ISRO GSLV-F17 Launch: EOS-05 Satellite Successfully Placed In Orbit, Gaganyaan Mission Next

2026 Nobel Economics Prize Goes To Robert Hall And Michael Woodford For Macroeconomic Research

ABP Live Science — Mon, 12 Oct 2026 16:16:22 +0530

US economists Robert Hall and Michael Woodford have won the 2026 Nobel economics prize for their work on the microeconomic foundations of macroeconomic stabilisation, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced on Monday. The economists were recognised for developing models that help governments and central banks design effective fiscal and monetary policies to limit economic volatility. The prestigious award, formally known as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, is worth 12 million Swedish kronor, or approximately $1.2 million.

Why They Won

The laureates developed macroeconomic models that improved economists’ understanding of how stabilisation policies can be implemented effectively. Their research has helped establish a theoretical foundation for measures designed to reduce the severity of economic fluctuations.

According to the prize committee, their work enables policymakers to better time fiscal and monetary interventions, helping economies respond to disruptive developments and avoid deeper downturns.

“The laureates’ work has provided us with a stable theoretical foundation for the models that are now used by central banks and governments around the world,” John Hassler, chair of the Committee for the Prize in Economic Sciences, said in a statement.

He added that their contributions had strengthened policymakers’ ability to respond to economic shocks, including energy crises and sudden changes in household consumption.

Fiscal policy involves government decisions on taxation and public spending, while monetary policy generally concerns central bank decisions on interest rates and the money supply. Both can influence economic activity, inflation and employment.

Also Read: Henri Kagan, Kenso Soai Win Nobel Chemistry Prize For Breakthrough In ‘Mirror Image’ Molecules

About The Prize

First awarded in 1969, the economics prize differs from the original five Nobel awards established under Alfred Nobel’s 1895 will. It was created by Sweden’s central bank, Sveriges Riksbank, in memory of Nobel and is formally administered as a separate economics award.

Most previous recipients have been from the United States, while women remain significantly underrepresented among laureates. Only three women have won the prize, with Claudia Goldin receiving it in 2023 for research examining gender differences in labour market outcomes and earnings over time in the US.

Previous Winners

Ahead of Monday’s announcement, analysis by the Institute for Scientific Information, part of Clarivate, had identified monetary policy, information technology economics and evolutionary economic theory as potential areas for recognition.

Last year, Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion and Peter Howitt received the award for their work on “creative destruction” and how technological innovation and new production methods can drive economic growth and improve living standards.

The 2026 award concludes this year’s Nobel announcements, recognising research aimed at improving the understanding of economic fluctuations and the policies used to manage them.

Also Read: 2026 Nobel Prize In Chemistry: Henri Kagan, Kenso Soai Win For Work On Chiral Molecules

Henri Kagan, Kenso Soai Win Nobel Chemistry Prize For Breakthrough In ‘Mirror Image’ Molecules

ABP Live Science — Thu, 8 Oct 2026 07:24:01 +0530

Scientists Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday for solving a long-standing puzzle involving asymmetric "mirror image" molecules, a breakthrough with major implications for pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Soai, 76, is Japanese, while Kagan, 95, is French. Their work built on the discoveries of 19th-century French chemist Louis Pasteur. Kagan is the third-oldest person to receive a Nobel Prize.

"This is the most exciting day in my life. I am very glad to share this prize with Professor Henri Kagan," Soai said by phone during the Nobel Prize press conference. He added that he had been out grocery shopping when he received the news.

Soai Calls Nobel ‘Most Exciting Day’ Of His Life

Kagan's daughter, Veronique Le Deunff, said she was "very happy", adding that her father's "creativity and originality" had opened new avenues for research.

French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated the laureates on X, describing the award as an immense honour for France. "A recognition suited to a lifetime of research," he said.

Kagan's work had long been regarded as influential in the field. In 2001, the then-French research minister complained to the Nobel Foundation after Kagan was not awarded the prize that year. The Nobel instead went to two American scientists and one Japanese scientist for work in the same field.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also congratulated Soai during a phone call. "As a Japanese, I'm very proud of you," she told him.

‘Right-Handed’ And ‘Left-Handed’ Molecules

Many molecules essential to life exist in two forms that are mirror images of one another, much like a person's left and right hands. Living organisms, however, almost exclusively use just one of these forms, a phenomenon known as "homochirality", derived from the Greek word for hand.

