Arianespace on Wednesday launched a rocket from French Guiana carrying Morocco’s second earth observation satellite, the European launch company said.

The satellite, named Mohammed VI-B, was developed by Thales Alenia Space and Airbus, Arianespace said in a statement on its website.

It will be mainly used for mapping, land surveying, agricultural monitoring, prevention and management of natural disasters, monitoring changes in the environment and desertification as well as border and coastal surveillance, it said.

Arianespace, majority-owned by a joint venture of Airbus and Safran, launched Morocco’s first earth observation satellite, Mohammed VI-A, last November.

Arianespace on Wednesday launched a rocket from French Guiana carrying Morocco’s second earth observation satellite, the European launch company said. The satellite, named Mohammed VI-B, was developed by Thales Alenia Space and Airbus, Arianespace said in a statement on its website.

Arianespace on Wednesday launched a rocket from French Guiana carrying Morocco’s second earth observation satellite, the European launch company said. The satellite, named Mohammed VI-B, was developed by Thales Alenia Space and Airbus, Arianespace said in a statement on its website. It will be mainly used for mapping, land surveying, agricultural monitoring, prevention and management of natural disasters, monitoring changes in the environment and desertification as well as border and coastal surveillance, it said. Arianespace, majority-owned by a joint venture of Airbus and Safran, launched Morocco’s first earth observation satellite, Mohammed VI-A, last November.

Arianespace launches Morocco's second earth observation satellite

China sent its first-ever satellite built in partnership with another country into space on Monday, a device tasked with helping scientists better predict dangerous cyclones and climate change by monitoring ocean surface winds and waves.

A Long March 2C carrier rocket blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China's Gobi Desert at 0043 GMT, according to China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence.

The 650-kilogram (1,430 pounds) China-France Oceanography Satellite (CFOSAT) is the first satellite jointly built by China and France and will allow climate scientists to better understand interactions between oceans and the atmosphere.

It's fitted with two radars: the French-made SWIM spectrometer, which will measure the direction and the wavelength of waves, and China's SCAT, a scatterometer that will analyse the force and direction of winds.

The data will be collected and analysed in both countries.

The instruments will allow scientists to collect information about winds and waves of the same location simultaneously for the first time, Wang Lili, chief designer of the satellite with the China Academy of Space Technology, said, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

"It will help increase the observation and prediction of catastrophic sea states, such as huge waves and tropical storms, and provide security support for offshore operations and engineering, ship navigation, fisheries, and coastal management," said Zhao Jian, a senior official at the China National Space Administration.

The rocket successfully put the satellite into orbit 520 kilometres (323 miles) above the Earth.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron exchanged congratulations in a phone call, according to Xinhua.

"It's historic. It's the first satellite China has made through international cooperation," Jean-Yves Le Gall, president of France's National Centre for Space Studies, told AFP.

"This satellite will help make considerable progress in understanding climate change." The project began in 2007.&nbsp;

The two countries are also working together on the Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) mission, which will launch a satellite in 2021 to detect and study gamma-ray bursts.

China and France already cooperate in space, with a French cardiovascular device aboard China's Tiangong-2 space lab to monitor a crew's hearts.&nbsp;

The lab is expected to de-orbit after July 2019. Le Gall said France is also working with China on cooperating in exploration missions to the moon and Mars.

China plans to have a crewed space station by 2022 and send a manned mission to the moon in the future.

"The (CFOSAT) launch shows that the international community is more and more willing to consider China as a full partner," said Jacqueline Myrrhe, a space expert at GoTaikonauts.Com, which specialises in China's space programme.

"It will also allow (France) to have launch opportunities and privileged access to space cooperation with China. And who knows, maybe to put a French astronaut in the future Chinese space station," Myrrhe said.

Some three hours after the joint Chinese French launch, Japan's space agency sent a rocket carrying a satellite that will monitor greenhouse gases.

The satellite is officially named GOSAT-2, short for "greenhouse gases observing satellite-2", and is intended to provide data that will help Japan create and publish "emission inventories" of the CO2 output of various countries, as outlined in the Paris climate accord.

China sent its first-ever satellite built in partnership with another country into space on Monday, a device tasked with helping scientists better predict dangerous cyclones and climate change by monitoring ocean surface winds and waves.

China sent its first-ever satellite built in partnership with another country into space on Monday, a device tasked with helping scientists better predict dangerous cyclones and climate change by monitoring ocean surface winds and waves. A Long March 2C carrier rocket blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China's Gobi Desert at 0043 GMT, according to China's State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence. The 650-kilogram (1,430 pounds) China-France Oceanography Satellite (CFOSAT) is the first satellite jointly built by China and France and will allow climate scientists to better understand interactions between oceans and the atmosphere. It's fitted with two radars: the French-made SWIM spectrometer, which will measure the direction and the wavelength of waves, and China's SCAT, a scatterometer that will analyse the force and direction of winds. The data will be collected and analysed in both countries. The instruments will allow scientists to collect information about winds and waves of the same location simultaneously for the first time, Wang Lili, chief designer of the satellite with the China Academy of Space Technology, said, according to the official Xinhua news agency. "It will help increase the observation and prediction of catastrophic sea states, such as huge waves and tropical storms, and provide security support for offshore operations and engineering, ship navigation, fisheries, and coastal management," said Zhao Jian, a senior official at the China National Space Administration. The rocket successfully put the satellite into orbit 520 kilometres (323 miles) above the Earth. Chinese leader Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron exchanged congratulations in a phone call, according to Xinhua. "It's historic. It's the first satellite China has made through international cooperation," Jean-Yves Le Gall, president of France's National Centre for Space Studies, told AFP. "This satellite will help make considerable progress in understanding climate change." The project began in 2007. The two countries are also working together on the Space Variable Objects Monitor (SVOM) mission, which will launch a satellite in 2021 to detect and study gamma-ray bursts. China and France already cooperate in space, with a French cardiovascular device aboard China's Tiangong-2 space lab to monitor a crew's hearts. The lab is expected to de-orbit after July 2019. Le Gall said France is also working with China on cooperating in exploration missions to the moon and Mars. China plans to have a crewed space station by 2022 and send a manned mission to the moon in the future. "The (CFOSAT) launch shows that the international community is more and more willing to consider China as a full partner," said Jacqueline Myrrhe, a space expert at GoTaikonauts.Com, which specialises in China's space programme. "It will also allow (France) to have launch opportunities and privileged access to space cooperation with China. And who knows, maybe to put a French astronaut in the future Chinese space station," Myrrhe said. Some three hours after the joint Chinese French launch, Japan's space agency sent a rocket carrying a satellite that will monitor greenhouse gases. The satellite is officially named GOSAT-2, short for "greenhouse gases observing satellite-2", and is intended to provide data that will help Japan create and publish "emission inventories" of the CO2 output of various countries, as outlined in the Paris climate accord.

China, France launch satellite to study climate change

Russia's state security agency is opposing a high-level deal for the US. OneWeb satellite startup to bring Internet access to remote parts of the country because it says the project could be used to gather intelligence and damage national security.

OneWeb, which plans to use a constellation of hundreds of satellites to provide a worldwide Internet network, struck a deal with Russian space agency Roscosmos in 2015 to send them into orbit and it clinched a joint venture with a subsidiary of the agency to service Russia.

But now, after objections from Moscow, OneWeb is relinquishing its majority stake in the venture, according to two industry sources and a Russian state procurement document.

Speaking at a conference in Moscow, Federal Security Service official Vladimir Sadovnikov said the FSB was against the project servicing Russia for security reasons since it could potentially hand a foreign Internet service provider a monopoly over rural and remote areas.

"Some of Russia's regions would become totally dependent on a foreign satellite service," Sadovnikov said, adding that Moscow had not received any conclusive evidence that OneWeb's satellites would not be used for intelligence gathering.

"The only way to address the threats of foreign satellite networks like OneWeb, especially in the Arctic region and Far North, is to restrict their usage in Russia," Sadovnikov said.

He added that Russia favoured setting up a similar network partnering with India, China and countries which he described as non-aggressive.

Moscow's ties with the West are at a post-Cold War low following Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and rows over sanctions, Syria, alleged election meddling and a poisoning attack on a former spy in Britain.

Sadovnikov conceded that there were satellite projects similar to OneWeb in scale such as Iridium which were already in use, but they were not used widely and are therefore not seen as a threat.

Roscosmos and Oleg Ivanov, Russia's deputy minister for digital development and communications, declined to comment.

Russian Control

Late on Wednesday, OneWeb issued a statement to Reuters confirming that its joint venture with the Roscosmos subsidiary would be majority Russian owned and operated locally.

The OneWeb system "is designed to fully respect the regulatory and cultural requirements of its many partner countries", the statement said.

The company said it recognised that security was of paramount concern to every country in which OneWeb will operate. It said its system would ensure all Internet traffic remained secure. It said the OneWeb system would begin launching early next year.

Almost 45 per cent of the world population does not have access to the Internet, according to Internet World Stats. OneWeb aims to make it available to everyone, including on aircraft and other high-speed transport. The project is meant to be fully online by 2027.

Russia is important to the success of the project as it has many remote and far-flung areas where high-speed broadband is not available.

OneWeb was founded by former Google manager Greg Wyler and closed an $1.7 billion investment deal with Airbus Group, Bharti, Coca-Cola, Hughes, Virgin Group, Qualcomm and SoftBank.

It plans to create a network of 900 satellites, most of which will be sent into orbit by 21 Soyuz launch vehicles from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and the Guiana Space Center.

The contract for the launch was signed by OneWeb, Arianspace and Roscosmos in 2015. It will cost OneWeb $1 billion to have the satellites sent into orbit, Igor Komarov, Roscosmos' former CEO, said after signing the deal.

The first launch was scheduled for late 2017, but the company has pushed the date back several times. The launch is now scheduled for between December 2018 and February 2019, according to Wyler.

In 2017, OneWeb strengthened its partnership with Roscosmos by creating a joint venture with satellite operator Gonets, a subsidiary of Roscosmos, to develop the project in Russia. OneWeb currently holds a 60 per cent stake and Gonets has the rest.

However, Gonets now intends to increase its stake to 51 per cent and is looking for a contractor to estimate the cost of the deal, a document submitted by Gonets in the Russian state procurement system showed.

Gonets is a state company and is therefore required to publish details of all procurement orders in line with Russia's anti-corruption legislation.

Two industry sources - one at the FSB, and the other an official at the Ministry for Digital Development and Communication - confirmed to Reuters that Gonets would become a controlling stakeholder in the joint venture with OneWeb.

This is a key condition for OneWeb operating in Russia, although there are other conditions as well, the source at the FSB said without detailing what those other conditions were.

"OneWeb is an important project for Roscosmos and Russia's space industry, but national security issues come first. There are many doubts regarding that project, especially because of the sanctions against us," said the source at the FSB.

OneWeb submitted a request to receive a frequency band in Russia, but was refused by authorities, according to Russian media reports confirmed by a communications official. A source at the Ministry for Digital Development and Communications said OneWeb would be given permission after legal issues regarding the joint venture were completed.

Russia's state security agency is opposing a high-level deal for the US. OneWeb satellite startup to bring Internet access to remote parts of the country because it says the project could be used to gather intelligence and damage national security.

