The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is all set to launch the Proba-3 satellite in December. Proba-3 includes two satellites that will circle the Earth. Watch this report for more details!

Proba-3: World's First Precision Formation Flying Mission

Proba-3 Satellites To Be Launched In December

ISRO's Proba-3 Satellite to Fly on PSLV

ISRO to Launch Proba-3 Satellites in December

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is now gearing up to conduct a space docking experiment (Spadex) next year. WION tells you more about the mission in this report.

Decoding: Indian Space Agency's Spadex Mission

Australia has expressed admiration for ISRO's Gaganyaan mission and announced its commitment to support the recovery efforts for India's Gaganyaan capsule. This collaboration highlights the growing international partnerships in space exploration, as Australia seeks to contribute to India's ambitious human spaceflight program. The support underscores a shared interest in advancing space technology and enhancing capabilities in the field.

Australia 'Inspired' By ISRO's Gaganyaan, To Support Recovery Of India's Gaganyaan Capsule

India's Chandrayaan-3 mission has achieved another remarkable success by discovering a key geological feature on the Moon. Following the successful deployment of its Pragyan rover at the Moon’s south pole in 2023, the mission has now captured images of a buried ancient crater measuring 160 kilometers wide near its landing site.

Chandrayaan-3: Pragyan Rover Discovers Ancient 160 Km Crater On Moon

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<p>The Union&nbsp;Cabinet led by Indian&nbsp;Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally approved a host of high-profile, expensive space missions and long-term projects of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).&nbsp;</p>

<p>These projects include a 'Chandrayaan-4' that will land on and return samples from the moon, expansion of India's ongoing Gaganyaan Human Spaceflight programme (homegrown astronaut missions), an Indian space station that will enable long-term astronaut presence in Earth orbit, a Venus orbiter mission, heavy-lift and re-usable rockets for future missions. All of these are steps that will eventually lead to the Indian government's vision of landing Indian astronauts on the moon, by the year 2040.</p>

<p>For several years, ISRO has been working on concepts and proposals for the above projects. However, the formal nod granted by the Indian government on Wednesday (Sep 18)&nbsp;helps put these grand plans into action, in the coming years and decades.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Special budget and timeline for India's Space missions</strong></h2>

<p>Over the last 25 years, India has repeatedly executed end-to-end space missions. This includes the design, development and launch of rockets and satellites, the ability to track and control these space vehicles and perform a host of functions.</p>

<p>India has successfully accomplished&nbsp;missions to study the Moon, Mars, and Sun, launching space probes. In addition to this, ISRO's rockets perform commercial missions to ferry customer satellites and earn revenue for the Indian government. ISRO also performs a host of missions to cater to the needs of India's defence forces, weather agencies, commercial users, Earth-imaging, strategic uses etc. However, all of these are being done with an annual budget that has hovered around $ 1.5 billion (Rs.12,500 crore). With grand ambitions, now the Indian government has also announced a commensurate hike in the budgetary allocations for these newly approved projects.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Chandrayaan-4&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Following the successful lunar landing of Chandrayaan-3 in August 2023, ISRO is embarking on more challenging robotic lunar exploration missions. With the knowledge and experience gained from multiple robotic missions, ISRO can gradually gear up for human-led missions to the moon, given that India wants to land its astronauts on the moon by the year 2040 and return safely.</p>

<p>ISRO is expected to carry out the Chandrayaan-4 mission within 36 months, which is by September 2027. For this mission, the Indian government has allocated approximately $250mn or Rs&nbsp;2104 crore. The cost covers the development of two launches of India's largest rocket LVM3, external deep space network support (antennae), and special tests for design validation, finally leading to the mission of landing on the Moon's surface and safe return to Earth along with the collected lunar sample.</p>

<h2><strong>Bharatiya Anthariksh Station (BAS) or Indian Space Station</strong></h2>

<p>In less than a year, India will launch a humanoid robot to space on an Indian rocket and Indian capsule. The capsule will circle the Earth and return for a splashdown landing in the Indian Ocean. After successfully performing such robotic missions, India will launch astronauts to space and return them for a similar splashdown landing. There will be a total of four such missions. Titled Gaganyaan, this will be India's maiden homegrown astronaut mission. Further to this, India hopes to establish a long-term presence in space, which would mean setting up a lab that circles the Earth.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjbuIjj6cyIAxVPKkQIHVHUAPgQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/philippines-plans-full-e-visa-service-for-indians-space-mou-with-isro-in-work-757213" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/world/philippines-plans-full-e-visa-service-for-indians-space-mou-with-isro-in-work-757213&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjbuIjj6cyIAxVPKkQIHVHUAPgQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE">Philippines plans full e-Visa service for Indians, space MoU with ISRO</a></strong></p>

<p>By 2028, India plans to launch the first unit of the country's independent space station. As part of testing and preparing technologies for the space station, India will perform four missions. Gradually, as the space station is expanded and readied, it will begin to host Indian astronauts from 2035. Thus far, only China operates its independent space station. The International Space Station is a multilateral effort involving the United States, Europe, Japan, Canada, and Russia.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The ongoing Gaganyaan effort has received additional funding of approx $1.4 billion&nbsp;or Rs.11,170 crore.&nbsp;This takes the total funding for the Gaganyaan Programme to approx $2.4 billion or Rs. 20,193 crore.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Mission to Orbit and Study Venus&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Venus is the closest planet to Earth and is believed to have formed in conditions similar to Earth. India's ‘Venus Orbiter Mission’ is meant to circle the planet to observe and understand the Venusian surface and subsurface, atmospheric processes and the influence of the Sun on Venusian atmosphere.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwjbuIjj6cyIAxVPKkQIHVHUAPgQxfQBKAB6BAgREAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/science/isro-delayed-chandrayaan-3s-launch-by-four-seconds-to-avoid-massive-collision-in-space-716278" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/science/isro-delayed-chandrayaan-3s-launch-by-four-seconds-to-avoid-massive-collision-in-space-716278&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjbuIjj6cyIAxVPKkQIHVHUAPgQxfQBKAB6BAgREAE">ISRO delayed Chandrayaan-3’s launch by four seconds to avoid massive collision in space</a></strong></p>

<p>The total fund approved for the Venus Orbiter Mission” (VOM), is approx $150 million&nbsp;or Rs 1,236 crore. Out of this, Rs 824 crore&nbsp;will be spent on the spacecraft. The above mission cost includes the development of the spacecraft including its specific payloads and technology elements, global ground station support cost for tracking and navigation, and the rocket launch cost. This mission is expected to be completed by 2028.</p>

<h2><strong>Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV):&nbsp;</strong><strong>India's Future Rocket&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>At present,&nbsp;India's largest rocket LVM3 can only carry 10 tons to orbits near the Earth, when it comes to travelling farther from the Earth, this lifting capacity falls down to 4 tons. This is highly inadequate considering India's big ambitions. Therefore, the Indian Government has approved the NGLV, a rocket that will have 3 times the present payload capability of LVM3, while costing just 1.5 times as much. This low cost will be achieved by using reusable technologies, efficient fuels etc.</p>

<p>Capable of carrying 30 tons to orbits near the Earth, the NGLV is expected to be developed by 2032. By then, ISRO is to complete three developmental flights of the rocket and showcase its capabilities. ISRO has been allocated approx $1bn or Rs.8240cr for the development, three developmental launches, facility establishment, and other activities related to the new rocket.</p>


The Union Cabinet led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally approved a host of high-profile, expensive space missions and long-term projects of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The Union Cabinet led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally approved a host of high-profile, expensive space missions and long-term projects of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). These projects include a 'Chandrayaan-4' that will land on and return samples from the moon, expansion of India's ongoing Gaganyaan Human Spaceflight programme (homegrown astronaut missions), an Indian space station that will enable long-term astronaut presence in Earth orbit, a Venus orbiter mission, heavy-lift and re-usable rockets for future missions. All of these are steps that will eventually lead to the Indian government's vision of landing Indian astronauts on the moon, by the year 2040. For several years, ISRO has been working on concepts and proposals for the above projects. However, the formal nod granted by the Indian government on Wednesday (Sep 18) helps put these grand plans into action, in the coming years and decades. Special budget and timeline for India's Space missions Over the last 25 years, India has repeatedly executed end-to-end space missions. This includes the design, development and launch of rockets and satellites, the ability to track and control these space vehicles and perform a host of functions. India has successfully accomplished missions to study the Moon, Mars, and Sun, launching space probes. In addition to this, ISRO's rockets perform commercial missions to ferry customer satellites and earn revenue for the Indian government. ISRO also performs a host of missions to cater to the needs of India's defence forces, weather agencies, commercial users, Earth-imaging, strategic uses etc. However, all of these are being done with an annual budget that has hovered around $ 1.5 billion (Rs.12,500 crore). With grand ambitions, now the Indian government has also announced a commensurate hike in the budgetary allocations for these newly approved projects. Chandrayaan-4 Following the successful lunar landing of Chandrayaan-3 in August 2023, ISRO is embarking on more challenging robotic lunar exploration missions. With the knowledge and experience gained from multiple robotic missions, ISRO can gradually gear up for human-led missions to the moon, given that India wants to land its astronauts on the moon by the year 2040 and return safely. ISRO is expected to carry out the Chandrayaan-4 mission within 36 months, which is by September 2027. For this mission, the Indian government has allocated approximately $250mn or Rs 2104 crore. The cost covers the development of two launches of India's largest rocket LVM3, external deep space network support (antennae), and special tests for design validation, finally leading to the mission of landing on the Moon's surface and safe return to Earth along with the collected lunar sample. Bharatiya Anthariksh Station (BAS) or Indian Space Station In less than a year, India will launch a humanoid robot to space on an Indian rocket and Indian capsule. The capsule will circle the Earth and return for a splashdown landing in the Indian Ocean. After successfully performing such robotic missions, India will launch astronauts to space and return them for a similar splashdown landing. There will be a total of four such missions. Titled Gaganyaan, this will be India's maiden homegrown astronaut mission. Further to this, India hopes to establish a long-term presence in space, which would mean setting up a lab that circles the Earth. Also read: Philippines plans full e-Visa service for Indians, space MoU with ISRO By 2028, India plans to launch the first unit of the country's independent space station. As part of testing and preparing technologies for the space station, India will perform four missions. Gradually, as the space station is expanded and readied, it will begin to host Indian astronauts from 2035. Thus far, only China operates its independent space station. The International Space Station is a multilateral effort involving the United States, Europe, Japan, Canada, and Russia. The ongoing Gaganyaan effort has received additional funding of approx $1.4 billion or Rs.11,170 crore. This takes the total funding for the Gaganyaan Programme to approx $2.4 billion or Rs. 20,193 crore. Mission to Orbit and Study Venus Venus is the closest planet to Earth and is believed to have formed in conditions similar to Earth. India's ‘Venus Orbiter Mission’ is meant to circle the planet to observe and understand the Venusian surface and subsurface, atmospheric processes and the influence of the Sun on Venusian atmosphere. Also read: ISRO delayed Chandrayaan-3’s launch by four seconds to avoid massive collision in space The total fund approved for the Venus Orbiter Mission” (VOM), is approx $150 million or Rs 1,236 crore. Out of this, Rs 824 crore will be spent on the spacecraft. The above mission cost includes the development of the spacecraft including its specific payloads and technology elements, global ground station support cost for tracking and navigation, and the rocket launch cost. This mission is expected to be completed by 2028. Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV): India's Future Rocket At present, India's largest rocket LVM3 can only carry 10 tons to orbits near the Earth, when it comes to travelling farther from the Earth, this lifting capacity falls down to 4 tons. This is highly inadequate considering India's big ambitions. Therefore, the Indian Government has approved the NGLV, a rocket that will have 3 times the present payload capability of LVM3, while costing just 1.5 times as much. This low cost will be achieved by using reusable technologies, efficient fuels etc. Capable of carrying 30 tons to orbits near the Earth, the NGLV is expected to be developed by 2032. By then, ISRO is to complete three developmental flights of the rocket and showcase its capabilities. ISRO has been allocated approx $1bn or Rs.8240cr for the development, three developmental launches, facility establishment, and other activities related to the new rocket.

