New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) following the successful launch of the GSLV-F17 rocket carrying the EOS-05 Earth observation satellite, calling the mission a proud moment for the country.
The GSLV-F17 lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, at 2:55 am on Friday in a pre dawn launch. The satellite was subsequently placed into its designated sub geosynchronous transfer orbit.
Modi praised the achievement as a reflection of India’s growing capabilities in space technology, highlighting the role of innovation and the expanding cooperation between ISRO and the Indian space industry.
ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan expressed satisfaction with the mission, noting that the rocket precisely placed the advanced Earth observation satellite into its targeted orbit.
Mission Director Thomas Kurian described the launch as an important milestone for the GSLV programme. The mission marked the 19th flight of the launch vehicle and carried a specially configured satellite designed to deliver near real time Earth imagery.
EOS-05 is also the heaviest satellite placed by a GSLV into a geosynchronous transfer orbit or sub GTO. The satellite is expected to significantly enhance India’s Earth observation capabilities by providing continuous coverage from an altitude of nearly 36,000 kilometres.
The satellite is equipped for advanced imaging across visible, infrared, multispectral and hyperspectral bands, supporting a wide range of Earth observation applications.
Standing 51.7 metres tall and weighing around 420.5 tonnes at liftoff, GSLV-F17 remains one of India’s key operational launch vehicles.
Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh also welcomed the successful mission, describing EOS-05 as a major technological achievement and another milestone in India’s emergence as a leading global space power.
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