Page 20 - Space

Here's how private sector companies contributed to Chandrayaan-3 mission

A number of private companies have contributed to the development of ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft which successfully landed near the south pole of the Moon on Wednesday evening. Here is a list of the firms and their contribution: ** Tata Consulting Engineers Limited (TCE) engineered unique and indigenously built critical systems and sub-systems custom-built for the successful launch of space missions. TCE engineered the solid propellant plant, the vehicle assembly building and the mobile launch pedestal. ** Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has supplied various components for India's lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3. The company revealed that components such as the "middle segment and nozzle bucket flange" were manufactured at its facility in Powai, while the ground and flight umbilical plates were produced at its aerospace manufacturing facility in Coimbatore. ** Walchandnagar Industries manufactured components of the lunar mission vehicle, the first-stage booster and "flex nozzle control

PM Modi thanks world leaders for greetings on Chandrayaan-3 success

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said science has made it possible for India to reach a difficult terrain on the moon and thanked world leaders for their congratulatory messages on the success of Chandrayaan-3. "Since yesterday I have been receiving congratulatory messages from everyone. Worldover, this achievement is not seen as a success limited to one country, but of the entire humanity. It is a matter of pride for all of us. This is an opportunity to congratulate Indian scientists on behalf of the entire world," he said in brief remarks at the BRICS summit in Johannesburg. The soft landing at the south pole is not only a big achievement for India but for the scientific community of the world. "There have been no attempts to land in the area that India had targeted. India's attempt has been successful. Science has been able to take us to difficult terrain. This itself is a big achievement of science and scientists," Modi said. On Wednesday, India became the fourth nation

Proud of India's historic achievement: Lanka Prez on Chandrayaan-3 mission

President Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday said Sri Lanka was proud of India's historic achievement as he congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India over the success of the country's lunar mission Chandrayaan-3. India's Chandrayaan-3 on Wednesday became the first space mission to make a soft landing near the south pole of the Moon. President Ranil Wickremesinghe extended heartfelt congratulations to Indian Prime Minister Modi, team ISRO and the people of India for the successful landing of Chandrayaan 3, being a remarkable feat as it was the first on the lunar South Pole, the President's Office said in a statement. Wickremesinghe said that Sri Lanka is proud of India's historic achievement. Sri Lanka is proud of this historic and momentous achievement and noted that PM Modi's generous gesture of dedicating this accomplishment to all of mankind will inspire generations to pursue the advancement of science and technological progress, the statement added.

Chandrayaan-3 on Pak media's front-page, politician calls it 'great moment'

Despite the chill in bilateral ties, Pakistan's media on Thursday gave front-page coverage to India's historic moon landing while a former minister even called it a "great moment" for India's space agency, ISRO. 'India becomes first nation to land near Moon's south pole' was the headline in most of the Pakistani newspapers and websites. This was India's second attempt to land a spacecraft on the Moon and comes less than a week after Russia's Luna-25 mission failed. The Geo News carried a story by its Web Desk about the landing, saying India's Chandrayaan-3 has finally landed on the moon after a 40-day journey starting from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota and a history of space crashing. The News International, the Dawn newspaper, the Business Recorder, Dunya News and others carried stories by various international news agencies. Fawad Chaudhry, who was Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting in the Imran Khan-led government, called it a great moment for the

Relative to GDP, India's space spends higher than half of G20 peers

Chandrayaan-3's successful soft landing on the lunar south pole on Wednesday has ensured India's place in the elite group of nations to have achieved this feat

Isro's Pragyan rover to embark on 14-day activities on moon post touchdown

Chandrayaan 3's soft-landing achieved, the rover module will now embark on its 14-day assignment to carry out the tasks mandated by the ISRO scientists. Its duties include experiments to further understand the lunar surface. With 'Vikram' Lander having done its job by ensuring a safe touchdown, the most challenging part of the mission, rover 'Pragyan' which is in the belly of LM is slated to come out to carry out series of experiments on the surface of the Moon later. According to ISRO, Lander and the Rover have five scientific payloads which have been placed inside the Lander Module (LM). Rover's Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) will be used to derive the chemical composition and infer mineralogical composition to further enhance the understanding of the lunar surface. Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) will determine the elemental composition of the lunar soil and rocks around the Moon's landing site. The deployment of Rover to carry out in-situ scientific ...

