Israel successfully launched the “Ofek-13” spy satellite into space early Wednesday morning, the Defense Ministry said. Watch the video to know more.

Israel launches new Ofek-13 spy satellite into orbit

After providing valuable scientific data and serving the science community for more than a decade, the Indo-French satellite 'Megha-Tropiques' (MT-1) now rests in peace at a remote location in the Pacific Ocean.

Just as they had intended, the Indian space agency, ISRO, successfully de-orbited the satellite (gradually brought the satellite closer to Earth from its orbit) and made it re-enter the Earth's atmosphere.

This process is a brutal one where the re-entering object undergoes sustained exposure to high speeds and temperatures well over 2500 degrees Celsius, thus completely burning it up.

ISRO on Tuesday announced that the re-entry experiment was successfully, adding that they performed two 20-minute firings of the satellites on-board propulsion system.

This firing was done to ensure that the satellite gets pulled further into the influence of Earth's gravity and eventually burns up as it enters the denser layers of the Earth's atmosphere.

"The final perigee (the closest distance the satellite is from the earth) was estimated to be less than 80 km indicating that the satellite would enter the denser layers of the Earth's atmosphere and subsequently undergo structural disintegration. The re-entry aero-thermal flux analysis confirmed that there would be no surviving large debris fragments" ISRO said.

Based on telemetry data, ISRO also confirmed that the satellite re-entered Earth's atmosphere and would have disintegrated, with the final impact somewhere deep in the Pacific Ocean. The entire process of de-orbiting and re-entry was carried out by ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bengaluru.&nbsp;

The complex process of manoeuvring the satellite, lowering its orbit, facilitating re-entry and burning it up in the upper atmosphere is part of ISRO's effort to reduce space debris.

WION had earlier reported, based on a NASA revelation, that there are more than 47,000 pieces of space debris that are larger than 10cm in size. Had the de-orbiting not been done, MT-1 too could have ended up as a long-term resident in space, without serving any useful purpose.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/100mn-millimeter-sized-space-debris-a-serious-threat-to-astronauts-sats-nasa-chief-scientist-552192">100mn+ millimetre-sized space debris a serious threat to astronauts, says NASA chief scientist</a>

While larger pieces of debris such as defunct satellites and rocket upper stages are easier to track, it is the smaller pieces of millimetre-sized debris that pose more of a threat to space assets and space-walking astronauts.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/how-and-why-isro-is-disposing-off-a-defunct-indo-french-satellite-569090/amp">How and why ISRO is disposing off a defunct Indo-French satellite</a>

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ISRO has taken up proactive measures to improve the compliance level with the internationally accepted guidelines on space debris mitigation, the Indian Space agency said.&nbsp;Efforts are underway to build indigenous capabilities for tracking and monitoring space objects to safeguard Indian space assets.

ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Space Operations Management (IS4OM) has been established to spearhead such activities, ISRO added.&nbsp;

'Megha-Tropiques' was an&nbsp;Indo-French Joint Satellite Mission for studying the water cycle and energy exchanges in the tropics. The main objective of this mission is to understand the life cycle of convective systems that influence the tropical weather and climate and their role in associated energy and moisture budget of the atmosphere in tropical regions.

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After providing valuable scientific data and serving the science community for more than a decade, the Indo-French satellite 'Megha-Tropiques' (MT-1) now rests in peace at a remote location in the Pacific Ocean.

After providing valuable scientific data and serving the science community for more than a decade, the Indo-French satellite 'Megha-Tropiques' (MT-1) now rests in peace at a remote location in the Pacific Ocean. Just as they had intended, the Indian space agency, ISRO, successfully de-orbited the satellite (gradually brought the satellite closer to Earth from its orbit) and made it re-enter the Earth's atmosphere. This process is a brutal one where the re-entering object undergoes sustained exposure to high speeds and temperatures well over 2500 degrees Celsius, thus completely burning it up. ISRO on Tuesday announced that the re-entry experiment was successfully, adding that they performed two 20-minute firings of the satellites on-board propulsion system. This firing was done to ensure that the satellite gets pulled further into the influence of Earth's gravity and eventually burns up as it enters the denser layers of the Earth's atmosphere. "The final perigee (the closest distance the satellite is from the earth) was estimated to be less than 80 km indicating that the satellite would enter the denser layers of the Earth's atmosphere and subsequently undergo structural disintegration. The re-entry aero-thermal flux analysis confirmed that there would be no surviving large debris fragments" ISRO said. Based on telemetry data, ISRO also confirmed that the satellite re-entered Earth's atmosphere and would have disintegrated, with the final impact somewhere deep in the Pacific Ocean. The entire process of de-orbiting and re-entry was carried out by ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC), Bengaluru. The complex process of manoeuvring the satellite, lowering its orbit, facilitating re-entry and burning it up in the upper atmosphere is part of ISRO's effort to reduce space debris. WION had earlier reported, based on a NASA revelation, that there are more than 47,000 pieces of space debris that are larger than 10cm in size. Had the de-orbiting not been done, MT-1 too could have ended up as a long-term resident in space, without serving any useful purpose. Also read | 100mn+ millimetre-sized space debris a serious threat to astronauts, says NASA chief scientist While larger pieces of debris such as defunct satellites and rocket upper stages are easier to track, it is the smaller pieces of millimetre-sized debris that pose more of a threat to space assets and space-walking astronauts. Also read | How and why ISRO is disposing off a defunct Indo-French satellite ISRO has taken up proactive measures to improve the compliance level with the internationally accepted guidelines on space debris mitigation, the Indian Space agency said. Efforts are underway to build indigenous capabilities for tracking and monitoring space objects to safeguard Indian space assets. ISRO System for Safe and Sustainable Space Operations Management (IS4OM) has been established to spearhead such activities, ISRO added. 'Megha-Tropiques' was an Indo-French Joint Satellite Mission for studying the water cycle and energy exchanges in the tropics. The main objective of this mission is to understand the life cycle of convective systems that influence the tropical weather and climate and their role in associated energy and moisture budget of the atmosphere in tropical regions. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Defunct Indo-French satellite ‘Megha-Tropiques’ now in pieces, laid to rest in Pacific Ocean

The payload of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar(NISAR) imaging satellite arrived in Bengaluru, on a US Air Force C17 Globemaster III strategic airlift plane.

The satellite payload that was flown in from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, will be taken to India's UR Rao Satellite Center in Bengaluru, where the payload will be integrated into the satellite bus (structure) and undergo further testing.

In February, top officials from ISRO and NASA conducted the ceremonial flagging off for the satellite payload from JPL, California. The announcement of the satellite having arrived in India was shared by the US Consulate General, Chennai.&nbsp;

NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory jointly developed by the American and Indian space agencies. It is meant to carry L and S, dual-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a highly powerful, all-weather, day and night means of imaging from space, that can help researchers and scientists observe minute changes in Earth’s land and ice surfaces, down to fractions of an inch.

Since early 2021, engineers and technicians at JPL have been integrating and testing NISAR’s two radar systems – the L-band SAR provided by JPL and the S-band SAR built by ISRO.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Awesome animation by <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAJPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAJPL</a>, offers a glimpse into the impending(2024) launch of the 1st-ever<a href="https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASA</a> - <a href="https://twitter.com/isro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@isro</a> collaborative satellite NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NISAR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NISAR</a> ,meant for imaging the earth every 12days &amp; helping predict disasters, track climate change etc 
🇮🇳🇺🇸🚀 <a href="https://t.co/boeeuq2NYb">pic.twitter.com/boeeuq2NYb</a>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1621888435140304896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, leads the U.S. component of the project and is providing the mission’s L-band SAR. NASA is also providing the radar reflector antenna, the deployable boom, a high-rate communication subsystem for science data, GPS receivers, a solid-state recorder, and payload data subsystem.

ISRO is providing the spacecraft bus, the S-band SAR, the launch vehicle, and associated launch services and satellite mission operations.

NISAR will gather radar data with a drum-shaped reflector antenna almost 40 feet (12 metres) in diameter. It will use a signal-processing technique called interferometric synthetic aperture radar, or InSAR, to observe changes on Earth, which can be used to predict natural disasters, and track climate change.

"The observations NISAR makes will help researchers measure the ways in which Earth is constantly changing by detecting both subtle and dramatic movements. Slow-moving variations of a land surface can precede earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions, and data about such movement could help communities prepare for natural hazards. Measurements of melting sea ice and ice sheets will improve understanding of the pace and impacts of climate change, including sea level rise" said NASA.&nbsp;

Over the course of its three-year prime mission, the satellite will observe nearly the entire planet every 12 days, making observations day and night, in all weather conditions. “Today, we come one step closer to fulfilling the immense scientific potential NASA and ISRO envisioned for NISAR when we joined forces more than eight years ago,” Chairman, ISRO, Dr. S. Somanath had said earlier.

During the flag-off ceremony, JPL Director, Laurie Leshin said, "By delivering measurements at unprecedented precision, NISAR’s promise is a new understanding and positive impact in communities. Our collaboration with ISRO exemplifies what’s possible when we tackle complex challenges together."

With the SUV-sized satellite payload having arrived on Indian soil in a special cargo container, after a 9,000-mile(14,000-kilometer) flight, the key responsibilities will henceforth be carried out by ISRO. The NISAR satellite is expected to be launched in early 2024 from India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh state, on board a GSLV rocket.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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The payload of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar(NISAR) imaging satellite arrived in Bengaluru, on a US Air Force C17 Globemaster III strategic airlift plane.

The payload of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar(NISAR) imaging satellite arrived in Bengaluru, on a US Air Force C17 Globemaster III strategic airlift plane. The satellite payload that was flown in from NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, will be taken to India's UR Rao Satellite Center in Bengaluru, where the payload will be integrated into the satellite bus (structure) and undergo further testing. In February, top officials from ISRO and NASA conducted the ceremonial flagging off for the satellite payload from JPL, California. The announcement of the satellite having arrived in India was shared by the US Consulate General, Chennai. NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory jointly developed by the American and Indian space agencies. It is meant to carry L and S, dual-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a highly powerful, all-weather, day and night means of imaging from space, that can help researchers and scientists observe minute changes in Earth’s land and ice surfaces, down to fractions of an inch. Since early 2021, engineers and technicians at JPL have been integrating and testing NISAR’s two radar systems – the L-band SAR provided by JPL and the S-band SAR built by ISRO. Awesome animation by @NASAJPL, offers a glimpse into the impending(2024) launch of the 1st-ever@NASA - @isro collaborative satellite NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar #NISAR ,meant for imaging the earth every 12days & helping predict disasters, track climate change etc 🇮🇳🇺🇸🚀 pic.twitter.com/boeeuq2NYb — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) February 4, 2023 × JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, leads the U.S. component of the project and is providing the mission’s L-band SAR. NASA is also providing the radar reflector antenna, the deployable boom, a high-rate communication subsystem for science data, GPS receivers, a solid-state recorder, and payload data subsystem. ISRO is providing the spacecraft bus, the S-band SAR, the launch vehicle, and associated launch services and satellite mission operations. NISAR will gather radar data with a drum-shaped reflector antenna almost 40 feet (12 metres) in diameter. It will use a signal-processing technique called interferometric synthetic aperture radar, or InSAR, to observe changes on Earth, which can be used to predict natural disasters, and track climate change. "The observations NISAR makes will help researchers measure the ways in which Earth is constantly changing by detecting both subtle and dramatic movements. Slow-moving variations of a land surface can precede earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions, and data about such movement could help communities prepare for natural hazards. Measurements of melting sea ice and ice sheets will improve understanding of the pace and impacts of climate change, including sea level rise" said NASA. Over the course of its three-year prime mission, the satellite will observe nearly the entire planet every 12 days, making observations day and night, in all weather conditions. “Today, we come one step closer to fulfilling the immense scientific potential NASA and ISRO envisioned for NISAR when we joined forces more than eight years ago,” Chairman, ISRO, Dr. S. Somanath had said earlier. During the flag-off ceremony, JPL Director, Laurie Leshin said, "By delivering measurements at unprecedented precision, NISAR’s promise is a new understanding and positive impact in communities. Our collaboration with ISRO exemplifies what’s possible when we tackle complex challenges together." With the SUV-sized satellite payload having arrived on Indian soil in a special cargo container, after a 9,000-mile(14,000-kilometer) flight, the key responsibilities will henceforth be carried out by ISRO. The NISAR satellite is expected to be launched in early 2024 from India's Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh state, on board a GSLV rocket. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

NASA-ISRO imaging satellite arrives in India from US for 2024 launch by Indian GSLV rocket

Indian space agency ISRO and its Argentinian counterpart (CONAE) are holding talks to explore the potential opportunities for expanding space relations between the two nations.