This year's Nobel recognised discoveries showing how chemical reactions can be controlled to favour one molecular mirror image over the other. The work has proved important for chemists developing reactions used in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

"The left-handed version of the drug can have one effect, and the right-handed version can have another effect, and then we need methods for selectively preparing them," said Peter Somfai, a member of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry.

"In developing such methods, the findings of this year's laureates are important. They provided powerful tools for that," he added.

Building On Louis Pasteur’s Work

The first major link in the chain came from Pasteur, who died several years before the Nobel Prizes were first awarded in 1901.

Pasteur was studying tartaric acid, which is important in wine production, when he observed that bacteria fermented only one of its two forms, the one naturally found in grapes. The other form did not undergo fermentation.

His work demonstrated that some substances can exist in two forms with different properties, with the difference sometimes having serious consequences for health. The challenge of producing the desired form of a chiral substance remained unresolved until Kagan and Soai developed asymmetric reactions capable of producing an excess of one form.

"This is probably the coolest experiment in organic chemistry," Somfai said.

The significance of the research is illustrated by the thalidomide scandal in the early 1960s, when thousands of children were affected by birth defects linked to the sedative. Researchers later established that the harmful effects were caused by the drug's mirror-image form.

2026 Nobel Prize In Chemistry: Henri Kagan, Kenso Soai Win For Work On Chiral Molecules

Bharathi SP — Wed, 7 Oct 2026 15:50:45 +0530

Nobel Prize In Chemistry 2026: Scientists Henri Kagan and Kenso Soai have been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their work on non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis, the Nobel award-giving body announced on Wednesday. Their research focuses on how chemists can control the production of molecules that exist in two mirror-image forms. Such molecules, known as chiral molecules, may look nearly identical but can have different properties because their structures cannot be perfectly superimposed.

The recognition makes chemistry the third Nobel Prize to be announced during this year's Nobel week, following the medicine and physics prizes revealed on Monday and Tuesday.

Chemistry Prize Announced

The 2026 Chemistry Nobel recognises work described as fundamental to understanding and controlling asymmetric organic synthesis.

Heiner Linke, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, used the difference between human hands to explain the concept behind the award.

“So this year's prize is about foundational chemistry. Many molecules occur in two different versions. Like my hands. They are one another's mirror image, they look alike, but they are not identical. I cannot put my hands on top of one another. Such molecules are called chiral, from the Greek word for hand," Heiner Linke, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, said, as per Reuters.

Kagan and Soai's work concerns ways of directing chemical reactions to favour one such form over another, an important area of asymmetric organic synthesis.

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What Is Chirality?

Chirality is derived from the Greek word for hand and describes objects or molecules that have a mirror-image counterpart but cannot be superimposed on it.

In chemistry, the distinction can be particularly important because two mirror-image versions of the same molecular structure may behave differently in biological or chemical environments.

The research recognised by this year's Nobel Prize examines non-linear effects and autocatalysis in asymmetric organic synthesis, helping advance understanding of how chemical reactions can produce these specific molecular forms.

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Nobel's Chemistry Legacy

The Nobel Prizes were established through the will of Swedish inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel. Since 1901, they have recognised achievements across science, literature and peace, although there have been interruptions, particularly during the two world wars. The economics award was introduced later and is funded by Sweden's central bank.

Alfred Nobel himself had a background in chemistry and accumulated considerable wealth during the 19th century through inventions and industrial ventures, including dynamite.

Although the Chemistry Nobel can receive less public attention than awards in physics, literature or peace, the category has recognised discoveries that have had a major influence on science.

Previous Chemistry Nobel-winning work has included discoveries associated with nuclear fission and advances in genetic sequencing techniques.

Francis Halzen Wins 2026 Nobel Prize In Physics For IceCube Neutrino Discovery

ABP Live News — Tue, 6 Oct 2026 15:38:54 +0530

Belgian-American physicist Francis Halzen has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for pioneering work that transformed the study of elusive subatomic particles known as neutrinos. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences recognised his decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos originating from astrophysical sources. Often described as ‘ghost particles’, neutrinos can pass through matter almost undisturbed.

