The news of India's success in launching Singapore's experimental satellite, X-Sat, was greeted with delight here on Wednesday.
The Nanyang Technological University (NTU), which played a role in charting Singapore's tryst with the outer space, said India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C16 placed the 105-kg X-Sat in the “planned orbit around the Earth.”
Built by NTU
Singapore's “first indigenous micro-satellite” was “developed and built” by the NTU in “collaboration with DSO National Laboratories,” a defence research and development organisation here.
The mission control station at the NTU's Research Techno Plaza started trying to establish contact with X-Sat shortly after it was sky-rocketed into a pre-determined orbit.
Three payloads
“X-Sat carries three payloads” and “research associated with earth remote-sensing applications” would be carried out during the “mission life of three years,” it was said.
“Huge leap for research”
NTU president Su Guaning said: “We are delighted with the successful launch of Singapore's first experimental micro-satellite into space. This represents a huge leap for our local research and development endeavours in space technology and [in] building micro-satellites.”
Dr. Su expressed hope that the space venture “will excite and inspire our youths.”