Earlier, Dr Hugo Javier Gobbi, Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to India called on Dr S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO and Secretary, Department of Space at ISRO Headquarters in Bengaluru,&nbsp;

The ISRO chief also extended an invitation to the Argentinian ambassador to participate in the G20 Space Leaders Economy Meeting (SELM) precursor event in Shillong in April 2023. The ambassador also expressed the interest of Argentina's Minister of Science, Technology &amp; Innovation to visit ISRO in July 2023.

ISRO is not just collaborating with established space powers such as Russia, the USA, Japan and France, but is also looking to explore collaborations with emerging nations in the space sector. Being carried out in partnership with the Indian external affairs ministry, such collaborations with newer entrants in the global space sector are aimed at exploring markets, Somanath had said earlier.&nbsp;

Speaking about the scope for India to carry out space sector business activities, Somanath said that India would like to explore the markets in Latin America, Arab nations, Africa and Southeast Asia and collaborate with them for mutual benefit.

He had mentioned the possibilities of Indian firms building satellites for foreign nations and also providing ground stations and relevant hardware.

From 2020 onwards, Indian private firms and startups have been authorised to carry out end-to-end space activities including the building and launching of rockets and satellites, establishing ground segments etc.

Since then, a considerable number of firms have made progress in building and testing their own rocket engines. Private firms have also proven their capability to build rockets and launch them into the upper atmosphere and are aiming for space, while satellite companies have developed their spacecraft and launched them on both Indian and foreign rockets

While ISRO has developed end-to-end space capability – from building and launching rockets, building satellites, ground segments, and space support infrastructure— the Argentinian agency is working on developing its orbital-class rockets and has carried out a handful of satellite missions in collaboration with other space agencies.

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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Indian space agency ISRO and its Argentinian counterpart (CONAE) are holding talks to explore the potential opportunities for expanding space relations between the two nations.

Indian space agency ISRO and its Argentinian counterpart (CONAE) are holding talks to explore the potential opportunities for expanding space relations between the two nations. Earlier, Dr Hugo Javier Gobbi, Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to India called on Dr S Somanath, Chairman, ISRO and Secretary, Department of Space at ISRO Headquarters in Bengaluru, The ISRO chief also extended an invitation to the Argentinian ambassador to participate in the G20 Space Leaders Economy Meeting (SELM) precursor event in Shillong in April 2023. The ambassador also expressed the interest of Argentina's Minister of Science, Technology & Innovation to visit ISRO in July 2023. ISRO is not just collaborating with established space powers such as Russia, the USA, Japan and France, but is also looking to explore collaborations with emerging nations in the space sector. Being carried out in partnership with the Indian external affairs ministry, such collaborations with newer entrants in the global space sector are aimed at exploring markets, Somanath had said earlier. Speaking about the scope for India to carry out space sector business activities, Somanath said that India would like to explore the markets in Latin America, Arab nations, Africa and Southeast Asia and collaborate with them for mutual benefit. He had mentioned the possibilities of Indian firms building satellites for foreign nations and also providing ground stations and relevant hardware. From 2020 onwards, Indian private firms and startups have been authorised to carry out end-to-end space activities including the building and launching of rockets and satellites, establishing ground segments etc. Since then, a considerable number of firms have made progress in building and testing their own rocket engines. Private firms have also proven their capability to build rockets and launch them into the upper atmosphere and are aiming for space, while satellite companies have developed their spacecraft and launched them on both Indian and foreign rockets While ISRO has developed end-to-end space capability – from building and launching rockets, building satellites, ground segments, and space support infrastructure— the Argentinian agency is working on developing its orbital-class rockets and has carried out a handful of satellite missions in collaboration with other space agencies. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Indian and Argentinian space agencies explore opportunities in space 

Connecting with your friends & family from anywhere anytime without the internet is now possible. Qualcomm Inc is working with a group of Android smartphone companies to add a satellite messaging feature to their devices.

Qualcomm, Android phone makers are working on the satellite messaging feature

Two broken coconuts lay in the frame, as the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) received a jar of peanuts from a top NASA official, at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in United States.

While the small jar of peanuts and coconuts in the photograph has gotten netizens going nuts, it is actually the sophisticated, space-grade science equipment (model of which is seen in the cover photograph) placed to the rear of the dignitaries, that must hog all the limelight.

Seen towards the rear of the frame is a model of the crucial component of the first-ever India-US joint satellite mission known as NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar(NISAR). The equipment was being accorded a ceremonial send-off from NASA"s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, by following the Indian tradition of breaking coconuts during an auspicious event and the NASA-JPL tradition of sharing "lucky peanuts" during a high-profile mission.

NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory being jointly developed by the American and Indian Space agencies. It is meant to carry L and S dual-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a highly powerful, all-weather, day and night mean of imaging from space, that can help researchers and scientists observe changes in Earth’s land and ice surfaces down to fractions of an inch. Since early 2021, engineers and technicians at JPL have been integrating and testing NISAR’s two radar systems – the L-band SAR provided by JPL and the S-band SAR built by ISRO.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Awesome animation by <a href="https://twitter.com/NASAJPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASAJPL</a>, offers a glimpse into the impending(2024) launch of the 1st-ever<a href="https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NASA</a> - <a href="https://twitter.com/isro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@isro</a> collaborative satellite NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NISAR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NISAR</a> ,meant for imaging the earth every 12days &amp; helping predict disasters, track climate change etc 
🇮🇳🇺🇸🚀 <a href="https://t.co/boeeuq2NYb">pic.twitter.com/boeeuq2NYb</a>
— Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) <a href="https://twitter.com/sdhrthmp/status/1621888435140304896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, leads the U.S. component of the project and is providing the mission’s L-band SAR. NASA is also providing the radar reflector antenna, the deployable boom, a high-rate communication subsystem for science data, GPS receivers, a solid-state recorder, and a payload data subsystem. ISRO is providing the spacecraft bus, the S-band SAR, the launch vehicle, and associated launch services and satellite mission operations.

NISAR will gather radar data with a drum-shaped reflector antenna almost 40 feet (12 meters) in diameter. It will use a signal-processing technique called interferometric synthetic aperture radar, or InSAR, to observe changes on Earth, that can be used to predict natural disasters, track climate change.

"The observations NISAR makes will help researchers measure the ways in which Earth is constantly changing by detecting both subtle and dramatic movements. Slow-moving variations of a land surface can precede earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions, and data about such movement could help communities prepare for natural hazards. Measurements of melting sea ice and ice sheets will improve understanding of the pace and impacts of climate change, including sea level rise" said NASA.&nbsp;

Over the course of its three-year prime mission, the satellite will observe nearly the entire planet every 12 days, making observations day and night, in all weather conditions. “Today we come one step closer to fulfilling the immense scientific potential NASA and ISRO envisioned for NISAR when we joined forces more than eight years ago,” Chairman, ISRO, Somanath said. JPL Director, Laurie Leshin said, "By delivering measurements at unprecedented precision, NISAR’s promise is new understanding and positive impact in communities. Our collaboration with ISRO exemplifies what’s possible when we tackle complex challenges together."

Later this month, NASA-JPL will move the SUV-size satellite payload into a special cargo container for a 9,000-mile (14,000-kilometer) flight to India’s U R Rao Satellite Centre in the city of Bengaluru. There it will be merged with the spacecraft bus(satellite structure) in preparation for a 2024 launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh state.&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

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Two broken coconuts lay in the frame, as the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) received a jar of peanuts from a top NASA official, at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in United States.

Two broken coconuts lay in the frame, as the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) received a jar of peanuts from a top NASA official, at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in United States. While the small jar of peanuts and coconuts in the photograph has gotten netizens going nuts, it is actually the sophisticated, space-grade science equipment (model of which is seen in the cover photograph) placed to the rear of the dignitaries, that must hog all the limelight. Seen towards the rear of the frame is a model of the crucial component of the first-ever India-US joint satellite mission known as NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar(NISAR). The equipment was being accorded a ceremonial send-off from NASA"s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, by following the Indian tradition of breaking coconuts during an auspicious event and the NASA-JPL tradition of sharing "lucky peanuts" during a high-profile mission. NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) observatory being jointly developed by the American and Indian Space agencies. It is meant to carry L and S dual-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), a highly powerful, all-weather, day and night mean of imaging from space, that can help researchers and scientists observe changes in Earth’s land and ice surfaces down to fractions of an inch. Since early 2021, engineers and technicians at JPL have been integrating and testing NISAR’s two radar systems – the L-band SAR provided by JPL and the S-band SAR built by ISRO. Awesome animation by @NASAJPL, offers a glimpse into the impending(2024) launch of the 1st-ever@NASA - @isro collaborative satellite NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar #NISAR ,meant for imaging the earth every 12days & helping predict disasters, track climate change etc 🇮🇳🇺🇸🚀 pic.twitter.com/boeeuq2NYb — Sidharth.M.P (@sdhrthmp) February 4, 2023 × JPL, which is managed for NASA by Caltech in Pasadena, leads the U.S. component of the project and is providing the mission’s L-band SAR. NASA is also providing the radar reflector antenna, the deployable boom, a high-rate communication subsystem for science data, GPS receivers, a solid-state recorder, and a payload data subsystem. ISRO is providing the spacecraft bus, the S-band SAR, the launch vehicle, and associated launch services and satellite mission operations. NISAR will gather radar data with a drum-shaped reflector antenna almost 40 feet (12 meters) in diameter. It will use a signal-processing technique called interferometric synthetic aperture radar, or InSAR, to observe changes on Earth, that can be used to predict natural disasters, track climate change. "The observations NISAR makes will help researchers measure the ways in which Earth is constantly changing by detecting both subtle and dramatic movements. Slow-moving variations of a land surface can precede earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions, and data about such movement could help communities prepare for natural hazards. Measurements of melting sea ice and ice sheets will improve understanding of the pace and impacts of climate change, including sea level rise" said NASA. Over the course of its three-year prime mission, the satellite will observe nearly the entire planet every 12 days, making observations day and night, in all weather conditions. “Today we come one step closer to fulfilling the immense scientific potential NASA and ISRO envisioned for NISAR when we joined forces more than eight years ago,” Chairman, ISRO, Somanath said. JPL Director, Laurie Leshin said, "By delivering measurements at unprecedented precision, NISAR’s promise is new understanding and positive impact in communities. Our collaboration with ISRO exemplifies what’s possible when we tackle complex challenges together." Later this month, NASA-JPL will move the SUV-size satellite payload into a special cargo container for a 9,000-mile (14,000-kilometer) flight to India’s U R Rao Satellite Centre in the city of Bengaluru. There it will be merged with the spacecraft bus(satellite structure) in preparation for a 2024 launch from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh state. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Coconuts broken, lucky peanuts shared; NASA-ISRO Satellite 'NISAR' getting ready for 2024 launch

Virgin Orbit reported an “anomaly” in its rocket on Tuesday that stopped it from reaching orbit, ending Britain's attempt to become the first European country to launch a satellite into space. "We appear to have an anomaly that has prevented us from reaching orbit. We are evaluating the information," Virgin Orbit said.

