<p>India’s ambitious plan to have its own space station by 2035 and send an Indian astronaut to the Moon by 2040 is on track, said the project director of Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 mission, P Veeramuthuvel, on Saturday (Feb 10).&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>What we know so far</strong></h2>

<p>The Indian space agency is working to set up the country’s first space station, Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) which, according to the Indian minister of science and technology, will be assembled in a phased manner. ISRO aims to finish the project by 2035.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;ISRO to take on multiple missions: Chandrayaan-4 and Bhartiya Antriksh Station are target missions</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/isro-to-take-on-multiple-missions-chandrayaan-4-and-bhartiya-antriksh-station-are-target-missions-669931/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ISRO chairman (S Somanath) have already said that by 2040 we should have an Indian astronaut on the moon and also to have our space station by 2035,” Veeramuthuvel told news agency PTI.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He added, “These are very ambitious plans that ISRO has taken up and we are working towards that.”</p>

<p>Last week, Indian Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh, in his written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament, said that the proposed configuration of BAS which is being developed by ISRO is in the conceptualisation phase.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In this phase, the space agency is studying the overall architecture, number and type of modules, docking ports, etc., said the Indian minister, in a statement on Wednesday (Feb 7).&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/budget-2024-indias-department-of-space-proposed-to-receive-approx-163-billion-685992">Budget 2024: India’s Department of Space proposed to receive approx $1.63 billion</a></strong></p>

<p>ISRO is also working on a ‘prospective roadmap’ for the realisation of different modules and their launches, said Dr Singh.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>About the funds allocated</strong></h2>

<p>The Indian minister also addressed the funding for the upcoming space station saying that the allocation of funds would be sought once the feasibility studies are completed and a proposal is presented before the Indian government for approval. However, he did not mention any specific timeline.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For the year 2024-25, the Indian government has proposed an allocation of around $1.63 billion (Rs 13,042 crore) for the Department of Space (DoS), as revealed in the interim budget, earlier this month.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/vyommitra-isro-to-launch-indias-female-robot-astronaut-into-space-ahead-of-gaganyaan-mission-686960">Vyommitra: ISRO to launch India’s female robot astronaut into space ahead of Gaganyaan mission</a></strong></p>

<p>The DoS is an umbrella body, which covers the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the space sector regulator IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre), and other related institutions.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>ISRO’s lunar missions</strong></h2>

<p>In an update about ISRO’s lunar missions, Dr Singh said that the space agency’s upcoming moon exploration missions are also under conceptualisation.</p>

<p>It added that ISRO has undertaken feasibility studies for further robotic exploration of the Moon through orbiters, landers and rovers, along with lunar sample collection and return, adding that this would eventually be followed by human landing on the Moon.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


India’s ambitious plan to have its own space station by 2035 and send an Indian astronaut to the Moon by 2040 is on track, said the project director of Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 mission, P Veeramuthuvel, on Saturday (Feb 10).

India’s ambitious plan to have its own space station by 2035 and send an Indian astronaut to the Moon by 2040 is on track, said the project director of Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 mission, P Veeramuthuvel, on Saturday (Feb 10). What we know so far The Indian space agency is working to set up the country’s first space station, Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS) which, according to the Indian minister of science and technology, will be assembled in a phased manner. ISRO aims to finish the project by 2035. WATCH | ISRO to take on multiple missions: Chandrayaan-4 and Bhartiya Antriksh Station are target missions “Prime Minister Narendra Modi and ISRO chairman (S Somanath) have already said that by 2040 we should have an Indian astronaut on the moon and also to have our space station by 2035,” Veeramuthuvel told news agency PTI. He added, “These are very ambitious plans that ISRO has taken up and we are working towards that.” Last week, Indian Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh, in his written reply to a question in Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament, said that the proposed configuration of BAS which is being developed by ISRO is in the conceptualisation phase. In this phase, the space agency is studying the overall architecture, number and type of modules, docking ports, etc., said the Indian minister, in a statement on Wednesday (Feb 7). ALSO READ | Budget 2024: India’s Department of Space proposed to receive approx $1.63 billion ISRO is also working on a ‘prospective roadmap’ for the realisation of different modules and their launches, said Dr Singh. About the funds allocated The Indian minister also addressed the funding for the upcoming space station saying that the allocation of funds would be sought once the feasibility studies are completed and a proposal is presented before the Indian government for approval. However, he did not mention any specific timeline. For the year 2024-25, the Indian government has proposed an allocation of around $1.63 billion (Rs 13,042 crore) for the Department of Space (DoS), as revealed in the interim budget, earlier this month. ALSO READ | Vyommitra: ISRO to launch India’s female robot astronaut into space ahead of Gaganyaan mission The DoS is an umbrella body, which covers the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the space sector regulator IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre), and other related institutions. ISRO’s lunar missions In an update about ISRO’s lunar missions, Dr Singh said that the space agency’s upcoming moon exploration missions are also under conceptualisation. It added that ISRO has undertaken feasibility studies for further robotic exploration of the Moon through orbiters, landers and rovers, along with lunar sample collection and return, adding that this would eventually be followed by human landing on the Moon. (With inputs from agencies)

India’s ambitious plan to launch first space station by 2035 ‘on track’, says ISRO official

<p>After having started 2024 with a launch on New Year's Day, the Indian Space Agency- ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is ready with its second launch mission of the year&nbsp;slated for 17:30hrs IST, on 17th February. In its 16th flight, the GSLV rocket (formerly known as GSLV Mk2) will be carrying the INSAT-3DS satellite, which is designed for enhanced meteorological observations and monitoring of land and ocean surfaces for weather forecasting and disaster warning.</p>

<p>Funded by the Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), the satellite will work along with its predecessors INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR to augment Meteorological services.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Around 20 minutes after lift-off, the 420-ton GSLV rocket would place the satellite in a highly elliptical (egg-shaped) orbit around the Earth. From there, it would gradually use its onboard engines to push itself into a perfectly circular orbit that is almost 36,000 km above the earth- an orbit known as a geostationary orbit.</p>

<p>Satellites placed there appear stationary when viewed from a certain point on Earth because they are in sync with the rotation of the planet.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/india-to-witness-30-rocket-launches-in-15-months-details-here-688242">India to witness 30 rocket launches in 15 months. Details here</a></strong></p>

<p>Various departments of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) such as the India Meteorological Department (IMD), National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and various other agencies and institutes will be using the INSAT-3DS Satellite data to provide improved weather forecasts and meteorological services.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-pet-dog-protects-owners-body-from-wild-animals-for-48-hours-amid-heavy-snow-watch-688293">Pet dog protects owner's body from wild animals for 48 hours amid heavy snow. Watch</a></strong></p>

<p>In addition to its weather-related functionality, the satellite also carries a Satellite Aided Search &amp; Rescue transponder (SAS&amp;R). For example, fishermen who have a device that can communicate with this transponder can send distress messages to the satellite and it, in turn, would broadcast the signal to the relevant agencies, who can then mobilise to assist. Given that the satellite is placed high above the earth, it can view approximately 1/3rd the earth's surface and offers its coverage across a large area when compared to satellites in lower orbits.&nbsp;</p>


After having started 2024 with a launch on New Year's Day, the Indian Space Agency- ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is ready with its second launch mission of the year slated for 17:30hrs IST, on 17th February.

After having started 2024 with a launch on New Year's Day, the Indian Space Agency- ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is ready with its second launch mission of the year slated for 17:30hrs IST, on 17th February. In its 16th flight, the GSLV rocket (formerly known as GSLV Mk2) will be carrying the INSAT-3DS satellite, which is designed for enhanced meteorological observations and monitoring of land and ocean surfaces for weather forecasting and disaster warning. Funded by the Indian Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), the satellite will work along with its predecessors INSAT-3D and INSAT-3DR to augment Meteorological services. Around 20 minutes after lift-off, the 420-ton GSLV rocket would place the satellite in a highly elliptical (egg-shaped) orbit around the Earth. From there, it would gradually use its onboard engines to push itself into a perfectly circular orbit that is almost 36,000 km above the earth- an orbit known as a geostationary orbit. Satellites placed there appear stationary when viewed from a certain point on Earth because they are in sync with the rotation of the planet. Also read | India to witness 30 rocket launches in 15 months. Details here Various departments of the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) such as the India Meteorological Department (IMD), National Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and various other agencies and institutes will be using the INSAT-3DS Satellite data to provide improved weather forecasts and meteorological services. Also read | Pet dog protects owner's body from wild animals for 48 hours amid heavy snow. Watch In addition to its weather-related functionality, the satellite also carries a Satellite Aided Search & Rescue transponder (SAS&R). For example, fishermen who have a device that can communicate with this transponder can send distress messages to the satellite and it, in turn, would broadcast the signal to the relevant agencies, who can then mobilise to assist. Given that the satellite is placed high above the earth, it can view approximately 1/3rd the earth's surface and offers its coverage across a large area when compared to satellites in lower orbits.

ISRO's 2nd launch mission of 2024 — GSLV F-14 to ferry weather monitoring satellite INSAT-3DS

<p>India’s female robot astronaut Vyommitra will fly into space ahead of Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) ambitious Gaganyaan mission – the country’s manned space flight carrying Indian astronauts into space – said the Union minister of science and technology, on Sunday (Feb 4).&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>About Vyommitra</strong></h2>

<p>The Indian Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said the uncrewed Vyommitra Mission is scheduled to take place ahead of the manned mission Gaganyaan.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The name Vyommitra is derived from two Sanskrit words ‘Vyoma’ which means Space and ‘Mitra’ (meaning friend), said the Indian minister.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Who is ISRO's Vyommitra? | 'Republic of Bharat': Chorus grows to rename India</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/who-is-isros-vyommitra-republic-of-bharat-chorus-grows-to-rename-india-632644/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>He also spoke about how the female robot astronaut is equipped with the capability to monitor module parameters, issue alerts and execute life support operations. “It can perform tasks such as operating six panels and responding to the queries,” Dr Singh added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He further elaborated that the Vyommitra astronaut “is designed in such a manner so as to simulate human functions in the Space environment and interact with the Life Support System.”</p>

<p>According to the Indian minister, the ‘Vyommitra’ Mission is scheduled for the third quarter of this year, while a manned mission ‘Gaganyaan’ is scheduled to be launched in 2025.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/isro-gaganyaan-tv-d1-launch-kept-on-hold-649468">After initial hiccup, ISRO successfully launches Gaganyaan TV-D1 test vehicle</a></strong></p>

<p>Speaking about the Chandrayaan 3 mission – which made its historic landing on the South Pole of the moon in August last year – Dr Singh said that it is following its normal expected course of action and vital inputs sent by it will be shared soon. However, he did not mention any specific timeline.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>About Gaganyaan mission</strong></h2>

<p>In October last year, ISRO announced that they had successfully launched the Gaganyaan Test Vehicle Development Flight Mission-1 test vehicle (TV-D1 Flight Test), in the run up to the launch of India’s first-ever manned space flight.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This was meant to qualify the crew escape system and parachute system, said India’s Department of Space, in a statement, adding that the “human rating” of the launch vehicle is complete, all the propulsion stages are qualified and all the preparations are in place.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/exclusive-indian-astronauts-to-soon-train-at-nasas-johnson-space-center-676105">Exclusive: Indian astronauts to soon train at NASA's Johnson Space Center</a></strong></p>

<p>TV-D1 is a liquid-propelled single-state test vehicle. The Crew Escape System, which the test vehicle carried with it, is India’s homegrown system which will be crucial for the safety of Indian astronauts.</p>

<p>The crew escape system safeguards the astronauts in case a catastrophic error occurs during their spaceflight endangering the spacecraft they are travelling in.</p>

<p>The Gaganyaan project aims to send three astronauts into a 400-kilometre orbit around the Earth for three days and bring them back safely.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


India’s female robot astronaut Vyommitra will fly into space ahead of Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) ambitious Gaganyaan mission – the country’s manned space flight carrying Indian astronauts into space – said the Union minister of science and technology, on Sunday (Feb 4).

India’s female robot astronaut Vyommitra will fly into space ahead of Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) ambitious Gaganyaan mission – the country’s manned space flight carrying Indian astronauts into space – said the Union minister of science and technology, on Sunday (Feb 4). About Vyommitra The Indian Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh said the uncrewed Vyommitra Mission is scheduled to take place ahead of the manned mission Gaganyaan. The name Vyommitra is derived from two Sanskrit words ‘Vyoma’ which means Space and ‘Mitra’ (meaning friend), said the Indian minister. WATCH | Who is ISRO's Vyommitra? | 'Republic of Bharat': Chorus grows to rename India He also spoke about how the female robot astronaut is equipped with the capability to monitor module parameters, issue alerts and execute life support operations. “It can perform tasks such as operating six panels and responding to the queries,” Dr Singh added. He further elaborated that the Vyommitra astronaut “is designed in such a manner so as to simulate human functions in the Space environment and interact with the Life Support System.” According to the Indian minister, the ‘Vyommitra’ Mission is scheduled for the third quarter of this year, while a manned mission ‘Gaganyaan’ is scheduled to be launched in 2025. ALSO READ | After initial hiccup, ISRO successfully launches Gaganyaan TV-D1 test vehicle Speaking about the Chandrayaan 3 mission – which made its historic landing on the South Pole of the moon in August last year – Dr Singh said that it is following its normal expected course of action and vital inputs sent by it will be shared soon. However, he did not mention any specific timeline. About Gaganyaan mission In October last year, ISRO announced that they had successfully launched the Gaganyaan Test Vehicle Development Flight Mission-1 test vehicle (TV-D1 Flight Test), in the run up to the launch of India’s first-ever manned space flight. This was meant to qualify the crew escape system and parachute system, said India’s Department of Space, in a statement, adding that the “human rating” of the launch vehicle is complete, all the propulsion stages are qualified and all the preparations are in place. ALSO READ | Exclusive: Indian astronauts to soon train at NASA's Johnson Space Center TV-D1 is a liquid-propelled single-state test vehicle. The Crew Escape System, which the test vehicle carried with it, is India’s homegrown system which will be crucial for the safety of Indian astronauts. The crew escape system safeguards the astronauts in case a catastrophic error occurs during their spaceflight endangering the spacecraft they are travelling in. The Gaganyaan project aims to send three astronauts into a 400-kilometre orbit around the Earth for three days and bring them back safely. (With inputs from agencies)

Vyommitra: ISRO to launch India’s female robot astronaut into space ahead of Gaganyaan mission

<p>For the year 2024-25, the Indian government has proposed an allocation of around $1.63 billion (Rs 13,042 crore) for the Department of Space (DoS), as revealed in the interim budget. The DoS is an umbrella body, which covers the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the space sector regulator IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre), other related centres, associated academic and research institutions, etc.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As per the data shared in the Demand for Grants document, this proposed budget allocation of Rs 13,042 crore&nbsp;for 2024-25 is a step up from the revised estimate of $1.33 billion (Rs 11,070 crore) for 2023-24. While this is an increase of 17.8 per cent, it would take considerable time to know how much of this proposed sum&nbsp;would be allocated eventually.</p>

<p>However, when comparing the proposed budget allocation for 2023-24 (Rs 12,543 crore&nbsp;or approx $1.56 billion)and the proposed allocation for 2024-25 (Rs 13,042 crore&nbsp;or approx $1.63 billion), the hike is barely Rs 500 crore&nbsp;or approximately $62 million, which translates to four per cent&nbsp;hike.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">India's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/space?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#space</a> ambitions:<br />
<br />
Astronaut mission by 2026<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indian</a> Space Station by 2035<br />
Crewed moon landing by 2040<br />
<br />
Proposed for Funding 2024-25:<br />
₹13,042cr<br />
Revised Estimate for 2023-24:<br />
₹11,070cr<br />
<br />
Hike is 17.8% <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://twitter.com/hashtag/research?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#research</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isro</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BudgetSession?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BudgetSession</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InterimBudget?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InterimBudget</a> <a href="https://t.co/6nzMSvWiZ2">pic.twitter.com/6nzMSvWiZ2</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1753019350079197342?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>It is noteworthy that the government-run Indian space agency ISRO has been assigned significantly challenging technological tasks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In October 2023, Prime Minister Modi set a roadmap for ISRO's future endeavours and even stated specific deadlines for these projects.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Setting up a ‘Bharatiya Antariksha Station’ (Indian Space Station) by 2035 and sending the first Indian to the Moon by 2040, are among the targets. Therefore, it raises questions about whether such a modest proposed hike in funding would be adequate to meet the challenges that have been put forth.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-interim-budget-key-takeaways-from-nirmala-sitharamans-budget-speech-685817">India Budget 2024: ‘Garib, Mahilayen, Yuva, Annadata,’ key takeaways from Sitharaman’s speech</a></strong></p>

<p>The Department of Space had also been asked to develop a roadmap for Lunar exploration, which would encompass a series of Chandrayaan missions, the development of a Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), construction of a new launch pad, setting up human-centric laboratories and associated technologies. In addition to this, Prime Minister Modi has also called upon Indian scientists to work towards interplanetary missions such as a Venus orbiter and a Mars lander.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Since 2018, ISRO has been working on executing its maiden human spaceflight mission, under a programme known as 'Gaganyaan'. This is an entirely indigenous effort to ferry Indian astronauts (specially trained Indian Air Force test pilots) to space and bring them back safely. ISRO aims to perform an uncrewed Gaganyaan mission in 2024, another uncrewed mission in 2025 and perform the astronaut mission by early 2026.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/india-interim-budget-2024-this-is-what-is-in-store-for-jobs-in-tourism-infra-and-deep-tech-685930">India Interim Budget 2024: This is what is in store for jobs in tourism, infra, and deep tech</a></strong></p>

<p>Along with routine launch activities and satellite building for India’s own needs, ISRO would also have to carry out research and development on new technologies and components that would enable them to achieve their future goals. On a war footing, ISRO has to also work on increasing the payload carrying capacity of its existing rocket LVM3, while developing new rockets, and reusable rockets for future requirements.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Over the years, ISRO has been gradually outsourcing routine activities such as building rockets and satellites to private firms or public-private entities, thereby ensuring that ISRO’s resources can be better utilised for the core research and development activities that are aimed at scaling up and meeting future requirements.</p>


For the year 2024-25, the Indian government has proposed an allocation of around $1.63 billion (Rs 13,042 crore) for the Department of Space (DoS), as revealed in the interim budget.

