<p>ISRO's 44-meter tall Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) lifted off majestically at 9:10am IST, on the first day of the New Year 2024. As the world welcomed the New Year, the Indian space agency set out to explore the mysteries of the universe and its phenomena, using an X-ray polarimetry Satellite (XPoSat). This is the 60th flight of ISRO's PSLV rocket, which has thus far placed more than 300 Indian and foreign satellites in their respective orbits. By operating its sensors to study X-rays that originate from space, the XPoSat satellite would offer a wealth of information for academics&nbsp;and astronomers. As expected, the XPoSat satellite was placed into its designated orbit (650 kms above the earth's surface) at 9:32am IST.&nbsp;</p>

<p>X-rays are a form of high-energy light. In space, X-rays originate from places where matter is under extreme conditions - violent collisions, enormous explosions, 10-million-degree temperatures, strong magnetic fields etc. These X-rays that travel far and wide in space, carry detailed information about the powerful phenomena that produce them. However, the Earth's atmosphere blocks out these X-rays arriving from space. So, one of the best options to study these X-rays is by placing a satellite in space, where X-rays travel unhindered.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the post-launch address, ISRO Chairman, Dr S Somanath congratulated the team for the successful mission and said that exciting times lay ahead in the New Year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"There are a host of new technologies being tested in this mission - fuel cell, silicon-based high-energy battery, a payload designed and developed exclusively by women" said the PSLV-C58/XPoSat Mission Director, Dr M Jayakumar.</p>

<p>He added that the multiple experimental payloads being carried on the PSLV's 4th stage platform (PSLV Orbital Experimental Module) are a testimony to India's space sector reforms that have boosted participation of startups and industries in space-faring activities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Since last evening (New Year's Eve), people around the world have been celebrating New Year and fired rockets (fireworks) in celebration. We have launched a big (44-m) tall 'rocket firework' and except India it is not possible to work like this on New Year's Day and execute a mission like this" said M. Sankaran, the Director of ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The XPoSat spacecraft comprises two scientific payloads- the primary payload POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) will measure the polarimetry parameters (degree and angle of polarization) in medium X-ray energy range of 8-30 keV photons of astronomical origin. The XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) payload will give spectroscopic information in the energy range of 0.8-15 keV.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isro</a> explainer video on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/xposat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#xposat</a> 👇<br />
"Emissions from celestial objects- blackholes, neutron stars, other energetic events arise from intricate events &amp; are challenging to understand. To surmount this, ISRO is launching India's 1st polarimetry &amp; spectroscopy satellite. Mission life… <a href="https://t.co/pSFPyLbVST">pic.twitter.com/pSFPyLbVST</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1741295973484384487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>"XPoSat is the first dedicated satellite for polarization measurements in the medium X-Ray range and this is going to find something very interesting about blackholes and their ability to eat into other stars. Once black holes take raw material from adjacent stars, there will be X-Ray radiation. If you are able to measure the polarization nature of the X-ray emission, you can quantify the material ejection, such is the theory" explained Dr S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO.</p>

<p>"The emissions from celestial objects such as black holes, neutron stars and other energetic events arise from intricate events and provide a formidable challenge to understand. To surmount this challenge, ISRO is gearing up to launch India's first polarimetry and spectroscopy satellite. The life of the mission is expected to be five years" ISRO said before the launch</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">India's most-flown rocket, the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PSLV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PSLV</a>, which put <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/india?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#india</a> among the few nations that launch foreign satellites (commercial missions), getting integrated and ready for its 60th launch on Monday, 1st Jan, 2024..<br />
🚀9:10am 🚀<br />
🚀🔥❤️🇮🇳<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PSLVC58?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PSLVC58</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/XPoSat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#XPoSat</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/space?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#space</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isro</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/science?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#science</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tech?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tech</a> <a href="https://t.co/nY7KeeftlC">pic.twitter.com/nY7KeeftlC</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1741051166853841119?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>After placing the satellite in the intended orbit of 650 kms, the final stage of the PSLV rocket (PS4) would be brought down to a lower orbit of 350 kms, by re-starting the engines on two instances. Once in the 350 km&nbsp;orbit, the fuels and hazardous chemicals stored within the upper stage tanks would be passivised. Passivisation is a step that prevents any possible explosions or break-up of the stored chemicals. It is a step aimed at ensuring sustainable use of space.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-parker-solar-probe-plans-to-touch-the-sun-in-2024-675099">NASA’s Parker Solar Probe plans to ‘touch the Sun’ in 2024</a></strong></p>

<p>Post passivisation, the PS4 stage of the PSLV rocket would be used as a stabilised orbiting platform, that would carry a handful of experiments and technology demonstrators from ISRO Centres, academia and startups. In contrast, launching a dedicated satellite for testing each of these experiments would be very expensive. Simply put, ISRO is re-purposing a spent rocket stage as an orbiting platform.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-moon-landings-giant-leap-on-mars-more-nasa-reveals-its-2024-plans-674874">Moon landings, giant leap on Mars, and more... NASA reveals its 2024 plans</a></strong></p>

<p>This launch is the 60th flight of India's workhorse rocket, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).&nbsp;The vehicle is the most-flown rocket in the Indian&nbsp;fleet. Flying since 1993, the rocket has an enviable success rate of more than 98 per cent. PSLV has been used&nbsp;to put into orbit&nbsp;most of India's own satellites. It has also been used to launch customer satellites. It has the reputation of having completed&nbsp;high-profile missions including Chandrayaan-1, the Mars Orbiter Mission and&nbsp;Aditya-L1.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Notably, XPoSat mission marked the third scientific mission&nbsp;launched by ISRO, in six months. On July 14,&nbsp;2023, ISRO successfully launched the Chandrayaan-3 mission which achieved&nbsp;much more than what was initially expected and planned. On September 2, 2023, ISRO successfully launched the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, the country's first solar observatory. The Aditya craft is expected to reach its destination in the first week of January 2024. In the first quarter of this year, India's GSLV (formerly GSLV Mark 2) rocket willl launch&nbsp;the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) Earth observation satellite. The satellite&nbsp;is meant to help study Earth's natural phenomena, climate change, landmass, icecaps, forest cover, oceans etc.&nbsp;</p>


ISRO's 44-meter tall Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) lifted off majestically at 9:10am IST, on the first day of the New Year 2024. As the world welcomed the New Year, the Indian space agency set out to explore the mysteries of the universe and its phenomena, using an X-ray polarimetry Satellite (XPoSat).

ISRO's 44-meter tall Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) lifted off majestically at 9:10am IST, on the first day of the New Year 2024. As the world welcomed the New Year, the Indian space agency set out to explore the mysteries of the universe and its phenomena, using an X-ray polarimetry Satellite (XPoSat). This is the 60th flight of ISRO's PSLV rocket, which has thus far placed more than 300 Indian and foreign satellites in their respective orbits. By operating its sensors to study X-rays that originate from space, the XPoSat satellite would offer a wealth of information for academics and astronomers. As expected, the XPoSat satellite was placed into its designated orbit (650 kms above the earth's surface) at 9:32am IST. X-rays are a form of high-energy light. In space, X-rays originate from places where matter is under extreme conditions - violent collisions, enormous explosions, 10-million-degree temperatures, strong magnetic fields etc. These X-rays that travel far and wide in space, carry detailed information about the powerful phenomena that produce them. However, the Earth's atmosphere blocks out these X-rays arriving from space. So, one of the best options to study these X-rays is by placing a satellite in space, where X-rays travel unhindered. In the post-launch address, ISRO Chairman, Dr S Somanath congratulated the team for the successful mission and said that exciting times lay ahead in the New Year. "There are a host of new technologies being tested in this mission - fuel cell, silicon-based high-energy battery, a payload designed and developed exclusively by women" said the PSLV-C58/XPoSat Mission Director, Dr M Jayakumar. He added that the multiple experimental payloads being carried on the PSLV's 4th stage platform (PSLV Orbital Experimental Module) are a testimony to India's space sector reforms that have boosted participation of startups and industries in space-faring activities. "Since last evening (New Year's Eve), people around the world have been celebrating New Year and fired rockets (fireworks) in celebration. We have launched a big (44-m) tall 'rocket firework' and except India it is not possible to work like this on New Year's Day and execute a mission like this" said M. Sankaran, the Director of ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre. The XPoSat spacecraft comprises two scientific payloads- the primary payload POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) will measure the polarimetry parameters (degree and angle of polarization) in medium X-ray energy range of 8-30 keV photons of astronomical origin. The XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) payload will give spectroscopic information in the energy range of 0.8-15 keV. #isro explainer video on #xposat 👇 "Emissions from celestial objects- blackholes, neutron stars, other energetic events arise from intricate events & are challenging to understand. To surmount this, ISRO is launching India's 1st polarimetry & spectroscopy satellite. Mission life… pic.twitter.com/pSFPyLbVST — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) December 31, 2023 × "XPoSat is the first dedicated satellite for polarization measurements in the medium X-Ray range and this is going to find something very interesting about blackholes and their ability to eat into other stars. Once black holes take raw material from adjacent stars, there will be X-Ray radiation. If you are able to measure the polarization nature of the X-ray emission, you can quantify the material ejection, such is the theory" explained Dr S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO. "The emissions from celestial objects such as black holes, neutron stars and other energetic events arise from intricate events and provide a formidable challenge to understand. To surmount this challenge, ISRO is gearing up to launch India's first polarimetry and spectroscopy satellite. The life of the mission is expected to be five years" ISRO said before the launch India's most-flown rocket, the #PSLV, which put #india among the few nations that launch foreign satellites (commercial missions), getting integrated and ready for its 60th launch on Monday, 1st Jan, 2024.. 🚀9:10am 🚀 🚀🔥❤️🇮🇳#PSLVC58 #XPoSat #space #isro #science #tech pic.twitter.com/nY7KeeftlC — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) December 30, 2023 × After placing the satellite in the intended orbit of 650 kms, the final stage of the PSLV rocket (PS4) would be brought down to a lower orbit of 350 kms, by re-starting the engines on two instances. Once in the 350 km orbit, the fuels and hazardous chemicals stored within the upper stage tanks would be passivised. Passivisation is a step that prevents any possible explosions or break-up of the stored chemicals. It is a step aimed at ensuring sustainable use of space. Also Read | NASA’s Parker Solar Probe plans to ‘touch the Sun’ in 2024 Post passivisation, the PS4 stage of the PSLV rocket would be used as a stabilised orbiting platform, that would carry a handful of experiments and technology demonstrators from ISRO Centres, academia and startups. In contrast, launching a dedicated satellite for testing each of these experiments would be very expensive. Simply put, ISRO is re-purposing a spent rocket stage as an orbiting platform. WATCH | Moon landings, giant leap on Mars, and more... NASA reveals its 2024 plans This launch is the 60th flight of India's workhorse rocket, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The vehicle is the most-flown rocket in the Indian fleet. Flying since 1993, the rocket has an enviable success rate of more than 98 per cent. PSLV has been used to put into orbit most of India's own satellites. It has also been used to launch customer satellites. It has the reputation of having completed high-profile missions including Chandrayaan-1, the Mars Orbiter Mission and Aditya-L1. Notably, XPoSat mission marked the third scientific mission launched by ISRO, in six months. On July 14, 2023, ISRO successfully launched the Chandrayaan-3 mission which achieved much more than what was initially expected and planned. On September 2, 2023, ISRO successfully launched the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, the country's first solar observatory. The Aditya craft is expected to reach its destination in the first week of January 2024. In the first quarter of this year, India's GSLV (formerly GSLV Mark 2) rocket willl launch the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) Earth observation satellite. The satellite is meant to help study Earth's natural phenomena, climate change, landmass, icecaps, forest cover, oceans etc.

