‘Yet another successful mission...’: 5 things ISRO chief S Somnath said about XPoSat launch

ISRO XPoSat launch: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday achieved a successful launch of its inaugural X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite, set to provide valuable insights into celestial entities such as black holes. Here is what ISRO Chief S Somnath said about the successful launch:

ISRO XPoSat launch LIVE

1. As reported by ANI, S Somnath said, “So 1, January 2024, yet another successful mission of PSLV has been accomplished.” He further informed that Aditya-L1 is going to reach Lagrange Point on January 6 at 4 pm.

2. Somnath further added, “Only in 12 months (in 2024), we have to have a minimum of 12 missions on our target. It may exceed depending upon our ability to produce hardware, complete the testing and if things go well. If it is not going well, there could be an impact. Otherwise, we are getting ready for at least 12-14 missions.”

3. Speaking about the Chandrayaan-3, Somnath termed it a ‘great success’. This gives us lots of confidence to us and to the team to work on the programmes. After 14 days of its contribution of collecting data, it is now sleeping very well there so I advise our IT not to wake it up again so it's sleeping forever, but unfortunately we were hoping it would wake up through its ability but it couldn't happen.”

4. “Many things could have gone wrong and that is why this couldn't wake up again. Possibly if Pragyan (rover) woke up it would not be known unless communication between Pragyaan and Vikram is established.

5. ISRO chief noted, “We hope that whatever data we have collected in 14 days is going to give us a fantastic scientific outcome in the coming days. Our scientists are working on it now.”

Also Read: ISRO launches X-ray polarimeter satellite to study black holes. Watch

Meanwhile, PTI reported that utilizing the trustworthy Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in the C58 mission, the primary X-Ray Polarimeter satellite, XPoSat, was precisely positioned in a 650 Km Low Earth Orbit.

With the culmination of the 25-hour countdown, the 44.4-meter tall rocket gracefully soared into the sky, accompanied by enthusiastic applause from a sizable crowd gathered at the spaceport located approximately 135 km east of Chennai. The purpose of the X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) is to explore the polarization of powerful X-ray sources in the vast expanse of space.

Also Read: Interest in moon not over yet! What next for ISRO after successful Chandrayaan-3 mission? 

‘POEM-3 is being scripted’

"The POEM-3 is being scripted," said ISRO on X, adding, “PSLV-C58 vehicle placed the satellite precisely into the intended orbit of 650 km with 6-degree inclination.”

The liftoff occurred at the scheduled time of 9:10 am from the first launch pad.

The principal payload of the XPoSat is POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-Rays), developed by the Raman Research Institute, designed to measure polarimetry parameters.

Also Read: ISRO's 1st mission of 2024, XPoSat, to study black holes be launched today | Check date, time and venue

Additionally, XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing), crafted by the U R Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru, is another crucial component. The anticipated mission life of XPoSat is approximately five years.

Earlier, the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon's south pole marked a historic achievement, positioning India as a key player in lunar exploration. Chandrayaan-3, the nation's inaugural lunar landing mission, aimed to showcase a soft landing near the lunar south pole and conduct experiments using the instruments aboard the Vikram lander and Pragyaan rover.

Also Read: What after Chandrayaan-3? Economic activity on Moon, says ISRO chief while revealing India’s roadmap till 2047

On August 23, the Vikram Lander made a historic touchdown on the moon, paving the way for the deployment of the Pragyan rover to explore the uncharted lunar south pole. These accomplishments not only solidified India's position in the global space economy but also catalyzed the growth of the private space sector within the country.

Looking ahead, India has set ambitious goals, including the Gaganyaan Mission, the establishment of the 'Bharatiya Antariksha Station' by 2035, and the ambitious plan to send the first Indian to the moon by 2040. 

(With inputs from agencies)