For the year 2024-25, the Indian government has proposed an allocation of around $1.63 billion (Rs 13,042 crore) for the Department of Space (DoS), as revealed in the interim budget. The DoS is an umbrella body, which covers the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the space sector regulator IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre), other related centres, associated academic and research institutions, etc. As per the data shared in the Demand for Grants document, this proposed budget allocation of Rs 13,042 crore for 2024-25 is a step up from the revised estimate of $1.33 billion (Rs 11,070 crore) for 2023-24. While this is an increase of 17.8 per cent, it would take considerable time to know how much of this proposed sum would be allocated eventually. However, when comparing the proposed budget allocation for 2023-24 (Rs 12,543 crore or approx $1.56 billion)and the proposed allocation for 2024-25 (Rs 13,042 crore or approx $1.63 billion), the hike is barely Rs 500 crore or approximately $62 million, which translates to four per cent hike. India's #space ambitions: Astronaut mission by 2026#Indian Space Station by 2035 Crewed moon landing by 2040 Proposed for Funding 2024-25: ₹13,042cr Revised Estimate for 2023-24: ₹11,070cr Hike is 17.8% #science #tech #research #isro #BudgetSession #InterimBudget pic.twitter.com/6nzMSvWiZ2 — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) February 1, 2024 × It is noteworthy that the government-run Indian space agency ISRO has been assigned significantly challenging technological tasks by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In October 2023, Prime Minister Modi set a roadmap for ISRO's future endeavours and even stated specific deadlines for these projects. Setting up a ‘Bharatiya Antariksha Station’ (Indian Space Station) by 2035 and sending the first Indian to the Moon by 2040, are among the targets. Therefore, it raises questions about whether such a modest proposed hike in funding would be adequate to meet the challenges that have been put forth. ALSO READ | India Budget 2024: ‘Garib, Mahilayen, Yuva, Annadata,’ key takeaways from Sitharaman’s speech The Department of Space had also been asked to develop a roadmap for Lunar exploration, which would encompass a series of Chandrayaan missions, the development of a Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV), construction of a new launch pad, setting up human-centric laboratories and associated technologies. In addition to this, Prime Minister Modi has also called upon Indian scientists to work towards interplanetary missions such as a Venus orbiter and a Mars lander. Since 2018, ISRO has been working on executing its maiden human spaceflight mission, under a programme known as 'Gaganyaan'. This is an entirely indigenous effort to ferry Indian astronauts (specially trained Indian Air Force test pilots) to space and bring them back safely. ISRO aims to perform an uncrewed Gaganyaan mission in 2024, another uncrewed mission in 2025 and perform the astronaut mission by early 2026. ALSO READ | India Interim Budget 2024: This is what is in store for jobs in tourism, infra, and deep tech Along with routine launch activities and satellite building for India’s own needs, ISRO would also have to carry out research and development on new technologies and components that would enable them to achieve their future goals. On a war footing, ISRO has to also work on increasing the payload carrying capacity of its existing rocket LVM3, while developing new rockets, and reusable rockets for future requirements. Over the years, ISRO has been gradually outsourcing routine activities such as building rockets and satellites to private firms or public-private entities, thereby ensuring that ISRO’s resources can be better utilised for the core research and development activities that are aimed at scaling up and meeting future requirements.

Budget 2024: India’s Department of Space proposed to receive approx $1.63 billion

<p>India's space budget for the fiscal year 2024 has become a focal point of attention, with the success of Chandraayan 3 last year, the country continues its ambitious journey to establish itself as a global space power. The funding allocated to the Department of Space, encompassing the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and the notable increase in support for private companies in the space sector has sparked discussions about the nation's commitment to space exploration and innovation.&nbsp;</p>

<p><b>Recap of the 2023 Space Budget&nbsp;</b></p>

<p>In the preceding fiscal year, the Indian government allocated 12,543 crore rupees to the Department of Space. While this amount is slightly higher than the budget two years ago, it marks an 8 per cent decrease from the initially promised 13,700 crore rupees for the year. Notably, the government significantly increased support for N-SPACe, an organisation aiding private companies in the space domain, with a fourfold increase in funding.&nbsp;</p>

<p><b>Significance of the Allocations&nbsp;</b></p>

<p>Despite the reduction in the overall space budget, India remains a significant investor in its space program. The shift in focus towards supporting private companies is indicative of a strategic move to foster innovation and growth within the sector.&nbsp;</p>

<p><b>Challenges of Limited Funds&nbsp;</b></p>

<p>India has historically struggled with constrained space budgets, with its space spending as a percentage of GDP remaining relatively low. In comparison, the US allocates 0.28 per cent of its GDP to space, positioning India at seventh globally with a modest 0.04 per cent. However, ISRO's ability to design cost-effective solutions, such as the SSLV rocket, has given India a competitive edge in the global launch industry.&nbsp;</p>

<p><b>Privatisation and Future Prospects&nbsp;</b></p>

<p>Under Prime Minister Modi's directives, India has been encouraging private investments in the space sector, aiming to increase its share of the global satellite launch market fivefold within the next decade. The recent policy changes have already attracted interest from 20 companies for bids to build small satellite launch rockets. While this diversification may reduce dependence on government funding, it is crucial to balance financial independence with maintaining ISRO's cost advantage.&nbsp;</p>

<p><b>Industry Recommendations for 2024-25 Union Budget&nbsp;</b></p>

<p>The Indian Space Association, representing private space companies, has proposed recommendations for the upcoming Union Budget. Key suggestions include expanding GST exemptions, providing tax holidays, and concessions on customs duties. The association emphasises the need for clarity on FDI policies, production-linked incentives, and subsidies to boost manufacturing, investments, and innovation in the private space industry.&nbsp;</p>

<p><b>Vision for the Future&nbsp;</b></p>

<p>The 10-year vision outlined by IN-SPACe targets a $44 billion space economy by 2033. The association believes that implementing recommended measures will not only spur economic growth but also position India as an attractive investment destination in the global space arena.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As per a press release, Lieutenant General&nbsp;Anil Kumar&nbsp;Bhatt&nbsp;(retired), Director General of the Indian Space Association, urged the government to develop a comprehensive regulatory framework and address fiscal challenges to drive the growth of private space enterprises. &nbsp;</p>

<p>“We welcome the government’s recent reforms and its groundbreaking initiative to allocate satellite spectrum through an administrative approach. These initiatives undoubtedly have the potential to boost the nascent private space industry in India. Now, to propel this promising industry and drive innovation, it is crucial for the government for the development of a comprehensive regulatory framework and address existing fiscal and taxation challenges. We urge the government to consider our recommendations for incentivising the growth of private space enterprises. By leveraging the momentum provided by the Government and its visionary policy, these enterprises can deliver significant socio-economic benefits to the nation,” he said. &nbsp;</p>

<p>As the space industry evolves, India's commitment to balancing financial prudence and technological advancement will play a crucial role in determining its trajectory as a global space leader. The unveiling of the Union Budget 2024-25 will be closely watched by stakeholders in the space sector for signals on the nation's future in space exploration and technology.&nbsp;</p>


India's space budget for the fiscal year 2024 has become a focal point of attention, with the success of Chandraayan 3 last year, the country continues its ambitious journey to establish itself as a global space power.

India's space budget for the fiscal year 2024 has become a focal point of attention, with the success of Chandraayan 3 last year, the country continues its ambitious journey to establish itself as a global space power. The funding allocated to the Department of Space, encompassing the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), and the notable increase in support for private companies in the space sector has sparked discussions about the nation's commitment to space exploration and innovation. Recap of the 2023 Space Budget In the preceding fiscal year, the Indian government allocated 12,543 crore rupees to the Department of Space. While this amount is slightly higher than the budget two years ago, it marks an 8 per cent decrease from the initially promised 13,700 crore rupees for the year. Notably, the government significantly increased support for N-SPACe, an organisation aiding private companies in the space domain, with a fourfold increase in funding. Significance of the Allocations Despite the reduction in the overall space budget, India remains a significant investor in its space program. The shift in focus towards supporting private companies is indicative of a strategic move to foster innovation and growth within the sector. Challenges of Limited Funds India has historically struggled with constrained space budgets, with its space spending as a percentage of GDP remaining relatively low. In comparison, the US allocates 0.28 per cent of its GDP to space, positioning India at seventh globally with a modest 0.04 per cent. However, ISRO's ability to design cost-effective solutions, such as the SSLV rocket, has given India a competitive edge in the global launch industry. Privatisation and Future Prospects Under Prime Minister Modi's directives, India has been encouraging private investments in the space sector, aiming to increase its share of the global satellite launch market fivefold within the next decade. The recent policy changes have already attracted interest from 20 companies for bids to build small satellite launch rockets. While this diversification may reduce dependence on government funding, it is crucial to balance financial independence with maintaining ISRO's cost advantage. Industry Recommendations for 2024-25 Union Budget The Indian Space Association, representing private space companies, has proposed recommendations for the upcoming Union Budget. Key suggestions include expanding GST exemptions, providing tax holidays, and concessions on customs duties. The association emphasises the need for clarity on FDI policies, production-linked incentives, and subsidies to boost manufacturing, investments, and innovation in the private space industry. Vision for the Future The 10-year vision outlined by IN-SPACe targets a $44 billion space economy by 2033. The association believes that implementing recommended measures will not only spur economic growth but also position India as an attractive investment destination in the global space arena. As per a press release, Lieutenant General Anil Kumar Bhatt (retired), Director General of the Indian Space Association, urged the government to develop a comprehensive regulatory framework and address fiscal challenges to drive the growth of private space enterprises. “We welcome the government’s recent reforms and its groundbreaking initiative to allocate satellite spectrum through an administrative approach. These initiatives undoubtedly have the potential to boost the nascent private space industry in India. Now, to propel this promising industry and drive innovation, it is crucial for the government for the development of a comprehensive regulatory framework and address existing fiscal and taxation challenges. We urge the government to consider our recommendations for incentivising the growth of private space enterprises. By leveraging the momentum provided by the Government and its visionary policy, these enterprises can deliver significant socio-economic benefits to the nation,” he said. As the space industry evolves, India's commitment to balancing financial prudence and technological advancement will play a crucial role in determining its trajectory as a global space leader. The unveiling of the Union Budget 2024-25 will be closely watched by stakeholders in the space sector for signals on the nation's future in space exploration and technology.

Tracking India's space budget for 2024 

<p>Ayodhya Ram Mandir consecration: The Indian Space Research Organisation released images of the magnificent Ram temple at Lord Ram's birthplace in Ayodhya, as seen from&nbsp;space. The images were taken using India-made satellites, depicting&nbsp;a unique symbol&nbsp;of India's growing space power and cultural distinctiveness.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The 2.7-acre Ram temple site can be seen in ISRO's satellite view. The Indian Space Research Organisation also used one of the Indian Remote Sensing series of satellites&nbsp;to show the enlarged view of satellites.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The temple was captured on December 16, 2024. Dense fog over the temple town since then has made it difficult to get a clear view.</p>

<h2><strong>What all does ISRO's satellite view show?</strong></h2>

<p>The satellite images show the images of Dashrath Mahal and Sarayu River. The&nbsp;Ayodhya Junction railway station, officially named Ayodhya Dham Junction railway station, can also be seen in the satellite images.</p>

<p><img alt="Ayodhya Ram Mandir ISRO images" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c44b5d26-04c4-4989-b5a9-4045be0d6239" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Untitled%20design%20-%202024-01-22T115342.202.png" /></p>

<p>The railway station, which connects the holy town with metropolises all across India, is&nbsp;located at Dharmakata, 1.5 km southwest of the city centre and 1.2 km (0.75 mi) southeast of Ram Mandir.</p>

<h2><strong>Role of ISRO, India's science institutes&nbsp;in Ram Temple construction</strong></h2>

<p>According to Jitendra Singh, Union Minister for Space, Science and Technology in Prime Minister Modi's administration, the Ram Temple construction has been assisted by at least four of India's leading institutes.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/ram-mandir-30-years-300-columns-3d-structural-analysis-architect-narrates-journey-of-temple-designing-682206">Ram Mandir | 30 years, 300 columns, 3D structural analysis: Architect narrates journey of temple designing</a></strong></p>

<p>They include CSIR (Council of Scientific &amp; Industrial Research) and the Department of Science &amp; Technology in addition to ISRO and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) across the country. Space technologies from ISRO have been used in the construction of the grandiose structure, Singh said.</p>

<p>Several members of the expert advisory committee for temple construction are from the IITs.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Ayodhya Ram Mandir Inauguration: Temple town of Ayodhya gets a massive facelift for the ceremony</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/ayodhya-ram-mandir-inauguration-temple-town-of-ayodhya-gets-a-massive-facelift-for-the-ceremony-682294/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>The four institutes that made significant contributions are CSIR-Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) Roorkee; CSIR- National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) Hyderabad; Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, and CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur (Himachal Pradesh).</p>

<p>"CSIR-CBRI Roorkee has been involved in the construction of Ram Mandir since the early stages. The institute has contributed towards the structural design of the main temple, designing Surya Tilak mechanism, design vetting of temple foundation, and structural health monitoring of main temple,"&nbsp;Singh was quoted as saying by The Times of India.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Ayodhya Ram Mandir consecration: The Indian Space Research Organisation released images of the magnificent Ram temple at Lord Ram's birthplace in Ayodhya, as seen from space.

Ayodhya Ram Mandir consecration: The Indian Space Research Organisation released images of the magnificent Ram temple at Lord Ram's birthplace in Ayodhya, as seen from space. The images were taken using India-made satellites, depicting a unique symbol of India's growing space power and cultural distinctiveness. The 2.7-acre Ram temple site can be seen in ISRO's satellite view. The Indian Space Research Organisation also used one of the Indian Remote Sensing series of satellites to show the enlarged view of satellites. The temple was captured on December 16, 2024. Dense fog over the temple town since then has made it difficult to get a clear view. What all does ISRO's satellite view show? The satellite images show the images of Dashrath Mahal and Sarayu River. The Ayodhya Junction railway station, officially named Ayodhya Dham Junction railway station, can also be seen in the satellite images. The railway station, which connects the holy town with metropolises all across India, is located at Dharmakata, 1.5 km southwest of the city centre and 1.2 km (0.75 mi) southeast of Ram Mandir. Role of ISRO, India's science institutes in Ram Temple construction According to Jitendra Singh, Union Minister for Space, Science and Technology in Prime Minister Modi's administration, the Ram Temple construction has been assisted by at least four of India's leading institutes. Also read | Ram Mandir | 30 years, 300 columns, 3D structural analysis: Architect narrates journey of temple designing They include CSIR (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research) and the Department of Science & Technology in addition to ISRO and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) across the country. Space technologies from ISRO have been used in the construction of the grandiose structure, Singh said. Several members of the expert advisory committee for temple construction are from the IITs. Also watch | Ayodhya Ram Mandir Inauguration: Temple town of Ayodhya gets a massive facelift for the ceremony × The four institutes that made significant contributions are CSIR-Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) Roorkee; CSIR- National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) Hyderabad; Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, and CSIR-Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology (IHBT), Palampur (Himachal Pradesh). "CSIR-CBRI Roorkee has been involved in the construction of Ram Mandir since the early stages. The institute has contributed towards the structural design of the main temple, designing Surya Tilak mechanism, design vetting of temple foundation, and structural health monitoring of main temple," Singh was quoted as saying by The Times of India. (With inputs from agencies)

Ram Mandir in Ayodhya: ISRO's satellite view of Ram temple shows holy town in all its glory

<p>This may sound very romantic had the entire affair not involved cutting edge science jargon. But the development is notable indeed. USA's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have collaborated on many a space-related scientific endeavours and the latest is another one in the long list.</p>

<p>Right now, NASA has an orbiter revolving around the Moon while the ISRO has an orbiter as well as a lander on the surface of the Moon. The 'Vikram' lander had a successful soft landing near Moon's south pole, putting India in the elite club of a handful of countries.</p>

<p>ISRO and NASA both, made announcement about the latest experiment.</p>

<p>"For the first time at the Moon, a laser beam was transmitted and reflected between an orbiting NASA spacecraft and an Oreo-sized device on ISRO’s (Indian Space Research Organisation) Vikram lander on the lunar surface. The successful experiment opens the door to a new style of precisely locating targets on the Moon’s surface," said NASA in its statement.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Japan's 'Moon Sniper' achieves historic lunar landing</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/japans-moon-sniper-achieves-historic-lunar-landing-681756/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>India's rover has a Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA) fitted on it. The LRA is the exact thing NASA is referring to as 'Oreo-sized device' in its statement. The device was made by NASA and was fitted on Vikram lander as part of the international collaboration.</p>

<p>"NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) achieved a laser range measurement using the LRA by successfully detecting signals reflected by it on December 12, 2023. The ranging utilized the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) on the LRO. The observation occurred during lunar night time, with the LRO ascending to the east of Chandrayaan-3," ISRO said.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/japan-moon-sniper-spacecraft-touches-down-on-lunar-surface-681656">Japan's 'Moon Sniper' successfully lands on lunar surface, but solar cells not generating power</a></strong></p>

<p>Several LRAs have been deployed on the Moon since exploration of Earth's only natural satellite began decades ago. But what makes the LRA on board Vikram special is, it is the only one near the Moon's south pole.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/turkeys-first-astronaut-launched-on-flight-to-international-space-station-681841">Turkey's first astronaut launched on flight to International Space Station</a></strong></p>

<p>"NASA’s LRA on Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander will continue to serve as a long-term geodetic station and a location marker on the lunar surface, benefitting current and future lunar missions. These measurements, apart from helping in precise determination of spacecraft’s orbital position, will help refine the lunar geodetic frame, revealing insights into the Moon's dynamics, internal structure, and gravitational anomalies." said ISRO in its statement.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


This may sound very romantic had the entire affair not involved cutting edge science jargon. But the development is notable indeed. USA's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have collaborated on many a space-related scientific endeavours and the latest is another one in the long list.

This may sound very romantic had the entire affair not involved cutting edge science jargon. But the development is notable indeed. USA's National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) have collaborated on many a space-related scientific endeavours and the latest is another one in the long list. Right now, NASA has an orbiter revolving around the Moon while the ISRO has an orbiter as well as a lander on the surface of the Moon. The 'Vikram' lander had a successful soft landing near Moon's south pole, putting India in the elite club of a handful of countries. ISRO and NASA both, made announcement about the latest experiment. "For the first time at the Moon, a laser beam was transmitted and reflected between an orbiting NASA spacecraft and an Oreo-sized device on ISRO’s (Indian Space Research Organisation) Vikram lander on the lunar surface. The successful experiment opens the door to a new style of precisely locating targets on the Moon’s surface," said NASA in its statement. Watch | Japan's 'Moon Sniper' achieves historic lunar landing × India's rover has a Laser Retroreflector Array (LRA) fitted on it. The LRA is the exact thing NASA is referring to as 'Oreo-sized device' in its statement. The device was made by NASA and was fitted on Vikram lander as part of the international collaboration. "NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) achieved a laser range measurement using the LRA by successfully detecting signals reflected by it on December 12, 2023. The ranging utilized the Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) on the LRO. The observation occurred during lunar night time, with the LRO ascending to the east of Chandrayaan-3," ISRO said. Also Read | Japan's 'Moon Sniper' successfully lands on lunar surface, but solar cells not generating power Several LRAs have been deployed on the Moon since exploration of Earth's only natural satellite began decades ago. But what makes the LRA on board Vikram special is, it is the only one near the Moon's south pole. Also Read | Turkey's first astronaut launched on flight to International Space Station "NASA’s LRA on Chandrayaan-3’s Vikram lander will continue to serve as a long-term geodetic station and a location marker on the lunar surface, benefitting current and future lunar missions. These measurements, apart from helping in precise determination of spacecraft’s orbital position, will help refine the lunar geodetic frame, revealing insights into the Moon's dynamics, internal structure, and gravitational anomalies." said ISRO in its statement. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA’s orbiter ‘pings’ ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon 

<p>ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is preparing to take&nbsp;a major step in its Aditya-L1 solar mission. On Saturday (January 6) it will carry out a crucial manoeuvre to put the spacecraft in its final destination orbit, which is 1.5 million kilometres from Earth. Aditya-L1 is India's first space-based observatory which will study the Sun.</p>

<p>The spacecraft is to ultimately be put in a halo orbit around the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) in the Sun-Earth system. Th L1 point is located at about one per cent of the distance between the Earth and the Sun.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | India: Aditya L1, ISRO’s mission to study Sun, to be placed in final orbit</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-aditya-l1-isros-mission-to-study-sun-to-be-placed-in-final-orbit-676902/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>"This manoeuvre (at around 4 pm on Saturday) will bind the Aditya-L1 to a halo orbit around L1. If we don't do this, there is a possibility that it will continue its journey, maybe towards the Sun," an ISRO official was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.</p>

<p>Aditya-L1's placement around the L1 point will give it a major advantage as from that point, it will be able to continuously observe the Sun without any occultation or eclipses creating impediments. This in turn would enable observation of solar activities and its effect on space as well as Earth in real time.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/video-nasa-releases-stunning-time-lapse-footage-of-gamma-ray-sky-676739">Video: NASA releases stunning time-lapse footage of gamma-ray sky</a></strong></p>

<p>Aditya-L1 was launched on September 2 last year from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in India using ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C57).</p>

<p><strong>Explained: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/explained-why-is-india-paying-elon-musks-spacex-to-launch-gsat-20-676608">Why is India paying Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch GSAT-20?</a></strong></p>

<p>The spacecraft escaped Earth's sphere of influence and then headed for the L1 point.</p>

<p>"Using the special vantage point L1, four payloads directly view the Sun and the remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1, thus providing important scientific studies of the propagatory effect of solar dynamics in the interplanetary medium," said ISRO.</p>

<h2><strong>Some objectives of Aditya-L1 mission:</strong></h2>

<ul>
	<li>It will study chromospheric and coronal heating and also physics of the partially ionized plasma, initiation of the coronal mass ejections, and flares.</li>
	<li>Aditya-L1 will make observations on in-situ particle and plasma environment. It will provide data for the study of particle dynamics of&nbsp;the Sun.</li>
	<li>It will examine diagnostics of the coronal and coronal loop's plasma</li>
</ul>

<p>(With inputs from agencies)</p>


ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is preparing to take a major step in its Aditya-L1 solar mission. On Saturday (January 6) it will carry out a crucial manoeuvre to put the spacecraft in its final destination orbit, which is 1.

ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is preparing to take a major step in its Aditya-L1 solar mission. On Saturday (January 6) it will carry out a crucial manoeuvre to put the spacecraft in its final destination orbit, which is 1.5 million kilometres from Earth. Aditya-L1 is India's first space-based observatory which will study the Sun. The spacecraft is to ultimately be put in a halo orbit around the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) in the Sun-Earth system. Th L1 point is located at about one per cent of the distance between the Earth and the Sun. Watch | India: Aditya L1, ISRO’s mission to study Sun, to be placed in final orbit × "This manoeuvre (at around 4 pm on Saturday) will bind the Aditya-L1 to a halo orbit around L1. If we don't do this, there is a possibility that it will continue its journey, maybe towards the Sun," an ISRO official was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India. Aditya-L1's placement around the L1 point will give it a major advantage as from that point, it will be able to continuously observe the Sun without any occultation or eclipses creating impediments. This in turn would enable observation of solar activities and its effect on space as well as Earth in real time. Also Read | Video: NASA releases stunning time-lapse footage of gamma-ray sky Aditya-L1 was launched on September 2 last year from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in India using ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C57). Explained: Why is India paying Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch GSAT-20? The spacecraft escaped Earth's sphere of influence and then headed for the L1 point. "Using the special vantage point L1, four payloads directly view the Sun and the remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1, thus providing important scientific studies of the propagatory effect of solar dynamics in the interplanetary medium," said ISRO. Some objectives of Aditya-L1 mission: It will study chromospheric and coronal heating and also physics of the partially ionized plasma, initiation of the coronal mass ejections, and flares. Aditya-L1 will make observations on in-situ particle and plasma environment. It will provide data for the study of particle dynamics of the Sun. It will examine diagnostics of the coronal and coronal loop's plasma (With inputs from agencies)

ISRO prepares for crucial manoeuvre of Aditya-L1 solar probe

<p>ISRO's (Indian Space Research Oragnisation) commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) announced on Wednesday (January 3) that it will use Elon Musk-led SpaceX's Falcon-9 for one of its mission launches later this year.</p>

<p>The mission to launch GSAT-20, has been slated for a launch in second quarter of this year. This mission will be the first time ISRO will be using a SpaceX rocket to launch one of its satellites.</p>

<p>On Wednesday, NSIL made the announcement in an official press release which was also posted on X, formerly Twitter,&nbsp;the social media platform owned by Elon Musk.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/storm-on-mars-uae-probe-detects-significant-dust-mobilisation-676267">Storm on Mars: UAE probe detects significant dust mobilisation</a></strong></p>

<p>In its post, NSIL has said that GSAT-20 [GSAT-N2] will be ISRO's second 'demand driven satellite mission' aimed at meeting India's communication needs.</p>

<p>"NSIL is releasing GSAT-20 satellite through Isro and will be launched on board Falcon 9 under a launch service contract between M/s NSIL and M/s SpaceX, USA," NSIL said in its press release.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | India plans two Gaganyaan unmanned flights in 2024 | ISRO Chief S Somanath speaks to WION</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-plans-two-gaganyaan-unmanned-flights-in-2024-isro-chief-s-somanath-speaks-to-wion-676051/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>NSIL's first demand-driven mission GSAT-24 was launched in June 2022. The capacity of this satellite was fully secured by Tata Play.</p>

<p>“On similar lines, during the second of 2024, NSIL will be undertaking the GSAT-20 satellite mission to offer cost-effective Ka-Ka band HTS capacity primarily for meeting the Broadband, as well as IFMC and cellular backhaul service needs. The bulk of the HTS capacity on-board GSAT-20 satellite has already been secured by Indian service providers,” said NSIL in its press release.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">As part of Space Sector reforms announced by Govt. of India in June 2020, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NSIL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NSIL</a> is undertaking its 2nd Demand-driven satellite mission GSAT-20 [GSAT-N2] during 2nd quarter of 2024, for meeting the broadband communication needs of the country. <a href="https://t.co/QfGbuZWPgh">https://t.co/QfGbuZWPgh</a><a href="https://twitter.com/isro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@isro</a> <a href="https://t.co/UY7A753GTp">pic.twitter.com/UY7A753GTp</a></p>
— NSIL (@NSIL_India) <a href="https://twitter.com/NSIL_India/status/1742410765657936067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<h2><strong>What exactly is Falcon 9 rocket?</strong></h2>

<p>Falcon 9 rocket has been described as world's first 'orbital class reusable rocket'. Till date, it has carried out 285 launches, 217 re-flights and 243 landings. Experts have been quoted in media reports as saying that although collaboration between ISRO and SpaceX open up many possibilities for future, use of Falcon 9 rocket underlines need for ISRO to develop rockets that send heavier satellites into space.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


ISRO's (Indian Space Research Oragnisation) commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) announced on Wednesday (January 3) that it will use Elon Musk-led SpaceX's Falcon-9 for one of its mission launches later this year.

ISRO's (Indian Space Research Oragnisation) commercial arm NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) announced on Wednesday (January 3) that it will use Elon Musk-led SpaceX's Falcon-9 for one of its mission launches later this year. The mission to launch GSAT-20, has been slated for a launch in second quarter of this year. This mission will be the first time ISRO will be using a SpaceX rocket to launch one of its satellites. On Wednesday, NSIL made the announcement in an official press release which was also posted on X, formerly Twitter, the social media platform owned by Elon Musk. Also Read | Storm on Mars: UAE probe detects significant dust mobilisation In its post, NSIL has said that GSAT-20 [GSAT-N2] will be ISRO's second 'demand driven satellite mission' aimed at meeting India's communication needs. "NSIL is releasing GSAT-20 satellite through Isro and will be launched on board Falcon 9 under a launch service contract between M/s NSIL and M/s SpaceX, USA," NSIL said in its press release. Watch | India plans two Gaganyaan unmanned flights in 2024 | ISRO Chief S Somanath speaks to WION × NSIL's first demand-driven mission GSAT-24 was launched in June 2022. The capacity of this satellite was fully secured by Tata Play. “On similar lines, during the second of 2024, NSIL will be undertaking the GSAT-20 satellite mission to offer cost-effective Ka-Ka band HTS capacity primarily for meeting the Broadband, as well as IFMC and cellular backhaul service needs. The bulk of the HTS capacity on-board GSAT-20 satellite has already been secured by Indian service providers,” said NSIL in its press release. As part of Space Sector reforms announced by Govt. of India in June 2020, #NSIL is undertaking its 2nd Demand-driven satellite mission GSAT-20 [GSAT-N2] during 2nd quarter of 2024, for meeting the broadband communication needs of the country. https://t.co/QfGbuZWPgh@isro pic.twitter.com/UY7A753GTp — NSIL (@NSIL_India) January 3, 2024 × What exactly is Falcon 9 rocket? Falcon 9 rocket has been described as world's first 'orbital class reusable rocket'. Till date, it has carried out 285 launches, 217 re-flights and 243 landings. Experts have been quoted in media reports as saying that although collaboration between ISRO and SpaceX open up many possibilities for future, use of Falcon 9 rocket underlines need for ISRO to develop rockets that send heavier satellites into space. (With inputs from agencies)

ISRO to tie up with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to launch satellite

<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>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<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>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<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>ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) successfully launched XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) on Monday (January 1, 2024), first day of the new year. The lift-off took place from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. With XpoSat's successful launch, India has become second country after the United States to send an observatory in space to study black holes and neutron stars.</p>

<p>With XPoSat, ISRO has taken another historic step following launches of Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya L1 missions.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> | PSLV-C58 XPoSat Mission launch | ISRO launches X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) from the first launch-pad, SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.<br />
<br />
(Source: ISRO) <a href="https://t.co/ws6Ik0Cdll">pic.twitter.com/ws6Ik0Cdll</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1741666204916531584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>"XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) is the first dedicated scientific satellite from ISRO to carry out research in space-based polarisation measurements of X-ray emission from celestial sources. The Satellite configuration is modified from the IMS-2 bus platform. The Configuration of the mainframe systems are derived based on the heritage of IRS satellites. It carries two payloads namely POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing). POLIX is realized by Raman Research Institute and XSPECT is by Space Astronomy Group of URSC," said&nbsp;ISRO.</p>

<h2><strong>As per ISRO, these are the XPoSat mission objectives</strong></h2>

<p>XPoSat will measure the polarisation of X-rays coming from about 50 cosmic sources. Thomson Scattering in the energy band 8-30keV will be measured by POLIX payload.</p>

<p>XPoSat will carry out long term spectral as well as temporal studies of cosmic X-ray sources. The XSPECT payload will make these measurements in the energy band 8-15keV</p>

<p>It will also undertake polarisation and spectroscopic measurements of X-ray emissions from sources in space using POLIX and XSPECT.</p>

<p>"The emission mechanism from various astronomical sources such as blackhole, neutron stars, active galactic nuclei, pulsar wind nebulae etc. originates from complex physical processes and are challenging to understand. While the spectroscopic and timing information by various space-based observatories provide a wealth of information, the exact nature of the emission from such sources still poses deeper challenges to astronomers," said&nbsp;ISRO.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) successfully launched XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) on Monday (January 1, 2024), first day of the new year. The lift-off took place from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) successfully launched XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) on Monday (January 1, 2024), first day of the new year. The lift-off took place from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. With XpoSat's successful launch, India has become second country after the United States to send an observatory in space to study black holes and neutron stars. With XPoSat, ISRO has taken another historic step following launches of Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya L1 missions. #WATCH | PSLV-C58 XPoSat Mission launch | ISRO launches X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) from the first launch-pad, SDSC-SHAR, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. (Source: ISRO) pic.twitter.com/ws6Ik0Cdll — ANI (@ANI) January 1, 2024 × "XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) is the first dedicated scientific satellite from ISRO to carry out research in space-based polarisation measurements of X-ray emission from celestial sources. The Satellite configuration is modified from the IMS-2 bus platform. The Configuration of the mainframe systems are derived based on the heritage of IRS satellites. It carries two payloads namely POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing). POLIX is realized by Raman Research Institute and XSPECT is by Space Astronomy Group of URSC," said ISRO. As per ISRO, these are the XPoSat mission objectives XPoSat will measure the polarisation of X-rays coming from about 50 cosmic sources. Thomson Scattering in the energy band 8-30keV will be measured by POLIX payload. XPoSat will carry out long term spectral as well as temporal studies of cosmic X-ray sources. The XSPECT payload will make these measurements in the energy band 8-15keV It will also undertake polarisation and spectroscopic measurements of X-ray emissions from sources in space using POLIX and XSPECT. "The emission mechanism from various astronomical sources such as blackhole, neutron stars, active galactic nuclei, pulsar wind nebulae etc. originates from complex physical processes and are challenging to understand. While the spectroscopic and timing information by various space-based observatories provide a wealth of information, the exact nature of the emission from such sources still poses deeper challenges to astronomers," said ISRO. (With inputs from agencies)

ISRO successfully launches XPoSat on first day of New Year 2024

<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>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>ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is on a roll following its Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 missions, the space agency is gearing up for a new year surprise. On January 1, 2024, when the world will be welcoming the new year, ISRO scientists will launch XPoSat. It is India's first polarimetry mission. XPoSAT will take a look at black holes, and other astronomical sources of X-rays.</p>

<p>It is slated for a lift-off at 9:10 am on January 1, 2024. After this, the XPoSAT will be placed in low earth orbit (LEO). As per reports, India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) will take the XPoSAT up into the sky.</p>

<p>XPoSat&nbsp;has two scientific payloads with it. The primary payload is POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays). It will measure polarimetry parameters. These are degree and angle of polarization. The measurements will be made in medium X-ray energy range of 8-30 keV.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | India: ISRO launches 'Feast', new indigenous software</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-isro-launches-feast-new-indigenous-software-674368/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>The second payload is XSPECT (X-Ray Spectroscopy and Timing). ISRO says this will give spectroscopic information within the energy range of 0.8-15 keV.</p>

<p>"The emission mechanism from various astronomical sources such as blackhole, neutron stars, active galactic nuclei, pulsar wind nebulae etc. originates from complex physical processes and are challenging to understand. While the spectroscopic and timing information by various space-based observatories provide a wealth of information, the exact nature of the emission from such sources still poses deeper challenges to astronomers," says ISRO.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/cosmic-mystery-a-star-that-no-longer-exists-revealed-in-a-2400-year-old-night-sky-map-674361">Cosmic Mystery: A star that no longer exists revealed in a 2,400-year-old night sky map</a></strong></p>

<p>The polarimetric measurements made by the XPoSAT will bring more dimensions into play. These are the degree of polarisation and angle of polarisation. Measurements on these lines will be great help to understand the emission processes in space.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-juno-spacecraft-to-make-closest-flyby-of-jupiters-volcanic-moon-674309">NASA’s Juno spacecraft to make closest flyby of Jupiter’s volcanic moon</a></strong></p>

<p>Meanwhile, ISRO has made an analysis software that can be used to make Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of structures like satellites, rockets, aircraft, buildings etc.</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><em>(With inputs from Siddharth MP)</em></p>


ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is on a roll following its Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 missions, the space agency is gearing up for a new year surprise.

ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is on a roll following its Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 missions, the space agency is gearing up for a new year surprise. On January 1, 2024, when the world will be welcoming the new year, ISRO scientists will launch XPoSat. It is India's first polarimetry mission. XPoSAT will take a look at black holes, and other astronomical sources of X-rays. It is slated for a lift-off at 9:10 am on January 1, 2024. After this, the XPoSAT will be placed in low earth orbit (LEO). As per reports, India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) will take the XPoSAT up into the sky. XPoSat has two scientific payloads with it. The primary payload is POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays). It will measure polarimetry parameters. These are degree and angle of polarization. The measurements will be made in medium X-ray energy range of 8-30 keV. Watch | India: ISRO launches 'Feast', new indigenous software × The second payload is XSPECT (X-Ray Spectroscopy and Timing). ISRO says this will give spectroscopic information within the energy range of 0.8-15 keV. "The emission mechanism from various astronomical sources such as blackhole, neutron stars, active galactic nuclei, pulsar wind nebulae etc. originates from complex physical processes and are challenging to understand. While the spectroscopic and timing information by various space-based observatories provide a wealth of information, the exact nature of the emission from such sources still poses deeper challenges to astronomers," says ISRO. Also Read | Cosmic Mystery: A star that no longer exists revealed in a 2,400-year-old night sky map The polarimetric measurements made by the XPoSAT will bring more dimensions into play. These are the degree of polarisation and angle of polarisation. Measurements on these lines will be great help to understand the emission processes in space. Also Read | NASA’s Juno spacecraft to make closest flyby of Jupiter’s volcanic moon Meanwhile, ISRO has made an analysis software that can be used to make Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of structures like satellites, rockets, aircraft, buildings etc. "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. (With inputs from Siddharth MP)

ISRO’s New Year’s gift: XPoSat will lift off on January 1, will study black holes

<p>India’s maiden&nbsp;solar mission Aditya L1&nbsp;will reach its destination, the Lagrangian point (L1) which is located 1.5 million km from Earth, on January 6, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S Somanath said on Friday (Dec 22).</p>

<p>The mission, the first Indian space-based observatory to study the Sun from a halo orbit L1, was launched by ISRO on September 2 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota. “Aditya L1 will enter the L1 point on January 6. That is what is expected. Exact time will be announced at appropriate time,” Somanath told mediapersons on the sidelines of the Bharatiya Vigyan Sammelan organised by Vijnana Bharati, an NGO working to popularise science.</p>

<p>“When it reaches the L1 point, we have to fire the engine once again so that it does not go further. It will go to that point, and once it reaches that point, it will rotate around it and will be trapped at L1,” he said. Once Aditya L1 reaches its destination, it will help measure various events happening on the Sun for the next five years. “Once it is successfully placed on L1 point, it will be there for the next five years, gathering all the data which are very important not for India alone but for the entire world.</p>

<p>The data will be very useful to understand the dynamics of the Sun and how it affects our life,” the ISRO chief said. How India is going to become a technologically powerful country is very important, he said while addressing the gathering. ISRO has made a plan to build an Indian space station, called ‘Bharatiya space station’ during the ‘Amrit Kaal’ as per Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s instructions, Somanath said.</p>

<p>“In the space sector we are seeing an emergence of new actors. We are going to support, encourage and build the economy around the new generation,” he said, adding that India cannot become a leader in everything and that it should focus on those sectors where it can.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


India’s maiden solar mission Aditya L1 will reach its destination, the Lagrangian point (L1) which is located 1.5 million km from Earth, on January 6, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S Somanath said on Friday (Dec 22).

India’s maiden solar mission Aditya L1 will reach its destination, the Lagrangian point (L1) which is located 1.5 million km from Earth, on January 6, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S Somanath said on Friday (Dec 22). The mission, the first Indian space-based observatory to study the Sun from a halo orbit L1, was launched by ISRO on September 2 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota. “Aditya L1 will enter the L1 point on January 6. That is what is expected. Exact time will be announced at appropriate time,” Somanath told mediapersons on the sidelines of the Bharatiya Vigyan Sammelan organised by Vijnana Bharati, an NGO working to popularise science. “When it reaches the L1 point, we have to fire the engine once again so that it does not go further. It will go to that point, and once it reaches that point, it will rotate around it and will be trapped at L1,” he said. Once Aditya L1 reaches its destination, it will help measure various events happening on the Sun for the next five years. “Once it is successfully placed on L1 point, it will be there for the next five years, gathering all the data which are very important not for India alone but for the entire world. The data will be very useful to understand the dynamics of the Sun and how it affects our life,” the ISRO chief said. How India is going to become a technologically powerful country is very important, he said while addressing the gathering. ISRO has made a plan to build an Indian space station, called ‘Bharatiya space station’ during the ‘Amrit Kaal’ as per Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s instructions, Somanath said. “In the space sector we are seeing an emergence of new actors. We are going to support, encourage and build the economy around the new generation,” he said, adding that India cannot become a leader in everything and that it should focus on those sectors where it can.

