Page 9 - Space

India joins elite club of nations; becomes fourth to achieve space docking

India became fourth nation after Russia, China and the United States to successfully achieve 'Space Docking' which is needed for spacecraft rendezvous, docking and undocking

Pixxel, Digantara launch satellites to monitor earth, space objects

Two Indian space start-ups -- Pixxel and Digantara -- on Wednesday announced the launch of their satellites onboard a SpaceX rocket to closely monitor the earth and objects orbiting around it, marking a new era for the private firms in the space sector. Pixxel became the first private company in India to have its own constellation of satellites using the cutting-edge hyper-spectral frequency that allows observation of the earth in over 150 bands, a technology that is useful in sectors as diverse as agriculture and defence. Digantara Aerospace announced the launch of the world's first commercial satellite - Space Camera for Object Tracking (SCOT) - for surveillance of objects as small as 5 cm orbiting the earth to ensure safer space operations. Surveillance of outer space or situational space awareness (SSA) is important to ensure the safety of spacecraft as orbits around the earth become crowded with artificial satellites as well as space debris. Pixxel's three Fireflies, currently

Isro to review strategy as space docking trial postponed; check details

Isro aborted the SpaDeX mission due to sensor problems when the two satellites were just 3 metres away from successfully completing the docking

Space industry has room for 'multiple winners': Bezos on competition

There is going to be new uses for space that's going to drive demand for large capacity up, Bezos said on the eve of his company's first orbital rocket launch attempt

Blue Origin flagship rocket set to debut in crucial SpaceX challenge

New Glenn, originally intended to launch as early as 2020, is set to lift off as soon as Monday out of Cape Canaveral, Florida, during a three-hour launch window that begins at 1 a.m. local time

Space science is complex, time consuming: Isro chairman S Somanath

ISRO chairman S Somanath on Thursday said space science is not just about the excitement of becoming astronomers, but it also involves complex and time-consuming science, an expertise that can only be built persistently over the years. Somanath, who is also Secretary, Department of Space, was delivering a keynote speech at the virtual launch of the third edition of ISRO's Space Science and Technology Awareness Training (START 2025) programme. This year, 20,000 students from over 560 institutions have registered for the START programme that will be held from January 9 to 29, added Somanath. Although the mysteries of the universe quite naturally become the primary focus of attention, Somanath said space science is more about crunching numbers and cracking heads over formulae, to, say, optimally design sensors or build satellites and rockets. So, in the START programme, we will be talking about all of these. We will be talking about our exciting space missions. But we'll also tell you

Isro to carry out ambitious space docking experiment on Thursday morning

ISRO will carryout its ambitious space docking experiment using two satellites on orbit, on January 9. The event was scheduled on January 7 but postponed to Thursday morning. If the ISRO succeeds in its mission, India will become the fourth country in the world to have space docking technology. ISRO had launched the two satellites -- SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target) -- as part of the mission on December 30 with the help of PSLV C60 rocket from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. The two small spacecraft weighing about 220 kg each were injected into a 475-km circular orbit as intended. According to ISRO, SpaDeX mission is a cost-effective technology demonstrator mission for the demonstration of in-space docking using these two small spacecraft. This technology is essential for India's space ambitions such as Indian on Moon, sample return from the Moon, the building and operation of Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), etc. The Space Docking Experiment (SPADEX) is a pivotal .

Isro has major missions ahead, says newly appointed chairman Narayanan

Eminent rocket scientist and the newly appointed chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) V Narayanan on Wednesday said that the space agency is going through a successful phase and Chandrayaan-4 and Gaganyaan are among the prominent missions ahead. Expressing happiness about his new stint as the Secretary, Department of Space and as the chairman of the ISRO, Narayanan said he considers it as a great luck to be part of such a great organisation led by great leaders. "It is such a great organisation. Several great leaders have led it (in the past). I consider it as a great luck to be part of it," he told reporters here. While replying to a question, Narayanan said the information about his new appointment was first passed on to him by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO). "The PM is deciding everything. The PMO has contacted. The current chairman S Somanath sir also called and said about the new appointment," he said. When asked about the upcoming projects of ISRO, th

