
and he was the Satish
Dhawan professor
at his row for quite some time.
He has led projects,
two spacecraft missions,
he's been the chairman of
a number of review committees,
and was involved in
the space mission at his role
since [FOREIGN] , right?
Until January one.
So a long spanning career,
and after retiring from his role,
he joined Team Indus,
which has this mission
and if you play hearts,
you know that in hearts,
it's moonshot, right?
So literally, they have
moonshot in their hearts.
He leads the structures and
mechanisms group over there.
They called him the Jedi
Knight, Yoda, probably.
So with that, I think I'll invite
him to talk about the mission
to land on the moon.
>> Okay, thank you Dr. Bandit.
Because of the
limitations of the time,
I would like to straight
get into the subject.
I'm basically going to explain to you
a very complex and technologically
challenging problem
done by a small private industry.
Actually it was a startup,
but now it has become older,
so I don't call it a startup.
So the subject is Development of
Robotic Lunar Exploration Missions,
which will mean that we have
to develop a few systems.
Basically, the Team Indus,
popularly known as Team Indus,
the actual name is
Axiom Research Laboratories,
is working on a robotic
exploration missions,
not one mission, but
many missions it is
working to go to the moon.
So this involves a lander
spacecraft and a rover also.
So this is a first by
any private industry.
After it lands, it will
really make a milestone.
Only Americans, Russians,
and Chinese have so
far managed to land on the moon.
Chinese was the last
which has gone on to
the non-visible side of the moon.
Now, there is
a small background to how
this Team Indus came into existence,
so I would like to explain to you.
You would have heard about the
Google Lunar X Prize Competition,
which kicked up a lot of
interest in all private industries
all over the world.
Team Indus was the only team
from India to be taking
up the challenge.
Of course, nobody was ready
to go to the moon when asked
for the original schedule,
so the competition
itself was ended up,
and Team Indus was on the top of
the whole world teams when the
competition ended actually.
The challenges are very many,
the technological, and others.
In fact, others are much
more challenging sometimes.
I will try to explain to you
how this Team Indus met
these technological challenges.
I will not deal with
the other challenges.
Before the competition ended,
as well as later on
now, and in future.
[MUSIC].
>> We leave as we came and God
[inaudible] we shall return.
>> Today, we're challenging
private teams around
the world to design and
build robotic explorers and race
them to the surface of the Moon.
>> To be the first
privately funded enterprise
to build and land
a rover on the moon.
>> Thirty million dollars of money to
reinvent how we get to space,
how we get to the moon.
>> These people are
trying to demystify
this entire concept of
a lunar exploration.
I think this is exceptional.
>> I don't care who you are,
what you've done before.
The first person to
make that happen, wins.
[MUSIC]
>> We're doing
the aerospace solution,
which hopefully is going
to land on the moon soon.
>> I think we ran out doing
crazy stuff on planet Earth,
so that's the next phase to go.
[MUSIC]
>> Everyone realizes it
that we're making history,
and I think that's what
drives people the most.
>> The prize money on
offer is far less than
what it is going to cost
anything to do this,
and that's the challenge.
>> We have the talent,
we have the caliber,
we have the initiative,
and we have the motivation.
Let's compete at the world
and see if you we can win.
>> I think when they win, India wins.
[MUSIC]
>> Yeah. So that was
the background in which the
Team Indus came into being.
Of course, this shows the
moon and where we are
going to land in the Mare Imbrium
area for the first mission.
This project involves the
design and development
of a high-performance lunar lander,
which will go from Earth
orbit to Moon orbit.
Then it will descend on
the Moon surface and
soft land precisely on
a preplanned location.
The exploration of
the lunar terrain itself is
done by an all-terrain,
semi-autonomous rover, which
can also carry payloads.
It can do many things,
including photography,
sensing, and so on.
So now, the first step is
to go from Earth to Moon.
There is design of
an optimized spacecraft trajectory
from Earth orbit to the Moon orbit.
Then of course,
the fully autonomous descent
terminating in hover and
precise landing using a qualified set
of rockets, smart rockets, thrusters.
This is one major task.
Of course, this has to incorporate
all the variabilities
in the gravity field,
Moon, as well as Earth.
It is not a simple fast
term approximation
because of the changes in geometry,
changes in the properties
of the Earth locally.