Aditya L1 mission will reach destination on Jan 6: ISRO chief

<p>Aditya-L1, India's first mission to study the Sun will reach its destination, the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) in the first week of January 2024, said Jitendra Singh, India's Minister of State (Science and Technology). The Aditya-L1 mission was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in February this year.</p>

<p>Aditya-L1 mission reached a major milestone recently as it captured the first complete images of the Sun. The images were taken with the help of the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) instrument onboard Aditya-L1. SUIT has various filters which it uses to capture the Sun's photosphere and chromosphere in a specific wavelength range.</p>

<p>ISRO says that the observations made during the ADITYA-L1 mission will help scientists examine and gain a better understanding of the magnetised solar atmosphere. This will in turn yield important insights which will also make us better understand the impact of solar radiation on climate here on Earth.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/watch-nasa-sends-high-definition-cat-video-from-spaceship-to-earth-covers-31mn-km-671444">NASA sends high-definition cat video from spaceship to Earth via laser, covering 31mn km</a></strong></p>

<p>The images taken by Aditya-L1 so far have depicted sunspots as well as 'quiet' regions of the sun. These and many more observations in future will reveal secrets of the Sun's photosphere and chromosphere.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/empathy-with-our-closest-living-cousins-humans-and-apes-share-remarkable-social-memory-traits-study-finds-671294">‘Empathy with our closest living cousins’: Humans and apes share remarkable social memory traits, study finds</a></strong></p>

<p>"A satellite placed in the halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipses. This will provide a greater advantage of observing the solar activities and its effect on space weather in real time. The spacecraft carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detectors. Using the special vantage point L1, four payloads directly view the Sun and the remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1, thus providing important scientific studies of the propagatory effect of solar dynamics in the interplanetary medium," said ISRO on its website.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Aditya-L1, India's first mission to study the Sun will reach its destination, the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) in the first week of January 2024, said Jitendra Singh, India's Minister of State (Science and Technology).

Aditya-L1, India's first mission to study the Sun will reach its destination, the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) in the first week of January 2024, said Jitendra Singh, India's Minister of State (Science and Technology). The Aditya-L1 mission was launched by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in February this year. Aditya-L1 mission reached a major milestone recently as it captured the first complete images of the Sun. The images were taken with the help of the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) instrument onboard Aditya-L1. SUIT has various filters which it uses to capture the Sun's photosphere and chromosphere in a specific wavelength range. ISRO says that the observations made during the ADITYA-L1 mission will help scientists examine and gain a better understanding of the magnetised solar atmosphere. This will in turn yield important insights which will also make us better understand the impact of solar radiation on climate here on Earth. Watch: NASA sends high-definition cat video from spaceship to Earth via laser, covering 31mn km The images taken by Aditya-L1 so far have depicted sunspots as well as 'quiet' regions of the sun. These and many more observations in future will reveal secrets of the Sun's photosphere and chromosphere. Also Read | ‘Empathy with our closest living cousins’: Humans and apes share remarkable social memory traits, study finds "A satellite placed in the halo orbit around the L1 point has the major advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation/eclipses. This will provide a greater advantage of observing the solar activities and its effect on space weather in real time. The spacecraft carries seven payloads to observe the photosphere, chromosphere and the outermost layers of the Sun (the corona) using electromagnetic and particle and magnetic field detectors. Using the special vantage point L1, four payloads directly view the Sun and the remaining three payloads carry out in-situ studies of particles and fields at the Lagrange point L1, thus providing important scientific studies of the propagatory effect of solar dynamics in the interplanetary medium," said ISRO on its website. (With inputs from agencies)

India's 'Aditya-L1' to reach Lagrange Point 1 in January first week: Minister

<p>Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched 397 foreign satellites over the last decade and has&nbsp;earned a revenue of USD 441&nbsp;million, it was revealed in Rajya Sabha, the upper chamber of Parliament of India.&nbsp;To date, ISRO has launched 432&nbsp;foreign satellites out of which 397 (91 per cent) have been launched in the last 10-year period.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For performing commercial missions, ISRO has been using the PSLV, its most flown rocket. The PSLV (Polar Satellite&nbsp;Launch Vehicle) also has the distinction of having launched 104 satellites in one go. This feat was achieved back in 2017.</p>

<p>In October last year and in March this year, India used the LVM3 rocket, the largest and most capable in its fleet, to launch commercial missions. It sent a total of 72 satellites in orbit. These were satellites from OneWeb (now Eutelsat OneWeb).</p>

<p><strong>Watch | NASA's Perseverance Rover finds new clues about water on Mars</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/nasas-perseverance-rover-finds-new-clues-about-water-on-mars-670000/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>The SSLV, which is the smallest and newest in ISRO's fleet was also used to launch commercial missions this year. Its maiden flight in August 2022 was indeed unsuccessful, but the second lift-off in February 2023 was a success. India now has three rockets capable of performing commercial missions.</p>

<p>The information in the Indian Parliament was given by Jitendra Singh, Minister of State, Prime Minister's Office. India has launched satellites for countries like Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Netherlands, UAE, United Kingdom and USA.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/james-webb-spots-record-breaking-small-rare-kind-of-brown-failed-star-669808">James Webb spots record-breaking small, rare kind of brown 'failed' star</a></strong></p>

<p>Singh added that NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the Government of India Company under the Department of Space which is the Commercial arm of ISRO, has been successfully marketing Indian capabilities to launch foreign satellites.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/sun-releases-strong-x-class-solar-flare-most-powerful-since-2017-669820">Sun releases strongest X-class solar flare since 2017, radio blackout reported over Americas</a></strong></p>

<p>Moreover, NSIL is working towards manufacturing the launch rockets&nbsp;in order to take satellite launch business to the next level.</p>

<p>Right now, a consortium of Indian Government-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and private firm Larsen and Toubro (L&amp;T) is working on building a PSLV rocket.</p>

<p>This consortium has accepted a Rs 860 crore (approximately $105 million) contract for building five such rockets and is readying them for launch. This is part of the Indian government's effort to outsource routine and established processes to industry partners in order to support them and help ISRO to carry out scientific,&nbsp;technological and&nbsp;developmental activities.</p>


Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched 397 foreign satellites over the last decade and has earned a revenue of USD 441 million, it was revealed in Rajya Sabha, the upper chamber of Parliament of India.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched 397 foreign satellites over the last decade and has earned a revenue of USD 441 million, it was revealed in Rajya Sabha, the upper chamber of Parliament of India. To date, ISRO has launched 432 foreign satellites out of which 397 (91 per cent) have been launched in the last 10-year period. For performing commercial missions, ISRO has been using the PSLV, its most flown rocket. The PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) also has the distinction of having launched 104 satellites in one go. This feat was achieved back in 2017. In October last year and in March this year, India used the LVM3 rocket, the largest and most capable in its fleet, to launch commercial missions. It sent a total of 72 satellites in orbit. These were satellites from OneWeb (now Eutelsat OneWeb). Watch | NASA's Perseverance Rover finds new clues about water on Mars × The SSLV, which is the smallest and newest in ISRO's fleet was also used to launch commercial missions this year. Its maiden flight in August 2022 was indeed unsuccessful, but the second lift-off in February 2023 was a success. India now has three rockets capable of performing commercial missions. The information in the Indian Parliament was given by Jitendra Singh, Minister of State, Prime Minister's Office. India has launched satellites for countries like Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Republic of Korea, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Netherlands, UAE, United Kingdom and USA. Also Read | James Webb spots record-breaking small, rare kind of brown 'failed' star Singh added that NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the Government of India Company under the Department of Space which is the Commercial arm of ISRO, has been successfully marketing Indian capabilities to launch foreign satellites. Watch | Sun releases strongest X-class solar flare since 2017, radio blackout reported over Americas Moreover, NSIL is working towards manufacturing the launch rockets in order to take satellite launch business to the next level. Right now, a consortium of Indian Government-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and private firm Larsen and Toubro (L&T) is working on building a PSLV rocket. This consortium has accepted a Rs 860 crore (approximately $105 million) contract for building five such rockets and is readying them for launch. This is part of the Indian government's effort to outsource routine and established processes to industry partners in order to support them and help ISRO to carry out scientific, technological and developmental activities.

ISRO has launched 397 foreign satellites in 10 years earning USD 441 million 

<p>Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday (Dec 8) shared the first-ever full disk images of the Sun in near ultraviolet wavelengths, captured by the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, launched earlier this year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>ISRO informed the pictures were clicked by the&nbsp;Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) instrument aboard the Aditya -L1 spacecraft. The pictures were taken using 11 different filters in wavelengths ranging from 200 to 400 nm.</p>

<p>Among the notable features revealed are sunspots, plage, and quiet Sun regions. Notably, sunspots are dark in appearance because they are relatively cooler than other parts of the sun (they are still extremely hot at around 6,500 F).&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Aditya-L1 Mission:<br />
The SUIT payload captures full-disk images of the Sun in near ultraviolet wavelengths<br />
<br />
The images include the first-ever full-disk representations of the Sun in wavelengths ranging from 200 to 400 nm.<br />
<br />
They provide pioneering insights into the intricate details… <a href="https://t.co/YBAYJ3YkUy">pic.twitter.com/YBAYJ3YkUy</a></p>
— ISRO (@isro) <a href="https://twitter.com/isro/status/1733104993668915365?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>The sunspots are able to emit powerful&nbsp;coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that can slam into Earth and trigger potentially dangerous geomagnetic storms, regardless of whether we can see the dark patches.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Notably,&nbsp;SUIT is one of seven payloads onboard Aditya-L1 and has been developed by a team of 50 scientists, researchers and students at the&nbsp;Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/cluster-of-dark-spots-15-times-wider-than-earth-spotted-on-sun-scientists-issue-warning-662004"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;Cluster of dark spots 15 times wider than Earth spotted on Sun, scientists issue warning</strong></a></p>

<h2><strong>Aditya-L1 mission</strong></h2>

<p>India’s maiden sun mission was launched on September 2 from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Aditya-L1 is equipped with seven scientific payloads developed indigenously by the ISRO and various national research laboratories. Apart from IUCAA, the researchers at&nbsp;the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have also contributed to developing the payloads.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-sun-mission-aditya-l1-begins-collecting-data-from-distance-of-50000-kms-world-dna-637371"><strong>Watch |&nbsp;India sun mission Aditya-L1 begins collecting data from distance of 50,000 kms</strong></a></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/india-sun-mission-aditya-l1-begins-collecting-data-from-distance-of-50000-kms-world-dna-637371/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>These payloads are designed to study the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost layers of the Sun, known as the corona, using electromagnetic, particle, and magnetic field detectors.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-aditya-l1-spacecraft-successfully-escapes-sphere-of-earths-influence-isro-641361"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;India's Aditya-L1 spacecraft successfully escapes sphere of Earth's influence: ISRO</strong></a></p>

<p>Notably, Aditya-L1 will arrive at the advantageous L1 point in January 2024 and the satellite will spend its mission life orbiting around L1 in an irregularly shaped orbit. L1 is about 1.5 million km from the earth.&nbsp;The L1 point was discovered by mathematician Joseph Louis Lagrange.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday (Dec 8) shared the first-ever full disk images of the Sun in near ultraviolet wavelengths, captured by the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, launched earlier this year.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Friday (Dec 8) shared the first-ever full disk images of the Sun in near ultraviolet wavelengths, captured by the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, launched earlier this year. ISRO informed the pictures were clicked by the Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope (SUIT) instrument aboard the Aditya -L1 spacecraft. The pictures were taken using 11 different filters in wavelengths ranging from 200 to 400 nm. Among the notable features revealed are sunspots, plage, and quiet Sun regions. Notably, sunspots are dark in appearance because they are relatively cooler than other parts of the sun (they are still extremely hot at around 6,500 F). Aditya-L1 Mission: The SUIT payload captures full-disk images of the Sun in near ultraviolet wavelengths The images include the first-ever full-disk representations of the Sun in wavelengths ranging from 200 to 400 nm. They provide pioneering insights into the intricate details… pic.twitter.com/YBAYJ3YkUy — ISRO (@isro) December 8, 2023 × The sunspots are able to emit powerful coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that can slam into Earth and trigger potentially dangerous geomagnetic storms, regardless of whether we can see the dark patches. Notably, SUIT is one of seven payloads onboard Aditya-L1 and has been developed by a team of 50 scientists, researchers and students at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA) in Pune. Also read | Cluster of dark spots 15 times wider than Earth spotted on Sun, scientists issue warning Aditya-L1 mission India’s maiden sun mission was launched on September 2 from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota. Aditya-L1 is equipped with seven scientific payloads developed indigenously by the ISRO and various national research laboratories. Apart from IUCAA, the researchers at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) have also contributed to developing the payloads. Watch | India sun mission Aditya-L1 begins collecting data from distance of 50,000 kms × These payloads are designed to study the photosphere, chromosphere, and the outermost layers of the Sun, known as the corona, using electromagnetic, particle, and magnetic field detectors. Also read | India's Aditya-L1 spacecraft successfully escapes sphere of Earth's influence: ISRO Notably, Aditya-L1 will arrive at the advantageous L1 point in January 2024 and the satellite will spend its mission life orbiting around L1 in an irregularly shaped orbit. L1 is about 1.5 million km from the earth. The L1 point was discovered by mathematician Joseph Louis Lagrange. (With inputs from agencies)

ISRO's Aditya-L1 spacecraft captures majestic pictures of sunspots

<p>In a groundbreaking achievement, ISRO has successfully returned the Propulsion Module (PM) of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, which was initially intended for lunar operations, into the Earth's orbit after surpassing its lunar mission objectives.</p>

<p>Following the lunar hop by Vikram (lander), this was another accomplishment that shows that ISRO can restart engines on the moon and operate equipment, both of which were not foreseen, the national space agency stated in a release.</p>

<p>"In another unique experiment, like the hop experiment on the Vikram Lander, the Propulsion Module (PM) of Chandrayaan-3 was moved from an orbit around the Moon to an orbit around Earth," the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) stated in its official release.</p>

<p>The preliminary goal of India's first successful lunar landing mission was to establish a soft landing near the lunar south polar region and conduct experimentations using the tools onboard the lander 'Vikram' and rover 'Pragyaan'.</p>

<p>The spacecraft was launched on July 14, 2023, on board the LVM3-M4 vehicle from SDSC, SHAR.</p>

<p>It made its touchdown on the surface of the moon on Aug 23, after which it was deployed to survey the unexplored lunar south pole.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/senior-us-official-discusses-alleged-foiled-plot-to-kill-pannun-during-visit-to-india-666219">Senior US official discusses alleged foiled plot to kill Pannun with India</a></p>

<p>"With regard to the Propulsion Module, the main objective was to ferry the Lander module from GTO to the final lunar polar circular orbit and separate the Lander. Subsequent to separation, spectro-polarimetry of the HABITABLE Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload in the PM was also operated," the agency informed further.</p>

<p>Initially, the space agency had planned to operate this payload for nearly three months during the mission life of PM. However, it was later decided to utilise the remaining fuel in the Propulsion Module to derive additional information for the lunar missions to be carried out in the future.</p>

<p>"First maneuver was performed on October 9, 2023, to raise apolune altitude to 5112 km from 150 km thus, increasing the period of orbit from 2.1 hrs to 7.2 hrs. Later, considering the estimate of available propellant, the second manoeuvre plan was revised to target an Earth orbit of 1.8 lakhs x 3.8 lakhs km. The Trans-Earthinjection (TEI)maneuver was performed on October 13, 2023. In the post-TEI manoeuvre realized orbit, the propulsion module made four Moon fly-bys before departing Moon SOI on November 10," ISRO said.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


In a groundbreaking achievement, ISRO has successfully returned the Propulsion Module (PM) of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, which was initially intended for lunar operations, into the Earth's orbit after surpassing its lunar mission objectives.

In a groundbreaking achievement, ISRO has successfully returned the Propulsion Module (PM) of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft, which was initially intended for lunar operations, into the Earth's orbit after surpassing its lunar mission objectives. Following the lunar hop by Vikram (lander), this was another accomplishment that shows that ISRO can restart engines on the moon and operate equipment, both of which were not foreseen, the national space agency stated in a release. "In another unique experiment, like the hop experiment on the Vikram Lander, the Propulsion Module (PM) of Chandrayaan-3 was moved from an orbit around the Moon to an orbit around Earth," the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) stated in its official release. The preliminary goal of India's first successful lunar landing mission was to establish a soft landing near the lunar south polar region and conduct experimentations using the tools onboard the lander 'Vikram' and rover 'Pragyaan'. The spacecraft was launched on July 14, 2023, on board the LVM3-M4 vehicle from SDSC, SHAR. It made its touchdown on the surface of the moon on Aug 23, after which it was deployed to survey the unexplored lunar south pole. Also read: Senior US official discusses alleged foiled plot to kill Pannun with India "With regard to the Propulsion Module, the main objective was to ferry the Lander module from GTO to the final lunar polar circular orbit and separate the Lander. Subsequent to separation, spectro-polarimetry of the HABITABLE Planet Earth (SHAPE) payload in the PM was also operated," the agency informed further. Initially, the space agency had planned to operate this payload for nearly three months during the mission life of PM. However, it was later decided to utilise the remaining fuel in the Propulsion Module to derive additional information for the lunar missions to be carried out in the future. "First maneuver was performed on October 9, 2023, to raise apolune altitude to 5112 km from 150 km thus, increasing the period of orbit from 2.1 hrs to 7.2 hrs. Later, considering the estimate of available propellant, the second manoeuvre plan was revised to target an Earth orbit of 1.8 lakhs x 3.8 lakhs km. The Trans-Earthinjection (TEI)maneuver was performed on October 13, 2023. In the post-TEI manoeuvre realized orbit, the propulsion module made four Moon fly-bys before departing Moon SOI on November 10," ISRO said. (With inputs from agencies)

ISRO brings back Chandrayaan-3 Propulsion Module to Earth's orbit

<p>National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Bill Nelson said on Tuesday (November 28) that the United States was open to&nbsp;collaboration with India in building its own space station. He is in India. Nelson said that the US and India were planning to send an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) by the end of next year.</p>

<p>“The selection of astronaut is determined by ISRO. NASA will not make the selection,” said Nelson as quoted by Press Trust of India.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | ISRO to launch NISAR in 2024</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/isro-to-launch-nisar-in-2024-659957/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>His comment on a possible Indian space station came in response to a question. He said the US was ready to collaborate in building the space station if India desires.</p>

<p>“We expect by that time to have a commercial space station. I think India wants to have a commercial space station by 2040. If India wants us to collaborate with them, of course, we will be available. But that’s up to India,” Nelson said.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/evil-eye-in-the-sky-clicked-by-nasa-wows-netizens-663392">'Evil eye' in the sky clicked by NASA wows netizens</a></strong></p>

<p>India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to work towards building an Indian space station by the year 2035 and landing an Indian astronaut on the moon by the year 2040.</p>

<h2><strong>NASA chief meets Indian minister</strong></h2>

<p>On Tuesday, Nelson headed a delegation and met India's Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh</p>

<p>“I had a discussion with the minister on what the Indian astronaut would do on the space station. And the two of us talked about the fact that things that are important to India in scientific research, the Indian astronaut ought to have that as a choice to do. If there is a particular part of research that he or she would be interested in, then I want to encourage that,” Nelson later said at a media interaction.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-shares-image-of-hidden-galaxy-which-is-11-million-light-years-away-from-earth-664045">NASA shares image of 'Hidden galaxy' which is 11 million light-years away from Earth</a></strong></p>

<p>On Tuesday, Nelson also spoke about the NASA-ISRO&nbsp;Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) observatory which is slated to be launched in the first quarter of 2024.</p>

<p>“In the first quarter of 2024, in a joint venture, India will launch a very expensive spacecraft, NISAR, and it is part of what we call our great observatories. And the combination of these four or five observatories that will be put up, and all our 25 spacecraft looking at the Earth...the combination of all that information...is helping us precisely determine what is happening to the Earth and its climate,” Nelson said as quoted by Hindustan Times.</p>