Virgin's LauncherOne rocket was carried under the wing of a customised Boeing 747 dubbed "Cosmic Girl" for the "horizontal launch" mission, which departed from the seaside town of Newquay in southwest England. The rocket was later released over the Atlantic Ocean, as per Reuters.

The aircraft engineering company made the "anomaly" public, 10 minutes before midnight. Less than an hour after the rocket was launched from Cosmic Girl, a 747 jumbo plane modified to unleash LauncherOne at 35,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean.

This comes after the failure of a Vega-C rocket mission, which was built in Italy, in late December following lift-off from French Guiana.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionnews.com/science/vega-c-rocket-carrying-two-airbus-satellites-goes-missing-shortly-after-take-off-544967" hreflang="en">Vega-C rocket carrying two Airbus satellites goes missing shortly after take-off</a>

In its maiden flight away from its American base, Virgin Orbit, a company owned in part by British billionaire Richard Branson, initially intended to launch nine satellites into lower Earth orbit (LEO). Since then, the rockets have been grounded.

In a now-deleted tweet, Virgin Orbit said that LauncherOne had reached earth orbit.

"Over the coming days there will be an investigation by the government and various bodies, including Virgin Orbit," Matt Archer, Commercial Space Director at the UK Space Agency wrote.

Watch | California-based launch services company said&nbsp;its rocket failed to deliver its satellite to orbit

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In the past year, Europe experienced a string of setbacks, including the delay of its crucial Ariane 6 launcher, access to Russian Soyuz rockets being restricted due to the conflict in Ukraine, the grounding of Vega, and now the cancellation of a showcase launch for the nascent small launcher industry.

It’s likely that an inquiry will be done to ascertain the cause and seriousness of the malfunction.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Virgin Orbit reported an “anomaly” in its rocket on Tuesday that stopped it from reaching orbit, ending Britain's attempt to become the first European country to launch a satellite into space.

Virgin Orbit reported an “anomaly” in its rocket on Tuesday that stopped it from reaching orbit, ending Britain's attempt to become the first European country to launch a satellite into space. "We appear to have an anomaly that has prevented us from reaching orbit. We are evaluating the information," Virgin Orbit said. Virgin's LauncherOne rocket was carried under the wing of a customised Boeing 747 dubbed "Cosmic Girl" for the "horizontal launch" mission, which departed from the seaside town of Newquay in southwest England. The rocket was later released over the Atlantic Ocean, as per Reuters. The aircraft engineering company made the "anomaly" public, 10 minutes before midnight. Less than an hour after the rocket was launched from Cosmic Girl, a 747 jumbo plane modified to unleash LauncherOne at 35,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean. This comes after the failure of a Vega-C rocket mission, which was built in Italy, in late December following lift-off from French Guiana. Also Read | Vega-C rocket carrying two Airbus satellites goes missing shortly after take-off In its maiden flight away from its American base, Virgin Orbit, a company owned in part by British billionaire Richard Branson, initially intended to launch nine satellites into lower Earth orbit (LEO). Since then, the rockets have been grounded. In a now-deleted tweet, Virgin Orbit said that LauncherOne had reached earth orbit. "Over the coming days there will be an investigation by the government and various bodies, including Virgin Orbit," Matt Archer, Commercial Space Director at the UK Space Agency wrote. Watch | California-based launch services company said its rocket failed to deliver its satellite to orbit In the past year, Europe experienced a string of setbacks, including the delay of its crucial Ariane 6 launcher, access to Russian Soyuz rockets being restricted due to the conflict in Ukraine, the grounding of Vega, and now the cancellation of a showcase launch for the nascent small launcher industry. It’s likely that an inquiry will be done to ascertain the cause and seriousness of the malfunction. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

UK’s historic satellite launch fails to reach orbit after rocket ‘anomaly’

The chief of the Mexican space agency has sought the support of India in building and launching a remote sensing satellite. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will work on this proposal with the support of India's External Affairs Ministry.

This request from Mexico is part of the ongoing cooperation activities between India and Mexico in Earth observation. Remote sensing satellite is used to observe or gather data about a place or a phenomenon, without making physical contact with it. It is the exact opposite of on-site observation. Remote sensing has diverse applications including geology, oceanography, meteorology, military, intelligence-gathering etc.

The discussions were held during a virtual meeting between Dr S Somanath, Chairman of ISRO, and D. Salvador Landeros Ayala, Director General of Mexican Space Agency (AEM). Dr Pankaj Sharma, Indian Ambassador to Mexico and Gustavo A. Cabrera Rodriguez, Ambassador of Mexico for the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (ALCE) also participated in the meeting.

<h2>Record number of migrants crossed English Channel to UK in 2022</h2>

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The Mexican official thanked the ISRO for developing a mobile application for forest fire monitoring and sharing it with Mexican Forest Department.

The Agencia Espacial Mexicana&nbsp;(AEM), Mexico's national space agency, was established in 2010 and aims to promote and coordinate education, R&amp;D of space-related activities that are performed in the country. The agency does not yet possess the capability to design and build spacefaring rockets and satellites.&nbsp;

The Department of Space, under the Government of India, has been providing training and capacity building in space science related technology,&nbsp;including&nbsp;satellite services to neighbouring small countries and other space-aspiring countries of the world.

Most recently, on November 26, 2022, India launched a jointly developed India-Bhutan SAT, on board a PSLV rocket. The satellite is capable of performing imaging, mapping of resources and helps is text-message based communications needs of Bhutan. A communication satellite ‘South Asia Satellite’ was dedicated by India to South Asian countries in 2017.

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The chief of the Mexican space agency has sought the support of India in building and launching a remote sensing satellite. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will work on this proposal with the support of India's External Affairs Ministry.

The chief of the Mexican space agency has sought the support of India in building and launching a remote sensing satellite. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will work on this proposal with the support of India's External Affairs Ministry. This request from Mexico is part of the ongoing cooperation activities between India and Mexico in Earth observation. Remote sensing satellite is used to observe or gather data about a place or a phenomenon, without making physical contact with it. It is the exact opposite of on-site observation. Remote sensing has diverse applications including geology, oceanography, meteorology, military, intelligence-gathering etc. The discussions were held during a virtual meeting between Dr S Somanath, Chairman of ISRO, and D. Salvador Landeros Ayala, Director General of Mexican Space Agency (AEM). Dr Pankaj Sharma, Indian Ambassador to Mexico and Gustavo A. Cabrera Rodriguez, Ambassador of Mexico for the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency (ALCE) also participated in the meeting. Record number of migrants crossed English Channel to UK in 2022 The Mexican official thanked the ISRO for developing a mobile application for forest fire monitoring and sharing it with Mexican Forest Department. The Agencia Espacial Mexicana (AEM), Mexico's national space agency, was established in 2010 and aims to promote and coordinate education, R&D of space-related activities that are performed in the country. The agency does not yet possess the capability to design and build spacefaring rockets and satellites. The Department of Space, under the Government of India, has been providing training and capacity building in space science related technology, including satellite services to neighbouring small countries and other space-aspiring countries of the world. Most recently, on November 26, 2022, India launched a jointly developed India-Bhutan SAT, on board a PSLV rocket. The satellite is capable of performing imaging, mapping of resources and helps is text-message based communications needs of Bhutan. A communication satellite ‘South Asia Satellite’ was dedicated by India to South Asian countries in 2017. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Mexico seeks India's support in building and launching remote sensing satellite

Iran's Telecommunications Minister Issa Zarepour said on Sunday that the Islamic Republic is preparing to launch "at least two satellites" into space by late March. His statement has come just a month after successful test of a launcher.&nbsp;The United States has in past repeatedly voiced its disapproval over such plans as it feels that such launches can boost Iran's ballistic missile technology, extending to the potential delivery of nuclear warheads.

Iran maintains that it is not seeking nuclear weapons, and says that its satellites and rocket launches are for civil or defence purposes.

"Nahid 1 and Nahid 2 satellites are being prepared," Zarepour was quoted as saying by official news agency IRNA.

Nahid is the name given to a series of telecommunications satellites developed by the Iranian Space Research Centre.&nbsp; 
 
According to Zarepour, "We will have launches by year's end," March 20 in the Persian calendar.

In early November, Iranian state television announced the "successful suborbital launch of the satellite launcher named Ghaem-100".

The Ghaem-100 rocket was manufactured by the aerospace organisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and it is the country's first three-stage solid-fuel satellite launcher, the channel added.

Iran successfully put its first military satellite into orbit in April 2020, drawing a sharp rebuke from Washington.

In August this year, another Iranian satellite, named Khayyam, was launched by Russia on a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

(With inputs from agencies)

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.

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Iran's Telecommunications Minister Issa Zarepour said on Sunday that the Islamic Republic is preparing to launch "at least two satellites" into space by late March.

Iran's Telecommunications Minister Issa Zarepour said on Sunday that the Islamic Republic is preparing to launch "at least two satellites" into space by late March. His statement has come just a month after successful test of a launcher. The United States has in past repeatedly voiced its disapproval over such plans as it feels that such launches can boost Iran's ballistic missile technology, extending to the potential delivery of nuclear warheads. Iran maintains that it is not seeking nuclear weapons, and says that its satellites and rocket launches are for civil or defence purposes. "Nahid 1 and Nahid 2 satellites are being prepared," Zarepour was quoted as saying by official news agency IRNA. Nahid is the name given to a series of telecommunications satellites developed by the Iranian Space Research Centre. According to Zarepour, "We will have launches by year's end," March 20 in the Persian calendar. In early November, Iranian state television announced the "successful suborbital launch of the satellite launcher named Ghaem-100". The Ghaem-100 rocket was manufactured by the aerospace organisation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and it is the country's first three-stage solid-fuel satellite launcher, the channel added. Iran successfully put its first military satellite into orbit in April 2020, drawing a sharp rebuke from Washington. In August this year, another Iranian satellite, named Khayyam, was launched by Russia on a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Iran gearing up to launch two satellites in coming months, says minister

The creators of Skyroot Aerospace, the company responsible for India's first private space launch, told Reuters in an interview that they aim to be able to launch a satellite into orbit in 2023 for half the price of more experienced launch companies, as reported by Reuters.

The Hyderabad-based company says the $68 million it has raised will pay for its upcoming two launches and is sponsored by Singapore's GIC sovereign wealth fund. According to Skyroot, it has spoken with more than 400 prospective clients.&nbsp;

As businesses expand their networks to provide broadband services like SpaceX's Starlink and to power applications like tracking supply chains or monitoring offshore oil rigs, thousands of small satellite launches are anticipated in the upcoming years.

Rivals for rocket launches that compete with Skyroot include both well-known and emerging companies that promise to reduce prices. Galactic Energy, a Chinese firm, successfully launched four satellites last week, placing five of them in orbit.&nbsp;

By the middle of the decade, Space One in Japan hopes to launch 20 mini rockets annually with support from Canon Electronics and IHI Corp.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/orion-spacecraft-has-entered-lunars-orbit-says-nasa-537687">Orion spacecraft has entered lunar orbit, says NASA</a>

However, Skyroot, which successfully launched a test rocket last week, anticipates that its prices would be 50 per cent&nbsp;lower than those of well-known rivals like Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit and California-based Rocket Lab USA Inc.&nbsp;

One of Skyroot's two co-founders, Pawan Chandana, told Reuters that if the company succeeds with the launches planned for next year, there will likely be a spike in demand for its launch services.

(with inputs from agencies)

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The creators of Skyroot Aerospace, the company responsible for India's first private space launch, told Reuters in an interview that they aim to be able to launch a satellite into orbit in 2023 for half the price of more experienced launch companies, as reported by Reuters.

