Page 12 - Isro

8th pay commission, ISRO, Adani shares, Hindenburg closure, Infosys earnings & more

The central government has approved the formation of the 8th Pay Commission for central government employees. The tenure of the Seventh Pay Commission ends in 2026.

Isro successfully performs docking of satellites as part of SpaDeX Mission

Earlier on January 12, Isro brought the two spacecraft to three metres and then moved them back to safe distance

V Narayanan assumes charge as new ISRO chief, succeeding S Somanath

V Narayanan has assumed charge as the chairman of ISRO, replacing S Somanath, the Space Agency said. In a statement, the ISRO said, "Dr V Narayanan, Distinguished Scientist (Apex Grade), assumed the charge of Secretary, Department of Space, Chairman, Space Commission and Chairman, ISRO on the afternoon of January 13, 2025." Prior to this, Narayanan served as the Director of ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), a key facility responsible for the development of propulsion systems for launch vehicles and spacecraft. He also played a pivotal role as the Chairman of the National Level Human Rated Certification Board (HRCB) for the Gaganyaan programme, India's ambitious human spaceflight mission. A veteran scientist, Narayanan joined ISRO in 1984 and has contributed significantly to India's space missions over the decades. He became the Director of LPSC in January 2018, cementing his reputation as a leader in rocket and spacecraft propulsion technologies. Narayanan hails from

Isro to review strategy as space docking trial postponed; check details

Isro aborted the SpaDeX mission due to sensor problems when the two satellites were just 3 metres away from successfully completing the docking

SpaDeX: Isro brings satellites within three metres in trial attempt

ISRO on Sunday said the two satellites launched to perform space docking experiments were brought within three metres and then moved safely back in a trial attempt. The space agency also said the docking process would be done after analysing the data further. "A trial attempt to reach up to 15 metres and further to three metres is done. Moving back spacecraft to safe distance. The docking process will be done after analysing data further," ISRO said in a post on X. The Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) project has missed two announced schedules for docking experiments on January 7 and January 9. ISRO launched the mission on December 30. The PSLV C60 rocket, carrying two small satellites -- SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target) -- along with 24 payloads, lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. About 15 minutes later, the two small spacecraft weighing about 220 kilogrammes each were launched into a 475-kilometre circular orbit, as intended. The SpaDeX project is

SpaDeX satellites positioned 230 m apart, health status 'normal': Isro

The two Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) satellites that the ISRO aims to unite in orbit are currently separated by a distance of 230 m, with their health status deemed 'normal', the space agency said on Saturday. On Friday evening, the satellites were separated by 1.5 kms. ISRO has said that the distance would be reduced to 500 m by Saturday morning. In a post on 'X', ISRO said, "Arrested at Inter Satellite Distance (ISD) of 230 m, all sensors are being evaluated. Spacecraft's health is normal." The space agency, however, has not committed to a date for conducting the docking experiments, which will bring the satellites together in space. The SpaDeX project has already missed two announced schedules for docking experiments on January 7 and 9. ISRO successfully launched the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission on December 30. The PSLV C60 rocket carrying two small satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), along with 24 payloads, had lifted off from the first launchpad

Industries hold key to achieving India's Space Vision: Isro chief Somanath

ISRO Chairman S Somanath said on Friday that industries have a phenomenal role to play in achieving India's Space Vision 2047, rolled out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ISRO chairman-designate V Narayanan also echoed the same view. In his pre-recorded inaugural speech, at the biennial National Aerospace Manufacturing Seminar (NAMS) 2025, Somanath said that the industries will face significant challenges as their collaboration with the space programme is going to increase substantially. One of the challenges would be the regular production of rockets, satellites and other systems required for the space programme and the other would be engineering, manufacturing and supplying items like new space crafts and systems, miniature electronics, large propulsion tanks and engines, he said. "They have to be produced in numbers to meet the tight schedules," he added. He said the task was a huge one as the strength of the space community in the public sector was not increasing ...

Isro to launch communication satellite of US firm AST SpaceMobile in March

The Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) LVM3 rocket will launch in March a communication satellite of a US-based firmT SpaceMobile that plans to provide space-based cellular broadband network services on smartphones. "The commercial LVM3-M5 mission, set for March, will deploy BlueBird Block-2 satellites under a contract with the US-basedT SpaceMobile," an official statement said. The statement came after Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh reviewed the functioning of the Department of Space with senior officials, including the outgoing ISRO chairman S Somanath, his successor V Narayanan and Pawan Kumar Goenka, Chairman of Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe). Narayanan, who will succeed Somanath on January 14, during the meeting outlined a strategic roadmap for expanding the ISRO's global footprint. The joint NASA-ISRO satellite NISAR and a navigation satellite NVS-02 are set for launch in February on board two separate missions o

Space science is complex, time consuming: Isro chairman S Somanath

ISRO chairman S Somanath on Thursday said space science is not just about the excitement of becoming astronomers, but it also involves complex and time-consuming science, an expertise that can only be built persistently over the years. Somanath, who is also Secretary, Department of Space, was delivering a keynote speech at the virtual launch of the third edition of ISRO's Space Science and Technology Awareness Training (START 2025) programme. This year, 20,000 students from over 560 institutions have registered for the START programme that will be held from January 9 to 29, added Somanath. Although the mysteries of the universe quite naturally become the primary focus of attention, Somanath said space science is more about crunching numbers and cracking heads over formulae, to, say, optimally design sensors or build satellites and rockets. So, in the START programme, we will be talking about all of these. We will be talking about our exciting space missions. But we'll also tell you