<p>(With inputs from agencies)</p>


National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Bill Nelson said on Tuesday (November 28) that the United States was open to collaboration with India in building its own space station.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Administrator Bill Nelson said on Tuesday (November 28) that the United States was open to collaboration with India in building its own space station. He is in India. Nelson said that the US and India were planning to send an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) by the end of next year. “The selection of astronaut is determined by ISRO. NASA will not make the selection,” said Nelson as quoted by Press Trust of India. Watch | ISRO to launch NISAR in 2024 × His comment on a possible Indian space station came in response to a question. He said the US was ready to collaborate in building the space station if India desires. “We expect by that time to have a commercial space station. I think India wants to have a commercial space station by 2040. If India wants us to collaborate with them, of course, we will be available. But that’s up to India,” Nelson said. Also Read | 'Evil eye' in the sky clicked by NASA wows netizens India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to work towards building an Indian space station by the year 2035 and landing an Indian astronaut on the moon by the year 2040. NASA chief meets Indian minister On Tuesday, Nelson headed a delegation and met India's Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh “I had a discussion with the minister on what the Indian astronaut would do on the space station. And the two of us talked about the fact that things that are important to India in scientific research, the Indian astronaut ought to have that as a choice to do. If there is a particular part of research that he or she would be interested in, then I want to encourage that,” Nelson later said at a media interaction. Also Read | NASA shares image of 'Hidden galaxy' which is 11 million light-years away from Earth On Tuesday, Nelson also spoke about the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) observatory which is slated to be launched in the first quarter of 2024. “In the first quarter of 2024, in a joint venture, India will launch a very expensive spacecraft, NISAR, and it is part of what we call our great observatories. And the combination of these four or five observatories that will be put up, and all our 25 spacecraft looking at the Earth...the combination of all that information...is helping us precisely determine what is happening to the Earth and its climate,” Nelson said as quoted by Hindustan Times. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA chief says ready to work with ISRO to build Indian space station

<p>India's AstroSat space telescope has crossed a major milestone by detecting 600th Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB). The Gamma Ray Bursts represent either the death of a massive or merger of neutron stars.</p>

<p>"The detection of the 600th GRB is a great demonstration of the continued undiminished performance of Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager (CZTI) eight years after launch, and well after its design lifetime," Dipankar Bhattacharya, the principal investigator for CZTI, said. Bhattacharya was quoted by Press Trust of India (PTI).</p>

<p>GRBs pack a massive punch as they contain huge amount of energy. All this energy is emitted in a matter of seconds, and it can be greater than what the sun would emit over its entire lifetime. GRBs are hence also called as mini big-bangs. They may last from a fraction of a second to several minutes. They are also accompanied by birth of a black hole.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre to mark 60th anniversary of first rocket launch from Thumba</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/vikram-sarabhai-space-centre-to-mark-60th-anniversary-of-first-rocket-launch-from-thumba-661264/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>AstroSat was launched in the year 2015 by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was designed to last for five years. However, it has exceeded its lifespan and is still functioning fine making important observations.</p>

<h2><strong>Mapping space in multiple wavelengths</strong></h2>

<p>AstroSat is the first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory launched by India. It has a suite of payloads that enables it to observe celestial objects simultaneously across multiple wavelengths, like from ultraviolet to X-Rays.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/evil-eye-in-the-sky-clicked-by-nasa-wows-netizens-663392">'Evil eye' in the sky clicked by NASA wows netizens</a></strong></p>

<p>"We are proud of what AstroSat has accomplished. To build upon this success, multiple institutes have come together and proposed to build Daksha, a next-generation GRB space telescope that will be far better than any such satellite worldwide. Daksha will be sensitive enough to detect in just over a year what CZTI did in eight," Varun Bhalerao, associate professor at IIT-Bombay, said as reported by PTI.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/this-is-what-happens-to-astronauts-fingernails-after-a-walk-in-space-and-it-is-terrifying-663760">This is what happens to astronauts' fingernails after a walk in space, and it's scary</a></strong></p>

<p>AstroSat's CZTI detector observed the 600th GRB on November 22. The observation was notified to astronomers and researchers across the world so that the observation data can be used in their studies.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It is amazing to look at the data and have the opportunity to be the first one to view these explosions that happened billions of years ago," said Gaurav Waratkar, a PhD student at IIT Bombay as quoted by PTI. Waratkar is leading the study of GRBs with AstroSat.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


India's AstroSat space telescope has crossed a major milestone by detecting 600th Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB). The Gamma Ray Bursts represent either the death of a massive or merger of neutron stars.

India's AstroSat space telescope has crossed a major milestone by detecting 600th Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB). The Gamma Ray Bursts represent either the death of a massive or merger of neutron stars. "The detection of the 600th GRB is a great demonstration of the continued undiminished performance of Cadmium Zinc Telluride Imager (CZTI) eight years after launch, and well after its design lifetime," Dipankar Bhattacharya, the principal investigator for CZTI, said. Bhattacharya was quoted by Press Trust of India (PTI). GRBs pack a massive punch as they contain huge amount of energy. All this energy is emitted in a matter of seconds, and it can be greater than what the sun would emit over its entire lifetime. GRBs are hence also called as mini big-bangs. They may last from a fraction of a second to several minutes. They are also accompanied by birth of a black hole. Watch | Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre to mark 60th anniversary of first rocket launch from Thumba × AstroSat was launched in the year 2015 by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was designed to last for five years. However, it has exceeded its lifespan and is still functioning fine making important observations. Mapping space in multiple wavelengths AstroSat is the first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory launched by India. It has a suite of payloads that enables it to observe celestial objects simultaneously across multiple wavelengths, like from ultraviolet to X-Rays. Also Read | 'Evil eye' in the sky clicked by NASA wows netizens "We are proud of what AstroSat has accomplished. To build upon this success, multiple institutes have come together and proposed to build Daksha, a next-generation GRB space telescope that will be far better than any such satellite worldwide. Daksha will be sensitive enough to detect in just over a year what CZTI did in eight," Varun Bhalerao, associate professor at IIT-Bombay, said as reported by PTI. Also Read | This is what happens to astronauts' fingernails after a walk in space, and it's scary AstroSat's CZTI detector observed the 600th GRB on November 22. The observation was notified to astronomers and researchers across the world so that the observation data can be used in their studies. "It is amazing to look at the data and have the opportunity to be the first one to view these explosions that happened billions of years ago," said Gaurav Waratkar, a PhD student at IIT Bombay as quoted by PTI. Waratkar is leading the study of GRBs with AstroSat. (With inputs from agencies)

Milestone for ISRO's AstroSat as it detects 600th gamma-ray burst

<p>A major part of the Chandrayaan-3 launch vehicle has made uncontrolled re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said in this press release that the cryogenic upper stage of the LVM3 M4 launch vehicle made this re-entry at around 2:42 am IST on Wednesday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“The cryogenic upper stage of the LVM3 M4 launch vehicle made an uncontrolled re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, around 2.42 pm today. The probable impact point was predicted over the North Pacific Ocean,” ISRO said.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jaishankar-says-evidence-needed-from-canada-before-starting-hardeep-nijjar-killing-probe-659173">Jaishankar says evidence needed from Canada before starting Hardeep Nijjar killing probe</a></p>

<p>The space agency further said that the final ground track did not pass over India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“This rocket body (NORAD id 57321) was part of the vehicle that successfully injected the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft into the intended orbit of 133 km x 35823 km with a 21.3o inclination on July 14, 2023,” the space agency said.</p>

<h2><strong>Chandrayaan-3: Re-entry of rocket body into Earth’s atmosphere</strong></h2>

<p>The Indian space agency further said that the re-entry of the rocket body part took place within 124 days of its launch. The post-mission orbital lifetime of the LVM3 M4 Cryogenic upper stage is, thus, “fully compliant with the '25-year rule'&nbsp;for LEO (Low Earth Orbit) objects”. It was aligned with the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC).</p>
<img alt="Part of Chandrayaan-3's rocket " data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="e01e5d41-191c-4764-8957-eb7697809fed" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/lvm3m4_ReEntry_Cryogenic_Upper_Stage2.png" />
<p>What does this mean? In order to mitigate the space debris, some guidelines were laid down by the international space community. According to that guideline, satellites in LEO must deorbit or be placed in graveyard orbit within a maximum of 25 years after the completion of their mission. Hence, as per this guideline, ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 rocket’s body part followed the 25-year rule.</p>

<h2><strong>India’s commitment to sustainable space exploration</strong></h2>

<p>The press release also mentioned the “passivation” of Chandrayaan-3’s upper stage. It went through “passivation” to remove all residual propellant and energy sources to minimise the risks of accidental explosions as per the space debris mitigation guidelines by the United Nations and IADC.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-contacts-thai-cave-rescue-experts-while-racing-against-time-to-save-uttarakhand-tunnel-workers-659016">India contacts Thai cave rescue experts while racing against time to save Uttarakhand tunnel workers</a></p>

<p>“Passivation and Post-mission disposal of this rocket body in adherence to the internationally accepted guidelines once again reaffirms India’s commitment to preserving the long-term sustainability of outer space activities.”</p>

<p>On Aug 23, India became the fourth country to successfully land on the moon as the Chandrayaan-3’s lander module successfully made a soft landing on the lunar surface and the first nation to touch down on the polar region of the moon.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


A major part of the Chandrayaan-3 launch vehicle has made uncontrolled re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said in this press release that the cryogenic upper stage of the LVM3 M4 launch vehicle made this re-entry at around 2:42 am IST on Wednesday.

A major part of the Chandrayaan-3 launch vehicle has made uncontrolled re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said in this press release that the cryogenic upper stage of the LVM3 M4 launch vehicle made this re-entry at around 2:42 am IST on Wednesday. “The cryogenic upper stage of the LVM3 M4 launch vehicle made an uncontrolled re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere, around 2.42 pm today. The probable impact point was predicted over the North Pacific Ocean,” ISRO said. Also Read | Jaishankar says evidence needed from Canada before starting Hardeep Nijjar killing probe The space agency further said that the final ground track did not pass over India. “This rocket body (NORAD id 57321) was part of the vehicle that successfully injected the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft into the intended orbit of 133 km x 35823 km with a 21.3o inclination on July 14, 2023,” the space agency said. Chandrayaan-3: Re-entry of rocket body into Earth’s atmosphere The Indian space agency further said that the re-entry of the rocket body part took place within 124 days of its launch. The post-mission orbital lifetime of the LVM3 M4 Cryogenic upper stage is, thus, “fully compliant with the '25-year rule' for LEO (Low Earth Orbit) objects”. It was aligned with the recommendation of the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC). What does this mean? In order to mitigate the space debris, some guidelines were laid down by the international space community. According to that guideline, satellites in LEO must deorbit or be placed in graveyard orbit within a maximum of 25 years after the completion of their mission. Hence, as per this guideline, ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 rocket’s body part followed the 25-year rule. India’s commitment to sustainable space exploration The press release also mentioned the “passivation” of Chandrayaan-3’s upper stage. It went through “passivation” to remove all residual propellant and energy sources to minimise the risks of accidental explosions as per the space debris mitigation guidelines by the United Nations and IADC. Also Read | India contacts Thai cave rescue experts while racing against time to save Uttarakhand tunnel workers “Passivation and Post-mission disposal of this rocket body in adherence to the internationally accepted guidelines once again reaffirms India’s commitment to preserving the long-term sustainability of outer space activities.” On Aug 23, India became the fourth country to successfully land on the moon as the Chandrayaan-3’s lander module successfully made a soft landing on the lunar surface and the first nation to touch down on the polar region of the moon. (With inputs from agencies)

Chandrayaan-3 rocket's part made uncontrolled re-entry into Earth's atmosphere

<p>The National Council of Educational Research &amp; Training (NCERT) released detailed modules on Chandrayaan after the successful touchdown to educate school children about India’s space accomplishments. The NCERT modules, named Chandrayaan Utsav, however, sparked a controversy for “mixing science with mythology.”</p>

<p>Several reports from Indian news outlets say that NCERT reading modules promote pseudoscience and make misleading claims for middle-school students.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-biggest-data-breach-personal-covid-data-of-over-800-million-indians-leaked-653346">India's biggest data breach? Covid information of over 800 million people leaked</a></p>

<p>The All India People’s Science Network (AIPSN), a consortium of 40 organisations from 25 states, has also expressed concern that the modules are ill-written with errors and incorrect information. The consortium said that they could drive students away from the “existing field” of space science.</p>

<h2><strong>NCERT’s module on Chandrayaan sparks controversy</strong></h2>

<p>The set of modules titled ‘Chandrayaan Utsav’ was released online on Oct 17 in Hindi and English languages. The release took place at an event in New Delhi with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and ISRO Chairman S. Somanath in attendance.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The journey of ISRO’s Chandrayaan mission was divided into ten modules with interactive graphics and engaging illustrations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Many reports claim that the piece reportedly has an excessive focus on Prime Minister Narendra Modi rather than on the contributions of the ISRO and the scientists involved in the mission. Other reports also allege&nbsp;that&nbsp;modules consistently referred to India as ‘Bharat’ across its 17 pages.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/jefferies-predicts-25pc-stock-market-decline-in-india-if-bjp-loses-2024-elections-653337">India's stock market may decline by 25 pc if BJP loses 2024 elections: Jefferies</a></p>

<h2><strong>What do modules contain?</strong></h2>

<p>A module for students of Classes IX and X, for instance, contains the following text: “The moon is the brightest and largest heavenly body in our night sky. There are many benefits Earth gets from the moon… it (the moon) creates tides and protects Earth from solar winds, ideal for studying the universe.”</p>

<p>The AIPSN has described the text as misleading and inaccurate, as they said that the moon only appears to be the largest heavenly body because of its proximity to Earth.</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/national-unity-day-pm-modi-pays-tributes-to-sardar-patel-in-gujarat-on-his-birth-anniversary-653338">National Unity Day: PM Modi pays tributes to Sardar Patel in Gujarat on his birth anniversary</a></p>

<p>“The moon protecting the Earth from the solar wind is inaccurate and the second part of the sentence, ideal for studying the universe does not have any connection to the first and is meaningless here,” the AIPSN said.</p>

<h2><strong>Education Ministry clarifies</strong></h2>

<p>In response, the Ministry of Education has clarified that it is important to “equip teachers and students with knowledge that transcends traditional textbooks”. It said this endeavour aims to instil a sense of pride in India and its accomplishments.</p>

<p>The ministry added that it is essential to extend curricular material beyond textbooks with a focus on the nation’s achievements in an accessible and captivating way.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT) released detailed modules on Chandrayaan after the successful touchdown to educate school children about India’s space accomplishments.

The National Council of Educational Research & Training (NCERT) released detailed modules on Chandrayaan after the successful touchdown to educate school children about India’s space accomplishments. The NCERT modules, named Chandrayaan Utsav, however, sparked a controversy for “mixing science with mythology.” Several reports from Indian news outlets say that NCERT reading modules promote pseudoscience and make misleading claims for middle-school students. Also Read | India's biggest data breach? Covid information of over 800 million people leaked The All India People’s Science Network (AIPSN), a consortium of 40 organisations from 25 states, has also expressed concern that the modules are ill-written with errors and incorrect information. The consortium said that they could drive students away from the “existing field” of space science. NCERT’s module on Chandrayaan sparks controversy The set of modules titled ‘Chandrayaan Utsav’ was released online on Oct 17 in Hindi and English languages. The release took place at an event in New Delhi with Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and ISRO Chairman S. Somanath in attendance. The journey of ISRO’s Chandrayaan mission was divided into ten modules with interactive graphics and engaging illustrations. Many reports claim that the piece reportedly has an excessive focus on Prime Minister Narendra Modi rather than on the contributions of the ISRO and the scientists involved in the mission. Other reports also allege that modules consistently referred to India as ‘Bharat’ across its 17 pages. Also Read | India's stock market may decline by 25 pc if BJP loses 2024 elections: Jefferies What do modules contain? A module for students of Classes IX and X, for instance, contains the following text: “The moon is the brightest and largest heavenly body in our night sky. There are many benefits Earth gets from the moon… it (the moon) creates tides and protects Earth from solar winds, ideal for studying the universe.” The AIPSN has described the text as misleading and inaccurate, as they said that the moon only appears to be the largest heavenly body because of its proximity to Earth. Also Read | National Unity Day: PM Modi pays tributes to Sardar Patel in Gujarat on his birth anniversary “The moon protecting the Earth from the solar wind is inaccurate and the second part of the sentence, ideal for studying the universe does not have any connection to the first and is meaningless here,” the AIPSN said. Education Ministry clarifies In response, the Ministry of Education has clarified that it is important to “equip teachers and students with knowledge that transcends traditional textbooks”. It said this endeavour aims to instil a sense of pride in India and its accomplishments. The ministry added that it is essential to extend curricular material beyond textbooks with a focus on the nation’s achievements in an accessible and captivating way. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India: NCERT modules on Chandrayaan spark controversy for 'mixing science with mythology'

<p>ISRO's Gaganyaan TV-D1 test flight, conducted on Saturday (Oct 21)&nbsp;was done with unprecedented defence asset mobilisation. The operation involved the active participation of the Indian Navy's surface and aerial assets, as the Maritime force was entrusted with capturing and transmitting the mission progress footage and recovering the adrift crew module from the Bay of Bengal and returning it safely to the nearest port, Chennai. Throughout the process of descent of the crew module, its phased parachute deployment, splashdown and recovery operations, Indian Navy's air assets provided continuous live coverage. WION has learnt that the Indian Navy deployed indigenous 'Spotter drones' and the US-origin General Atomics MQ-9B Sea Guardian remotely piloted aircraft as part of this operation.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Multiple cams&amp; drones, multiple ships and small boats...<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isro</a> has executed <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TVD1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TVD1</a> with military-like attention to detail..Infrared cameras, real-time drone videos and what not! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indian</a> armed forces showing their synergy for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GaganyaanMission?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GaganyaanMission</a><br />
<br />
Amazed to see it all unfold🚀❤️🇮🇳🫡 <a href="https://t.co/k1NOfehsfE">pic.twitter.com/k1NOfehsfE</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1715596649710616608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>The TV-D1 test was meant to prove how a crew module (structure carrying the astronauts) could be ejected from a flying rocket, if and when a mishap took place mid-flight. This is similar to how a fighter pilot pulls the ejection handle beneath the seat, in order to bailout from an aircraft that was facing grave malfunction or an imminent crash. Given the thousands of moving parts in a rocket and the very high speeds and altitudes it travels at, errors can build up anytime and rapidly cause a mishap. Therefore, it is crucial to be able to save the astronauts from any imminent catastrophe and at various flight conditions. Saturday's test was about ejecting the crew module, when the rocket was flying at an altitude of 11.9km&nbsp;and a speed of Mach 1.2 (1481kmph).&nbsp;In this mission, the parachutes began to deploy in a phased manner, the crew module began its descent from 16.8km&nbsp;(more than 55,000 feet).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Until five minutes into the mission, the visuals of the parachute deployment and gradual descent were captured by the on-board cameras mounted atop the crew module. However, five minutes into the mission, when the drogue parachutes were released and the main parachutes were deployed, ISRO's live stream began to show never-seen-before infrared visuals of the crew module. The crew module was at an altitude of around 2.5km&nbsp;at that time and the live video was being captured from well above and afar from the crew module. This close monitoring and live-streaming is learnt to have been carried out by the Navy's MQ-9B Sea Guardian Drone, two of which have been leased from the American firm General Atomics. As the events unfolded off the coast of Sriharikota, the live footage was broadcast at the Mission Control Centre of the spaceport.</p>

<p>The MQ-9B Sea Guardian is a remotely piloted aircraft that operates via satellite link. According to General Atomics, this highly sophisticated drone can deliver&nbsp;real-time situational awareness anywhere in the maritime domain, during day or night conditions. Sea Guardian not only integrates the most advanced maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, but it is also the first remotely piloted aircraft system in its class to enable real-time search and patrol above and below the ocean's surface. The real-time aerial videos streamed by ISRO also show how the aerial platform was flying amid the clouds, while continuously tracking the descent path of the crew module.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">For all <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/indian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#indian</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/space?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#space</a> enthusiasts wanting to know more about the drones that live streamed <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GaganyaanMission?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GaganyaanMission</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TVD1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TVD1</a> crew module landing-<br />
<br />
2 of them were Spotter drones made in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/india?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#india</a> by <a href="https://twitter.com/SagarDefence?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SagarDefence</a> (90mins endurance, 1km altitude)<br />
<br />
They streamed low altitude&amp; recovery ops <a href="https://t.co/avjSfcUlUq">pic.twitter.com/avjSfcUlUq</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1716387584275095654?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>In addition to this, there were indigenous hexa-copter 'Spotter drones' that were operating from the decks of the Navy ships, that was part of this operation. "These drones have been built in our Pune facility, with the support of the Indian Navy and nearly 100 of them operate with various classes of ships. They have the unique capability of taking-off and landing vertically, even from a warship that moving at 35kmph. Powered by lithium-ion batteries, these Spotter drones have a flight endurance of 90-120minutes and can operate up to heights of 1kilometre" Captain Nikunj Parashar, Managing Director of&nbsp;Sagar Defence Engineering, the firm that builds the Spotter drones, told WION. He added that their drones carried out the real-time imaging and live streaming of the low altitude phase of the mission and recovery operation of the crew module.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Recovery of the 4.5ton crew module at sea is no ordinary feat, especially when a depression is brewing in the Bay of Bengal...<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndianNavy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndianNavy</a> braved it all to execute what we saw today <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gaganyaan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gaganyaan</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isro</a><br />
<br />
Here's <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiaCoastGuard?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IndiaCoastGuard</a> warning fishers of rough seas, boat rolling &amp; pitching <a href="https://t.co/EjBR1vohYk">pic.twitter.com/EjBR1vohYk</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1715704015571595327?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Describing their firm as an innovative engineering company, he lists out that they have built India's first weaponized unmanned surface boats and that they are also developing cargo hauling drones (150kg payload category) for the Indian Navy. Queried about the capability of their drones in harsh maritime environment and weather conditions, Captain Parashar told WION that they have been specifically designed for the harsh challenges that the drones encounter at the altitudes of up to one kilometre.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Notably, this entire operation at sea was carried out on Saturday, when there was a well-marked low pressure area developing into a depression, in the South east Bay of Bengal.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:</strong></p>

<p><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></p>


ISRO's Gaganyaan TV-D1 test flight, conducted on Saturday (Oct 21) was done with unprecedented defence asset mobilisation. The operation involved the active participation of the Indian Navy's surface and aerial assets, as the Maritime force was entrusted with capturing and transmitting the mission progress footage and recovering the adrift crew module from the Bay of Bengal and returning it safely to the nearest port, Chennai.