V Narayanan is new Isro chairman, space secy; to take charge on Jan 14

Narayanan, a Distinguished Scientist (APEX Grade), is an expert in rocket and spacecraft propulsion systems

V Narayanan appointed as new chairman of Isro, to take office on Jan 14

According to an official order from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, Narayanan has been appointed to serve in these roles for the next two years, until further notice

India's space sector funding drops 55% in 2024 amid global downturn

The government has sought to stimulate the sector by approving a 10 billion rupee ($119 million) fund in October 2024 to support space startups and setting plans to expand India's share

Indian space industry's funding falls 55% to $59.1 mn in 2024, data shows

Globally, space companies raised about $28 billion over the last five years, while their Indian counterparts secured approximately $354 million in the same period, Tracxn data showed

Launch of Vyommitra, NISAR sat; list of Isro's top launches in 2025 is here

In the first half of 2025, Isro has scheduled several key missions, which include the launch of the NVS-02 navigation satellite, unmanned Gaganyaan mission featuring Vyommitra, and many more

Mumbai-based start-up Manastu tests green propulsion system in space

Mumbai-based space start-up Manastu Space on Wednesday said it had successfully test-fired its home-built thruster Vyom 2U onboard the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module-4 (POEM), tiling the platform by 24 degrees and imparting angular velocity before the onboard systems regained control. The POEM-4 platform, comprising the fourth stage of the PSLV-C60 rocket that launched the SpaDeX satellites on Monday, has been placed in an orbit at an altitude of 350 kms where several ISRO labs, start-ups and educational institutions will carry out in-orbit experiments. "We test-fired our green propulsion system Vyom-2U onboard the POEM-4 on the New Year's eve," Manastu Space founder and CEO Tushar Jadhav told PTI. He said the 30-second firing of the thruster tilted the PSLV POEM-4 platform by 24 degrees, imparting an angular velocity of 0.5 deg per second before onboard systems seamlessly regained control. "Over the coming days, PSLV will perform multiple critical maneuvers, culminating in 500

Quadrantids Meteor Shower 2025: Date, time, and how to watch it in India?

The Quadrantids Meteor Shower peak occurs every year and it will peak on January 4, 2025. Generally, meteor showers peak for two days, but Quadrantids peak for a few hours in January

Humans will soon be able to mine on the Moon; four questions to consider

Now is the time to create the rules and regulations that will protect humanity's shared future in space and ensure the Moon remains a symbol and inspiration for generations to come

Isro's SpaDeX satellites first to be built by industry on its own: Official

The launch of two satellites for the space docking experiment (SpaDeX) also marked a first for the industry, which built the two spacecraft on their own under guidance from the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) engineers. The two satellites -- SDX01 (chaser) and SDX02 (target) -- each weighing 220 kg were integrated and tested by Ananth Technologies Limited (ATL), which has been associated with a number of ISRO projects for the past several years. "So far, large satellites have not been realised in the industry by themselves. This is the first time that the two satellites have been integrated and tested in the industry," said U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) Director M Shankaran after the two satellites were placed in a 476 km circular orbit by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C60) on Monday night. Shankaran described the launch of the two satellites a trailblazer for the industry. "We hope that this is going to be the first of the several such satellites done by the

India attempts first space docking for lunar missions, eyes elite club

The initial docking attempt could take place by Jan. 7, S. Somanath, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, said in an address after the launch on Monday

SpaDex will prove useful for future assignments: Isro project director

He further said that docking remains mandatory for human missions as well, on occasions when there is a need to attach to an international space station

Black Moon 2024: What is it and how to watch the rare celestial event?

Great news for all the skygazers! A rare celestial event, the black moon, is set to take place on December 30-31, offering an opportunity for clear views of the cosmos