There are a lot of
higher order terms and
complex influences to be
incorporated to be precise.
So this is the outline
of the trajectory.
The last lunar descent is
really, really critical.
This 900 seconds is
the most critical phase.
It is totally autonomous.
We have no way of intervening.
It involves on-board, real-time
processing of a lot of data,
the cameras, the sensors,
distance measuring
equipment, and so on,
and on-board health data.
The guidance algorithms
will have to incorporate
all these possible
performance deviations,
inaccuracies, and failure modes.
The biggest problem is
this cannot be fully
simulated on the ground before
you actually do the work.
So this is one of
the most difficult things,
and of course you will exercise
the computer processing capacity
and simplified algorithms and fault
tolerant ways of doing things.
So this is how it lines.
Now, in addition to going there,
doing the robot experiment,
there are a lot of payloads
and collaborators.
I just wanted to mention that we have
some cameras flying
from CNES, France.
Similarly, there are rover from
Japan who wanted to fly with us.
Then there is some biological
experiments from Astrobiology
to see what happens on the moon
with biological processes.
Similarly, there are shields
later on when human beings
want to leave,
how to protect you from radiation,
and similar several
experiments are there.
So this is to be able to collaborate,
because while you build the lander,
you have to take on who is
interested and whatever experiments
are of interest to people.
Now, the first and biggest task
is building a lander spacecraft.
So the most important
thing is converting
the mission objectives into
a practically realizable
lander design,
very high in performance,
high in reliability,
and also adaptability because
things will change with time,
because the next mission
may be different.
So we have to make it adaptable also.
These are all big challenges
and can only be met
by application of,
I wanted to say because I've been
hearing Artificial Intelligence,
a lot of natural human
intelligence and creativity.
Because without these, you cannot
attempt design of
a complex configuration
of the lander spacecraft.
It also requires experience and
expertise in all these
advanced technologies.
Team Indus is now in the final lap of
realizing such a lander-rover system
after the GLXP closure.
So this is in fact actual picture of
the lander for the first mission.
The lander design actually is
a synthesis of almost all branches
of engineering for optimizing
the mission performance
and reliability,
with constraints on of course time,
technology, and resource.
So we, for example,
are using a combination of
all advanced materials,
whether it is thin [inaudible]
carbon fiber composites,
different structural forms like
honeycomb sandwich construction,
various other elements like
energy-absorbing elements
when it lands.
There are several other
new technologies,
several first being
part of this system.
The design validation and
qualification is achieved
by a combination of
elaborate numerical modeling and
simulation because almost everything,
except that final landing,
is simulated numerically, digitally,
and then whatever tolerance as
fault possibilities using Monte Carlo
and several other
techniques is studied.
This involves
extensive and intelligent use
of computer-aided inspection,
testing, modeling,
and simulation tools.
Of course, the onboard system,
there are several systems.
I'll just illustrate Avionics,
guidance and navigation control,
electrical power systems.
All these are integrated with
computer hardware and software.
These only can make
the mission possible.
We have a unified propulsion system,
which is a combination of
small thrusters and big thruster.
Another world-first which is
done is to be able to
get variable thrust,
we are using a digital control,
that means pulsing
the bigger engine with
different durations to get
the effective main
engine variable thrust.
This is also a first in
this kind of missions.
This is the, I said
about their descent.
Can you just animate it?
This is just to simulate as
the Lander comes to the moon,
how the land on
the terrain will look.
This is being constantly
monitored by the cameras,
and these are also being
processed and used.
In case there is
a big hurdle or crater then,
you have to move away and
then land in a safer place.
So, this is totally autonomous.
Of course, this is
a simulated picture using
the some of the data
available in the literature.
This is another near the
landing. Can you run this?
So basically, this is the area
where it is going to land.
So, it is just amplifying and
showing as it comes closer and it
will land in a selected safe space.
Again, this is a simulation,
but actually the spacecraft will
be doing this in real time.
I think it will finally spot very
accurately within a few meters,
it will land in a very safe
without big mounds or
craters or stones,
in a safe location.
So we'll go to the next.
Now, the next after landing
is the surface operations,
and this is done, as I mentioned,
they're using Lunar Rover.
Of course, after it's landing,
after the dust is settled,
after all the health of
the systems are all checked,
the Rover is simply released
and dropped half a meter.