Chandrayaan-3 success historic, will boost space tech in India: RBI guv Das

Reserve Bank Governor Shaktikanta Das on Wednesday termed the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission as a historic moment that will give a huge boost to the country's space technology manufacturing sector. "A little while ago, we all witnessed history being made when the chief of ISRO proudly announced that India is now on the moon," Das said while delivering the Lalit Doshi Memorial Lecture here. The event started late by about five minutes because of the landing, as the organisers had put up a giant screen telecasting a feed from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) giving updates about the ambitious mission's progress. The audience, which consisted of senior bankers, fund managers, government officials and students clapped as the announcement of success was made on screen. "I join all of you in congratulating, complementing the entire team of Isro, scientists and everyone who has been associated with the success of this project," Das said. "The fact that today, India is

India conquers the moon: World hails Chandrayaan-3's historic landing

To celebrate the success of India's successful moon mission, various nations took to their social media and posted congratulatory messages for Isro

Noida-based startup has built navigation system of Isro's Pragyan rover

With the Pragyaan rover poised to navigate the moon, its eyes to traverse the crater-filled lunar surface will be powered by a software developed by a Noida-based tech start-up. Omnipresent Robot Technologies, which has been working closely with ISRO for the Chandrayaan series of lunar missions, has developed Perception Navigation Software for the Pragyaan rover that is housed in the Vikram landing module that touched down on the moon Wednesday evening. "We are very excited and look forward to seeing the Pragyaan rover navigating the lunar surface using our software," Aakash Sinha, Chief Executive Officer of Omnipresent Robot Technologies, told PTI here. Sinha, who is also a professor at Shiv Nadar University, said the software developed by his start-up will capture images of the moon using the two cameras of the lunar rover and stitch them together to generate a 3-D map of the lunar landscape. This software has been in-built in the rover and the image processing will be done onbo

Generation of scientists contributed to Chandrayaan-3's success: Isro chief

ISRO Chairman S Somanath on Wednesday acknowledged the contribution of a generation of leadership and scientists of the country's space agency for the Chandrayaan-3 mission's success, and said the achievement is an "incremental progress" and "a huge one". Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who virtually joined from South Africa to witness the culmination of the complex mission, lauded the scientists for their efforts. "The Honourable PM called me and conveyed his greetings to each one of you and your family for the wonderful work you did in ISRO. Thanks to him for the support he is giving to us for missions like Chandrayaan-3 and missions that are in the offing. That's the great word of comfort that we are receiving for pursuing the inspirational work that we are doing for the nation," Somanath said. addressing the ISRO team at the Mission Operations Complex. Somanath thanked all those who prayed for the mission's success, and ISRO veterans like A S Kiran Kumar , the space agency's ...

India has taken 'giant leap' in space sector with Chandrayaan-3: Anurag

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Wednesday said India has taken a "giant leap" in the space sector and a big change will come with the soft landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon. The successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 would make India stand among the three-four countries of the world which have made the biggest contribution in the field of space, the union minister of sports and youth affairs said. Like 140 crore Indians giving their best wishes for Chandrayaan-3, I am also one of them. India has taken a giant leap in the space sector and we all are waiting for the moment when Chandrayaan-3 lands successfully, Thakur told reporters here. If we look at the recent times when the space policy was changed and opened for the private sector, within twelve months, the private sector launched its rocket and showcased its potential, he said. ISRO's ambitious third moon mission Chandrayaan-3's Lander Module (LM) is all set to touch down on the lunar surface on Wednesday evening, making it onl

India's space journey began in 1962 with formation of INCOSPAR: Cong

The Congress on Wednesday said India's space journey began in 1962 with the formation of INCOSPAR which was the result of the farsightedness of Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai, along with enthusiastic support from the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. The Congress' assertion came on a day Chandrayaan-3 is set to touch down on the lunar surface. The ISRO on Wednesday said it is all set to initiate the Automatic Landing Sequence (ALS) for its ambitious third Moon mission Chandrayaan-3's Lander Module (LM) to touch down on the lunar surface this evening. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "India's space journey began on February 23, 1962, with the formation of INCOSPAR (Indian National Committee for Space Research) thanks to the farsightedness of Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai, along with the enthusiastic support of Nehru." The Committee comprised of top scientists from premier scientific institutions across the country coming together in a

ISRO's next Moon mission with Japanese space agency gathers steam

ISRO's next likely Moon mission is in partnership with its Japanese counterpart, a venture that's gathering steam. Lunar Polar Exploration Mission (LUPEX) is a collaborative venture between Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Bengaluru-headquartered Indian space agency. JAXA and ISRO are developing the rover and lander, respectively. The rover will carry not only the instruments of ISRO and JAXA but also those of US space agency NASA and European Space Agency (ESA). Vice-Chair of Japan's Cabinet Committee on National Space Policy and Director General, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Saku Tsuneta, visited ISRO headquarters here earlier this month and had a meeting with the space agency's Chairman Somanath S. They discussed the progress of the LUPEX mission. "Development of a smaller lander for the LUPEX mission was discussed, among other things," an ISRO official said. According to JAXA, the LUPEX mission is aimed at exploring lunar polar region suitabili