Halzen’s work showed how the Antarctic ice could be turned into a giant detector, opening a new way of observing some of the universe’s most powerful and distant events.

Tracking Ghost Particles

Halzen realised that the vast quantities of clear ice beneath the South Pole could be used to detect neutrinos. These particles interact with matter extremely rarely, allowing them to travel through the Earth and human bodies almost unnoticed.

The idea led to the creation of IceCube, an enormous observatory buried deep beneath the Antarctic surface. The facility detects flashes of light produced when neutrinos collide with particles in the ice.

The observations have given scientists new information about where high-energy neutrinos come from and how they are produced. Researchers say the particles act as messengers from the cosmos, carrying information from distant galaxies and violent events such as exploding stars.

Also Read: Nobel Prize 2026: Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, Georg Nagel Win Award In Medicine

A New Window On Cosmos

The Nobel committee praised Halzen’s leadership of an international team of scientists and engineers, saying his scientific vision and persistence had helped establish a new form of astronomy.

Halzen was previously recognised for his work on neutrinos, with Smithsonian magazine dubbing him ‘Neutrino Man’ in 2014. His IceCube project has since become a major tool for studying some of the universe’s most energetic phenomena.

The 2026 physics prize carries a monetary award of 12 million Swedish crowns, equivalent to about $1.2 million. The Nobel medals will be presented by Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.

The physics award is the second Nobel announced this year, following the medicine prize. The chemistry prize is due to be announced on Wednesday.

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How Pond Algae Led To A Nobel Prize And A New Way To Study The Brain

PTI — Tue, 6 Oct 2026 13:18:23 +0530

Manchester (The Conversation) Scientists who worked out how to control brain cells with light have won this year’s Nobel prize in physiology or medicine. Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel were honoured for their research into “light-gated ion channels and optogenetics”.

Peter Hegemann, at Humboldt University of Berlin, and Georg Nagel, at the University of Wurzburg, wanted to understand how a tiny, single-celled alga called Chlamydomonas senses light.

Light-sensing is not unique to animals with eyes: organisms throughout the living world use light to detect their surroundings and respond to changes in their environment. Even single-cell organisms have proteins that respond to light. These proteins are used to move towards or away from light, to generate energy and to respond to the various demands of a 24-hour day.

Hegemann and Nagel discovered that Chlamydomonas has a beautifully ingenious mechanism of light detection that relies on a single protein called channelrhodopsin.

Channelrhodopsin is built into the outer membrane of the algal cell. Part of the protein faces the water outside the cell and part faces the inside. The protein also contains a small molecule called retinaldehyde, which is able to absorb light.

When light hits the retinaldehyde inside channelrhodopsin, it changes shape. This makes the channelrhodopsin protein change shape too. That change opens a tiny passage through the cell membrane. Positively charged particles, including sodium, can then flow from the water outside the alga into the cell. This movement of charged particles sends a signal inside the alga that helps it swim.

How fantastic to have solved such an interesting biological question, but why the Nobel prize in physiology or medicine? The answer lies in the way nerve cells work. Nerve cells use the movement of charged particles (called “ions”) across their membranes to control their activity. When positively charged particles flow into a nerve cell, they can make it more active.

The researchers realised that if they could put channelrhodopsin into nerve cells, they might be able to switch those cells on simply by shining a light on them. That is exactly what Hegemann, Nagel and the third Nobel-prize winner, Karl Deisseroth, a psychiatrist and bioengineer at Stanford University in California, went on to do.

Switching on nerve cells with light

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The ability to control nerve cells with light is called optogenetics. It has become a powerful research tool because scientists can use it to switch specific groups of nerve cells on and off and see what happens.

First, scientists deliver the gene for channelrhodopsin to the nerve cells they want to study. The gene is usually carried into the cells by a virus that has been altered so that it cannot cause disease. The cells then make the channelrhodopsin protein, which makes them respond to light.

In animals such as mice, scientists can shine light into the brain through a thin optical fibre. When the light reaches the cells, channelrhodopsin opens and the cells become active. Nearby nerve cells that do not contain the protein are unaffected.

Light can be aimed at a very small part of the brain and switched on and off extremely quickly. This makes optogenetics a powerful way to investigate how the brain works. For example, if scientists want to know whether a particular group of nerve cells is involved in memory, sleep, sensation or movement, say, they can switch those cells on with light and see what happens.