Space station, Venus orbiter, mega rocket: Indian government grants approvals, funds

'We will be part of deterrent capabilities', Philippines Vice Minister for foreign affairs Theresa P. Lazaro tells WION on Brahmos missile acquisition from India. She also added that Philippines is looking to sign MoU with ISRO.

'Philippines looking to sign MoU with ISRO', says Philippines Vice Minister for foreign affairs

<p>The universe is filled with billions of celestial bodies, galaxies, exoplanets, stars and more. But Earth seems to be the only place in this vast world harbouring life. At least that's what years of research have shown. Humans have been trying to make contact with other alien civilisations but have not succeeded yet. So are we alone in the universe?</p>

<p>Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somanath doesn't seem to think so. Speaking to Ranveer Allahabadia on his podcast, Somanath said that considering the technological advancements human beings have made in the past years, it seems only apt that there are several alien civilisations spread out in the universe that are at different stages of technological advancements.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He stated that different technological and evolutionary stages mean that these alien civilisations are likely interacting with the universe in ways human beings cannot perceive.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Imagine there is a civilisation out there just 200 years behind you, and another civilisation 1,000 years ahead of you," Somanath said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Alien systems which are 1,000 years more progressive than us will always have been here," he said, stating that they are "much more evolved" than us and are beyond our current understanding or detection capabilities.</p>

<p>As human beings work to advance their technology and reach a better understanding of the universe over time, other civilisations that have been around for many more years likely already know much more and are living a life we cannot understand.</p>

<p>Human beings, he says, are relatively younger in the cosmos and so such civilisations may reside in the universe that are far ahead of us. So while we are still trying to find them, they are likely around us and exist in ways we don't know yet.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Somanath added that "origins of life and much evolved [forms]... are everywhere in the universe."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/alien-search-seti-institute-launches-probe-for-low-frequencies-across-galaxies-in-first-study-of-its-kind-753587">Alien search: SETI Institute launches probe for low frequencies across galaxies in first study of its kind</a></p>

<h2>Should humans contact alien civilisations?</h2>

<p>"I would be happy to never be in contact with aliens," Somanath warns. Sounding a cautionary note, the ISRO chief says coming in contact with alien civilisations might come with several risks. He says that they might have entirely different genomic and protein structures from us and might prove to be a danger to life on Earth.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also warned that interaction between different life forms might also lead to conflict and a fight for dominance.&nbsp;</p>


The universe is filled with billions of celestial bodies, galaxies, exoplanets, stars and more. But Earth seems to be the only place in this vast world harbouring life.

The universe is filled with billions of celestial bodies, galaxies, exoplanets, stars and more. But Earth seems to be the only place in this vast world harbouring life. At least that's what years of research have shown. Humans have been trying to make contact with other alien civilisations but have not succeeded yet. So are we alone in the universe? Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chief S Somanath doesn't seem to think so. Speaking to Ranveer Allahabadia on his podcast, Somanath said that considering the technological advancements human beings have made in the past years, it seems only apt that there are several alien civilisations spread out in the universe that are at different stages of technological advancements. He stated that different technological and evolutionary stages mean that these alien civilisations are likely interacting with the universe in ways human beings cannot perceive. "Imagine there is a civilisation out there just 200 years behind you, and another civilisation 1,000 years ahead of you," Somanath said. "Alien systems which are 1,000 years more progressive than us will always have been here," he said, stating that they are "much more evolved" than us and are beyond our current understanding or detection capabilities. As human beings work to advance their technology and reach a better understanding of the universe over time, other civilisations that have been around for many more years likely already know much more and are living a life we cannot understand. Human beings, he says, are relatively younger in the cosmos and so such civilisations may reside in the universe that are far ahead of us. So while we are still trying to find them, they are likely around us and exist in ways we don't know yet. Somanath added that "origins of life and much evolved [forms]... are everywhere in the universe." Also read: Alien search: SETI Institute launches probe for low frequencies across galaxies in first study of its kind Should humans contact alien civilisations? "I would be happy to never be in contact with aliens," Somanath warns. Sounding a cautionary note, the ISRO chief says coming in contact with alien civilisations might come with several risks. He says that they might have entirely different genomic and protein structures from us and might prove to be a danger to life on Earth. He also warned that interaction between different life forms might also lead to conflict and a fight for dominance.

Alien contact might lead to diseases, conflict, ISRO chief warns

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:14,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:17,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:1703}">August 23rd, 2023 is the day when India made history by becoming the first nation to land a mission (robotic spacecraft Chandrayaan-3) near the moon's South Pole. Exactly a year later, on August 23rd 2024, as India celebrates National Space Day, the Indian Space agency ISRO will reveal the findings and scientific discoveries made by the country's third lunar mission, WION has learnt.&nbsp;</p>

<div bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:275,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:196,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:1964}" class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:130,&quot;y&quot;:286,&quot;w&quot;:568,&quot;h&quot;:175,&quot;abs_x&quot;:163,&quot;abs_y&quot;:1975}" class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:135,&quot;y&quot;:286,&quot;w&quot;:558,&quot;h&quot;:175,&quot;abs_x&quot;:168,&quot;abs_y&quot;:1975}" class="twitter-tweet">
<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:196,&quot;y&quot;:324,&quot;w&quot;:472,&quot;h&quot;:82,&quot;abs_x&quot;:229,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2013}" dir="ltr" lang="en">What did <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:261,&quot;y&quot;:324,&quot;w&quot;:85,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:294,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2013}" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chandrayaan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chandrayaan</a> 3 find near the Moon's south pole... <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:571,&quot;y&quot;:324,&quot;w&quot;:28,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:604,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2013}" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isro</a> will share the answers this Friday, 23rd August.. <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:443,&quot;y&quot;:340,&quot;w&quot;:35,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:476,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2029}" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a> <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:482,&quot;y&quot;:340,&quot;w&quot;:41,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:515,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2029}" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/space?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#space</a> <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:528,&quot;y&quot;:340,&quot;w&quot;:51,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:561,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2029}" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/science?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#science</a> <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:583,&quot;y&quot;:340,&quot;w&quot;:31,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:616,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2029}" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tech?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tech</a> <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:618,&quot;y&quot;:340,&quot;w&quot;:39,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:651,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2029}" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/moon?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#moon</a><br bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:658,&quot;y&quot;:340,&quot;w&quot;:0,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:691,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2029}" />
<br bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:432,&quot;y&quot;:355,&quot;w&quot;:0,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:465,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2044}" />
Friday ia the the 1st year anniversary of <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:448,&quot;y&quot;:373,&quot;w&quot;:92,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:481,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2062}" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chandrayaan3?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chandrayaan3</a> Lunar landing 🇮🇳🚀🌗❤️ <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:381,&quot;y&quot;:391,&quot;w&quot;:141,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:414,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2080}" href="https://t.co/Nx4KwPAxsL">https://t.co/Nx4KwPAxsL</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:476,&quot;y&quot;:419,&quot;w&quot;:94,&quot;h&quot;:14,&quot;abs_x&quot;:509,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2108}" href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1826279024643162334?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:800,&quot;y&quot;:276,&quot;w&quot;:19,&quot;h&quot;:19,&quot;abs_x&quot;:833,&quot;abs_y&quot;:1965}" class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:486,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:51,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2175}">So&nbsp;far, ISRO has only revealed some initial inferences about the mission. The significant findings are to be revealed on Friday, at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, as the Indian Government's Department of Space conducts a massive event on the day. This will be presided over by the Indian Head of State, President Droupadi Murmu.&nbsp;</p>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:553,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:17,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2242}">Chandrayaan-3's preliminary findings and feats:</p>

<h2 bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:588,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:25,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2277}"><strong bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:588,&quot;w&quot;:387,&quot;h&quot;:24,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2277}">Temperature variations on lunar soil</strong></h2>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:632,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:34,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2321}">During its 10-day lifetime on the Lunar surface, the scientific probes and sensors aboard Chandrayaan-3's Vikram Lander and Praygan rover conducted multiple in situ experiments.&nbsp;</p>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:681,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:51,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2370}">One of the significant preliminary findings was about the drastic temperature variation in the Lunar soil near the south polar region. "On the Lunar top soil (surface), the temperature is 50 degrees Centigrade, and barely 10 cm below the surface, the temperature is minus 10 degrees Centigrade, ISRO had revealed in August 2023.&nbsp;</p>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:747,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:85,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2436}">For context, In India, if you are in the deserts of Rajasthan (north-west) during peak summer, the temperature could well be around 50 degrees Centigrade. Likewise, if you are in Jammu and Kashmir (north) during winters, the temperature could well be minus 10 degrees centigrade or even colder. Kashmir and Rajasthan are well over 600km&nbsp;apart, and have different altitudes, terrain, and climatic conditions. On the Lunar surface, all it takes is 10cm&nbsp;of digging beneath the top soil to see such temperature differences.&nbsp;</p>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:847,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:51,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2536}">This study was performed by the ChaSTE (Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment) probe. Notably, this study is done during the Lunar day, when sunlight is available at the landing site. Lunar nighttime temperatures could be much colder.&nbsp;</p>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:914,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:34,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2603}">According to NASA, lunar daytime temperatures near the equator reach 120 degrees centigrade, while nighttime temperatures get to minus 130 degrees centigrade. The Moon’s poles are even colder.</p>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:963,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:34,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2652}">NASA's equipment even found a place in the floor of the Moon’s Hermite Crater that was detected to be minus 250 degrees Centigrade, making it the coldest temperature measured anywhere in the solar system.</p>

<h2 bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1015,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:25,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2704}"><strong bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1015,&quot;w&quot;:432,&quot;h&quot;:24,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2704}">Did ISRO's ILSA detect a 'moon quake'?&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1059,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:68,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2748}">Further, ISRO's Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) payload on the Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Lander is the first instance of a Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology-based instrument on the moon. It has recorded the vibrations occurring due to the movements of Rover and other payloads. According to ISRO, this instrument had also recorded what is suspected to be a 'moon quake'.&nbsp;</p>

<h2 bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1146,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:25,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2835}"><strong bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1146,&quot;w&quot;:625,&quot;h&quot;:24,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2835}">ISRO unravels elemental composition of Lunar soil</strong></h2>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1190,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:51,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2879}">The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard the Chandrayaan-3 Pragyan rover had made the first-ever in situ measurements of the elemental composition of the lunar surface near the South Pole. These in situ measurements unambiguously confirmed the presence of sulphur in the region, ISRO said.&nbsp;</p>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1256,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:68,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:2945}">LIBS is a scientific technique that analyses the composition of materials by exposing them to intense laser pulses. A high-energy laser pulse is focused onto the surface of a material, such as rock or soil. The laser pulse generates an extremely hot plasma. The collected plasma light is analysed by sensors, and the elemental composition of the material is determined.</p>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1339,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:68,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:3028}">ISRO's preliminary analyses had unveiled the presence of Aluminium (Al), Sulphur (S), Calcium (Ca), Iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr), and Titanium (Ti) on the lunar surface. Further measurements have revealed the presence of manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O). Thorough investigation regarding the presence of hydrogen is underway, ISRO had said in August 2023.&nbsp;</p>

<h2 bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1426,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:25,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:3115}"><strong bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1426,&quot;w&quot;:443,&quot;h&quot;:24,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:3115}">When Vikram lander hopped on the Moon</strong></h2>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1470,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:34,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:3159}">Chandrayaan-3 landed vertically like a helicopter. In the words of ISRO, VSSC Director Dr. S. Unnikrishnan Nair, "It was a feather-like soft-landing".</p>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1519,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:34,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:3208}">Let's imagine that the Chandrayaan-3 lander wants to take off again and come back. In that case, it would have to fire its engines and almost launch itself like a rocket and reach Lunar orbit.</p>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1568,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:34,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:3257}">As a minor step or hop towards that ambitious future goal, the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 was commanded to perform a hop test, which it successfully performed.</p>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1617,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:51,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:3306}">Think of the hop as an exercise move - jumping up from a point and landing a few centimetres beside where you started from. By performing this manoeuvre, ISRO has re-fired the engines of the Vikram lander and gathered valuable data on engine firings on the Lunar surface.</p>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1683,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:51,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:3372}">"On command, it (Vikram Lander) fired the engines, elevated itself by about 40 cm as expected and landed safely at a distance of 30 - 40 cm away. Importance?: This 'kick-start' enthuses future sample return and human missions!" ISRO has said in a Twitter post, back in 2023. &nbsp;</p>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1749,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:51,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:3438}">On the moon, the gravity is barely 1/6th that of Earth. The Lunar terrain is uneven and strewn around with fine Lunar dust, which gets kicked up when an engine is fired on/near the surface and this fine dust (which remains suspended over the site for a few hours) can cause issues for the craft's on-board sensors, cameras, and instruments.</p>

<p bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:7,&quot;y&quot;:1815,&quot;w&quot;:813,&quot;h&quot;:51,&quot;abs_x&quot;:40,&quot;abs_y&quot;:3504}">Given the uneven terrain, the craft must be able to take off, hover and land smoothly and not get toppled over. By executing all this successfully, ISRO has proven the robustness and reliability of their technology.&nbsp;<br bis_size="{&quot;x&quot;:654,&quot;y&quot;:1832,&quot;w&quot;:0,&quot;h&quot;:16,&quot;abs_x&quot;:687,&quot;abs_y&quot;:3521}" />
&nbsp;</p>


August 23rd, 2023 is the day when India made history by becoming the first nation to land a mission (robotic spacecraft Chandrayaan-3) near the moon's South Pole.

