Page 7 - Isro

Weather 90% favourable as Axiom-4 mission set to launch today: SpaceX

After multiple delays, Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others are all set to travel to the International Space Station on Wednesday with SpaceX announcing that the weather was 90 per cent favourable for lift-off. "All systems are looking good for Wednesday's launch of @Axiom_Space's Ax-4 mission to the @Space_Station and weather is 90% favorable for liftoff," SpaceX, which is providing transport for the space mission, said in a post on X. NASA, Axiom Space, and SpaceX are now targeting 12.01 PM (IST), Wednesday, June 25, for launch of the fourth private astronaut mission to the International Space Station, Axiom Mission 4, NASA said. The mission will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will travel to the orbiting laboratory on a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft after launching on the company's Falcon 9 rocket. The targeted docking time is approximately 4.30 pm IST on Thursday, June 26, NASA said in a statement. Peggy Whitso

Shubhanshu Shukla's Axiom-4 mission eyes June 25 launch after many delays

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is set to become India's second astronaut in space after Rakesh Sharma

Startup Fabheads raises $10 mn to automate composite manufacturing

Accel leads Series A as Fabheads aims to modernise carbon fibre production; eyes aerospace and clean energy sectors

Ax-4 launch halted indefinitely, Isro crew to return after Nasa stand-down

Citing safety concerns after ISS repair checks, Nasa withdrew from Axiom-4, prompting Axiom to halt the mission indefinitely and Isro to recall its astronaut crew

Isro transfers SSLV tech to defence major HAL in a ₹511 crore deal

HAL wins bid for end-to-end SSLV production, marking a pivotal shift in India's commercial space ambitions and boosting the small satellite launch ecosystem

World's first dual-frequency radar satellite NISAR to launch from India

Nasa and Isro are set to launch NISAR dual-frequency radar satellite under a $1.5B partnership, marking a major milestone in US-India space cooperation

Govt to shortly notify rules for mandatory use of IST: Pralhad Joshi

The government has decided to make mandatory the use of Indian Standard Time for all legal, commercial, digital and administrative activities, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said on Wednesday. This initiative will translate into more secure digital transactions, accurate billing in utilities, reduced cybercrime risks and synchronized timekeeping in transportation and communication. Presently, several systems rely on foreign sources of time. To make Indian Standard Time (IST) mandatory, the government will shortly notify Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2025. The draft rules were issued in January 2025 for stakeholders' feedback. On Wednesday, the Department of Consumer Affairs organized a round table conference on Time Dissemination here. Joshi emphasized on the strategic significance of the Time Dissemination Project being implemented by the department in collaboration with CSIR-NPL and ISRO. He said the upcoming rules will mandate synchronization

India's Shubhanshu Shukla set for June 19 launch aboard Axiom-4 mission

Originally set for June 11, the Ax-4 launch was delayed after a Falcon 9 oxygen leak and a separate issue in the ISS's Russian-built Zvezda module prompted safety checks

Elon Musk raises concerns over ISS safety, urges de-orbiting within 2 years

Elon Musk has voiced serious concerns over the long-term safety of the International Space Station (ISS), citing the ageing condition of its components, and called for its de-orbiting within two years despite SpaceX's ongoing involvement."There are potentially serious concerns about the long-term safety of the @Space_Station. Some parts of it are simply getting too old, and that risk grows over time."Even though @SpaceX earns billions of dollars from transporting astronauts & cargo to the ISS, I nonetheless would like to go on record recommending that it be de-orbited within 2 years," Musk posted on X.Meanwhile, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is working closely with Axiom Space, NASA, and SpaceX to responsibly address the ISS Zvezda module observation causing the Ax-4 delay, reflecting growing collaboration between India and leading global space agencies, including Musk's companies.V Narayanan, the Secretary DOS/ Chairman ISRO and Chairman Space Commission, said ..