The creators of Skyroot Aerospace, the company responsible for India's first private space launch, told Reuters in an interview that they aim to be able to launch a satellite into orbit in 2023 for half the price of more experienced launch companies, as reported by Reuters. The Hyderabad-based company says the $68 million it has raised will pay for its upcoming two launches and is sponsored by Singapore's GIC sovereign wealth fund. According to Skyroot, it has spoken with more than 400 prospective clients. As businesses expand their networks to provide broadband services like SpaceX's Starlink and to power applications like tracking supply chains or monitoring offshore oil rigs, thousands of small satellite launches are anticipated in the upcoming years. Rivals for rocket launches that compete with Skyroot include both well-known and emerging companies that promise to reduce prices. Galactic Energy, a Chinese firm, successfully launched four satellites last week, placing five of them in orbit. By the middle of the decade, Space One in Japan hopes to launch 20 mini rockets annually with support from Canon Electronics and IHI Corp. Also Read: Orion spacecraft has entered lunar orbit, says NASA However, Skyroot, which successfully launched a test rocket last week, anticipates that its prices would be 50 per cent lower than those of well-known rivals like Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit and California-based Rocket Lab USA Inc. One of Skyroot's two co-founders, Pawan Chandana, told Reuters that if the company succeeds with the launches planned for next year, there will likely be a spike in demand for its launch services. (with inputs from agencies)

India: First private space company plans to launch satellite at half the cost in 2023

In a development sure to make the US unhappy, Iran's Revolutionary Guards tested a new satellite-launching rocket on Saturday (November 5). Images shown on state media depicted the Ghaem 100 satellite carrier taking off. The location was not specified.

The US fears that long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit can also be used to launch nuclear warheads. Iran regularly denies having such intentions.

Watch | Iran admits sending drones to Moscow before Russia-Ukraine War started

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State news agency, IRNA reported that the operation successfully tested the first sub-orbital stage of the satellite carrier with a solid-fuelled engine. The report added that the Ghaem 100, Iran's first three-stage launch vehicle, will be able to place satellites weighing 80 kg (176 lb) in an orbit of 500 km (310 miles) from the earth's surface.

Iran has one of the biggest missile programmes in the Middle East. It has had several failed satellite launches in the past few years. These were blamed on technical issues.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-admits-it-provided-drones-to-russia-denies-supplying-missiles-531431">Iran finally admits it provided drones to Russia, but resolutely denies supplying missiles</a> 
 
In an email&nbsp;reaction to the news, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said: “Such actions are unhelpful and destabilising.”

“The United States remains concerned with Iran’s continued development of space launch vehicles (SLVs), which pose a significant proliferation concern,” the spokesperson said.

&nbsp;

A UN resolution in 2015 called on Iran to refrain for up to eight years from work on ballistic missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons, following an agreement with six world powers.

(With inputs from agencies)

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In a development sure to make the US unhappy, Iran's Revolutionary Guards tested a new satellite-launching rocket on Saturday (November 5). Images shown on state media depicted the Ghaem 100 satellite carrier taking off.

In a development sure to make the US unhappy, Iran's Revolutionary Guards tested a new satellite-launching rocket on Saturday (November 5). Images shown on state media depicted the Ghaem 100 satellite carrier taking off. The location was not specified. The US fears that long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit can also be used to launch nuclear warheads. Iran regularly denies having such intentions. Watch | Iran admits sending drones to Moscow before Russia-Ukraine War started × State news agency, IRNA reported that the operation successfully tested the first sub-orbital stage of the satellite carrier with a solid-fuelled engine. The report added that the Ghaem 100, Iran's first three-stage launch vehicle, will be able to place satellites weighing 80 kg (176 lb) in an orbit of 500 km (310 miles) from the earth's surface. Iran has one of the biggest missile programmes in the Middle East. It has had several failed satellite launches in the past few years. These were blamed on technical issues. Also Read | Iran finally admits it provided drones to Russia, but resolutely denies supplying missiles In an email reaction to the news, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said: “Such actions are unhelpful and destabilising.” “The United States remains concerned with Iran’s continued development of space launch vehicles (SLVs), which pose a significant proliferation concern,” the spokesperson said. A UN resolution in 2015 called on Iran to refrain for up to eight years from work on ballistic missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons, following an agreement with six world powers. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Iran tests satellite-carrying rocket, US calls it unhelpful and destabilising action

In order to solidify its position in the worldwide market for commercial satellite launches, India's space agency Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched 36 satellites using its biggest rocket just after midnight on Sunday. The rocket successfully placed 36 OneWeb satellites into orbits, confirmed ISRO.&nbsp;

These satellites are owned by the London-based communications company OneWeb, in which India's Bharti Enterprises is a significant shareholder, and were launched by the Indian Space <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/study-finds-why-are-some-people-mosquito-magnets-and-might-remain-that-way-526927">Research</a> Organization (ISRO) on the rocket LVM3.

In June 2017,<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/as-isro-gslv-mk3-rocket-zooms-towards-south-pole-indian-ship-sagar-nidhi-will-be-tracking-it-527611"> ISRO</a> launched 31 tiny satellites, many of which were for European countries, as part of its earlier plan to become a global low-cost provider of space services.

It's the first commercial satellite launch for the LVM3 rocket. The central government-owned corporation NewSpace India Limited, also known as NSIL, and the London-based enterprise signed the agreement.

“Another set of 36 OneWeb satellites will be launched by the LVM3 in the first half of next year,” an NSIL executive told news agency PTI.

The newest and heaviest rocket produced by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-at-least-15-killed-40-injured-after-bus-accident-in-madhya-pradesh-527604">Indian</a> space agency is capable of launching satellites that weigh four tonnes, or almost as much as a huge flatbed truck.

India launched an orbiter to Mars in 2014 for just $74 million, compared to NASA's $671 million expenditure for the MAVEN Mars mission.

(With inputs from agencies)

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In order to solidify its position in the worldwide market for commercial satellite launches, India's space agency Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched 36 satellites using its biggest rocket just after midnight on Sunday.

In order to solidify its position in the worldwide market for commercial satellite launches, India's space agency Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launched 36 satellites using its biggest rocket just after midnight on Sunday. The rocket successfully placed 36 OneWeb satellites into orbits, confirmed ISRO. These satellites are owned by the London-based communications company OneWeb, in which India's Bharti Enterprises is a significant shareholder, and were launched by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on the rocket LVM3. In June 2017, ISRO launched 31 tiny satellites, many of which were for European countries, as part of its earlier plan to become a global low-cost provider of space services. It's the first commercial satellite launch for the LVM3 rocket. The central government-owned corporation NewSpace India Limited, also known as NSIL, and the London-based enterprise signed the agreement. “Another set of 36 OneWeb satellites will be launched by the LVM3 in the first half of next year,” an NSIL executive told news agency PTI. The newest and heaviest rocket produced by the Indian space agency is capable of launching satellites that weigh four tonnes, or almost as much as a huge flatbed truck. India launched an orbiter to Mars in 2014 for just $74 million, compared to NASA's $671 million expenditure for the MAVEN Mars mission. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

ISRO's heaviest rocket successfully places 36 OneWeb satellites into orbits in first commercial flight

The Starlink satellite first arrived in Ukraine last Spring and since then the internet terminals made by Elon musk's SpaceX have been an important source of communication for Ukraine's military, it has allowed them to fight and stay connected despite the internet network being destroyed in its war with Russia.

Exclusive: Musk’s SpaceX says it can no longer pay for satellite services in Ukraine

Hughes Communications India (HCI) in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Monday officially launched its first high throughput satellite (HTS) broadband internet service in the country. The company had been testing its operation in North India for the last year.&nbsp;&nbsp;

From northeast to desolate parts of Leh and Ladakh, the company, using ISRO's Ku-band capacity of GSAT-11 and GSAT-29 satellites has promised to deliver high-speed satellite broadband services to remote locations across India.&nbsp;

Through the HTS technology, the company is already providing assistance to the Indian Army, and paramilitary forces patrolling the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and other remote border outposts.&nbsp;

ISRO Chairman Dr S Somnath, who was present at the launch stated that the partnership with the private sector was to help improve people's lives.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"With the new HTS capabilities powered by ISRO satellites, we are confident that HCI will continue to deliver excellent quality satellite broadband services and further enhance the connectivity experience that accelerates India's digital transformation." said Dr Somnath.&nbsp;&nbsp;

It is pertinent to note that currently, cooperative banks, telecommunication 4G operators, and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are the customers of HTS service. At the moment, Hughes has 1 Gbps of capacity on HTS but expects to grow it to 10 Gbps to 100 Gbps in the future.&nbsp;

When quizzed if the company might be able to compete when the big players such as Starlink or Amazon find their way into the increasingly attractive satellite broadband service, Partho Banerjee, president and managing director, HCI stated that despite being in the B2B segment, their pricing was competitive.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Currently, we are majorly operating in the B2B sector. In the B2B space, the value proposition is quite different from consumer space or single connectivity. There will be different segments but we are definitely cost-competitive. We are moving to the next generation of K band satellites as well where we will become even more cost-competitive,"&nbsp;Banerjee told WION.&nbsp;

A Make-in-India initiative

Meanwhile,&nbsp;Shivaji Chatterjee, senior vice-president, Hughes India stated that the company was truly in essence with the Make in India initiative.&nbsp;

"Of course the satellite is Indian (laughs). However, under Hughes India, we have a lot of products made in India. So far Reliance Jio, the entire system, the outdoor modem etc. are made in India. The antenna and the dishes you see are completely made by the company in India.&nbsp;The Indian Oil and SD-WAN project are also made in India," Chatterjee told WION.&nbsp;

What is HTS?

Succinctly put,&nbsp;High-throughput Satellite differs&nbsp;from a conventional satellite in the sense that it increases capacity when using the same amount of orbital spectrum while simultaneously reducing the cost per bit.

According to Chatterjee, "HTS provides much more bandwidth. It provides much lower-cost bandwidth, and it provides a much higher user experience."

HTS uses spot-beam to perform its operations, unlike traditional satellites which use a broad single beam or few beams. Spot beam technology allows to focus on a limited area and provides seamless and fast connectivity.&nbsp;

Hughes India uses its home-grown Jupiter system for both HTS and conventional satellite implementations worldwide. HCI is currently providing satellite broadband access to more than two lakh business and government sites across India.&nbsp;

WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;

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&nbsp;

Hughes Communications India (HCI) in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Monday officially launched its first high throughput satellite (HTS) broadband internet service in the country.