Indian space agency ISRO starts 2024 with successful launch of PSLV C58/XPoSat

<p>In 2023, India witnessed the emergence of 54 new space startups, thereby taking the total number of fledgling firms in the sector to 204. In this year alone, the Indian space startups received a funding of $123.9mn, thereby taking the total funding in this sector to $380.25mn, according to the Indian space industry body Indian Space Association (ISPA).&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The Indian space startups have become a strong pillar for the private space industry in the last decade, especially after the landmark move of opening the Indian space sector to private companies by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi back in 2020," said&nbsp;Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt (Retd), Director General, ISPA.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Until 2020, only the Government-run ISRO had been permitted to carry out end-to-end space activities including designing and developing rockets, and satellites, launching the rockets and spacecraft, etc.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-firm-skyroot-unveils-7-storeys-tall-spacefaring-rocket-vikram-1-650742">Indian firm Skyroot unveils 7-storeys tall spacefaring rocket 'Vikram-1'</a></strong></p>

<p>Until the space sector reforms, the private firms and startups remained as mere suppliers of components to the Indian Space Research Organisation. Reforms enabled private firms and startups to seek the government's support to carry out a wide range of space activities, with approvals from the sectoral regulator, the government-run IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre).</p>

<p>Outlining the highlights of the year, ISPA emphasised the announcement of the New Space Policy 2023, by the Indian government.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Chandrayaan-3 mission: Boosting India's space industry</strong></p>

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<p>Though the intent of liberalising the space sector had been stated by the government in June 2020, the policy in black and white came in April 2023, said ISPA. This is a landmark policy because it allows private players to carry out all activities in all possible verticals, from launch vehicles, to communications, applications, etc.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On the progress towards making satellite internet available in India, ISPA mentioned that&nbsp;OneWeb India recently became the first company to receive approval from Indian space regulator IN-SPACe for providing satellite broadband services. "</p>

<p>The company is soon to roll out space-based communication services in India. Marking a significant milestone for India's burgeoning satellite communication sector, the Telecommunications Bill, 2023, recently secured legislative approval with its passage through both houses of Parliament. This landmark legislation paves the way for the administrative allocation of satellite spectrum in India" the industry body said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Outlining some of the major achievements of Indian space startups, ISPA said that&nbsp;</p>

<p>Dhruva Space launched its 3U and 6U Satellite Orbital Deployers and its Dhruva Space Satellite Orbiter Link (DSOL) onboard ISRO's PSLV C55, as part of POEM-2. Satellite firm Azista-BST launched its maiden satellite, the&nbsp;ABA First Runner (AFR) on a SpaceX rocket.</p>

<p>Hyderabad-based Launch vehicle firm&nbsp;Skyroot Aerospace inaugurated India’s largest private integrated rocket development facility under a single roof. It also unveiled Vikram-1, a multi-stage launch vehicle that stands seven stories tall, with a payload capacity of approximately 300 kg and the ability to deploy satellites into lower earth orbit (LEO).</p>

<p>Chennai-based rocket firm Agnikul Cosmos&nbsp;Agnikul announced the completion of ground tests and unveiled their rocket, at their private launch facility within the ISRO spaceport at Sriharikota.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"As the private space sector in India propels forward with unprecedented collaborations, groundbreaking launches, and visionary policies, the Indian private space industry is set for a revolution in 2024"&nbsp;Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt, Director General, Indian Space Association opined.&nbsp;</p>


In 2023, India witnessed the emergence of 54 new space startups, thereby taking the total number of fledgling firms in the sector to 204. In this year alone, the Indian space startups received a funding of $123.

In 2023, India witnessed the emergence of 54 new space startups, thereby taking the total number of fledgling firms in the sector to 204. In this year alone, the Indian space startups received a funding of $123.9mn, thereby taking the total funding in this sector to $380.25mn, according to the Indian space industry body Indian Space Association (ISPA). "The Indian space startups have become a strong pillar for the private space industry in the last decade, especially after the landmark move of opening the Indian space sector to private companies by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi back in 2020," said Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt (Retd), Director General, ISPA. Until 2020, only the Government-run ISRO had been permitted to carry out end-to-end space activities including designing and developing rockets, and satellites, launching the rockets and spacecraft, etc. Also read | Indian firm Skyroot unveils 7-storeys tall spacefaring rocket 'Vikram-1' Until the space sector reforms, the private firms and startups remained as mere suppliers of components to the Indian Space Research Organisation. Reforms enabled private firms and startups to seek the government's support to carry out a wide range of space activities, with approvals from the sectoral regulator, the government-run IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre). Outlining the highlights of the year, ISPA emphasised the announcement of the New Space Policy 2023, by the Indian government. Also watch | Chandrayaan-3 mission: Boosting India's space industry × Though the intent of liberalising the space sector had been stated by the government in June 2020, the policy in black and white came in April 2023, said ISPA. This is a landmark policy because it allows private players to carry out all activities in all possible verticals, from launch vehicles, to communications, applications, etc. On the progress towards making satellite internet available in India, ISPA mentioned that OneWeb India recently became the first company to receive approval from Indian space regulator IN-SPACe for providing satellite broadband services. " The company is soon to roll out space-based communication services in India. Marking a significant milestone for India's burgeoning satellite communication sector, the Telecommunications Bill, 2023, recently secured legislative approval with its passage through both houses of Parliament. This landmark legislation paves the way for the administrative allocation of satellite spectrum in India" the industry body said. Outlining some of the major achievements of Indian space startups, ISPA said that Dhruva Space launched its 3U and 6U Satellite Orbital Deployers and its Dhruva Space Satellite Orbiter Link (DSOL) onboard ISRO's PSLV C55, as part of POEM-2. Satellite firm Azista-BST launched its maiden satellite, the ABA First Runner (AFR) on a SpaceX rocket. Hyderabad-based Launch vehicle firm Skyroot Aerospace inaugurated India’s largest private integrated rocket development facility under a single roof. It also unveiled Vikram-1, a multi-stage launch vehicle that stands seven stories tall, with a payload capacity of approximately 300 kg and the ability to deploy satellites into lower earth orbit (LEO). Chennai-based rocket firm Agnikul Cosmos Agnikul announced the completion of ground tests and unveiled their rocket, at their private launch facility within the ISRO spaceport at Sriharikota. "As the private space sector in India propels forward with unprecedented collaborations, groundbreaking launches, and visionary policies, the Indian private space industry is set for a revolution in 2024" Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt, Director General, Indian Space Association opined.

Rewind 2023: India has 204 space startups, sector received $123mn investments

<p>World over, there are going to be celebratory countdowns to ring in the New Year 2024. The Indian space agency ISRO has also commenced a countdown ahead of New Year's Eve that will go well into New Year's day.</p>

<p>However, this is not a countdown for revellers, but ISRO's PSLV-C58/XPoSat rocket launch that has been scheduled for 9:10 am, IST, Monday (Jan 1), 2024.</p>

<p>The countdown starts in the year 2023 at 8:10 am, Sunday, (Dec 31) and the rocket's launch will take place in 2024 at 9:10 am Monday, (Jan 1), 2024.&nbsp;</p>

<p>From the first launchpad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre(SDSC), the 44-m tall rocket would be lifting off, carrying India's XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite), the country's first dedicated polarimetry mission to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The XPoSat spacecraft comprises two scientific payloads that will be placed in a low earth orbit. The primary payload POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) will measure the polarimetry parameters (degree and angle of polarization) in a medium X-ray energy range of 8-30 keV photons of astronomical origin. The XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) payload will give spectroscopic information in the energy range of 0.8-15 keV.</p>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isro</a> explainer video on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/xposat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#xposat</a> 👇<br />
"Emissions from celestial objects- blackholes, neutron stars, other energetic events arise from intricate events &amp; are challenging to understand. To surmount this, ISRO is launching India's 1st polarimetry &amp; spectroscopy satellite. Mission life… <a href="https://t.co/pSFPyLbVST">pic.twitter.com/pSFPyLbVST</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1741295973484384487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 31, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>"XPoSat is the first dedicated satellite for polarization measurements in the medium X-Ray range and this is going to find something very interesting about blackholes and their ability to eat into other stars. Once black holes take raw material from adjacent stars, there will be X-Ray radiation. If you can measure the polarisation nature of the X-Ray emission, you can quantify the material ejection, such is the theory" explained Dr. S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO.</p>

<p>"The emissions from celestial objects such as black holes, neutron stars and other energetic events arise from intricate events and provide a formidable challenge to understand. To surmount this challenge, ISRO is gearing up to launch India's first polarimetry and spectroscopy satellite. The life of the mission is expected to be five years" ISRO said.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">India's most-flown rocket, the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PSLV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PSLV</a>, which put <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/india?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#india</a> among the few nations that launch foreign satellites (commercial missions), getting integrated and ready for its 60th launch on Monday, 1st Jan, 2024..<br />
🚀9:10am 🚀<br />
🚀🔥❤️🇮🇳<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PSLVC58?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PSLVC58</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/XPoSat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#XPoSat</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/space?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#space</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isro</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/science?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#science</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tech?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tech</a> <a href="https://t.co/nY7KeeftlC">pic.twitter.com/nY7KeeftlC</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1741051166853841119?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>At the end of the 22-minute-long mission, the 469kg spacecraft would be placed in an orbit that is 650 km above the earth's surface. After placing the satellite in the intended orbit, the final stage of the PSLV rocket (PS4) would be brought down to a lower orbit of 350kms, by re-starting the engines on two instances. Once in the 350 km orbit, the fuels and hazardous chemicals stored within the upper stage tanks would be passivized. Passivization is a step that prevents any possible explosions or break-up of the stored chemicals. It is a step aimed at ensuring sustainable use of space.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Post-passivization, the PS4 stage of the PSLV rocket would be used as a stabilized orbiting platform, that would carry a handful of experiments and technology demonstrators from ISRO Centres, academia and startups. Such use of the 4th stage as a PSLV Orbital Experimental Module(POEM). As it circles the earth, the experiments onboard POEM can be activated to perform their respective tasks, thereby enabling a low-cost orbital platform to carry out such tasks. In contrast, launching a dedicated satellite for testing each of these experiments would be very expensive. Simply put, ISRO is re-purposing a spent rocket stage as an orbiting platform.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This launch would be the 60th flight of India's workhorse rocket, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle(PSLV), the vehicle undertaking next week's mission is designated PSLV-C58. The vehicle is the most-flown rocket in India's fleet. Flying since 1993, the rocket has an enviable track record of more than 98% success rate. PSLV is the rocket that is responsible for orbiting most of India's own satellites and the customer satellites launched by ISRO. It has earned the reputation of having successfully performed high-profile missions including Chandrayaan-1 and Mars Orbiter Mission, Aditya-L1.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Notably, this XPoSat mission would mark the third science mission launched by ISRO, in six months. On 14th July 2023, ISRO successfully launched the high-profile Chandrayaan-3 mission which delivered much more than initially expected and planned. On September 2nd, ISRO successfully launched the Aditya-L1 Spacecraft, the country's first solar observatory. The Aditya craft is expected to reach its destination in the first week of January 2024. In the first quarter of 2024, India's GSLV(formerly GSLV Mark2) rocket will be launching the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar(NISAR) Earth observation satellite, which is meant to help study the Earth's natural phenomena, climate change, landmass, icecaps, forest cover, oceans etc.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


World over, there are going to be celebratory countdowns to ring in the New Year 2024. The Indian space agency ISRO has also commenced a countdown ahead of New Year's Eve that will go well into New Year's day.