Russia's state security agency is opposing a high-level deal for the US. OneWeb satellite startup to bring Internet access to remote parts of the country because it says the project could be used to gather intelligence and damage national security. OneWeb, which plans to use a constellation of hundreds of satellites to provide a worldwide Internet network, struck a deal with Russian space agency Roscosmos in 2015 to send them into orbit and it clinched a joint venture with a subsidiary of the agency to service Russia. But now, after objections from Moscow, OneWeb is relinquishing its majority stake in the venture, according to two industry sources and a Russian state procurement document. Speaking at a conference in Moscow, Federal Security Service official Vladimir Sadovnikov said the FSB was against the project servicing Russia for security reasons since it could potentially hand a foreign Internet service provider a monopoly over rural and remote areas. "Some of Russia's regions would become totally dependent on a foreign satellite service," Sadovnikov said, adding that Moscow had not received any conclusive evidence that OneWeb's satellites would not be used for intelligence gathering. "The only way to address the threats of foreign satellite networks like OneWeb, especially in the Arctic region and Far North, is to restrict their usage in Russia," Sadovnikov said. He added that Russia favoured setting up a similar network partnering with India, China and countries which he described as non-aggressive. Moscow's ties with the West are at a post-Cold War low following Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and rows over sanctions, Syria, alleged election meddling and a poisoning attack on a former spy in Britain. Sadovnikov conceded that there were satellite projects similar to OneWeb in scale such as Iridium which were already in use, but they were not used widely and are therefore not seen as a threat. Roscosmos and Oleg Ivanov, Russia's deputy minister for digital development and communications, declined to comment. Russian Control Late on Wednesday, OneWeb issued a statement to Reuters confirming that its joint venture with the Roscosmos subsidiary would be majority Russian owned and operated locally. The OneWeb system "is designed to fully respect the regulatory and cultural requirements of its many partner countries", the statement said. The company said it recognised that security was of paramount concern to every country in which OneWeb will operate. It said its system would ensure all Internet traffic remained secure. It said the OneWeb system would begin launching early next year. Almost 45 per cent of the world population does not have access to the Internet, according to Internet World Stats. OneWeb aims to make it available to everyone, including on aircraft and other high-speed transport. The project is meant to be fully online by 2027. Russia is important to the success of the project as it has many remote and far-flung areas where high-speed broadband is not available. OneWeb was founded by former Google manager Greg Wyler and closed an $1.7 billion investment deal with Airbus Group, Bharti, Coca-Cola, Hughes, Virgin Group, Qualcomm and SoftBank. It plans to create a network of 900 satellites, most of which will be sent into orbit by 21 Soyuz launch vehicles from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and the Guiana Space Center. The contract for the launch was signed by OneWeb, Arianspace and Roscosmos in 2015. It will cost OneWeb $1 billion to have the satellites sent into orbit, Igor Komarov, Roscosmos' former CEO, said after signing the deal. The first launch was scheduled for late 2017, but the company has pushed the date back several times. The launch is now scheduled for between December 2018 and February 2019, according to Wyler. In 2017, OneWeb strengthened its partnership with Roscosmos by creating a joint venture with satellite operator Gonets, a subsidiary of Roscosmos, to develop the project in Russia. OneWeb currently holds a 60 per cent stake and Gonets has the rest. However, Gonets now intends to increase its stake to 51 per cent and is looking for a contractor to estimate the cost of the deal, a document submitted by Gonets in the Russian state procurement system showed. Gonets is a state company and is therefore required to publish details of all procurement orders in line with Russia's anti-corruption legislation. Two industry sources - one at the FSB, and the other an official at the Ministry for Digital Development and Communication - confirmed to Reuters that Gonets would become a controlling stakeholder in the joint venture with OneWeb. This is a key condition for OneWeb operating in Russia, although there are other conditions as well, the source at the FSB said without detailing what those other conditions were. "OneWeb is an important project for Roscosmos and Russia's space industry, but national security issues come first. There are many doubts regarding that project, especially because of the sanctions against us," said the source at the FSB. OneWeb submitted a request to receive a frequency band in Russia, but was refused by authorities, according to Russian media reports confirmed by a communications official. A source at the Ministry for Digital Development and Communications said OneWeb would be given permission after legal issues regarding the joint venture were completed.

Russia opposes US OneWeb satellite service, cites security concerns

China on Saturday launched its Centispace-1-s1 satellite on a Kuaizhou-1A low-cost solid-fuel carrier rocket.

It was launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China.

This is the second commercial launch by the Kuaizhou-1A rocket, a low-cost solid-fuel carrier rocket with high reliability and a short preparation period, designed to launch low-orbit satellites weighing under 300 kgs, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The first launch in January, 2017 sent three satellites into space.

The Kuaizhou-1A was developed by a rocket technology company under the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC).

The Centispace-1-s1 was developed by Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It is a technology experiment satellite for the low-orbit navigation enhancement system being developed by Beijing Future Navigation Technology Co, the report said.&nbsp;

China on Saturday launched its Centispace-1-s1 satellite on a Kuaizhou-1A low-cost solid-fuel carrier rocket. It was launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China.

China on Saturday launched its Centispace-1-s1 satellite on a Kuaizhou-1A low-cost solid-fuel carrier rocket. It was launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China. This is the second commercial launch by the Kuaizhou-1A rocket, a low-cost solid-fuel carrier rocket with high reliability and a short preparation period, designed to launch low-orbit satellites weighing under 300 kgs, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The first launch in January, 2017 sent three satellites into space. The Kuaizhou-1A was developed by a rocket technology company under the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC). The Centispace-1-s1 was developed by Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It is a technology experiment satellite for the low-orbit navigation enhancement system being developed by Beijing Future Navigation Technology Co, the report said.

China launches satellite on low-cost solid-fuel rocket

India has recalled GSAT-11 to conduct further tests on the satellite. According to reports, the satellite's launch date has been rescheduled from previously scheduled May 25.&nbsp;

Touted as Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) “heaviest communication satellite”, the GSAT-11 has been recalled from Arianespace’s spaceport, French Guiana to conduct more tests and a new launch date will be decided shortly after all tests are done.&nbsp;

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GSAT-11 Launch Rescheduled<a href="https://t.co/WABrd7oJxx">https://t.co/WABrd7oJxx</a><a href="https://t.co/8RuXZODdRE">https://t.co/8RuXZODdRE</a>
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According to reports, the 5.7-tonne satellite is not being recalled due to any technical fault or glitch.&nbsp;

The Indian space research agency has been tightening its precautionary measures for satellite launches after the recent episode of losing communication link with the newly launched GSAT-6A satellite.

The 5.7-tonne satellite is not being recalled due to any technical fault or glitch

India has recalled GSAT-11 to conduct further tests on the satellite. According to reports, the satellite's launch date has been rescheduled from previously scheduled May 25. Touted as Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) “heaviest communication satellite”, the GSAT-11 has been recalled from Arianespace’s spaceport, French Guiana to conduct more tests and a new launch date will be decided shortly after all tests are done. GSAT-11 Launch Rescheduledhttps://t.co/WABrd7oJxxhttps://t.co/8RuXZODdRE — ISRO (@isro) April 25, 2018 × According to reports, the 5.7-tonne satellite is not being recalled due to any technical fault or glitch. The Indian space research agency has been tightening its precautionary measures for satellite launches after the recent episode of losing communication link with the newly launched GSAT-6A satellite.

India's heaviest satellite GSAT-11 recalled from French Guiana, launch delayed

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb claimed that internet and satellite are not something new but existed since the Mahabharata era.

Speaking at a Regional Workshop on Computerisation and Reforms at Pragna Bhawan in Agartala, Deb said that the internet was invented by India lakhs of years ago.

"Internet and satellite communication had existed in the days of Mahabharata. How could Sanjaya (the charioteer of King Dhritarashtra) give a detailed account and description to the blind king about the battle of Kurukshetra? It means internet was there, the satellites and that technology was there in this country at that time," he said.

The BJP leader said that the European nations and the United States may claim that it is their invention, but it is actually India's technology.

"Internet and satellite system had existed in India during lakhs of years ago. The richest culture belongs to our nation and I feel proud of it. Even today in internet and software technology, we are ahead. See Microsoft, it may be a U.S. company but most of its engineers are all from our country," he added.

The Tripura Chief Minister viewed that since the era of the Mahabharata, India was top in technology but somehow in the middle, it got lost.

"But, again today India has regained its position in technology in the world and it can be proved from the fact that a large number of software engineers play a vital role in the US companies," the Chief Minister said.

Deb further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a big push to digitisation by making it accessible to citizens across the country.

"Our Prime Minister himself is active on social networking sites and he asks the MPs and even the Chief Ministers about their presence on social media. We are lucky enough to have a guardian-like Prime Minister," he added.&nbsp;

'Internet and satellite communication had existed in the days of Mahabharata. How could Sanjaya (the charioteer of King Dhritarashtra) give a detailed account and description to the blind king about the battle of Kurukshetra? It means internet was there, the satellites and that technology was there in this country at that time,' Deb said

Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb claimed that internet and satellite are not something new but existed since the Mahabharata era. Speaking at a Regional Workshop on Computerisation and Reforms at Pragna Bhawan in Agartala, Deb said that the internet was invented by India lakhs of years ago. "Internet and satellite communication had existed in the days of Mahabharata. How could Sanjaya (the charioteer of King Dhritarashtra) give a detailed account and description to the blind king about the battle of Kurukshetra? It means internet was there, the satellites and that technology was there in this country at that time," he said. The BJP leader said that the European nations and the United States may claim that it is their invention, but it is actually India's technology. "Internet and satellite system had existed in India during lakhs of years ago. The richest culture belongs to our nation and I feel proud of it. Even today in internet and software technology, we are ahead. See Microsoft, it may be a U.S. company but most of its engineers are all from our country," he added. The Tripura Chief Minister viewed that since the era of the Mahabharata, India was top in technology but somehow in the middle, it got lost. "But, again today India has regained its position in technology in the world and it can be proved from the fact that a large number of software engineers play a vital role in the US companies," the Chief Minister said. Deb further said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a big push to digitisation by making it accessible to citizens across the country. "Our Prime Minister himself is active on social networking sites and he asks the MPs and even the Chief Ministers about their presence on social media. We are lucky enough to have a guardian-like Prime Minister," he added.

Internet, satellite communication existed in days of Mahabharata: Tripura CM Biplab Deb

Kartik Aaryan who delivered one of the biggest blockbuster hits of 2018, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety will now be awarded Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Award for being the Best Entertainer of The Year.&nbsp;

Kartik’s performance in the movie SKTKS seemed to have connected with the audience with equal contribution from his co-stars Nushrat Bharucha and Sunny Singh.&nbsp;

The actor first rose to fame with his monologue on women and their issues in his debut film Pyaar Ka Punchnama. He repeated the feat in Pyar Ka Punchnama 2 and both the movies worked well at the box office. However, it was only with Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety that he entered the much-coveted Rs 100-crore-club.

Directed by Luv Ranjan, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety recorded the second biggest opening at the box office this year after Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat.&nbsp;

Along with Kartik, Ranveer Singh, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/anushka-sharma-to-get-dadasaheb-phalke-excellence-award-for-being-path-breaking-producer-129298">Anushka Sharma</a>, Aditi Rao Hydari,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-tamannaah-bhatia-to-receive-dadasaheb-phalke-excellence-award-for-baahubali--129849">Tamannaah Bhatia</a> and Shahid Kapoor will also get their Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Awards. The award will be handed out by a Mumbai-based organisation called the Dadasaheb Phalke Foundation. It is different from the Government of India instituted and recognised Dadasaheb Phalke Award -- awarded during National Awards ceremony held annually in New Delhi -- and is India’s highest cinematic honour. This year, the coveted award was given posthumously to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-rahul-khanna-feels-proud-of-his-father--vinod-khannas-prestigious-award-130367">Vinod Khanna</a>.&nbsp;

The satellite Aryabhata was named after the Indian mathematician and astronomer of the same

Kartik Aaryan who delivered one of the biggest blockbuster hits of 2018, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety will now be awarded Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Award for being the Best Entertainer of The Year. Kartik’s performance in the movie SKTKS seemed to have connected with the audience with equal contribution from his co-stars Nushrat Bharucha and Sunny Singh. The actor first rose to fame with his monologue on women and their issues in his debut film Pyaar Ka Punchnama. He repeated the feat in Pyar Ka Punchnama 2 and both the movies worked well at the box office. However, it was only with Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety that he entered the much-coveted Rs 100-crore-club. Directed by Luv Ranjan, Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety recorded the second biggest opening at the box office this year after Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat. Along with Kartik, Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma, Aditi Rao Hydari, Tamannaah Bhatia and Shahid Kapoor will also get their Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Awards. The award will be handed out by a Mumbai-based organisation called the Dadasaheb Phalke Foundation. It is different from the Government of India instituted and recognised Dadasaheb Phalke Award -- awarded during National Awards ceremony held annually in New Delhi -- and is India’s highest cinematic honour. This year, the coveted award was given posthumously to Vinod Khanna.