Hughes Communications India (HCI) in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) on Monday officially launched its first high throughput satellite (HTS) broadband internet service in the country. The company had been testing its operation in North India for the last year. From northeast to desolate parts of Leh and Ladakh, the company, using ISRO's Ku-band capacity of GSAT-11 and GSAT-29 satellites has promised to deliver high-speed satellite broadband services to remote locations across India. Through the HTS technology, the company is already providing assistance to the Indian Army, and paramilitary forces patrolling the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and other remote border outposts. ISRO Chairman Dr S Somnath, who was present at the launch stated that the partnership with the private sector was to help improve people's lives. "With the new HTS capabilities powered by ISRO satellites, we are confident that HCI will continue to deliver excellent quality satellite broadband services and further enhance the connectivity experience that accelerates India's digital transformation." said Dr Somnath. It is pertinent to note that currently, cooperative banks, telecommunication 4G operators, and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) are the customers of HTS service. At the moment, Hughes has 1 Gbps of capacity on HTS but expects to grow it to 10 Gbps to 100 Gbps in the future. When quizzed if the company might be able to compete when the big players such as Starlink or Amazon find their way into the increasingly attractive satellite broadband service, Partho Banerjee, president and managing director, HCI stated that despite being in the B2B segment, their pricing was competitive. "Currently, we are majorly operating in the B2B sector. In the B2B space, the value proposition is quite different from consumer space or single connectivity. There will be different segments but we are definitely cost-competitive. We are moving to the next generation of K band satellites as well where we will become even more cost-competitive," Banerjee told WION. A Make-in-India initiative Meanwhile, Shivaji Chatterjee, senior vice-president, Hughes India stated that the company was truly in essence with the Make in India initiative. "Of course the satellite is Indian (laughs). However, under Hughes India, we have a lot of products made in India. So far Reliance Jio, the entire system, the outdoor modem etc. are made in India. The antenna and the dishes you see are completely made by the company in India. The Indian Oil and SD-WAN project are also made in India," Chatterjee told WION. What is HTS? Succinctly put, High-throughput Satellite differs from a conventional satellite in the sense that it increases capacity when using the same amount of orbital spectrum while simultaneously reducing the cost per bit. According to Chatterjee, "HTS provides much more bandwidth. It provides much lower-cost bandwidth, and it provides a much higher user experience." HTS uses spot-beam to perform its operations, unlike traditional satellites which use a broad single beam or few beams. Spot beam technology allows to focus on a limited area and provides seamless and fast connectivity. Hughes India uses its home-grown Jupiter system for both HTS and conventional satellite implementations worldwide. HCI is currently providing satellite broadband access to more than two lakh business and government sites across India. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

ISRO and Hughes launch India's first commercial satellite broadband service

A UK-built satellite is set to create a 3D map of our planet's forest to measure how much carbon they hold and the satellite will also assess the impact of deforestation. Biomass is the first satellite that will study the world's forests in three dimensions.

WION Climate Tracker: UK launches first satellite to study world's forests

The satellites launched by the Indian space research organization have been deemed unusable. The maiden small satellite launch vehicle that was carrying the satellites lifted off smoothly from the launch pad but the mission did not reach its intended destination.

India's newly launched satellites deviated from circular orbit

A lot of theories exist about the early dark days of the universe, but Chinese scientists have found a new way to get a glimpse into that period. The Discovering the Sky at the Longest Wavelengths (DSL) mission, which is also called Hongmeng, will be sending around ten satellites to orbit around the world in order to pick different cosmic signals. The satellites will also block the electromagnetic interference from humans on earth to completely understand the cosmos in a better way.

The mission, led by Chen Xuelei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and his team of researchers, was approved by Chinese Academy of Sciences' New Horizons Program.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-shares-rare-pictures-of-record-summer-melting-in-svalbard-norways-ice-covered-archipelago-504528" hreflang="en">NASA shares rare pictures of record summer melting in Svalbard, Norway’s ice-covered archipelago</a>

This was among a number of projects covering topics like “astronomy, exploration, Earth science, heliophysics and exoplanet missions”, according to media reports.

During the initial days of the earth, there was&nbsp;“faint, stretched out, ultra-long wavelength light emitted by hydrogen atoms” which were created from the Big Bang, according to South China Morning Post. Those signals will be collected by nine out of the ten satellites.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/french-authorities-to-inject-vitamins-into-beluga-whale-stranded-in-seine-river-504463" hreflang="en">French authorities to inject vitamins into beluga whale stranded in Seine River</a>

While it is extremely difficult to collect the signals near earth due to ionosphere, the mother satellite will be storing the data from the other satellites while orbiting on the far side of the moon.

“The proposal is an innovative alternative to the much more costly and technically challenging route of setting permanent telescopes on the surface of the lunar far side,”&nbsp;Wu Ji, a senior Chinese space scientist, told the South China Morning Post.

A lot of theories exist about the early dark days of the universe, but Chinese scientists have found a new way to get a glimpse into that period. The Discovering the Sky at the Longest Wavelengths (DSL) mission, which is also called Hongmeng, will be sending around ten satellites to orbit around the world in order to pick different cosmic signals.

A lot of theories exist about the early dark days of the universe, but Chinese scientists have found a new way to get a glimpse into that period. The Discovering the Sky at the Longest Wavelengths (DSL) mission, which is also called Hongmeng, will be sending around ten satellites to orbit around the world in order to pick different cosmic signals. The satellites will also block the electromagnetic interference from humans on earth to completely understand the cosmos in a better way. The mission, led by Chen Xuelei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and his team of researchers, was approved by Chinese Academy of Sciences' New Horizons Program. Also read | NASA shares rare pictures of record summer melting in Svalbard, Norway’s ice-covered archipelago This was among a number of projects covering topics like “astronomy, exploration, Earth science, heliophysics and exoplanet missions”, according to media reports. During the initial days of the earth, there was “faint, stretched out, ultra-long wavelength light emitted by hydrogen atoms” which were created from the Big Bang, according to South China Morning Post. Those signals will be collected by nine out of the ten satellites. Also read | French authorities to inject vitamins into beluga whale stranded in Seine River While it is extremely difficult to collect the signals near earth due to ionosphere, the mother satellite will be storing the data from the other satellites while orbiting on the far side of the moon. “The proposal is an innovative alternative to the much more costly and technically challenging route of setting permanent telescopes on the surface of the lunar far side,” Wu Ji, a senior Chinese space scientist, told the South China Morning Post.

Chinese scientists looking to use lunar satellites to understand initial days of earth

Russia may have launched a "spy satellite" to stalk an American spy satellite. A few months back, in February, the United States launched USA 326, a spy satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Now, on Monday (August 2), a Russian satellite called Kosmos 2558, which is rumoured to be an "inspector aircraft".&nbsp;As per a report by Space.com even before the Russian satellite's launch rumours of it being a spy satellite to keep an eye on its US counterpart have been floating.&nbsp;Netherlands-based satellite tracker Marco Langbroek in a blogpost comments "Before the launch, there was a rumour that this was another 'inspector' satellite - a snooping satellite meant to covertly inspect another satellite."

Watch |&nbsp;WION Fineprint: Why is space junk a problem?

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He goes on to point out that the longitude or the right ascension of the ascending node (RAAN) "of the newly launched Kosmos 2558 matches the RAAN of USA 326 closely, with a difference of only 0.04 degree (changing by about 0.01 degree/day)."

The two spacecraft are close to one another in altitude and are anticipated to have a close encounter, assuming neither makes any major manoeuvres during the following few days.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/indias-astrosat-telescope-helps-observe-formation-of-dwarf-galaxy-503002" hreflang="en">India’s AstroSat telescope helps observe formation of dwarf galaxy</a>

"With the current orbit, Kosmos 2558 will make a relatively close approach to USA 236 at August 4 near 14:47 UTC. The approach distance is ~75 km, almost all of that (73 km) is in altitude," writes Langbroek.

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Based on the initial TLEs, in its current orbit Kosmos-2558 wil pass within 80 km of NRO's USA 326 satellite at about 1450 UTC Aug 4 (Thursday). Of course, the satellite may manuever before then. <a href="https://t.co/0l1dhY8cV8">pic.twitter.com/0l1dhY8cV8</a>
— Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) <a href="https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/1554316928927375360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2022</a></blockquote>
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It appears that the object has been catalogued under number 53324 in a 97.25 degree inclined 284 x 425 km orbit, in the same orbital plane as USA 326 but a somewhat lower initial orbital altitude. 
Will be interesting to see what it will do the coming weeks &amp; what USA 326 will do <a href="https://t.co/nPqZ1Tow5W">pic.twitter.com/nPqZ1Tow5W</a>
— Dr Marco Langbroek (@Marco_Langbroek) <a href="https://twitter.com/Marco_Langbroek/status/1554247462944129030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Apparently, Russia has done a similar "stalking" a few years back. As Langbroek notes "In early 2020, Russia did something similar with Kosmos 2542/2543, directing it towards the KH-11 electro-optical reconnaissance satellite USA 245."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasa-posts-beautiful-martian-image-showing-blue-region-of-the-red-planet-502679" hreflang="en">NASA posts beautiful martian image showing 'blue' region of the red planet&nbsp;</a>

The reason why this actually might be a spying mission pertains to the USA Satellite's mission. NASA's archive for space science mission data: the NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive, describes USA 326 as a "classified payload". It is widely believed to be a new generation electro-optical IMINT satellite.&nbsp;

As per the Drive, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and SpaceX are working together on NROL-87, a secret national security programme, for this mission. According to a press release issued by the NRO after the initial launch, NROL-87 was created, constructed, and is currently being operated by the NRO to support its "overhead reconnaissance mission," which is primarily focused on ensuring national security by utilising space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR).

(With inputs from agencies)

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Russia may have launched a "spy satellite" to stalk an American spy satellite. A few months back, in February, the United States launched USA 326, a spy satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.

Russia may have launched a "spy satellite" to stalk an American spy satellite. A few months back, in February, the United States launched USA 326, a spy satellite aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. Now, on Monday (August 2), a Russian satellite called Kosmos 2558, which is rumoured to be an "inspector aircraft". As per a report by Space.com even before the Russian satellite's launch rumours of it being a spy satellite to keep an eye on its US counterpart have been floating. Netherlands-based satellite tracker Marco Langbroek in a blogpost comments "Before the launch, there was a rumour that this was another 'inspector' satellite - a snooping satellite meant to covertly inspect another satellite." Watch | WION Fineprint: Why is space junk a problem? He goes on to point out that the longitude or the right ascension of the ascending node (RAAN) "of the newly launched Kosmos 2558 matches the RAAN of USA 326 closely, with a difference of only 0.04 degree (changing by about 0.01 degree/day)." The two spacecraft are close to one another in altitude and are anticipated to have a close encounter, assuming neither makes any major manoeuvres during the following few days. Also read | India’s AstroSat telescope helps observe formation of dwarf galaxy "With the current orbit, Kosmos 2558 will make a relatively close approach to USA 236 at August 4 near 14:47 UTC. The approach distance is ~75 km, almost all of that (73 km) is in altitude," writes Langbroek. Based on the initial TLEs, in its current orbit Kosmos-2558 wil pass within 80 km of NRO's USA 326 satellite at about 1450 UTC Aug 4 (Thursday). Of course, the satellite may manuever before then. pic.twitter.com/0l1dhY8cV8 — Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) August 2, 2022 × It appears that the object has been catalogued under number 53324 in a 97.25 degree inclined 284 x 425 km orbit, in the same orbital plane as USA 326 but a somewhat lower initial orbital altitude. Will be interesting to see what it will do the coming weeks & what USA 326 will do pic.twitter.com/nPqZ1Tow5W — Dr Marco Langbroek (@Marco_Langbroek) August 1, 2022 × Apparently, Russia has done a similar "stalking" a few years back. As Langbroek notes "In early 2020, Russia did something similar with Kosmos 2542/2543, directing it towards the KH-11 electro-optical reconnaissance satellite USA 245." Also read | NASA posts beautiful martian image showing 'blue' region of the red planet The reason why this actually might be a spying mission pertains to the USA Satellite's mission. NASA's archive for space science mission data: the NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive, describes USA 326 as a "classified payload". It is widely believed to be a new generation electro-optical IMINT satellite. As per the Drive, the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and SpaceX are working together on NROL-87, a secret national security programme, for this mission. According to a press release issued by the NRO after the initial launch, NROL-87 was created, constructed, and is currently being operated by the NRO to support its "overhead reconnaissance mission," which is primarily focused on ensuring national security by utilising space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR). (With inputs from agencies) Watch WION LIVE HERE: You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'An eye in space': Russia launches satellite to snoop on US national security mission. Here's what's happening

Two weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Tehran, the two nations have announced that Russia will place an Iranian remote sensing satellite into orbit on Tuesday.

The Khayyam satellite will be launched by a Soyuz satellite carrier from the Baikonur space station in Kazakhstan next week, the Iranian space agency announced late Wednesday.

According to the agency, the satellite, which is reportedly named after the Persian polymath Omar Khayyam, was launched in order to "watch the country's borders," improve agricultural production, and keep an eye on water supplies and natural calamities.

