Chennai, Tamil Nadu
If a friend is going on a long drive in a half-occupied car and you hitchhike with him, it saves you the huge cost and makes better use of the available resource. Similarly, there are small scientific payloads (hitchhikers) from Indian start-ups and others, who are hitchhiking on ISRO's to-be-launched PSLV- C53 mission (the half-occupied vehicle going on a long drive). However, this time around ISRO is not just performing the role of orbiting the hitchhiking payloads, but will also provide a stabilized orbiting platform for them. This new experiment by ISRO is known as 'POEM' or PSLV Orbital Experimental Module. WION explains how 'POEM' works and what it is meant to do.
Simply put, 'POEM' is like a friend who not only provides you with a drop at the destination but also gives you the car, for your use. 'POEM' is a technological upgrade over what ISRO had initially attempted in 2019, during the launch of PSLV-C44 mission.
In the 2019 mission, ISRO used the PS4 or final stage of the rocket as an orbital platform to conduct science experiments in space. Basically, the PSLV is a four-stage rocket and during different stages of flight, the first three stages detach and fall back into the ocean, after completing their task. However, the final stage of the rocket ends up as space debris after placing the satellite in orbit. It is on this PS4 (final stage) that the student-built Kalamsat-V2 payload was placed, so that the latter could piggyback on the former(akin to a friend who not only provides you a drop at the destination, but also gives you the car, for your use)
In the latest PSLV-C53 mission, the final stage will be used as a stabilized orbital platform. A stabilized orbital platform is a significant upgrade over an orbital platform, as stabilization helps keep the payload in a correct position with respect to the Earth, sun etc. This could offer several scientific advantages for the payloads that are being carried.
According to ISRO, the stabilization is achieved using a dedicated Navigation Guidance and Control system, whereas 'POEM' derives the power from the solar panels mounted around the PS4 tank and a Li-Ion battery. It navigates using four sun sensors, a magnetometer, gyros & NavIC. It carries dedicated control thrusters using Helium gas storage. It is enabled with a telecommand feature, the Indian space agency added. POEM carries six payloads including two from Indian Space Start-ups M/s Digantara and M/s Dhruva Space, enabled through IN-SPACe and NSIL.
On Wednesday evening, ISRO tweeted that they had commenced the countdown for the launch that is to take place at 6:02pm on Thursday, 30th June. The Indian PSLV rocket will carry three satellites - the 365 kg DS-EO and 155 kg NeuSAR, satellites belonging to Singapore and built by Starec Initiative of South Korea. The third satellite Scoob-1 of Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, weighs 2.8kgs. It is important to note that the PSLV rocket has a minimum payload capacity of 1,000kg and that the entire payload mass of Thursday's mission is barely half as much, thus making it a half-occupied vehicle.
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