In its C58 mission, ISRO’s dependable Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) launched the primary X-Ray Polarimeter satellite, or XPoSat, into a planned Low Earth Orbit of 650 km.  The launch held from the Sriharikota launch pad at the appointed time of 9:10 AM. 

As the 25-hour countdown concluded, the 44.4-meter-tall rocket blasted off gracefully to a tremendous ovation. 

Polarimeter is the first specialized scientific satellite from ISRO to conduct studies on space-based polarization measurements of X-ray emission from celestial sources, according to the space agency. When analyzing the radiation process and geometry of astronomical sources, X-ray polarization is an essential diagnostic tool.

POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-Rays), developed by the Raman Research Institute to determine polarimetry parameters, and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing), constructed by the U R Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru, are the main payloads of XPoSat. POLIX is expected to observer about 40 bright astronomical sources of different categories during the planned lifetime of the XPoSat mission of about 5 years. 

NISAR, a cutting-edge joint venture satellite between ISRO and NASA, will also be launched in the first quarter of 2024. NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar), which was built for over Rs. 12,500 crores (about $1.5 billion), is intended to be launched onboard India’s GSLV rocket. Studying terrestrial ecosystems, solid earth deformation, sea ice, mountain and polar cryosphere, and coastal waters on a regional to global scale will be made much easier with the use of NISAR data.

ISRO chief K.K. Sivan and other scientists congratulated each other on the installation of all 10 satellites in designated orbits. Later, Sivan from the Mission Control Center said that today is a historic day which coincidentally is the day of the 50th flight of PSLV. He said, “ISRO has carried out the historic mission. I am very happy to announce that the 50th PSLV has successfully installed ‘RISAT-2 BR1’ in an orbit of 576 km in a very precise manner.

ISRO released this information on their official Twitter handle.

K. Sivan said that “RISAT-2BR1” is a “complex” satellite, but it was built in a short time. He praised the team involved in the work. In relation to PSLV, he recalled the contributions of “extraordinary space personalities” like Dr Srinivasan, Dr Madhavan Nair, from design to form. He underlined that Nair had activated the launch vehicle. Sivan said that the carrying capacity of PSLV has increased from 860 kg to 1.9 ton.

There were over 7000 visitors who witnessed the launch of PSLVC48