The launch is set to take place on Tuesday, according to Roscosmos, the state space corporation of Russia.

It announced that a Soyuz 2.1B rocket would launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on August 9, 2022, "to place the Khayyam remote sensing equipment requested by the Islamic Republic of Iran into orbit."

It said, "The Khayyam device was conceived and produced at businesses that are a part of the state firm Roscosmos.

The announcement of the launch comes after Putin's visit to Iran on July 19, during which he met with President Ebrahim Raisi and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In his discussions with Putin, Khamenei urged strengthening "long-term collaboration" with Russia.

The satellite can capture images of the earth's surface in a variety of picture spectrum, according to Iran's official news agency, IRNA.

The Plesetsk cosmodrome in Russia hosted the launch of Iran's Sina-1 satellite, which was designed to research and observe the Earth.

Putin refuted claims made by US media in June 2021 that Russia will give Iran a sophisticated satellite system that would greatly enhance its eavesdropping capabilities.

<meta charset="utf-8" /><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-and-us-top-negotiators-to-resume-frayed-nuclear-talks-in-vienna-503326">Iran</a>&nbsp;maintains that its space programme does not violate any other international accord or the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and global powers because it is primarily used for defence and civil objectives.

Western nations are concerned that satellite launch systems contain components that can be used interchangeably in ballistic missiles that can deliver nuclear warheads, something Iran has consistently denied trying to develop.

In April 2020, Iran was able to successfully launch its first military satellite into space, earning the country harsh criticism from the US.

The ideological branch of Iran's armed forces, the Revolutionary Guards, declared in March that Nour-2, a military "reconnaissance satellite," had been successfully launched into orbit

(With inputs from agencies)

Two weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Tehran, the two nations have announced that Russia will place an Iranian remote sensing satellite into orbit on Tuesday.

Two weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Tehran, the two nations have announced that Russia will place an Iranian remote sensing satellite into orbit on Tuesday. The Khayyam satellite will be launched by a Soyuz satellite carrier from the Baikonur space station in Kazakhstan next week, the Iranian space agency announced late Wednesday. According to the agency, the satellite, which is reportedly named after the Persian polymath Omar Khayyam, was launched in order to "watch the country's borders," improve agricultural production, and keep an eye on water supplies and natural calamities. The launch is set to take place on Tuesday, according to Roscosmos, the state space corporation of Russia. It announced that a Soyuz 2.1B rocket would launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on August 9, 2022, "to place the Khayyam remote sensing equipment requested by the Islamic Republic of Iran into orbit." It said, "The Khayyam device was conceived and produced at businesses that are a part of the state firm Roscosmos. The announcement of the launch comes after Putin's visit to Iran on July 19, during which he met with President Ebrahim Raisi and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In his discussions with Putin, Khamenei urged strengthening "long-term collaboration" with Russia. The satellite can capture images of the earth's surface in a variety of picture spectrum, according to Iran's official news agency, IRNA. The Plesetsk cosmodrome in Russia hosted the launch of Iran's Sina-1 satellite, which was designed to research and observe the Earth. Putin refuted claims made by US media in June 2021 that Russia will give Iran a sophisticated satellite system that would greatly enhance its eavesdropping capabilities. Iran maintains that its space programme does not violate any other international accord or the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and global powers because it is primarily used for defence and civil objectives. Western nations are concerned that satellite launch systems contain components that can be used interchangeably in ballistic missiles that can deliver nuclear warheads, something Iran has consistently denied trying to develop. In April 2020, Iran was able to successfully launch its first military satellite into space, earning the country harsh criticism from the US. The ideological branch of Iran's armed forces, the Revolutionary Guards, declared in March that Nour-2, a military "reconnaissance satellite," had been successfully launched into orbit (With inputs from agencies)

Russia to send Iran's satellite into orbit next week

There are about 2000 active satellites orbiting the Earth and around 3000 dead satellites are littering the space. WION's Molly Gambhir tells you why is space junk a problem and who is going to fix it.

WION Fineprint: Why is space junk a problem?

European Space Agency (ESA) launched its latest Vega-C rocket from the European spaceport in French Guiana. The ESA wants to make Europe more competitive in the satellite market.

European Space Agency (ESA) launches new Vega-C rocket

The word 'Selfie' was the 'word of the year'&nbsp;of Oxford Dictionaries in 2013. The concept was new in the preceding years. But since then the word (and photos) have become almost a second nature to us. If we are at a great outdoor location, we click a selfie. If we are with friends, we click a selfie. Even if we are doing something that we think is special, the photo makes its way to the social media in no time.

A satellite has now clicked a selfie with the Great Barrier Reef in the background. The satellite even used a selfie stick to click the photo. The satellite is owned by a company and is revolving around the Earth in an orbit 550 kilometres from the surface.&nbsp;

The microsatellite, named MP42 was launched into space in the month of April this year. It hitched a ride on SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.&nbsp;

"We wanted to highlight the vulnerability of our planet and the importance of Earth observation by satellites, especially for monitoring environment and climate changes," said NanoAvionics, the company which owns the microsatellite. The company has even published the video on Yutube. Check it out.

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&nbsp;

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world. It stretches for more than 2300 Kilometres along northeast coast of Australia.

The selfie, and the video was taken with a GoPro Hero 7. The camera was mounted on a selfie stick.

The Great Barrier Reef is in need of conservation. A report by Australian government earlier this year said that the reef was undergoing 'mass bleaching' due to global warming. 
&nbsp;

The word 'Selfie' was the 'word of the year' of Oxford Dictionaries in 2013. The concept was new in the preceding years. But since then the word (and photos) have become almost a second nature to us.

The word 'Selfie' was the 'word of the year' of Oxford Dictionaries in 2013. The concept was new in the preceding years. But since then the word (and photos) have become almost a second nature to us. If we are at a great outdoor location, we click a selfie. If we are with friends, we click a selfie. Even if we are doing something that we think is special, the photo makes its way to the social media in no time. A satellite has now clicked a selfie with the Great Barrier Reef in the background. The satellite even used a selfie stick to click the photo. The satellite is owned by a company and is revolving around the Earth in an orbit 550 kilometres from the surface. The microsatellite, named MP42 was launched into space in the month of April this year. It hitched a ride on SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. "We wanted to highlight the vulnerability of our planet and the importance of Earth observation by satellites, especially for monitoring environment and climate changes," said NanoAvionics, the company which owns the microsatellite. The company has even published the video on Yutube. Check it out. × The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world. It stretches for more than 2300 Kilometres along northeast coast of Australia. The selfie, and the video was taken with a GoPro Hero 7. The camera was mounted on a selfie stick. The Great Barrier Reef is in need of conservation. A report by Australian government earlier this year said that the reef was undergoing 'mass bleaching' due to global warming.

Video: A satellite has clicked 'selfie' from space

Pluto may have been stripped of his status as a planet but the distant icy world, and its satellite Charon are surely objects of study. Pluto is more than 5 billion years away from Earth.&nbsp;

Till recently the best image we had of Pluto was a fuzzy blob reflecting sunlight. It was due to its enormous distance from Earth that we couldn't click clearer picture.&nbsp;

This changed when NASA's New Horizons flew past Pluto and Charon. The interplanetary probe captured never before seen images with unprecedented clarity. Pluto's satellite Charon was seen to have a 'red cap'.

The colour red often represents iron and rust for us. But for worlds like Pluto, so far away from the Sun, iron may not always be the right answer for such a phenomenon.

Now, a group of researchers has put forth their conclusion which may help us know why Charon has that red cap.

The research was published in journals Science and Geophysical Research Letters.

The researchers say that red cap on Charon is likely to be due to chemicals known as tholins. These compounds absorbed a specific colour of ultraviolet rays from the Sun to become red and get deposited around north pole of Charon.

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Pluto may have been stripped of his status as a planet but the distant icy world, and its satellite Charon are surely objects of study. Pluto is more than 5 billion years away from Earth.

Pluto may have been stripped of his status as a planet but the distant icy world, and its satellite Charon are surely objects of study. Pluto is more than 5 billion years away from Earth. Till recently the best image we had of Pluto was a fuzzy blob reflecting sunlight. It was due to its enormous distance from Earth that we couldn't click clearer picture. This changed when NASA's New Horizons flew past Pluto and Charon. The interplanetary probe captured never before seen images with unprecedented clarity. Pluto's satellite Charon was seen to have a 'red cap'. The colour red often represents iron and rust for us. But for worlds like Pluto, so far away from the Sun, iron may not always be the right answer for such a phenomenon. Now, a group of researchers has put forth their conclusion which may help us know why Charon has that red cap. The research was published in journals Science and Geophysical Research Letters. The researchers say that red cap on Charon is likely to be due to chemicals known as tholins. These compounds absorbed a specific colour of ultraviolet rays from the Sun to become red and get deposited around north pole of Charon. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

Mystery of 'red cap' on Pluto's moon finally solved

Scientists have for the first time used satellite data to detect a major offshore leak of the potent greenhouse gas methane, according to peer-reviewed research.

The findings add a crucial tool to an expanding space-based arsenal for pinpointing previously invisible methane plumes from the oil and gas industry. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Fossil fuel operations globally emitted about 120 million tonnes of the planet-warming gas in 2020, nearly one-third of all methane emissions from human activity, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/climate-talks-test-global-resolve-on-warming-485504">Climate talks test global resolve on warming</a>

The new study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters identified a plume from an oil and gas production platform in the Gulf of Mexico that spewed some 40,000 tonnes over a 17-day period in December. &nbsp;

The platform, near Campeche in southern Mexico, is in one of the country's biggest oil producing fields.

"Our results demonstrate how satellites can detect methane plumes from offshore infrastructure," senior author Luis Guanter, a professor at Valencia Polytechnic University, said in a statement.&nbsp;

"It opens the door to systematic monitoring of industrial emissions from individual offshore platforms."

Satellite-based methods for spotting methane leaks over land have developed rapidly in the last few years, training an uncomfortable spotlight on regulators and industry. &nbsp;&nbsp;

But equivalent techniques have been lacking for leaks from offshore oil and gas operations, which account for about 30 per cent of global production.

Watch |&nbsp;New Zealand's new climate draft aims at countering Methane emissions

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Huge short-term potential

Up to now, ocean water's capacity to absorb short-wave infrared radiation has limited the amount of reflected light reaching space-based sensors.&nbsp;

Guanter and colleagues overcame this problem with a new method for measuring solar radiation bouncing off the water's surface, called Sun-glint observation mode.

Methane is responsible for roughly 30 per cent of the global rise in temperatures to date.&nbsp;

While far less abundant in the atmosphere than CO2, it is about 28 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas on a century-long timescale. Over a 20-year time frame, it is 80 times more potent.

Methane lingers in the atmosphere for only a decade, compared to hundreds or thousands of years for CO2.&nbsp;

This means a sharp reduction in emissions could shave several tenths of a degree Celsius off of projected global warming by mid-century, helping keep alive the Paris Agreement goal of capping Earth's average temperature increase to 1.5 Celsius, according to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions-blogs/we-cant-drill-our-way-to-energy-security-479958">We can’t drill our way to energy security</a>

Last year saw a record jump in the atmospheric concentration of methane, US government scientists reported in April.

Methane is generated by the production, transport and use of fossil fuels, but also from the decay of organic matter in wetlands, and as a by-product of livestock digestion in agriculture.

At last year's COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, more than 100 nations agreed under the Global Methane Pledge to reduce emissions 30 per cent by 2030. But several major methane emitters including China, Russia, Iran and India&nbsp;failed to sign.

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Scientists have for the first time used satellite data to detect a major offshore leak of the potent greenhouse gas methane, according to peer-reviewed research.