World over, there are going to be celebratory countdowns to ring in the New Year 2024. The Indian space agency ISRO has also commenced a countdown ahead of New Year's Eve that will go well into New Year's day. However, this is not a countdown for revellers, but ISRO's PSLV-C58/XPoSat rocket launch that has been scheduled for 9:10 am, IST, Monday (Jan 1), 2024. The countdown starts in the year 2023 at 8:10 am, Sunday, (Dec 31) and the rocket's launch will take place in 2024 at 9:10 am Monday, (Jan 1), 2024. From the first launchpad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre(SDSC), the 44-m tall rocket would be lifting off, carrying India's XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite), the country's first dedicated polarimetry mission to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions. The XPoSat spacecraft comprises two scientific payloads that will be placed in a low earth orbit. The primary payload POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) will measure the polarimetry parameters (degree and angle of polarization) in a medium X-ray energy range of 8-30 keV photons of astronomical origin. The XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) payload will give spectroscopic information in the energy range of 0.8-15 keV. #isro explainer video on #xposat 👇 "Emissions from celestial objects- blackholes, neutron stars, other energetic events arise from intricate events & are challenging to understand. To surmount this, ISRO is launching India's 1st polarimetry & spectroscopy satellite. Mission life… pic.twitter.com/pSFPyLbVST — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) December 31, 2023 × "XPoSat is the first dedicated satellite for polarization measurements in the medium X-Ray range and this is going to find something very interesting about blackholes and their ability to eat into other stars. Once black holes take raw material from adjacent stars, there will be X-Ray radiation. If you can measure the polarisation nature of the X-Ray emission, you can quantify the material ejection, such is the theory" explained Dr. S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO. "The emissions from celestial objects such as black holes, neutron stars and other energetic events arise from intricate events and provide a formidable challenge to understand. To surmount this challenge, ISRO is gearing up to launch India's first polarimetry and spectroscopy satellite. The life of the mission is expected to be five years" ISRO said. India's most-flown rocket, the #PSLV, which put #india among the few nations that launch foreign satellites (commercial missions), getting integrated and ready for its 60th launch on Monday, 1st Jan, 2024.. 🚀9:10am 🚀 🚀🔥❤️🇮🇳#PSLVC58 #XPoSat #space #isro #science #tech pic.twitter.com/nY7KeeftlC — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) December 30, 2023 × At the end of the 22-minute-long mission, the 469kg spacecraft would be placed in an orbit that is 650 km above the earth's surface. After placing the satellite in the intended orbit, the final stage of the PSLV rocket (PS4) would be brought down to a lower orbit of 350kms, by re-starting the engines on two instances. Once in the 350 km orbit, the fuels and hazardous chemicals stored within the upper stage tanks would be passivized. Passivization is a step that prevents any possible explosions or break-up of the stored chemicals. It is a step aimed at ensuring sustainable use of space. Post-passivization, the PS4 stage of the PSLV rocket would be used as a stabilized orbiting platform, that would carry a handful of experiments and technology demonstrators from ISRO Centres, academia and startups. Such use of the 4th stage as a PSLV Orbital Experimental Module(POEM). As it circles the earth, the experiments onboard POEM can be activated to perform their respective tasks, thereby enabling a low-cost orbital platform to carry out such tasks. In contrast, launching a dedicated satellite for testing each of these experiments would be very expensive. Simply put, ISRO is re-purposing a spent rocket stage as an orbiting platform. This launch would be the 60th flight of India's workhorse rocket, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle(PSLV), the vehicle undertaking next week's mission is designated PSLV-C58. The vehicle is the most-flown rocket in India's fleet. Flying since 1993, the rocket has an enviable track record of more than 98% success rate. PSLV is the rocket that is responsible for orbiting most of India's own satellites and the customer satellites launched by ISRO. It has earned the reputation of having successfully performed high-profile missions including Chandrayaan-1 and Mars Orbiter Mission, Aditya-L1. Notably, this XPoSat mission would mark the third science mission launched by ISRO, in six months. On 14th July 2023, ISRO successfully launched the high-profile Chandrayaan-3 mission which delivered much more than initially expected and planned. On September 2nd, ISRO successfully launched the Aditya-L1 Spacecraft, the country's first solar observatory. The Aditya craft is expected to reach its destination in the first week of January 2024. In the first quarter of 2024, India's GSLV(formerly GSLV Mark2) rocket will be launching the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar(NISAR) Earth observation satellite, which is meant to help study the Earth's natural phenomena, climate change, landmass, icecaps, forest cover, oceans etc.

ISRO begins countdown for launch of PSLV-C58/XPoSat, to study black holes, neutron stars

<p>Not many space agencies or private firms operate a diverse fleet of four rocket variants, where each one of them belongs to a different era and uses technologies of varying complexity. The year 2023 saw all of ISRO's four launch vehicles (SSLV, PSLV, GSLV, and LVM3) and the lone Spaceplane (RLV-TD) perform their respective tasks with utmost perfection.</p>

<p>This is a laudable feat that showcases ISRO's ability to spring back from failures, undertake course corrections, and deliver on the job, given how two of these rockets(SSLV and GSLV) had not delivered successes in the previous year or two. <em><strong>Here's a look at some of the significant feats of ISRO in 2023: &nbsp;</strong></em></p>

<h2><strong>SSLV-D2/EOS-07 Mission</strong></h2>

<p>In August 2022, the maiden mission of India's smallest and newest rocket SSLV had failed, shortly after the vehicle reached space and could not inject its satellites in the desired orbits. Owing to sensor and software issues, the satellites were injected into unsustainable orbits closer to the Earth, thereby leading to a situation where none of the satellites were usable. While the major stages of the rocket performed as expected, the error at the fag end of the mission proved too costly.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Learning from the wealth of flight data gathered during the maiden flight, ISRO performed the second launch of SSLV in February, delivering a successful mission that injected its three passenger satellites (EOS-07, Janus-1, and AzaadiSAT-2) into the desired orbits.</p>

<p>With this launch, ISRO established the capability of the newest vehicle in its fleet, one that the Indian space agency pins a lot of hope on. Given its simple architecture, easy-to-assemble nature, and industry-friendly manufacturing processes, the SSLV is a rocket that is purpose-built for quick deployment for national and commercial purposes.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>LVM3 M3/ OneWeb India-2 Mission&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>By carrying out its second commercial mission, the LVM3 rocket enhanced its track record by delivering its sixth success in a row. Performed in March, this was a repeat mission of the October 23rd launch, where it orbited 36 satellites of the UK-based firm OneWeb (now Eutelsat OneWeb).</p>

<p>Notably, these are the only missions that LVM3 has undertaken to Low earth orbit(roughly 400-2000kms above the earth).</p>

<p>Until these missions, LVM3 had&nbsp;undertaken only single-satellite ferrying missions to Geosynchronous Transfer orbits (roughly 170x36000kms).</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/isro-2023-rewind-to-the-moon-and-back-in-preparation-for-chandrayaan-4-674908">ISRO 2023 Rewind - To the Moon and back, in preparation for Chandrayaan-4</a></p>

<p>Delivering 36 satellites is a sophisticated feat that requires re-orientation to ensure that each of the satellites is delivered into their specific slots and is done at precise time intervals to avoid the risk of collisions.</p>

<p>This feat by the Cryogenic Upper stage of the rocket proves its mettle to undertake a wide range of missions. By accomplishing twin commercial missions using the LVM3, ISRO's commercial arm is estimated to have earned $125mn or Rs.1000 crores.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>RLV-TD Spaceplane</strong></h2>

<p>Only the US and China are known to operate spaceplanes, a reusable aerospace vehicle that can glide and land on an airstrip, while within the earth's atmosphere and manoeuvre like a spacecraft, when in space.</p>

<p>These spaceplanes are launched into space by being mounted atop rockets. In the coming years, India could be the third nation with a fully operational spaceplane, thanks to ISRO's Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV).</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/isros-60th-pslv-rocket-to-lift-off-with-xposat-on-january-1-674697">ISRO's 60th PSLV rocket to lift off with XPoSat on January 1</a></p>

<p>Spaceplanes are strategic assets with significant military applications and potential space warfare capabilities. Much of the activities of operational spaceplanes remain shrouded in secrecy and are broadly referred to as some form of research activity.</p>

<p>In April, the RLV-TD (a smaller prototype of the spaceplane) completed an autonomous landing on an airstrip, after being dropped from an altitude of 5kms, by an Indian Air Force heavy-lift chopper.</p>

<p>The precise autonomous landing on the runway centreline is a milestone feat, given how the spaceplane makes the landing approach at speeds much higher than fighter aircraft. After a few more years of trials, India can hope to have a full-sized spaceplane that can be used to ferry cargo or satellites to space and carry out very sophisticated strategic missions.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>GSLV-F12/NVS-01 Mission</strong></h2>

<p>In August 2021, minutes before placing a crucial strategic-use satellite(GISAT-1) in orbit, the GSLV rocket suffered a malfunction in its final stage (cryogenic engine), thereby leading to the loss of an expensive satellite, that was expected to provide unprecedented capabilities in monitoring India's frontiers.</p>

<p>Throughout 2022, ISRO did not fly the GSLV rocket. Meanwhile, ISRO carried out multiple technical tweaks and tests to ensure the rocket's ideal performance.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In May 2023, the GSLV precisely orbited the next-generation Navigation satellite NVS-01 and put the apprehensions to rest, thereby validating the extensive work that ISRO had carried out on perfecting this rocket and its performance. Notably, it is this GSLV rocket that ISRO has spent most time and effort in amending to perfection. Of all the rockets in ISRO's fleet, the GSLV has earned the "naughty boy" reputation for having been so hard to tame.</p>

<p>While there have been mentions of GSLV's retirement, it certainly won't fly into the sunset without accomplishing several more missions, including the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) launch and multiple launches of the Indian spaceplane.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>LVM3 M4 - Chandrayaan-3</h2>

<p>In a perfect launch on a sweltering afternoon in mid-July, the LVM3 soared to the skies carrying the Lunar soft-landing hopes of 1.4 billion Indians.</p>

<p>These are hopes that were dashed at the time of the failed landing attempt in September 2019. In almost 17 minutes, the LVM3 had performed its task and injected Chandrayaan-3 in a perfect orbit, thereby offering what was a great start to the circuitous, 40-day journey to the Lunar touchdown.</p>

<p>Just as the autonomous Lunar landing sequence of the moon lander is described widely as "minutes of terror", the launch mission is also quite a tense experience.</p>

<p>Once the rocket lifts off, the entire sequence is autonomous and the only human intervention (if at all it arises) would be to hit a kill switch and self-destruct the rocket, if things aren't going well. With the launch of Chandrayaan-3, LVM3 bolstered its success rate, thereby making it seven successive successful missions for the vehicle, which is also being re-purposed (human-rated) for the Indian astronaut mission Gaganyaan.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>PSLV (TeLEOS-2, DS-SAR, Aditya-L1)</strong></h2>

<p>Of the three missions carried out by the PSLV in 2023, two were commercial missions that ferried Singaporean satellites as primary customers. As has become routine, the 30-year-old PSLV aced the missions and raked in the revenue for NSIL, ISRO's commercial arm. Continuing with its legacy of having successfully launched India's maiden Moon and Mars missions, the PSLV also launched India's maiden sun-study mission Aditya-L1. With only two failures in a total of 59 missions, PSLV has set a standard for ISRO and this track record explains why it remains a vehicle of choice for a wide range of missions.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>TV-D1</strong></h2>

<p>Based on the legacy liquid-fuelled rocket Vikas&nbsp;that powers key stages of the PSLV, GSLV, and LVM3 rocket, ISRO built a smaller vehicle known as Test Vehicle. This Test Vehicle (TV) is a purpose-built mini rocket that ISRO has designed for carrying out and demonstrating various scenarios and technologies that are a pre-requisite for its future missions.</p>

<p>In October, during its maiden flight, the test vehicle was meant to test the in-flight abort system of the Gaganyaan crew module that is eventually meant to ferry Indian astronauts to space and return them safely. The TV-D1 flight was pre-programmed to shut down at a predetermined altitude and speed, thereby triggering the ejection system(crew escape system) that would separate the empty crew capsule from the rocket that it is seated atop.</p>

<p>By shutting down the TV-D1 rocket in time (pre-planned rocket failure) and successfully demonstrating the Crew Escape System, ISRO ended the year on a high.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Not many space agencies or private firms operate a diverse fleet of four rocket variants, where each one of them belongs to a different era and uses technologies of varying complexity.