ISRO's Gaganyaan TV-D1 test flight, conducted on Saturday (Oct 21) was done with unprecedented defence asset mobilisation. The operation involved the active participation of the Indian Navy's surface and aerial assets, as the Maritime force was entrusted with capturing and transmitting the mission progress footage and recovering the adrift crew module from the Bay of Bengal and returning it safely to the nearest port, Chennai. Throughout the process of descent of the crew module, its phased parachute deployment, splashdown and recovery operations, Indian Navy's air assets provided continuous live coverage. WION has learnt that the Indian Navy deployed indigenous 'Spotter drones' and the US-origin General Atomics MQ-9B Sea Guardian remotely piloted aircraft as part of this operation. Multiple cams& drones, multiple ships and small boats...#isro has executed #TVD1 with military-like attention to detail..Infrared cameras, real-time drone videos and what not! #Indian armed forces showing their synergy for #GaganyaanMission Amazed to see it all unfold🚀❤️🇮🇳🫡 pic.twitter.com/k1NOfehsfE — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) October 21, 2023 × The TV-D1 test was meant to prove how a crew module (structure carrying the astronauts) could be ejected from a flying rocket, if and when a mishap took place mid-flight. This is similar to how a fighter pilot pulls the ejection handle beneath the seat, in order to bailout from an aircraft that was facing grave malfunction or an imminent crash. Given the thousands of moving parts in a rocket and the very high speeds and altitudes it travels at, errors can build up anytime and rapidly cause a mishap. Therefore, it is crucial to be able to save the astronauts from any imminent catastrophe and at various flight conditions. Saturday's test was about ejecting the crew module, when the rocket was flying at an altitude of 11.9km and a speed of Mach 1.2 (1481kmph). In this mission, the parachutes began to deploy in a phased manner, the crew module began its descent from 16.8km (more than 55,000 feet). Until five minutes into the mission, the visuals of the parachute deployment and gradual descent were captured by the on-board cameras mounted atop the crew module. However, five minutes into the mission, when the drogue parachutes were released and the main parachutes were deployed, ISRO's live stream began to show never-seen-before infrared visuals of the crew module. The crew module was at an altitude of around 2.5km at that time and the live video was being captured from well above and afar from the crew module. This close monitoring and live-streaming is learnt to have been carried out by the Navy's MQ-9B Sea Guardian Drone, two of which have been leased from the American firm General Atomics. As the events unfolded off the coast of Sriharikota, the live footage was broadcast at the Mission Control Centre of the spaceport. The MQ-9B Sea Guardian is a remotely piloted aircraft that operates via satellite link. According to General Atomics, this highly sophisticated drone can deliver real-time situational awareness anywhere in the maritime domain, during day or night conditions. Sea Guardian not only integrates the most advanced maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, but it is also the first remotely piloted aircraft system in its class to enable real-time search and patrol above and below the ocean's surface. The real-time aerial videos streamed by ISRO also show how the aerial platform was flying amid the clouds, while continuously tracking the descent path of the crew module. For all #indian #space enthusiasts wanting to know more about the drones that live streamed #GaganyaanMission #TVD1 crew module landing- 2 of them were Spotter drones made in #india by @SagarDefence (90mins endurance, 1km altitude) They streamed low altitude& recovery ops pic.twitter.com/avjSfcUlUq — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) October 23, 2023 × In addition to this, there were indigenous hexa-copter 'Spotter drones' that were operating from the decks of the Navy ships, that was part of this operation. "These drones have been built in our Pune facility, with the support of the Indian Navy and nearly 100 of them operate with various classes of ships. They have the unique capability of taking-off and landing vertically, even from a warship that moving at 35kmph. Powered by lithium-ion batteries, these Spotter drones have a flight endurance of 90-120minutes and can operate up to heights of 1kilometre" Captain Nikunj Parashar, Managing Director of Sagar Defence Engineering, the firm that builds the Spotter drones, told WION. He added that their drones carried out the real-time imaging and live streaming of the low altitude phase of the mission and recovery operation of the crew module. Recovery of the 4.5ton crew module at sea is no ordinary feat, especially when a depression is brewing in the Bay of Bengal...#IndianNavy braved it all to execute what we saw today #Gaganyaan #isro Here's @IndiaCoastGuard warning fishers of rough seas, boat rolling & pitching pic.twitter.com/EjBR1vohYk — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) October 21, 2023 × Describing their firm as an innovative engineering company, he lists out that they have built India's first weaponized unmanned surface boats and that they are also developing cargo hauling drones (150kg payload category) for the Indian Navy. Queried about the capability of their drones in harsh maritime environment and weather conditions, Captain Parashar told WION that they have been specifically designed for the harsh challenges that the drones encounter at the altitudes of up to one kilometre. Notably, this entire operation at sea was carried out on Saturday, when there was a well-marked low pressure area developing into a depression, in the South east Bay of Bengal. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Indian Navy's 'spotter drones', US-origin MQ-9Bs supported ISRO's Gaganyaan TV-D1

<p>The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched Gaganyaan Test Vehicle Development Flight Mission-1 (TV-D1 Flight Test). The test vehicle has been launched from Sriharkota Spaceport in southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.</p>

<p>The flight test vehicle abort mission was aimed a demonstrating performance of the Crew Escape system which will be part of the Gaganyaan mission. The aim was also to test safe landing in the Bay of Bengal after the launch.</p>

<p>Although it is a test vehicle launch, it represents a major milestone as it is a step towards India's effort to send humans into space.</p>

<p><strong>(This is a breaking news. More to follow shortly)</strong></p>


The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched Gaganyaan Test Vehicle Development Flight Mission-1 (TV-D1 Flight Test). The test vehicle has been launched from Sriharkota Spaceport in southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched Gaganyaan Test Vehicle Development Flight Mission-1 (TV-D1 Flight Test). The test vehicle has been launched from Sriharkota Spaceport in southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The flight test vehicle abort mission was aimed a demonstrating performance of the Crew Escape system which will be part of the Gaganyaan mission. The aim was also to test safe landing in the Bay of Bengal after the launch. Although it is a test vehicle launch, it represents a major milestone as it is a step towards India's effort to send humans into space. (This is a breaking news. More to follow shortly)

ISRO successfully launches Gaganyaan test vehicle TV-D1

<p>It was a Saturday Science Thriller like no other! The&nbsp;much-anticipated ISRO rocket launch that was originally scheduled for 8:00 am, was rescheduled twice within an hour (to 8:30 and 8:45). At 8:45 am, as people and journalists at the spaceport looked skywards, the vehicle did not lift off. As the countdown timer was at minus five seconds, the computer had put the launch on hold, owing to an anomaly in engine ignition.&nbsp;Videos from the launchpad showed the rocket emitting red fumes, indicating that it was just moments away from launch. The ISRO Chief had acknowledged the anomaly and said that their team would identify the fault and schedule the launch after the fault was rectified. When most people lost hope, ISRO had silently rectified the issue within an hour and launched at 10 am sharp.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Watch closely, the L40 stage(Vikas engine) ignited at 5secs, as it usually does during GSLV Mk2 launch<br />
<br />
See the characteristic rust-shaded fumes of toxic fuel combo UDMH+N204<br />
<br />
Computer detected an anomaly&amp; halted the launch, saved the day<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isro</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TVD1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TVD1</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/gaganyaan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#gaganyaan</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://t.co/vif8ThpNCL">pic.twitter.com/vif8ThpNCL</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1715577743684014116?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>After the setback on the launchpad, ISRO Chief Dr S. Somanath said, "The lift-off attempt of TV-D1 could not happen today...We had a very smooth Automatic Launch Sequence leading up to the command to lift off the engine...But the engine ignition has not happened in the nominal course, we have to find out what went wrong with that. The entire vehicle is safe." While it seemed that the launch would happen only weeks later, ISRO was quick to rectify the issue with their computer systems and resume the countdown.</p>

<p>A few seconds after the clock struck 10:00 am, amid hazy skies, the only indication of the Test Vehicle having lifted off was the loud rumble of the liquid-fuelled Vikas engine that powers the Test Vehicle. Soon after, the flight events happened precisely in the planned sequence.&nbsp;As per the plan, 61 seconds from lift-off, the vehicle reached an altitude of 11.9km&nbsp;and a speed of Mach1.2 (1480kmph) and that's when the rocket shut down, as pre-programmed. Immediately, the Crew escape system triggered and the top portion of the rocket comprising the escape system and the crew module ejected itself higher and farther away from the rocket. They travelled a couple of kilometres higher away from the rocket. 90 seconds after lift-off, at around 17km&nbsp;altitude, the crew escape system and crew module separated. While the rocket and the crew escape system rapidly fell into the sea, the crew module used multiple parachutes to gradually descend and splash down, almost 10 km away from the spaceport's shore. From lift-off to splashdown, this mission took place in nine minutes, and the ISRO Mission Control broke into a celebration as the parachutes deployed during the crew module descent.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">2 postponements within an hour, owing to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/weather?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#weather</a>, then the vehicle suffers an anomaly at engine ignition and launch is put on hold...<br />
<br />
And now they've launched and all is well...<br />
<br />
As parachutes deploy in sequence - Mission Control erupts in cheer and ovation <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isro</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tvd1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tvd1</a> <a href="https://t.co/CUq92zcWma">pic.twitter.com/CUq92zcWma</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1715588821809836526?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>In his post-mission address, ISRO Chief Dr. S. Somanath said, 'TV-D1' fully accomplished its objectives. "Crew module has safely landed. I'm very happy to announce a successful mission accomplishment. The crew module has splashed down at the required velocity and this confirmation data has been received. The recovery activity will continue to happen" he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Explaining the delay, the anomaly and the suspense, Somanath said that the initial delay was owing to weather-related issues. "Thereafter, the computer detected an anomaly in the rocket and put the launch on hold, with barely 5 seconds to go for lift-off. "We understood that the non-conformance(error detected) was due to a monitoring anomaly in the system. We identified and rectified it very fast and took our time to refill the gases in the rocket and again went for the launch" he elaborated. Referring to the process of rapidly identifying and rectifying the anomaly, Somanath said that it was training for the team, in preparation for the Gaganyaan astronaut mission.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to 'TV-D1' Mission Director Sivakumar, the three components in this test - Test Vehicle rocket, Crew Escape System and Crew Module had performed perfectly in their maiden attempt. The ISRO Chief said that more data from this mission would be available, once the crew module is recovered and handed over to ISRO at the Chennai Port. WION had first reported that two Indian ships INS Shakti and SCI Saraswati would be waiting at a safe distance to recover the empty capsule. INS Shakti is a fleet tanker of the Indian Navy and SCI Saraswati is a multi-purpose support vessel (meant to supply offshore installations and serve research purposes) of the Shipping Corporation of India. Notably, both these vessels are capable of having helicopters on board, thereby acting as a force multiplier and offering airborne assistance to their respective primary missions.&nbsp;Visuals beamed to ISRO, from aerial assets showcased the crew module recovery activity at sea. The activity involved multiple large vessels and smaller crafts.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Multiple cams&amp; drones, multiple ships and small boats...<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isro</a> has executed <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TVD1?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TVD1</a> with military-like attention to detail..Infrared cameras, real-time drone videos and what not! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Indian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Indian</a> armed forces showing their synergy for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GaganyaanMission?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GaganyaanMission</a><br />
<br />
Amazed to see it all unfold🚀❤️🇮🇳🫡 <a href="https://t.co/k1NOfehsfE">pic.twitter.com/k1NOfehsfE</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1715596649710616608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>The maiden Test Vehicle success offers more confidence to ISRO to execute at least three more missions under varied flight conditions. The ISRO Chief expressed optimism about the maiden unmanned flight(complete Gaganyaan mission flight, without astronauts) taking place in early 2024.</p>

<p>You can&nbsp;<strong>now write for wionews.com</strong>&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


It was a Saturday Science Thriller like no other! The much-anticipated ISRO rocket launch that was originally scheduled for 8:00 am, was rescheduled twice within an hour (to 8:30 and 8:45).

It was a Saturday Science Thriller like no other! The much-anticipated ISRO rocket launch that was originally scheduled for 8:00 am, was rescheduled twice within an hour (to 8:30 and 8:45). At 8:45 am, as people and journalists at the spaceport looked skywards, the vehicle did not lift off. As the countdown timer was at minus five seconds, the computer had put the launch on hold, owing to an anomaly in engine ignition. Videos from the launchpad showed the rocket emitting red fumes, indicating that it was just moments away from launch. The ISRO Chief had acknowledged the anomaly and said that their team would identify the fault and schedule the launch after the fault was rectified. When most people lost hope, ISRO had silently rectified the issue within an hour and launched at 10 am sharp. Watch closely, the L40 stage(Vikas engine) ignited at 5secs, as it usually does during GSLV Mk2 launch See the characteristic rust-shaded fumes of toxic fuel combo UDMH+N204 Computer detected an anomaly& halted the launch, saved the day#isro #TVD1 #gaganyaan #tech #Science pic.twitter.com/vif8ThpNCL — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) October 21, 2023 × After the setback on the launchpad, ISRO Chief Dr S. Somanath said, "The lift-off attempt of TV-D1 could not happen today...We had a very smooth Automatic Launch Sequence leading up to the command to lift off the engine...But the engine ignition has not happened in the nominal course, we have to find out what went wrong with that. The entire vehicle is safe." While it seemed that the launch would happen only weeks later, ISRO was quick to rectify the issue with their computer systems and resume the countdown. A few seconds after the clock struck 10:00 am, amid hazy skies, the only indication of the Test Vehicle having lifted off was the loud rumble of the liquid-fuelled Vikas engine that powers the Test Vehicle. Soon after, the flight events happened precisely in the planned sequence. As per the plan, 61 seconds from lift-off, the vehicle reached an altitude of 11.9km and a speed of Mach1.2 (1480kmph) and that's when the rocket shut down, as pre-programmed. Immediately, the Crew escape system triggered and the top portion of the rocket comprising the escape system and the crew module ejected itself higher and farther away from the rocket. They travelled a couple of kilometres higher away from the rocket. 90 seconds after lift-off, at around 17km altitude, the crew escape system and crew module separated. While the rocket and the crew escape system rapidly fell into the sea, the crew module used multiple parachutes to gradually descend and splash down, almost 10 km away from the spaceport's shore. From lift-off to splashdown, this mission took place in nine minutes, and the ISRO Mission Control broke into a celebration as the parachutes deployed during the crew module descent. 2 postponements within an hour, owing to #weather, then the vehicle suffers an anomaly at engine ignition and launch is put on hold... And now they've launched and all is well... As parachutes deploy in sequence - Mission Control erupts in cheer and ovation #isro #tvd1 pic.twitter.com/CUq92zcWma — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) October 21, 2023 × In his post-mission address, ISRO Chief Dr. S. Somanath said, 'TV-D1' fully accomplished its objectives. "Crew module has safely landed. I'm very happy to announce a successful mission accomplishment. The crew module has splashed down at the required velocity and this confirmation data has been received. The recovery activity will continue to happen" he added. Explaining the delay, the anomaly and the suspense, Somanath said that the initial delay was owing to weather-related issues. "Thereafter, the computer detected an anomaly in the rocket and put the launch on hold, with barely 5 seconds to go for lift-off. "We understood that the non-conformance(error detected) was due to a monitoring anomaly in the system. We identified and rectified it very fast and took our time to refill the gases in the rocket and again went for the launch" he elaborated. Referring to the process of rapidly identifying and rectifying the anomaly, Somanath said that it was training for the team, in preparation for the Gaganyaan astronaut mission. According to 'TV-D1' Mission Director Sivakumar, the three components in this test - Test Vehicle rocket, Crew Escape System and Crew Module had performed perfectly in their maiden attempt. The ISRO Chief said that more data from this mission would be available, once the crew module is recovered and handed over to ISRO at the Chennai Port. WION had first reported that two Indian ships INS Shakti and SCI Saraswati would be waiting at a safe distance to recover the empty capsule. INS Shakti is a fleet tanker of the Indian Navy and SCI Saraswati is a multi-purpose support vessel (meant to supply offshore installations and serve research purposes) of the Shipping Corporation of India. Notably, both these vessels are capable of having helicopters on board, thereby acting as a force multiplier and offering airborne assistance to their respective primary missions. Visuals beamed to ISRO, from aerial assets showcased the crew module recovery activity at sea. The activity involved multiple large vessels and smaller crafts. Multiple cams& drones, multiple ships and small boats...#isro has executed #TVD1 with military-like attention to detail..Infrared cameras, real-time drone videos and what not! #Indian armed forces showing their synergy for #GaganyaanMission Amazed to see it all unfold🚀❤️🇮🇳🫡 pic.twitter.com/k1NOfehsfE — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) October 21, 2023 × The maiden Test Vehicle success offers more confidence to ISRO to execute at least three more missions under varied flight conditions. The ISRO Chief expressed optimism about the maiden unmanned flight(complete Gaganyaan mission flight, without astronauts) taking place in early 2024. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

ISRO delivers a Saturday Space Science Thriller, Gaganyaan maiden test flight 'TV-D1' successful