In one experiment in 2012, a team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology gave mice a mild electric shock in a particular cage. They used optogenetics to tag the nerve cells in the brain’s memory centre that were active during that the fear-conditioning experiment. Days later, in a different cage, they switched those cells on with light. The mice froze in fear, as if they remembered the shock.

Mice that were not shocked did not freeze, which showed that the light was reactivating a specific memory. Deisseroth was one of the study’s authors.

Optogenetics has transformed scientists’ ability to investigate how the brain and nervous system work. It may also have a future as a treatment. Optogenetics is already in early-stage clinical trials for people with retinal degeneration.

In these trials, researchers introduce light-sensitive proteins into nerve cells that remain in the retina after the cells that normally detect light – called rods and cones – have been lost. This can make surviving cells respond to light and restore some vision.

Researchers are also investigating whether optogenetics could eventually be used to treat neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s and epilepsy.

This year’s Nobel prize celebrates work that started with a question that may sound esoteric: how do Chlamydomonas swim toward light? This question has no obvious practical importance. It doesn’t address an urgent need in human health, nor is it a clear route to riches.

The success of optogenetics is an illustration of the importance of continuing to ask questions simply to understand the world around us because it’s impossible to predict where knowledge will take us.

(This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)

Nobel Prize 2026: Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann, Georg Nagel Win Award In Medicine

Sneha — Mon, 5 Oct 2026 15:10:14 +0530

Nobel Prize 2026: The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for their discoveries concerning light-gated ion channels and optogenetics.

The trio’s work laid the foundation for optogenetics, a technique that allows scientists to control the activity of specific cells using light. Their discoveries have opened new avenues for studying how nerve cells function and communicate.

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How Channelrhodopsin Became A Light-Controlled Switch

Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel discovered the remarkable protein channelrhodopsin in a single-celled alga while investigating how it responds to light.

Hegemann was intrigued by how Chlamydomonas, a single-celled alga, is able to swim towards a light source. In the early 2000s, he and Nagel identified channelrhodopsin, an algal protein located on the surface of the cell.

When exposed to blue light, channelrhodopsin opens a channel through the protein, allowing charged ions to flow into the cell and generate an electrical impulse. The researchers found that when the protein was introduced into different types of cells, those cells became sensitive to light.

Deisseroth Turns Discovery Into A Tool For Nerve Cells

Karl Deisseroth later transformed channelrhodopsin into a light-controlled switch for nerve cells.

In 2005, Deisseroth introduced the gene for channelrhodopsin into rat nerve cells. When the cells were illuminated with blue light, he was able to trigger a nerve signal, demonstrating that light could be used to control the activity of neurons, according to the Nobel Prize committee.

Two years later, Deisseroth took the technique a step further by making the light-controlled switch work in the brains of living mice.

The breakthrough helped establish optogenetics as a powerful tool for neuroscience, allowing researchers to activate or control specific nerve cells with light and study their role in brain function and behaviour.

SpaceX Starship Reaches Orbit, Deploys 26 Starlink Satellites In Major Test For Artemis Mission

Deutsche Welle — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 23:43:25 +0530

Edited by: Kieran Burke

US airspace giant SpaceX on Monday launched its Starship spacecraft into orbit. The firm hoped the Starship could complete six full laps around Earth in order to prove its readiness for NASA's Artemis moon program.

"Starship is orbital," Mission Control announced to cheers. The Launch took place at Starbase, Texas. The laps were supposed to last around 10 hours, ending with a Pacific splashdown near Chile.

But just an hour after liftoff, SpaceX said it planned to bring Starship back to Earth after about three hours in orbit, cutting the 10-hour trip short.

Starship launches 26 satellites

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman praised SpaceX for reaching orbit and "managing every step in a safe, responsible and especially inspirational way."

Starship is the biggest and most powerful spacecraft ever built, it was propelled by a 407-foot (124-meter) rocket that was designed from the start to be fully reusable.

The spacecraft was loaded with 26 of the latest and most advanced Starlink satellites, which were released one by one, to join the 11,000 older models already providing internet service.

"All 26 Starlink V3 operational satellites deployed and operating nominally," SpaceX CEO ElonMusk wrote on X.