Of course, the moon has low gravity,
one-sixth of earth's, so it is
quite safe to drop half a meter.
This micro Rover is around
six kilograms or seven kilograms.
It's an all-terrain
four-wheel driven vehicle.
You can see a picture of the Rover.
It is semi-autonomous, it's
all-terrain and you have
a very optimized design,
multiple materials to reduce
the mass and so on we
have a solar power,
it is totally solar powered,
and high-definition cameras,
pan and tilt and so on.
This is just to show you
how the tests are done.
This balloon is tied on the top of
the Rover essentially to reduce
the weight to one-sixth.
Then, you are doing
the steering and all that.
In fact, all these will move.
Because of lack of time,
I think we will move forward.
Yeah. This is some other test done.
Essentially, how it turns.
Without steering, you can turn by
coordinating the rotation
of the wheel.
It can even make
a perfect 180-degree turn,
and similarly, slope,
mountain also is tested,
there is no tests on the ground done.
This is a photo camera picture from
the Rover of the terrain
just to show us an example.
This is actually on the ground
in our test laboratory.
Yeah. Now, I just wanted to mention
what is in store for future.
So the Lander and Rover is
in the final phase already,
and it will be fine tuned with
the payloads because there
is no more DLXP competition.
DLXP competition was essentially
landing on the moon,
sending the Rover for 500 meters,
then you have won,
actually you don't
need to do anything.
But now, you had to fly payloads,
and there are several other
mission requirements.
So the Lander and Rover
which I showed is for
that modified mission.
Now we're planning.
This is the first mission Z-01
which I explained so far,
which is supposed to go next year,
and we have a series of
other Landers and Rovers in
the pipeline which
is being developed.
This Lunar exploration by
Lander and Rover can have
differing degrees of
freedom depending on where you
land on the moon, for example.
If it is on the polar side,
see normally near the equator,
the one day in moon
14 Earth days of day and
14 Earth days of night.
Whereas it is in the pole,
one day maybe 150 Earth days,
and the remaining will
be night of the year.
So depending on that, the
illumination conditions,
solar illumination conditions,
the communication with earth,
all that will change.
So for example, for almost 22 days,
you may have no out of link
with the Rover or the Lander.
In which case, you need to be totally
autonomous during
that period at least.
Of course, you can't
be autonomous longer.
So here, the role of
the totally autonomous Rovers
and Landers comes into play,
and with several weeks,
because thermal is a big problem.
Moon is around 120 degrees
Celsius near noon,
you cannot even touch.
So on that only,
we have landed and the sitting.
So you had to do a lot of work
in thermal control for example.
So this requires, as I see,
a lot of technologies from
artificial intelligence and data
processing and decision-making.
Of course, this will call
for the highest level
of such technologies,
because you had to learn
after doing that exploration.
Development of these Landers and
Rovers for the next missions and
follow-up is what the team
that does this will be doing
after this first mission.
So thank you.
I think next,
I wanted to show the team.
This is the Team Indus
when it started,
just a photo of the team,
and then thank you.
>> Thank you.
We'll take a couple of questions.
>> So I'm just wondering where do
you actually do the field
testing for these,
do you create test-beds?
>> Yeah. Actually one challenge
is to create the lunar terrain.
So it is actually created
in our own workplace.
Getting this hand is
another problem because
the moon sand is very
very fine it seems.
There are even comparing
with talcum powder.
So we could gather
the finest possible sand.
I think it was gathered from
somewhere in Coimbatore and all that.
But it is still not
as good as moon soil.
So this is created in
the campus without
the likely terrain stones
and all that is simulated.
So it is done in-house I would say.
>> How big would that test be?
>> No, it need not be very big.
It can be say even a
100 by a 100 feet.
You can create different things
and do because the
continuous sustain the driving
is not the real issue actually.
But you can run because thermal is
a problem if you continuously run,
the temperature is hot,
then you have to take risks
for sometime because mortar
gets heated up because
of the high power.
So these things are there.
So the test-bed for this is in-house.
Of course there are US laboratories
opening available better sand
and so on and all that.
So because beating the cost and
time is also an important thing.
So it is done in Bangalore actually.
>> Thank you.
>> The question I was
going to ask, well,
I am going to ask is of course
this is a commercial venture.
