Page 14 - Space

AWS launches accelerator programme to support space-tech startups

Amazon Web Services (AWS) on Friday launched a space accelerator programme to support 24 startups. Through the 14-week programme, AWS said it will support selected space-tech startups in the growth journey with expertise, mentorship, and AWS credits cumulatively worth up to USD 100,000. "It is a direct result of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement AWS signed with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) in 2023, to jointly support the growth and development of space startups in India," a company statement said. The programme, which the firm claims to be India's first-ever, is supported by T-Hub, an innovation hub and ecosystem enabler, and Minfy, an AWS Premier Partner. The startups selected for the AWS Space Accelerator: India 2024 program operate in a range of space segments such as spacecraft propulsion, orbital and launch vehicles, satellite imagery, geospatial applications, weather analysi

Nasa calls off a spacewalk after astronaut's suit observes water leakage

This is the second time Nasa has called off the spacewalk, after one had to be postponed when an astronaut reported discomfort in the spacesuit earlier this month

India, US working to train Isro astronauts at NASA's Johnson Space Center

India and the US on Monday said they concluded the Strategic Framework for Human Spaceflight Cooperation to deepen interoperability in space and are working toward commencing advanced training for ISRO astronauts at the NASA Johnson Space Center. A fact-sheet issued by the US and India after the iCET Dialogue between US National Security Adviser (NSA) Jake Sullivan and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval said the two sides are also exploring opportunities to participate in the Lunar Gateway Programme. The Lunar Gateway Programme aims to build a space station around the moon as part of the collaborative Artemis programme spearheaded by the US. The fact-sheet said the talks between the two NSAs explored opportunities for India's participation in the Lunar Gateway Programme, as well as joint avenues for collaboration in other space technologies. The two leaders also exchanged views on securing a carrier for the first-ever joint effort between NASA and Indian Space Research Organisati

WATCH: Sunita Williams scripts history as pilot of maiden Starliner flight

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams created history by becoming the first woman to fly on the maiden mission of Boeing's Starliner test flight to the International Space Station

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams embarks on her third space mission

Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams flew to space for the third time on Wednesday along with a colleague, scripting history as the first members aboard Boeing's Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station. Boeing's Crew Flight Test mission carrying Williams, and Butch Wilmore lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida after multiple delays. Williams, 58, is the pilot for the flight test while Wilmore, 61, is the commander of the mission. Williams also made history as the first woman to embark on such a mission. And it won't be her first entry in the history books. In 2012, during a prior trip to the International Space Station, Williams became the first person to finish a triathlon in space, during which she simulated swimming using a weight-lifting machine and ran on a treadmill while strapped in by a harness so she wouldn't float away. That came after she ran the Boston Marathon from the space station in 2007. Williams received her commission

Boeing's first astronaut flight called off due to last minute issues

A last-minute problem nixed Saturday's launch attempt for Boeing's first astronaut flight, the latest in a string of delays over the years. Two NASA astronauts were strapped in the company's Starliner capsule when the countdown automatically was halted at 3 minutes and 50 seconds by the computer system that controls the final minutes before liftoff. With only a split second to take off, there was no time to work the latest trouble and everything was called off. It was not immediately clear why the computers aborted the countdown. Launch controllers were evaluating the data, said United Launch Alliance's Dillon Rice. But it's possible the team could try again as soon as Sunday, depending on what went wrong. Technicians raced to the pad to help astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams out of the capsule atop the fully fuelled Atlas V rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Within an hour of the launch abort, the hatch was reopened. It was the second launch attempt. The first

India's goal is to have $44 bn space economy by 2033: IN-SPACe chief

Space sector is expected to get $25 bn in investments in 10 years, says Pawan Goenka, chairman of the commercial arm of Isro

US envoy, Isro Chairman Somanath discuss space collaboration in Bengaluru

During his visit to Bengaluru, Garcetti also spoke with industry leaders and members of the American Chamber of Commerce India

SpaceX launches first batch of satellites for new US spy constellation

SpaceX is building hundreds of satellites for the US National Reconnaissance Office, an intelligence agency

Nasa again defers Boeing's Starliner crewed mission after helium leak

Earlier launch on May 7 was cancelled due to issue with space capsule's oxygen relief valve

Mission is to push Indians to see Majestic Blue Ball: Gopichand Thotakura

Thotakura discusses his aspirations for an orbital space journey to see India from the space, collaborating with an Indian space startup, and becoming an inspiration for many in the future

UNSC rejects Russia-backed resolution on banning weapons in space

The United States said Monday that Russia last week launched a satellite that could be part of weaponizing space, a possible future global trend that members of the United Nations Security Council condemned even as they failed to pass a measure against it. The Security Council resolution drafted by Russia rivaled one backed by the U.S. and Japan that failed last month. The rival drafts focused on different types of weapons, with the U.S. and Japan specifying weapons of mass destruction. The Russian draft discussed all types of weapons. The U.S. and its allies said the language that the 15-member council debated on Monday was simply meant to distract the world from Russia's true intention: weaponizing space. The culmination of Russia's campaign of diplomatic gaslighting and dissembling is the text before us today," U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood told the council. Russia's U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, denied that his nation was trying to mislead the world. Backed by China a

Gopi Thotakura makes history, becomes 1st Indian to go to space as tourist

He was selected as one of the six crew members for the NS-25 mission, becoming the first Indian space tourist and the second Indian to journey into space

Space industry offers good opportunity for private players: Isro chief

ISRO Chairman S Somanath has said the Indian space industry is offering a tremendous opportunity to the private sector in the country as a new area of growth and development. He said the union government envisages the space sector in the country to become a 9 to10 billion dollar industry in the next 5-10 years from the current levels of 2 billion dollars. Somanath was speaking after unveiling the carbon reduction initiative of SFO Technologies, the flagship company of the NeST Group, in a function here on Saturday, a company release said. He also said that 400 private sector companies have benefited from the technology developed by ISRO for its various missions. Companies like SFO Technologies are well positioned to take further advantage of the new policy initiatives in the space sector by the government of India. "The Indian space industry is offering a tremendous opportunity for the private sector in the country as a new area of growth and development," the ISRO chief added. .

'Extreme' solar storm hits Earth: Rare red auroral arc graces Ladakh's sky

A crimson glow lit up the dark sky in parts of Ladakh in a rare stable auroral red arc event at the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve in the high Himalayas due to the strong solar magnetic storms launched towards Earth. The solar storms or coronal mass ejections are from the AR13664 region of the sun that has produced several high energy solar flares, some of which are travelling towards Earth at a speed of 800 km/s, scientists at the Centre of Excellence in Space Sciences in India (CESSI), Kolkata, said. Spectacular auroras or northern lights lit up the skies in the higher latitudes of the northern hemisphere as skywatchers from Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland, Denmark and Poland shared pictures and short videos of the dancing lights on social media. In Ladakh, astronomers at the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve saw a red glow on the northwest horizon in the sky from about 1 am on Saturday that continued till early dawn. "We were fortunate to witness Aurora activities on our all-sky camera dur

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