Scientists have for the first time used satellite data to detect a major offshore leak of the potent greenhouse gas methane, according to peer-reviewed research. The findings add a crucial tool to an expanding space-based arsenal for pinpointing previously invisible methane plumes from the oil and gas industry. Fossil fuel operations globally emitted about 120 million tonnes of the planet-warming gas in 2020, nearly one-third of all methane emissions from human activity, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). Also read | Climate talks test global resolve on warming The new study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology Letters identified a plume from an oil and gas production platform in the Gulf of Mexico that spewed some 40,000 tonnes over a 17-day period in December. The platform, near Campeche in southern Mexico, is in one of the country's biggest oil producing fields. "Our results demonstrate how satellites can detect methane plumes from offshore infrastructure," senior author Luis Guanter, a professor at Valencia Polytechnic University, said in a statement. "It opens the door to systematic monitoring of industrial emissions from individual offshore platforms." Satellite-based methods for spotting methane leaks over land have developed rapidly in the last few years, training an uncomfortable spotlight on regulators and industry. But equivalent techniques have been lacking for leaks from offshore oil and gas operations, which account for about 30 per cent of global production. Watch | New Zealand's new climate draft aims at countering Methane emissions Huge short-term potential Up to now, ocean water's capacity to absorb short-wave infrared radiation has limited the amount of reflected light reaching space-based sensors. Guanter and colleagues overcame this problem with a new method for measuring solar radiation bouncing off the water's surface, called Sun-glint observation mode. Methane is responsible for roughly 30 per cent of the global rise in temperatures to date. While far less abundant in the atmosphere than CO2, it is about 28 times more powerful as a greenhouse gas on a century-long timescale. Over a 20-year time frame, it is 80 times more potent. Methane lingers in the atmosphere for only a decade, compared to hundreds or thousands of years for CO2. This means a sharp reduction in emissions could shave several tenths of a degree Celsius off of projected global warming by mid-century, helping keep alive the Paris Agreement goal of capping Earth's average temperature increase to 1.5 Celsius, according to the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Also read | We can’t drill our way to energy security Last year saw a record jump in the atmospheric concentration of methane, US government scientists reported in April. Methane is generated by the production, transport and use of fossil fuels, but also from the decay of organic matter in wetlands, and as a by-product of livestock digestion in agriculture. At last year's COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, more than 100 nations agreed under the Global Methane Pledge to reduce emissions 30 per cent by 2030. But several major methane emitters including China, Russia, Iran and India failed to sign. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Climate: Offshore methane gas leak spotted from space

GSAT-24, an Indian communication satellite built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for satellite television service provider TataSky, will be placed in orbit on June 22, by the French Ariane 5 rocket.

The launch of the four-ton GSAT-24, dubbed ‘VA257’, would be carried out from Guiana Space Centre, Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.

Once placed in the geostationary orbit, GSAT-24 will provide high-quality television, telecommunications and broadcasting services.

Arianespace, the launch service provider, shared a picture of the container carrying the satellite being offloaded from a military transport aircraft, and stated, "We’ll let you know once the beast is awake".

Notably, this launch is what India's state-run Department of Space calls the “first demand driven communication satellite mission” of the New Space India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO.

NSIL was incorporated in March 2019 and was later mandated to undertake&nbsp;operational satellite missions on a “demand driven” model. It is responsible to build, launch, own &amp; operate the satellite and provide services to its committed customer.

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Hello there! 👀 
Welcome to GSAT-24, the second passenger of our Flight <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VA257?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VA257</a>. This satellite built by <a href="https://twitter.com/isro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@isro</a> for <a href="https://twitter.com/NSIL_India?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NSIL_India</a>, will be launched on June 2⃣2⃣ onboard our <a href="https://twitter.com/ariane5?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ariane5</a> launcher! 
We’ll let you know once the beast is awake 😏 <a href="https://t.co/k1KdIjBtGD">pic.twitter.com/k1KdIjBtGD</a>
— Arianespace (@Arianespace) <a href="https://twitter.com/Arianespace/status/1527587103147696128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2022</a></blockquote>
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As part of the GSAT-24 mission, NSIL is getting the&nbsp;four-ton class Ku- band satellite built by ISRO and will be launching it using Ariane-5 launcher operated by s Arianespace.

The entire satellite capacity on-board GSAT-24 will be leased to its committed customer Tata Sky for meeting their DTH application needs.

NSIL has entered into a necessary agreement with Tata Sky for utilising the satellite capacity on-board GSAT-24 and with M/s Arianespace for seeking the launch services. GSAT-24 satellite will be owned and operated by NSIL on a commercial basis. GSAT-24 satellite mission will be fully funded by NSIL.

While India launches the indigenously-built satellites for national requirements and customer-built satellites on-board its own rockets, the country also uses the services of the French launcher Ariane to fulfil certain missions from foreign soil.

Significantly, GSAT-24 will be the 25th Indian satellite orbited by Arianespace, highlighting the longstanding partnership.

India's ties with launch provider Arianespace date back to 1981, when an Ariane 1 rocket launched the Indian satellite APPLE.

Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment, APPLE, was an experimental communication satellite built by ISRO.

GSAT-24, an Indian communication satellite built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for satellite television service provider TataSky, will be placed in orbit on June 22, by the French Ariane 5 rocket.

GSAT-24, an Indian communication satellite built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for satellite television service provider TataSky, will be placed in orbit on June 22, by the French Ariane 5 rocket. The launch of the four-ton GSAT-24, dubbed ‘VA257’, would be carried out from Guiana Space Centre, Europe’s spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana. Once placed in the geostationary orbit, GSAT-24 will provide high-quality television, telecommunications and broadcasting services. Arianespace, the launch service provider, shared a picture of the container carrying the satellite being offloaded from a military transport aircraft, and stated, "We’ll let you know once the beast is awake". Notably, this launch is what India's state-run Department of Space calls the “first demand driven communication satellite mission” of the New Space India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO. NSIL was incorporated in March 2019 and was later mandated to undertake operational satellite missions on a “demand driven” model. It is responsible to build, launch, own & operate the satellite and provide services to its committed customer. Hello there! 👀 Welcome to GSAT-24, the second passenger of our Flight #VA257. This satellite built by @isro for @NSIL_India, will be launched on June 2⃣2⃣ onboard our @Ariane5 launcher! We’ll let you know once the beast is awake 😏 pic.twitter.com/k1KdIjBtGD — Arianespace (@Arianespace) May 20, 2022 × As part of the GSAT-24 mission, NSIL is getting the four-ton class Ku- band satellite built by ISRO and will be launching it using Ariane-5 launcher operated by s Arianespace. The entire satellite capacity on-board GSAT-24 will be leased to its committed customer Tata Sky for meeting their DTH application needs. NSIL has entered into a necessary agreement with Tata Sky for utilising the satellite capacity on-board GSAT-24 and with M/s Arianespace for seeking the launch services. GSAT-24 satellite will be owned and operated by NSIL on a commercial basis. GSAT-24 satellite mission will be fully funded by NSIL. While India launches the indigenously-built satellites for national requirements and customer-built satellites on-board its own rockets, the country also uses the services of the French launcher Ariane to fulfil certain missions from foreign soil. Significantly, GSAT-24 will be the 25th Indian satellite orbited by Arianespace, highlighting the longstanding partnership. India's ties with launch provider Arianespace date back to 1981, when an Ariane 1 rocket launched the Indian satellite APPLE. Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment, APPLE, was an experimental communication satellite built by ISRO.

ISRO-built GSAT-24 satellite for Tata Sky to be launched by French rocket on June 22

A research paper, which was published in Nature Astronomy, suggested that the space should receive special legal protection in order to preserve and protect its environment from debris and light pollution.

The study noted that there has been an increase in the volume of debris in the low orbital space – the name given to the region around 100 miles above the planet – and it has resulted in light pollution which is causing problems for the astronomers when it comes to viewing the space.

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The Edinburgh University research is being treated as reference in an ongoing case before the US Court of Appeal with the goal to get legal protection for the space environment.

According to the study, there has been a rise in the number of satellite mega constellations with a huge number of satellites operating in the low orbital space. With most of them being utilised for various purposes, there is also a danger to pieces of debris potentially damaging a satellite.

As a result, the researchers have requested the authorities to draft a legal framework for the conservation of the space environment after taking space constellations into consideration.

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“We are standing on a watershed in history. We can cheaply launch huge numbers of satellites and use them to the benefit of life on Earth – but this comes at a cost. As well as damaging stargazing, the space industry may be shooting itself in the foot," Professor Andy Lawrence, Regius Professor of Astronomy, University of Edinburgh Institute for Astronomy and lead author told The Scotsman.

Professor Lawrence was called as an expert witness during the ongoing legal case in the United States.

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&nbsp;

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A research paper, which was published in Nature Astronomy, suggested that the space should receive special legal protection in order to preserve and protect its environment from debris and light pollution.

A research paper, which was published in Nature Astronomy, suggested that the space should receive special legal protection in order to preserve and protect its environment from debris and light pollution. The study noted that there has been an increase in the volume of debris in the low orbital space – the name given to the region around 100 miles above the planet – and it has resulted in light pollution which is causing problems for the astronomers when it comes to viewing the space. Also read | Who is Emmanuel Macron? His life and political career in pictures The Edinburgh University research is being treated as reference in an ongoing case before the US Court of Appeal with the goal to get legal protection for the space environment. According to the study, there has been a rise in the number of satellite mega constellations with a huge number of satellites operating in the low orbital space. With most of them being utilised for various purposes, there is also a danger to pieces of debris potentially damaging a satellite. As a result, the researchers have requested the authorities to draft a legal framework for the conservation of the space environment after taking space constellations into consideration. Also read | Dangerous superbugs may get transmitted from pigs to humans, say scientists “We are standing on a watershed in history. We can cheaply launch huge numbers of satellites and use them to the benefit of life on Earth – but this comes at a cost. As well as damaging stargazing, the space industry may be shooting itself in the foot," Professor Andy Lawrence, Regius Professor of Astronomy, University of Edinburgh Institute for Astronomy and lead author told The Scotsman. Professor Lawrence was called as an expert witness during the ongoing legal case in the United States. WATCH | Twitter begins deal talks with Elon Musk

Space needs legal protection against debris and light pollution, suggests research

'Shakuntala', a satellite built in India by an Indian start-up Pixxel, was recently launched into orbit by Elon Musk's SpaceX. This launch occurred on a foreign rocket. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The satellite, which weighed 15kg, was designed and built in India. It was tested at various foreign facilities, amid the COVID-19 lockdown. However, the next satellite made by Pixxel, has already been tested at an ISRO facility and is awaiting to be launched through ISRO's PSLV rocket. &nbsp;

Notably, the testing of the satellite at an ISRO lab was made possible as a part of the Space Sector Reforms that the Indian Government has rolled out since mid-2020. As a part of these reforms, Indian companies could seek ISRO's technical assistance while designing and developing rockets and satellites and also test their hardware at ISRO facilities for a nominal cost. &nbsp;

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According to Awais Ahmed, CEO and Founder, Pixxel, their maiden satellite 'Shakuntala' made use of foreign facilities, whereas 'Anand' and other satellites that are in the pipeline are to be built and tested in India. &nbsp;&nbsp;

"In terms of components, we are currently using 60% Indian and 40% foreign components. Our imports mainly consist the solar panels, batteries and reaction wheels. Anand (to be launched) was tested at ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru and is awaiting launch from India's spaceport in Sriharikota. Testing it at ISRO facilities helps us save on costs and the burden of having to go abroad for testing or even setting up a test facility," he said. &nbsp;

Pixxel's maiden satellite was to be launched on ISRO's PSLV rocket, but that did not materialise owing to the pandemic and the impact it had on India's launch activity. The possibility of launching on-board the SpaceX Transporter rideshare mission was then considered by the start-up. While Pixxel's next satellite is to be launched through ISRO's PSLV rocket. &nbsp;

Watch:&nbsp;Future of the aviation sector: First of its kind electric aircraft certified for training

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However, a major factor that companies look into while launching their satellites are also the per kg launch cost. While ISRO is understood to charge around $25,000 per kg of payload on its PSLV rocket, SpaceX is understood to charge barely $5000 per kg of payload on its Falcon 9 rocket. With India expected to launch a low-cost, easy-to-build, 500 kg payload class Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), it is expected that the per kg launch cost would reduce to a certain extent, thus making it an attractive option for customers. While SpaceX offers low cost per kg, it is notable they do not often have rideshare missions to accommodate smaller satellites, even on a commercial basis. In comparison, ISRO managed to accommodate co-passenger satellites in almost all of its PSLV launches. &nbsp;

Having received $25 million in funding, Pixxel is confident that they would be able to launch their first constellation of two technology demonstrator and six fully commercial satellites, which comprise the first phase. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The start-up hopes to have a constellation of 20 hyperspectral imaging satellites in orbit by early 2024. "With the kind of infrastructure and experience available in India in the space domain, a lot of global investors are looking towards India. The important part is for the space start-ups to sustain themselves by earning revenue from providing their services to customers," Awais added.&nbsp;

'Shakuntala', a satellite built in India by an Indian start-up Pixxel, was recently launched into orbit by Elon Musk's SpaceX. This launch occurred on a foreign rocket.

