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India's first private orbital-class rocket, Vikram-1, carrying multiple technology demonstration payloads and a postcard from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, lifted off from this spaceport on Saturday. Named "Mission Aagaman" (arrival), the test flight's launch marks a historic milestone for the country's commercial space sector, executed by Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace. On a cloudy day, the seven-storey-tall, four-stage Vikram-1 rocket lifted off at 12.05 pm on Saturday from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, here. Following a "planned hold," due to apparent navigation issues, the launch was revised 35 minutes late than the original prefixed time of 11.30 am. After its initial journey of a little short of 16 minutes, Vikram-1 is expected to place the payloads, both domestic and foreign, into a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 450 km with an inclination of 60 degrees. Vikram-1, named after the legendary Vikram Sarabhai who is often regarded as the Fat
Bengaluru-based Space start-up Galaxeye has lost contact with its satellite Mission Drishti, the world's first OptoSAR satellite, which was launched in May, and the likelihood of recovery currently appears low. According to the company, the connection was lost after the satellite encountered an anomaly following a geomagnetic solar storm. "Initial root cause analysis indicates that radiation effects associated with the event likely impacted a critical onboard system. Communication with the spacecraft subsequently became intermittent and was eventually lost," said Galaxeye. The satellite integrated electro-optical (EO) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors into a single operational platform. While EO sensors capture high-resolution images during sunlight and clear skies, SAR sensors provide all-weather and all-time images, using radar pulses. Mission Drishti successfully established communication and completed a major portion of its planned Launch and Early Orbit Phase (LEOP).
Elon Musk-led Starlink continues to be in active discussion with the Indian government and has received encouraging feedback on its capabilities to advance India's connectivity goals, a senior official of the satellite firm said on Wednesday. Starlink has applied for a licence to start satellite communications services in India. The government has issued a letter of intent to the company and the final license is awaited. "Starlink remains in active and productive discussions with the Government of India contrary to misleading stories based upon unsubstantiated claims from anonymous sources. We have worked with the Government through all of the required regulatory and compliance processes in a transparent and responsible manner," Lauren Dreyer, Vice President, Starlink Business Operations, said on social media platform X. Her post came in response to a source-based report that claimed India has effectively frozen approvals for Starlink to begin commercial operations, citing concerns
Emerging technologies, information dominance and multi-domain operations are reshaping future battlefields amid hybrid, persistent and unpredictable threats, Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth said on Saturday. The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command was reviewing the Winter Term Passing Out Parade at Officers Training Academy (OTA), Gaya, an official release said. A total of 253 Officer Cadets of SSC (Tech) Men-64 and 28 Officer Cadets of SSC (Tech) Women-35 were commissioned into the Indian Army at the ceremony, marking the successful culmination of rigorous military training and their formal induction into commissioned service, it said. The parade symbolized the proud transition of these cadets into officers entrusted with leading soldiers of one of the world's most battle-hardened armies, the release added. Addressing the newly commissioned officers, Lt Gen Seth said it was imperative for young leaders to remain intellectually agile, technologically aware and ...