Not many space agencies or private firms operate a diverse fleet of four rocket variants, where each one of them belongs to a different era and uses technologies of varying complexity. The year 2023 saw all of ISRO's four launch vehicles (SSLV, PSLV, GSLV, and LVM3) and the lone Spaceplane (RLV-TD) perform their respective tasks with utmost perfection. This is a laudable feat that showcases ISRO's ability to spring back from failures, undertake course corrections, and deliver on the job, given how two of these rockets(SSLV and GSLV) had not delivered successes in the previous year or two. Here's a look at some of the significant feats of ISRO in 2023: SSLV-D2/EOS-07 Mission In August 2022, the maiden mission of India's smallest and newest rocket SSLV had failed, shortly after the vehicle reached space and could not inject its satellites in the desired orbits. Owing to sensor and software issues, the satellites were injected into unsustainable orbits closer to the Earth, thereby leading to a situation where none of the satellites were usable. While the major stages of the rocket performed as expected, the error at the fag end of the mission proved too costly. Learning from the wealth of flight data gathered during the maiden flight, ISRO performed the second launch of SSLV in February, delivering a successful mission that injected its three passenger satellites (EOS-07, Janus-1, and AzaadiSAT-2) into the desired orbits. With this launch, ISRO established the capability of the newest vehicle in its fleet, one that the Indian space agency pins a lot of hope on. Given its simple architecture, easy-to-assemble nature, and industry-friendly manufacturing processes, the SSLV is a rocket that is purpose-built for quick deployment for national and commercial purposes. LVM3 M3/ OneWeb India-2 Mission By carrying out its second commercial mission, the LVM3 rocket enhanced its track record by delivering its sixth success in a row. Performed in March, this was a repeat mission of the October 23rd launch, where it orbited 36 satellites of the UK-based firm OneWeb (now Eutelsat OneWeb). Notably, these are the only missions that LVM3 has undertaken to Low earth orbit(roughly 400-2000kms above the earth). Until these missions, LVM3 had undertaken only single-satellite ferrying missions to Geosynchronous Transfer orbits (roughly 170x36000kms). Also Read | ISRO 2023 Rewind - To the Moon and back, in preparation for Chandrayaan-4 Delivering 36 satellites is a sophisticated feat that requires re-orientation to ensure that each of the satellites is delivered into their specific slots and is done at precise time intervals to avoid the risk of collisions. This feat by the Cryogenic Upper stage of the rocket proves its mettle to undertake a wide range of missions. By accomplishing twin commercial missions using the LVM3, ISRO's commercial arm is estimated to have earned $125mn or Rs.1000 crores. RLV-TD Spaceplane Only the US and China are known to operate spaceplanes, a reusable aerospace vehicle that can glide and land on an airstrip, while within the earth's atmosphere and manoeuvre like a spacecraft, when in space. These spaceplanes are launched into space by being mounted atop rockets. In the coming years, India could be the third nation with a fully operational spaceplane, thanks to ISRO's Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV). Also Read | ISRO's 60th PSLV rocket to lift off with XPoSat on January 1 Spaceplanes are strategic assets with significant military applications and potential space warfare capabilities. Much of the activities of operational spaceplanes remain shrouded in secrecy and are broadly referred to as some form of research activity. In April, the RLV-TD (a smaller prototype of the spaceplane) completed an autonomous landing on an airstrip, after being dropped from an altitude of 5kms, by an Indian Air Force heavy-lift chopper. The precise autonomous landing on the runway centreline is a milestone feat, given how the spaceplane makes the landing approach at speeds much higher than fighter aircraft. After a few more years of trials, India can hope to have a full-sized spaceplane that can be used to ferry cargo or satellites to space and carry out very sophisticated strategic missions. GSLV-F12/NVS-01 Mission In August 2021, minutes before placing a crucial strategic-use satellite(GISAT-1) in orbit, the GSLV rocket suffered a malfunction in its final stage (cryogenic engine), thereby leading to the loss of an expensive satellite, that was expected to provide unprecedented capabilities in monitoring India's frontiers. Throughout 2022, ISRO did not fly the GSLV rocket. Meanwhile, ISRO carried out multiple technical tweaks and tests to ensure the rocket's ideal performance. In May 2023, the GSLV precisely orbited the next-generation Navigation satellite NVS-01 and put the apprehensions to rest, thereby validating the extensive work that ISRO had carried out on perfecting this rocket and its performance. Notably, it is this GSLV rocket that ISRO has spent most time and effort in amending to perfection. Of all the rockets in ISRO's fleet, the GSLV has earned the "naughty boy" reputation for having been so hard to tame. While there have been mentions of GSLV's retirement, it certainly won't fly into the sunset without accomplishing several more missions, including the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) launch and multiple launches of the Indian spaceplane. LVM3 M4 - Chandrayaan-3 In a perfect launch on a sweltering afternoon in mid-July, the LVM3 soared to the skies carrying the Lunar soft-landing hopes of 1.4 billion Indians. These are hopes that were dashed at the time of the failed landing attempt in September 2019. In almost 17 minutes, the LVM3 had performed its task and injected Chandrayaan-3 in a perfect orbit, thereby offering what was a great start to the circuitous, 40-day journey to the Lunar touchdown. Just as the autonomous Lunar landing sequence of the moon lander is described widely as "minutes of terror", the launch mission is also quite a tense experience. Once the rocket lifts off, the entire sequence is autonomous and the only human intervention (if at all it arises) would be to hit a kill switch and self-destruct the rocket, if things aren't going well. With the launch of Chandrayaan-3, LVM3 bolstered its success rate, thereby making it seven successive successful missions for the vehicle, which is also being re-purposed (human-rated) for the Indian astronaut mission Gaganyaan. PSLV (TeLEOS-2, DS-SAR, Aditya-L1) Of the three missions carried out by the PSLV in 2023, two were commercial missions that ferried Singaporean satellites as primary customers. As has become routine, the 30-year-old PSLV aced the missions and raked in the revenue for NSIL, ISRO's commercial arm. Continuing with its legacy of having successfully launched India's maiden Moon and Mars missions, the PSLV also launched India's maiden sun-study mission Aditya-L1. With only two failures in a total of 59 missions, PSLV has set a standard for ISRO and this track record explains why it remains a vehicle of choice for a wide range of missions. TV-D1 Based on the legacy liquid-fuelled rocket Vikas that powers key stages of the PSLV, GSLV, and LVM3 rocket, ISRO built a smaller vehicle known as Test Vehicle. This Test Vehicle (TV) is a purpose-built mini rocket that ISRO has designed for carrying out and demonstrating various scenarios and technologies that are a pre-requisite for its future missions. In October, during its maiden flight, the test vehicle was meant to test the in-flight abort system of the Gaganyaan crew module that is eventually meant to ferry Indian astronauts to space and return them safely. The TV-D1 flight was pre-programmed to shut down at a predetermined altitude and speed, thereby triggering the ejection system(crew escape system) that would separate the empty crew capsule from the rocket that it is seated atop. By shutting down the TV-D1 rocket in time (pre-planned rocket failure) and successfully demonstrating the Crew Escape System, ISRO ended the year on a high.

ISRO 2023 Rewind - 8 Rockets and a Spaceplane deliver streak of successes

<p>By making India the fourth nation to soft-land a craft on the moon and the first to do so near the unexplored Lunar south pole, the Indian Space Agency ISRO showcased its capability and determination in remarkably rising from the setback of Chandrayaan-2 (2018). For India, Chandrayaan-3 is almost like a gift that keeps on giving and it has already set the ball rolling for Chandrayaan-4.</p>

<p>From the flawless launch on July 14 to the autonomous landing sequence that lasted 19 minutes (on August 23), the mission progressed in textbook fashion. The icing on the Lunar cake was the "India, we are on the Moon" quote from the ISRO Chief, in his post-landing address.</p>

<p>In addition to swelling Indian hearts with pride, it also left an indelible mark on cyberspace, as the Chandrayaan-3 live stream by ISRO continues to be the most-viewed on YouTube.</p>

<p>On the face of it, Chandrayaan-3 was all about soft-landing safely, deploying the rover there and leaving India's imprint on the moon. While the science data from Chandrayaan-3 continues to be scrutinised and processed, some of the achievements and findings of the mission are worth re-emphasising.</p>

<h2><strong>Lunar hop&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Chandrayaan-3 landed vertically like a helicopter. In the words of ISRO, VSSC Director Dr. S.Unnikrishnan Nair, "It was a feather-like soft-landing".</p>

<p>Let's imagine that the Chandrayaan-3 lander wants to take off again and come back. In that case, it would have to fire its engines and almost launch itself like a rocket and reach Lunar orbit.</p>

<p>As a minor step or hop towards that ambitious future goal, the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 was commanded to perform a hop test, which it successfully performed.</p>

<p>Think of the hop as an exercise move - jumping up from a point and landing a few centimetres beside where you started from. By performing this manoeuvre, ISRO has re-fired the engines of the Vikram lander and gathered valuable data on engine firings on the Lunar surface.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-moon-landings-giant-leap-on-mars-more-nasa-reveals-its-2024-plans-674874">WATCH | Moon landings, giant leap on Mars, &amp; more... NASA reveals its 2024 plans</a></p>

<p>Notably, the liquid-fuelled engines of the lander module were fired almost 10 days after they last fired (during the landing on August 23).&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Propulsion Module returns!</strong></h2>

<p>All talk about Chandrayaan-3 had come to an end by October, as it became evident that the craft had completed its planned 14-day mission life (One Lunar day) and did not show signs of waking up (which ISRO had partially hoped for, as a bonus).</p>

<p>While there was no response from the lander and rover on the moon, the craft that continued to circle the moon, the Propulsion Module had more tricks up its sleeve.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Propulsion module is the vehicle that carried the Chandrayaan-3 craft from the earth orbit to the Lunar orbit.</p>

<p>Therefore, it has its own set of engines and fuel tank.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-nasas-curiosity-rover-records-dawn-to-dusk-video-on-mars-674781">Watch: NASA's Curiosity rover records 'dawn to dusk' video on Mars</a></p>

<p>While the Propulsion module was not a full-fledged orbiter like that of the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, ISRO carried out a significant feat with the Propulsion module. Realising that the Propulsion module had at least 100 kilograms of fuel in its tank, after one month of circling the moon, ISRO chose to not waste a drop of fuel and wanted to derive the proverbial maximum mileage from the mission.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The craft that was circling the moon was gradually steered out of the moon's sphere of influence and brought closer to the earth.</p>

<p>The moon is around 3.84 lakh kilometres away from the Earth. From the Lunar orbit, the Propulsion Module traveled a distance of 2.34 lakh kilometres to reach an orbit very high above the earth.</p>

<p>According to ISRO, the module was brought to an orbit that is almost 1.15-1.54 lakh kilometres above the Earth.</p>

<p>This is a very safe orbit with hardly any satellites operating in the region and it means that the Propulsion module can remain there till the end of its life and beyond, without any risk of collision.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/report-tesla-to-set-up-manufacturing-plant-in-gujarat-india-674904">Report: Tesla to set up manufacturing plant in Gujarat, India</a></strong></p>

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<p>Just like the hop test, this return flight of the propulsion module helps ISRO's future Lunar exploration plans. It would prove crucial in future missions such as Chandrayaan-4 that involve bringing samples back from the moon.</p>

<p>It also validates ISRO's spacecraft mission operations planning, which involved the sophisticated and meticulous calculations required to return a craft from one celestial body's orbit to another.</p>

<p>Simply put, ISRO has derived much more value out of Chandrayaan-3, than what was initially expected and publicly known.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


By making India the fourth nation to soft-land a craft on the moon and the first to do so near the unexplored Lunar south pole, the Indian Space Agency ISRO showcased its capability and determination in remarkably rising from the setback of Chandrayaan-2 (2018).

By making India the fourth nation to soft-land a craft on the moon and the first to do so near the unexplored Lunar south pole, the Indian Space Agency ISRO showcased its capability and determination in remarkably rising from the setback of Chandrayaan-2 (2018). For India, Chandrayaan-3 is almost like a gift that keeps on giving and it has already set the ball rolling for Chandrayaan-4. From the flawless launch on July 14 to the autonomous landing sequence that lasted 19 minutes (on August 23), the mission progressed in textbook fashion. The icing on the Lunar cake was the "India, we are on the Moon" quote from the ISRO Chief, in his post-landing address. In addition to swelling Indian hearts with pride, it also left an indelible mark on cyberspace, as the Chandrayaan-3 live stream by ISRO continues to be the most-viewed on YouTube. On the face of it, Chandrayaan-3 was all about soft-landing safely, deploying the rover there and leaving India's imprint on the moon. While the science data from Chandrayaan-3 continues to be scrutinised and processed, some of the achievements and findings of the mission are worth re-emphasising. Lunar hop Chandrayaan-3 landed vertically like a helicopter. In the words of ISRO, VSSC Director Dr. S.Unnikrishnan Nair, "It was a feather-like soft-landing". Let's imagine that the Chandrayaan-3 lander wants to take off again and come back. In that case, it would have to fire its engines and almost launch itself like a rocket and reach Lunar orbit. As a minor step or hop towards that ambitious future goal, the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 was commanded to perform a hop test, which it successfully performed. Think of the hop as an exercise move - jumping up from a point and landing a few centimetres beside where you started from. By performing this manoeuvre, ISRO has re-fired the engines of the Vikram lander and gathered valuable data on engine firings on the Lunar surface. WATCH | Moon landings, giant leap on Mars, & more... NASA reveals its 2024 plans Notably, the liquid-fuelled engines of the lander module were fired almost 10 days after they last fired (during the landing on August 23). Propulsion Module returns! All talk about Chandrayaan-3 had come to an end by October, as it became evident that the craft had completed its planned 14-day mission life (One Lunar day) and did not show signs of waking up (which ISRO had partially hoped for, as a bonus). While there was no response from the lander and rover on the moon, the craft that continued to circle the moon, the Propulsion Module had more tricks up its sleeve. The Propulsion module is the vehicle that carried the Chandrayaan-3 craft from the earth orbit to the Lunar orbit. Therefore, it has its own set of engines and fuel tank. Watch: NASA's Curiosity rover records 'dawn to dusk' video on Mars While the Propulsion module was not a full-fledged orbiter like that of the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, ISRO carried out a significant feat with the Propulsion module. Realising that the Propulsion module had at least 100 kilograms of fuel in its tank, after one month of circling the moon, ISRO chose to not waste a drop of fuel and wanted to derive the proverbial maximum mileage from the mission. The craft that was circling the moon was gradually steered out of the moon's sphere of influence and brought closer to the earth. The moon is around 3.84 lakh kilometres away from the Earth. From the Lunar orbit, the Propulsion Module traveled a distance of 2.34 lakh kilometres to reach an orbit very high above the earth. According to ISRO, the module was brought to an orbit that is almost 1.15-1.54 lakh kilometres above the Earth. This is a very safe orbit with hardly any satellites operating in the region and it means that the Propulsion module can remain there till the end of its life and beyond, without any risk of collision. Watch | Report: Tesla to set up manufacturing plant in Gujarat, India × Just like the hop test, this return flight of the propulsion module helps ISRO's future Lunar exploration plans. It would prove crucial in future missions such as Chandrayaan-4 that involve bringing samples back from the moon. It also validates ISRO's spacecraft mission operations planning, which involved the sophisticated and meticulous calculations required to return a craft from one celestial body's orbit to another. Simply put, ISRO has derived much more value out of Chandrayaan-3, than what was initially expected and publicly known.

