Page 13 - Satellite

Govt launches 'FloodWatch' app for real-time flood updates, forecasts

Amid a rise in flood-related incidents in the country, including loss of life and property, the government Thursday launched an app to disseminate real-time information on the flood situation in affected areas. The 'FloodWatch' app, will collect data from 338 stations to send real-time flood updates across 23 states and Union Territories, Central Water Commission (CWC) Chairperson Kushvinder Vohra said. The app aims to use mobile phones to spread flood-related information and even provides forecasts for up to 7 days, Vohra said while launching 'FloodWatch'. The app uses advanced technologies such as satellite data analysis, mathematical modelling, and real-time monitoring to deliver accurate and timely flood forecasts, he added. "The app's user-friendly interface will make it easy for anyone to stay informed and minimise risk during flood events," Vohra said. 'FloodWatch' will send out alert messages and flood forecasts in both written and audio formats, the CWC chief said. The a

N Korea preparing ICBM tests, spy satellite launch: S Korean spy agency

North Korea is preparing its second attempt to put a spy satellite into orbit as well as tests of long-range missiles to mark a key national anniversary and protest efforts by the United States to strengthen its regional alliances, South Korea's intelligence service told lawmakers Thursday. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been expected to conduct weapons tests in response to major US-South Korean military drills that begin next week and a trilateral US-South Korea-Japan summit at Camp David in the United States this Friday. The National Intelligence Service told lawmakers in a closed-door meeting that North Korea may try to launch a spy satellite in late August or early September ahead of the country's 75th anniversary on September 9, according to Yoo Sang-bum, one of the lawmakers who attended the briefing. The NIS said North Korea has been testing an engine for the rocket to be used for the satellite launch and has installed an additional land antenna to receive satellite data

Satellite TV firm Tata Play reports Rs 105 cr loss in FY23, plans IPO

Investor sentiment for offering may dampen due to company's performance, says one banker

ISRO transfers satellite bus tech to Alpha Design to boost private sector

ISRO on Saturday said it has transferred the IMS-1 Satellite Bus Technology to Alpha Design Technologies Pvt. Ltd in a step towards enhancing private industry participation in the country's space sector. NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO, facilitated the technology transfer through an agreement signed during an event held at the NSIL headquarters on August 2, the space agency said on its website. The technology transfer documents were formally handed over by D Radhakrishnan, Chairman and Managing Director of NSIL to Col. H S Shankar (Retd.), Chairman and Managing Director of ADTL. ADTL is one of the two private players identified to receive the transfer of this technology through Interest Exploratory Note (IEN) published by NSIL, it said. This transfer marks the beginning of satellite bus technologies developed by ISRO being transferred to private industries. Further, the PSLV is under productionisation by a consortium of industries. ISRO has been enabling

GalaxEye to launch world's first multi-sensor satellite next year

Chennai-based space start-up GalaxEye plans to launch the world's first multi-sensor satellite next year. The satellite would be capable of observing Earth night and day, even peering through dense clouds. In an interaction with PTI, GalaxEye Space co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) Suyash Singh said the satellite -- Mission Drishti -- synchronises two complementary sensors, thus pioneering data fusion at its core. The new multi-sensor satellite will capture both Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data and data from optical sensors from the same satellite to improve the correlation and analytical utility of the data generated. Singh said the current optical sensors can capture pictures of Earth in quite detail, including identifying the vegetation level of crops, but these fail in cloudy conditions or at night. "We are trying to mix and match. The current sensors are not available in the absence of sunlight or if there is a cloud cover. SAR is a very good sensor, not dependen

SpaceX rocket lifts off with world's largest commercial satellite

Space Exploration Technologies Corp.'s three-fuselage Falcon Heavy ferried the massive payload into orbit at 11:04 p.m. local time from the company's launchpad at NASA's Kennedy Space Center

British-made spacecraft 'Aeolus' expected to fall back on Earth today

Although Aeolus completed its mission successfully, it lacked the capabilities required for a controlled re-entry into Earth's atmosphere

Pixxel wins grant to develop miniaturised multi-payload satellites for IAF

Pixxel has solidified its position as a leading innovator in the space tech sector, building and launching made in India and the world's highest-resolution commercial hyperspectral imaging satellites

ISRO to launch PSLV-C56 with seven Singaporean satellites, full update here

ISRO has announced the launch of PSLV-C56 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) Sriharikota at 6:30 am on July 30 that will carry Singapore's DS-SAR satellite with 6 co-passenger satellites

India to launch 7 Singapore satellites from Isro's spaceport on July 30

India would launch PSLV-C56 carrying DS-SAR satellite from Singapore, along with six co-passengers, from the first launchpad of the ISRO's Sriharikota spaceport at 6.30 am on July 30. The DS-SAR satellite is developed under a partnership between Singapore's Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) (representing the Government of Singapore) and ST Engineering. Once deployed and operational, it will be used to support the satellite imagery requirements of various agencies within the Government of Singapore. ST Engineering will use it for multi-modal and higher responsiveness imagery and geospatial services for their commercial customers. DS-SAR carries a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) payload developed by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). This allows the DS-SAR to provide for all-weather day and night coverage, and capable of imaging at one metre resolution at full polarimetry. The NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a central public sector undertaking under the Department of Space,

Satcom spectrum allotment: Prefer auction for allotment, says DoT

DoT officials were quoted as saying that satcom airwaves should be given to the highest bidder since several firms are trying to enter the market