August 23rd, 2023 is the day when India made history by becoming the first nation to land a mission (robotic spacecraft Chandrayaan-3) near the moon's South Pole. Exactly a year later, on August 23rd 2024, as India celebrates National Space Day, the Indian Space agency ISRO will reveal the findings and scientific discoveries made by the country's third lunar mission, WION has learnt. What did #Chandrayaan 3 find near the Moon's south pole... #isro will share the answers this Friday, 23rd August.. #India #space #science #tech #moon Friday ia the the 1st year anniversary of #Chandrayaan3 Lunar landing 🇮🇳🚀🌗❤️ https://t.co/Nx4KwPAxsL — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) August 21, 2024 × So far, ISRO has only revealed some initial inferences about the mission. The significant findings are to be revealed on Friday, at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, as the Indian Government's Department of Space conducts a massive event on the day. This will be presided over by the Indian Head of State, President Droupadi Murmu. Chandrayaan-3's preliminary findings and feats: Temperature variations on lunar soil During its 10-day lifetime on the Lunar surface, the scientific probes and sensors aboard Chandrayaan-3's Vikram Lander and Praygan rover conducted multiple in situ experiments. One of the significant preliminary findings was about the drastic temperature variation in the Lunar soil near the south polar region. "On the Lunar top soil (surface), the temperature is 50 degrees Centigrade, and barely 10 cm below the surface, the temperature is minus 10 degrees Centigrade, ISRO had revealed in August 2023. For context, In India, if you are in the deserts of Rajasthan (north-west) during peak summer, the temperature could well be around 50 degrees Centigrade. Likewise, if you are in Jammu and Kashmir (north) during winters, the temperature could well be minus 10 degrees centigrade or even colder. Kashmir and Rajasthan are well over 600km apart, and have different altitudes, terrain, and climatic conditions. On the Lunar surface, all it takes is 10cm of digging beneath the top soil to see such temperature differences. This study was performed by the ChaSTE (Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment) probe. Notably, this study is done during the Lunar day, when sunlight is available at the landing site. Lunar nighttime temperatures could be much colder. According to NASA, lunar daytime temperatures near the equator reach 120 degrees centigrade, while nighttime temperatures get to minus 130 degrees centigrade. The Moon’s poles are even colder. NASA's equipment even found a place in the floor of the Moon’s Hermite Crater that was detected to be minus 250 degrees Centigrade, making it the coldest temperature measured anywhere in the solar system. Did ISRO's ILSA detect a 'moon quake'? Further, ISRO's Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) payload on the Chandrayaan-3 Vikram Lander is the first instance of a Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology-based instrument on the moon. It has recorded the vibrations occurring due to the movements of Rover and other payloads. According to ISRO, this instrument had also recorded what is suspected to be a 'moon quake'. ISRO unravels elemental composition of Lunar soil The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument onboard the Chandrayaan-3 Pragyan rover had made the first-ever in situ measurements of the elemental composition of the lunar surface near the South Pole. These in situ measurements unambiguously confirmed the presence of sulphur in the region, ISRO said. LIBS is a scientific technique that analyses the composition of materials by exposing them to intense laser pulses. A high-energy laser pulse is focused onto the surface of a material, such as rock or soil. The laser pulse generates an extremely hot plasma. The collected plasma light is analysed by sensors, and the elemental composition of the material is determined. ISRO's preliminary analyses had unveiled the presence of Aluminium (Al), Sulphur (S), Calcium (Ca), Iron (Fe), Chromium (Cr), and Titanium (Ti) on the lunar surface. Further measurements have revealed the presence of manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O). Thorough investigation regarding the presence of hydrogen is underway, ISRO had said in August 2023. When Vikram lander hopped on the Moon Chandrayaan-3 landed vertically like a helicopter. In the words of ISRO, VSSC Director Dr. S. Unnikrishnan Nair, "It was a feather-like soft-landing". Let's imagine that the Chandrayaan-3 lander wants to take off again and come back. In that case, it would have to fire its engines and almost launch itself like a rocket and reach Lunar orbit. As a minor step or hop towards that ambitious future goal, the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 was commanded to perform a hop test, which it successfully performed. Think of the hop as an exercise move - jumping up from a point and landing a few centimetres beside where you started from. By performing this manoeuvre, ISRO has re-fired the engines of the Vikram lander and gathered valuable data on engine firings on the Lunar surface. "On command, it (Vikram Lander) fired the engines, elevated itself by about 40 cm as expected and landed safely at a distance of 30 - 40 cm away. Importance?: This 'kick-start' enthuses future sample return and human missions!" ISRO has said in a Twitter post, back in 2023. On the moon, the gravity is barely 1/6th that of Earth. The Lunar terrain is uneven and strewn around with fine Lunar dust, which gets kicked up when an engine is fired on/near the surface and this fine dust (which remains suspended over the site for a few hours) can cause issues for the craft's on-board sensors, cameras, and instruments. Given the uneven terrain, the craft must be able to take off, hover and land smoothly and not get toppled over. By executing all this successfully, ISRO has proven the robustness and reliability of their technology.

What did Chandrayaan-3 find on the moon? ISRO to reveal on Space Day 23rd Aug

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<p>India's space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), on Friday (Aug 16) launched the Earth Observation Satellite-8 (EOS-8) using its recently built small satellite launch vehicle SSLV-D3. The satellite was launched from the&nbsp;Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Harikota at 9.17 am IST.</p>

<p>This is the third and final developmental flight of the SSLV-D3/EOS-08 mission.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/after-final-development-flight-small-rocket-sslv-now-aims-for-big-market-750569">After final development flight, small rocket SSLV now aims for big market</a></strong></p>

<p>The SSLV rocket, which measures about 34 metres in height, was planned to be launched on India's Independence Day on August 15 (Thursday)&nbsp;at 9.17 am and was later rescheduled to Friday from the first launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>The mission's objectives</strong></h2>

<p>Earlier, ISRO said that the&nbsp;primary objectives of the mission&nbsp;include designing and developing a microsatellite, creating payload instruments compatible with the microsatellite bus, and incorporating new technologies required for future operational satellites.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Indian space agency, ISRO, launches the third and final developmental flight of SSLV-D3/EOS-08 mission, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh<br />
<br />
Video: <a href="https://twitter.com/isro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@isro</a><br />
<br />
READ MORE: <a href="https://t.co/YSydHXmu6c">https://t.co/YSydHXmu6c</a> <a href="https://t.co/0YyxRz8nAc">pic.twitter.com/0YyxRz8nAc</a></p>
— WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/1824293881392898463?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>With this mission, ISRO&nbsp;completes the developmental flight of the smallest rocket which can carry satellites weighing up to 500 kilograms&nbsp;and can place them into Low Earth Orbit (of up to 500 kilometres&nbsp;above Earth).</p>

<p>A report by the news agency PTI on Thursday said that the mission would give a boost to NewSpace India Ltd, the commercial arm of ISRO to take up commercial launches using such Small Satellite Launch Vehicles with the industry.</p>

<p><em><strong>Built on the Microsat/IMS-1 bus, the Earth Observation Satellite carries three payloads: Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR), Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry payload (GNSS-R), and SiC UV Dosimeter&nbsp;payload.</strong></em></p>

<p>The spacecraft has a mission life of one year.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>The role of the three payloads</strong></h2>

<p>The&nbsp;EOIR is designed to capture images in the Mid-Wave IR (MIR) and Long-Wave IR (LWIR) bands, both during the day and night, for applications such as satellite-based surveillance, disaster monitoring, environmental monitoring, fire detection, volcanic activity observation, and industrial and power plant disaster monitoring.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;GNSS-R payload demonstrates the capability of using GNSS-R-based remote sensing for applications such as ocean surface wind analysis, soil moisture assessment, cryosphere studies over the Himalayan region, flood detection, and inland waterbody detection.</p>

<p>The third payload- SiC UV&nbsp;monitors UV irradiance at the viewport of the Crew Module in the Gaganyaan Mission and serves as a high-dose alarm sensor for gamma radiation.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


India's space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), on Friday (Aug 16) launched the Earth Observation Satellite-8 (EOS-8) using its recently built small satellite launch vehicle SSLV-D3.

India's space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), on Friday (Aug 16) launched the Earth Observation Satellite-8 (EOS-8) using its recently built small satellite launch vehicle SSLV-D3. The satellite was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Harikota at 9.17 am IST. This is the third and final developmental flight of the SSLV-D3/EOS-08 mission. Also read | After final development flight, small rocket SSLV now aims for big market The SSLV rocket, which measures about 34 metres in height, was planned to be launched on India's Independence Day on August 15 (Thursday) at 9.17 am and was later rescheduled to Friday from the first launch pad at Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The mission's objectives Earlier, ISRO said that the primary objectives of the mission include designing and developing a microsatellite, creating payload instruments compatible with the microsatellite bus, and incorporating new technologies required for future operational satellites. Indian space agency, ISRO, launches the third and final developmental flight of SSLV-D3/EOS-08 mission, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh Video: @isro READ MORE: https://t.co/YSydHXmu6c pic.twitter.com/0YyxRz8nAc — WION (@WIONews) August 16, 2024 × With this mission, ISRO completes the developmental flight of the smallest rocket which can carry satellites weighing up to 500 kilograms and can place them into Low Earth Orbit (of up to 500 kilometres above Earth). A report by the news agency PTI on Thursday said that the mission would give a boost to NewSpace India Ltd, the commercial arm of ISRO to take up commercial launches using such Small Satellite Launch Vehicles with the industry. Built on the Microsat/IMS-1 bus, the Earth Observation Satellite carries three payloads: Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR), Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry payload (GNSS-R), and SiC UV Dosimeter payload. The spacecraft has a mission life of one year. The role of the three payloads The EOIR is designed to capture images in the Mid-Wave IR (MIR) and Long-Wave IR (LWIR) bands, both during the day and night, for applications such as satellite-based surveillance, disaster monitoring, environmental monitoring, fire detection, volcanic activity observation, and industrial and power plant disaster monitoring. The GNSS-R payload demonstrates the capability of using GNSS-R-based remote sensing for applications such as ocean surface wind analysis, soil moisture assessment, cryosphere studies over the Himalayan region, flood detection, and inland waterbody detection. The third payload- SiC UV monitors UV irradiance at the viewport of the Crew Module in the Gaganyaan Mission and serves as a high-dose alarm sensor for gamma radiation. (With inputs from agencies)

India's space agency ISRO launches EOS-08 satellite with SSLV-D3

The SSLV-D3 in its third and final development flight lifted off from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 9.17 am.

ISRO launches third and final developmental flight SSLV-D3/EOS-08 mission

SSLV-D3/EOS-08 Mission: The launch of the third developmental flight of SSLV is scheduled for August 16, 2024, in a launch window of one hour.