ISRO 2023 Rewind - To the Moon and back, in preparation for Chandrayaan-4

<p>On the first day of the New Year 2024, the Indian Space Agency will be sending its 260-ton PSLV rocket into to the skies. Designated PSLV-C58/XPoSat, the PSLV rocket is scheduled to lift off from the first launchpad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre(SDSC-SHAR) at 9:10 am, Monday, January 1. The 44-m tall rocket would be carrying India's XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite), the country's first dedicated polarimetry mission to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The XPoSat spacecraft comprises two scientific payloads that will be placed in a low earth orbit. The primary payload POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) will measure the polarimetry parameters (degree and angle of polarization) in a medium X-ray energy range of 8-30 keV photons of astronomical origin. The XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) payload will give spectroscopic information in the energy range of 0.8-15 keV.</p>

<p>"XPoSat is the first dedicated satellite for polarization measurements in the medium X-Ray range and this is going to find something very interesting about blackholes and their ability to eat into other stars. Once black holes take raw material from adjacent stars, there will be X-Ray radiation. If you are able to measure the polarization nature of the X-ray emission, you can quantify the material ejection, such is the theory," explained Dr S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO.</p>

<p>At the end of the 22-minute-long mission, the 469kg spacecraft would be placed in an orbit that is 650 km above the earth's surface. After placing the satellite in the intended orbit, the final stage of the PSLV rocket(PS4) would be brought down to a lower orbit of 350kms, by re-starting the engines on two instances. Once in the 350 km orbit, the fuels and hazardous chemicals stored within the upper-stage tanks would be passivised. Passivisation is a step that prevents any possible explosions or break-up of the stored chemicals. It is a step aimed at ensuring sustainable use of space.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Post-passivisation, the PS4 stage of the PSLV rocket would be used as a stabilised orbiting platform, that would carry a handful of experiments and technology demonstrators from ISRO Centres, academia and startups. Such use of the 4th stage as a PSLV Orbital Experimental Module(POEM). As it circles the earth, the experiments onboard POEM can be activated to perform their respective tasks, thereby enabling a low-cost orbital platform to carry out such tasks. In contrast, launching a dedicated satellite for testing each of these experiments would be very expensive. Simply put, ISRO is re-purposing a spent rocket stage as an orbiting platform.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This launch would be the 60th flight of India's workhorse rocket, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle(PSLV), the vehicle undertaking next week's mission is designated PSLV-C58. The vehicle is the most-flown rocket in India's fleet. Flying since 1993, the rocket has an enviable track record of more than 98% success rate. PSLV is the rocket that is responsible for orbiting most of India's own satellites and the customer satellites launched by ISRO. It has earned the reputation of having successfully performed high-profile missions including Chandrayaan-1 and Mars Orbiter Mission, Aditya-L1.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Notably, this XPoSat mission would mark the third science mission launched by ISRO, in a span of six months. On 14th July 2023, ISRO successfully launched the high-profile Chandrayaan-3 mission which delivered much more than initially expected and planned. On September 2nd, ISRO successfully launched the Aditya-L1 Spacecraft, the country's first solar observatory. The Aditya craft is expected to reach its destination in the first week of January 2024. In the first quarter of 2024, India's GSLV(formerly GSLV Mark2) rocket will be launching the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar(NISAR) Earth observation satellite, which is meant to help study the Earth's natural phenomena, climate change, landmass, icecaps, forest cover, oceans etc.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


On the first day of the New Year 2024, the Indian Space Agency will be sending its 260-ton PSLV rocket into to the skies. Designated PSLV-C58/XPoSat, the PSLV rocket is scheduled to lift off from the first launchpad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre(SDSC-SHAR) at 9:10 am, Monday, January 1.

On the first day of the New Year 2024, the Indian Space Agency will be sending its 260-ton PSLV rocket into to the skies. Designated PSLV-C58/XPoSat, the PSLV rocket is scheduled to lift off from the first launchpad of Satish Dhawan Space Centre(SDSC-SHAR) at 9:10 am, Monday, January 1. The 44-m tall rocket would be carrying India's XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite), the country's first dedicated polarimetry mission to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions. The XPoSat spacecraft comprises two scientific payloads that will be placed in a low earth orbit. The primary payload POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) will measure the polarimetry parameters (degree and angle of polarization) in a medium X-ray energy range of 8-30 keV photons of astronomical origin. The XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing) payload will give spectroscopic information in the energy range of 0.8-15 keV. "XPoSat is the first dedicated satellite for polarization measurements in the medium X-Ray range and this is going to find something very interesting about blackholes and their ability to eat into other stars. Once black holes take raw material from adjacent stars, there will be X-Ray radiation. If you are able to measure the polarization nature of the X-ray emission, you can quantify the material ejection, such is the theory," explained Dr S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO. At the end of the 22-minute-long mission, the 469kg spacecraft would be placed in an orbit that is 650 km above the earth's surface. After placing the satellite in the intended orbit, the final stage of the PSLV rocket(PS4) would be brought down to a lower orbit of 350kms, by re-starting the engines on two instances. Once in the 350 km orbit, the fuels and hazardous chemicals stored within the upper-stage tanks would be passivised. Passivisation is a step that prevents any possible explosions or break-up of the stored chemicals. It is a step aimed at ensuring sustainable use of space. Post-passivisation, the PS4 stage of the PSLV rocket would be used as a stabilised orbiting platform, that would carry a handful of experiments and technology demonstrators from ISRO Centres, academia and startups. Such use of the 4th stage as a PSLV Orbital Experimental Module(POEM). As it circles the earth, the experiments onboard POEM can be activated to perform their respective tasks, thereby enabling a low-cost orbital platform to carry out such tasks. In contrast, launching a dedicated satellite for testing each of these experiments would be very expensive. Simply put, ISRO is re-purposing a spent rocket stage as an orbiting platform. This launch would be the 60th flight of India's workhorse rocket, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle(PSLV), the vehicle undertaking next week's mission is designated PSLV-C58. The vehicle is the most-flown rocket in India's fleet. Flying since 1993, the rocket has an enviable track record of more than 98% success rate. PSLV is the rocket that is responsible for orbiting most of India's own satellites and the customer satellites launched by ISRO. It has earned the reputation of having successfully performed high-profile missions including Chandrayaan-1 and Mars Orbiter Mission, Aditya-L1. Notably, this XPoSat mission would mark the third science mission launched by ISRO, in a span of six months. On 14th July 2023, ISRO successfully launched the high-profile Chandrayaan-3 mission which delivered much more than initially expected and planned. On September 2nd, ISRO successfully launched the Aditya-L1 Spacecraft, the country's first solar observatory. The Aditya craft is expected to reach its destination in the first week of January 2024. In the first quarter of 2024, India's GSLV(formerly GSLV Mark2) rocket will be launching the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar(NISAR) Earth observation satellite, which is meant to help study the Earth's natural phenomena, climate change, landmass, icecaps, forest cover, oceans etc.

ISRO's 60th PSLV rocket to lift off with XPoSat on January 1

<p>An ammonia gas leak that happened at an undersea pipeline in India’s Ennore region, North Chennai, has been contained, said Tamil Nadu government authorities in the early hours of Wednesday (Dec 27).</p>

<p>The leak is said to have occurred around 11.45 pm (local time) Tuesday and it led to the stench of ammonia spreading in the adjoining areas, which includes multiple petrochemical industries and densely populated residential areas.</p>

<p>More than 34 people are said to have been hospitalised after the gas leak occurred around the midnight hour, with the pungent ammonia odour causing eye irritation, a burning sensation in the throat, breathing difficulties, and other issues.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">"The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ammonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ammonia</a> gas leak occurred in an undersea pipeline..there is no ship offloading the gas..residual gas in the pipe has leaked &amp; spread due to winds..we have done Inspections&amp; are here for 1hr+..nothing to worry, all 100pc resolved..pls sleep peacefully" Deputy commissioner of… <a href="https://t.co/FJP0ImvPCO">pic.twitter.com/FJP0ImvPCO</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1739866489543610761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>The leak happened when the liquified form of the gas was being pumped out from a ship at sea to the fertilser manufacturing facility, Coromandel International Ltd. Factory, Ennore.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Video from the early hours of today, showing the panic &amp;chaos caused by the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ammonia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ammonia</a> gas leak(at an undersea pipeline), which spread to the nearby <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ennore?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ennore</a> area, causing breathing issues, eye burning sensation for residents..<br />
<br />
It is said to have been contained in a few hours..… <a href="https://t.co/whDrkM3syE">pic.twitter.com/whDrkM3syE</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1739860480586653756?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>This facility is involved in the large-scale manufacture of Ammonium Phosphate Potash Sulphate (APPS), with an annual output of almost four lakh tonnes.</p>

<p>The raw material for making ammonia, being a major constituent of APPS, is brought in via ships and transported through a 2.5km long undersea pipeline that leads to the facility.</p>

<p>Estimates say that 3000-8000 tonnes of ammonia is pumped to the factory every month.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It was around 12.45 am on Wednesday that the facility notified the relevant authorities regarding the gas leakage. In the following hours, police and ambulances were mobilised.</p>

<p>At 3.33 am, a top Tamil Nadu Police official Vijaykumar posted on X that the situation had been controlled.</p>

<p>&nbsp;"No need to panic. stabilised. No more gas (ammonia) leak at Ennore. People reassured and are back home. Medical and police teams present."</p>

<p>Speaking to WION, a local resident at Ernavur locality, near Ennore, said that the strong stench of ammonia was observed around midnight hour and led to suspicion of a leak.</p>

<p>He added that his residential area near the coast does not experience such a strong stench, as they are at a considerable distance from the factories in the area.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As on Wednesday morning, he said that the ammonia stench was negligible in his locality when compared to the midnight hour.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Initial reports suggest that this mishap occurred in the run-up to the unloading of ammonia from the ship and not during the actual unloading of the chemical.</p>

<p>In order to transfer ammonia in liquid condition, it is said to be maintained at minus 330 degrees Celsius. At least 36 hours prior to the transfer of ammonia from the ships, pre-cooling of the undersea pipeline is carried out to pump ammonia in liquid form and finally into the storage tank within the factory.</p>

<p>In a statement, Coromandel International said that they noticed the abnormality on Wednesday at 11.30 pm in the ammonia-loading subsea pipeline near shoreside, outside the plant premises.</p>

<p>"Our Standard Operating Procedure activated immediately, and we have isolated the ammonia system facility and brought the situation to normalcy in the shortest time," read the statement.&nbsp;</p>

<p>During the process, a few members of the local community expressed discomfort and were given medical attention immediately. All are safe and normalcy was restored, the firm said.</p>

<p>"We have informed relevant authorities about the incident. Coromandel has always adhered to the highest safety standards and emergency response system" said the firm, in a statement authorised by Amir Alvi, President &amp; Head, Manufacturing (Fertilizer) &amp; Supply Chain, Coromandel International Limited.</p>


An ammonia gas leak that happened at an undersea pipeline in India’s Ennore region, North Chennai, has been contained, said Tamil Nadu government authorities in the early hours of Wednesday (Dec 27).

