Page 4 - Space Technology

ISRO chairman calls for investment in aerodynamic test facilities in India

ISRO chairman S Somanath on Thursday said that there was a lack of sufficient aerodynamic testing facilities in India and therefore, huge investments need to be made to create such facilities. Speaking at the SAROD 2024 event organised here by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Somanath emphasised the importance of scaling up the country's computational capability. The ISRO chairman said that with the advancements in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), there was an initial line of thought that aerodynamic testing facilities were no longer required as most of the problems could be identified and solved computationally through simulations. "So, many of the test programs that were required to be done for the future aero vehicles were actually cut down and at one point we were told to do more simulations than testing. But, as time goes by, we realised that this is not the case. It became clear that the complementary nature of analysis and simulation with testing will continue. I

Pixxel raises $24 million, total Series B funding reaches $60 million

Funding will enable Pixxel to speed up the deployment of its Firefly constellation and other upcoming missions

India must become self-reliant in space data needs: IN-SPACe chief Goenka

Space sector regulator IN-SPACe's chairman Pawan Goenka on Monday said India faces significant gaps in meeting all its space data needs and remains heavily reliant on foreign providers. Addressing the GeoSmart India 2024 conference in Hyderabad, he also said without the geospatial industry growing, India cannot achieve its vision of being a Viksit Bharat by 2047. "Are all our data needs met today? My answer is definitely not... Affordability, low resolution data, high resolution data -- not enough, Goenka said. He said despite abundant data from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), it falls short of providing "anytime, anywhere, any resolution" capabilities. Goenka said one of the first steps a country must take is to become self-reliant in data. "Currently, ISRO is the only Indian source, and there is a high dependency on foreign sources. I am not suggesting that we generate all the data ourselves, but all strategic data must be produced from sources within India," he ...

Autonomous space tech: China launches world's first self-driving satellite

China's 'self-driving' satellites, named Siwei Gaojing-2 03 and Gaojing-2 04, can autonomously maintain or change flight paths without ground intervention

Engine of Japan's new small rocket explodes during a test for 2nd time

The engine for a flagship new small Japanese rocket burst into flames Tuesday during a combustion test, but there was no injury or damage to the outside, officials said. The second failure in a row raises concern about the progress of the Epsilon S rocket, whose debut is expected for next year. The test was conducted inside of the restricted area at Japan's Tanegashima Space Center in southwestern Japan, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is investigating, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters. The fire was followed by an explosion and plumes of white smoke. Tuesday's failure comes just over a year after the explosion last year of the same Epsilon S engine during a test, according to JAXA. Last year's explosion was related to damage to the ignition systems of the engine and JAXA has since taken the necessary steps, the agency has said. Development of flagship rockets such as Epsilon S is extremely important from the perspective of ensuring autonomy of ..

Bengaluru Tech Summit: Draft Karnataka Space Tech policy launched

The draft policy lays down the overall vision of Government of Karnataka for the space sector which is to hold 50 per cent of the national market share and transform into a global destination of space

The era of nuclear clocks is almost here: What it means for the world

Nuclear clocks could be more accurate than atomic clocks by a factor of about 10, potentially leading to improved GPS navigation and advancements in space exploration

Defence Space Agency conducts maiden 'Exercise Antariksha Abhyas 2024'

Antariksha Abhyas 2024 successfully met its objectives of improving interoperability, fostering mutual understanding and enhancing cohesion between the tri-services and Defence Space Agency

Boeing-made communication satellite explodes in space, reason unknown

This is not the first loss for Intelsat. Earlier in 2019, the company had lost another Boeing-made satellite, IS-29e

Bharatiya Antariksh Station: First module of India's space station approved

India's own space station: The union cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the building of first unit of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS-1)

Internet in space: Polaris Dawn tests Starlink's laser-powered project

Four astronauts aboard the Polaris Dawn mission successfully tested laser-powered internet in space by sharing photographs of the mission

Nibe shoots for stars with Earth observation satellite constellation

Partners global giants to orbit India's space self-reliance

Starliner creates trouble as latest setback for Boeing's space business

SpaceX has since carried out seven of those missions and will bring home the astronauts Starliner left behind, while Boeing has yet to complete one

First reusable hybrid rocket RHUMI launched by Tamil Nadu space startup

Tamil Nadu-based startup Space Zone India on Saturday launched its first reusable hybrid rocket, Mission RHUMI-2024, onboard a mobile platform to take up research on global warming and climate change. City-headquartered Space Zone India has been conducting various projects under Mission RHUMI over the last two years. The RHUMI rocket launched early in the day at Thiruvidanthai on the scenic East Coast Road near Chennai is powered by a generic-fuel-based hybrid motor and electrically triggered parachute deployer. "It is 3.5 metre tall rocket and was launched at about 7.25 am from the earlier 7am lift off schedule," Space Zone India Founder-CEO Anand Megalingam said. "It is more of a sounding rocket. It flew to an altitude of about 35 kms and right now my team is there to collect it as per our plan (since it is a reusable rocket)," he told PTI. "Compared to an 89 degree inclination, we had launched the rocket with 70 degree inclination due to heavy wind and gusts," he explained on t

RN Agarwal, 'Father of Agni missile', passes away at the age of 84

R N Agarwal, regarded as the father of Agni missiles in the country, passed away here. He was 84. Agarwal, a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, died on Thursday following mild old-age related ailments, DRDO sources said. He had served as the Agni programme director and also as the director of ASL (Advanced Systems Laboratory) in Hyderabad. Former President A P J Abdul Kalam and 'Missile Man' of India had started IGMDP (Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme) and Agni was a key programme in it, the sources said. Agarwal was instrumental in initiating the Agni series of missiles, they said.

Space sector crucial for driving India's growth story: PM Narendra Modi

Industry players hail govt steps to boost space sector

Algo Rhythm: Space technology startups soar high, says Tracxn report

In 2024, space tech startups have raised $10.8 million yet

20 satellites to 'fall from sky' as SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket malfunctions

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket malfunction, a first in nearly a decade for the Elon Musk-led company, was triggered by a liquid oxygen leak

America's Odysseus spacecraft makes 1st commercial moon landing in history

Notably, this landing comes months after India's Chandrayaan-3 lander, which became the first spacecraft from the country to safely reach the lunar surface in August 2023

US company's lunar lander rockets to attempt landing on moon next week

Another private US company took a shot at the moon on Thursday, launching a month after a rival's lunar lander missed its mark and came crashing back. NASA, the main sponsor with experiments on board, is hoping for a successful moon landing next week as it seeks to jumpstart the lunar economy ahead of astronaut missions. SpaceX's Falcon rocket blasted off in the middle of the night from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre, dispatching Intuitive Machines' lunar lander on its way to the moon, 230,000 miles (370,000 kilometres) away. If all goes well, a touchdown attempt would occur on February 22, after a day in lunar orbit. Only five countries the US, Russia, China, India and Japan have scored a lunar landing and no private business has yet done so. The US has not returned to the moon's surface since the Apollo program ended more than five decades ago. There have been a lot of sleepless nights getting ready for this, Intuitive Machines' co-founder and chief executive Steve Altemus said ..