ISRO successfully launches SSLV-D3/EOS-08, ISRO chairman confirms, 'everything is perfect'

The SSLV-D3 in its third and final development flight lifted off from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 9.17 am. Watch this exclusive interview with ISRO chairman DR S Somnath.

ISRO Chairman Dr S Somnath elaborates on Gaganyaan mission

ISRO will launch the EOS-08 earth observation satellite on August 15, 2024, aboard its Small Satellite Launch Vehicle. Watch to know more.

ISRO set to launch Earth Observation Satellite EOS-08 aboard SSLV-D3

India: ISRO set to launch Earth Observation Satellite-8 via small satellite launcher on August 15

In a week from now the Indian Space Research Agency is will be executing its third launch mission of this year. India's smallest rocket small satellite launch vehicle or SSLV will be carrying the Earth Imaging satellite EOS 08.

ISRO to launch SSLV-D3 on Independence Day after six months break

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<p>The Indian space sector regulator and facilitator, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) has given the authorisation to&nbsp;an Indian firm to build a facility that can be used to track and communicate with satellites.</p>

<p>Commonly known as a satellite ground station or an earth station, such facilities perform what is known as Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (TT&amp;C). This involves tracking satellites, issuing commands to satellites, monitoring their health, and downloading data from satellites.</p>

<p>This approval for a private satellite ground station is in line with the Indian government's decision to permit private firms to perform all kinds of space activities.</p>

<p>Indian companies&nbsp;have already launched experimental rockets and are gearing up for space launches. Meanwhile,&nbsp;multiple Indian-built satellites have been launched from India and abroad. Likewise, the Indian government has now approved the setting up of a ground station by the firm AzistaBST.</p>

<p>Dr&nbsp;P K Jain, Director- Program Management and Authorization Directorate (PMAD), IN-SPACe, said, "This authorisation is yet another step by the Government to encourage and enable Indian satellite operators who will now have alternative Indian ground station service providers for their satellite operations and data reception in the UHF band."</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;US charges North Korean man with cyberattacks on NASA</strong></p>

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<p>While the government-run Indian space agency ISRO operates its own tracking facilities, the private one is aimed at domestic&nbsp;and international customers.</p>

<p>Many firms that operate satellites do not invest in their own ground stations, which are quite expensive to set up. Instead, they depend on those who operate ground stations and offer their service for a price. The space industry calls it Ground Station as a Service (GSaaS).</p>

<p>The private ground station has been approved to operate in the Ultra High Frequency(UHF) band of 300 MHz to 3 GHz. This band is primarily used for satellite communications, including data relay for remote sensing, telemetry, and control of satellites.</p>

<p>They support various applications such as weather forecasting, environmental monitoring, and communications for scientific research and military operations.</p>

<h2><strong>An Indian Earth-imaging satellite constellation </strong></h2>

<p>In an unprecedented move, the Indian government and private sector are to unite for building a constellation of earth-imaging satellites with multiple sensors.</p>

<p>Operating a constellation comprising dozens or hundreds of satellites can help in getting a comprehensive global coverage, and the capability of imaging the same location at regular intervals. Such constellations serve various commercial, scientific and strategic purposes.</p>

<p>This includes disaster management, agricultural monitoring, studying environmental changes and surveillance of sensitive areas.</p>

<p>As the first step towards building such a constellation, the IN-SPACe released an Expression of Interest (EOI).</p>

<p>It invites private Indian firms to build and manage a constellation under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. This long-term project involves the design, development, launch, and maintenance of a constellation of satellites equipped with advanced imaging technologies.</p>

<p>These satellites would be placed in Low Earth orbit (a region that is 300-2000 km above the Earth's surface). As they are very close to the Earth, satellites placed in LEO can capture very high-resolution pictures and short videos and can transmit them in near-real-time.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-shows-how-carbon-dioxide-gets-churned-in-sky-in-stunning-video-744423">NASA shows how carbon dioxide gets churned in sky in stunning video</a></strong></p>

<p>Dr Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe said, "This is an initiative by IN-SPACe &amp; ISRO towards creating a self-reliant, robust, and sustainable Earth Observation System catering to the growing demand for Earth Observation data."</p>

<p>The satellites in the proposed constellation are meant to carry a combination of sensors such as panchromatic, multispectral, hyperspectral, and microwave. Once built and tested, these satellites would be placed in orbit by Indian rockets.</p>

<p>It must be noted that building and maintaining a satellite constellation is a constant process. In this case, the private firm would have to monitor the health of all satellites in the constellation, download the data generated by the satellites, process the data and offer it for a multitude of applications.</p>

<p>The private entity will also have the option of developing their own ground-based facilities to communicate with the satellites, upload commands and download data. Alternatively, they could use the ground-based facilities of Ground Stations as a Service (GSaaS) providers such as AzisatBST. Therefore, this entire project is capable of generating a significant amount of economic activity within India.</p>


The Indian space sector regulator and facilitator, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) has given the authorisation to an Indian firm to build a facility that can be used to track and communicate with satellites.

The Indian space sector regulator and facilitator, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) has given the authorisation to an Indian firm to build a facility that can be used to track and communicate with satellites. Commonly known as a satellite ground station or an earth station, such facilities perform what is known as Telemetry, Tracking, and Command (TT&C). This involves tracking satellites, issuing commands to satellites, monitoring their health, and downloading data from satellites. This approval for a private satellite ground station is in line with the Indian government's decision to permit private firms to perform all kinds of space activities. Indian companies have already launched experimental rockets and are gearing up for space launches. Meanwhile, multiple Indian-built satellites have been launched from India and abroad. Likewise, the Indian government has now approved the setting up of a ground station by the firm AzistaBST. Dr P K Jain, Director- Program Management and Authorization Directorate (PMAD), IN-SPACe, said, "This authorisation is yet another step by the Government to encourage and enable Indian satellite operators who will now have alternative Indian ground station service providers for their satellite operations and data reception in the UHF band." Watch | US charges North Korean man with cyberattacks on NASA × While the government-run Indian space agency ISRO operates its own tracking facilities, the private one is aimed at domestic and international customers. Many firms that operate satellites do not invest in their own ground stations, which are quite expensive to set up. Instead, they depend on those who operate ground stations and offer their service for a price. The space industry calls it Ground Station as a Service (GSaaS). The private ground station has been approved to operate in the Ultra High Frequency(UHF) band of 300 MHz to 3 GHz. This band is primarily used for satellite communications, including data relay for remote sensing, telemetry, and control of satellites. They support various applications such as weather forecasting, environmental monitoring, and communications for scientific research and military operations. An Indian Earth-imaging satellite constellation In an unprecedented move, the Indian government and private sector are to unite for building a constellation of earth-imaging satellites with multiple sensors. Operating a constellation comprising dozens or hundreds of satellites can help in getting a comprehensive global coverage, and the capability of imaging the same location at regular intervals. Such constellations serve various commercial, scientific and strategic purposes. This includes disaster management, agricultural monitoring, studying environmental changes and surveillance of sensitive areas. As the first step towards building such a constellation, the IN-SPACe released an Expression of Interest (EOI). It invites private Indian firms to build and manage a constellation under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. This long-term project involves the design, development, launch, and maintenance of a constellation of satellites equipped with advanced imaging technologies. These satellites would be placed in Low Earth orbit (a region that is 300-2000 km above the Earth's surface). As they are very close to the Earth, satellites placed in LEO can capture very high-resolution pictures and short videos and can transmit them in near-real-time. Also read: NASA shows how carbon dioxide gets churned in sky in stunning video Dr Pawan Goenka, Chairman, IN-SPACe said, "This is an initiative by IN-SPACe & ISRO towards creating a self-reliant, robust, and sustainable Earth Observation System catering to the growing demand for Earth Observation data." The satellites in the proposed constellation are meant to carry a combination of sensors such as panchromatic, multispectral, hyperspectral, and microwave. Once built and tested, these satellites would be placed in orbit by Indian rockets. It must be noted that building and maintaining a satellite constellation is a constant process. In this case, the private firm would have to monitor the health of all satellites in the constellation, download the data generated by the satellites, process the data and offer it for a multitude of applications. The private entity will also have the option of developing their own ground-based facilities to communicate with the satellites, upload commands and download data. Alternatively, they could use the ground-based facilities of Ground Stations as a Service (GSaaS) providers such as AzisatBST. Therefore, this entire project is capable of generating a significant amount of economic activity within India.

Indian government approves satellite tracking facility in Hyderabad

<p>A delegation led by the Indian government's space sector regulator and facilitator, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), is taking part in the Australian Space Forum in Adelaide.</p>

<p>The ongoing visit is aimed at showcasing the capabilities of India's rapidly emerging private space sector and strengthening international collaboration. India's cutting-edge space projects, products, and services are being showcased, sparking business-to-business meetings and discussions with Australian counterparts.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-budget-a-120mn-vc-fund-to-propel-indias-nascent-space-startups-743603">Indian budget 2024: A $120mn VC fund to propel India's nascent space startups</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>The delegation, led by Dr Vinod Kumar, Director Promotion, IN-SPACe, and Shashank Saxena, Deputy Director IN-SPACe, included participants from Indian space startups such as Agnikul Cosmos, TakeMe2Space, Dhruva Space, Bellatrix Aerospace, XDLINX Space, mistEO OrbitAid Aerospace and Skyroot Aerospace.</p>

<p>At the event, in the presence of IN-SPACe&nbsp;officials and Enrico Palermo, Chief of the Australian Space Agency, firms from both nations signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).</p>

<p>"The Australian Space Forum provided an invaluable platform for Indian space startups to showcase their capabilities and explore potential collaborations with Australian partners. These MoUs represent a significant step towards strengthening ties between our two nations in the space sector," said&nbsp;Dr Kumar.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>The first MoU was&nbsp;between HEX20, an Australian Satellite Platform company and OrbitAid, an Indian company specialising in developing satellite life extension solutions. OrbitAID and HEX20 will collaborate to develop a solution that is similar to a mobile fuel truck that can travel to the needy vehicle and offer fuel.</p>

<p>Performing this operation in space is extremely sophisticated, as it involves docking one satellite with another and transferring fuel.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;India sun mission Aditya-L1 begins collecting data from distance of 50,000 kms | World DNA</strong></p>

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<p>The second MoU was signed between HEX20 and TakeMe2Space, an Indian Startup building AI-first compute and storage satellite infrastructure.</p>

<p>TakeMe2Space and Hex20 will collaborate at the intersection of education, space, and AI. As part of the agreement, HEX20 will use TakeMe2Space AI modules and subsystems in their 'Flatsat'.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, TakeMe2Space will give access to its OrbitLab platform for researchers and students to test and run their models on an actual satellite in real time.</p>


A delegation led by the Indian government's space sector regulator and facilitator, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), is taking part in the Australian Space Forum in Adelaide.

A delegation led by the Indian government's space sector regulator and facilitator, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), is taking part in the Australian Space Forum in Adelaide. The ongoing visit is aimed at showcasing the capabilities of India's rapidly emerging private space sector and strengthening international collaboration. India's cutting-edge space projects, products, and services are being showcased, sparking business-to-business meetings and discussions with Australian counterparts. Also read | Indian budget 2024: A $120mn VC fund to propel India's nascent space startups The delegation, led by Dr Vinod Kumar, Director Promotion, IN-SPACe, and Shashank Saxena, Deputy Director IN-SPACe, included participants from Indian space startups such as Agnikul Cosmos, TakeMe2Space, Dhruva Space, Bellatrix Aerospace, XDLINX Space, mistEO OrbitAid Aerospace and Skyroot Aerospace. At the event, in the presence of IN-SPACe officials and Enrico Palermo, Chief of the Australian Space Agency, firms from both nations signed Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). "The Australian Space Forum provided an invaluable platform for Indian space startups to showcase their capabilities and explore potential collaborations with Australian partners. These MoUs represent a significant step towards strengthening ties between our two nations in the space sector," said Dr Kumar. The first MoU was between HEX20, an Australian Satellite Platform company and OrbitAid, an Indian company specialising in developing satellite life extension solutions. OrbitAID and HEX20 will collaborate to develop a solution that is similar to a mobile fuel truck that can travel to the needy vehicle and offer fuel. Performing this operation in space is extremely sophisticated, as it involves docking one satellite with another and transferring fuel. Also watch | India sun mission Aditya-L1 begins collecting data from distance of 50,000 kms | World DNA × The second MoU was signed between HEX20 and TakeMe2Space, an Indian Startup building AI-first compute and storage satellite infrastructure. TakeMe2Space and Hex20 will collaborate at the intersection of education, space, and AI. As part of the agreement, HEX20 will use TakeMe2Space AI modules and subsystems in their 'Flatsat'. Meanwhile, TakeMe2Space will give access to its OrbitLab platform for researchers and students to test and run their models on an actual satellite in real time.

