Union Home Minister Amit Shah extended his heartfelt congratulations to the ISRO scientists for their remarkable achievement on the first day of the New Year 2024.
“Brightening up the cosmos in pursuit of knowledge on the very first day of 2024 you have proven yet again that your might is our pride,” Amit Shah wrote on his X timeline.
“Congratulations to our @isro scientists on the historic launch of specialized astronomy observatory satellite XPoSat to study black holes and neutron stars in our galaxy.”
The X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) was successfully launched at 9.10 am on Monday, and its lift-off proceeded smoothly, marking a significant milestone in India’s space exploration endeavors.
Following the triumphant mission launch, the head of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), S Somanath, delivered a speech to the scientific community. He proudly announced that the PSLV-C58 vehicle had flawlessly positioned the satellite into its designated orbit of 650 km, maintaining a precise inclination of 6 degrees.
“From this point, the orbit of the PSLV will be reduced to a lower orbit, where the upper stage of the PSLV which is now described as POEM will carry out experiments with nine of the onboard payloads and that will take some time,” Somanath added.
Somanath further explained that the PSLV would subsequently be maneuvered to a lower orbit, where the upper stage, known as POEM, would conduct experiments with nine onboard payloads. This process will require some time to complete. Notably, this mission marks India’s first foray into the study of black holes, a domain previously explored by other nations.
Somanath emphasized that the development of this satellite spanned seven years, with the aim of fostering a cohort of 100 scientists capable of comprehending and contributing to the global understanding of black holes.
India’s achievements in the field of space exploration have been remarkable, with significant milestones reached in 2023, including the successful soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon’s south pole and the launch of Aditya-L1, India’s inaugural solar mission.
India achieved remarkable success in 2023, as it demonstrated its exceptional capabilities by accomplishing the soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon’s south pole and launching Aditya-L1, its inaugural solar mission. These significant milestones not only solidified India’s position in the global space industry but also ignited the growth of the private space sector within the country.
Among other achievements, India has set ambitious goals for the future. The Gaganyaan Mission is scheduled for 2024-2025, aiming to send Indian astronauts into space. Additionally, India plans to establish the ‘Bharatiya Antariksha Station’ by 2035, further expanding its presence in space exploration. Furthermore, India aspires to send its first astronaut to the Moon by 2040, marking a historic achievement for the nation.