Top headlines: Govt raises windfall tax, Chandrayaan-3 lift-off, and more

Business Standard brings you the top headlines at this hour

Successful Chandrayaan-3 will place India among top players: Isro scientist

Ahead of India's ambitious space programme Chandrayaan-3, former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan on Thursday said its successful landing will make India only the fourth nation to achieve this and it would increase the potential for space science development in the country. Talking to PTI here, he said this will also help India boost its share in the global space business. Currently India's share in the 600 billion-dollar industry is an abysmal 2 per cent. The former ISRO scientist said that as India is now inviting private participation in technology development, it would also increase the scope for more startups to enter the area. "It means a lot for many players to start their work. For example, I would imagine that many startups will come, and even the startups that we have will have better funding. Many foreign countries may also land here with their startups or add to an existing startup," Narayanan said. He said a successful Chandrayan-3 mission would be a big boost for space

Space startups welcome GST exemption for satellite launch services

The Indian private sector on Wednesday welcomed the government's decision to exempt satellite launch services by private organisations from GST, saying the move will help them offer competitive rates to put satellites in orbit. The GST Council, at a meeting on Tuesday, decided that GST exemption on satellite launch services supplied by ISRO, Antrix Corporation Limited and New Space India Limited (NSIL) may be extended to such services supplied by organisations in the private sector also to encourage start-ups. The Indian Space Association-EY report had said that the space launch segment was expected to grow rapidly by 2025 at the rate of 13 percent per annum. "This step will give financial relief to the players and will incentivise growth of this nascent sector. We believe it will help enable the growth of indigenous launch capabilities and ensure a level playing field for all," Lt Gen A K Bhatt (retd.) Director General, Indian Space Association (ISpA) said. He said the satellite

Industry welcomes GST exemption for startups into satellite launch services

ISpA says step will give financial relief to the players, incentivise segment's growth and help spawn indigenous launch capabilities, creating a level playing field for all

Will transfer SSLV to industry amid demand for small satellite: Isro chief

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Monday announced that it will transfer its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) to the private sector amid growing demand for small satellites. The SSLV, which has had two development flights, seeks to provide on-demand services to put satellites weighing up to 500 kg in a low-earth orbit. "We have built our own SSLV which will be transferred to the industry and produced in large numbers to meet the growing demand," ISRO chairman S Somanath said at the inauguration ceremony of the India Space Congress organised by SIA India. The space agency has decided to opt for the bidding route to transfer the mini-rocket to the industry, a senior official said. The SSLV is the sixth launch vehicle developed by ISRO and has undergone two development flights in August last year and in February this year. The maiden flight of the SSLV in August last year was a failure due to vibration disturbance for a short duration on the Equipment Bay deck dur

India's space start-ups exploring niche markets, global collaborations

From aiming to re-fuel satellites in orbit to monitoring the Earth's health, Indian start-ups in the space sector are exploring niche markets with the hope of striking it big as opportunities for global commercial collaborations open up. India becoming a signatory to the Artemis Accords and the focus on the space sector, particularly on addressing issues related to export control and technology transfer, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to the US will open up doors for private players, industry leaders believe. Since India opened up its space sector in 2020, more than 150 start-ups have come up in areas such as building rockets and satellites, setting up astronaut training facilities and exploring possibilities for space tourism. "It is a good start, because it was unheard of for the US to supply any space or defence-related technology 10-15 years ago. It was a taboo. Now, we are talking of working together in sunrise sectors," Manastu Space co-founder Tushar Jadha

Goa govt to rope in satellite imagery firm to map out CRZ violations

The Goa government will engage a company with expertise in satellite imagery to map structures that existed on the state's shoreline before 1991 to understand the extent of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) violations, a senior official said on Monday. During a public redressal meeting in North Goa on Monday, State Environment Minister Nilesh Cabral said the state government will file an affidavit before the Bombay High Court listing out the structures that existed before 1991, a cut-off date as per the CRZ regulations. The Goa State Coastal Zone Management Authority (GSCZMA) had issued show cause notices to 275 structures, giving them time to respond with documentation to prove that they existed before 1991. The notices were issued after the October 2022 order of the High Court against the gross violations in CRZ areas, the senior GSCZMA official said. Speaking at the meeting, Cabral said the state government will engage a company with expertise in satellite imaginary to map the a

Musk, Tata & Mittal on one side, Ambani on other for satellite spectrum

Elon Musk wants his Starlink to beam down wireless internet in India from satellites orbiting the earth, but the licensing regime his group favours has put him at odds with Mukesh Ambani's Reliance. After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York last week, Musk on June 21 said he was keen to launch Starlink in India that "can be incredibly helpful" in bringing the internet to remote villages that lack on-ground infrastructure. But Starlink wants India to just assign a license for the service and not insist on auctioning the signal-carrying spectrum or airwaves. This stand finds Musk on the side of Tatas, Sunil Bharti Mittal's firm, and Amazon, who too prefer the same route. But Ambani's Reliance says there must be an auction of spectrum for foreign satellite service providers to offer voice and data services to provide a level playing field to traditional telecom players who offer the same services using airwaves bought in government auctions. "India's space-based ...

N Korea calls failed spy satellite launch 'serious' shortcoming, vows a 2nd

Top North Korean officials vowed to push for a second attempt to launch a spy satellite as they called their country's first, and failed, launch last month the most serious shortcoming this year and harshly criticized those responsible, state media reported Monday. In late May, a North Korean rocket carrying a military reconnaissance satellite crashed soon after liftoff, posing a setback to leader Kim Jong Un's push to acquire a space-based surveillance system to better monitor the United States and South Korea. The failed launch and North Korean efforts to modernize its weapons arsenals were discussed heavily at a three-day ruling party meeting that ended Sunday, with the presence of Kim and other top officials. A lengthy Korean Central News Agency dispatch on the meeting didn't clearly say who spoke, but said a report to the meeting bitterly criticized the officials who irresponsibly conducted the preparations for (the) satellite launch. The report set forth tasks for officials a