ByDr Srimathy Kesan
Amidst global celebrations and myriad rockets soaring, the Indian Space Research Organization today launched a momentous rocket into space, bearing a unique COSPAR ID, an event that swells with pride for our nation.
Kudos resound to the ISRO family—Chairman, Centre Directors, and the Mission Director—who meticulously orchestrated the successful launch, a sibling to Astrosat, a project envisioned a dozen years ago. India stands illuminated in the radiance of this triumph.
Today encapsulates a monumental moment in India’s pursuit of space exploration—a day entwined with my eagerness for the impending XPoSat launch and reflections on the extraordinary rocket launch. The anticipation for India’s first X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite’s unveiling on January 1 had been exhilarating, symbolizing a significant leap in our space-based X-Ray astronomy. India’s progress in imaging, time-domain analyses, and spectroscopy within X-Ray studies set the stage, yet the XPoSat mission aimed higher by systematically probing X-Ray polarization from celestial sources. This mission’s promise lies in its ability to measure X-Ray polarization within the 8-30 keV energy band, offering an exciting new chapter in X-Ray astronomy. The satellite, primed for Low Earth Orbit observation, equipped with POLIX and XSPECT payloads, poised to unravel temporal, spectral, and polarization intricacies, symbolizes our nation’s stride in pioneering advancements.
This milestone places us shoulder to shoulder with renowned space agencies like NASA. The world, once merely acknowledging India as the land of snake charmers, now marvels at our indigenous space intellect, astounded by our knowledge and expertise.
The launch itself was a spectacle on a beautiful morning. As the rocket soared, my heart soared with it. An active poem unfolded, delivering ten payloads. I witnessed the anxiety etched on the faces of startups and NGE’s as their payloads, especially those by all-women teams, embarked on PSLV C58.
The collaborative efforts of women in STEM, particularly in space-related ventures, fill me with joy. The seed I planted with the “AzaadiSAT” , a 750-girl mission, continues to flourish, a source of immense pride.
Though ExpoSat orbited 3 kilometers off the expected path at 653.3, it’s deemed perfectly acceptable—everything worked flawlessly, evident on the screens before us.
This launch was brilliance personified, a testament to the scientific prowess at ISRO. Each individual there contributed to the pride every Indian feels today. Let us persist in our excellence.
The Chairman’s announcement of numerous launches this year heralds a wave of scientific discoveries. I am sure Young minds will delve into research, exploring the data. The Country’s strength lies in its innovation, and now, every Indian can attest to that fact. India stands tall, on par with any major Nation.
I came out of the mission control with immense joy, satisfaction and Pride that my time, best spent on day 1 of the year with this super crazy Space monsters .
The author isFounder, and CEO Space Kidz India.
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