Page 7 - India Space Mission

Aditya-L1 mission's 'PAPA' detects first solar wind impact from the Sun

Advanced sensors of a payload on board India's maiden solar mission Aditya-L1 have successfully detected the impact of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), according to ISRO. The payload -- Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA) -- is an energy and mass analyser designed for in-situ measurements of solar wind electrons and ions in the low energy range, the space agency noted. It has two sensors: the Solar Wind Electron Energy Probe (SWEEP, measuring electrons in the energy range of 10 eV to 3 keV) and the Solar Wind Ion Composition Analyser (SWICAR, measuring ions in the energy range of 10 eV to 25 keV and mass range of 1-60 amu). The sensors are also equipped to measure the direction of arrival of solar wind particles. The data collected by PAPA, developed by the Space Physics Laboratory and Avionics Entity of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, revealed the occurrence of CME events, notably on December 15, 2023, and during February 10-11, 2024. "The CME on December 15, 2023, was a ..

Japan's H3 rocket reaches planned trajectory after failed debut last year

A new Japanese flagship H3 rocket lifted off from a space station in southwestern Japan on Saturday, successfully reaching a planned trajectory and releasing one of the two payloads in a key second test flight a year after its failed debut launch. The H3 rocket blasted off from a launch pad at the Tanegashima Space Center on time Saturday morning, two days after its originally scheduled lift-off which was delayed due to bad weather. The rocket's initial flight has been smooth as planned and it successfully released the first of two small payloads, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, said. JAXA will have a news conference later in the day to provide further details. Officials are confirming the status of a second satellite. The launch is closely watched as a test for Japan's space development after H3 failed in its debut flight last March. JAXA and its main contractor Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have been developing H3 as a successor to its current mainstay, H-2A, which

Pixxel opens new spacecraft manufacturing facility in Bengaluru

Pixxel has launched three of its satellites - Shakuntala, D2, and Anand - in collaboration with ISRO and Elon Musk's SpaceX

All eyes on the Sun: Aditya-L1 set to enter final orbit on Saturday

Here is a look at the details of the project and its importance

Space research: Glory and beyond

In the grand tapestry of the cosmos, India is weaving its own tale -a pursuit of space knowledge fuelled by curiosity, national pride, necessity, and growth opportunities

Isro tests high efficiency, low cost battery cell for future missions

ISRO on Friday said it has tested a new kind of battery cell which is more efficient and costs less than the conventional ones used on its missions. The national space agency said it has qualified 10 Ah Silicon-Graphite-anode based high energy density Li-ion cells as a low weight and low cost alternative to conventional ones being used currently. The flight demonstration of the cells as a battery was also successfully completed by powering a resistive load onboard the POEM-3 platform of PSLV-C58, launched on January 1, the space agency said in a statement. "Based on the confidence gained through this performance, these cells are poised to be used in upcoming operational missions where 35-40 per cent battery mass saving is expected. The system finds application both in space and ground use," ISRO added. The on-orbit voltage, current and temperature values of the battery were acquired through telemetry and found to match well with the predictions, it said. Compared to conventional .

Isro launches X-Ray polarimeter to obtain insights from celestial sources

The XPOSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) is India's first dedicated polarimetry mission to study various dynamics of bright astronomical X-ray sources in extreme conditions

India's private space industry seeks bold reforms, clarity on FDI

India's private space industry has sought bold and transformative reforms with clarity on the foreign direct investment to propel the nascent sector in the new year. The industry had welcomed the government decision, reflected in the Telecommunications Act approved by Parliament, to adopt the administrative route for allocation of satellite-based spectrum which would help bridge the digital divide by enabling space-based broadband internet access to remote parts of the country. Industry bodies Indian Space Association (ISpA) and Satcom Industry Association (SIA-India) have also asked the government to bring the Space Activity Bill for approval of Parliament to give statutory cover to the Space Policy announced earlier this year. "We expect the Space Activity Bill to be discussed in Parliament which will cover various factors of India's space goals, including insurance in space, international and national obligations, define offences and subsequent punishments, barriers of entry fo

TMS Ep590: Telecom Bill 2023, India's space sector, bond market, Bhashini

Has the new telecom bill let OTT off the hook? Did 2023 launch India's space sector into a higher orbit? How should bond market investors prepare for 2024? What is Bhashini? All answers here

Mission to Venus already configured: Isro chairman post Chandrayaan-3 plans

Calling it an interesting planet, Isro chief S Somnath said that studying Venus could answer several questions in the space science field

LIVE: Govt bonds inclusion in JP Morgan index will widen investor base: CEA

Catch all the latest updates LIVE from across the globe here

Isro Ahmedabad to play leading role in first space mission 'Gaganyaan'

