Page 15 - Space

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

US seeks UN resolution calling on nations to ban nuclear weapons in space

The United States and Japan are sponsoring a UN Security Council resolution calling on all nations not to deploy or develop nuclear weapons in space, the US ambassador has announced. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a UN Security Council meeting on Monday that "any placement of nuclear weapons into orbit around the Earth would be unprecedented, dangerous, and unacceptable". The announcement that the US and Japan had circulated a resolution follows White House confirmation last month that Russia has obtained a "troubling" anti-satellite weapon capability, although such a weapon is not operational yet. Russian President Vladimir Putin declared later that Moscow has no intention of deploying nuclear weapons in space, claiming that the country has only developed space capabilities similar to those of the US. The Outer Space Treaty ratified by about 114 countries including the United States and Russia prohibits the deployment of "nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass ...

SpaceX's Starship successfully lifts off, but crashes before last stage

SpaceX came close to completing an hourlong test flight of its mega rocket on its third try on Thursday, but the spacecraft was lost as it descended back to Earth. The company said it lost contact with Starship as it neared its goal, a splashdown in the Indian Ocean. Until then, most everything had gone well following liftoff from the southern tip of Texas near the Mexican border. The ship has been lost. So no splashdown today, said SpaceX's Dan Huot. But again, it's incredible to see how much further we got this time around. Two test flights last year both ended in explosions minutes after liftoff. By surviving for close to 50 minutes this time, Thursday's effort was considered a win by not only SpaceX's Elon Musk, but NASA as well as Starship soared higher and farther than ever before. The space agency is counting on Starship to land its astronauts on the moon in another few years. The nearly 400-foot (121-meter) Starship, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built, headed o

SpaceX faces hearing on engineers fired after criticising Musk over sexism

Starbucks, Amazon.com and Trader Joe's, all of which are facing nationwide union organizing campaigns, have raised similar arguments in pending board cases

Russia mulls putting nuclear power plant on moon with China: Report

Borisov, a former deputy defence minister, said that Russia and China had been jointly working on a lunar programme and that Moscow was able to contribute with its expertise on "nuclear space energy"

'India targets 5-fold increase in share of global space economy by 2030'

Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Tuesday said the Centre has set the target of increasing the share of the Indian space sector five-fold by 2030 - from the current 2 per cent to 10 per cent. Singh, the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, made the statement after inaugurating "IN-SPACe Technical Centre' at the headquarters of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) in Bopal area of Ahmedabad city. Addressing a gathering after the inauguration, he said there was a time when the world did not take India very seriously in the space sector, while it is the other way round now. "Our target is to take the space economy from 2 per cent to 10 per cent by 2030, a five-fold increase. And as per our vision document, we have mentioned 15 per cent by 2047. That is 15 per cent share in the global space economy," he said. "India's space economy today stands at a modest USD 8 billion, but our own projection is that by 2040 it .