India's first satellite was launched 43 years ago today: 5 quick facts about Aryabhata

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-1I or IRNSS-1I from the spaceport of Sriharikota Island, Andhra Pradesh.

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WATCH: ISRO launches the IRNSS-1I navigation satellite aboard the PSLV-C41 from First Launch Pad (FLP) of SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AndhraPradesh?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AndhraPradesh</a> <a href="https://t.co/RNfzYfw0VJ">pic.twitter.com/RNfzYfw0VJ</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/984201690298580993?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Launched at 04:04 early morning, the PSLV-C41 rocket is expected to replace&nbspIRNSS-1A. This satellite is part of the constellation of seven NavIC navigation satellite.

ISRO Chairman K Sivan described the mission a success as he congratulated his fellow scientists.

He said that IRNSS-II has successfully placed in the designated orbit.

This is the second attempt by ISRO to send a replacement satellite as the first attempt in August 2017 the launch of IRNSS-1H had failed.&nbsp

The previous mission last year failed after heat shield covering the satellite failed to separate from the rocket as onboard atomic clocks stopped functioning.

The purpose of these IRNSS satellites is to create India's own navigation system which would be in the lines of US' GPS or Global Positioning System.

Two weeks back ISRO launched GSAT-6A on board GSLV Mk-II. However, the ISRO lost communication with the satellite within two days.

 
&nbsp

The satellite PSLV-C41 is part of the constellation of seven NavIC navigation satellite

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System-1I or IRNSS-1I from the spaceport of Sriharikota Island, Andhra Pradesh. WATCH: ISRO launches the IRNSS-1I navigation satellite aboard the PSLV-C41 from First Launch Pad (FLP) of SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota. #AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/RNfzYfw0VJ — ANI (@ANI) April 11, 2018 × Launched at 04:04 early morning, the PSLV-C41 rocket is expected to replace&nbspIRNSS-1A. This satellite is part of the constellation of seven NavIC navigation satellite. ISRO Chairman K Sivan described the mission a success as he congratulated his fellow scientists. He said that IRNSS-II has successfully placed in the designated orbit. This is the second attempt by ISRO to send a replacement satellite as the first attempt in August 2017 the launch of IRNSS-1H had failed. The previous mission last year failed after heat shield covering the satellite failed to separate from the rocket as onboard atomic clocks stopped functioning. The purpose of these IRNSS satellites is to create India's own navigation system which would be in the lines of US' GPS or Global Positioning System. Two weeks back ISRO launched GSAT-6A on board GSLV Mk-II. However, the ISRO lost communication with the satellite within two days.

ISRO successfully launches 'replacement' navigation satellite

After ISRO informed that it had lost contact with its GSAT-6A satellite on Sunday, they are now speculating that it is very well possible that it could become a 'fully loaded space debris' if link is not established soon enough.&nbsp

Although, ISRO says that it was making efforts to establish a link, with preliminary data showing there are chances of recovery.

As per reports, the satellite's onboard motors have fuel for raising its orbit and also for the next 10 years. The satellites are powered by solar panels that charge the onboard batteries.&nbsp

According to experts, the power system could have failed due to some short-circuiting or arcing resulting in what is known in the space terminology 'loss of lock' or loss of contact with the ground station.&nbsp

The ISRO Chief also pointed out that whenever there is disturbance, the satellite goes into "safe mode" and gets back immediately however, it has not happened this time. "Usually when these type of disturbances come, satellite will go into safe mode, then we establish the link and put the satellite back, but now we are not able to link, and that process is going on," he said.

"Once we are able to contact, then we will be able to do the further function," he added. &nbsp&nbsp

To a question on chances of recovery, Shivan said "right now the preliminary data shows we have chance, we keep trying. First, we have to get the link, that is the most important. Once it is there, we will be able to do the job."

The Indian Space Research Organisation lost communication with the satellite when it attempted to ignite the engine in a third and final move to its desired location after its March 29 textbook launch from the spaceport of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.&nbsp

The second orbit raising operation of GSAT-6A was successfully carried out on Saturday, but when it was on course to normal operating configuration for the third and final firing scheduled for April 1, communication with the satellite was lost, the space agency said after maintaining unusual silence on the health of the satellite.

Although, ISRO says that it was making efforts to establish a link, with preliminary data showing there are chances of recovery

After ISRO informed that it had lost contact with its GSAT-6A satellite on Sunday, they are now speculating that it is very well possible that it could become a 'fully loaded space debris' if link is not established soon enough. Although, ISRO says that it was making efforts to establish a link, with preliminary data showing there are chances of recovery. As per reports, the satellite's onboard motors have fuel for raising its orbit and also for the next 10 years. The satellites are powered by solar panels that charge the onboard batteries. According to experts, the power system could have failed due to some short-circuiting or arcing resulting in what is known in the space terminology 'loss of lock' or loss of contact with the ground station. The ISRO Chief also pointed out that whenever there is disturbance, the satellite goes into "safe mode" and gets back immediately however, it has not happened this time. "Usually when these type of disturbances come, satellite will go into safe mode, then we establish the link and put the satellite back, but now we are not able to link, and that process is going on," he said. "Once we are able to contact, then we will be able to do the further function," he added. To a question on chances of recovery, Shivan said "right now the preliminary data shows we have chance, we keep trying. First, we have to get the link, that is the most important. Once it is there, we will be able to do the job." The Indian Space Research Organisation lost communication with the satellite when it attempted to ignite the engine in a third and final move to its desired location after its March 29 textbook launch from the spaceport of Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The second orbit raising operation of GSAT-6A was successfully carried out on Saturday, but when it was on course to normal operating configuration for the third and final firing scheduled for April 1, communication with the satellite was lost, the space agency said after maintaining unusual silence on the health of the satellite.

GSAT-6A could become 'space debris' if link not established: Experts

The Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) today launched the GSLV-F08 carrying the GSAT-6A communication satellite from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: ISRO's launches GSLV-F08 carrying the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GSAT6A?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GSAT6A</a> communication satellite from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. <a href="https://t.co/m7qum0DnkA">pic.twitter.com/m7qum0DnkA</a>
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GSAT-6A is similar to GSAT-6, a high power S-band communication satellite built on I-2K satellite bus with a mission life of about ten years.

A key feature of the satellite is providing mobile communication to India through multi-beam coverage facility, reports said.

GSLV-F08, weighing 415.6 tonnes with a height of 49.1 metre comes with notable improvements like induction of High Thrust Vikas Engine, electromechanical actuation system in place of the electro-hydraulic actuation system.

At the end of the 27-hour countdown, the 49.1-metre Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F08), fitted with indigenously developed cryogenic third stage, lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here at 4.56 pm and soared majestically into the clear sky.

The 2140-kg GSAT-6A is a high power S-band communication satellite and would complement the services provided by GSAT 6 since its launch in 2015. It will be a technology demonstrator for high power S-band transmission from the satellite for supporting two-way communication, according to ISRO.

The satellite will also provide a platform for developing technologies such as demonstration of 6m S-Band Unfurlable Antenna, handheld ground terminals and network management techniques that could be useful in satellite-based mobile communication applications.

ISRO had made significant improvements in the GSLV Mk-II rocket including induction of high thrust Vikas engine in the second stage. The three-stage launch vehicle weighing 415.6 tonnes also was deployed with electromechanical actuation system in place of electro-hydraulic actuation system for much better reliability.

(With inputs from PTI)

&nbsp;

GSAT-6A is similar to GSAT-6, a high power S-band communication satellite built on I-2K satellite bus with a mission life of about ten years

The Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) today launched the GSLV-F08 carrying the GSAT-6A communication satellite from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota. #WATCH: ISRO's launches GSLV-F08 carrying the #GSAT6A communication satellite from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/m7qum0DnkA — ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2018 × GSAT-6A is similar to GSAT-6, a high power S-band communication satellite built on I-2K satellite bus with a mission life of about ten years. A key feature of the satellite is providing mobile communication to India through multi-beam coverage facility, reports said. GSLV-F08, weighing 415.6 tonnes with a height of 49.1 metre comes with notable improvements like induction of High Thrust Vikas Engine, electromechanical actuation system in place of the electro-hydraulic actuation system. At the end of the 27-hour countdown, the 49.1-metre Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F08), fitted with indigenously developed cryogenic third stage, lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here at 4.56 pm and soared majestically into the clear sky. The 2140-kg GSAT-6A is a high power S-band communication satellite and would complement the services provided by GSAT 6 since its launch in 2015. It will be a technology demonstrator for high power S-band transmission from the satellite for supporting two-way communication, according to ISRO. The satellite will also provide a platform for developing technologies such as demonstration of 6m S-Band Unfurlable Antenna, handheld ground terminals and network management techniques that could be useful in satellite-based mobile communication applications. ISRO had made significant improvements in the GSLV Mk-II rocket including induction of high thrust Vikas engine in the second stage. The three-stage launch vehicle weighing 415.6 tonnes also was deployed with electromechanical actuation system in place of electro-hydraulic actuation system for much better reliability. (With inputs from PTI)

Watch: ISRO launches GSLV-F08 carrying GSAT-6A communication satellite

Japan&#39;s space agency launched on Saturday (February 3) what it says is the smallest rocket ever to send a satellite into orbit.

A launch of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency&#39;s SS-520 in January 2017 failed when a communications problem was discovered after the first stage of the launch. The rocket was allowed to drop back to earth without sending its payload into orbit.

The SS-520 rocket was modified this time from a two-stage rocket to a three-stage rocket but the size remains as the previous rocket at about 10 metres (35 feet) long and 50 centimeters (20 inches) in diameter.

The 3kg (6.6 lb), 35-centimetre nano-satellite is carrying will take images of the earth and gather other data.

A launch of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's SS-520 in January 2017 failed when a communications problem was discovered after the first stage of the launch. The rocket was allowed to drop back to earth without sending its payload into orbit

Japan's space agency launched on Saturday (February 3) what it says is the smallest rocket ever to send a satellite into orbit. A launch of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's SS-520 in January 2017 failed when a communications problem was discovered after the first stage of the launch. The rocket was allowed to drop back to earth without sending its payload into orbit. The SS-520 rocket was modified this time from a two-stage rocket to a three-stage rocket but the size remains as the previous rocket at about 10 metres (35 feet) long and 50 centimeters (20 inches) in diameter. The 3kg (6.6 lb), 35-centimetre nano-satellite is carrying will take images of the earth and gather other data.

Japan successfully launches world's smallest rocket to send a satellite into orbit

Russia on Thursday successfully launched 11 satellites from its Vostochny cosmodrome, in the third rocket liftoff from the new spaceport, the space agency said.

The country`s first orbital launch of 2018 came after a similar liftoff from the cosmodrome in eastern Russia ended in embarrassment, with officials losing contact with a string of satellites last November.

Lifting off as scheduled earlier Thursday, the Soyuz rocket carried two Russian Earth-monitoring satellites as its primary payload and nine US and German piggyback satellites.

During its mission the Fregat upper-stage rocket performed a complex sequence, forming several orbits for the delivery of the satellites, the Roscosmos space agency said.

&quot;In accordance with the flight programme, the Fregat upper-stage placed into orbit space vehicles of main and secondary payloads,&quot; the space agency said in a statement.