India's space sector prowess exhibited at Australian Space Forum

<p>Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed that India's space-based solar observatory, Aditya-L1, on Tuesday completed its first halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 point.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Indian space agency said that it took 178 days to complete a revolution after it was inserted in its targeted halo orbit on January 6, 2024.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Aditya-L1 spacecraft has been designed and developed by ISRO with an aim to study the solar atmosphere. The mission is an Indian solar observatory at Lagrangian point L1, which was launched on September 2, 2023.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/brains-of-humans-go-through-significant-change-after-death-study-737176">Brain of humans goes through significant change after death: Study</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>ISRO said that the spacecraft is subjected to various perturbing forces that might cause it to depart from the targeted orbit during its travel in the halo orbit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It underwent two station-keeping manoeuvres on February 22 and June 7, respectively, to maintain this orbit. Today's 3rd station-keeping manoeuvre has ensured that its travel continued in to the second halo orbit path around L1," ISRO said.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/comet-crashed-with-earth-set-the-planet-ablaze-thousands-of-years-ago-study-736991">Comet crashed on Earth, set the planet ablaze thousands of years ago: Study</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>The space agency said that the journey of Aditya L1 around the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrangian point involves the modelling of complex dynamics.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The understanding of various perturbing forces acting on the spacecraft helped in determining the trajectory accurately and planning precise orbit maneuvers," ISRO said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The flight dynamics software developed in-house at the UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) for the Aditya-L1 missions stands "fully validated" with today's manoeuvre.&nbsp;</p>

<p>ISRO also shared a diagram to illustrate the latest milestone achieved by the Aditya-L1 spacecraft. See the image here:&nbsp;</p>

<p><img alt="ISRO" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="10a20dbb-1377-432f-b7cd-37548a45b090" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/ISRO.png" /></p>

<p>While explaining, ISRO said the blue trajectory in the image is the orbit around the Lagrangian point L1. This trajectory is three-dimensional and what is shown is the projection of it in the X-Y plane.&nbsp;</p>

<p>SK#1, 2 and 3 are the station-keeping&nbsp;manoeuvres by the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, the space agency said, further adding that the final firing of the thrusters, SK#3 on July 2, placed the spacecraft back in the required orbit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>ISRO said that if an accurate firing was not done, the spacecraft would have moved away in a trajectory shown in green colour. The X-Y axes are marked at a distance of km, with Lagrangian point L1 at the origin.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em></p>


Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed that India's space-based solar observatory, Aditya-L1, on Tuesday completed its first halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 point.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed that India's space-based solar observatory, Aditya-L1, on Tuesday completed its first halo orbit around the Sun-Earth L1 point. The Indian space agency said that it took 178 days to complete a revolution after it was inserted in its targeted halo orbit on January 6, 2024. Aditya-L1 spacecraft has been designed and developed by ISRO with an aim to study the solar atmosphere. The mission is an Indian solar observatory at Lagrangian point L1, which was launched on September 2, 2023. Also read: Brain of humans goes through significant change after death: Study ISRO said that the spacecraft is subjected to various perturbing forces that might cause it to depart from the targeted orbit during its travel in the halo orbit. "It underwent two station-keeping manoeuvres on February 22 and June 7, respectively, to maintain this orbit. Today's 3rd station-keeping manoeuvre has ensured that its travel continued in to the second halo orbit path around L1," ISRO said. Also read: Comet crashed on Earth, set the planet ablaze thousands of years ago: Study The space agency said that the journey of Aditya L1 around the Sun-Earth L1 Lagrangian point involves the modelling of complex dynamics. "The understanding of various perturbing forces acting on the spacecraft helped in determining the trajectory accurately and planning precise orbit maneuvers," ISRO said. The flight dynamics software developed in-house at the UR Rao Satellite Centre (URSC) for the Aditya-L1 missions stands "fully validated" with today's manoeuvre. ISRO also shared a diagram to illustrate the latest milestone achieved by the Aditya-L1 spacecraft. See the image here: While explaining, ISRO said the blue trajectory in the image is the orbit around the Lagrangian point L1. This trajectory is three-dimensional and what is shown is the projection of it in the X-Y plane. SK#1, 2 and 3 are the station-keeping manoeuvres by the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, the space agency said, further adding that the final firing of the thrusters, SK#3 on July 2, placed the spacecraft back in the required orbit. ISRO said that if an accurate firing was not done, the spacecraft would have moved away in a trajectory shown in green colour. The X-Y axes are marked at a distance of km, with Lagrangian point L1 at the origin. (With inputs from agencies)

Aditya-L1 completes its first halo orbit in 178 days, ISRO shares diagram to explain

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<p>In a span of 15 months, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has completed all three autonomous landing tests of its spaceplane 'Pushpak' at the Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga, Karnataka. With the third and most complicated landing test accomplished at&nbsp; 7.10 am Sunday (June 23), ISRO will now have to work towards launching a larger version of this spaceplane to space on a modified rocket, testing the plane in earth orbit, and demonstrating its capability to re-enter the atmosphere, return to earth safely for a runway landing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Known as a Re-usable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstrator(RLV-TD) or 'Pushpak', the spaceplane is a sophisticated aerospace vehicle with civilian and strategic applications.</p>

<p>It must be noted that only the US and China are known to operate autonomous spaceplanes, and in the coming years, as ISRO makes further progress on 'Pushpak', India will be the third nation in this list. This is a vehicle that India eventually intends to develop and use to ferry small cargo (satellites and experiments) to space.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Pushpak- The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/indian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#indian</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Space?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Space</a> plane❤️ 🚀<br />
<br />
In 15 months, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isro</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/India?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#India</a> has completed all 3 fully autonomous landing tests of its <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/space?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#space</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/plane?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#plane</a>. See how it glides in for a smooth landing at 320kmph+ speeds<br />
<br />
Next test- Pushpak'll be launched to space, then it must return autonomously.. <a href="https://t.co/aiJuG19egG">pic.twitter.com/aiJuG19egG</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1804720231426003090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>In the latest test, the 1.6-tonne spaceplane was underslung to an Indian Air Force Chinook heavy-lift helicopter, which carried the spaceplane to an altitude of 4.5 km and released it four-and-a-half kilometres away from the runway.</p>

<p>The plane was dropped in a position that was intentionally misaligned with the runway centreline at a sideways distance of 500 metres.</p>

<p>In the maiden landing test in April 2023, the plane was aligned straight to the runway, in the second test done in March 2024, the plane was 150 m misaligned with the runway centreline.</p>

<p>In all three tests, the spaceplane performed a flawless landing (at speeds of more than 320kmph), and performed a touchdown on the runway centreline.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In 2016, the RLV was carried to 65 km altitude by rocket, from there, the vehicle re-entered the denser parts of the atmosphere at Hypersonic speeds, almost five times the speed of sound and finally made a splashdown landing in the Bay of Bengal (simulated runway).</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">India's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/space?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#space</a> plane 'Pushpak' aces it's 3rd runway landing, after being dropped from an altitude of 4.5kms, distance of 4.5kms<br />
<br />
In this test, the plane was intentionally misaligned 500m from the runway- it had to adjust, steer precisely, mid-flight and land autonomously <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isro</a> <a href="https://t.co/7yzdFS3Bk5">pic.twitter.com/7yzdFS3Bk5</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1804713255891616210?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>Dr&nbsp;Unnikrishnan Nair, the Director of ISRO's VSSC told WION that the latest landing trial is the most sophisticated one.</p>

<p>"At the time of drop, the space plane was intentionally at a sideways distance of 500 metres from the runway centreline. Yet again, the in-built systems performed their roles perfectly and ensured that the plane could make its third consecutive landing on the runway centreline. From an initial 500 metres distance from the runway centreline, the plane was finally at 11 cm or 0.1 metre from the runway centreline," he said, citing an image of the landed plane.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>The final configuration of the RLV</strong></h2>

<p>In its present form, this RLV-TD vehicle is meant for demonstration purposes and the real vehicle would be about 1.6 times larger(comparable to an SUV). Once fully ready, the operational version of the RLV or 'Pushpak' is meant to be mounted atop a modified GSLV rocket and then launched into space, where the spaceplane would be autonomously carrying out on-board experiments and operating its payloads, or even placing small satellites in orbit.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Here's an excl pic of RLV 'Pushpak- after 3rd successful landing trial<br />
<br />
At the time of drop, Pushpak was deliberately placed 500metres beside runway centerline.. Post-landing the plane was barely 11cms(0.1m) away from runway centerline..Precision autonomous landing! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isro</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/india?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#india</a> <a href="https://t.co/BCVlVhctiM">pic.twitter.com/BCVlVhctiM</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1804736258536546751?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>The spaceplane could function in Low Earth orbit for up to a month and then autonomously perform de-orbiting, re-enter the Earth's atmosphere at very high speeds and temperatures and come in to land on the runway.</p>

<p>This ensures that the spaceplane can be fully re-used after carrying out a few refurbishments.</p>

<p>In many ways, the RLV is similar to the space shuttle operated by the US and the Soviet-era Buran spaceplane. However, the RLV is much smaller and not a crewed plane.</p>

<p>RLV is comparable to the American Boeing X-37B spaceplane and the Chinese 'Shenlong' (Divine dragon), which have been performing classified unmanned missions autonomously for many years.</p>


In a span of 15 months, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has completed all three autonomous landing tests of its spaceplane 'Pushpak' at the Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga, Karnataka.

