Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on the successful launch of the GSLV-F17 rocket carrying the EOS-05 Earth observation satellite, describing the achievement as a proud moment for the country.
In a post on X, PM Modi said the successful launch reflected the “excellence, innovation and growing capabilities” of India’s space sector.
“Yet another outstanding achievement by ISRO and a proud moment for our nation. The successful launch of GSLV-F17 carrying EOS-05, India’s first-ever imaging satellite from Geosynchronous orbit is a reflection of the excellence, innovation and growing capabilities that define India’s space sector,” he said.
“The growing partnership between ISRO and Indian industry is adding new strength and scale to our space programme and expanding India’s capabilities across the entire space ecosystem,” the Prime Minister added.
The GSLV-F17 lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, at 2:55 am IST on Friday in a pre-dawn launch and subsequently placed EOS-05 into its designated sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit.
ISRO Chairman V Narayanan expressed satisfaction with the mission, saying the launch vehicle precisely injected the advanced Earth observation satellite into its intended orbit.
Mission Director Thomas Kurian described the launch as a significant milestone for the GSLV programme. He said it was the 19th flight of the GSLV and carried a specially configured Earth observation satellite capable of providing near-real-time imaging.
Kurian said EOS-05 was the heaviest satellite placed by the GSLV into a geosynchronous transfer orbit, or sub-GTO, and credited the success to years of preparation and the efforts of scientists, engineers and other teams involved in the mission.
The EOS-05 mission is aimed at strengthening India’s Earth observation capabilities. The satellite is expected to provide a continuous view of the country from an altitude of nearly 36,000 km, supporting advanced imaging and observation applications.
The GSLV-F17 is 51.7 metres tall and has a liftoff mass of approximately 420.5 tonnes, making it one of India’s major operational launch vehicles.
Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh also welcomed the successful mission, saying India’s space programme continues to achieve new milestones and strengthen the country’s position as a major 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 said in a post on X.
(IANS Inputs)
