New Delhi, Jan 1 (EFE).- India ushered in 2024 with the launch of a space mission to study black holes, marking the first venture of the new year as the country progresses with preparations for its inaugural manned mission to space.
“XPoSat satellite is launched successfully. PSLV-C58 vehicle placed the satellite precisely into the intended orbit of 650 km with 6-degree inclination,” the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) wrote on X.
The launch took place at 9:10 a.m. from the center of Sriharikota in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.
The 260-tonne rocket carries an advanced astronomy observatory meant to study black holes and neutron stars.
With this, India became the second country after the United States to have an observatory to study black holes.
ISRO says the mission will carry out long term spectral and temporal studies of cosmic X-ray sources.
“It will also carry out polarization and spectroscopic measurements of X-ray emissions from cosmic sources through POLIX and XSPECT payloads.”
The first mission of 2024 sets the stage for an ambitious year for ISRO, with one of its primary objectives being the continued preparation for its inaugural manned mission to space, scheduled for 2025.
This manned mission aims to send astronauts into orbit at 400 km for a three-day mission.
These aspirations come on the heels of the successful launch and landing of the unmanned space mission Chandrayaan-3 in August 2023.
Chandrayaan-3 placed an explorer near the Moon’s south pole, marking an exploration of a previously untouched area of the lunar surface.
With that, India became the fourth country to achieve a controlled landing on the Moon.
Following this, in September, India launched its first mission to study the Sun, Aditya-L1, which is set to reach its destination on Jan. 6.EFE
hb-ssk