Both the Soyuz rocket and the upper stage &quot;performed without a glitch,&quot; the statement added.

Dmitry Rogozin, the deputy prime minister in charge of space, said contact with Russia`s Kanopus-V earth monitoring satellites had been established.

&quot;Thank you everyone,&quot; the official tweeted.

The second liftoff from the Vostochny cosmodrome ended in failure last November when Russian officials lost contact with a weather satellite hours after its launch.

Apart from the Meteor weather satellite contact had been lost with 18 payloads from institutions and companies in Canada, the United States, Japan, Germany, Sweden and Norway.

The glitch was a fresh embarrassment for the country`s once-proud space industry which has suffered a series of setbacks over recent years

Officials blamed the accident on a programming error.&nbsp;

Thursday`s launch had been initially planned for last December, but was postponed due to the November accident.

In late December, Russia lost contact with Angola`s first national telecoms satellite launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan but several days later officials said they had restored communication.

The inaugural launch from Vostochny spaceport took place in April 2016, with President Vladimir Putin overseeing the takeoff.&nbsp;

It represented a major development for the country`s space sector, with the new cosmodrome touted to mark a rebirth of the industry.

The country`s first orbital launch of 2018 came after a similar liftoff from the cosmodrome in eastern Russia ended in embarrassment, with officials losing contact with a string of satellites last November

Russia on Thursday successfully launched 11 satellites from its Vostochny cosmodrome, in the third rocket liftoff from the new spaceport, the space agency said. The country`s first orbital launch of 2018 came after a similar liftoff from the cosmodrome in eastern Russia ended in embarrassment, with officials losing contact with a string of satellites last November. Lifting off as scheduled earlier Thursday, the Soyuz rocket carried two Russian Earth-monitoring satellites as its primary payload and nine US and German piggyback satellites. During its mission the Fregat upper-stage rocket performed a complex sequence, forming several orbits for the delivery of the satellites, the Roscosmos space agency said. "In accordance with the flight programme, the Fregat upper-stage placed into orbit space vehicles of main and secondary payloads," the space agency said in a statement. Both the Soyuz rocket and the upper stage "performed without a glitch," the statement added. Dmitry Rogozin, the deputy prime minister in charge of space, said contact with Russia`s Kanopus-V earth monitoring satellites had been established. "Thank you everyone," the official tweeted. The second liftoff from the Vostochny cosmodrome ended in failure last November when Russian officials lost contact with a weather satellite hours after its launch. Apart from the Meteor weather satellite contact had been lost with 18 payloads from institutions and companies in Canada, the United States, Japan, Germany, Sweden and Norway. The glitch was a fresh embarrassment for the country`s once-proud space industry which has suffered a series of setbacks over recent years Officials blamed the accident on a programming error. Thursday`s launch had been initially planned for last December, but was postponed due to the November accident. In late December, Russia lost contact with Angola`s first national telecoms satellite launched from the Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan but several days later officials said they had restored communication. The inaugural launch from Vostochny spaceport took place in April 2016, with President Vladimir Putin overseeing the takeoff. It represented a major development for the country`s space sector, with the new cosmodrome touted to mark a rebirth of the industry.

Russia launches 11 space satellites 'without glitch'

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida on Wednesday carrying into orbit a Luxembourg-made communications satellite designed in part to expand NATO`s surveillance reach and its capability to deter cyber attacks on alliance members.

The liftoff at 4:25 p.m. EST (2125 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station followed a technical glitch that prompted a 24-hour flight delay. It marked the second rocket launch this year for billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and his privately owned Space Exploration Technologies.

It comes a week before the California-based company is slated to conduct its highly anticipated first test flight of the much larger and more powerful Falcon Heavy rocket, which packs three times the thrust of the Falcon 9.

Wednesday`s payload is a communications satellite built for LuxGovSat S.A., a public-private joint venture between the Luxembourg government and Luxembourg-based telecommunications company SES, in part to fulfil that nation`s growing defence obligations to NATO.

The so-called GovSat-1 satellite will provide, among other things, greater cyber protection for Luxembourg`s European Union partners and NATO allies, including the United States, Luxembourg Defense Minister Etienne Schneider told a news conference on Tuesday.

GovSat-1 also will serve civilian telecommunications security functions.

Thirty-four minutes after liftoff, the satellite was successfully released into orbit 22,370 miles(36,000 km) above the equator, where it will circle the Earth for 15 years, according to SpaceX.

A spokesman for Schneider said the $279 million satellite, which weighs about 4-1/2 tons, is part of a broader policy of doubling the country`s contributions to NATO.

Citing new security threats, a senior NATO official told Reuters in March that the alliance planned to spend more than $3 billion on defence technology, a third of which would go toward satellite communications.&nbsp;

Unlike many recent SpaceX launches, no attempt was made to retrieve the rocket`s reusable main-stage because the SES satellite had to be carried to a higher Earth orbit, leaving the booster without sufficient fuel to fly back to Earth for a return landing.

The same Falcon 9 booster was used last year in a mission to launch a top-secret payload into space for the U.S. government.

&nbsp;

The same Falcon 9 booster was used last year in a mission to launch a top-secret payload into space for the U.S. government

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Florida on Wednesday carrying into orbit a Luxembourg-made communications satellite designed in part to expand NATO`s surveillance reach and its capability to deter cyber attacks on alliance members. The liftoff at 4:25 p.m. EST (2125 GMT) from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station followed a technical glitch that prompted a 24-hour flight delay. It marked the second rocket launch this year for billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and his privately owned Space Exploration Technologies. It comes a week before the California-based company is slated to conduct its highly anticipated first test flight of the much larger and more powerful Falcon Heavy rocket, which packs three times the thrust of the Falcon 9. Wednesday`s payload is a communications satellite built for LuxGovSat S.A., a public-private joint venture between the Luxembourg government and Luxembourg-based telecommunications company SES, in part to fulfil that nation`s growing defence obligations to NATO. The so-called GovSat-1 satellite will provide, among other things, greater cyber protection for Luxembourg`s European Union partners and NATO allies, including the United States, Luxembourg Defense Minister Etienne Schneider told a news conference on Tuesday. GovSat-1 also will serve civilian telecommunications security functions. Thirty-four minutes after liftoff, the satellite was successfully released into orbit 22,370 miles(36,000 km) above the equator, where it will circle the Earth for 15 years, according to SpaceX. A spokesman for Schneider said the $279 million satellite, which weighs about 4-1/2 tons, is part of a broader policy of doubling the country`s contributions to NATO. Citing new security threats, a senior NATO official told Reuters in March that the alliance planned to spend more than $3 billion on defence technology, a third of which would go toward satellite communications. Unlike many recent SpaceX launches, no attempt was made to retrieve the rocket`s reusable main-stage because the SES satellite had to be carried to a higher Earth orbit, leaving the booster without sufficient fuel to fly back to Earth for a return landing. The same Falcon 9 booster was used last year in a mission to launch a top-secret payload into space for the U.S. government.

SpaceX rocket launches Luxembourg satellite for NATO

India today reaffirmed its space prowess and commercial launch capabilities as it successfully <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/isros-pslv-c40-successfully-launches-31-satellites-29295" target="_blank">launched its 100th satellite </a>along with 30 other spacecraft including weather observation Cartosat 2 series onboard the Polar rocket from here.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/all-you-need-to-know-about-cartosat-2-series-satellite-launched-by-isro-today-29296" target="_blank">All you need to know about Cartosat-2 series satellite launched by ISRO today</a>

This was PSLV&#39;s longest-ever mission.

With the successful launch, including 28 satellites from foreign countries, by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), ISRO put behind a rare failure it encountered four months ago.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had suffered a setback after the failure of the earlier PSLV-C39 mission in August last year.

The previous mission to launch backup navigation satellite IRNSS-1H on board PSLV-C39 had failed after the heat shield did not separate in the final leg of the launch sequence, with the satellite getting stuck in the fourth stage of the rocket.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed ISRO scientists for the successful PSLV C-40 mission.

&quot;The launch of the 100th satellite by @isro signifies both its glorious achievements and also the bright future of India&#39;s space programme,&quot; he said a tweet.

A visibly relieved ISRO Chairman A S Kiran Kumar, on his final mission as the chief of the space agency, said he was happy to provide Cartosat 2 Series as a New Year gift for the country.

&quot;ISRO is starting 2018 with the successful launch... All satellites have been released. So far Cartosat performance is satisfactory,&quot; he said at the mission control room.

He said the previous launch faced a heat shield problem and an ISRO committee has addressed it and taken steps to ensure the vehicle was &#39;robust&#39;.

Today&#39;s mission marked a milestone in ISRO&#39;s annals with a microsatellite, among the three Indian spacecraft launched, becoming the 100th to roll out through ISRO Satellite Centre Complex (ISAC).

Besides ISRO&#39;s communication, weather observation, navigation and experimental spacecraft, the 100 satellites included nano and micro spacecraft made by educational institutions in the country, Kumar, who is retiring later this month, said.

&quot;Basically...The 100 satellites covers all student satellites also that have been put (by ISRO),&quot; he told reporters at the post-launch briefing.

Earlier, in a precise launch, PSLV-C40 lifted off at 9.28 am at the end of the 28-hour countdown from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here, about 110 km from Chennai, and soared into a cloudy sky.

After a perfect flight sequence, each of which was applauded by ISRO scientists, the four-stage rocket first injected the 710-kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite for earth observation into 505-km polar sun-synchronous orbit about 17 minutes after liftoff.

India&#39;s nanosatellite and 28 payloads from six countries, including the US and the UK, totally weighing 613 kg were then released into orbit one by one in a space of about seven minutes.

In a multi-orbit manoeuvre, microsatellite built by ISRO was placed in the orbit finally after the PSLV-C40 was brought down to 359.584 km in polar Sun-synchronous orbit by twice re-starting the fourth stage of the rocket, about 105 minutes after lift-off.

The fourth stage was finally shut off at about 2 hours 21 minutes, thus making the mission the longest ever by ISRO.

A similar kind of process was taken up during the launch of SCATSAT-1 onboard PSLV-C35 in September 2016 in which the fourth stage engine was restarted and later cut off for launching the satellite.

This mission had lasted two hours and 15 minutes, ISRO scientists said.

Cartosat-2 Series is an advanced remote sensing satellite similar in configuration to earlier six spacecraft in the series and intended to augment data services to the users.

Its primary objective is to provide high-resolution scene-specific spot imageries that would help in urban and rural applications, coastal land use and regulation, road network monitoring, water distribution and geographical information system applications among others.

The 28 international customer satellites were launched as part of the commercial arrangements between ISRO and its commercial arm Antrix Corporation Ltd.

The co-passenger satellites include three micro and 25 nano-satellites from six countries -- Canada, Finland, France, Korea, the United Kingdom and US.

According to ISRO, the Cartosat-2 series satellite carries panchromatic and multi-spectral cameras operating in Time Delay Integration mode and is capable of delivering high-resolution data.

