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GLOBAL & NATIONAL / RECORDS : INDIA IN SPACE: Moon done for India, over to the Sun as ISRO’s Aditya-L1 lifts off successfully

The first space-based observatory to study the Sun, the spacecraft, after traveling about 1.5 million km from the Earth over 125 days, is expected to be placed in a Halo orbit around the Lagrangian point L1 which is considered closest to the Sun.

ISRO on Saturday launched the country’s ambitious Solar mission, Aditya L1 eyeing history again after its successful lunar expedition, Chandrayan 3 a few days ago.

As the 23.40-hour countdown concluded, the 44.4 meter tall Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) soared majestically at the prefixed time of 11.50 am from this spaceport, located on the Eastern coast about 135 km from Chennai.

It will be PSLV’s “longest flight” for about 63 minutes.

According to ISRO, Aditya-L1 is the first space-based observatory to study the Sun. The spacecraft, after traveling about 1.5 million km from the Earth over 125 days, is expected to be placed in a Halo orbit around the Lagrangian point L1 which is considered closest to the Sun.

Among others, it will send pictures of the sun for scientific experiments.

According to scientists, there are five Lagrangian points (or parking areas) between the Earth and the Sun where a small object tends to stay if put there. The Lagrange Points are named after Italian-French mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange for his prize-winning paper — “Essai sur le Probl me des Trois Corps, 1772.”

These points in space can be used by spacecraft to remain there with reduced fuel consumption.

At a Lagrange point, the gravitational pull of the two large bodies (the Sun and the Earth) equals the necessary centripetal force required for a small object to move with them.

After the lift-off at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre here, the scientists would be involved in placing the spacecraft at Low Earth Orbit initially, and later it will be more elliptical.

The spacecraft would be launched towards the Lagrange L1 point using on-board propulsion so that it exits the earth’s gravitational Sphere of Influence and cruises towards the L1. Later, it would be injected into a large Halo Orbit around L1 point near the Sun.

The total time from launch to reaching the L1 point would be about four months for the Aditya-L1 Mission, ISRO said.

Explaining the reasons to study the Sun, ISRO said it emits radiation in nearly all wavelengths along with various energetic particles and magnetic fields.

The atmosphere of the Earth as well as its magnetic field acts as a protective shield and blocks harmful wavelength radiations. In order to detect such radiation, solar studies are carried out from space.

The major objectives of the mission include understanding the Coronal Heating and Solar Wind Acceleration, the initiation of Coronal Mass Ejection (CME), near-earth space weather and the solar wind distribution.

The Aditya-L1 mission carries seven scientific payloads to carry out the study.

The Visible Emission Line Coronagraph (VELC) will study the solar corona and dynamics of CME.

VELC, the primary payload will be sending 1,440 images per day to the ground station for analysis on reaching the intended orbit.

It is “the largest and technically most challenging” payload on Aditya-L1.

The Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope would do imaging of the Solar photosphere and Chromosphere in near Ultraviolet and measure the solar irradiance variations.

The Aditya Solar Wind Particle Experiment (ASPEX) and Plasma Analyser Package for Aditya (PAPA) payloads will study the solar wind and energetic ions as well as the energy distribution.

The Solar Low Energy X-ray Spectrometer and the High Energy L1 Orbiting X-ray Spectrometer (HEL1OS) will study the X-ray flares from the Sun over a wide X-ray energy range.

The Magnetometer payload is capable of measuring interplanetary magnetic fields at the L1 point.

The payloads of Aditya-L1 are indigenously developed with the close collaboration of various centers of ISRO.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

NATIONAL: Chandrayaan-3 Moon Landing: August 23 to be Celebrated as ‘National Space Day’, says PM Modi

Summary

-Terming the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission as an ‘extraordinary moment’ in the history of India’s space programme, he said the place where the Chandrayaan-2 lander crash-landed on the Moon’s surface in 2019 would be known as

-August 23, the day the Chandrayaan-3 lander touched down on the lunar surface, would be celebrated as

Prime Minister Narendra Modi flew down to Bengaluru on Saturday directly from the Greek capital of Athens to interact with ISRO scientists on the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission and announced the decision to name the place where lander ‘Vikram’ touched down on the lunar surface as “Shiva Shakti Point”.

Terming the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission as an ‘extraordinary moment’ in the history of India’s space programme, he said the place where the Chandrayaan-2 lander crash-landed on the Moon’s surface in 2019 would be known as “Tiranga Point”.

23 August, the day the Chandrayaan-3 lander touched down on the lunar surface, would be celebrated as “National Space Day”, said the Prime Minister, who turned emotional while addressing the team ISRO at ISRO Telemetry Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) here, as he lavishly praised them for their dedication and passion.

ISRO Chairman S Somanath briefed him about the Chandrayaan-3 mission. A large number of people, many of them holding aloft national flags, gathered outside the HAL Airport and Jalahalli Cross, which is close to ISTRAC, to greet the Prime Minister.

