PSLV-C60 Mission | 10 payload from non-government entities successfully deployed on POEM-4

Tue Dec 31 07:08:08 UTC 2024: **ISRO’s PSLV-C60 Mission Successfully Deploys 10 Private Payloads**

**Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, December 31, 2024** – The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)’s PSLV-C60/SPADEX mission, launched on December 30th, successfully deployed 10 payloads from non-government entities (NGEs), the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) announced today. The mission, which utilized the repurposed fourth stage of the PSLV rocket as the Orbital Experimental Module (POEM-4), conducted experiments at an altitude of 350 km.

IN-SPACe, the agency responsible for promoting private sector participation in space activities, highlighted the success of the POEM-4 platform, which provides a cost-effective way for Indian start-ups, academic institutions, and research organizations to test space technologies. The platform offers essential capabilities like power, telemetry, and command support.

Among the 10 NGE payloads were RV-SAT1 from RV Engineering College (Bengaluru), studying gut bacteria in microgravity, and APEMS from Amity University Maharashtra (Mumbai), researching plant growth in microgravity. In total, 24 payloads were deployed as part of the mission.

Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman of IN-SPACe, emphasized the mission’s role in capacity building and reducing barriers to entry for the private space sector. He stated that these collaborative missions will be instrumental in space qualification for NGEs, paving the way for future satellite launches.