While the rocket itself will be constructed elsewhere, all internal systems for Gaganyaan will be developed in Ahmedabad

Aditya-L1 completes Trans-Lagrangian 1 Insertion, sends data from 50,000 km

India's first solar space observatory mission has successfully completed the Trans-Lagrangian Point 1 Insertion manoeuvre. The spacecraft has started sending scientific information

Aditya-L1 could help India prepare for climate change: Ex-Isro chief Nair

With the successful launch of India's first solar mission Aditya-L1, the country could develop some prediction models and prepare a resilience plan to combat climate change, former ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair said here on Saturday. Sharing his excitement shortly after the successful takeoff of PSLV-C57, carrying the Aditya satellite from Sriharikota, Nair said it is very important to study the solar surface to understand various phenomena that instantaneously affect our local weather conditions. "Long-term variability of solar radiation also is a very important factor in the study of climate change. So, in all these areas, fundamental knowledge will be acquired through this unique mission," Nair told PTI. He said from the expected final destination of the satellite, Lagrange Point 1 (L1), the satellite could observe the Sun round the clock and extract exact data regarding various solar phenomena. "We can only try to have some (prediction) models, and the models can be validated .

Ex-ISRO chief Rao's key role in Aditya-L1 mission's success recalled

With the successful launch of India's ambitious solar mission Aditya-L1, former ISRO chief Prof U R Rao's dream and contribution towards its realisation at the initial stages was fondly remembered. According to ISRO, Prof. Rao, affectionately called the father of India's satellite programme, was particularly excited about the Aditya mission and he ensured that it went through a thorough revamp of its mission objectives including its orbital parameters to make the expedition more meaningful and contemporary. Thanks to Prof. Rao, Aditya-L1 will become the first mission from India to be placed in the Lagrange Point, L1, one of the liberation points in orbital configuration situated 1.5 million kilometres from the Earth, where a satellite upon placing will have the same angular velocity as that of the Earth with respect to Sun and hence, maintain the same position in relation to the Sun as seen from Earth, a tribute to Prof. Rao on ISRO's website states. The launch of Aditya-L1 by ...

Chandrayaan-3 lander gauges first-ever measurements of near-surface plasma

The initial assessment of the first-ever measurements of the near-surface lunar plasma environment over the south pole region by RAMBHA-LP payload onboard Chandrayaan-3 lander indicates that plasma there is relatively sparse, ISRO said on Thursday. Meanwhile, the ILSA payload on Chandrayaan 3 lander to study lunar seismic activity has not only recorded the movements of rover and other payloads, but also has recorded an event, appearing to be a natural one, on August 26. The source of this event is under investigation, ISRO said. "Radio Anatomy of Moon Bound Hypersensitive Ionosphere and Atmosphere - Langmuir Probe (RAMBHA-LP) payload onboard Chandrayaan-3 Lander has made first-ever measurements of the near-surface Lunar plasma environment over the south polar region. The initial assessment indicates that the plasma near the lunar surface is relatively sparse, ISRO said in a social media post. These quantitative measurements potentially assist in mitigating the noise that Lunar plas

Chandrayaan-3's Pragyan rover clicks photos of Vikram lander; check here

Chandrayaan-3: Earlier, Isro said that the rover has unambiguously confirmed the presence of sulphur on the lunar surface near the south pole

GalaxEye unveils drone-based high resolution all-weather imaging system

Space start-up GalaxEye has unveiled a high resolution aerial drone-based Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) system. The cutting edge system can perform exceptionally detailed and high resolution all-weather imaging, even amidst rainy or cloudy conditions, GalaxEye said in a statement here. The in-house developed data fusion technology will deliver unprecedented insights and data from space, empowering satellite constellations to conduct all-weather imaging without succumbing to the atmospheric hindrances that plague current single-sensor satellites, it said. "This forward technology opens doors for generating highly detailed images through a compact satellite constellation. Upon achieving full operational capacity, this constellation will achieve global coverage within a 12-hour time frame," the start-up said. The capability of constant all-weather, all-time imaging, combined with precise object geometry analysis, holds immense value across diverse sectors such as insurance, precision

TMS Ep508: Bharat NCAP, India Inc in space, RIL 46th AGM, Shiv Shakti Point

Will Bharat NCAP make your car safer? How did India Inc help Chandrayaan-3 land on the Moon? How have markets interpreted RIL's 46th AGM? What is the Shiv Shakti Point? All answers here

Ajjree Engineering to supply critical components for Isro's space missions

Ajjree Engineering Industries has set up a manufacturing unit at Jigani Industrial Area, Bengaluru, to produce space-qualified heat pipes