India today reaffirmed its space prowess and commercial launch capabilities as it successfully launched its 100th satellite along with 30 other spacecraft including weather observation Cartosat 2 series onboard the Polar rocket from Sriharikota

India today reaffirmed its space prowess and commercial launch capabilities as it successfully launched its 100th satellite along with 30 other spacecraft including weather observation Cartosat 2 series onboard the Polar rocket from here. Also read: All you need to know about Cartosat-2 series satellite launched by ISRO today This was PSLV's longest-ever mission. With the successful launch, including 28 satellites from foreign countries, by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), ISRO put behind a rare failure it encountered four months ago. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had suffered a setback after the failure of the earlier PSLV-C39 mission in August last year. The previous mission to launch backup navigation satellite IRNSS-1H on board PSLV-C39 had failed after the heat shield did not separate in the final leg of the launch sequence, with the satellite getting stuck in the fourth stage of the rocket. Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed ISRO scientists for the successful PSLV C-40 mission. "The launch of the 100th satellite by @isro signifies both its glorious achievements and also the bright future of India's space programme," he said a tweet. A visibly relieved ISRO Chairman A S Kiran Kumar, on his final mission as the chief of the space agency, said he was happy to provide Cartosat 2 Series as a New Year gift for the country. "ISRO is starting 2018 with the successful launch... All satellites have been released. So far Cartosat performance is satisfactory," he said at the mission control room. He said the previous launch faced a heat shield problem and an ISRO committee has addressed it and taken steps to ensure the vehicle was 'robust'. Today's mission marked a milestone in ISRO's annals with a microsatellite, among the three Indian spacecraft launched, becoming the 100th to roll out through ISRO Satellite Centre Complex (ISAC). Besides ISRO's communication, weather observation, navigation and experimental spacecraft, the 100 satellites included nano and micro spacecraft made by educational institutions in the country, Kumar, who is retiring later this month, said. "Basically...The 100 satellites covers all student satellites also that have been put (by ISRO)," he told reporters at the post-launch briefing. Earlier, in a precise launch, PSLV-C40 lifted off at 9.28 am at the end of the 28-hour countdown from the first launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here, about 110 km from Chennai, and soared into a cloudy sky. After a perfect flight sequence, each of which was applauded by ISRO scientists, the four-stage rocket first injected the 710-kg Cartosat-2 Series Satellite for earth observation into 505-km polar sun-synchronous orbit about 17 minutes after liftoff. India's nanosatellite and 28 payloads from six countries, including the US and the UK, totally weighing 613 kg were then released into orbit one by one in a space of about seven minutes. In a multi-orbit manoeuvre, microsatellite built by ISRO was placed in the orbit finally after the PSLV-C40 was brought down to 359.584 km in polar Sun-synchronous orbit by twice re-starting the fourth stage of the rocket, about 105 minutes after lift-off. The fourth stage was finally shut off at about 2 hours 21 minutes, thus making the mission the longest ever by ISRO. A similar kind of process was taken up during the launch of SCATSAT-1 onboard PSLV-C35 in September 2016 in which the fourth stage engine was restarted and later cut off for launching the satellite. This mission had lasted two hours and 15 minutes, ISRO scientists said. Cartosat-2 Series is an advanced remote sensing satellite similar in configuration to earlier six spacecraft in the series and intended to augment data services to the users. Its primary objective is to provide high-resolution scene-specific spot imageries that would help in urban and rural applications, coastal land use and regulation, road network monitoring, water distribution and geographical information system applications among others. The 28 international customer satellites were launched as part of the commercial arrangements between ISRO and its commercial arm Antrix Corporation Ltd. The co-passenger satellites include three micro and 25 nano-satellites from six countries -- Canada, Finland, France, Korea, the United Kingdom and US. According to ISRO, the Cartosat-2 series satellite carries panchromatic and multi-spectral cameras operating in Time Delay Integration mode and is capable of delivering high-resolution data.

India sends its 100th satellite into space to watch borders

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/as-iran-nuclear-deal-hangs-in-balance-president-macron-calls-trump-29279" target="_blank">As Iran nuclear deal hangs in balance, President Macron calls Trump</a>

As President Trump mulls over Iran nuclear deal, French President &nbsp;Macron said there should be &quot;strict application&quot; and &quot;importance of all signatories to respect it&quot;. Trump is expected to decide today on providing relief to Iran under the 215 nuclear deal which was signed by former President Obama along with other nations.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/vijay-mallyas-bail-extended-till-april-2-concerns-raised-over-reliability-of-evidence-29276" target="_blank">Vijay Mallya&#39;s bail extended till April 2, concerns raised over reliability of evidence</a>

The Westminster magistrates&#39; court in London on Thursday decided to extend liquor baron Vijay Mallya&#39;s bail till April 2 in association with his extradition case. The bail raised concerns over the reliability of evidence provided by India. Judge Emma Arbuthnot has extended Mallya&#39;s &pound;650,000 bail.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/why-do-we-want-people-from-these-shithole-countries-trump-over-immigrants-from-africa-haiti-29278" target="_blank">Lawmakers angry over Trump&#39;s expletive on immigrants</a>

President Donald Trump on Thursday questioned why the United States would want to have immigrants from Haiti and African nations, referring to some as &quot;shithole countries&quot;. &quot;Why do we want all these people from Africa here? They&#39;re shithole countries ... We should have more people from Norway&quot; he said. He further slammed the need for Haitians in the United States.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-all-set-to-launch-100th-satellite-today-29283" target="_blank">Countdown begins as ISRO gets set to launch 100th satellite today</a>

India is all set to launch its 100th satellite &#39;Cartosat-2 Series&#39; from Andhra Pradesh&#39;s Sriharikota today. The launch is set for 9:28am on Friday at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-may-cancel-uk-visit-amid-fears-of-mass-protests-report-29282" target="_blank">Trump may cancel UK visit amid fears of mass protests: Report</a>

President Trump may pull out of the visit to Britain next month amid concerns over mass protests when he arrives in London, British media reported. Last month, PM Theresa May&#39;s cabinet minister Sam Gyimah had said he would feel &nbsp;&ldquo;deeply uncomfortable&rdquo; if President Trump&#39;s visit went ahead after May clashed with Trump over US president&#39;s retweets of far-right anti-Muslim propaganda, Britain First.

As Iran nuclear deal hangs in balance, President Macron calls Trump As President Trump mulls over Iran nuclear deal, French President Macron said there should be "strict application" and "importance of all signatories to respect it". Trump is expected to decide today on providing relief to Iran under the 215 nuclear deal which was signed by former President Obama along with other nations. Vijay Mallya's bail extended till April 2, concerns raised over reliability of evidence The Westminster magistrates' court in London on Thursday decided to extend liquor baron Vijay Mallya's bail till April 2 in association with his extradition case. The bail raised concerns over the reliability of evidence provided by India. Judge Emma Arbuthnot has extended Mallya's £650,000 bail. Lawmakers angry over Trump's expletive on immigrants President Donald Trump on Thursday questioned why the United States would want to have immigrants from Haiti and African nations, referring to some as "shithole countries". "Why do we want all these people from Africa here? They're shithole countries ... We should have more people from Norway" he said. He further slammed the need for Haitians in the United States. Countdown begins as ISRO gets set to launch 100th satellite today India is all set to launch its 100th satellite 'Cartosat-2 Series' from Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota today. The launch is set for 9:28am on Friday at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. Trump may cancel UK visit amid fears of mass protests: Report President Trump may pull out of the visit to Britain next month amid concerns over mass protests when he arrives in London, British media reported. Last month, PM Theresa May's cabinet minister Sam Gyimah had said he would feel “deeply uncomfortable” if President Trump's visit went ahead after May clashed with Trump over US president's retweets of far-right anti-Muslim propaganda, Britain First.

WION Morning News Brief, January 12, 2017

Authors: Marc Norman and Penelope King*

No human has been to the Moon since 1972 and only 12 people have ever done it &ndash; all of them American men.

But that list could soon be getting a lot longer.

Why the Moon? Haven&rsquo;t we already been there, done that? Well, yes. But now there are new reasons motivating countries to reach the Moon.

Human and other missions to the Moon are planned by India, China and Russia, as well as Japan and Europe. South Korea and North Korea are also looking towards the Moon.

Even NASA seems to be getting its mojo back, recently announcing a revamped vision for a Deep Space Gateway that includes a port of call at the Moon en route to Mars and beyond. Elon Musk has also called for a Moon base.

Private companies are vying for a slice of the Moon pie, lured by Google&rsquo;s multi-million dollar XPRIZE that challenges entrants to develop low-cost methods for robotic space exploration.

A space race of sorts seems to back on in earnest, for five reasons.

Reason 1: A vision for innovation

In the past and still now, one reason that space attracts interest and investment is that humans seem driven to explore and push the limits, physically and viscerally.

But space also acts as a unifying force, providing a clear vision that pushes technology and innovation forwards.

After several decades of relative neglect, space exploration is again seen as driving technology, inspiring engagement with science and engineering, and creating national pride. The program at the recent International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide captured that sentiment.

These motivators are seen as especially important by emerging economies like India, China and Russia, which means that more established players like Europe and the USA have to work harder keep up.

The recent announcement that Australia will have a space agency is expected to create new opportunities for this country.

Reason 2: Economic and geopolitical advantages

Paradoxically, exploration of the Moon builds both international cooperation and competition.

Even if they don&rsquo;t have their own space program, countries can develop instruments to fly on spacecraft that are built and launched by other nations. For example, India&rsquo;s Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft carried instruments from Sweden, Germany, UK, Bulgaria, and the US to the Moon. This helps mesh economies and provides strong motivation to keep the peace.

Economic and geopolitical competition occurs because the Moon is seen as an unclaimed territory. No country is allowed to own the Moon, at least according to a 1967 UN Treaty that has agreement from over 100 countries.

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The Long March 3C rocket carrying an experimental Moon orbiter launches from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China&rsquo;s Sichuan province, 24 October 2014. (Others)
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Nonetheless, there are incentives to place a claim on the Moon. For example, helium-3 (an isotope of the element helium) is abundant on the Moon but rare on Earth. It is a potential fuel for nuclear fusion, a potentially unlimited and non-polluting source of energy. China, in particular, has stated a strong interest in lunar helium-3.

The situation appears similar to that of Antarctica in the 1950s, when the continent was subdivided by the 12 countries that had active scientific programs in the region at the time. Sending a spacecraft to the Moon &ndash; even if it fails prematurely like India&rsquo;s Chandrayaan-1 &ndash; may provide a compelling case for recognition if the Moon were ever to be carved up into zones of research and economic development.

Russia, China, Japan, Europe and the USA landed (or crashed) spacecraft on the Moon in the decades after Apollo.

Reason 3: An easy target

Growing space agencies need successful missions, and the Moon is a tempting target. Radio communication over the relatively short distance between the Earth and Moon (384,400 km) is almost instantaneous (1-2 sec). Between Earth and Mars, two-way communication times can be the better part of an hour.

The low gravity and lack of an atmosphere on the Moon also simplifies operations for orbiters and landers.

The Russian Luna missions showed that it is technically feasible to apply robotics to bring samples from the Moon to Earth. China aims to launch a robotic mission to the Moon in the next 1-2 years to fetch samples. If successful, these will be the first samples brought back from the Moon since Luna 24 in 1976.

Reason 4: New discoveries

Despite decades of observations, each new mission to the Moon produces new discoveries.

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Indian spacecraft lifting off carrying India&rsquo;s first lunar probe Chandrayaan-1 at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, 22 October 2008. (Others)
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Japan&rsquo;s Selene spacecraft and India&rsquo;s Chandrayaan-1 mission discovered new distributions of minerals on the Moon and probed regions of potential resources.

An exciting discovery has been the presence of water ice and other organic compounds in permanently shadowed regions of the Moon that never see sunlight. If present in sufficient quantities, water ice on the Moon could be used as a resource for generating fuel or supporting human habitation. This would be a major advantage for future missions considering the cost of carrying water from the Earth to the Moon

Although immense engineering advances are needed to recover these resources from environments as cold as -250?, such challenges drive new technologies.

Reason 5: We learn about Earth

Aside from the practicalities, exploration of the Moon has revealed completely new ideas about the origin of the Solar system.

Prior to the Apollo missions, planets were thought to form over long periods of time by the slow agglomeration of dusty particles. Moon rocks returned to Earth by the Apollo missions changed that idea literally overnight. We now know that gigantic collisions between planets were common, and one such collision of a Mars-size planet with the Earth probably formed the Moon (animation).

We&rsquo;ve also learned that the dark circular features on the Moon are scars of impacting asteroids stirred up by shifts in the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn.

Future studies of the Moon will undoubtedly lead to even deeper insights into the origin of the Earth, our home planet.

