Coast Guard entrusted with task of recovering SRE-1

Chennai, Jan 12 (UNI) Rendering yeoman service in patrolling the Indian maritime boundary, the Coast Guard will now take up a new and equally challenging assignment of recovering the Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE-1) which was hurtled into the space by ISRO's PSLV-C7 on January 10.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has entrusted the Coast Guard, the task of recovering the SRE-1 when it is scheduled to splash down in the Bay of Bengal on January 22.

ISRO scientists have decided to let SRE-1 remain in the orbit for 12 days and bring it down at a pre-determined area, about 140 km east off Sriharikota coast, in a bid to test re-entry technology.

A floatation system would keep the capsule afloat and it would be recovered by the Coast Guard, immediately after it drops on the waters of the Bay of Bengal.

After the SRE descends from its orbit, its three parachutes would open one after another when it is five km above the waters and commands would be given to drop down.

''We are geared up for this challenging task,'' Coast Guard IG Rajendra Singh told UNI here today.

''It will be a difficult and challenging task. We will achieve it and create history,'' he added.

Since the SRE-1 was expected to splash down on January 22, a CG Ship 'Sarang' with 102 personnel, and a helicopter onboard, would set sail from here on January 20 and be stationed in the area, earmarked for SRE-1 to splash down.

Apart from this, a Dornier Aircraft would make regular sorties from January 21. ''The moment the SRE-1 splashes down, we will recover it immediately. We have divers and experts who will be deployed to carry out this task. We are geared up for the recovery of the SRE-1,'' Mr Singh said.

India joined the elite group of Nations when ISRO launched the 550 kg SRE-1 to test re-entry technology, which would be a forerunner to developing reusable vehicles like space shuttle.

UNI