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ISRO Launches X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite From First Launch-Pad, SDSC-SHAR In Sriharikota

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Sriharikota: India Began 2024 with PSLV rocket lifting off with XPoSat Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh). On the first day of the calendar year 2024, India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C58 (PSLV-C58) on Monday morning lifted off with the country’s X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) with 10 other payloads.

The 44.4-metre tall PSLV-C58 rocket with a lift off mass of 260 ton carrying XPoSat and 10 other experimental payloads on its fourth stage blasted off from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) here at 9.10 a.m. Slowly rising up towards the skies with a thick orange flame at its tail, the rocket gained speed with a sound resembling rolling thunder and went up and up leaving a thick plume while the people assembled at the viewing gallery clapped their hands with pride. Interestingly, this is the first space mission for ISRO on January 1 for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Procedure after 21 minutes into flight of rocket

At about 21 minutes into its flight, the rocket will orbit XPoSat at an altitude of about 650 km. Subsequently, the rocket’s fourth stage will be restarted twice to reduce the orbit into a 350 km circular orbit to maintain in 3-axis stabilised mode for Orbital Platform (OP) experiments.

The PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-3 (POEM-3) experiment will be executed, meeting the objective of 10 identified payloads, supplied by the ISRO and the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), the Indian space agency said.

In its normal configuration, the PSLV is a four-stage/engine expendable rocket powered by solid and liquid fuels, alternatively, with six booster motors strapped onto the first stage to give higher thrust during the initial flight moments.

ISRO’s five types of rockets

The ISRO has five types of PSLV rockets — Standard, Core Alone, XL, DL, and QL. The major difference between them is the use of strap-on boosters which, in turn, largely depends on the weight of the satellites to be orbited.

The PSLV uses 6,4,2 solid rocket strap-on motors to augment the thrust provided by the first stage in PSLV-XL, QL & DL variants, respectively. However, strap-ons are not used in the core-alone version (PSLV-CA). The XPoSat is the first dedicated scientific satellite from the ISRO to carry out research in space-based polarisation measurements of X-ray emission from celestial sources. The satellite configuration is modified from the IMS-2 bus platform.

Three objectives of XPoSat

The configuration of the mainframe systems is derived based on the heritage of IRS satellites. It carries two payloads, namely POLIX (Polarimeter Instrument in X-rays) and XSPECT (X-ray Spectroscopy and Timing). The POLIX is realised by the Raman Research Institute and XSPECT is by the Space Astronomy Group of the U.R. Rao Satellite Centre (URSC).

According to the ISRO, the three objectives of XPoSat are: (a) To measure polarisation of X-rays in the energy band 8-30keV emanating from about 50 potential cosmic sources through Thomson Scattering by POLIX payload. (b) To carry out long-term spectral and temporal studies of cosmic X-ray sources in the energy band 0.8-15keV by XSPECT payload and (c) To carry out polarisation and spectroscopic measurements of X-ray emissions from cosmic sources by POLIX and XSPECT payloads, respectively, in the common energy band.

Passivation of PS4

After orbiting the XPoSat in 650km, the rocket’s fourth stage — PS4 stage — will be lowered to 350km, about 9.6 deg orbit, by restarting it twice. The left-out propellant in the PS4 will be disposed of through the main engines as a precursor to enabling the safety of the PS4 stage in atmosphere re-entry experiments planned in future. The oxidiser will be let out first followed by fuel in a predetermined sequence of operations. The existing scheme of spent stage passivation by venting the tank pressure will also be active.

Post passivation of PS4, the control of the stage is transferred to the POEM Avionics, the ISRO added. The POEM is configured as a 3-axis stabilised orbital platform for conducting experiments to space qualify systems with novel ideas. The PS4 Stage Orbital Platform Electrical power requirements are catered by a Flexible Solar Panel in conjunction with 50Ah Li-Ion battery in battery tied configuration.

Navigation process

The orbital platform consists of avionic systems to take care of navigation, guidance, control and telecommands and Orbital Platform Attitude Control System to cater to control of the platform to test the payloads, the ISRO said. The 10 payloads are from Take Me 2 Space, LBS Institute Technology for Women, K J Somaiya Institute of Technology, Inspecity Space Labs Private Ltd, Dhruva Space Private Ltd, Bellatrix Aerospace Private Ltd (two payloads) and three payloads from the ISRO.

Crime

Maharashtra TET paper leak: Mastermind’s wife arrested in Patna; search intensifies for Bijendra Gupta

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Patna, June 30: The investigation into the alleged Maharashtra Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) paper leak has gathered pace with the arrest of Suman Kumari, the wife of the alleged mastermind, Bijendra Gupta, from Patna.

Police are questioning her over her suspected role in the examination paper leak and related financial transactions.

According to information shared by the Maharashtra Police and Patna Police sources, Suman Kumari was arrested in Patna and is currently being interrogated.

Investigators suspect that Suman Kumari played a role in handling financial transactions linked to the alleged paper leak operation.

Police also believe she remained in contact with her husband, Bijendra Gupta, and other members of the alleged network after the TET question paper was leaked.

Her interrogation is expected to help investigators trace the flow of money and identify other individuals connected to the case.

Before Suman Kumari’s arrest, Maharashtra Police had taken three other accused, Rajiv Shah and Akash Kumar from Patna, and Dheeraj Kumar from Panipat, Haryana, into custody.