'Shakuntala', a satellite built in India by an Indian start-up Pixxel, was recently launched into orbit by Elon Musk's SpaceX. This launch occurred on a foreign rocket. The satellite, which weighed 15kg, was designed and built in India. It was tested at various foreign facilities, amid the COVID-19 lockdown. However, the next satellite made by Pixxel, has already been tested at an ISRO facility and is awaiting to be launched through ISRO's PSLV rocket. Notably, the testing of the satellite at an ISRO lab was made possible as a part of the Space Sector Reforms that the Indian Government has rolled out since mid-2020. As a part of these reforms, Indian companies could seek ISRO's technical assistance while designing and developing rockets and satellites and also test their hardware at ISRO facilities for a nominal cost. Also Read: A new beginning? First private astronauts’ mission to ISS set for launch on April 8 According to Awais Ahmed, CEO and Founder, Pixxel, their maiden satellite 'Shakuntala' made use of foreign facilities, whereas 'Anand' and other satellites that are in the pipeline are to be built and tested in India. "In terms of components, we are currently using 60% Indian and 40% foreign components. Our imports mainly consist the solar panels, batteries and reaction wheels. Anand (to be launched) was tested at ISRO's UR Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru and is awaiting launch from India's spaceport in Sriharikota. Testing it at ISRO facilities helps us save on costs and the burden of having to go abroad for testing or even setting up a test facility," he said. Pixxel's maiden satellite was to be launched on ISRO's PSLV rocket, but that did not materialise owing to the pandemic and the impact it had on India's launch activity. The possibility of launching on-board the SpaceX Transporter rideshare mission was then considered by the start-up. While Pixxel's next satellite is to be launched through ISRO's PSLV rocket. Watch: Future of the aviation sector: First of its kind electric aircraft certified for training × However, a major factor that companies look into while launching their satellites are also the per kg launch cost. While ISRO is understood to charge around $25,000 per kg of payload on its PSLV rocket, SpaceX is understood to charge barely $5000 per kg of payload on its Falcon 9 rocket. With India expected to launch a low-cost, easy-to-build, 500 kg payload class Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), it is expected that the per kg launch cost would reduce to a certain extent, thus making it an attractive option for customers. While SpaceX offers low cost per kg, it is notable they do not often have rideshare missions to accommodate smaller satellites, even on a commercial basis. In comparison, ISRO managed to accommodate co-passenger satellites in almost all of its PSLV launches. Having received $25 million in funding, Pixxel is confident that they would be able to launch their first constellation of two technology demonstrator and six fully commercial satellites, which comprise the first phase. The start-up hopes to have a constellation of 20 hyperspectral imaging satellites in orbit by early 2024. "With the kind of infrastructure and experience available in India in the space domain, a lot of global investors are looking towards India. The important part is for the space start-ups to sustain themselves by earning revenue from providing their services to customers," Awais added.

Indian start-up's satellite gets tested at ISRO facility, awaits launch through PSLV rocket  

From a huge Russian military convoy snaking its way to Kyiv, to missile strikes and refugee crossings, commercial satellite imagery of the Ukraine conflict is helping lift the fog of war.

Commercial satellites are shaping Ukraine-Russia conflict: Here is how

Elon Musk's space venture SpaceX on Wednesday launched 48 Starlink satellites. The satellites were launched into the orbit by a two-stage Falcon 9. The launch took place from Cape Canaveral Space Force station in Florida at 8:45 am local time.

"Another 48 Starlinks just reached orbit," Musk said in a tweet.

During a live stream of the launch, SpaceX`s launch director said: "Time to let the American broomstick fly and hear the sounds of freedom."

The jibe was directed at Russian space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin, who had last week said "let them fly on something else, their broomsticks", after Russia halted sales of its rocket engines to US launch providers amid economic sanctions following that country`s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

According to SpaceX, Wednesday`s launch marked the fourth flight and landing for its particular Falcon 9 first stage, Space.com reported.

Starlink is the giant constellation of broadband satellites that SpaceX is assembling in low Earth orbit.

The company has already launched more than 2,000 Starlink craft since 2019, and many more will go up in the relatively near future.

SpaceX has permission to launch 12,000 Starlink satellites and has applied for approval for up to 30,000 more, the report said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Elon Musk's space venture SpaceX on Wednesday launched 48 Starlink satellites. The satellites were launched into the orbit by a two-stage Falcon 9. The launch took place from Cape Canaveral Space Force station in Florida at 8:45 am local time.

Elon Musk's space venture SpaceX on Wednesday launched 48 Starlink satellites. The satellites were launched into the orbit by a two-stage Falcon 9. The launch took place from Cape Canaveral Space Force station in Florida at 8:45 am local time. "Another 48 Starlinks just reached orbit," Musk said in a tweet. During a live stream of the launch, SpaceX`s launch director said: "Time to let the American broomstick fly and hear the sounds of freedom." The jibe was directed at Russian space agency chief Dmitry Rogozin, who had last week said "let them fly on something else, their broomsticks", after Russia halted sales of its rocket engines to US launch providers amid economic sanctions following that country`s invasion of Ukraine on February 24. According to SpaceX, Wednesday`s launch marked the fourth flight and landing for its particular Falcon 9 first stage, Space.com reported. Starlink is the giant constellation of broadband satellites that SpaceX is assembling in low Earth orbit. The company has already launched more than 2,000 Starlink craft since 2019, and many more will go up in the relatively near future. SpaceX has permission to launch 12,000 Starlink satellites and has applied for approval for up to 30,000 more, the report said. (With inputs from agencies)

Elon Musk's SpaceX launches 48 Starlink satellites

Iran said on Tuesday that it has successfully placed a military satellite in orbit. The development has come just when talks to revive 2015 nuclear deal have reached a critical stage.

"Iran's second military satellite -- named Nour-2 -- has been launched into space by the Qassed rocket of the aerospace wing of the evolutionary Guards and successfully placed in orbit 500 kilometres (310 miles) above the Earth," the official IRNA news agency reported.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps described the Nour-2 as a "reconnaissance satellite" in a statement on its Sepah News website.

Iran successfully put its first military satellite into orbit in April 2020, drawing a sharp rebuke from Washington.

Sepah News said Tuesday that the Nour-1 was "still fully operational and transmitting data".

The United States has repeatedly voiced concern that such launches could boost Iran's ballistic missile technology.

But Iran insists it is not seeking nuclear weapons and that its satellite and rocket launches are for civil or defensive purposes only.

At the end of December, Iran announced it had failed to put in orbit "three research cargos" carried by Simorgh (Phoenix) satellite carrier as the rocket was unable to reach the required speed.

In January, Iran tested a solid-fuel rocket for its satellite programme, state media reported.

(With inputs from agencies)

Iran said on Tuesday that it has successfully placed a military satellite in orbit. The development has come just when talks to revive 2015 nuclear deal have reached a critical stage.

Iran said on Tuesday that it has successfully placed a military satellite in orbit. The development has come just when talks to revive 2015 nuclear deal have reached a critical stage. "Iran's second military satellite -- named Nour-2 -- has been launched into space by the Qassed rocket of the aerospace wing of the evolutionary Guards and successfully placed in orbit 500 kilometres (310 miles) above the Earth," the official IRNA news agency reported. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps described the Nour-2 as a "reconnaissance satellite" in a statement on its Sepah News website. Iran successfully put its first military satellite into orbit in April 2020, drawing a sharp rebuke from Washington. Sepah News said Tuesday that the Nour-1 was "still fully operational and transmitting data". The United States has repeatedly voiced concern that such launches could boost Iran's ballistic missile technology. But Iran insists it is not seeking nuclear weapons and that its satellite and rocket launches are for civil or defensive purposes only. At the end of December, Iran announced it had failed to put in orbit "three research cargos" carried by Simorgh (Phoenix) satellite carrier as the rocket was unable to reach the required speed. In January, Iran tested a solid-fuel rocket for its satellite programme, state media reported. (With inputs from agencies)

Iran announces placement of new military satellite in orbit

A micrometeorite slammed into a satellite and caused an internet outage in Australia, it has been revealed. Internet services provided by NBN Co in Australia were affected. The seven-hour net outage took place in December last year.

On December 21 last year, nearly 40 per cent of the company's internet users in remote and regional parts of Australia 7 hours after 8:30 pm

Gavin Williams, chief development officer of NBN Co told Australian Senate on Tuesday that the company investigated cause of the internet outage and it was found that most likely cause was an impact due to a micrometeorite

“It cannot be 100% characterised as this but all the evidence points to a micrometeorite that impacted the satellite,” he said. “It effectively makes [the] satellite’s body rotate while it remains in its orbit. So the satellite is no longer pointing at the appropriate spot on Earth [and] the payload – the transmission system on that satellite – is effectively switched off for that period.”

Williams was quoted by The Guardian. He added that after micrometeorite impact, the satellite was able to recover. Most of the customers were able to gain access to internet within 7 hours but 573 customers went two weeks without internet.

Williams said that it took a while for the company to really figure out what was the problem in these 573 cases. When the issue was realised, Gavin said that the company was ready to call employees from leave to dispatch them to these 600 locations in rural Australia. However, the company reportedly was able to sort out the problem remotely.

A micrometeorite slammed into a satellite and caused an internet outage in Australia, it has been revealed. Internet services provided by NBN Co in Australia were affected.

A micrometeorite slammed into a satellite and caused an internet outage in Australia, it has been revealed. Internet services provided by NBN Co in Australia were affected. The seven-hour net outage took place in December last year. On December 21 last year, nearly 40 per cent of the company's internet users in remote and regional parts of Australia 7 hours after 8:30 pm Gavin Williams, chief development officer of NBN Co told Australian Senate on Tuesday that the company investigated cause of the internet outage and it was found that most likely cause was an impact due to a micrometeorite “It cannot be 100% characterised as this but all the evidence points to a micrometeorite that impacted the satellite,” he said. “It effectively makes [the] satellite’s body rotate while it remains in its orbit. So the satellite is no longer pointing at the appropriate spot on Earth [and] the payload – the transmission system on that satellite – is effectively switched off for that period.” Williams was quoted by The Guardian. He added that after micrometeorite impact, the satellite was able to recover. Most of the customers were able to gain access to internet within 7 hours but 573 customers went two weeks without internet. Williams said that it took a while for the company to really figure out what was the problem in these 573 cases. When the issue was realised, Gavin said that the company was ready to call employees from leave to dispatch them to these 600 locations in rural Australia. However, the company reportedly was able to sort out the problem remotely.

Micrometeorite slam to satellite caused internet outage in Australia

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