Page 14 - Space

Pakistan's maiden lunar orbiter CubeSat sends first images of sun, moon

Pakistan's maiden lunar orbiter sent the first images of the sun and the moon, days after it was launched as part of China's moon mission, it was announced on Friday. Pakistan's mini satellite iCube-Qamar' was launched as part of China's Chang'e-6 lunar mission on May 3 from the Hainan province. The images were unveiled at a ceremony organised at the China National Space Agency (CNSA) to mark the successful mission, Maria Tariq, spokesperson of Pakistan's national space agency Suparco, told Dawn.com. She said that pictures were officially handed over to Pakistan's ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi, at the data handover ceremony in Beijing. At 16:14 (1:14 pm Pakistan time) on May 8, the Pakistani CubeSat, one of the international payloads carried by the Chang'e-6 mission, separated from the orbiter near the far moon point of the 12-hour large elliptical orbit around the moon, and then successfully captured the first image. Pakistan's CubeSat project achieved the set goal of ...

Isro working on semi-cryogenic engine that uses liquid oxygen kerosene

ISRO on Monday said it is developing a 2,000 kN (kilonewton) thrust semi-cryogenic engine working on a Liquid Oxygen (LOX) Kerosene propellant combination for enhancing the payload capability of Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3) and for future launch vehicles. Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) is the lead centre for the development of semi-cryogenic propulsion systems with the support of other launch vehicle centres of ISRO. The successful ignition of a semi-cryo pre-burner is a major accomplishment of ISRO in the development of semi-cryogenic propulsion systems, the space agency said. The assembly and testing of the propulsion modules were done at the ISRO propulsion complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri. As part of the engine development, a pre-burner ignition test article, which is a full complement of the engine power head system excluding the turbopumps, is realised, it said, adding, the first ignition trial was conducted successfully on May 2, at semi cryo integrated engine test ...

Astronaut Sunita Williams set to fly into space for third time on Tuesday

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams is ready to fly into space for the third time on Tuesday as the pilot aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft in its the first crewed test flight. Boeing's Starliner will blast off for the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral in Florida. Starliner will carry Williams, 58, and Butch Wilmore to the International Space Station, marking what could be a momentous and long-awaited victory for the beleaguered Boeing programme. The scheduled lift-off is set for 22:34 local time on Monday (8:04 am IST on Tuesday) "We are all here because we are all ready. Our friends and family have heard about it and we've talked about it and they are happy and proud that we are part of the process to fix it all," the BBC quoted Williams as saying The mission has been delayed for several years because of setbacks in the spacecraft's development. If it is successful, it will become the second private firm able to provide crew transport to and from the ISS,

Space regulator IN-SPACe releases norms, guidelines to implement policy

Space regulator IN-SPACe on Friday unveiled norms, guidelines and procedures for effective implementation of the Indian space policy that opened up the sector to private players to engage in a range of activities from building and launching satellites to setting up ground stations and share remote sensing data. The 147-page document lists out space activities that need authorisation from IN-SPACe, specifies criteria for granting such authorisations and provides necessary guidelines/pre-requisites to be fulfilled by an applicant for making an authorisation application. The norms, guidelines and procedures (NGP) will complement the government's endeavour in providing a predictable regulatory regime, transparency and ease of doing business in the Indian space sector. According to the NGP document, any entity, whether Indian or foreign, carrying out space activities from Indian territory, its exclusive economic zone, or within its jurisdiction, needs authorisation from the Indian Nation

Pakistan's 'ICube Qamar' lunar mission launched with Chinese support

Pakistan's first satellite mission to the moon, ICube Qamar, was launched on board China's Chang'e 6 from Hainan on Friday

ADB open to funding space sector in India, says VP Bhargav Dasgupta

The Asian Development Bank is open to funding the space sector in India in addition to focusing on climate finance to mitigate the associated risks, said its Vice President Bhargav Dasgupta on Friday. ADB has done some projects in satellite in the Asia Pacific region, but has not provided any assistance in the Indian space sector. "We have not done much till now. We are always open to look at new areas...we understand it has been opened up and there is lot of interest on startup side...if we find alignment with our objectives in terms of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we will look at it," he said. Last month, the government notified amendments to the foreign direct investment policy in the space sector to attract offshore investors in satellite manufacturing and satellite launch vehicles segments. Talking about initiatives in India, Dasgupta said, "we are very excited about the work that is happening in the country including recently launched rooftop solar projects, large so