SpaceX's so-called V3 satellites are designed to unfold their antennas and solar panels after release before establishing connections with Earth and other Starlink satellites.

SpaceX began flying Starship in 2023 and the program has seen its successes and failures of successive tests. Technical challenges remain before Starship can fulfill its mandates, such as conduct commercial flights, deploy data centers in orbit or reach the Moon or the Red Planet.

Disclaimer: This report first appeared on Deutsche Welle, and has been republished on ABP Live as part of a special arrangement. Apart from the headline, no changes have been made in the report by ABP Live.

‘Very Strong’ El Nino Likely Through Winter 2026-27, Climate Risks For India

PTI — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 13:43:08 +0530

New Delhi, Sep 28 (PTI) The El Nino weather pattern is strengthening and is likely to become "very strong" in late 2026 and early 2027, the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) at Columbia University said, raising concerns over elevated climate risk for India.

In its latest ENSO forecast, published on September 21, the IRI said the Nino 3.4 index, a key gauge of Pacific Ocean temperatures, reached +3.0 degrees Celsius in mid-September.

All 22 models it surveyed, 13 dynamical and nine statistical, forecast "very strong" El Nino conditions through the 2026-27 winter.

The IRI put the probability of El Nino at 100 per cent through February 2027, falling to 61 per cent by mid-2027. It said the event could rank among the strongest on record.

The institute also expects the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) to become strongly positive from September through December 2026 before returning toward neutral conditions in early 2027. A positive IOD often occurs alongside El Nino, though the two can develop independently, the IRI said.

For India, El Nino is typically associated with weaker monsoon rainfall and can affect crop output, although the IOD can sometimes offset those effects.

Experts said the combination of El Nino and a positive IOD matters for India because El Nino's impact is not determined by Nino 3.4 alone. The IOD, monsoon circulation, regional sea-surface temperatures and winter weather patterns also play a role.

"The IRI forecast is a strong indication of elevated climate risk, but it does not by itself provide a precise rainfall or agricultural-output forecast for India," they said.

El Nino is a natural climate pattern when a large part of the Pacific Ocean becomes unusually warm. For India, it can sometimes mean less monsoon rains, a warmer and drier winter and greater stress on crops and water availability.

(Disclaimer: This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)

ISRO Employees Seek Govt Clarification Over Privatisation. Here's Why?

Deepika Bhatt — Sun, 6 Sep 2026 09:19:37 +0530

India's space sector is witnessing an unprecedented expansion of private participation. But within the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), employee associations are seeking clarity on how far the government's privatisation push will extend and what it could mean for ISRO's role in developing rockets, satellites and launch infrastructure.

The issue has now reached the organisation's top leadership.

Days after the successful launch of the GSLV F-17/EOS-05 mission on September 4, employee associations from several major ISRO centres wrote to ISRO Chairman and Department of Space Secretary V Narayanan, seeking clarification on the government's plans, according to a report by The Times of India.

A five-page letter signed by nine representatives of employee associations from centres including the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Space Applications Centre (SAC), National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) and ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC) reflects concerns among a section of the workforce.

The associations collectively represent around 5,000 employees, or roughly 27% of ISRO's stated workforce of 18,100.

What Does Privatisation Of ISRO Activities Mean?

The employee associations' concern is not about private companies entering India's space sector as such.

Since 2020, the government has been encouraging greater private participation across the space ecosystem. The policy seeks to enable private companies to design, manufacture and operate space systems, while ISRO increasingly concentrates on research and advanced technology development.

The associations have said they support legitimate private participation and commercialisation. Their concern is that activities currently carried out within ISRO could gradually be shifted outside the organisation.

Their concerns grew after Pawan Goenka, chairman of IN-SPACe, said at Business Today's India @ 100 Economy Summit that ISRO would eventually stop manufacturing launch vehicles, with private companies or public sector undertakings taking up the work.

For ISRO employees, this raises questions about what would happen to the organisation's existing engineering and manufacturing capabilities if it no longer builds its own rockets.

What Activities Are Already Being Transferred?

The employee associations have pointed to the transfer of SSLV technology and production to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

They have also highlighted the ongoing process for transferring technology related to the LVM3, India's largest launch vehicle, along with similar efforts involving the PSLV.