According to investigators, interrogation of these three accused pointed to Bijendra Gupta as the alleged mastermind behind the operation.

Police teams are conducting raids in Bihar, Delhi, Haryana, and Agra to apprehend Bijendra Gupta, who is originally from Sherpur village under the Vidyapati police station area of Samastipur district in Bihar.

Investigators believe he played a central role in organising the alleged paper leak network.

Bijendra Gupta’s father, Baleshwar Gupta, said the family had lost contact with him years ago after he left the village for further studies in Begusarai.

According to his father, the family was unaware of the nature of Bijendra’s work and was deeply distressed after learning that his name had surfaced in connection with the alleged paper leak case.

Police records indicate that Bijendra Gupta has previously been linked to criminal cases.

According to investigators, he was the prime accused in a murder case registered in 2003 and has also been associated with investigations into alleged paper leak cases involving examinations such as NEET-UG and the Odisha Staff Selection Commission examination.

These allegations form part of the ongoing police investigation, and the case remains under inquiry.

Maharashtra Police teams remain in Bihar as part of the operation to arrest the alleged mastermind.

Investigators are examining financial records, communication details, and the roles of other suspected members of the network.

Police have indicated that further arrests are possible as the investigation progresses and additional evidence is collected regarding the alleged examination malpractice.

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Crime

Delhi woman alleges sexual harassment in moving car; records incident, FIR registered

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New Delhi, June 30: A 24-year-old woman has accused a man of sexually harassing her inside a moving car in East Delhi’s Mandawali area.

According to her complaint, the accused (known to the victim) allegedly lured her out on the pretext of eating momos and later insisted on stopping for CNG before diverting the vehicle to a deserted stretch.

The woman alleges that the man began making obscene remarks and pressured her into having sex. He touched her inappropriately and wouldn’t let her get out of the car. She recorded the entire incident on her mobile phone and reported the matter to the police. Based on the complaint, Mandawali police registered an FIR against the accused under relevant sections of the BNS. The accused has been caught. Further investigation is underway.

In a disturbing video, the woman could be heard pleading with the man to let her go. The man, as seen in the video, makes unwanted sexual remarks, pushing the woman to a breaking point, NDTV reported.

She recorded the incident on her mobile phone during the alleged assault.

“If you even touch me, I’ll jump in front of a vehicle and end my life,” the woman is heard saying in the shaky video that is replete with cuss words and sexually suggestive remarks.

A month ago, a similar incident came to light in Pune. A female lawyer was sexually assaulted in a moving car. Police arrested three suspects in this case. Now, a similar incident has surfaced in the national capital, Delhi.

The man who sexually assaulted the woman is known to her. According to the complaint, he lured her out on the pretext of offering her momos and then attempted to exploit her in a secluded area. However, the woman recorded the entire incident on her mobile phone.

Earlier on June 29, the Delhi High Court cancelled the bail granted to a 57-year-old private school caretaker accused of raping a three-year-old girl on the premises in west Delhi’s Janakpuri area, and asked him to surrender on July 1.

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Business

MSC Group’s arm to invest around $1.4 billion for 49 pc share in Adani’s Vizhinjam port

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Ahmedabad, June 30: Adani Ports on Tuesday said it has entered into a definitive agreement with MSC Group under which MSC’s container terminal operating and investing arm Terminal Investment Limited (TiL) will invest for 49 per cent interest in Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited (AVPPL), the concessionaire for Vizhinjam port.

The strategic collaboration represents the single largest foreign private investment in Indian port infrastructure and cements Vizhinjam’s emergence as a dominant transshipment gateway in the Indian Ocean region.

TiL will invest $1.397 billion, equivalent to its proportionate 49 per cent share in Vizhinjam port in total deal value of $2.85 billion.

“Vizhinjam port has emerged as a premier transshipment hub and ramped up at an unprecedented pace, becoming the first Indian port to earn the unique distinction of crossing two million TEUs within 18 months of operations,” said Ashwani Gupta, Whole-time Director and CEO, APSEZ.

“I am delighted to expand APSEZ’s long-standing partnership with MSC to Vizhinjam, as we prepare for the port’s next leg of journey. I am confident that our association will deliver enhanced supply chain efficiencies at a global scale and improve India’s access to key global mature and developing markets,” Gupta said.

The transaction is subject to customary approvals, including regulatory ones.

The strategic collaboration between APSEZ and MSC Group will deliver significant advantages for APSEZ, including enhanced volume visibility and accelerated ramp-up ahead of plan, driven by additional cargo volumes; a higher share of Bangladesh cargo, largely dependent on competing Southeast Asian transshipment hubs; strengthen presence on East Africa trade routes; and elevated relay cargo volumes.

TiL is one of the world’s largest container terminal operators and part of the MSC Group comprising a portfolio of more than 100 container terminals across five continents and a throughput of more than 70 million TEUs per annum.

Commissioned in December 2024, Vizhinjam port is India’s first deep-draft mega transshipment port with 1.6 million TEU capacity. The port is undergoing expansion that will increase capacity 3.5x to 5.7 million TEUs by December 2028, according to the company.

Vizhinjam port is strategically located just 10 nautical miles from the East-West shipping route connecting Europe, the Persian Gulf, and the Far East.

During FY26, Vizhinjam port handled 1.3 million TEUs. In its first year, Vizhinjam port handled 1.3 million TEUs and 615 vessels, becoming the fastest Indian port to cross the one million TEU milestone.

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