> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://jatan.space/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Indian Space Progress #12: Doubling down on space telescopes, lunar exploration, and Earth observation - URL: https://jatan.space/indian-space-issue-12/ - Published: 2024-01-31T10:35:59.000Z - Updated: 2024-02-21T09:14:44.000Z - Author: Jatan Mehta - Tags: Indian Space *This month’s Indian Space Progress report is a science special. I hope you enjoy it!* ## XPoSat gazes at cosmic objects from space ![](https://jatan.space/content/images/2024/02/https-3a-2f-2fsubstack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f2713b440-15ff-4e40-b1ca-2eb94d2c2b49_1920x1080-jpeg.jpg) **Left:** The XPoSat space telescope prior to launch; **Right:** XPoSat-measured spectrum of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A mixed with cosmic ray measurements. Images: [ISRO](https://www.isro.gov.in/XpoSat%5FGallery.html) / [URSC](https://www.isro.gov.in/XSPECT%5Fpayload%5Fperformance.html) On January 1, ISRO’s PSLV rocket [launched](https://www.isro.gov.in/PSLV%5FC58%5FXPoSat%5Fliftoff%5Fonboardvid.html) India’s second space telescope called the [X-ray Polarimetry Satellite](https://www.isro.gov.in/XPoSat.html), or XPoSat. While the country’s first space telescope, [AstroSat](https://www.isro.gov.in/AstroSat.html), observes high energy cosmic objects in multiple wavelengths, the smaller XPoSat is more specialized and focuses on better analyzing just the X-rays emitted by cosmic objects. XSPECT, one of the two instruments onboard XPoSat, already [began observations](https://www.isro.gov.in/XSPECT%5Fpayload%5Fperformance.html), starting with first light from the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A. Built by the Space Astronomy Group at ISRO’s U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), XPSECT will conduct long-term spectral as well as time-varying measurements of cosmic objects that emit lower-energy X-rays called soft X-rays. XSPECT is expected to study X-ray emissions from black hole binaries too. For hard X-rays, there’s XPoSat’s polarimeter called [POLIX](https://web.archive.org/web/20220128195554/https://www.rri.res.in/~bpaul/polix.html) built by the Raman Research Institute. In particular, POLIX will study the polarization of X-rays emitted by cosmic objects, which will uniquely inform scientists about the physical nature of those objects—such as the strength and distribution of their magnetic fields. NASA launched the [IXPE](https://www.nasa.gov/mission/imaging-x-ray-polarimetry-explorer-ixpe) space telescope on a similar mission in December 2021\. IXPE and XPoSat are the world’s only telescopes dedicated for said purpose. When scientists are able to utilize and combine data from both telescopes, we will get first or better polarization measurements for many bright X-ray sources, including pulsars, binary stars, and galactic cores. ISRO has a [good blog post](https://www.isro.gov.in/XPoSat%5FX-Ray%5FPolarimetry%5FMission.html) on some of the physics behind XPoSat as well as on how its instruments evolved. ## Aditya-L1 begins its solar staring ![](https://jatan.space/content/images/2024/02/https-3a-2f-2fsubstack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f641e410d-2650-44d3-8155-50bf7d52ce16_2160x1400-jpeg.jpg) Full disk ultraviolet views of our Sun using different filters, each of which expose certain features such as dark sunspots or bright plages, or even layers like the photosphere aka the Sun’s “surface” or the inner atmosphere. [Image: ISRO / SUIT](https://www.isro.gov.in/Aditya%5FL1%5FSUIT.html) India’s first space-based solar observatory called [Aditya-L1](https://www.isro.gov.in/Aditya%5FL1.html) launched in September 2023 to [uniquely study our Sun](https://jatan.space/indian-space-issue-08/) with its advanced set of seven indigenously developed instruments. In early January, it had reached the region of the [first Sun-Earth Lagrangian point](https://www.isro.gov.in/Aditya%5FL1-MissionDetails.html) (L1), where