On Wednesday evening as the Lander Module of Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully touched down on the lunar surface, Modi joined the ISRO team at Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISTRAC virtually from Johannesburg, where he was attending the 15th BRICS summit.

Modi had also flown down to Bengaluru on the night of 6 September 2019 to watch the planned touchdown of Chandrayaan-2 mission’s ‘Vikram’ lander. But in the early hours of September seven, barely minutes before it was slated to land, ISRO lost contact with the craft, just 2.1 km above the lunar surface.

source/content: telegraphindia.com/edugraph (headline edited)

GLOBAL: INDIA WALKS ON THE MOON as Pragyan rover rolls into the lunar surface

The rover will carry out in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during the course of its mobility.

Chandrayaan-3 mission’s Lander Module which touched down on the lunar surface, has rolled out the rover, Pragyan, with ISRO saying “India took a walk on the moon”.

On its official X handle, ISRO said the “rover ramped down.”

“Chandrayaan-3 ROVER: Made in India–Made for the Moon! The Ch-3 Rover ramped down from the lander and India took a walk on the moon!,” it said.

President Droupadi Murmu congratulated the ISRO team for the successful deployment of Pragyan. “Its rolling out a few hours after the landing of Vikram marked the success of yet another stage of Chandrayaan 3. I look forward with excitement, alongside my fellow citizens and scientists, to the information and analyses that Pragyan will acquire and enrich our understanding of the moon”, she said.

In a precision landing, Chandrayaan 3’s LM Vikram touched down on the lunar surface at 6.04 pm on Wednesday, sending the nation into wild celebrations.

The ISRO had earlier said the 26 kg six-wheeled rover was scheduled to descend from the lander’s belly, onto the Moon’s surface, using one of its side panels as a ramp. The lander (Vikram) and rover (Pragyan) — with a total mass of 1,752 kg — are designed to operate for one lunar daylight period (about 14 Earth days) to study the surroundings there.

However, ISRO officials do not rule out the possibility of them coming to life for another lunar day.

The rover will carry out in-situ chemical analysis of the lunar surface during the course of its mobility. Both the lander and the rover have scientific payloads to carry out experiments on the lunar surface.

The rover would study the surface of the moon through its payload APXS – Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer – to derive the chemical composition and infer mineralogical composition to further enhance understanding of the lunar surface.

Pragyan also has another payload–Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) to determine the elemental composition of lunar soil and rocks around the lunar landing site.

ISRO Chairman S Somnath had earlier said, “After powered descent (of lander) onto the landing site, there will be deployment of ramp and rover coming out. After this, all the experiments will take place one after the other — all of which have to be completed in just one day on the moon, which is 14 days.”

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: INDIA FIRST COUNTRY TO REACH THE LUNAR SOUTH POLE: Chandrayaan-3: India over the moon

First country to reach the lunar south pole l Fourth nation after Russia, the US and China to successfully land on moon l flawless touchdown at 6.04 pm l landing process lasted 17 minutes.

India on Wednesday scripted history in golden letters after recording the first-ever soft landing at the Moon’s south pole. With this landing, exactly at 6.04 pm, India also became only the fourth country to have soft-landed on the lunar surface after the US, the erstwhile Soviet Union, and China. Chandrayaan-3’s record-setting success comes four days after Russia’s lunar mission Luna-25 crashed on August 19, just two days before its scheduled touchdown near the lunar south pole attempting to be the first to do so. That record now lies with Chandrayaan-3 of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

The Chandrayaan-3’s lander Vikram began its powered descent at 5.47 pm from an altitude of 30 km. It completed all four landing phases of rough braking, altitude hold, fine braking and terminal descent in an error-free manner, as planned and sticking to their respective deadlines.

The powered descent of Vikram Lander lasted 17 minutes filled with tension as it was during this phase that Chandrayaan-2 had lost its lander in September 2019. “Chandrayaan-3 chose a relatively flat region on the lunar surface,” ISRO wrote on micro-blogging site X (formerly Twitter).

It touched down between Manzinus C and Simpelius N craters near the lunar south pole .

Agony and ecstasy

The entire community of ISRO scientists, including some former ISRO heads who had gathered at the Mission Operations Complex (MOX) at ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru, exulted in jubilation as Vikram landed.

“Sir, we have achieved a soft landing on the Moon. India is on the Moon,” said an overwhelmed ISRO chairman S Somanath, seconds after lander Vikram touched down on the Moon while addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who virtually joined to witness the historic moment from South Africa where he is attending the BRICS Summit.

The thunderous applause echoed from inside the MOX and merged with the resounding applause at the press enclave at ISTRAC premises amid loud cheers of Bharat Mata ki Jai and Vande Mataram.
The scientists inside MOX, who had watched the tense moments of ‘terror’ of the lander’s power descent after the last command from the Earth station at 5.47 pm, broke out into thunderous applause. It was a complete meltdown of emotions, perseverance, a lot of hard work and celebrations.