An ammonia gas leak that happened at an undersea pipeline in India’s Ennore region, North Chennai, has been contained, said Tamil Nadu government authorities in the early hours of Wednesday (Dec 27). The leak is said to have occurred around 11.45 pm (local time) Tuesday and it led to the stench of ammonia spreading in the adjoining areas, which includes multiple petrochemical industries and densely populated residential areas. More than 34 people are said to have been hospitalised after the gas leak occurred around the midnight hour, with the pungent ammonia odour causing eye irritation, a burning sensation in the throat, breathing difficulties, and other issues. "The #ammonia gas leak occurred in an undersea pipeline..there is no ship offloading the gas..residual gas in the pipe has leaked & spread due to winds..we have done Inspections& are here for 1hr+..nothing to worry, all 100pc resolved..pls sleep peacefully" Deputy commissioner of… pic.twitter.com/FJP0ImvPCO — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) December 27, 2023 × The leak happened when the liquified form of the gas was being pumped out from a ship at sea to the fertilser manufacturing facility, Coromandel International Ltd. Factory, Ennore. Video from the early hours of today, showing the panic &chaos caused by the #ammonia gas leak(at an undersea pipeline), which spread to the nearby #Ennore area, causing breathing issues, eye burning sensation for residents.. It is said to have been contained in a few hours..… pic.twitter.com/whDrkM3syE — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) December 27, 2023 × This facility is involved in the large-scale manufacture of Ammonium Phosphate Potash Sulphate (APPS), with an annual output of almost four lakh tonnes. The raw material for making ammonia, being a major constituent of APPS, is brought in via ships and transported through a 2.5km long undersea pipeline that leads to the facility. Estimates say that 3000-8000 tonnes of ammonia is pumped to the factory every month. It was around 12.45 am on Wednesday that the facility notified the relevant authorities regarding the gas leakage. In the following hours, police and ambulances were mobilised. At 3.33 am, a top Tamil Nadu Police official Vijaykumar posted on X that the situation had been controlled. "No need to panic. stabilised. No more gas (ammonia) leak at Ennore. People reassured and are back home. Medical and police teams present." Speaking to WION, a local resident at Ernavur locality, near Ennore, said that the strong stench of ammonia was observed around midnight hour and led to suspicion of a leak. He added that his residential area near the coast does not experience such a strong stench, as they are at a considerable distance from the factories in the area. As on Wednesday morning, he said that the ammonia stench was negligible in his locality when compared to the midnight hour. Initial reports suggest that this mishap occurred in the run-up to the unloading of ammonia from the ship and not during the actual unloading of the chemical. In order to transfer ammonia in liquid condition, it is said to be maintained at minus 330 degrees Celsius. At least 36 hours prior to the transfer of ammonia from the ships, pre-cooling of the undersea pipeline is carried out to pump ammonia in liquid form and finally into the storage tank within the factory. In a statement, Coromandel International said that they noticed the abnormality on Wednesday at 11.30 pm in the ammonia-loading subsea pipeline near shoreside, outside the plant premises. "Our Standard Operating Procedure activated immediately, and we have isolated the ammonia system facility and brought the situation to normalcy in the shortest time," read the statement. During the process, a few members of the local community expressed discomfort and were given medical attention immediately. All are safe and normalcy was restored, the firm said. "We have informed relevant authorities about the incident. Coromandel has always adhered to the highest safety standards and emergency response system" said the firm, in a statement authorised by Amir Alvi, President & Head, Manufacturing (Fertilizer) & Supply Chain, Coromandel International Limited.

India: North Chennai ammonia leak contained, traced to undersea pipeline, say authorities

<p>The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) of the Indian space agency ISRO, has developed an analysis software that is used to perform Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of various types of structures including rockets, aircraft, satellites, buildings, etc.</p>

<p>FEA is a computerised method for predicting how a component or a structure reacts to real-world forces- like various types of structural loads, thermal conditions and other physical effects that a structure experiences while in operation.</p>

<p>During the design and development phase of a product, FEA is carried out to evaluate how well and safely the structure/component can withstand the various loads, and perform its intended function without any failure.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Thread <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indian</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/engineering?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#engineering</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/academia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#academia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/industry?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#industry</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/space?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#space</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isro</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tech?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tech</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/science?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#science</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/video?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#video</a> :<br />
<br />
A Finite Element Analysis of Structures Software(FEAST) developed by ISRO-VSSC is available for free download.. Advanced version offered at nominal cost, compared to foreign options 👇: <a href="https://t.co/BPx2Hy9iXe">pic.twitter.com/BPx2Hy9iXe</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1739515138296979920?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>So far, users have mostly depended on expensive software versions from foreign firms for this function. With their latest offering—an FEA software known as FEAST (Finite Element Analysis of Structures)— Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) hopes to take this indigenous and customisable FEA software to the Indian user base.</p>

<p>"The FEAST software tool is the result of decades-long efforts by generations of scientists and engineers at ISRO's lead centre VSCC, Thiruvananthapuram. We started building this tool for our own internal use and developed considerable expertise in this field. That's when we decided to ensure that our software be shared with the larger FEA user base within India" Dr S Unnikrishnan Nair, Director, VSSC, ISRO, told WION.</p>

<p>He said that FEAST has been made available for Indian academia at a fraction of the price of similar foreign offerings.</p>

<p>A free trial of the FEAST software is also available at the ISRO/VSSC website: https://feast.vssc.gov.in/Software.php</p>

<p>Operable in both Windows and Linux operating systems, the software is capable of running on systems with minimal hardware configurations. FEAST is available in three versions, based on the sophisticating levels and requirements of a broad category of users — academic (for students and educational institutions), premium (for small and medium scale industries) and professional (for general large scale applications).</p>

<p>So far, FEAST has been used by the structural design community in all major ISRO centres across India.</p>

<p>In order to popularise this software among the potential Indian user base, the ISRO has also taken efforts to publish a book targeting the under-graduate and post-graduate students, offering more insights into the fundamentals of FEA method and how FEAST can be used for solving real-world problems.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Book for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/indian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#indian</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Engineering?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Engineering</a> students, explaining the Finite Element Analysis(FEA) method&amp; the features of ISRO-developed FEA Structures Software(FEAST) 👇🚀<br />
<br />
Domain experts from ISRO have ensured that the book is easy-to-understand &amp;insightful<br />
Editors- Chairman &amp; VSSC Director <a href="https://t.co/Pykmnu8QQk">https://t.co/Pykmnu8QQk</a> <a href="https://t.co/V84U7zAV1O">pic.twitter.com/V84U7zAV1O</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1739521106070131154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>The book titled 'Introduction to&nbsp;Finite Element Analysis', has been written by practicing structural analysis experts of VSSC and Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) and edited by Dr S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO, Secretary, Department of Space and Dr Unnikrishnan Nair.</p>

<p>Elaborating on the contents of the book, Nair said that it covers the basic concepts and applications of FEA in an easy-to-understand manner. It is specifically aimed at introducing this advanced topic to undergraduate level engineering students and practicing engineers in a lucid style with thrust on how FEAST software developed by VSSC can be understood through worked-out problems and tutorials.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/paytm-lays-off-more-than-1000-employees-across-various-departments-report-673430">Paytm lays off more than 1,000 employees across various departments:</a></p>

<p>"The first part of the book deals with the basics and introductions to the concepts of finite element method. The latter part encapsulates various features of the software, the use cases, how to model problems using FEAST, how to give various inputs and how the results of analysis can be viewed and interpreted " Nair said.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-external-affairs-minister-jaishankar-arrives-in-russia-on-five-day-visit-673388">India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrives in Russia on five-day visit</a></p>

<p>He also mentioned that the software has been periodically updated and enhanced, as per user feedback. In recent times, every year&nbsp;national level user's conference of the FEAST community is held to seek feedback to deliver a better offering, with every iteration of the product.</p>

<p>Recently, the book on FEAST was released at a function held in ISRO headquarters, Bengaluru. The book was released by Prof TG Sitharam, Chairman, AICTE. ISRO chief Somanath and top officials presided over the function. Springer India is the publisher of the book.</p>


The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) of the Indian space agency ISRO, has developed an analysis software that is used to perform Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of various types of structures including rockets, aircraft, satellites, buildings, etc.

The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) of the Indian space agency ISRO, has developed an analysis software that is used to perform Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of various types of structures including rockets, aircraft, satellites, buildings, etc. FEA is a computerised method for predicting how a component or a structure reacts to real-world forces- like various types of structural loads, thermal conditions and other physical effects that a structure experiences while in operation. During the design and development phase of a product, FEA is carried out to evaluate how well and safely the structure/component can withstand the various loads, and perform its intended function without any failure. Thread #Indian #engineering #academia #industry #India #space #isro #tech #science #video : A Finite Element Analysis of Structures Software(FEAST) developed by ISRO-VSSC is available for free download.. Advanced version offered at nominal cost, compared to foreign options 👇: pic.twitter.com/BPx2Hy9iXe — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) December 26, 2023 × So far, users have mostly depended on expensive software versions from foreign firms for this function. With their latest offering—an FEA software known as FEAST (Finite Element Analysis of Structures)— Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) hopes to take this indigenous and customisable FEA software to the Indian user base. "The FEAST software tool is the result of decades-long efforts by generations of scientists and engineers at ISRO's lead centre VSCC, Thiruvananthapuram. We started building this tool for our own internal use and developed considerable expertise in this field. That's when we decided to ensure that our software be shared with the larger FEA user base within India" Dr S Unnikrishnan Nair, Director, VSSC, ISRO, told WION. He said that FEAST has been made available for Indian academia at a fraction of the price of similar foreign offerings. A free trial of the FEAST software is also available at the ISRO/VSSC website: https://feast.vssc.gov.in/Software.php Operable in both Windows and Linux operating systems, the software is capable of running on systems with minimal hardware configurations. FEAST is available in three versions, based on the sophisticating levels and requirements of a broad category of users — academic (for students and educational institutions), premium (for small and medium scale industries) and professional (for general large scale applications). So far, FEAST has been used by the structural design community in all major ISRO centres across India. In order to popularise this software among the potential Indian user base, the ISRO has also taken efforts to publish a book targeting the under-graduate and post-graduate students, offering more insights into the fundamentals of FEA method and how FEAST can be used for solving real-world problems. Book for #indian #Engineering students, explaining the Finite Element Analysis(FEA) method& the features of ISRO-developed FEA Structures Software(FEAST) 👇🚀 Domain experts from ISRO have ensured that the book is easy-to-understand &insightful Editors- Chairman & VSSC Director https://t.co/Pykmnu8QQk pic.twitter.com/V84U7zAV1O — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) December 26, 2023 × The book titled 'Introduction to Finite Element Analysis', has been written by practicing structural analysis experts of VSSC and Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) and edited by Dr S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO, Secretary, Department of Space and Dr Unnikrishnan Nair. Elaborating on the contents of the book, Nair said that it covers the basic concepts and applications of FEA in an easy-to-understand manner. It is specifically aimed at introducing this advanced topic to undergraduate level engineering students and practicing engineers in a lucid style with thrust on how FEAST software developed by VSSC can be understood through worked-out problems and tutorials. Also read | Paytm lays off more than 1,000 employees across various departments: "The first part of the book deals with the basics and introductions to the concepts of finite element method. The latter part encapsulates various features of the software, the use cases, how to model problems using FEAST, how to give various inputs and how the results of analysis can be viewed and interpreted " Nair said. Also read | India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar arrives in Russia on five-day visit He also mentioned that the software has been periodically updated and enhanced, as per user feedback. In recent times, every year national level user's conference of the FEAST community is held to seek feedback to deliver a better offering, with every iteration of the product. Recently, the book on FEAST was released at a function held in ISRO headquarters, Bengaluru. The book was released by Prof TG Sitharam, Chairman, AICTE. ISRO chief Somanath and top officials presided over the function. Springer India is the publisher of the book.