the gravitational pull of the two bodies roughly balance. On January 6, ISRO commanded Aditya-L1 to fire its thrusters and successfully [enter a 178-day halo-orbit](https://www.isro.gov.in/halo-orbit-insertion-adtya-l1.html) around the L1 point. This will allow Aditya-L1 to continually study the Sun for five years with minimal station keeping. While formal science observations [will begin from around April](https://indianexpress.com/article/india/aditya-l1-has-unique-different-instruments-compared-to-solar-missions-so-far-9097778) after all operational checkouts are complete, Aditya-L1 has already [returned first observations](https://www.ursc.gov.in/hel1os.jsp) of solar flares in high energy X-rays, captured [unique, full-disk ultraviolet images](https://www.isro.gov.in/Aditya%5FL1%5FSUIT.html) of the Sun’s “surface” and inner atmosphere, measured [charged particles](https://www.isro.gov.in/Aditya-L1%5FASPEX%5Finstrument%5Fbegins%5Fmeasurements.html) from the [solar wind](https://jatan.space/the-sun-and-its-wind/), and [deployed](https://www.isro.gov.in/Aditya%5FL1%5FMAG%5FBoom%5FDeployment.html) its [patented](https://archive.org/details/isro-patent-202241055623-deployable-boom-assembly/Complete%20Specifications) magnetometer boom. AstroSat has been a [space science success](https://doi.org/10.1093/astrogeo/atac051) for India, with its [more than 150 cited research results](https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/heasarc/missions/biblio/astrosat%5Fbiblio%5Frefereed.html) in reputed international journals. If Aditya-L1 and XPoSat are able to follow suit, it would bode well for India’s still growing space science efforts. Related tangent: SatSure (*parent company of KaleidEO, a sponsor of Indian Space Progress*) has a [detailed blog post](https://www.blog.satsure.co/index.php/2023/09/06/when-the-sun-attacks-solar-weather-and-satellite-vulnerabilities) with real life examples on how solar weather monitoring missions like Aditya-L1 uniquely expand the life span of satellites in Earth orbit. ## Chandrayaan updates as India continues exploring the Moon ![](https://jatan.space/content/images/2024/02/https-3a-2f-2fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f283eec5c-54a1-4249-a2b7-3c991137ed56_1600x1000-jpeg.jpg) **Top left:** A map of sodium on the Moon as measured by the Chandrayaan 2 orbiter; **Bottom left:** The sodium average across latitudes shows increasing abundance towards the lunar north; **Bottom right:** Diagram showing how sodium atoms are either loosely bound to the lunar surface or tightly bound to minerals within. Images: [ISRO](https://www.isro.gov.in/SodiumISRO.html) / [S. Narendranath, et al.](https://doi.org/10.3847/2041-8213/ac905a) - India’s [Chandrayaan 2 orbiter](https://jatan.space/chandrayaan-2-is-creating-the-highest-resolution-map-of-the-moon/)’s [CLASS instrument](http://oro.open.ac.uk/29976/1/CLASS%5F2011%5FLunar%5FPlanetary%5FScience%5FConf.pdf) team [released](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2023.115898) the largest and highest-resolution X-ray [mapping](https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2023/pdf/2191.pdf) of the Moon’s surface elements using orbital data collected over three years. Previously, CLASS provided us with the first ever [global-scale sodium maps](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-98/) of Luna, [sensed Chromium](https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2021/pdf/2230.pdf) in its volcanic soil, and even [detected energetic events](https://jatan.space/chandrayaan-2-orbiter-is-also-a-sun-watcher/) from the Sun. Studying these datasets is unraveling specifics of [how our Moon evolved](https://jatan.space/the-two-faced-moon/) and helping scientists constrain the lunar crust’s composition. - On December 12, 2023, NASA’s [Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter](https://lunar.gsfc.nasa.gov/about.html) (LRO) [successfully laser-pinged](https://science.nasa.gov/missions/lro/laser-instrument-on-nasas-lro-successfully-pings-indian-moon-lander) the