In a span of 15 months, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has completed all three autonomous landing tests of its spaceplane 'Pushpak' at the Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga, Karnataka. With the third and most complicated landing test accomplished at 7.10 am Sunday (June 23), ISRO will now have to work towards launching a larger version of this spaceplane to space on a modified rocket, testing the plane in earth orbit, and demonstrating its capability to re-enter the atmosphere, return to earth safely for a runway landing. Known as a Re-usable Launch Vehicle Technology Demonstrator(RLV-TD) or 'Pushpak', the spaceplane is a sophisticated aerospace vehicle with civilian and strategic applications. It must be noted that only the US and China are known to operate autonomous spaceplanes, and in the coming years, as ISRO makes further progress on 'Pushpak', India will be the third nation in this list. This is a vehicle that India eventually intends to develop and use to ferry small cargo (satellites and experiments) to space. Pushpak- The #indian #Space plane❤️ 🚀 In 15 months, #isro #India has completed all 3 fully autonomous landing tests of its #space #plane. See how it glides in for a smooth landing at 320kmph+ speeds Next test- Pushpak'll be launched to space, then it must return autonomously.. pic.twitter.com/aiJuG19egG — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) June 23, 2024 × In the latest test, the 1.6-tonne spaceplane was underslung to an Indian Air Force Chinook heavy-lift helicopter, which carried the spaceplane to an altitude of 4.5 km and released it four-and-a-half kilometres away from the runway. The plane was dropped in a position that was intentionally misaligned with the runway centreline at a sideways distance of 500 metres. In the maiden landing test in April 2023, the plane was aligned straight to the runway, in the second test done in March 2024, the plane was 150 m misaligned with the runway centreline. In all three tests, the spaceplane performed a flawless landing (at speeds of more than 320kmph), and performed a touchdown on the runway centreline. In 2016, the RLV was carried to 65 km altitude by rocket, from there, the vehicle re-entered the denser parts of the atmosphere at Hypersonic speeds, almost five times the speed of sound and finally made a splashdown landing in the Bay of Bengal (simulated runway). India's #space plane 'Pushpak' aces it's 3rd runway landing, after being dropped from an altitude of 4.5kms, distance of 4.5kms In this test, the plane was intentionally misaligned 500m from the runway- it had to adjust, steer precisely, mid-flight and land autonomously #isro pic.twitter.com/7yzdFS3Bk5 — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) June 23, 2024 × Dr Unnikrishnan Nair, the Director of ISRO's VSSC told WION that the latest landing trial is the most sophisticated one. "At the time of drop, the space plane was intentionally at a sideways distance of 500 metres from the runway centreline. Yet again, the in-built systems performed their roles perfectly and ensured that the plane could make its third consecutive landing on the runway centreline. From an initial 500 metres distance from the runway centreline, the plane was finally at 11 cm or 0.1 metre from the runway centreline," he said, citing an image of the landed plane. The final configuration of the RLV In its present form, this RLV-TD vehicle is meant for demonstration purposes and the real vehicle would be about 1.6 times larger(comparable to an SUV). Once fully ready, the operational version of the RLV or 'Pushpak' is meant to be mounted atop a modified GSLV rocket and then launched into space, where the spaceplane would be autonomously carrying out on-board experiments and operating its payloads, or even placing small satellites in orbit. Here's an excl pic of RLV 'Pushpak- after 3rd successful landing trial At the time of drop, Pushpak was deliberately placed 500metres beside runway centerline.. Post-landing the plane was barely 11cms(0.1m) away from runway centerline..Precision autonomous landing! #isro #india pic.twitter.com/BCVlVhctiM — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) June 23, 2024 × The spaceplane could function in Low Earth orbit for up to a month and then autonomously perform de-orbiting, re-enter the Earth's atmosphere at very high speeds and temperatures and come in to land on the runway. This ensures that the spaceplane can be fully re-used after carrying out a few refurbishments. In many ways, the RLV is similar to the space shuttle operated by the US and the Soviet-era Buran spaceplane. However, the RLV is much smaller and not a crewed plane. RLV is comparable to the American Boeing X-37B spaceplane and the Chinese 'Shenlong' (Divine dragon), which have been performing classified unmanned missions autonomously for many years.

After acing three autonomous landings, India's 'Pushpak' plane awaits ride to space

Big landmark for India's space capabilities, Pushpak's landing sets stage for orbital test

ISRO achieves final landing tests; Pushpak, India's unmanned space plane, makes key breakthrough

In a span of 15 months, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has completed all three autonomous landing tests of its spaceplane 'Pushpak' at the Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga, Karnataka. With the third and most complicated landing test accomplished at 7.10 am Sunday (June 23), ISRO will now have to work towards launching a larger version of this spaceplane to space on a modified rocket, testing the plane in earth orbit, and demonstrating its capability to re-enter the atmosphere, return to earth safely for a runway landing.

India: ISRO achieves final landing test for 'Pushpak'

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidmlIjIfFwXIr7" />The Indian space agency ISRO will soon be able to triple the number of launches of its largest rocket LVM3 - going from a maximum of two LVM3 launches a year, to six launches a year. This is significant, given that ISRO performs just about 10 launches in a calendar year, using its entire existing fleet of four rockets.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The possible increase in launch capability is a result of the Government-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) scaling up its manufacturing facilities that cater large components for the three-stage, 640-tonne rocket, which India uses to launch 4-tonne class communication satellites and commercial missions involving dozens of small satellites that are part of large constellations.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">🇮🇳 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Space?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Space</a> agency <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/isro?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#isro</a> can soon go from 2 launches/yr of largest 🚀 LVM3 to 6 🚀/yr, thanks to capacity scale up at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd<br />
Propellant tank Production, CNC machining facilities inaugurated today in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bengaluru?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bengaluru</a> by IDRO Chief &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/HALHQBLR?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HALHQBLR</a> offcls<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/tech?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#tech</a><br />
Thread: <a href="https://t.co/ABUVZz2Tmc">pic.twitter.com/ABUVZz2Tmc</a></p>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1798316298499444816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>On Wednesday, in Bengaluru, in the presence of top officials from HAL and the space agency, ISRO Chief Dr S. Somanath inaugurated the HAL Aerospace Division facilities that make the fuel tanks and precision components for the LVM3 rocket. HAL will play a larger role in ISRO's future missions and must focus on emerging technologies, designing challenges, and taking up end-to-end tasks to ease pressure on ISRO, he said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>CB Ananthakrishnan, the Chairman and Managing Director of HAL, said that the ongoing collaboration between ISRO and HAL will accelerate India's human spaceflight missions and the development of Next-Generation launch vehicles. "The day is not far off when Space becomes an important vertical of HAL," he added. HAL is predominantly a maker of aircraft and helicopters that are operated by the Indian Armed Forces. HAL is responsible for delivering both Indian-origin military aviation platforms and licence-built foreign ones.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Of the newly inaugurated facilities, the Propellant Tank Production Facility would specialize in the manufacturing of fuel and oxidizer tanks for the LVM3 launch vehicle. These tanks measure 4 metres in diameter&nbsp;and 15 metres in length.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwiY1vPMgMWGAxWhSWwGHQyjBkkQxfQBKAB6BAgMEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/science/isro-begins-countdown-for-launch-of-pslv-c58-to-study-black-holes-neutron-stars-675176" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/science/isro-begins-countdown-for-launch-of-pslv-c58-to-study-black-holes-neutron-stars-675176&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiY1vPMgMWGAxWhSWwGHQyjBkkQxfQBKAB6BAgMEAE">ISRO begins countdown for launch of PSLV-C58XPoSat, to study black holes, neutron stars</a></strong></p>

<p>The Computer Numerical Control (CNC) facility houses machines that can handle high-precision fabrication of 4.5-metre rings and fuel tank domes for the LVM3 rocket. It is common for ISRO to source thousands of pieces of rocket hardware from the Indian industry, be it private ones or&nbsp;government-run ones. ISRO has been following this approach to ensure that they can source components faster from the industry and thereby carry out more launches per year.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwiY1vPMgMWGAxWhSWwGHQyjBkkQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/science/isro-delayed-chandrayaan-3s-launch-by-four-seconds-to-avoid-massive-collision-in-space-716278" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/science/isro-delayed-chandrayaan-3s-launch-by-four-seconds-to-avoid-massive-collision-in-space-716278&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiY1vPMgMWGAxWhSWwGHQyjBkkQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE">ISRO delayed Chandrayaan-3's launch by four seconds to avoid massive collision in space</a></strong></p>

<p>Taking this further, ISRO is also completely outsourcing the building of rockets to the Indian industry. As part of this, a consortium of L&amp;T and HAL would be entirely building five PSLV rockets and offering them to ISRO in a ready-to-launch condition. In the long run, ISRO hopes to outsource routine activities (building of an existing fleet of rockets) to the industry and use its resources to focus on the core Research and Development work. This approach also offers opportunities for industry and helps establish a space ecosystem in the country and expands the space economy.&nbsp;</p>


The Indian space agency ISRO will soon be able to triple the number of launches of its largest rocket LVM3 - going from a maximum of two LVM3 launches a year, to six launches a year.

The Indian space agency ISRO will soon be able to triple the number of launches of its largest rocket LVM3 - going from a maximum of two LVM3 launches a year, to six launches a year. This is significant, given that ISRO performs just about 10 launches in a calendar year, using its entire existing fleet of four rockets. The possible increase in launch capability is a result of the Government-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) scaling up its manufacturing facilities that cater large components for the three-stage, 640-tonne rocket, which India uses to launch 4-tonne class communication satellites and commercial missions involving dozens of small satellites that are part of large constellations. 🇮🇳 #Space agency #isro can soon go from 2 launches/yr of largest 🚀 LVM3 to 6 🚀/yr, thanks to capacity scale up at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd Propellant tank Production, CNC machining facilities inaugurated today in #Bengaluru by IDRO Chief & @HALHQBLR offcls#tech Thread: pic.twitter.com/ABUVZz2Tmc — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) June 5, 2024 × On Wednesday, in Bengaluru, in the presence of top officials from HAL and the space agency, ISRO Chief Dr S. Somanath inaugurated the HAL Aerospace Division facilities that make the fuel tanks and precision components for the LVM3 rocket. HAL will play a larger role in ISRO's future missions and must focus on emerging technologies, designing challenges, and taking up end-to-end tasks to ease pressure on ISRO, he said. CB Ananthakrishnan, the Chairman and Managing Director of HAL, said that the ongoing collaboration between ISRO and HAL will accelerate India's human spaceflight missions and the development of Next-Generation launch vehicles. "The day is not far off when Space becomes an important vertical of HAL," he added. HAL is predominantly a maker of aircraft and helicopters that are operated by the Indian Armed Forces. HAL is responsible for delivering both Indian-origin military aviation platforms and licence-built foreign ones. Of the newly inaugurated facilities, the Propellant Tank Production Facility would specialize in the manufacturing of fuel and oxidizer tanks for the LVM3 launch vehicle. These tanks measure 4 metres in diameter and 15 metres in length. Also read: ISRO begins countdown for launch of PSLV-C58XPoSat, to study black holes, neutron stars The Computer Numerical Control (CNC) facility houses machines that can handle high-precision fabrication of 4.5-metre rings and fuel tank domes for the LVM3 rocket. It is common for ISRO to source thousands of pieces of rocket hardware from the Indian industry, be it private ones or government-run ones. ISRO has been following this approach to ensure that they can source components faster from the industry and thereby carry out more launches per year. Also read: ISRO delayed Chandrayaan-3's launch by four seconds to avoid massive collision in space Taking this further, ISRO is also completely outsourcing the building of rockets to the Indian industry. As part of this, a consortium of L&T and HAL would be entirely building five PSLV rockets and offering them to ISRO in a ready-to-launch condition. In the long run, ISRO hopes to outsource routine activities (building of an existing fleet of rockets) to the industry and use its resources to focus on the core Research and Development work. This approach also offers opportunities for industry and helps establish a space ecosystem in the country and expands the space economy.

ISRO gears up for 6 launches per year of its largest rocket LVM3

<p>A powerful solar storm unleashed its fury upon Earth in early May, originating from the highly active region AR13664 on the Sun's surface.&nbsp;This cosmic event, marked by a series of flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), proved to be the most intense geomagnetic storm since 2003, wreaking havoc on communication and GPS systems globally.</p>

<p>The geomagnetic storm index (Kp) surged to its maximum level of 9, and a very strong X-class flare with a magnitude of 5.8 was recorded. Spaceborne assets of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) captured the signatures of&nbsp;the solar storm that was felt worldwide, with trans-polar flights already being rerouted due to the heightened risks posed by the storm.</p>

<p>However, India experienced relatively lesser effects, owing to the timing of the storm's peak when the ionosphere was not fully developed. "Being at lower latitudes, widespread outages haven't been reported in India. Ionosphere was very turbulent over the Pacific and American sectors," ISRO said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/sun-releases-strongest-x-ray-flares-since-2005-scientists-warn-massive-sunspot-yet-to-burst-721537">Sun releases strongest X-ray flares since 2005, scientists warn massive sunspot yet to burst</a></p>

<p>Ground-based observations provided crucial insights into the event's effects on Earth's atmosphere.</p>

<p>The GNSS network observations at the National Atmospheric Research Laboratory&nbsp;at Gadanki, Andhra Pradesh showed&nbsp;decreases in Total Electron Content (TEC) which later increased, indicating disturbances in the ionosphere.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-attempt-to-recreate-50000-year-old-ancient-herpes-viruses-721541">Scientists attempt to recreate 50,000-year-old ancient 'herpes' viruses</a></p>

<p>The Aditya-L1 also provided valuable data on solar wind dynamics while Chandrayaan-2 gave the signatures of this solar storm from the lunar polar orbit.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The ISRO Navigation Centre has not noticed any significant degradation in the NaVIC service metrices till now, indicating no or negligible impact from the geomagnetic storm," ISRO said in a press release.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Satellite orbit decay rates</strong></h2>

<p>The aftermath of the solar storm is not without consequences. Satellite orbit decay rates, which refers to the gradual decrease in altitude of a satellite orbiting the Earth due to various factors, also witnessed an increase.</p>

<p><strong>Watch | With ultra-processed foods, one is at higher risk of premature death: Study</strong></p>

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<p>"In general, the orbit decay of all satellites increased by 5 to 6 times compared to nominal value on 11 May 2024," the Indian space agency said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Explaining the decay, ISRO said, "During solar events like this, the energy released from the Sun heats and expands the upper atmosphere. This increased atmospheric density at satellite altitudes creates more drag on satellites, causing them to lose altitude gradually. This effect is most pronounced for satellites in low-Earth orbit."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


A powerful solar storm unleashed its fury upon Earth in early May, originating from the highly active region AR13664 on the Sun's surface. This cosmic event, marked by a series of flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), proved to be the most intense geomagnetic storm since 2003, wreaking havoc on communication and GPS systems globally.