Space exploration is not only about &ldquo;out there&rdquo;. Travel to the Moon creates jobs, technical innovations and new discoveries that improve the lives of all of us &ldquo;down here&rdquo;.

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-reasons-india-china-and-other-nations-plan-to-travel-to-the-moon-87589" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

Image Credit: ISRO, NASA, AAP

Penelope King is an Associate Professor at Australian National University

(Disclaimer: Both authors write here in a personal capacity).

No human has been to the moon since 1972. But India, China and Russia would like to change that, and soon

Authors: Marc Norman and Penelope King* No human has been to the Moon since 1972 and only 12 people have ever done it – all of them American men. But that list could soon be getting a lot longer. Why the Moon? Haven’t we already been there, done that? Well, yes. But now there are new reasons motivating countries to reach the Moon. Human and other missions to the Moon are planned by India, China and Russia, as well as Japan and Europe. South Korea and North Korea are also looking towards the Moon. Even NASA seems to be getting its mojo back, recently announcing a revamped vision for a Deep Space Gateway that includes a port of call at the Moon en route to Mars and beyond. Elon Musk has also called for a Moon base. Private companies are vying for a slice of the Moon pie, lured by Google’s multi-million dollar XPRIZE that challenges entrants to develop low-cost methods for robotic space exploration. A space race of sorts seems to back on in earnest, for five reasons. Reason 1: A vision for innovation In the past and still now, one reason that space attracts interest and investment is that humans seem driven to explore and push the limits, physically and viscerally. But space also acts as a unifying force, providing a clear vision that pushes technology and innovation forwards. After several decades of relative neglect, space exploration is again seen as driving technology, inspiring engagement with science and engineering, and creating national pride. The program at the recent International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide captured that sentiment. These motivators are seen as especially important by emerging economies like India, China and Russia, which means that more established players like Europe and the USA have to work harder keep up. The recent announcement that Australia will have a space agency is expected to create new opportunities for this country. Reason 2: Economic and geopolitical advantages Paradoxically, exploration of the Moon builds both international cooperation and competition. Even if they don’t have their own space program, countries can develop instruments to fly on spacecraft that are built and launched by other nations. For example, India’s Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft carried instruments from Sweden, Germany, UK, Bulgaria, and the US to the Moon. This helps mesh economies and provides strong motivation to keep the peace. Economic and geopolitical competition occurs because the Moon is seen as an unclaimed territory. No country is allowed to own the Moon, at least according to a 1967 UN Treaty that has agreement from over 100 countries. The Long March 3C rocket carrying an experimental Moon orbiter launches from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China’s Sichuan province, 24 October 2014. (Others) × Nonetheless, there are incentives to place a claim on the Moon. For example, helium-3 (an isotope of the element helium) is abundant on the Moon but rare on Earth. It is a potential fuel for nuclear fusion, a potentially unlimited and non-polluting source of energy. China, in particular, has stated a strong interest in lunar helium-3. The situation appears similar to that of Antarctica in the 1950s, when the continent was subdivided by the 12 countries that had active scientific programs in the region at the time. Sending a spacecraft to the Moon – even if it fails prematurely like India’s Chandrayaan-1 – may provide a compelling case for recognition if the Moon were ever to be carved up into zones of research and economic development. Russia, China, Japan, Europe and the USA landed (or crashed) spacecraft on the Moon in the decades after Apollo. Reason 3: An easy target Growing space agencies need successful missions, and the Moon is a tempting target. Radio communication over the relatively short distance between the Earth and Moon (384,400 km) is almost instantaneous (1-2 sec). Between Earth and Mars, two-way communication times can be the better part of an hour. The low gravity and lack of an atmosphere on the Moon also simplifies operations for orbiters and landers. The Russian Luna missions showed that it is technically feasible to apply robotics to bring samples from the Moon to Earth. China aims to launch a robotic mission to the Moon in the next 1-2 years to fetch samples. If successful, these will be the first samples brought back from the Moon since Luna 24 in 1976. Reason 4: New discoveries Despite decades of observations, each new mission to the Moon produces new discoveries. Indian spacecraft lifting off carrying India’s first lunar probe Chandrayaan-1 at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, 22 October 2008. (Others) × Japan’s Selene spacecraft and India’s Chandrayaan-1 mission discovered new distributions of minerals on the Moon and probed regions of potential resources. An exciting discovery has been the presence of water ice and other organic compounds in permanently shadowed regions of the Moon that never see sunlight. If present in sufficient quantities, water ice on the Moon could be used as a resource for generating fuel or supporting human habitation. This would be a major advantage for future missions considering the cost of carrying water from the Earth to the Moon Although immense engineering advances are needed to recover these resources from environments as cold as -250?, such challenges drive new technologies. Reason 5: We learn about Earth Aside from the practicalities, exploration of the Moon has revealed completely new ideas about the origin of the Solar system. Prior to the Apollo missions, planets were thought to form over long periods of time by the slow agglomeration of dusty particles. Moon rocks returned to Earth by the Apollo missions changed that idea literally overnight. We now know that gigantic collisions between planets were common, and one such collision of a Mars-size planet with the Earth probably formed the Moon (animation). We’ve also learned that the dark circular features on the Moon are scars of impacting asteroids stirred up by shifts in the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn. Future studies of the Moon will undoubtedly lead to even deeper insights into the origin of the Earth, our home planet. Space exploration is not only about “out there”. Travel to the Moon creates jobs, technical innovations and new discoveries that improve the lives of all of us “down here”. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. Image Credit: ISRO, NASA, AAP Penelope King is an Associate Professor at Australian National University (Disclaimer: Both authors write here in a personal capacity).

Opinion: Why India & China plan to travel to the Moon

Satellite images taken this month of a North Korean naval shipyard indicate Pyongyang is pursuing an &ldquo;aggressive schedule&rdquo; to build its first operational ballistic missile submarine, a US&nbsp;institute reported on Thursday.

Washington-based 38 North, a North Korea monitoring project, cited images taken on November 5th showing activity at North Korea&rsquo;s Sinpo South Shipyard.

&ldquo;The presence of what appear to be sections of a submarine&rsquo;s pressure hull in the yards suggests construction of a new submarine, possibly the SINPO-C ballistic missile submarine - the follow-on to the current SINPO-class experimental ballistic missile submarine,&rdquo; 38 North said in a report.

The report said that throughout 2017 there had been a continued movement of parts and components into and out of two parts yards adjacent to the constructions halls in the center of the shipyard.

It said the November 5th images showed two large circular objects that could be sections of a submarine&rsquo;s pressure hull. It said these appeared larger than those for North Korea&rsquo;s ROMEO-class attack submarine.

Images of a test stand indicated continued testing of a mechanism for ejection launch of missiles from a submarine. However, the report said no activity could be seen suggesting preparations for a new test of a submarine-launched missile.

North Korea has been working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States, sparking a major international crisis in which US&nbsp;President Donald Trump has said that all options are under consideration, including military ones.

North Korea is also thought to be working on a solid-fuel missile for submarine launches.

Last month, The Diplomat magazine quoted a US&nbsp;government source as saying US&nbsp;military intelligence had detected a new diesel-electric submarine under construction at Sinpo and dubbed it the Sinpo-C. It said the submarine was likely a larger successor to North Korea&rsquo;s single experimental ballistic missile submarine.

North Korea has conducted dozens of missile tests this year and its largest and biggest nuclear test on Sept. 3. The past two months have seen a relative lull and it has not tested a missile since firing one over Japan on September 15.

Another article in The Diplomat last month quoted a US&nbsp;government source as saying that North Korea had tested a new solid fuel engine sometime between Oct. 15 and Oct. 21. US&nbsp;intelligence officials have declined to comment on this.

Washington-based 38 North, a North Korea monitoring project, cited images taken on November 5th showing activity at North Korea?s Sinpo South Shipyard

Satellite images taken this month of a North Korean naval shipyard indicate Pyongyang is pursuing an “aggressive schedule” to build its first operational ballistic missile submarine, a US institute reported on Thursday. Washington-based 38 North, a North Korea monitoring project, cited images taken on November 5th showing activity at North Korea’s Sinpo South Shipyard. “The presence of what appear to be sections of a submarine’s pressure hull in the yards suggests construction of a new submarine, possibly the SINPO-C ballistic missile submarine - the follow-on to the current SINPO-class experimental ballistic missile submarine,” 38 North said in a report. The report said that throughout 2017 there had been a continued movement of parts and components into and out of two parts yards adjacent to the constructions halls in the center of the shipyard. It said the November 5th images showed two large circular objects that could be sections of a submarine’s pressure hull. It said these appeared larger than those for North Korea’s ROMEO-class attack submarine. Images of a test stand indicated continued testing of a mechanism for ejection launch of missiles from a submarine. However, the report said no activity could be seen suggesting preparations for a new test of a submarine-launched missile. North Korea has been working to develop a nuclear-tipped missile capable of reaching the United States, sparking a major international crisis in which US President Donald Trump has said that all options are under consideration, including military ones. North Korea is also thought to be working on a solid-fuel missile for submarine launches. Last month, The Diplomat magazine quoted a US government source as saying US military intelligence had detected a new diesel-electric submarine under construction at Sinpo and dubbed it the Sinpo-C. It said the submarine was likely a larger successor to North Korea’s single experimental ballistic missile submarine. North Korea has conducted dozens of missile tests this year and its largest and biggest nuclear test on Sept. 3. The past two months have seen a relative lull and it has not tested a missile since firing one over Japan on September 15. Another article in The Diplomat last month quoted a US government source as saying that North Korea had tested a new solid fuel engine sometime between Oct. 15 and Oct. 21. US intelligence officials have declined to comment on this.

Satellite images indicate 'aggressive schedule' by North Korea on missile submarine: US Institute

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) scientists to build a satellite almost three years ago that could be used for civilian purposes by all South Asian countries.&nbsp;

Addressing India&#39;s top scientists at &nbsp;Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in June 2014, PM Modi had said he wanted the scientists to &quot;develop a satellite which could be dedicated to our neighbourhood and help SAARC&nbsp;nations&quot;.&nbsp;He wanted the satellite to help in &quot;access to education&quot; among other challenges.

Indian scientists began working on PM&#39;s vision in earnest, even though Pakistan pulled out of the project. The&nbsp;satellite is due to be launched this week(May 5) from the island of Sriharikota on the coast of the Bay of Bengal.

The nearly 50-m-tall rocket weighs about 412 tonnes and will carry what is now dubbed as the &#39;South Asia Satellite&#39; or what the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) still prefers to call GSAT-9.

The satellite weighs 2230 kgs and is a &quot; purely communications satellite costing Rs 235 crore&quot;. Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have agreed&nbsp;to be a part of the project.

Among India&#39;s neighbours, three nations already possess full-fledged communication satellites with Pakistan and Sri Lanka having been helped by China; Afghanistan also has a communication satellite actually an old India-made satellite acquired from Europe. 
 
Bangladesh is likely to have its first bird in the sky later this year made with help from Thales.

India will be aiming to build on Asian diplomacy with the launch of the &#39;South Asia&nbsp;Satellite&#39; and will be hoping to rope in Pakistan to build new channels of communication&nbsp;to improve relations which has been under strain after several terrorist attacks which India blames on Pakistan including&nbsp;the volatile situation in the Kashmir valley which has angered&nbsp;Indian officials in New Delhi.