agency-provided small retroreflector sitting on top of ISRO’s Chandrayaan 3 lander. This first-of-a-kind demonstration is a stepping stone towards a future where Mooncraft with purpose-built lasers can locate such targets and land near them as they arrive. For example, this technique will be relevant for repeated cargo deliveries near future habitats. - In another trick up its sleeve, ISRO pulled the Chandrayaan 3 lunar orbiter [back to Earth orbit](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-157/). - In a [symposium](https://www.isgns2023.com/) talk last November, ISRO Chief S. Somanath [highlighted](https://www.youtube.com/live/DNXTouOKNVk?feature=shared&t=9413) some key *tentative* missions and elements from an increasingly complex roadmap that will feed into and enable the [new national goal](https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1968368) of sending an Indian to the Moon by 2040\. These include the Indo-Japanese [LUPEX rover](https://jatan.space/moon-monday-issue-111/) and the Chandrayaan 4 sample return missions before end of decade, a Chandrayaan 5 mission with the ability to survive the lunar night, a resource extraction and utilization demonstration with Chandrayaan 6, a crewed lunar cruiser docking with the NASA-led [Gateway](https://www.nasa.gov/gateway) international orbital habitat ([just as I had predicted!](https://jatan.space/indian-space-issue-10/)), a partially reusable [Next Generation Launch Vehicle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Next%5FGeneration%5FLaunch%5FVehicle) (NGLV), and more. ![](https://jatan.space/content/images/2024/02/https-3a-2f-2fsubstack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f686ad2cc-4a26-4b35-af0c-f7dfa61ba6af_1500x1100-jpeg.jpg) Screengrab of an integrated lunar and crewed exploration roadmap for India. [Image: S. Somanath / ISRO](https://www.youtube.com/live/DNXTouOKNVk?feature=shared&t=9413) --- *Many thanks to the *[Takshashila Institution](https://takshashila.org.in)*, *[SkyServe](https://skyserve.ai)*, *[KaleidEO](https://satsure.co/kaleidEO)* and *[Gurbir Singh](https://gurbir.co.uk)* for sponsoring this month’s Indian Space Progress report.* --- ## Some Earth observation updates from ISRO and the private sector - Following the release of India’s much-awaited [new space policy](https://jatan.space/indian-space-issue-04/) early last year, in December ISRO opened up access to 5-meter resolution remote sensing data from 44 of its satellites, making it among the highest resolution datasets of its kind in the world available to the public. Shyam Upadhyay has [great coverage](https://analyticsindiamag.com/isros-bhoonidhi-matches-nasas-space-standards) on its technicalities, and Vishesh Vatsal of SkyServe (*a sponsor of Indian Space Progress*) [illustrates its potential](https://blog.skyserve.ai/p/exploration-of-the-brand-new-liss4) with an example instrument from ISRO’s [ResourceSat-2](https://www.eoportal.org/satellite-missions/resourcesat-2). Also see [Bhoonidhi’s first newsletter](https://www.isro.gov.in/media%5Fisro/pdf/Bhoonidhi%5FNewsLetter%5F2024%5FEdition1.pdf) of 2024 for more details. - Pixxel Space, headquartered in the US but with a major Indian presence, [opened up](https://www.pixxel.space/blogs/pixxel-opens-first-of-its-kind-spacecraft-manufacturing-facility-in-bengaluru-india) a 2800 square-meter manufacturing and testing facility in Bangalore with the hope of eventually building and qualifying up to 40 satellites a year. The announcement comes shortly after Pixxel recently closed a Google-led [$36 million funding round](https://www.pixxel.space/blogs/pixxel-raises-36-million-in-series-b-funding-to-advance-hyperspectral-satellite-constellation-and-data-platform), bringing the total money raised by the company to at least [$71 million](https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/pixxel-81c6/company%5Ffinancials). The company is targeting launching six commercial hyperspectral Earth imaging satellites in late 2024. - Satellogic is [entering the Indian market](https://satellogic.