A powerful solar storm unleashed its fury upon Earth in early May, originating from the highly active region AR13664 on the Sun's surface. This cosmic event, marked by a series of flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), proved to be the most intense geomagnetic storm since 2003, wreaking havoc on communication and GPS systems globally. The geomagnetic storm index (Kp) surged to its maximum level of 9, and a very strong X-class flare with a magnitude of 5.8 was recorded. Spaceborne assets of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) captured the signatures of the solar storm that was felt worldwide, with trans-polar flights already being rerouted due to the heightened risks posed by the storm. However, India experienced relatively lesser effects, owing to the timing of the storm's peak when the ionosphere was not fully developed. "Being at lower latitudes, widespread outages haven't been reported in India. Ionosphere was very turbulent over the Pacific and American sectors," ISRO said. Also Read | Sun releases strongest X-ray flares since 2005, scientists warn massive sunspot yet to burst Ground-based observations provided crucial insights into the event's effects on Earth's atmosphere. The GNSS network observations at the National Atmospheric Research Laboratory at Gadanki, Andhra Pradesh showed decreases in Total Electron Content (TEC) which later increased, indicating disturbances in the ionosphere. Also Read | Scientists attempt to recreate 50,000-year-old ancient 'herpes' viruses The Aditya-L1 also provided valuable data on solar wind dynamics while Chandrayaan-2 gave the signatures of this solar storm from the lunar polar orbit. "The ISRO Navigation Centre has not noticed any significant degradation in the NaVIC service metrices till now, indicating no or negligible impact from the geomagnetic storm," ISRO said in a press release. Satellite orbit decay rates The aftermath of the solar storm is not without consequences. Satellite orbit decay rates, which refers to the gradual decrease in altitude of a satellite orbiting the Earth due to various factors, also witnessed an increase. Watch | With ultra-processed foods, one is at higher risk of premature death: Study × "In general, the orbit decay of all satellites increased by 5 to 6 times compared to nominal value on 11 May 2024," the Indian space agency said. Explaining the decay, ISRO said, "During solar events like this, the energy released from the Sun heats and expands the upper atmosphere. This increased atmospheric density at satellite altitudes creates more drag on satellites, causing them to lose altitude gradually. This effect is most pronounced for satellites in low-Earth orbit." (With inputs from agencies)

ISRO: Aditya-L1, Chandrayaan-2 capture signatures of solar storm

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<p>The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has captured high-resolution images of Chandrayaan-3's lander&nbsp;Vikram,&nbsp;and the Pragyan rover resting on the Moon. <strong><a href="https://moonandbeyond.blog/chandrayaan-3-vikram-lander-pragyan-rover/">Blog post on Moon and Beyond</a></strong> (a blog run by independent researcher Chandra)&nbsp;on Wednesday (May 1) said that&nbsp;the new images were captured&nbsp;on March 15.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Following a successful touchdown at ShivShakti Statio, the Vikram Lander from Chandrayaan-3 deployed its rover, Pragyan, to navigate the cratered lunar surface," the blog post said.</p>

<p>"Equipped with integrated cameras, Pragyan transmitted video footage of its surroundings and commenced its research tasks, designated for a two-week exploration mission," it added.</p>

<p>On August 25 last year, ISRO reported that&nbsp;Pragyan had covered a distance of eight meters shortly after deployment. By the conclusion of its mission, the rover had successfully traversed approximately 101 metres.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Vikram and Pragyan: India's lunar ambassadors, now captured in images by <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chandrayaan2?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chandrayaan2</a> OHRC. latest image released by <a href="https://twitter.com/isro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@isro</a> shows it completely deployed and lying beside the lander. This new image was captured at an ultra-high resolution of 17cm! more details on my blog below👇 <a href="https://t.co/UhhEGUijAR">pic.twitter.com/UhhEGUijAR</a></p>
— Chandra (tckb) (@this_is_tckb) <a href="https://twitter.com/this_is_tckb/status/1785878807557099996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>Despite the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission,&nbsp;Vikram and Pragyan did not withstand the harsh conditions of the Moon's southern environment and were presumed non-operational. Though the Indian space agency released images of Vikram lander on August 23, 2023, the exact location of Pragyan's final resting place remained unclear.</p>

<p>"Today, for the first time, we can clearly see the little Pragyan positioned right beside Vikram," the post added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The high-resolution image captured on March 15 this year showed significantly greater detail than last year's&nbsp;image shared by ISRO.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The latest image was obtained from a reduced altitude of&nbsp;approximately 65 kilometres, allowing for a resolution of about&nbsp;17&nbsp;cm, compared to the initial post-landing image captured at the regular altitude of 100 kilometres with a resolution of 26 cm.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The difference in resolution is markedly apparent when observing these two images side by side; details such as the crater contours are&nbsp;exceptionally visible," the post added.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has captured high-resolution images of Chandrayaan-3's lander Vikram, and the Pragyan rover resting on the Moon. Blog post on Moon and Beyond (a blog run by independent researcher Chandra) on Wednesday (May 1) said that the new images were captured on March 15.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has captured high-resolution images of Chandrayaan-3's lander Vikram, and the Pragyan rover resting on the Moon. Blog post on Moon and Beyond (a blog run by independent researcher Chandra) on Wednesday (May 1) said that the new images were captured on March 15. "Following a successful touchdown at ShivShakti Statio, the Vikram Lander from Chandrayaan-3 deployed its rover, Pragyan, to navigate the cratered lunar surface," the blog post said. "Equipped with integrated cameras, Pragyan transmitted video footage of its surroundings and commenced its research tasks, designated for a two-week exploration mission," it added. On August 25 last year, ISRO reported that Pragyan had covered a distance of eight meters shortly after deployment. By the conclusion of its mission, the rover had successfully traversed approximately 101 metres. Vikram and Pragyan: India's lunar ambassadors, now captured in images by #Chandrayaan2 OHRC. latest image released by @isro shows it completely deployed and lying beside the lander. This new image was captured at an ultra-high resolution of 17cm! more details on my blog below👇 pic.twitter.com/UhhEGUijAR — Chandra (tckb) (@this_is_tckb) May 2, 2024 × Despite the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, Vikram and Pragyan did not withstand the harsh conditions of the Moon's southern environment and were presumed non-operational. Though the Indian space agency released images of Vikram lander on August 23, 2023, the exact location of Pragyan's final resting place remained unclear. "Today, for the first time, we can clearly see the little Pragyan positioned right beside Vikram," the post added. The high-resolution image captured on March 15 this year showed significantly greater detail than last year's image shared by ISRO. The latest image was obtained from a reduced altitude of approximately 65 kilometres, allowing for a resolution of about 17 cm, compared to the initial post-landing image captured at the regular altitude of 100 kilometres with a resolution of 26 cm. "The difference in resolution is markedly apparent when observing these two images side by side; details such as the crater contours are exceptionally visible," the post added. (With inputs from agencies)

ISRO captures high-resolution images of Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander, Pragyan rover resting on Moon

<p><meta name="uuid" content="uuidfhKfOQJO6mUX" /></p>

<p>As humanity looks to establish a long-term presence on the&nbsp;moon,&nbsp;several attempts are&nbsp;being made&nbsp;to explore the Lunar South polar region, which&nbsp;is believed&nbsp;to hold vast reserves of water ice.&nbsp;Water ice is crucial - for sustaining life and&nbsp;for&nbsp;use as cryogenic rocket fuel (a combination of supercooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen).&nbsp;This&nbsp;is why India's Chandrayaan-3 and the American private lander Odysseus landed in the south polar region. Several upcoming missions&nbsp;are also aimed&nbsp;at exploring this mysterious south-polar region, which could offer insights into the&nbsp;origins of the&nbsp;moon. However, the latest international study says that "the extent of water ice in the northern polar region is twice that in the southern polar region".&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-have-discovered-evidence-of-human-activity-altering-deep-subsurface-of-earth-717083">Scientists have discovered evidence of human activity altering deep subsurface of Earth</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Conducted by&nbsp;the scientists of Space Applications Centre (SAC), ISRO, in collaboration with researchers at IIT Kanpur, University of Southern California, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, the study reveals evidence for enhanced possibility of water ice occurrence in the polar craters of the&nbsp;Moon.&nbsp;It suggests that the&nbsp;amount of&nbsp;subsurface ice in the first couple of metres is about five to eight times more than&nbsp;the that on the surface at both poles.&nbsp;Therefore, extracting lunar water ice would require considerable drilling, as the ice is likely to be buried beneath the lunar surface.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Regarding the possible origin of this lunar water ice, the study shared by ISRO said, "It&nbsp;confirms the hypothesis that the primary source of subsurface water ice in the lunar poles is outgassing (gases coming from deep within the moon) during volcanism in the Imbrian period (3,800 to 3,850 million years ago)".&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-forewarn-timing-of-triple-whammy-extinction-that-will-eradicate-humankind-716974">Scientists forewarn timing of 'triple whammy extinction' that will eradicate all life from Earth</a>&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>As part of this study, the research team used seven instruments comprising radar, laser, optical, neutron spectrometer, ultra-violet spectrometer, and thermal radiometer onboard the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to understand the origin and distribution of water ice on the&nbsp;Moon. Accurate knowledge of the distribution and depth of water ice occurrence in the lunar poles can help plan future lunar exploration missions and their lading sites accordingly.&nbsp;</p>

<p>ISRO says that the latest international study also supports a previous study of SAC, ISRO pointing out the possibility of the presence of water ice in some of the polar craters, utilising polarimetric radar data from the Chandrayaan-2 Dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar instrument.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Based on the success of the Indian Chandrayaan-3 Lunar soft-landing, in-situ exploration and the Japanese Lunar soft-landing mission 'SLIM', the space agencies of both nations are working on a Lunar polar exploration mission (LUPEX), which&nbsp;is aimed&nbsp;at studying the lunar poles.&nbsp;Even the planned series of American Artemis crewed lunar&nbsp;missions&nbsp;and Chinese crewed lunar missions&nbsp;are hoping&nbsp;to make breakthroughs that enable a long-term human presence on the&nbsp;moon.&nbsp;Situated around 4 lakh kilometres&nbsp;away&nbsp;from the earth, as humanity's nearest celestial neighbour, the&nbsp;moon&nbsp;could&nbsp;potentially&nbsp;serve as an outpost in space from where mankind could undertake exploration missions into the further reaches of space.&nbsp;</p>


As humanity looks to establish a long-term presence on the moon, several attempts are being made to explore the Lunar South polar region, which is believed to hold vast reserves of water ice.