ISRO-made structural analysis software 'FEAST' available for Indian academia, industries

<p>Rescue and relief operations are underway for the fourth day in Thoothukudi district, in India's southern Tamil Nadu state&nbsp;in the aftermath of flooding that affected the region. Over the last weekend and Monday(18th Dec), unprecedented amount&nbsp;of rainfall in the district, causing massive flooding. Arterial roads have also been washed away in the the floods.</p>

<p>Rainfall data indicates that few localities received their entire quantum of annual rainfall in a day or two, causing widespread damage.</p>

<p>Rescue and relief operations are underway in large parts of South Tamil Nadu districts, even as floodwaters have receded in some areas. Thus far, the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force(tri-services), NDRF and Coast Guard have been involved in the rescue and relief operations, based on the request from the Tamil Nadu Government.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Two Advanced Light Helicopters Mark 3 variants from the Indian Coast Guard continued to operate from the Madurai airport and ferried essential supplies provided by the State Administration. The supplies were dropped in areas that had been cut-off owing to inundation. In addition to the ship ICGS Sujay and the fleet of helicopters, the Coast Guard has also deployed 250 personnel for the relief efforts.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Thursday, the Indian Navy helicopters flew seven sorties and air-dropped 3.2 tonnes of relief material in the inaccessible, flood-hit areas in Srivaikuntam, Thoothukudi district. Naval personnel also evacuated an elderly person who faced a medical emergency and a pregnant woman.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Multiple teams from the National Disaster Response Force remain in action in the flooded areas. With dozens of localities still inundated and several roads severely damaged and unmotorable, the multi-pronged rescue efforts by the Central Forces are expected to continue on Friday as well.&nbsp;</p>


Rescue and relief operations are underway for the fourth day in Thoothukudi district, in India's southern Tamil Nadu state in the aftermath of flooding that affected the region.

Rescue and relief operations are underway for the fourth day in Thoothukudi district, in India's southern Tamil Nadu state in the aftermath of flooding that affected the region. Over the last weekend and Monday(18th Dec), unprecedented amount of rainfall in the district, causing massive flooding. Arterial roads have also been washed away in the the floods. Rainfall data indicates that few localities received their entire quantum of annual rainfall in a day or two, causing widespread damage. Rescue and relief operations are underway in large parts of South Tamil Nadu districts, even as floodwaters have receded in some areas. Thus far, the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force(tri-services), NDRF and Coast Guard have been involved in the rescue and relief operations, based on the request from the Tamil Nadu Government. Two Advanced Light Helicopters Mark 3 variants from the Indian Coast Guard continued to operate from the Madurai airport and ferried essential supplies provided by the State Administration. The supplies were dropped in areas that had been cut-off owing to inundation. In addition to the ship ICGS Sujay and the fleet of helicopters, the Coast Guard has also deployed 250 personnel for the relief efforts. On Thursday, the Indian Navy helicopters flew seven sorties and air-dropped 3.2 tonnes of relief material in the inaccessible, flood-hit areas in Srivaikuntam, Thoothukudi district. Naval personnel also evacuated an elderly person who faced a medical emergency and a pregnant woman. Multiple teams from the National Disaster Response Force remain in action in the flooded areas. With dozens of localities still inundated and several roads severely damaged and unmotorable, the multi-pronged rescue efforts by the Central Forces are expected to continue on Friday as well.

Tamil Nadu Floods: Relief and rescue operations underway in south Indian state

<p>The Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) facility in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad reached a major milestone by successfully delivering the 250th made-in-India fuselage for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The company is the lone supplier of fuselages (central and main portion of an aircraft) for the widely-used attack helicopter.&nbsp;The fuselages made at the Indian facility undergo final assembly at Boeing's facility in Mesa, Arizona.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The US Army and Indian Air Force are among the users of the particular helicopter with the latter having placed orders for six of them already.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The defence-aerospace firm said that this latest milestone reflects TBAL's continuous dedication to bolstering India's defence capabilities and advancing the nation's indigenous manufacturing prowess.</p>

<p>At its 14,000 sqm facility, the joint venture firm between Boeing and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), employs over 900 engineers and technicians, leveraging cutting-edge robotics, automation, and advanced aerospace concepts in its manufacturing processes.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/fuselage-of-apache-attack-helicopter-for-indian-army-rolled-out-from-indias-tata-boeing-facility-554459"><strong>Also read | Fuselage of Apache attack helicopter for Indian Army rolls out from Tata-Boeing facility</strong></a><br />
<br />
According to the firm, over 90 per cent of the parts used in the Apache aerostructure assemblies are manufactured in India through more than 100 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) suppliers.</p>

<p>Globally, more than 1,280 Apache helicopters are in operation and they have accumulated a total of more than five million flight hours, of which 1.3 million hours have been during combat.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With the contemporary AH-64E Apache variant in production till at least 2028, Boeing foresees that the aircraft will remain in service as a primary attack helicopter for various nations, into the 2060s.</p>

<p>Boeing delivered the first US Army Apache AH-64A variant in 1984 and thereafter went on to deliver more than 2700 of these choppers for various global customers including Egypt, Greece, India, Indonesia, Japan, Israel, Korea, Kuwait, UAE, UK, Qatar and Saudi Arabia among others.&nbsp;</p>


The Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) facility in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad reached a major milestone by successfully delivering the 250th made-in-India fuselage for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter.

The Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) facility in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad reached a major milestone by successfully delivering the 250th made-in-India fuselage for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter. The company is the lone supplier of fuselages (central and main portion of an aircraft) for the widely-used attack helicopter. The fuselages made at the Indian facility undergo final assembly at Boeing's facility in Mesa, Arizona. The US Army and Indian Air Force are among the users of the particular helicopter with the latter having placed orders for six of them already. The defence-aerospace firm said that this latest milestone reflects TBAL's continuous dedication to bolstering India's defence capabilities and advancing the nation's indigenous manufacturing prowess. At its 14,000 sqm facility, the joint venture firm between Boeing and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), employs over 900 engineers and technicians, leveraging cutting-edge robotics, automation, and advanced aerospace concepts in its manufacturing processes. Also read | Fuselage of Apache attack helicopter for Indian Army rolls out from Tata-Boeing facility According to the firm, over 90 per cent of the parts used in the Apache aerostructure assemblies are manufactured in India through more than 100 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) suppliers. Globally, more than 1,280 Apache helicopters are in operation and they have accumulated a total of more than five million flight hours, of which 1.3 million hours have been during combat. With the contemporary AH-64E Apache variant in production till at least 2028, Boeing foresees that the aircraft will remain in service as a primary attack helicopter for various nations, into the 2060s. Boeing delivered the first US Army Apache AH-64A variant in 1984 and thereafter went on to deliver more than 2700 of these choppers for various global customers including Egypt, Greece, India, Indonesia, Japan, Israel, Korea, Kuwait, UAE, UK, Qatar and Saudi Arabia among others.

Tata-Boeing India facility hits new milestone; delivers 250th made-in-India Apache attack helicopter fuselage

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<p>For the third day this week, the rescue and relief efforts continued in the flood-hit southern districts (Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi) of Tamil Nadu, in the aftermath of unprecedented rains and the resultant deluge.</p>

<p>The Indian tri-services (Army, Navy, Air Force), Indian Coast Guard and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are working across the flooded regions and carrying out rescue and relief operations by air, boat, on foot, and via heavy vehicles. The efforts by the central forces are based on the request of the Tamil Nadu Government.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndianAirForce?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndianAirForce</a> Mi-17V5<br />
(Russian-origin chopper) is literally an airborne truck...there's three ppl standing at the rear opening and dropping bags after bags of supplies and there's more in store..<br />
<br />
Approx 4tons of cargo can be airlifted using this formidable platform... <a href="https://t.co/Z975dcgr0E">pic.twitter.com/Z975dcgr0E</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1737477945663377764?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Today alone, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndianAirForce?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndianAirForce</a> choppers 1x Mi-17V5(in pic) &amp;4xALH flew 25hrs, dropped 24tons of relief material in the flooded areas amid <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SouthTNRains?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SouthTNRains</a><br />
<br />
Till date, 48hrs flying time, 35tons supplies dropped..Garud commandos secured ppl during winching up, technicians kept choppers… <a href="https://t.co/jpFtTw3IGQ">pic.twitter.com/jpFtTw3IGQ</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1737473821089677476?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>On Wednesday (Dec 20) alone, the Indian Air Force choppers (1xMi-17V5 and 4xALH) flew a combined 25 hours and dropped nearly 24 tonnes of relief material at flooded locations. To date, the IAF assets have flown more than 48 hours and delivered nearly 35 tonnes of relief material.</p>

<p>Notably, the Indian Air Force's Garud Commandos were also part of the operation and ensured that the evacuees being air-lifted were winched up safely and securely. Such long hours of operational flying are a demonstration of the Air Force's capabilities and the prowess of their technical teams who keep the assets fully ready for all requirements.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Split into multiple teams, the Indian Army personnel from the Madras Regimental Centre and Maratha Light Infantry covered multiple localities in and around Thoothukudi district and provided succour to more than 1000 persons, by rescuing them, offering medical care and distributing food packets. Army personnel established crossing lines to help pedestrians in crossing the roads, in areas where roads are damaged/cutoff.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Three aircraft (1x Dornier aircraft and 2xALH helicopters) and eight disaster relief teams of the Indian Coast Guard have been operating in Thoothukudi district. The helicopters have air-dropped more than one tonne of essential supplies, while the disaster relief teams have been reaching out to stranded people via Gemini boats. The teams are supplying food and water to those living in flooded areas. Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel ICGS Sujat has stayed on patrol off Thoothukudi and its on-board helicopter has been carrying out supply drops.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Even the mighty and formidable <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Toyota?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Toyota</a> can fail/get stuck...When it does, trust the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndianArmy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndianArmy</a> to recover not just the vehicle, but also rescue the 3 passengers on-board... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TamilNaduRains?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TamilNaduRains</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TamilNaduRain?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TamilNaduRain</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tamilnadu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tamilnadu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Thoothukudi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Thoothukudi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThoothukudiFloods?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThoothukudiFloods</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThoothukudiRains?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThoothukudiRains</a> <a href="https://t.co/xgbPLxxjiq">pic.twitter.com/xgbPLxxjiq</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1737462062295761038?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>On Wednesday, the Navy helicopters distributed 2.5 tonnes of relief material to more than 1000 and rescued 50 people while moving them to safer locations. The Navy's Dornier plane transported 1.2 tonnes of relief material from Madurai to Thoothukudi airport.</p>

<p>Notably, the Indian Navy was the first among the defence forces to operate aircraft from the Thoothukudi airport, thereby facilitating expedited movement of relief material to the affected. The Navy's ALH helicopter also airlifted a pregnant woman and an infant, who were stranded in the floods.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Pregnant lady and her child being winched up into the cabin of an <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndianNavy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndianNavy</a> Advanced Light Helicopter...<br />
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Navy air assets were the first to operate from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thoothukudi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#thoothukudi</a> airport, amid the floods<br />
<br />
So far, navy dropped 2.5tons of supplies for 1000+ ppl and rescued dozens.. <a href="https://t.co/DZqhy0c1ph">pic.twitter.com/DZqhy0c1ph</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1737501650531897736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>The NDRF carried out a challenging rescue operation at the Srivaikuntam Railway station, rescuing more than 600 passengers who were stuck in a train that was halted owing to waterlogging on the tracks. Carrying their rescue gear and wading through the waters, the NDRF managed to rescue the passengers, which included senior citizens, pregnant women, and infants, among others. NDRF teams also responded to emergency requests and evacuated, and hospitalised a woman with breathing difficulties.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">NDRF undertakes challenging rescue op, evacuates 650+ stuck at Srivaikundam Railway station, Thoothukudi district. The station had been completely cut off owing to flooding. <a href="https://twitter.com/04NDRF?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@04NDRF</a> personnel carried the equipment and walked 3kms to reach the rescue location, thereby ensuring… <a href="https://t.co/ZiyVyztIPd">pic.twitter.com/ZiyVyztIPd</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1737390930498613310?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Flooded condition of the areas around Srivaikuntam, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/thoothukudi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#thoothukudi</a> district <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TamilNaduRains?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TamilNaduRains</a><br />
<br />
At the Railway Stn here, a train with 650+ passengers was stuck...<a href="https://twitter.com/NDRFHQ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NDRFHQ</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/04NDRF?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@04NDRF</a> teams carried all their gear, got past all of this and successfully executed a massive rescue op… <a href="https://t.co/6xwDEUOQfc">pic.twitter.com/6xwDEUOQfc</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1737406176877514851?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>Aerial visuals show that various localities remain inundated, with major connecting roads washed away, leaving several areas cut off. The rescue and relief operations by the tri-services, Coast Guard, NRDF and Tamil Nadu Government authorities are to continue on Thursday as well.&nbsp;</p>


For the third day this week, the rescue and relief efforts continued in the flood-hit southern districts (Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi) of Tamil Nadu, in the aftermath of unprecedented rains and the resultant deluge.