Russia prepping to deploy nuclear weapon in space, says US official

US has been unable to convince Russia and China to 'fly a nuclear weapon in space'

Russia proposes UN resolution on banning weapons in space, demands action

Russia has circulated a UN resolution calling on all countries to take urgent action to prevent putting weapons in outer space for all time a week after it vetoed a US-Japan resolution to stop an arms race in space. The Russian draft resolution, obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press, goes further than the US-Japan proposal, not only calling for efforts to stop weapons from being deployed in outer space but for preventing the threat or use of force in outer space, also for all time. It says this should include deploying weapons from space against Earth, and from Earth against objects in outer space. Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the Security Council when he vetoed the US-Japan draft that it didn't go far enough in banning all types of weapons in space. The vetoed resolution focused solely on weapons of mass destruction including nuclear arms, and made no mention of other weapons in space. It would have called on all countries not to develop or deploy nuclear arm

China set to launch Chang'e-6 robotic spacecraft to 'dark' side of moon

Chang'e-6 will rely on a relay satellite orbiting the moon for communication with the earth, and the mission involves an ascent from the moon's 'hidden' side during the return journey

Private players will make space more accessible: Isro chief Somanath

Private players in space technology will certainly help speed up the research in the field, Indian Space Research Organisation chairman S Somanath has said while interacting with space enthusiasts, through the official Instagram page of ISRO. Replying to an observation that SpaceX, a private entity, has contributed more to space technology than most countries, Somanath on Saturday said America's tradition of encouraging private companies to involve themselves in building rocket engines and, in the case of SpaceX, to explore human flight vehicles can be replicated by India. He said these companies are playing a crucial role in advancing technology, reducing costs and making space more accessible. It is possible for even private companies in India to develop these kinds of capabilities, he added. However, he said this is only possible if the government supports the private entity, For instance, some of the technology that is owned by NASA is transferred to Space X so that they could

Sunita Williams set for third space voyage as part of crewed test mission

The astronauts are scheduled to launch aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral, Florida on May 6

Govt notifies liberalised FDI norms for space sector to boost investment

The government has notified amendments to the foreign direct investment policy in the space sector to attract offshore investors in satellite manufacturing and satellite launch vehicles segments. Amendment made in the FDI policy for space sector through a gazette notification dated April 16, 2024, prescribes liberalized entry route and provides clarity for FDI in satellites, launch vehicles and associated systems or subsystems, creation of spaceports for launching and receiving Spacecraft and manufacturing of space-related components and systems. "These rules may be called the Foreign Exchange Management (Non-debt Instruments) (Third Amendment) Rules, 2024," the gazette notification said. The liberalized entry routes under the amended policy are aimed at attracting potential investors in the Indian companies in space. The Union Cabinet earlier this year gave approval to these amendments. The notification comes days ahead of the scheduled visit of Tesla CEO Elon Musk who is expecte

Isro makes light-weight nozzle for rocket engines, terms it 'breakthrough'

ISRO said it has achieved a breakthrough in rocket engine technology with the development of a lightweight Carbon-Carbon (C-C) nozzle for rocket engines, enhancing payload capacity. This innovation accomplished by the space agency's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) promises to enhance the vital parameters of rocket engines, including thrust levels, specific impulse, and thrust-to-weight ratios, thereby boosting the payload capacity of launch vehicles, it said. Thiruvananthapuram-based VSSC leveraged advanced materials like Carbon-Carbon (C-C) composites to create a nozzle divergent that offers exceptional properties, an ISRO statement said. By utilising processes such as carbonisation of green composites, chemical vapor Infiltration, and high-temperature treatment, it has produced a nozzle with low density, high specific strength, and excellent stiffness, capable of retaining mechanical properties even at elevated temperatures, it said. A key feature of the C-C nozzle is its ...