'Welcome, buddy!': Chandrayaan-2 orbiter connects with Chandrayaan-3 lander

ISRO on Monday said a two-way communication between the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter and Chandrayaan-3's Lunar Module has been established. "Welcome, buddy!' Ch-2 orbiter formally welcomed Ch-3 LM. Two-way communication between the two is established. MOX has now more routes to reach the LM," the national space agency said in a post on 'X'. ISRO said on Sunday the lander module of Chandrayaan-3, the third lunar mission of India, is expected to touch down on the surface of the Moon around 6.04 pm on August 23. The MOX (Mission Operations Complex) is located at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) here. ISRO also said, in an update, that the live telecast of the landing event will begin at 5.20 pm on August 23. The Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft comprising orbiter, lander and rover was launched in 2019. The lander with a rover in its belly crashed into the Moon's surface, failing in its mission to achieve a soft-landing. ISRO said in 2019 that due to the precise launch and orbi

India taking lead in using space tech to boost development: Jitendra Singh

Science and Technology Minister Jitendra Singh asserted on Monday that India has taken a quantum leap in space technology under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and has taken the lead in using it for aiding infrastructure and development works as well. With the country waiting with bated breath for Chandrayaan-3's scheduled touchdown on the lunar surface on Wednesday, Singh expressed confidence about its success and added that India will launch its first preliminary mission later this year in the run-up to its manned Gaganyaan mission, expected in the second half of 2024. Before the manned mission, there will be two unmanned missions, including one with a robot, he told reporters here. Noting the nationwide excitement about the moon mission, he said the Modi government has unlocked the space sector and raised awareness about India's space technology like never before. To a question about the failure of Russia's lunar mission, he said it had used a different route and ...

Moon landing anticipation builds for Chandyayaan-3 after Russia's crash

All systems on the spacecraft are working "perfectly" and no contingencies are anticipated on the landing day, the Isro said on Monday

Race to the moon: Russia out of contest as Chandrayaan 3 sets up lunar date

Russia has bowed out of the race to the moon with India after its robot lander crashed on the lunar surface, setting Chandrayaan-3 on an easier course while ISRO scientists achieved yet another successful maneouver to take the spacecraft closer to the moon in its soft-landing attempt on August 23. ISRO on Sunday said it has successfully reduced the orbit of Chandrayaan-3 mission's Lander Module (LM), and it is now expected to touch down on the surface of the Moon at 6.04 PM on Wednesday. This came even as Russian lander Luna-25 crashed into the moon after going into uncontrolled orbit. "The apparatus moved into an unpredictable orbit and ceased to exist as a result of a collision with the surface of the moon," Russian space agency Roscosmos said in a statement. Roscosmos said it lost contact with the spacecraft on Saturday after it ran into trouble while preparing for its pre-landing orbit after reporting an "abnormal situation" that its specialists were analysing. The Luna-25 was

Isro reduces Chandrayaan-3 module orbit, to land at 18:04 hrs on Aug 23

ISRO on Sunday said it has successfully reduced the orbit of Chandrayaan-3 mission's lander module, and it is now expected to touch down on the surface of the Moon at 1804 hours on August 23. The space agency said the lander module would undergo internal checks ahead of the planned soft landing. The lander module (LM), comprising the lander Vikram' and rover Pragyan', is expected to touch down on the lunar surface on Wednesday, August 23 at 18.04 hours, ISRO said. Earlier ISRO had said that the touchdown would take place at at 5.47 pm on August 23. Now, it has been moved by 17 minutes. The second and final deboosting (slowing down) operation has successfully reduced the LM orbit to 25 km x 134 km. The module would undergo internal checks and await the sunrise at the designated landing site. The powered descent is expected to commence on August 23, 2023, around 1745 hrs IST, ISRO said in a post on 'X' (formerly Twitter) in the early hours of Sunday. According to ISRO, India's pursui

China, Russia aiming to steal tech from US space firms: US officials

The two-page advisory warned that foreign intelligence organisations have started to increasingly see the expanding US space sector as a critical and profitable target

Chandrayaan-3: Isro's Lander Module health normal, gets closer to Moon

ISRO on Friday said that Chandrayaan-3's Lander Module has successfully undergone a deboosting (slowing down) operation taking it closer to the Moon, and that its health is normal. The Lander Module comprising the lander (Vikram) and the rover (Pragyan), will undergo the second deboosting operation on August 20, to be lowered to an orbit that takes it much closer to the Moon's surface. The soft landing on the Lunar south pole is scheduled on August 23. " The Lander Module (LM) health is normal. LM successfully underwent a deboosting operation that reduced its orbit to 113 km x 157 km. The second deboosting operation is scheduled for August 20, 2023, around 0200 Hrs. IST," ISRO said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). The Lander Module of Chandrayaan-3 had successfully separated from the Propulsion Module on Thursday, 35 days after the satellite was launched on July 14.