For the third day this week, the rescue and relief efforts continued in the flood-hit southern districts (Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi) of Tamil Nadu, in the aftermath of unprecedented rains and the resultant deluge. The Indian tri-services (Army, Navy, Air Force), Indian Coast Guard and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) are working across the flooded regions and carrying out rescue and relief operations by air, boat, on foot, and via heavy vehicles. The efforts by the central forces are based on the request of the Tamil Nadu Government. The #IndianAirForce Mi-17V5 (Russian-origin chopper) is literally an airborne truck...there's three ppl standing at the rear opening and dropping bags after bags of supplies and there's more in store.. Approx 4tons of cargo can be airlifted using this formidable platform... pic.twitter.com/Z975dcgr0E — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) December 20, 2023 × Today alone, #IndianAirForce choppers 1x Mi-17V5(in pic) &4xALH flew 25hrs, dropped 24tons of relief material in the flooded areas amid #SouthTNRains Till date, 48hrs flying time, 35tons supplies dropped..Garud commandos secured ppl during winching up, technicians kept choppers… pic.twitter.com/jpFtTw3IGQ — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) December 20, 2023 × On Wednesday (Dec 20) alone, the Indian Air Force choppers (1xMi-17V5 and 4xALH) flew a combined 25 hours and dropped nearly 24 tonnes of relief material at flooded locations. To date, the IAF assets have flown more than 48 hours and delivered nearly 35 tonnes of relief material. Notably, the Indian Air Force's Garud Commandos were also part of the operation and ensured that the evacuees being air-lifted were winched up safely and securely. Such long hours of operational flying are a demonstration of the Air Force's capabilities and the prowess of their technical teams who keep the assets fully ready for all requirements. Split into multiple teams, the Indian Army personnel from the Madras Regimental Centre and Maratha Light Infantry covered multiple localities in and around Thoothukudi district and provided succour to more than 1000 persons, by rescuing them, offering medical care and distributing food packets. Army personnel established crossing lines to help pedestrians in crossing the roads, in areas where roads are damaged/cutoff. Three aircraft (1x Dornier aircraft and 2xALH helicopters) and eight disaster relief teams of the Indian Coast Guard have been operating in Thoothukudi district. The helicopters have air-dropped more than one tonne of essential supplies, while the disaster relief teams have been reaching out to stranded people via Gemini boats. The teams are supplying food and water to those living in flooded areas. Indian Coast Guard Offshore Patrol Vessel ICGS Sujat has stayed on patrol off Thoothukudi and its on-board helicopter has been carrying out supply drops. Even the mighty and formidable #Toyota can fail/get stuck...When it does, trust the #IndianArmy to recover not just the vehicle, but also rescue the 3 passengers on-board... #TamilNaduRains #TamilNaduRain #Tamilnadu #Thoothukudi #ThoothukudiFloods #ThoothukudiRains pic.twitter.com/xgbPLxxjiq — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) December 20, 2023 × On Wednesday, the Navy helicopters distributed 2.5 tonnes of relief material to more than 1000 and rescued 50 people while moving them to safer locations. The Navy's Dornier plane transported 1.2 tonnes of relief material from Madurai to Thoothukudi airport. Notably, the Indian Navy was the first among the defence forces to operate aircraft from the Thoothukudi airport, thereby facilitating expedited movement of relief material to the affected. The Navy's ALH helicopter also airlifted a pregnant woman and an infant, who were stranded in the floods. Pregnant lady and her child being winched up into the cabin of an #IndianNavy Advanced Light Helicopter... Navy air assets were the first to operate from #thoothukudi airport, amid the floods So far, navy dropped 2.5tons of supplies for 1000+ ppl and rescued dozens.. pic.twitter.com/DZqhy0c1ph — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) December 20, 2023 × The NDRF carried out a challenging rescue operation at the Srivaikuntam Railway station, rescuing more than 600 passengers who were stuck in a train that was halted owing to waterlogging on the tracks. Carrying their rescue gear and wading through the waters, the NDRF managed to rescue the passengers, which included senior citizens, pregnant women, and infants, among others. NDRF teams also responded to emergency requests and evacuated, and hospitalised a woman with breathing difficulties. NDRF undertakes challenging rescue op, evacuates 650+ stuck at Srivaikundam Railway station, Thoothukudi district. The station had been completely cut off owing to flooding. @04NDRF personnel carried the equipment and walked 3kms to reach the rescue location, thereby ensuring… pic.twitter.com/ZiyVyztIPd — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) December 20, 2023 × Flooded condition of the areas around Srivaikuntam, #thoothukudi district #TamilNaduRains At the Railway Stn here, a train with 650+ passengers was stuck...@NDRFHQ @04NDRF teams carried all their gear, got past all of this and successfully executed a massive rescue op… pic.twitter.com/6xwDEUOQfc — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) December 20, 2023 × Aerial visuals show that various localities remain inundated, with major connecting roads washed away, leaving several areas cut off. The rescue and relief operations by the tri-services, Coast Guard, NRDF and Tamil Nadu Government authorities are to continue on Thursday as well.

South Tamil Nadu floods: Multi-pronged rescue and relief efforts by Armed Forces continue for third day

<p>With extremely heavy rainfall having pounded the southernmost region of Tamil Nadu, southern India, a flood-like situation prevails particularly in the Tirunelveli(Nellai) and Thoothukudi(Tuticorin) districts. The Indian Navy, Air Force, Coast Gurd and National Disaster Response Force have been pressed into action for carrying out the rescue and relief operations. The aforementioned Forces are providing aid to civil authority(as per the request of Tamil Nadu Government), by carrying out Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief(HADR) operations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The extreme weather in the region is owing to a cyclonic circulation in the southeast Bay of Bengal, in the areas of Sri Lanka and the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. On Sunday and Monday, these regions were at the receiving end of unprecedented amounts of rainfall, leading to a flood-like situation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to private weather blogger Tamil Nadu Weatherman, Kayalpattinam in Thoothukudi has recorded 932mm rainfall in 24hours. It is mentioned that the district received entire annual rainfall in a single day. "This is the highest ever rainfall recorded in plains ever in Tamil Nadu in 24hours and the second highest rainfall after the Kakkachi(Manjolai) 965mm recorded in 1992," said the X post of Tamil Nadu Weatherman.  </p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Daring airlift ops by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndianNavy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndianNavy</a> ALH Mk3 helicopter, amid floods in South <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TamilNadu?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TamilNadu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TamilNaduRains?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TamilNaduRains</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Nellai?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Nellai</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NellaiRains?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NellaiRains</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NellaiFloods?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NellaiFloods</a><br />
<br />
3 pregnant women are among the 42 rescued by <a href="https://twitter.com/indiannavy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@indiannavy</a><br />
<br />
Ground and air teams are supporting <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TNGovt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TNGovt</a> flood relief &amp; rescue efforts.. <a href="https://t.co/UngwGf1XtR">pic.twitter.com/UngwGf1XtR</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1736751540554309953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-advisory-issued-to-states-amid-recent-upsurge-in-covid-19-cases-and-new-variant-concern-671029">Also read |&nbsp;India: Advisory issued to States amid recent upsurge in COVID-19 cases and new variant concern</a></p>

<p>Indian Coast Guard alone has deployed six Disaster Relief teams in Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli, in addition to an Offshore Patrol Vessel with an on-board helicopter that are monitoring the situation at sea and shore locations. As the airport in the district has been closed, the ICG is positioning its Dornier Aircraft and an ALH Mk3 helicopter at the nearest airport in Madurai, in order to support rescue and relief efforts and transportation of NDRF personnel from Chennai. The ICG has also sent a rescue diver team with paddle boats, kayaks with an additional Disaster relief team to Thoothukudi.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The National Disaster Response Force(NDRF) has deployed 10 teams (of 25 members each) across the two affected districts. The teams have been moved from the NDRF 04 Battalion at Arakkonam, near Chennai. The Indian Air Force Southern Air Command has tasked the MI-17V5 helicopters from the Sulur Air Force Station in Western Tamil Nadu, to carry out the relief operations.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;India: 78 MPs suspended from Indian parliament for unruly behaviour</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-78-mps-suspended-from-indian-parliament-for-unruly-behaviour-671024/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Indian Navy has deployed both ground and aerial rescue teams to aid the flood relief operations by the local administration. The Navy has rescued 42 personnel and it included three pregnant women. The Indian Army has rescued more than 130 persons, including pregnant women and infants. The rescue efforts by the Forces and the civil administration are expected to continue on Tuesday as well.&nbsp;</p>


With extremely heavy rainfall having pounded the southernmost region of Tamil Nadu, southern India, a flood-like situation prevails particularly in the Tirunelveli(Nellai) and Thoothukudi(Tuticorin) districts.

With extremely heavy rainfall having pounded the southernmost region of Tamil Nadu, southern India, a flood-like situation prevails particularly in the Tirunelveli(Nellai) and Thoothukudi(Tuticorin) districts. The Indian Navy, Air Force, Coast Gurd and National Disaster Response Force have been pressed into action for carrying out the rescue and relief operations. The aforementioned Forces are providing aid to civil authority(as per the request of Tamil Nadu Government), by carrying out Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief(HADR) operations. The extreme weather in the region is owing to a cyclonic circulation in the southeast Bay of Bengal, in the areas of Sri Lanka and the southern districts of Tamil Nadu. On Sunday and Monday, these regions were at the receiving end of unprecedented amounts of rainfall, leading to a flood-like situation. According to private weather blogger Tamil Nadu Weatherman, Kayalpattinam in Thoothukudi has recorded 932mm rainfall in 24hours. It is mentioned that the district received entire annual rainfall in a single day. "This is the highest ever rainfall recorded in plains ever in Tamil Nadu in 24hours and the second highest rainfall after the Kakkachi(Manjolai) 965mm recorded in 1992," said the X post of Tamil Nadu Weatherman.   Daring airlift ops by #IndianNavy ALH Mk3 helicopter, amid floods in South #TamilNadu #TamilNaduRains #Nellai #NellaiRains #NellaiFloods 3 pregnant women are among the 42 rescued by @indiannavy Ground and air teams are supporting #TNGovt flood relief & rescue efforts.. pic.twitter.com/UngwGf1XtR — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) December 18, 2023 × Also read | India: Advisory issued to States amid recent upsurge in COVID-19 cases and new variant concern Indian Coast Guard alone has deployed six Disaster Relief teams in Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli, in addition to an Offshore Patrol Vessel with an on-board helicopter that are monitoring the situation at sea and shore locations. As the airport in the district has been closed, the ICG is positioning its Dornier Aircraft and an ALH Mk3 helicopter at the nearest airport in Madurai, in order to support rescue and relief efforts and transportation of NDRF personnel from Chennai. The ICG has also sent a rescue diver team with paddle boats, kayaks with an additional Disaster relief team to Thoothukudi. The National Disaster Response Force(NDRF) has deployed 10 teams (of 25 members each) across the two affected districts. The teams have been moved from the NDRF 04 Battalion at Arakkonam, near Chennai. The Indian Air Force Southern Air Command has tasked the MI-17V5 helicopters from the Sulur Air Force Station in Western Tamil Nadu, to carry out the relief operations. Also watch | India: 78 MPs suspended from Indian parliament for unruly behaviour Indian Navy has deployed both ground and aerial rescue teams to aid the flood relief operations by the local administration. The Navy has rescued 42 personnel and it included three pregnant women. The Indian Army has rescued more than 130 persons, including pregnant women and infants. The rescue efforts by the Forces and the civil administration are expected to continue on Tuesday as well.

South Tamil Nadu floods: Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, NDRF pressed into action

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Zee News Rajasthan

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