Working closely with Nasa to address Ax-4 delay, says Isro chairman

V Narayanan, the Secretary DOS/ Chairman Isro and Chairman Space Commission said that safety and mission integrity were their priorities

Axiom-4 launch with India's Shubhanshu Shukla delayed over ISS leak

Axiom Mission 4, carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, has been delayed as Nasa and Roscosmos investigate a pressure anomaly in the ISS's Zvezda service module

Axiom-4 mission carrying Shubhanshu Shukla delayed as SpaceX detects leak

In a statement, SpaceX announced that it was 'standing down' from the Falcon 9 launch of the Axiom-4 mission, which will be carrying Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others

Mission space: Isro to gain immensely from Axiom-4 with Gaganaut experience

Isro trained Group Captain Shukla for the ISS mission and this is important since it has never run a manned mission (India's first man in space, back in 1984, was trained in the Soviet cosmonaut prog)

Axiom-4 mission with Gaganyatri delayed to June 11, launch at 5:30 pm: Isro

Isro has postponed Axiom-4 mission carrying Indian Gaganyatri to the International Space Station to June 11, with launch now scheduled for 5:30 pm IST

Shukla's ISS flight set to mark liftoff for India's space industry

Axiom Mission 4 to take off on June 10; will trigger larger role for pvt sector in country's human spaceflight programme, say experts

Isro successfully conducts third hot test of semicryogenic engine

The Indian Space Research Organisation on Monday achieved a significant milestone with the successful completion of the third hot test of the Power Head Test Article (PHTA) at the ISRO Propulsion Complex in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. The test is part of a crucial series of evaluations to validate the performance of India's upcoming semicryogenic engine, ISRO said. This marks the third in a series of hot tests undertaken by ISRO for the PHTA. According to ISRO, the test, conducted on May 28, was aimed at validating the engine's ignition and start-up sequence while optimising the process for integrated engine performance. During the three-second trial, the engine was ignited successfully and operated up to 60 per cent of its rated power level, exhibiting stable and controlled performance throughout. ISRO began this series of performance evaluations in March 2025, focusing on critical components such as low- and high-pressure turbo-pumps, the pre-burner, start-up system, and various .

Women comprise around 20% of Isro workforce: VN Narayanan

ISRO chairman V Narayanan has said women employees comprise around 20 per cent of the workforce of the premier space research organisation and they are doing an outstanding job. He said the percentage of women employees in ISRO should go up to 40 per cent plus in the future. The ISRO chairman, who was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function organised by a private school here on Thursday said, "that in a country like India, having 50 per cent women population, the country cannot progress unless the women contribute in a significant way." Asked about the women workforce in ISRO, Narayanan said, "There are a lot of women employees. The women are doing an outstanding job and they should be encouraged in their contribution. Gradually the number should go up. Right now, maybe there are around 20 per cent women scientists but it should go up to 40 per cent plus." Talking about social reformer Rammohan Roy, he said Roy and other luminaries and polymaths had championed the caus

ISRO chief V Narayanan says 2025 very important, declares it Gaganyaan year

The ISRO chief said that 7200 tests have been completed as of now, and 3000 tests are pending.

Isro forms panel to probe PSLV mission failure: Chairman Narayanan

ISRO has formed a committee to investigate the incident in which a PSLV rocket failed to place an Earth observation satellite (EOS-09) into its intended orbit, Chairman V Narayanan said on Sunday. The committee has held several rounds of discussions to identify the cause, he added. Earlier in the day, ISRO failed to place its Earth observation satellite in orbit after the trusted PSLV rocket developed a fault minutes after launch from Sriharikota, about 135 km from here. "Today, we had the 101st mission from Sriharikota. The rocket is a four-stage vehicle. The first stage comprises a 134-tonne solid propulsion system and has six strap-on motors, each holding 12 tonne of propellant. The second stage has a 40-tonne liquid propulsion system, the third stage an 8-tonne solid propulsion system, and the fourth stage again uses liquid propulsion. These four stages must work in tandem to place a satellite into orbit," Narayanan explained. After a 22-hour countdown, the rocket lifted off as

Axiom 4 mission: India returns to space with IAF pilot Shubhanshu Shukla

IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will pilot Axiom 4 to the ISS, marking India's first human spaceflight since 1984 and a milestone in US-India cooperation and ISRO's Gaganyaan preparations