(WION with PTI inputs)

The satellite weighs 2230 kgs and is a purely a communications satellite costing Rs 235 crore

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked Indian Space Research Organization(ISRO) scientists to build a satellite almost three years ago that could be used for civilian purposes by all South Asian countries. Addressing India's top scientists at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in June 2014, PM Modi had said he wanted the scientists to "develop a satellite which could be dedicated to our neighbourhood and help SAARC nations". He wanted the satellite to help in "access to education" among other challenges. Indian scientists began working on PM's vision in earnest, even though Pakistan pulled out of the project. The satellite is due to be launched this week(May 5) from the island of Sriharikota on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. The nearly 50-m-tall rocket weighs about 412 tonnes and will carry what is now dubbed as the 'South Asia Satellite' or what the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) still prefers to call GSAT-9. The satellite weighs 2230 kgs and is a " purely communications satellite costing Rs 235 crore". Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have agreed to be a part of the project. Among India's neighbours, three nations already possess full-fledged communication satellites with Pakistan and Sri Lanka having been helped by China; Afghanistan also has a communication satellite actually an old India-made satellite acquired from Europe. Bangladesh is likely to have its first bird in the sky later this year made with help from Thales. India will be aiming to build on Asian diplomacy with the launch of the 'South Asia Satellite' and will be hoping to rope in Pakistan to build new channels of communication to improve relations which has been under strain after several terrorist attacks which India blames on Pakistan including the volatile situation in the Kashmir valley which has angered Indian officials in New Delhi. (WION with PTI inputs)

Modi's vision: India set to launch 'South Asia Satellite' on May 5

China today launched a global carbon dioxide monitoring satellite to understand climate change, hours after it lifted nearly a week-long red alert for the worst smog that engulfed about 40 cities in the country.

The 620-kilogram&nbsp;satellite TanSat was put into orbit by Long March-2D rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China&#39;s Gobi Desert early this morning, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. This was the 243rd mission of the Long March series rockets. Besides TanSat, the rocket also carried a high-resolution micro-nano satellite and two spectrum micro-nano satellites for agricultural and forestry monitoring.

China is the third country after Japan and the US to monitor greenhouse gases through its own satellite. The satellite was sent into a sun synchronous orbit about 700 kilometres&nbsp;above the earth and will monitor the concentration, distribution and flow of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, Yin Zengshan, chief designer of TanSat at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) micro-satellite research institute said.

The satellite will help understanding of climate change and provide China&#39;s policy makers with independent data. On a three-year mission, TanSat will thoroughly examine global carbon dioxide levels every 16 days, accurate to at least 4 ppm (parts per million), the report said.

The new satellite will enable China to obtain emissions data first-hand and share it with researchers worldwide, Yin said.

The Paris agreement on climate change came into force on November 4, with more than 100 countries committed to reducing their carbon emissions. The satellite can trace the sources of greenhouse gases and help evaluate whether countries are fulfilling their commitments.

TanSat means a louder voice for China on climate change, carbon reduction and in negotiations with a bigger say on carbon trading.

Earlier in midnight, Beijing lifted the red alert for air pollution as cold air dispersed the smog that has affected the city since December 17 which drew strong criticism from public as it disrupted the normal life. Beijing woke up this morning with a relatively clear sky.

Since December 17 emergency measures such as even-odd car restrictions will end and classes will resume at schools, official media reports said. While the red alert was implemented by 23 cities including Beijing, 17 other cities implemented Orange alerts for pollution. PM2.5 density in the capital remained high throughout the period of the red alert.

About the satellite Lu Naimeng, TanSat chief scientist said concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from 280 ppm to 400 ppm over the past 150 years, leading to an increase in average global temperatures of about 0.7 degrees Celsius over the last century.

China&#39;s CO2 emissions are to peak around 2030, with emissions per unit of GDP cut by 60 per cent of 2005 levels by the same date.

(PTI)

As its cities are engulfed in the world's worst smog, Beijing is being forced to take up the lead in international climate change science

China today launched a global carbon dioxide monitoring satellite to understand climate change, hours after it lifted nearly a week-long red alert for the worst smog that engulfed about 40 cities in the country. The 620-kilogram satellite TanSat was put into orbit by Long March-2D rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China's Gobi Desert early this morning, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. This was the 243rd mission of the Long March series rockets. Besides TanSat, the rocket also carried a high-resolution micro-nano satellite and two spectrum micro-nano satellites for agricultural and forestry monitoring. China is the third country after Japan and the US to monitor greenhouse gases through its own satellite. The satellite was sent into a sun synchronous orbit about 700 kilometres above the earth and will monitor the concentration, distribution and flow of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, Yin Zengshan, chief designer of TanSat at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) micro-satellite research institute said. The satellite will help understanding of climate change and provide China's policy makers with independent data. On a three-year mission, TanSat will thoroughly examine global carbon dioxide levels every 16 days, accurate to at least 4 ppm (parts per million), the report said. The new satellite will enable China to obtain emissions data first-hand and share it with researchers worldwide, Yin said. The Paris agreement on climate change came into force on November 4, with more than 100 countries committed to reducing their carbon emissions. The satellite can trace the sources of greenhouse gases and help evaluate whether countries are fulfilling their commitments. TanSat means a louder voice for China on climate change, carbon reduction and in negotiations with a bigger say on carbon trading. Earlier in midnight, Beijing lifted the red alert for air pollution as cold air dispersed the smog that has affected the city since December 17 which drew strong criticism from public as it disrupted the normal life. Beijing woke up this morning with a relatively clear sky. Since December 17 emergency measures such as even-odd car restrictions will end and classes will resume at schools, official media reports said. While the red alert was implemented by 23 cities including Beijing, 17 other cities implemented Orange alerts for pollution. PM2.5 density in the capital remained high throughout the period of the red alert. About the satellite Lu Naimeng, TanSat chief scientist said concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased from 280 ppm to 400 ppm over the past 150 years, leading to an increase in average global temperatures of about 0.7 degrees Celsius over the last century. China's CO2 emissions are to peak around 2030, with emissions per unit of GDP cut by 60 per cent of 2005 levels by the same date. (PTI)

China launches satellite to track global carbon emissions

It is said that science fiction is about making the improbable seem possible. Writers of the genre postulate a world of the future. And while some of their ideas can end up remaining a fantasy, there are a number of times when their predictions have been right on the money.&nbsp;

Here&rsquo;s 9&nbsp;times sci-fi writers were spot-on about technological advancements:&nbsp;

<h2>Debit/Credit Cards</h2>

When Edward Bellamy wrote Looking Backward in 1888, people only relied on paper money. His book introduced the concept of universal credit where citizens of his future utopia carried a card that allowed them to spend on goods and services without paper money changing hands. The book was a huge success.&nbsp;

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Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy (WION)
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&nbsp;

<h2>Earphones</h2>

When Ray Bradbury published his dystopian classic Fahrenheit 451 in 1953, portable audio already existed, but the headphones were ungainly and heavy. In his book, he talked about &ldquo;little seashells&hellip; thimble radios&rdquo; that brought an &ldquo;electronic ocean of sound, of music and talk and music and talk&rdquo;. Who would have then imagined that one day devices like in-ear earphones would become an integral part of people&rsquo;s daily lives.&nbsp;

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Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (WION)
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&nbsp;

<h2>Electric Cars, Violence And Hookup Culture</h2>

John Brunner&rsquo;s Stand On Zanzibar was another piece of literature that was way ahead of its time. Published in 1969, his book painted a world that we are all too familiar with today: America plagued by random acts of violence like school shootings and terrorist attacks, cars powered by rechargeable electric fuel cells, men and women eschewing marriage for short-term and low commitment hookups. What was he thinking?&nbsp;

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Stand On Zanzibar by John Brunner (WION)
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&nbsp;

<h2>Geostationary Satellite Communications</h2>

In 1945, a pioneering science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke wrote a manuscript called The Space-Station: Its Radio Applications. He introduced for the first time, geosynchronous satellites being used for telecommunications relays and most importantly for television signals. Imagine a world without our televisions and scores of channels.&nbsp;

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The Space-Station: Its Radio Applications by Arthur C. Clarke (WION)
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&nbsp;

<h2>Moon Landing</h2>

Jules Verne wrote From The Earth To The Moon and predicted many aspects of the 1969 manned lunar landing of Apollo 11. Verne&rsquo;s astronauts were launched from a Florida site in an aluminium capsule. In the book, he even gave accurate calculations as to the amount of force that would be needed to propel the rocket out of Earth&rsquo;s atmosphere. We have gone much beyond the Moon now!

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From The Earth To The Moon by Jules Verne (WION)
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&nbsp;

<h2>Nuclear Weapon</h2>

Robert Heinlein&rsquo;s 1940 short story Solution Unsatisfactory predicted a future world where America develops an atomic weapon that ends World War II unilaterally. After they use it, it spurs the rest of the world into a nuclear arms race to keep up. The story was written even before the United States entered World War II and five years before the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.&nbsp;

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Solution Unsatisfactory by Robert Heinlein (WION)
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&nbsp;

<h2>Security Cameras</h2>

George Orwell wrote the book 1984 in 1949. In it, he spoke about the concept of a dystopian state monitored by an interconnected web of security cameras. It seemed absurd back then, but it is a reality now with round-the-clock security surveillance, cameras in both public and private spaces, GPS tracking and online tracking by government agencies. Orwell wrote about it all in his book.&nbsp;

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1984 by George Orwell (WION)
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&nbsp;

<h2>Tanks</h2>

H.G. Wells wrote the story The Land Ironclads which was published in the Strand Magazine in 1903. His story took the then-current technology of metal-hulled warships and put them on land, creating war machines- tanks. Wells&rsquo;s conceptualised modern day tanks were approximately 100 feet long and rolled on eight pairs of wheels, each of which had its own independent turning axle. A tower in the top of the machine let the captain survey the scene. In reality, the first tanks were deployed on the battlefield in 1916 during the battle of the Somme.

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The Land Ironclads by H.G. Wells (WION)
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&nbsp;

<h2>Video Chat</h2>

The first demonstration of consumer video conferencing was in the form of &lsquo;picturephone&rsquo; at the 1964 New York World&rsquo;s Fair. The technology has now come a long way with FaceTime and Skype becoming the standard means of long-distance communication. But all of this traces back to Hugo Gernsback&rsquo;s novel Ralph 124c 41+. The story was first printed in Modern Electrics magazine in 1911. It spoke about a device called the &ldquo;telephot&rdquo; that let people have eye contact while speaking across long distances.

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Ralph 124c 41+ by Hugo Gernsback (WION)
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(Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

Paperless money, security cameras, nuclear weapons and more just stepped out of a book into our reality