As humanity looks to establish a long-term presence on the moon, several attempts are being made to explore the Lunar South polar region, which is believed to hold vast reserves of water ice. Water ice is crucial - for sustaining life and for use as cryogenic rocket fuel (a combination of supercooled liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen). This is why India's Chandrayaan-3 and the American private lander Odysseus landed in the south polar region. Several upcoming missions are also aimed at exploring this mysterious south-polar region, which could offer insights into the origins of the moon. However, the latest international study says that "the extent of water ice in the northern polar region is twice that in the southern polar region". Also read: Scientists have discovered evidence of human activity altering deep subsurface of Earth Conducted by the scientists of Space Applications Centre (SAC), ISRO, in collaboration with researchers at IIT Kanpur, University of Southern California, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, the study reveals evidence for enhanced possibility of water ice occurrence in the polar craters of the Moon. It suggests that the amount of subsurface ice in the first couple of metres is about five to eight times more than the that on the surface at both poles. Therefore, extracting lunar water ice would require considerable drilling, as the ice is likely to be buried beneath the lunar surface. Regarding the possible origin of this lunar water ice, the study shared by ISRO said, "It confirms the hypothesis that the primary source of subsurface water ice in the lunar poles is outgassing (gases coming from deep within the moon) during volcanism in the Imbrian period (3,800 to 3,850 million years ago)". Also read: Scientists forewarn timing of 'triple whammy extinction' that will eradicate all life from Earth As part of this study, the research team used seven instruments comprising radar, laser, optical, neutron spectrometer, ultra-violet spectrometer, and thermal radiometer onboard the NASA Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to understand the origin and distribution of water ice on the Moon. Accurate knowledge of the distribution and depth of water ice occurrence in the lunar poles can help plan future lunar exploration missions and their lading sites accordingly. ISRO says that the latest international study also supports a previous study of SAC, ISRO pointing out the possibility of the presence of water ice in some of the polar craters, utilising polarimetric radar data from the Chandrayaan-2 Dual-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar instrument. Based on the success of the Indian Chandrayaan-3 Lunar soft-landing, in-situ exploration and the Japanese Lunar soft-landing mission 'SLIM', the space agencies of both nations are working on a Lunar polar exploration mission (LUPEX), which is aimed at studying the lunar poles. Even the planned series of American Artemis crewed lunar missions and Chinese crewed lunar missions are hoping to make breakthroughs that enable a long-term human presence on the moon. Situated around 4 lakh kilometres away from the earth, as humanity's nearest celestial neighbour, the moon could potentially serve as an outpost in space from where mankind could undertake exploration missions into the further reaches of space.

Moon's north pole could have more water ice than south, says study

<p>India’s&nbsp;historic mission to the Moon could have met a disastrous fate in the sky had scientists not been able to make a vital calculation to avoid a devastating collision, the&nbsp;Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) revealed Monday (Apr 29). It was all because of&nbsp;ISRO’s&nbsp;proactive and decisive space management that&nbsp;the Chandrayaan-3 mission could be saved&nbsp;and successfully executed as a&nbsp;key&nbsp;decision&nbsp;was taken&nbsp;even before the rocket lifted&nbsp;off.</p>

<h2><strong>What happened?</strong></h2>

<p>It all happened on July 14, 2023,&nbsp;the day&nbsp;when&nbsp;ISRO’s&nbsp;Chandrayaan-3&nbsp;was scheduled&nbsp;for launch.&nbsp;Just when the&nbsp;scientists were about to press the launch button,&nbsp;a potential threat in space was detected.</p>

<p>ISRO’s&nbsp;mission control team observed that if&nbsp;the mission was launched&nbsp;at the scheduled time, it could intersect with the trajectory of a piece of space debris.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwiRpur7p-eFAxUl2TgGHV9PBYoQxfQBKAB6BAgOEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/isro-to-tie-up-with-elon-musks-spacex-to-launch-satellite-676290" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/india-news/isro-to-tie-up-with-elon-musks-spacex-to-launch-satellite-676290&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiRpur7p-eFAxUl2TgGHV9PBYoQxfQBKAB6BAgOEAE">ISRO to tie up with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to launch satellite</a></strong></p>

<p>We&nbsp;know,&nbsp;that&nbsp;objects fly in space with high velocity&nbsp;and&nbsp;they&nbsp;can break spacecraft and satellites into pieces irrespective of their size upon collision.</p>

<h2><strong>The solution</strong></h2>

<p>The ISRO team came up with a simple yet effective solution.&nbsp;They decided to delay the launch by&nbsp;a mere four seconds, which was&nbsp;enough to steer clear of the potential collision.</p>

<p>This decision&nbsp;was based&nbsp;on a detailed Collision Avoidance Analysis (COLA) as part of&nbsp;ISRO's&nbsp;standard Launch Clearance Protocol.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a data-ved="2ahUKEwiRpur7p-eFAxUl2TgGHV9PBYoQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/science/isro-new-year-gift-xposat-will-lift-off-on-january-1-will-study-black-holes-674375" jsname="YKoRaf" ping="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/science/isro-new-year-gift-xposat-will-lift-off-on-january-1-will-study-black-holes-674375&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiRpur7p-eFAxUl2TgGHV9PBYoQxfQBKAB6BAgHEAE">ISRO’s New Year’s gift: XPoSat will lift off on January 1, will study black holes</a></strong></p>

<p>“For LVM3-M4/ Chandrayaan-3, the nominal lift-off had to be delayed by 4 seconds based on COLA analysis to avoid close approaches between a debris object and the injected satellites in their orbital phase due to overlapping operational altitudes,”&nbsp;ISRO revealed in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.isro.gov.in/Indian_Space_Situational_Assessment_Report_ISSAR2023.html#:~:text=For%20LVM3%2DM4%2F%20Chandrayaan%2D,due%20to%20overlapping%20operational%20altitudes." target="_blank">a detailed blog post</a>&nbsp;on its website.</p>

<h2><strong>Significance</strong></h2>

<p>The last-minute manoeuvre&nbsp;not only&nbsp;showed the threats posed by space debris&nbsp;but also&nbsp;demonstrated&nbsp;ISRO’s&nbsp;ability to identify and overcome such challenges.</p>

<p>ISRO&nbsp;in&nbsp;its Space Situational Assessment Report (ISSAR)&nbsp;revealed how it deploys advanced technologies and strategic planning to maintain such safety standards.</p>

<p><img alt=" Indian Space Situational Assessment Report (ISSAR) for 2023" src="https://www.isro.gov.in/media_isro/image/index/issar2904242.jpg" /></p>

<p>In its report, the space agency said it carried out 23 such collision avoidance manoeuvres to safeguard its assets in the space.<br />
<br />
<em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


India’s historic mission to the Moon could have met a disastrous fate in the sky had scientists not been able to make a vital calculation to avoid a devastating collision, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) revealed Monday (Apr 29).

India’s historic mission to the Moon could have met a disastrous fate in the sky had scientists not been able to make a vital calculation to avoid a devastating collision, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) revealed Monday (Apr 29). It was all because of ISRO’s proactive and decisive space management that the Chandrayaan-3 mission could be saved and successfully executed as a key decision was taken even before the rocket lifted off. What happened? It all happened on July 14, 2023, the day when ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 was scheduled for launch. Just when the scientists were about to press the launch button, a potential threat in space was detected. ISRO’s mission control team observed that if the mission was launched at the scheduled time, it could intersect with the trajectory of a piece of space debris. Also read: ISRO to tie up with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to launch satellite We know, that objects fly in space with high velocity and they can break spacecraft and satellites into pieces irrespective of their size upon collision. The solution The ISRO team came up with a simple yet effective solution. They decided to delay the launch by a mere four seconds, which was enough to steer clear of the potential collision. This decision was based on a detailed Collision Avoidance Analysis (COLA) as part of ISRO's standard Launch Clearance Protocol. Also read: ISRO’s New Year’s gift: XPoSat will lift off on January 1, will study black holes “For LVM3-M4/ Chandrayaan-3, the nominal lift-off had to be delayed by 4 seconds based on COLA analysis to avoid close approaches between a debris object and the injected satellites in their orbital phase due to overlapping operational altitudes,” ISRO revealed in a detailed blog post on its website. Significance The last-minute manoeuvre not only showed the threats posed by space debris but also demonstrated ISRO’s ability to identify and overcome such challenges. ISRO in its Space Situational Assessment Report (ISSAR) revealed how it deploys advanced technologies and strategic planning to maintain such safety standards. In its report, the space agency said it carried out 23 such collision avoidance manoeuvres to safeguard its assets in the space. (With inputs from agencies)

ISRO delayed Chandrayaan-3’s launch by four seconds to avoid massive collision in space

<p>ISRO announced a breakthrough in rocket engine technology, having developed a lightweight Carbon-Carbon (C-C) nozzle. This innovation, achieved by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), is set to enhance critical parameters of rocket engines, including thrust levels and payload capacity.</p>

<p>ISRO stated that the VSSC in Thiruvananthapuram used advanced Carbon-Carbon (C-C) composites to make a nozzle with top-notch features.</p>

<p>By using methods like carbonising green composites, chemical vapour infiltration, and high-temperature treatment, ISRO has created a lightweight nozzle with strong, durable properties, capable of maintaining its strength even in high temperatures.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/spacex-launches-tata-group-satellite-assembled-and-tested-in-india-709083">Also read |&nbsp;SpaceX launches TATA Group satellite assembled and tested in India</a></p>

<h2><strong>What's the special feature?</strong></h2>

<p>ISRO mentioned a special feature of the C-C nozzle: it has a coating made of silicon carbide, which helps it work better in environments where oxidation occurs. This makes it stronger against heat and corrosion, allowing it to handle tough conditions.</p>

<p>This improvement is important, especially for ISRO's main rocket, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Currently, the PS4 stage of the PSLV uses nozzles made of a metal called columbium alloy. But if ISRO switches these out for C-C nozzles, they could make the rocket lighter by about 67 per cent.</p>

<p>This change could let the PSLV carry 15 kg more payload into space, which is a big deal for missions.</p>

<p>Testing the C-C nozzle was a big step for ISRO. They did a 60-second test on March 19, 2024, at the High-Altitude Test (HAT) facility in ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. This test showed that the system works well and the hardware is strong.</p>

<p><strong>Also watch |&nbsp;ISRO Chief S Somanath explains role of India's NavIC satellites; know all about NavIC satellites</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/isro-chief-s-somanath-explains-role-of-indias-navic-satellites-know-all-about-navic-satellites-708995/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>"Subsequent tests, including a 200-second hot test on April 2, 2024, further validated the nozzle's capabilities, with temperatures reaching 1216 K, matching predictions," the release said.</p>

<p>The teamwork included the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Valiamala near Thiruvananthapuram, which planned and set up the test. The testing and execution happened at the High-Altitude Test (HAT) facility in IPRC, as mentioned.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


ISRO announced a breakthrough in rocket engine technology, having developed a lightweight Carbon-Carbon (C-C) nozzle. This innovation, achieved by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), is set to enhance critical parameters of rocket engines, including thrust levels and payload capacity.

ISRO announced a breakthrough in rocket engine technology, having developed a lightweight Carbon-Carbon (C-C) nozzle. This innovation, achieved by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), is set to enhance critical parameters of rocket engines, including thrust levels and payload capacity. ISRO stated that the VSSC in Thiruvananthapuram used advanced Carbon-Carbon (C-C) composites to make a nozzle with top-notch features. By using methods like carbonising green composites, chemical vapour infiltration, and high-temperature treatment, ISRO has created a lightweight nozzle with strong, durable properties, capable of maintaining its strength even in high temperatures. Also read | SpaceX launches TATA Group satellite assembled and tested in India What's the special feature? ISRO mentioned a special feature of the C-C nozzle: it has a coating made of silicon carbide, which helps it work better in environments where oxidation occurs. This makes it stronger against heat and corrosion, allowing it to handle tough conditions. This improvement is important, especially for ISRO's main rocket, the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Currently, the PS4 stage of the PSLV uses nozzles made of a metal called columbium alloy. But if ISRO switches these out for C-C nozzles, they could make the rocket lighter by about 67 per cent. This change could let the PSLV carry 15 kg more payload into space, which is a big deal for missions. Testing the C-C nozzle was a big step for ISRO. They did a 60-second test on March 19, 2024, at the High-Altitude Test (HAT) facility in ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu. This test showed that the system works well and the hardware is strong. Also watch | ISRO Chief S Somanath explains role of India's NavIC satellites; know all about NavIC satellites "Subsequent tests, including a 200-second hot test on April 2, 2024, further validated the nozzle's capabilities, with temperatures reaching 1216 K, matching predictions," the release said. The teamwork included the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Valiamala near Thiruvananthapuram, which planned and set up the test. The testing and execution happened at the High-Altitude Test (HAT) facility in IPRC, as mentioned. (With inputs from agencies)

ISRO scientists create new lightweight nozzle for rocket engines, call it ‘breakthrough’

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