To the stars: Gopichand Thotakura set to be the first Indian space tourist

Vijaywada-born Gopichand Thotakura, one of the co-founders of Preserve Life, is set to join Blue Origin's crew for the NS-25 suborbital mission

Chandrayaan-4 mission in process of developing: Isro chairman Somanath

Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman S Somanath on Tuesday said the Chandrayaan-4 mission is in the "process of developing". He said space research is a continuous process and the country is on the trajectory of "great progress". He was interacting with the media after attending the twentieth anniversary of the Sat Paul Mittal School here. Dr Somanath said that ISRO is committed to its mission for the moon. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had set the country's target of landing on the moon in early 2040s and ISRO is on a continuous exploration mission. The ISRO chairman said, besides space research, the organisation is also engaging and involving students across the country in various technology development projects. In August last year, India's moon mission Chandrayaan-3 touched down on the lunar south pole.

Sub-metre optical satellite assembled in India deployed into space: TASL

Tata Advanced Systems Limited on Monday announced the "successful deployment" into space of its sub-metre optical satellite that was assembled and tested in India. SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket launched TSAT-1A satellite from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, in the US on Sunday (April 7), Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) said in a statement. "TSAT-1A will deliver high-resolution optical satellite images with increased collection capacity, dynamic range, and low-latency delivery through its multispectral and hyperspectral capabilities," the company said. A wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, TASL is a significant player for aerospace and defence solutions in India. TASL, India's leading private sector player for aerospace and defence solutions, and Satellogic Inc, a leader in sub-metre resolution Earth Observation data collection, "today announced the successful deployment into space of TASL's TSAT-1A satellite aboard the Bandwagon-1 mission, which SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket", the

Agnikul puts off launch of Agnibaan sub-orbital rocket for the third time

Chennai-based space start-up Agnikul Cosmos on Sunday called off the maiden launch of its 3D-printed, semi-cryogenic Agnibaan rocket about 92 seconds before lift-off citing some technical issues. Sunday's was the third attempt at the test launch of the Agnibaan Sub-Orbital Technology Demonstrator (SOrTeD) since March 22, when the test flight was first scheduled to be held at the Agnikul Launch Pad at ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. The second attempt at the test launch at 7.45 am on Saturday also could not fructify. On Sunday, the Agnibaan SOrTeD launch was scheduled at 5.30 am but was put off to 7.45 am. "The Agnibaan SOrTeD lift-off was cancelled at T minus 92 seconds," the IIT Chennai incubated start-up said. Agnikul is seeking to conduct India's second private rocket launch, following startup Skyroot Aerospace's November 2022 launch of the Vikram-S sub-orbital rocket. Agnibaan is a customisable, two-stage launch vehicle that can carry a payload of up to 300

Skyroot Aerospace successfully test fires Stage-2 of Vikram-1 rocket

Skyroot Aerospace, a space-tech company, has successfully test-fired the Stage-2 of Vikram-1 space launch vehicle, called Kalam-250, at the propulsion testbed of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), at its Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The city-based firm in a press release on Thursday said Vikram-1 launch is slated to be a landmark event for the Indian space sector as its first private orbital rocket launch, and follows the remarkable suborbital space launch of India's first private rocket - the Vikram-S by Skyroot in November 2022. The test, done on Wednesday, which lasted 85 seconds, recorded a peak sea-level thrust of 186 kilonewtons (kN), which will translate to a fully expanded vacuum thrust of around 235 kN in flight, it said. The Kalam-250 is a high-strength carbon composite rocket motor, which uses solid fuel and a high-performance Ethylene-Propylene-Diene terpolymers (EPDM) thermal protection system (TPS). Pawan Chandana, ..

Starburst Accelerator, IIT Madras join hands for €100 million startup hub

This partnership will enable export promotion and provide support for Indian ASD start-ups to explore international markets through the extensive network of Starburst

China launches signal relay satellite for mission to far side of moon

The moon's near side always faces Earth. That means data transfers from the far side are impossible as there is no direct line of sight