<p>Around 8:10 am, as ISRO's 'Gaganyaan' crew capsule splashes down in the Bay of Bengal, 10 kilometres off the coast of the Indian Spaceport in Sriharikota, two Indian ships INS Shakti and SCI Saraswati will be waiting at a safe distance to recover the empty capsule, WION has learnt. INS Shakti is a fleet tanker of the Indian Navy and SCI Saraswati is a multi-purpose support vessel (meant to supply offshore installations and serve research purposes) of the Shipping Corporation of India. Both these vessels are tasked with the crucial recovery process of the crew module. Notably, both these vessels are capable of having helicopters on-board, thereby acting as a force multiplier and offering airborne assistance to their respective primary missions.</p>

<p>Recovering the adrift module, lifting it and securing it on the deck of a ship is no easy feat, as the crew module weighs in excess of 4.5 tonnes and this lifting task necessitates heavy-duty shipborne cranes. That's why the Indian Navy and the Shipping Corporation of India have deployed two adequately large vessels for this unique task at sea.</p>

<p><img alt="SCI Saraswati" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="aecdfba8-1479-4c3d-9f36-bc713d864fde" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/DEJCVPTVYAAf06R.jpg" /></p>

<p>INS Shakti is the Indian Navy's fleet replenishment tanker. Simply put, it is a floating and moving fuel station, grocery store and much more, at sea. When Indian assets at sea require any supplies and replenishment, such massive tankers rendezvous with them and cater to the needs. A unique capability of the INS Shakti is its on-board heavy-duty crane that is capable of lifting loads as heavy as 30 tonnes. Displacing 27,500 tonnes, this vessel is among the largest that are operated by the Indian Navy. Replenishment tankers enable a Navy to conduct missions far from home shores.</p>

<p>ISRO's mission is a very unique one. It is an effort to test the system's required to rescue the astronaut capsule from a rocket that fails mid-flight. This is being carried out in preparation for India's ambitious Human Spaceflight programme 'Gaganyaan'. As part of ISRO's 'TV-D1' test flight, a purpose-built rocket would be launched to an altitude that's a little more than that of passenger airliners. 61 seconds from lift-off, the vehicle would reach an altitude of 11.9 km and a speed of Mach 1.2(1480 kmph) and that's when the rocket would shut down, as pre-programmed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Immediately, the crew escape system would be triggered and the top portion of the rocket comprising the escape system and the crew module would eject itself higher and farther away from the rocket. They would travel a couple of kilometres higher away from the rocket. 90 seconds after lift-off, at around 17 km altitude, the crew escape system and crew module would separate. While the rocket and the crew escape system free-fall into the sea, the crew module uses multiple parachutes to gradually descend and splashdown, almost 10 km away from the spaceport's shore.</p>

<p>Effectively, three massive aerospace components (each weighing several tonnes) would be splashing down at sea, a few kilometres away from the Indian spaceport. Therefore, both INS Shakti and SCI Saraswati would be positioned far away, at a safe distance. When they get the go-ahead to recover the fallen capsule, they would set sail for the splashdown site of the crew module and deploy their swimmers and divers to secure the floating object and then help the crane do the rest. As there are no berthing facilities in the vicinity of the spaceport, the vessels would have to offload the crew module at the Chennai port, that is less than 80 km from the spaceport.</p>

<p>You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form"><strong>here</strong></a>.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Around 8:10 am, as ISRO's 'Gaganyaan' crew capsule splashes down in the Bay of Bengal, 10 kilometres off the coast of the Indian Spaceport in Sriharikota, two Indian ships INS Shakti and SCI Saraswati will be waiting at a safe distance to recover the empty capsule, WION has learnt.

Around 8:10 am, as ISRO's 'Gaganyaan' crew capsule splashes down in the Bay of Bengal, 10 kilometres off the coast of the Indian Spaceport in Sriharikota, two Indian ships INS Shakti and SCI Saraswati will be waiting at a safe distance to recover the empty capsule, WION has learnt. INS Shakti is a fleet tanker of the Indian Navy and SCI Saraswati is a multi-purpose support vessel (meant to supply offshore installations and serve research purposes) of the Shipping Corporation of India. Both these vessels are tasked with the crucial recovery process of the crew module. Notably, both these vessels are capable of having helicopters on-board, thereby acting as a force multiplier and offering airborne assistance to their respective primary missions. Recovering the adrift module, lifting it and securing it on the deck of a ship is no easy feat, as the crew module weighs in excess of 4.5 tonnes and this lifting task necessitates heavy-duty shipborne cranes. That's why the Indian Navy and the Shipping Corporation of India have deployed two adequately large vessels for this unique task at sea. INS Shakti is the Indian Navy's fleet replenishment tanker. Simply put, it is a floating and moving fuel station, grocery store and much more, at sea. When Indian assets at sea require any supplies and replenishment, such massive tankers rendezvous with them and cater to the needs. A unique capability of the INS Shakti is its on-board heavy-duty crane that is capable of lifting loads as heavy as 30 tonnes. Displacing 27,500 tonnes, this vessel is among the largest that are operated by the Indian Navy. Replenishment tankers enable a Navy to conduct missions far from home shores. ISRO's mission is a very unique one. It is an effort to test the system's required to rescue the astronaut capsule from a rocket that fails mid-flight. This is being carried out in preparation for India's ambitious Human Spaceflight programme 'Gaganyaan'. As part of ISRO's 'TV-D1' test flight, a purpose-built rocket would be launched to an altitude that's a little more than that of passenger airliners. 61 seconds from lift-off, the vehicle would reach an altitude of 11.9 km and a speed of Mach 1.2(1480 kmph) and that's when the rocket would shut down, as pre-programmed. Immediately, the crew escape system would be triggered and the top portion of the rocket comprising the escape system and the crew module would eject itself higher and farther away from the rocket. They would travel a couple of kilometres higher away from the rocket. 90 seconds after lift-off, at around 17 km altitude, the crew escape system and crew module would separate. While the rocket and the crew escape system free-fall into the sea, the crew module uses multiple parachutes to gradually descend and splashdown, almost 10 km away from the spaceport's shore. Effectively, three massive aerospace components (each weighing several tonnes) would be splashing down at sea, a few kilometres away from the Indian spaceport. Therefore, both INS Shakti and SCI Saraswati would be positioned far away, at a safe distance. When they get the go-ahead to recover the fallen capsule, they would set sail for the splashdown site of the crew module and deploy their swimmers and divers to secure the floating object and then help the crane do the rest. As there are no berthing facilities in the vicinity of the spaceport, the vessels would have to offload the crew module at the Chennai port, that is less than 80 km from the spaceport. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Exclusive: India's INS Shakti and SCI Saraswati to recover ISRO Gaganyaan crew module from sea

<p>The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched Gaganyaan Test Vehicle Development Flight Mission-1 test vehicle (TV-D1 Flight Test) on Saturday (Oct 21). The launch was kept on hold earlier this morning when ISRO made first attempt. At the time, the launch was aborted as on-board computers detected an anomaly, ISRO said. Within a matter of an hour, ISRO posted from its official account on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that the&nbsp;anomaly had been identified and corrected.</p>

<p>After the lift-off, the Crew Module separated from the launch vehicle successfully. It then descended towards the ground using parachutes and splashed down in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Sriharikota as it was intended.</p>

<p>"Mission Gaganyaan. TV D1 Test Flight is accomplished. Crew Escape System performed as intended. Mission Gaganyaan gets off on a successful note," ISRO posted after the successful launch.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mission Gaganyaan<br />
<br />
TV D1 Test Flight is accomplished.<br />
<br />
Crew Escape System performed as intended.<br />
<br />
Mission Gaganyaan gets off on a successful note. <a href="https://twitter.com/DRDO_India?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DRDO_India</a><a href="https://twitter.com/indiannavy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@indiannavy</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gaganyaan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gaganyaan</a></p>
— ISRO (@isro) <a href="https://twitter.com/isro/status/1715590345340432519?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 21, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>The flight test vehicle abort mission was&nbsp;aimed at demonstrating performance of the Crew Escape system which will be part of the Gaganyaan mission. The aim was&nbsp;also to test safe landing in the Bay of Bengal after the launch.</p>

<p>TV-D1 is a liquid-propelled single state test vehicle. The Crew Escape System, which the test vehicle carried with it, is India's homegrown system which will be crucial for the safety of Indian astronauts.</p>

<p>Although it was launch of a&nbsp;test vehicle, it represents a major milestone as it is a step towards India's effort to send humans into space.</p>

<p>The Crew Escape System comprises of five types of quick-acting solid motors.</p>

<p>These are Crew Escape System Jettisoning Motor (CJM), High-altitude Escape Motor (HEM), Low-altitude Escape&nbsp;Motor (LEM), Low-altitude Pitch Motor (LPM) and High-altitude Pitch Motor (HPM).</p>

<p>A crew escape system is just like ejection seats in fighter jet planes. The system safeguards the astronauts in case a catastrophic error occurs during there spaceflight endangering the spacecraft they are travelling in.</p>

<p>It is an automatic system that is triggered by computer if it detects malfunctions or other issues moments after liftoff.</p>

<p>India has an ambitious aim of sending three astronauts into a 400-kilometre&nbsp;orbit around the Earth for three days. After the successful conclusion of that mission, India will join an elite club of nations that&nbsp;have sent astronauts into space.</p>

<p><br />
You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form"><strong>here</strong></a>.</p>

<p><br />
<br />
<strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched Gaganyaan Test Vehicle Development Flight Mission-1 test vehicle (TV-D1 Flight Test) on Saturday (Oct 21).

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched Gaganyaan Test Vehicle Development Flight Mission-1 test vehicle (TV-D1 Flight Test) on Saturday (Oct 21). The launch was kept on hold earlier this morning when ISRO made first attempt. At the time, the launch was aborted as on-board computers detected an anomaly, ISRO said. Within a matter of an hour, ISRO posted from its official account on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) that the anomaly had been identified and corrected. After the lift-off, the Crew Module separated from the launch vehicle successfully. It then descended towards the ground using parachutes and splashed down in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Sriharikota as it was intended. "Mission Gaganyaan. TV D1 Test Flight is accomplished. Crew Escape System performed as intended. Mission Gaganyaan gets off on a successful note," ISRO posted after the successful launch. Mission Gaganyaan TV D1 Test Flight is accomplished. Crew Escape System performed as intended. Mission Gaganyaan gets off on a successful note. @DRDO_India@indiannavy#Gaganyaan — ISRO (@isro) October 21, 2023 × The flight test vehicle abort mission was aimed at demonstrating performance of the Crew Escape system which will be part of the Gaganyaan mission. The aim was also to test safe landing in the Bay of Bengal after the launch. TV-D1 is a liquid-propelled single state test vehicle. The Crew Escape System, which the test vehicle carried with it, is India's homegrown system which will be crucial for the safety of Indian astronauts. Although it was launch of a test vehicle, it represents a major milestone as it is a step towards India's effort to send humans into space. The Crew Escape System comprises of five types of quick-acting solid motors. These are Crew Escape System Jettisoning Motor (CJM), High-altitude Escape Motor (HEM), Low-altitude Escape Motor (LEM), Low-altitude Pitch Motor (LPM) and High-altitude Pitch Motor (HPM). A crew escape system is just like ejection seats in fighter jet planes. The system safeguards the astronauts in case a catastrophic error occurs during there spaceflight endangering the spacecraft they are travelling in. It is an automatic system that is triggered by computer if it detects malfunctions or other issues moments after liftoff. India has an ambitious aim of sending three astronauts into a 400-kilometre orbit around the Earth for three days. After the successful conclusion of that mission, India will join an elite club of nations that have sent astronauts into space. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

After initial hiccup, ISRO successfully launches Gaganyaan TV-D1 test vehicle

<p>The Indian Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) has unveiled a promising outlook for India's space economy, forecasting it to reach $44 billion by 2033, a remarkable surge from the current $8.4 billion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With India accounting for just 2 per cent of the global space market, IN-SPACe aims to significantly enhance its position, targeting 8 per cent of the worldwide market share by 2033, including $11 billion in exports over the next decade.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Pawan Goenka, Chairman of IN-SPACe, shared these insights during the recent presentation, emphasising the potential for India's space ecosystem.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These projections also align with IN-SPACe's goal to increase domestic market share to $33 billion and export share to $11 billion by 2033, requiring an estimated $22 billion in investments over the next 10 years.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to reports, to achieve this visionary target, IN-SPACe's comprehensive approach centres around ten key strategic capabilities, encompassing demand generation, earth observation, communication and navigation platforms, research and development, and international collaboration, among others .This multifaceted strategy seeks to fortify India's position in the global space economy while promoting participation from non-governmental entities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Furthermore, IN-SPACe has outlined its vision for a specialised launch centre dedicated to small satellites within the private sector, expected to become operational in Tuticorin within two years. Although Isro's rockets won't launch from this centre due to its smaller scale compared to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, it marks a significant step toward supporting private sector involvement in space activities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>IN-SPACe's grand vision extends to strengthening the NavIC constellation and expanding its market reach in the Indian Ocean Region. It also focuses on enhancing India's space education and skill transfer programs to nurture talent and expertise. The establishment of a space outreach wing will further assess value propositions, prioritise sectors, and boost awareness within the space ecosystem.&nbsp;</p>

<p>These initiatives are part of IN-SPACe's comprehensive strategy to shape India's space economy and solidify its standing on the global stage. &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


The Indian Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) has unveiled a promising outlook for India's space economy, forecasting it to reach $44 billion by 2033, a remarkable surge from the current $8.

The Indian Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) has unveiled a promising outlook for India's space economy, forecasting it to reach $44 billion by 2033, a remarkable surge from the current $8.4 billion. With India accounting for just 2 per cent of the global space market, IN-SPACe aims to significantly enhance its position, targeting 8 per cent of the worldwide market share by 2033, including $11 billion in exports over the next decade. Pawan Goenka, Chairman of IN-SPACe, shared these insights during the recent presentation, emphasising the potential for India's space ecosystem. These projections also align with IN-SPACe's goal to increase domestic market share to $33 billion and export share to $11 billion by 2033, requiring an estimated $22 billion in investments over the next 10 years. According to reports, to achieve this visionary target, IN-SPACe's comprehensive approach centres around ten key strategic capabilities, encompassing demand generation, earth observation, communication and navigation platforms, research and development, and international collaboration, among others .This multifaceted strategy seeks to fortify India's position in the global space economy while promoting participation from non-governmental entities. Furthermore, IN-SPACe has outlined its vision for a specialised launch centre dedicated to small satellites within the private sector, expected to become operational in Tuticorin within two years. Although Isro's rockets won't launch from this centre due to its smaller scale compared to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, it marks a significant step toward supporting private sector involvement in space activities. IN-SPACe's grand vision extends to strengthening the NavIC constellation and expanding its market reach in the Indian Ocean Region. It also focuses on enhancing India's space education and skill transfer programs to nurture talent and expertise. The establishment of a space outreach wing will further assess value propositions, prioritise sectors, and boost awareness within the space ecosystem. These initiatives are part of IN-SPACe's comprehensive strategy to shape India's space economy and solidify its standing on the global stage. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

India's space economy set to soar to $44 billion by 2033: IN-SPACe chairman 

<p>The alumni of India's prestigious chain of engineering colleges, the government-run Indian Institute of Technology(IIT), are among the CEOs of global firms and hold top positions in various domains. However, the same IITans comprise less than 1 per cent of the workforce at the Indian space agency ISRO.</p>

<p>"Our(country's) best talents are supposed to be engineers from IITs. But, they are not joining ISRO. If we go and try to recruit from IIT, no one joins," ISRO Chief Dr. S. Somanath said in a recent television interview. He also mentioned that the space agency was not getting the best of talent and that IITans comprise less than 1 per cent of those working at ISRO.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This poses interesting questions - When IITans benefit immensely from a high-tech education from the Government of India, why do they refuse to work for a government-run science organisation like ISRO? Why does the government of India not make efforts to ensure that the top engineering talent serves the nation? Why are government-sector science jobs so unattractive for those from the glamorous IITs?</p>

<p>Following the Chandrayaan-3 mission, it was widely talked about that a vast majority of the scientists and technocrats who worked on the mission were those who had graduated from lesser-known engineering colleges.</p>

<p>On the Chandrayaan-3 success, Parliamentarian from Thiruvananthapuram Dr. Shashi Tharoor said in the Lok Sabha, "If IITans went to Silicon Valley, CETans (alumni of College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram) took us to the moon." He was referring to the contributions of the alumni of unsung engineering colleges in various parts of India, and how such people worked on the Chandrayaan-3 mission.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We must proudly salute these alumni of unsung engineering colleges... they serve the public sector with dedication and are the backbone of national enterprises like ISRO", Dr Tharoor said in parliament. Many of his colleagues echoed the sentiment and listed out the scientists who hailed from lesser-known academia in their respective constituencies.</p>

<p>Referring to the exceptional cases of IITans joining ISRO, Dr. S. Somanath said, "Few passionate IITans who think space is important, such people join." Sharing an example of an ISRO team that went to recruit talent from an IIT, Dr Somanath mentioned that 60 per cent of students left the hall after seeing the highest pay that they could earn at the Indian Government-run space agency. "The career ambitions of those joining IITs are different," he said in the interview.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While he said that ISRO was not attracting the best talent, the space agency Chief admitted that the organisation has adequate talent to carry out the work they are performing. However, he also referred to the diversity and vast availability of scientific talent in India.</p>

<p>Indians who get an opportunity to write the IIT entrance (and get in) go there. Thousands and lakhs of such people who have that kind of competency are not getting this opportunity. I am one of them - when I was a student, I never had an opportunity to write an IIT entrance exam or go to an IIT," he said smiling.</p>

<p>"But (my having not gone to IIT) doesn't mean that I was naive or not knowledgeable," he said in the interview.</p>

<p>A vast majority of the scientific talent at ISRO earn their engineering degrees from lesser-known academia. However, as they rise up the ranks within ISRO, they have opportunities to pursue academic courses and PhDs at top-tier Government-run institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru and the IITs.</p>

<p>Notably, the Director of ISRO's lead centre Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre(VSSC), Dr. S. Unnikrishnan Nair, completed his PhD from IIT Madras' Mechanical Engineering Department. So did Dr. Veeramuthuvel, Project Director of Chandrayaan-3. At present, Dr&nbsp;S&nbsp;Somanath, Chairman of ISRO, is also pursuing a PhD from the same Department at IIT Madras.&nbsp;</p>

<p>According to the Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations at IIT Madras, 12 alumni of the institute contributed towards Chandrayaan-3 and more than 140 of them serve ISRO. Recently, the Institute conferred its highest recognition 'The Distinguished Alumnus Award' to twelve ISRO scientists and technocrats who had completed their respective courses there.&nbsp;To their credit, the IITs directly contribute to the space programme by performing theoretical studies, and lab analyses, providing scientific payloads for space missions and studying the scientific data obtained from the sensors.</p>

<p>At the IITs,&nbsp;high-quality engineering courses are offered at a reasonable fee structure, all thanks to the Indian taxpayer. However, one is left wondering why the IITans don't opt in large numbers for a career at ISRO and similar government-run organisations.&nbsp;Perhaps, a significantly better pay structure and career growth opportunities for the science talent at ISRO and related organisations could help attract the best talent.</p>

<p>It is a well-established fact that ISRO scientists earn only a fraction of their counterparts in the Western world and when compared to those in certain private sector jobs in India. Perhaps, an unfavourable view of government work culture, bureaucracy, gradual growth prospects and other factors are dampening the spirits of IITans, who may wish to join the government-run science and technology organisations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"At the IITs, almost everyone gets placed through campus recruitment even before graduating. Therefore, it’s very rare for anyone from IITs to apply for ISRO’s Central Recruitment Board (ICRB), which is its primary mode of recruitment and requires candidates to take an exam followed by interviews. This is one of the main reasons why very few IITans end up joining ISRO,"&nbsp;reasons&nbsp;Pawan K Chandana, an IITian, who also worked with ISRO and now runs Skyroot Aerospace, the firm which launched India's first privately-built sub-orbital rocket.&nbsp;</p>