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/tata-advanced-systems-and-satellogic-sign-strategic-contract) via a partnership with Tata Advanced Systems Limited to build sub-meter resolution Earth observation satellites locally in the country for commercial as well as national defense applications. - Ahmedabad-based PierSight Space [raised $6 million](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/funding/ocean-surveillance-startup-piersight-raises-6-million-led-by-alpha-wave-global-elevation-capital/articleshow/106671267.cms) to work towards its goal of building a constellation of SAR satellites aimed at providing a high 30-minute interval monitoring for the maritime industry. ![](https://jatan.space/content/images/2024/02/https-3a-2f-2fsubstack-post-media-s3-amazonaws-com-2fpublic-2fimages-2f4bef285f-e28c-4669-be25-7951cc86b746_530x600-jpeg.jpg) The ResourceSat-2 Earth observation satellite during its integration. [Image: ISRO](https://www.isro.gov.in/PSLVC16%5FGallery.html) ## More Indian space - On the same launch as XPoSat, ISRO once again uniquely repurposed the PSLV’s fourth stage as a stabilized, solar-powered platform for onboard payloads. Called the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module or [POEM](https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/everyday-explainers/explained-what-is-isros-poem-platform-8001754), this platform affords organizations low-cost access to space for demonstrating their technologies ahead of use in future missions. On this launch, POEM hosted [nine payloads](https://www.isro.gov.in/POEM-3%5FMission%5Fachieves%5FPayload%5Fobjectives.html) from various organizations, including [green thrusters](https://bellatrix.aero/updates/arka-shines-rudra-roars) from startup Bellatrix and the [LEAP satellite platform demonstration](https://www.dhruvaspace.com/news/mission-success-dhruva-space-is-open-for-business-as-a-hosted-payload-provider-declares-success-of-leap-td-platform-onboard-isros-pslv-c58-poem-3) from the private company Dhruva Space. POEM also successfully demoed ISRO’s own high density [Lithium-ion batteries](https://www.isro.gov.in/FlightDemonstration%5FSi-Gr%5Fanode.html) and a [fuel cell](https://www.isro.gov.in/FuelCellFlightTestedPSLVC58.html) with the hope of using their core technologies in future satellites and space stations. - Hyderabad-based Skyroot [raised $27.5 million](https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/commercial-space/indias-skyroot-raises-275-million-fresh-funding-round), and hopes to launch their first orbital rocket Vikram-I later this year. The company previously launched [suborbital test mission ](https://www.isro.gov.in/mission%5Fprarambh.html)*[Prarambh](https://www.isro.gov.in/mission%5Fprarambh.html)* in November 2022, becoming India’s first such privately developed rocket. In July, the company [completed](https://twitter.com/SkyrootA/status/1676116935933857800) the carbon-fiber winding and curing of the rocket’s Stage-1 motor case. In June, Skyroot [flight qualified](https://twitter.com/SkyrootA/status/1671416833579286529) its Raman-I engine, which will provide roll attitude control for Vikram-I. Also in July, the company [successfully](https://www.isro.gov.in/Support%5FSpaceStartup%5FRocketEngine.html) [tested](https://twitter.com/isro/status/1682745543343079424) at an ISRO facility the first hot firing of its Raman-II engine, which will power Vikram-I’s fourth stage. In December, Skyroot [passed pressure testing](https://twitter.com/SkyrootA/status/1736576104272421090) of Vikram-I’s first stage. ## Reading menu - [Looking back at Chandrayaan 1 and forward to Artemis](https://jatan.space/chandrayaan-1/) - [India’s Chandrayaan 2 lunar orbiter is also a Sun watcher](https://jatan.space/chandrayaan-2-orbiter-is-also-a-sun-watcher/) --- **→ [Browse](https://blog.jatan.space/start) | [Sponsor](https://blog.jatan.space/sponsor-indian-space-progress) | [About](https://blog.jatan.space/about)**