It is said that science fiction is about making the improbable seem possible. Writers of the genre postulate a world of the future. And while some of their ideas can end up remaining a fantasy, there are a number of times when their predictions have been right on the money. Here’s 9 times sci-fi writers were spot-on about technological advancements: Debit/Credit Cards When Edward Bellamy wrote Looking Backward in 1888, people only relied on paper money. His book introduced the concept of universal credit where citizens of his future utopia carried a card that allowed them to spend on goods and services without paper money changing hands. The book was a huge success. Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy (WION) × Earphones When Ray Bradbury published his dystopian classic Fahrenheit 451 in 1953, portable audio already existed, but the headphones were ungainly and heavy. In his book, he talked about “little seashells… thimble radios” that brought an “electronic ocean of sound, of music and talk and music and talk”. Who would have then imagined that one day devices like in-ear earphones would become an integral part of people’s daily lives. Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (WION) × Electric Cars, Violence And Hookup Culture John Brunner’s Stand On Zanzibar was another piece of literature that was way ahead of its time. Published in 1969, his book painted a world that we are all too familiar with today: America plagued by random acts of violence like school shootings and terrorist attacks, cars powered by rechargeable electric fuel cells, men and women eschewing marriage for short-term and low commitment hookups. What was he thinking? Stand On Zanzibar by John Brunner (WION) × Geostationary Satellite Communications In 1945, a pioneering science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke wrote a manuscript called The Space-Station: Its Radio Applications. He introduced for the first time, geosynchronous satellites being used for telecommunications relays and most importantly for television signals. Imagine a world without our televisions and scores of channels. The Space-Station: Its Radio Applications by Arthur C. Clarke (WION) × Moon Landing Jules Verne wrote From The Earth To The Moon and predicted many aspects of the 1969 manned lunar landing of Apollo 11. Verne’s astronauts were launched from a Florida site in an aluminium capsule. In the book, he even gave accurate calculations as to the amount of force that would be needed to propel the rocket out of Earth’s atmosphere. We have gone much beyond the Moon now! From The Earth To The Moon by Jules Verne (WION) × Nuclear Weapon Robert Heinlein’s 1940 short story Solution Unsatisfactory predicted a future world where America develops an atomic weapon that ends World War II unilaterally. After they use it, it spurs the rest of the world into a nuclear arms race to keep up. The story was written even before the United States entered World War II and five years before the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Solution Unsatisfactory by Robert Heinlein (WION) × Security Cameras George Orwell wrote the book 1984 in 1949. In it, he spoke about the concept of a dystopian state monitored by an interconnected web of security cameras. It seemed absurd back then, but it is a reality now with round-the-clock security surveillance, cameras in both public and private spaces, GPS tracking and online tracking by government agencies. Orwell wrote about it all in his book. 1984 by George Orwell (WION) × Tanks H.G. Wells wrote the story The Land Ironclads which was published in the Strand Magazine in 1903. His story took the then-current technology of metal-hulled warships and put them on land, creating war machines- tanks. Wells’s conceptualised modern day tanks were approximately 100 feet long and rolled on eight pairs of wheels, each of which had its own independent turning axle. A tower in the top of the machine let the captain survey the scene. In reality, the first tanks were deployed on the battlefield in 1916 during the battle of the Somme. The Land Ironclads by H.G. Wells (WION) × Video Chat The first demonstration of consumer video conferencing was in the form of ‘picturephone’ at the 1964 New York World’s Fair. The technology has now come a long way with FaceTime and Skype becoming the standard means of long-distance communication. But all of this traces back to Hugo Gernsback’s novel Ralph 124c 41+. The story was first printed in Modern Electrics magazine in 1911. It spoke about a device called the “telephot” that let people have eye contact while speaking across long distances. Ralph 124c 41+ by Hugo Gernsback (WION) × (Contributed by: Zeba Khan)

9 predictions by science-fiction writers that actually came true

A space launch company bankrolled by Microsoft Corp co-founder, Paul Allen, intends to compete with space entrepreneurs and industry stalwarts by launching satellites into orbit from the world&#39;s biggest airplane. 
 
Stratolaunch Systems, a unit of Allen&#39;s privately owned Vulcan Aerospace, last week gave a small group of reporters a first look at the nearly finished aircraft. 
 
With a wingspan of 385 feet (117 m), the six-engine plane will be larger than Howard Hughes&#39; 1947 H-4 Hercules, known as the &quot;Spruce Goose,&quot; and the Antonov An-225, a Soviet-era cargo plane originally built to transport the Buran space shuttle that is currently the world&#39;s largest aircraft. 
 
Allen&#39;s move coincides with a surge of new businesses planning to sell Internet access, Earth imagery, climate data and other services from networks of hundreds of satellites in low-altitude orbits around Earth. 
 
But his vision is different from what Elon Musk&#39;s SpaceX, Jeff Bezos&#39; Blue Origin, Richard Branson&#39;s Virgin Galactic and other companies have for building commercial highways to space. 
 
Musk&#39;s goal is to fly people to Mars. Bezos is developing low-cost, reusable rockets with the goal of moving energy-intensive, heavy industry off Earth. Branson is focused on space tourism and a small satellite launcher. 
 
The advantage of Allen&#39;s approach will be the ability to position the plane so satellites can be directly delivered into very precise orbits and do so quickly, without launch range scheduling issues and weather-related delays, Chuck Beames, who oversees Allen&#39;s space ventures, said. 
 
Twin Fuselages 
 
The Stratolaunch plane looks nothing like its predecessor aircraft. Rather than transporting heavy cargo inside the main body section, Stratolaunch is a twin-fuselage craft that incorporates engines, landing gear, avionics and other parts from a pair of Boeing 747 jets coupled with a frame, wings and skin handmade of lightweight composites. 
 
Designed and built by Northrop Grumman Corp&#39;s Scaled Composites, the plane is similar in form and function to Scaled&#39;s aircraft built to ferry spaceships into the air and release them for independent rocket rides beyond the atmosphere, a service Richard Branson&#39;s Virgin Galactic intends to offer for paying passengers. 
 
Stratolaunch plans a similar service for satellites, particularly the low-Earth orbiting multi-hundred member constellations under development by companies including SpaceX and Google&#39;s Terra Bella to provide Internet access, Earth imagery and other data. But Stratolaunch will offer quick and precise satellite positioning, a service that will set it apart from competitors. 
 
These satellite networks, based on low-cost spacecraft, are the fastest-growing segment of the global satellite industry which reported more than $208 billion in revenue 2015, according to a Satellite Industry Association report. 
 
Football Field 
 
Walking across the Stratolaunch plane&#39;s wings offers perspective on the vehicle&#39;s dimensions. 
 
&quot;You could fit a football field up here,&quot; said Beames. 
 
Assembly of the plane is 76 per cent complete, with the engines, landing gear and one tail section still to be installed. The plane is expected to be finished before the end of the year. Commercial services are expected to begin before 2020. 
 
When the plane was announced in 2011, Musk&#39;s Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, was hired to provide a version of its Falcon rocket to catapult medium-class payloads into orbit after they were dropped by the Stratolaunch carrier aircraft. 
 
When that arrangement fell through, Stratolaunch looked to Orbital ATK for a booster rocket but those plans were tabled as well due to technical issues. 
 
Now, the company is mulling multiple partnerships with several rocket companies to provide launch services for small and medium-sized satellites. Human spaceflight for business and research is not in the immediate business plan, Beames said. 
 
The plane is designed to carry a rocket and payload with a combined weight of up to 550,000 pounds (250,000 kg), on par with what a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket can launch from the ground. 
 
Allen played an early role in stimulating what has come to be called the &quot;new space&quot; industry, partnering with Scaled&#39;s founder Burt Rutan to pay for development of SpaceShipOne, the first and so far only privately funded spaceship to fly people beyond the atmosphere. 
 
&quot;Just like computing devices are rapidly changing what they can do and our way of life, access to space is changing the way we live,&quot; said Beames. 
(Reuters)

He intends to compete with space entrepreneurs and industry stalwarts by launching satellites into orbit from the world's biggest airplane

A space launch company bankrolled by Microsoft Corp co-founder, Paul Allen, intends to compete with space entrepreneurs and industry stalwarts by launching satellites into orbit from the world's biggest airplane. Stratolaunch Systems, a unit of Allen's privately owned Vulcan Aerospace, last week gave a small group of reporters a first look at the nearly finished aircraft. With a wingspan of 385 feet (117 m), the six-engine plane will be larger than Howard Hughes' 1947 H-4 Hercules, known as the "Spruce Goose," and the Antonov An-225, a Soviet-era cargo plane originally built to transport the Buran space shuttle that is currently the world's largest aircraft. Allen's move coincides with a surge of new businesses planning to sell Internet access, Earth imagery, climate data and other services from networks of hundreds of satellites in low-altitude orbits around Earth. But his vision is different from what Elon Musk's SpaceX, Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic and other companies have for building commercial highways to space. Musk's goal is to fly people to Mars. Bezos is developing low-cost, reusable rockets with the goal of moving energy-intensive, heavy industry off Earth. Branson is focused on space tourism and a small satellite launcher. The advantage of Allen's approach will be the ability to position the plane so satellites can be directly delivered into very precise orbits and do so quickly, without launch range scheduling issues and weather-related delays, Chuck Beames, who oversees Allen's space ventures, said. Twin Fuselages The Stratolaunch plane looks nothing like its predecessor aircraft. Rather than transporting heavy cargo inside the main body section, Stratolaunch is a twin-fuselage craft that incorporates engines, landing gear, avionics and other parts from a pair of Boeing 747 jets coupled with a frame, wings and skin handmade of lightweight composites. Designed and built by Northrop Grumman Corp's Scaled Composites, the plane is similar in form and function to Scaled's aircraft built to ferry spaceships into the air and release them for independent rocket rides beyond the atmosphere, a service Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic intends to offer for paying passengers. Stratolaunch plans a similar service for satellites, particularly the low-Earth orbiting multi-hundred member constellations under development by companies including SpaceX and Google's Terra Bella to provide Internet access, Earth imagery and other data. But Stratolaunch will offer quick and precise satellite positioning, a service that will set it apart from competitors. These satellite networks, based on low-cost spacecraft, are the fastest-growing segment of the global satellite industry which reported more than $208 billion in revenue 2015, according to a Satellite Industry Association report. Football Field Walking across the Stratolaunch plane's wings offers perspective on the vehicle's dimensions. "You could fit a football field up here," said Beames. Assembly of the plane is 76 per cent complete, with the engines, landing gear and one tail section still to be installed. The plane is expected to be finished before the end of the year. Commercial services are expected to begin before 2020. When the plane was announced in 2011, Musk's Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, was hired to provide a version of its Falcon rocket to catapult medium-class payloads into orbit after they were dropped by the Stratolaunch carrier aircraft. When that arrangement fell through, Stratolaunch looked to Orbital ATK for a booster rocket but those plans were tabled as well due to technical issues. Now, the company is mulling multiple partnerships with several rocket companies to provide launch services for small and medium-sized satellites. Human spaceflight for business and research is not in the immediate business plan, Beames said. The plane is designed to carry a rocket and payload with a combined weight of up to 550,000 pounds (250,000 kg), on par with what a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket can launch from the ground. Allen played an early role in stimulating what has come to be called the "new space" industry, partnering with Scaled's founder Burt Rutan to pay for development of SpaceShipOne, the first and so far only privately funded spaceship to fly people beyond the atmosphere. "Just like computing devices are rapidly changing what they can do and our way of life, access to space is changing the way we live," said Beames. (Reuters)

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen building world's biggest plane

Europe&#39;s Ariane 5 rocket launcher successfully sent two telecoms satellites- Echo Star XVIII and BRIsat, one for a US-based communications service provider and one for an Indonesian bank, into space. 
 
They were launched from Kourou, in French Guiana, at 6:38 PM Friday, according to launch company Arianespace. 
 
It was the third launch of the year, placing into orbit the Echo Star XVIII for satellite service provider Dish Network, and BRIsat for Rakyat Indonesia bank. 
 
Twenty-nine minutes after launch, the satellite Echo Star XVIII entered orbit. 
 
The satellite is designed to provide direct broadcasting services for 15 years to the continental US, Alaska and Hawaii for Dish Network. 
 
Forty-two minutes after blast off, the satellite BRIsat reached its orbit. 
 
It is the first telecommunications satellite dedicated to a financial institution, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, which has 53 million customers across the Indonesian archipelago, according to Arianespace. 
(AFP)

The two satellites- Echo Star XVIII and BRIsat are launched for Dish Network and Rakyat Indonesia bank, respectively

Europe's Ariane 5 rocket launcher successfully sent two telecoms satellites- Echo Star XVIII and BRIsat, one for a US-based communications service provider and one for an Indonesian bank, into space. They were launched from Kourou, in French Guiana, at 6:38 PM Friday, according to launch company Arianespace. It was the third launch of the year, placing into orbit the Echo Star XVIII for satellite service provider Dish Network, and BRIsat for Rakyat Indonesia bank. Twenty-nine minutes after launch, the satellite Echo Star XVIII entered orbit. The satellite is designed to provide direct broadcasting services for 15 years to the continental US, Alaska and Hawaii for Dish Network. Forty-two minutes after blast off, the satellite BRIsat reached its orbit. It is the first telecommunications satellite dedicated to a financial institution, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, which has 53 million customers across the Indonesian archipelago, according to Arianespace. (AFP)

Europe's Ariane 5 launches 2 satellites into space

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