Isro to carry out ambitious space docking experiment on Thursday morning

ISRO will carryout its ambitious space docking experiment using two satellites on orbit, on January 9. The event was scheduled on January 7 but postponed to Thursday morning. If the ISRO succeeds in its mission, India will become the fourth country in the world to have space docking technology. ISRO had launched the two satellites -- SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target) -- as part of the mission on December 30 with the help of PSLV C60 rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The two small spacecraft weighing about 220 kg each were injected into a 475-km circular orbit as intended. According to ISRO, SpaDeX mission is a cost-effective technology demonstrator mission for the demonstration of in-space docking using these two small spacecraft. This technology is essential for India's space ambitions such as Indian on Moon, sample return from the Moon, the building and operation of Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), etc. The Space Docking Experiment (SPADEX) is a pivotal .

Meet V Narayanan, the new ISRO chief: Career highlights, key missions & more

Rocket scientist V Narayanan, will take over as the new Chairman of the ISRO on January 14. Watch the video to know about his early life, his key contributions and his vision for the space economy.

Isro has major missions ahead, says newly appointed chairman Narayanan

Eminent rocket scientist and the newly appointed chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) V Narayanan on Wednesday said that the space agency is going through a successful phase and Chandrayaan-4 and Gaganyaan are among the prominent missions ahead. Expressing happiness about his new stint as the Secretary, Department of Space and as the chairman of the ISRO, Narayanan said he considers it as a great luck to be part of such a great organisation led by great leaders. "It is such a great organisation. Several great leaders have led it (in the past). I consider it as a great luck to be part of it," he told reporters here. While replying to a question, Narayanan said the information about his new appointment was first passed on to him by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). "The PM is deciding everything. The PMO has contacted. The current chairman S Somanath sir also called and said about the new appointment," he said. When asked about the upcoming projects of ISRO, th

V Narayanan: Lesser known facts about IIT alumnus to be next Isro chief

On January 14, 2025, Dr. V Narayanan, a renowned scientist at the Indian Space Research Organization (Isro), will take over as chairman, replacing his predecessor S. Somanath

V Narayanan is new Isro chairman, space secy; to take charge on Jan 14

Narayanan, a Distinguished Scientist (APEX Grade), is an expert in rocket and spacecraft propulsion systems

V Narayanan appointed as new chairman of Isro, to take office on Jan 14

According to an official order from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Narayanan has been appointed to serve in these roles for the next two years, until further notice

Cowpea seedlings onboard Isro's POEM-4 sprout first leaves in space

Cowpea seedlings onboard PSLV-C60 POEM-4 module sprout their first leaves in space, signifying a milestone in space-based plant research, ISRO said on Monday. According to India's national space agency, the Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies (CROPS), developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), is an automated platform designed to cultivate and sustain plant life in the microgravity environment of space. One of its recent experiments involved growing cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) seeds within a controlled, closed environment equipped with active thermal management, said ISRO. The system monitored various parameters, including oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, relative humidity, temperature, and soil moisture, while capturing images to track plant growth, added ISRO. According to the space agency, this setup successfully supported the germination and development of cowpea plants up to the two-leaf stage in space. "This accomplishment not only demonstrates ISRO'

Isro delays SpaDeX docking to Jan 9 for validation by ground simulations

ISRO on Monday said the docking experiment of SpaDeX satellites scheduled for January 7 is now postponed to January 9. The Bengaluru-based space agency said the docking process requires further validation through ground simulations based on an abort scenario identified on Monday. "The SpaDeX Docking scheduled on (January) 7th is now postponed to 9th. The docking process requires further validation through ground simulations based on an abort scenario identified today," ISRO said in a post on 'X'. ISRO had successfully launched the ambitious Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission on December 30. The PSLV C60 rocket carrying two small satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), along with 24 payloads, had lifted off from the first launchpad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, and about 15 minutes after liftoff, the two small spacecraft weighing about 220 kg each were launched into a 475-km circular orbit as intended. According to ISRO, SpaDeX mission is a ...

Indian space industry's funding falls 55% to $59.1 mn in 2024, data shows

Globally, space companies raised about $28 billion over the last five years, while their Indian counterparts secured approximately $354 million in the same period, Tracxn data showed

Cowpea seeds sent to space germinated under microgravity conditions: Isro

ISRO on Saturday said the cowpea seeds it had sent to space onboard the PSLV-C60 POEM-4 platform have germinated under microgravity conditions within four days of the launch of the mission. The space agency sent eight cowpea seeds as part of the Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies (CROPS) experiment conducted by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) to study plant growth in microgravity conditions. "Life sprouts in space! VSSC's CROPS experiment onboard PSLV-C60 POEM-4 successfully sprouted cowpea seeds in 4 days. Leaves expected soon," ISRO said in a post on X. The PSLV-C60 mission placed two SpaDeX satellites in orbit on the night of December 30. The fourth stage of the rocket carrying the POEM-4 platform has been orbiting the earth with 24 onboard experiments at an altitude of 350 km since Tuesday. The CROPS experiment aims to understand how plants grow in the unique conditions of space, which is essential for future long-duration space missions. The experiment

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