Taiwan Researchers Join Indian Space Agency in Satellite Launch Mission For First Time

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday launched a satellite, INSPIRESat-1, jointly developed by a team of international researchers, including from Taiwan, using a PSLV-52 carrier rocket. This is the first time ISRO launched a satellite developed by a team of international researchers.

INSPIRESat-1, which stands for International Research and Teaching Satellite Project Satellite One, was developed by scientists from universities of the US, Taiwan, India, and Singapore.

The PSLV-C52 rocket also carries Earth Observation Satellite (EOS-04), student satellite INSPIRESat, and a spacecraft dubbed INSAT-2DT, the precursor of a joint India-Bhutan mission in the future.

The universities that took part in the launch are the University of Colorado's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP), the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST), Taiwan's National Central University (NCU), and Singapore's Nanyang Technological University.

“Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C52 placed two small satellites, a student satellite (INSPIREsat-1) from Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology (IIST) in association with Laboratory of Atmospheric & Space Physics at the University of Colorado, Boulder and a technology demonstrator satellite (INS-2TD) from ISRO, which is a precursor to India-Bhutan Joint Satellite (INS-2B)”, the space agency said in a statement.

The satellite will provide information on the Sun's corona and its impact on Earth's ionosphere.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu congratulated the ISRO scientists on the successful launch.

ISRO Chairman S. Somanath also congratulated the ISRO team for the precision with which the mission was accomplished.