The associations have further referred to reports suggesting that routine satellite manufacturing could eventually be moved outside ISRO. They have also raised concerns about new launch infrastructure, including the Space Launch Complex being developed at Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu, potentially being opened to private players.

The associations' concern, therefore, is not necessarily about any one of these individual initiatives. Instead, they are seeking a clearly defined policy outlining which responsibilities will continue to remain with ISRO and where private participation will begin.

Why Are ISRO Employees Concerned?

According to the associations, rocket development is much more than a manufacturing activity. Designing, integrating, testing and launching a rocket requires decades of accumulated expertise, institutional knowledge, safety practices and technical capabilities.

They fear that moving these functions outside ISRO over time could result in the organisation losing some of the capabilities it has developed over several decades.

The potential impact on employees is another concern.

If private companies take over activities currently undertaken within ISRO, employees fear that the organisation could have less in-house work, fewer opportunities for promotion and skill development, and eventually lower recruitment.

The letter also raises the possibility that some existing employees could become surplus or be redeployed while private contractors undertake similar work using technology developed by ISRO.

Concerns Over Strategic Autonomy

The employee associations have also raised questions about strategic autonomy.

They argue that retaining critical capabilities related to launch-vehicle development, testing and launch operations within a public institution provides a certain level of accountability, quality control and safety oversight.

Their concern is that transferring too much of this capability outside ISRO could weaken these safeguards.

The central issue for the employee associations, therefore, is not opposition to private participation but clarity over the future division of responsibilities between ISRO and private players, and how the transition could affect both the organisation's capabilities and its workforce.

ISRO GSLV-F17 Launch: EOS-05 Satellite Successfully Placed In Orbit, Gaganyaan Mission Next

ABP Live Science — Fri, 4 Sep 2026 07:39:27 +0530

A GSLV rocket carrying ISRO’s EOS-05 Earth observation satellite successfully lifted off from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh in a pre-dawn mission on Friday. The rocket blasted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 2:55 am IST.

Shortly after liftoff, the EOS-05 satellite was successfully injected into its intended sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit, marking a successful mission for India’s space agency.

“I am very happy to announce that the GSLV-F17 vehicle has successfully and precisely injected the advanced Earth observation satellite EOS-05, the Geo-Imaging Satellite, into the intended and required orbit,” ISRO Chief Dr V Narayanan said after the launch.

EOS-05 Becomes Heaviest GSLV Satellite

Thomas Kurian, Mission Director for the GSLV-F15 rocket mission, described the launch as a major milestone for the programme, saying EOS-05 was the heaviest satellite ever launched by the GSLV into a GTO or sub-GTO orbit.

“It is a moment of great pride and happiness for all of us. The success of GSLV has completed its 19th mission, and the mission carried the EOS-05, a uniquely configured Earth observation satellite capable of near-real-time imaging,” he said.

Kurian added that the satellite’s successful launch was the result of months and years of rigorous work, despite the launch itself lasting only a few minutes.

ALSO READ | ISRO's 'Naughty Boy' GSLV Liftoffs With EOS-05: What Will It Do?

EOS-05 To Provide Continuous View Of India From Space

The mission carried EOS-05, an Earth observation satellite designed to provide India with a continuous bird’s-eye view from nearly 36,000 kilometres above Earth.

The GSLV-F17 launch vehicle stands 51.7 metres tall and has a liftoff mass of 420.5 tonnes, making it one of India’s largest operational launch vehicles.

Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh welcomed the successful mission and said India’s space capabilities were continuing to reach new heights, strengthening the country’s position as a global space power.

“EOS-05 is a state-of-the-art Earth Observation satellite and India’s first imaging satellite from geosynchronous orbit, enabling advanced imaging across visible, infrared, multispectral and hyperspectral bands,” Singh wrote on X.

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Gaganyaan Uncrewed Mission Targeted For This Year

The successful EOS-05 launch also came as ISRO continues preparations for the Gaganyaan programme.

ISRO chief Narayanan said “vigorous, systematic work” was underway for the launch of the first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission during the current calendar year. Speaking after the EOS-05 launch, he said preparations for the mission were progressing “very vigorously and systematically”.

Narayanan also praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his leadership and said ISRO has six more launches planned for the current financial year. The missions include the launch of the NVS-03 navigation satellite.