So I assume you seek funding as well
as commercial offering for others.
I mean, they may not be
individuals but can you say that?
>> Yeah. Actually
the biggest challenge is that,
I said technological and others.
So because having a will to do
moon project is certainly possible
and the Team Indus has shown it.
ISRO has done it,
but Team Indus, of
course without ISRO,
Team Indus would not have been there.
This muscle power is got,
the knowledge power is got from ISRO.
There is no doubt about
it. Myself an example.
So the real issue is that
there has to be money,
the commercial interest
of payloads for example.
Right now the Team Indus envisioning
NASA's wanting to fly
payloads on payment.
So NASA will say
this payloads has to be
flown to moon to do such an
experiment so they will pay for it.
So I like this, there
are a few payloads
from the Institute of
Astrophysics like that.
There are several enterprises
are interested in doing
experiments on the moon.
So instead of their
developing everything we fly
and for example
the Japanese role, they pay.
They were also part
of the competition
only for the robot competition.
So they pay for flying to moon.
So like that you have
to make it viable.
But it is very costly.
The launch vehicle, launch
itself is as costly as
the cost of the landing.
So that is how it becomes.
So it is a big challenge in fact.
It has to be the interest from
the various scientists and
technologists to do experiments
and signs on moon or on
the way. Also you can do.
>> Thank you very much. Thank you.
>> Dr. Bandit.
>> Yes.
>> Sir I just want to know that how
old is Team Indus first of all?
That's the first question. How
much time it has taken to build
these close to perfect
simulation environment?
>> See, nothing is perfectly
let me tell you that.
>> Close to perfect.
>> Yeah. Now, because
the mathematical models,
numerical simulation has improved so
much that we can greatly rely on
this now compared to say
10 years back when Apollo was
built that I would say
is archaic technology.
The Apollo technology.
Now first question is
when Team Indus started.
Actually, yeah, I'm telling you.
When competition started, the last
day or lead started actually,
it was 2012 I think.
Around that time, few people pulled
their pocket money and
other deposits and all that and
applied for this competition.
That was the chief actually.
So that is how it started
but it came to Bangalore,
I got involved after
it came to Bangalore.
It was in 2013.
In 2013, it's came to Bangalore.
After that only the real
technological buildup started.
So it is now almost five years time
since it started seriously.
It never was more than a 100 people.
I'm just telling you.
That all youngsters,
fresh engineers from college
except a few of us from ISRO,
all were almost fresh engineers,
no knowledge in
engineering I would say.
Computer scientists I
don't call engineers.
I'm saying hard engineering.
So they had no knowledge
of mechanical engineering,
structural engineering,
thermodynamics or prodynamics
or anything like that.
So propulsion.
>> This must be very very funding
intensive exercise, this whole thing.
Is government of India [inaudible]
>> No. Government of India
contribution is zero.
So there are many people
like Nilekani,
many other people including Wipro
and several other people have
contributed wanting to push
India to succeed into
this competition.
Of course now slightly different,
but now they're trying
to make it commercial.
People to finance because
once US is interested,
NASA is interested,
European agencies are interested.
So you have to compete
globally then only you
can succeed in India.
Once you succeed elsewhere,
you will succeed in India also.
So this is the moral of the story.
>> Thanks. Thank you for
taking us on a journey where
no one or rather not too
many have gone before.
>> I have a question.
>> Oh, okay. Where?
>> Sorry. Okay. Just
out of curiosity,
what processors are used
to control part of your-
>> I don't remember the.
>> I mean, are they commodity
processors or are they special?
>> Yeah. The only main thing
is the radiation hardened,
the space created the processors are
used for the crucial
avionics and all that.
They are trying to do industrial
grade components and processes.
But only thing is reliability
is a big issue because
the radiation particularly
single event upside
and the processors are
prone to and one processor
doesn't work, nothing works.
So that problem is there.
In fact, the capability
of the processor is
not compatible with some
of the best processors
available on the ground.
But the reliability
is the main issue.
>> Do you use OS like VxWorks,
like real-time operating systems.
>> Real-time operating
system is anyway required.
So I'm not really
a computer specialist.
But you can get it from even website.
They have given
the details of what we
call the Integrated Avionics,
even electrical power systems, GNC,
everything is integrated
into one package.
Everything is there.
>> Thank you.
