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Space tech startups set to launch payloads on ISRO's PSLV-C58 XPoSat Mission on Jan 1
The payloads will be accommodated on the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM-3) during the launch scheduled at 9.10am from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
In a significant development, space technology startups Dhruva Space, Bellatrix Aerospace, and TM2Space are poised to launch their payloads on the upcoming Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) - C58 XPoSat Mission of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on January 1, 2024.
The payloads will be accommodated on the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM-3) during the launch scheduled at 9.10am from Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
This will be ISRO's first X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite mission. Over its five-year lifespan, India's XPoSat mission will assess the orientation of vibrations in light waves, providing insights into the radiation mechanisms and geometry of celestial sources.
Dhruva Space, headquartered in Hyderabad, will showcase its LEAPTD (Launching Expeditions for Aspiring Technologies Technology Demonstrator), demonstrating microsatellite subsystems, Moneycontrol reported.
Whereas, Bellatrix Aerospace, based in Bengaluru, plans to launch two payloads, including the Rudra 0.3 HPGP green monopropellant thruster and ARKA 200, another thruster variant. Satellite propulsion systems, commonly known as thrusters, serve as the engines responsible for maintaining satellites in orbit throughout their operational lifespan, typically between 10 and 15 years.
In April 2023, Bellatrix and Dhruva Space jointly utilised space in the POEM module of PSLV-C55 to launch their individual payloads.
However, TakeMe2Space also known as TM2Space, from Bengaluru, will deploy the Radiation Shielding Experiments Module, aiming to assess the effectiveness of tantalum coating. According to a statement from TM2Space, the radiation shielding coating is asserted to enhance the longevity of CubeSats, a category of nanosatellites, the Moneycontrol report said.
Early this month, Union Minister of Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said that the Space startups in India attracted over ₹1,000 crores worth of private investment since April 2023.
“India’s space economy today stands at a modest 8 billion USD, but our own projection is that by 2040 it will multiply manifold. But more interestingly, according to some international observers, for example the recent ADL (Arthur D Little) Report, India has the potential of reaching a 100 billion USD space economy by 2040,” he said.
The minister added that ISRO successfully launched over 430 foreign satellites, generating revenue exceeding 290 million euros from European satellites and over 170 million USD from American satellite launches.