<p>During his final months at IIT Kharagpur, ISRO was among the recruiters who had come to campus. Pawan and three others from his batch were the only selected candidates. Looking back at this, he recalls,&nbsp;"ISRO has limits on the number of individuals that can be hired from campus, unlike the large numbers hired through ICRB. There is also a pursuit of higher salaries in the IIT culture, resulting in only a few individuals with a real passion for space choosing to join ISRO," he adds.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">"(We think) best <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> talent is from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IIT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IIT</a>, but they are not joining <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isro</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/space?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#space</a> programme..we are not getting best talent..IITans in ISRO is less than 1%.." <a href="https://twitter.com/isro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@isro</a> chairman to <a href="https://twitter.com/rajeshkalra?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rajeshkalra</a><br />
<br />
IITans get <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/govt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#govt</a> subsidised edu, but can't serve <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/govt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#govt</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/india?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#india</a>? Unfair no? <a href="https://t.co/RrNzxnnoFV">pic.twitter.com/RrNzxnnoFV</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1711299598227292359?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>It is not just ISRO that has very few IITans on board, even IIT-Madras incubated launch vehicle firm Agnikul Cosmos has a minuscule number of IIT B.Tech grads. "At the time of campus placements, IIT B.Tech grads are in their early twenties and salary packages are a top priority. The best B. Tech grads often go abroad for their masters and don't sit for placements. In our own firm, of the 200 personnel we have, there are only a couple of IIT B.Tech grads and a handful of IIT M.Tech grads. Also, those getting into aerospace must not just be good engineers, it is imperative to accept delayed gratification," Srinath Ravichandran, who runs Agnikul Cosmos told WION.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also mentions that those working on rocketry must be&nbsp;able to work on a problem for years and have the determination to stay through and solve it. Generally, the top paymasters are the ones who get the first slots at IIT recruitments. Therefore, when ISRO does recruit directly from campus, they may not get the first slots, he feels.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Irrespective of which college a person went to, a B.Tech graduate (in their early 20s) joining ISRO would enter with the grade Scientist/Engineer-SC. He/she would be tasked with both engineering and research opportunities. While joining ISRO under this cadre, an individual earns approximately Rs 80,000 per month (around $1000) in&nbsp;hand. They also get the benefit of health insurance coverage for the family and ISRO performance-related bonuses. Depending on the work location, even accommodation is provided and meals are available at very subsidised rates. These perks are not calculated as part of the cost to the company.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Expectedly, IITs and their public outreach machinery go into overdrive during the placement season, adequately hyped up by the media. It is the top package of Rs 25 million (approx $3,00,000) and the likes that make headlines and give false impressions that most of the IITans earn big fat salaries. However, reports compiled based on placement and pay package data have pegged the average pay for B.Tech graduates from most IITs as between Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 20 lakh. Only a few end up with annual pay packages above Rs 5 million ($60,000).&nbsp;</p>

<p>Therefore, in purely monetary terms, ISRO could well be an option for a fair number of IITans. That's why, there must also be efforts from ISRO's end to better understand the factors behind the minuscule number of IITans within their ranks. IITs could also survey their students to unravel what their students think about joining ISRO.</p>

<p>You can&nbsp;<strong>now write for wionews.com</strong>&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


The alumni of India's prestigious chain of engineering colleges, the government-run Indian Institute of Technology(IIT), are among the CEOs of global firms and hold top positions in various domains.

The alumni of India's prestigious chain of engineering colleges, the government-run Indian Institute of Technology(IIT), are among the CEOs of global firms and hold top positions in various domains. However, the same IITans comprise less than 1 per cent of the workforce at the Indian space agency ISRO. "Our(country's) best talents are supposed to be engineers from IITs. But, they are not joining ISRO. If we go and try to recruit from IIT, no one joins," ISRO Chief Dr. S. Somanath said in a recent television interview. He also mentioned that the space agency was not getting the best of talent and that IITans comprise less than 1 per cent of those working at ISRO. This poses interesting questions - When IITans benefit immensely from a high-tech education from the Government of India, why do they refuse to work for a government-run science organisation like ISRO? Why does the government of India not make efforts to ensure that the top engineering talent serves the nation? Why are government-sector science jobs so unattractive for those from the glamorous IITs? Following the Chandrayaan-3 mission, it was widely talked about that a vast majority of the scientists and technocrats who worked on the mission were those who had graduated from lesser-known engineering colleges. On the Chandrayaan-3 success, Parliamentarian from Thiruvananthapuram Dr. Shashi Tharoor said in the Lok Sabha, "If IITans went to Silicon Valley, CETans (alumni of College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram) took us to the moon." He was referring to the contributions of the alumni of unsung engineering colleges in various parts of India, and how such people worked on the Chandrayaan-3 mission. "We must proudly salute these alumni of unsung engineering colleges... they serve the public sector with dedication and are the backbone of national enterprises like ISRO", Dr Tharoor said in parliament. Many of his colleagues echoed the sentiment and listed out the scientists who hailed from lesser-known academia in their respective constituencies. Referring to the exceptional cases of IITans joining ISRO, Dr. S. Somanath said, "Few passionate IITans who think space is important, such people join." Sharing an example of an ISRO team that went to recruit talent from an IIT, Dr Somanath mentioned that 60 per cent of students left the hall after seeing the highest pay that they could earn at the Indian Government-run space agency. "The career ambitions of those joining IITs are different," he said in the interview. While he said that ISRO was not attracting the best talent, the space agency Chief admitted that the organisation has adequate talent to carry out the work they are performing. However, he also referred to the diversity and vast availability of scientific talent in India. Indians who get an opportunity to write the IIT entrance (and get in) go there. Thousands and lakhs of such people who have that kind of competency are not getting this opportunity. I am one of them - when I was a student, I never had an opportunity to write an IIT entrance exam or go to an IIT," he said smiling. "But (my having not gone to IIT) doesn't mean that I was naive or not knowledgeable," he said in the interview. A vast majority of the scientific talent at ISRO earn their engineering degrees from lesser-known academia. However, as they rise up the ranks within ISRO, they have opportunities to pursue academic courses and PhDs at top-tier Government-run institutions such as the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru and the IITs. Notably, the Director of ISRO's lead centre Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre(VSSC), Dr. S. Unnikrishnan Nair, completed his PhD from IIT Madras' Mechanical Engineering Department. So did Dr. Veeramuthuvel, Project Director of Chandrayaan-3. At present, Dr S Somanath, Chairman of ISRO, is also pursuing a PhD from the same Department at IIT Madras. According to the Office of Alumni and Corporate Relations at IIT Madras, 12 alumni of the institute contributed towards Chandrayaan-3 and more than 140 of them serve ISRO. Recently, the Institute conferred its highest recognition 'The Distinguished Alumnus Award' to twelve ISRO scientists and technocrats who had completed their respective courses there. To their credit, the IITs directly contribute to the space programme by performing theoretical studies, and lab analyses, providing scientific payloads for space missions and studying the scientific data obtained from the sensors. At the IITs, high-quality engineering courses are offered at a reasonable fee structure, all thanks to the Indian taxpayer. However, one is left wondering why the IITans don't opt in large numbers for a career at ISRO and similar government-run organisations. Perhaps, a significantly better pay structure and career growth opportunities for the science talent at ISRO and related organisations could help attract the best talent. It is a well-established fact that ISRO scientists earn only a fraction of their counterparts in the Western world and when compared to those in certain private sector jobs in India. Perhaps, an unfavourable view of government work culture, bureaucracy, gradual growth prospects and other factors are dampening the spirits of IITans, who may wish to join the government-run science and technology organisations. "At the IITs, almost everyone gets placed through campus recruitment even before graduating. Therefore, it’s very rare for anyone from IITs to apply for ISRO’s Central Recruitment Board (ICRB), which is its primary mode of recruitment and requires candidates to take an exam followed by interviews. This is one of the main reasons why very few IITans end up joining ISRO," reasons Pawan K Chandana, an IITian, who also worked with ISRO and now runs Skyroot Aerospace, the firm which launched India's first privately-built sub-orbital rocket. During his final months at IIT Kharagpur, ISRO was among the recruiters who had come to campus. Pawan and three others from his batch were the only selected candidates. Looking back at this, he recalls, "ISRO has limits on the number of individuals that can be hired from campus, unlike the large numbers hired through ICRB. There is also a pursuit of higher salaries in the IIT culture, resulting in only a few individuals with a real passion for space choosing to join ISRO," he adds. "(We think) best #indian #Engineering talent is from #IIT, but they are not joining #isro #space programme..we are not getting best talent..IITans in ISRO is less than 1%.." @isro chairman to @rajeshkalra IITans get #govt subsidised edu, but can't serve #govt #india? Unfair no? pic.twitter.com/RrNzxnnoFV — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) October 9, 2023 × It is not just ISRO that has very few IITans on board, even IIT-Madras incubated launch vehicle firm Agnikul Cosmos has a minuscule number of IIT B.Tech grads. "At the time of campus placements, IIT B.Tech grads are in their early twenties and salary packages are a top priority. The best B. Tech grads often go abroad for their masters and don't sit for placements. In our own firm, of the 200 personnel we have, there are only a couple of IIT B.Tech grads and a handful of IIT M.Tech grads. Also, those getting into aerospace must not just be good engineers, it is imperative to accept delayed gratification," Srinath Ravichandran, who runs Agnikul Cosmos told WION. He also mentions that those working on rocketry must be able to work on a problem for years and have the determination to stay through and solve it. Generally, the top paymasters are the ones who get the first slots at IIT recruitments. Therefore, when ISRO does recruit directly from campus, they may not get the first slots, he feels. Irrespective of which college a person went to, a B.Tech graduate (in their early 20s) joining ISRO would enter with the grade Scientist/Engineer-SC. He/she would be tasked with both engineering and research opportunities. While joining ISRO under this cadre, an individual earns approximately Rs 80,000 per month (around $1000) in hand. They also get the benefit of health insurance coverage for the family and ISRO performance-related bonuses. Depending on the work location, even accommodation is provided and meals are available at very subsidised rates. These perks are not calculated as part of the cost to the company. Expectedly, IITs and their public outreach machinery go into overdrive during the placement season, adequately hyped up by the media. It is the top package of Rs 25 million (approx $3,00,000) and the likes that make headlines and give false impressions that most of the IITans earn big fat salaries. However, reports compiled based on placement and pay package data have pegged the average pay for B.Tech graduates from most IITs as between Rs. 10 lakh and Rs. 20 lakh. Only a few end up with annual pay packages above Rs 5 million ($60,000). Therefore, in purely monetary terms, ISRO could well be an option for a fair number of IITans. That's why, there must also be efforts from ISRO's end to better understand the factors behind the minuscule number of IITans within their ranks. IITs could also survey their students to unravel what their students think about joining ISRO. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Less than 1% IITians in ISRO, they don't want to join: ISRO Chief Somanath

<p>Personnel serving the Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) at the country's spaceport Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), are enabling launches of the most advanced transportation systems- Orbital Rockets.</p>

<p>They&nbsp;take India to space and ensure that the Indian tricolour flies high, even in the orbits around earth and other planets.</p>

<p>Ironically, they themselves are having to write to the Indian Government, to obtain basic train services from the Indian Railways.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a letter to Dr. Jitendra Singh, ISRO's Minister-in-Charge, the personnel at ISRO's spaceport have requested for&nbsp;more to trains halt at the Sullurupeta station, which they depend on for their daily commute to their respective residential locations and native places.</p>

<p>WION has accessed a copy of this letter to the Minister.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Irony! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isro</a> personnel, scientists at the Spaceport Satish Dhawan <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/space?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#space</a> centre, help take <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/india?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#india</a> to space on 🚀<br />
However, they themselves don't have adequate trains halting for them at the nearest station Sullurupeta<br />
<br />
Letter 👇<a href="https://twitter.com/DrJitendraSingh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrJitendraSingh</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/AshwiniVaishnaw?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AshwiniVaishnaw</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GMSRailway?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GMSRailway</a> <a href="https://t.co/QxF2SIB08K">pic.twitter.com/QxF2SIB08K</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1709162205068063095?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>SDSC is situated in a remote barrier island,&nbsp;that is approximately 100 kilometres north of the southern Indian metropolis of Chennai.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For the thousands of personnel working at the spaceport and the retired personnel staying in the vicinity, the trains that pass by the nearest railway station at Sullurupeta (approximately 25 kms from the spaceport) are the primary means of transport.</p>

<p>A vast barrier island, spanning more than 43,000 acres, Sriharikota rose to prominence only after ISRO established a spaceport there in the 1970s.</p>

<p>Development activities in the region began gradually, as ISRO's spacefaring activities gained national prominence.</p>

<p>However, even today, the highest footfall and vehicular traffic to Sriharikota is seen only when public flock to the ISRO Launch Viewers Gallery.</p>

<p>On most other days, Sullurupeta is just another Indian town.</p>

<p>Highlighting the potential for the Indian Railways in the sector, the letter by SHAR (Sriharikota Range) Employees Trade Union mentions that the Sullurupeta station is a hub from where&nbsp;passengers can travel to the Spaceport, the industrial park cum Special economic zone Sri City, pilgrimage centres like Shri Chengalamma temple, Venadu mosque, and tourist spots like Pulicat lake and Nelapattu bird sanctuary.</p>

<p>Serving as the Indian Government's Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr. Singh has visited the spaceport on various occasions and witnessed important rocket launch missions. Most recently, Dr. Singh had witnessed the launch of India's maiden Sun-study mission Aditya-L1 on September 2nd.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;Aditya L1: First Indian space mission to study sun</strong></p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/aditya-l1-first-indian-space-mission-to-study-sun-631626/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>"Sullurupeta Railway Station acts as a fulcrum for commuting and travelling requirements of SDSC-SHAR's working cadre and retired employees, employees of Sri city, who belong to different parts of the country. All citizens are facing similar problems while commuting to their native place, due to lack of sufficient trains that are halting in Sullurupeta Railway Station" read&nbsp;the letter by a representative body of the Spaceport employees.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The personnel have requested Dr. Jitendra Singh's office to take their request to the concerned Ministry, thereby ensuring that more train services are extended up to Sullurupeta and that more long-distance trains halt at this station etc.</p>

<p>Nine trains including the Sanghamitra SuperFast Express, Grand Trunk, Howrah Mail/Chennai Mail, Tatanagar express, among others feature in the list shared by the personnel.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Most of the trains that were passing by Sullurupeta were not halting here. Only around once in an hour, does a train stop here. The basic facilities at the Sullurupeta station including waiting rooms and washrooms are in a poor condition and did not even have drinking water" Sri Saidatta, a college student and space enthusiast told WION.</p>

<p>He had taken a train from his native in Warangal, Telengana to Sullurupeta, Andhra Pradesh, on September 2nd, to visit Sriharikota and witness his first-ever rocket launch- that of Aditya-L1/PSLV-C-57.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Even for those in the higher echelons in ISRO, travelling to the spaceport would mean taking a flight from their city to Chennai and then heading on a 3-hour drive to Srihaikota, on a highway that has been under-construction for several years.</p>

<p>While ISRO has made Rocketry and successful launching activity appear so easy (thanks to their meticulous efforts over several decades), everyone travelling by road and train to ISRO's spaceport face the same logistical issues.</p>

<p>The only holy exceptions are for the President and Prime Minister of India, for whom it is possible to fly to the spaceport via helicopter.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>

<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Personnel serving the Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) at the country's spaceport Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), are enabling launches of the most advanced transportation systems- Orbital Rockets.

Personnel serving the Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) at the country's spaceport Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), are enabling launches of the most advanced transportation systems- Orbital Rockets. They take India to space and ensure that the Indian tricolour flies high, even in the orbits around earth and other planets. Ironically, they themselves are having to write to the Indian Government, to obtain basic train services from the Indian Railways. In a letter to Dr. Jitendra Singh, ISRO's Minister-in-Charge, the personnel at ISRO's spaceport have requested for more to trains halt at the Sullurupeta station, which they depend on for their daily commute to their respective residential locations and native places. WION has accessed a copy of this letter to the Minister. Irony! #isro personnel, scientists at the Spaceport Satish Dhawan #space centre, help take #india to space on 🚀 However, they themselves don't have adequate trains halting for them at the nearest station Sullurupeta Letter 👇@DrJitendraSingh @AshwiniVaishnaw @GMSRailway pic.twitter.com/QxF2SIB08K — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) October 3, 2023 × SDSC is situated in a remote barrier island, that is approximately 100 kilometres north of the southern Indian metropolis of Chennai. For the thousands of personnel working at the spaceport and the retired personnel staying in the vicinity, the trains that pass by the nearest railway station at Sullurupeta (approximately 25 kms from the spaceport) are the primary means of transport. A vast barrier island, spanning more than 43,000 acres, Sriharikota rose to prominence only after ISRO established a spaceport there in the 1970s. Development activities in the region began gradually, as ISRO's spacefaring activities gained national prominence. However, even today, the highest footfall and vehicular traffic to Sriharikota is seen only when public flock to the ISRO Launch Viewers Gallery. On most other days, Sullurupeta is just another Indian town. Highlighting the potential for the Indian Railways in the sector, the letter by SHAR (Sriharikota Range) Employees Trade Union mentions that the Sullurupeta station is a hub from where passengers can travel to the Spaceport, the industrial park cum Special economic zone Sri City, pilgrimage centres like Shri Chengalamma temple, Venadu mosque, and tourist spots like Pulicat lake and Nelapattu bird sanctuary. Serving as the Indian Government's Minister of State for Science and Technology, Dr. Singh has visited the spaceport on various occasions and witnessed important rocket launch missions. Most recently, Dr. Singh had witnessed the launch of India's maiden Sun-study mission Aditya-L1 on September 2nd. Also watch | Aditya L1: First Indian space mission to study sun × "Sullurupeta Railway Station acts as a fulcrum for commuting and travelling requirements of SDSC-SHAR's working cadre and retired employees, employees of Sri city, who belong to different parts of the country. All citizens are facing similar problems while commuting to their native place, due to lack of sufficient trains that are halting in Sullurupeta Railway Station" read the letter by a representative body of the Spaceport employees. The personnel have requested Dr. Jitendra Singh's office to take their request to the concerned Ministry, thereby ensuring that more train services are extended up to Sullurupeta and that more long-distance trains halt at this station etc. Nine trains including the Sanghamitra SuperFast Express, Grand Trunk, Howrah Mail/Chennai Mail, Tatanagar express, among others feature in the list shared by the personnel. "Most of the trains that were passing by Sullurupeta were not halting here. Only around once in an hour, does a train stop here. The basic facilities at the Sullurupeta station including waiting rooms and washrooms are in a poor condition and did not even have drinking water" Sri Saidatta, a college student and space enthusiast told WION. He had taken a train from his native in Warangal, Telengana to Sullurupeta, Andhra Pradesh, on September 2nd, to visit Sriharikota and witness his first-ever rocket launch- that of Aditya-L1/PSLV-C-57. Even for those in the higher echelons in ISRO, travelling to the spaceport would mean taking a flight from their city to Chennai and then heading on a 3-hour drive to Srihaikota, on a highway that has been under-construction for several years. While ISRO has made Rocketry and successful launching activity appear so easy (thanks to their meticulous efforts over several decades), everyone travelling by road and train to ISRO's spaceport face the same logistical issues. The only holy exceptions are for the President and Prime Minister of India, for whom it is possible to fly to the spaceport via helicopter. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

India: 'We help take India to space but enough trains don't halt for us', say Spaceport personnel

isro-0

Isro, News on Isro, stories on Isro, articles on Isro, Isro stories at Wion, Isro news, Isro latest news

isro 0