“It was a flawless mission,” said Somnath while describing the mission so far until the soft landing was achieved. He described it as “an incremental progress” while crediting the preceding mission, Chandrayaan-2, which failed to achieve a successful soft-landing due to an anomaly in the thrusters while attempting to land on September 7, 2019, leading to its crash.

Chandrayaan-3 is an improvement on Chandrayaan-2 while its objectives remain the same. “It was not an easy task in the last four years. There was a lot of agony and learning from Chandrayaan-2, which helped us in perfecting the methodology for soft-landing. It was a flawless landing. The velocity (of the lander) was reduced to less than two metres per second (during the powered descent),” he said.

Somanath named and invited the scientists behind Chandrayaan-3 — project director P Veeramuthuvel, mission operation director M Srikanth, associate project director K Kalpana, and U R Rao Satellite Centre director M Sankaran — to address the media.

Why south pole

Several missions from various countries, including India, Russia, Japan, and Israel have attempted landing near the lunar south pole but failed.

The significance of the lunar south pole is that it holds promise for setting up future human bases. While the region has been screened from orbit by various orbiting missions, including Chandrayaan-2, which continues to be in a lunar orbit, none has been able to land to conduct on-site experiments and studies of the lunar environment at and around the Moon’s south pole. The region is understood to hold abundant water ice and mineral resources that can sustain human bases in the future.

Vikram will deploy its rover Pragyaan to conduct on-site studies. Somanath said Pragyaan will be deployed from the lander in the “next few hours or even a day, looking at the surface conditions. It will operate on the lunar surface for 14 Earth days and gather valuable scientific data”, which would be relayed back to the Deep Space Network centre at Byalalu near Bengaluru for analysis.

The lander’s mission is planned to be over 14 days (one lunar day), during which the lander’s three payloads and the rover’s two payloads will be active to conduct the studies of the lunar environment. Explaining the various components used in the Moon mission, he said all of them were developed in the country. He added that the lander does have some instruments provided by some countries to conduct tests on the Moon’s surface.

Beginning of multiple space explorations

ISRO chief Somanath said Chandrayaan-3’s success means a lot to ISRO and marks the beginning of multiple space explorations starting with ‘Aditya L1’ to study the corona of the Sun early next month. ISRO aims to explore Mars, Venus and other planets and asteroids, he added

5-watt signal amplifier

Chandrayaan-3 is the product of teamwork with several scientists, technicians, and entrepreneurs among others joining hands to make it a success. ISRO’s associate director Dr B H M Darukesha and his team had developed a 5-watt signal amplifier for communication — an important part of Chandrayaan-3’s lander and rover — when no other country came forward to provide it to India since amplifiers are mostly used by the military. Click here to read more…

Rover’s desi cameras

The Pragyaan rover has two cameras which would be its eyes compared to foreign space agencies that use expensive cameras. The software in the rover has been developed by a Noida-based start-up, Omnipresent Robot Technologies. The images captured by the rover would generate a 3-D map of the lunar landscape. It also has a spectrometer to determine the chemical composition of the surface.

Nationwide contributions to Chandrayaan-3

On the day India celebrated the successful mission of Chandrayaan 3, Hyderabad-based Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI), took a quiet bow for its contribution in the form of top-tier strategic materials that bolster India’s defence, space, energy, and allied industries. The company’s contribution to the Chandrayaan 3 mission is one of many key roles it has played in India’s scientific and technological advancements. Click here to read more…

Telangana’s Gadwal, once considered among the most underdeveloped regions in the country, has emerged as a source of pride with the remarkable achievement of Kummari Krishna, who played a pivotal role in the successful execution of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Click here to read more om Krishna’s contribution to the moon mission.

source/content: newindianexpress.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL: ASIAN REGION – RECORD: Srinagar’s ‘Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden’ enters World Book of Records as Asia’s Largest, adorned with the splendour of over 1.5 million Tulip bulbs

The Commissioner Secretary of Floriculture, Gardens & Parks, received the certification from the President and CEO of the World Book of Records (London).

The people of Kashmir are rejoicing as the renowned Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden secures a distinguished position in the esteemed World Book of Records (London).

Nestled amidst the picturesque foothills of the Zabarwan mountain range, this accolade recognizes the garden’s status as Asia’s largest tulip haven, adorned with an awe-inspiring array of 1.5 million tulip bulbs showcasing an astonishing collection of 68 distinct tulip varieties.

Echoing the sentiments of the locals, it’s widely believed that Kashmir holds immense untapped potential. The region’s natural beauty and the magnificence of the tulip garden have once again put it in the spotlight.

In a formal ceremony hosted at the Tulip Garden, the Commissioner Secretary of Floriculture, Gardens & Parks, Sheikh Fayaz Ahmad, received the certification from the President and CEO of the World Book of Records (London), Santosh Shukla.

The event was graced by the presence of Dilip N Pandit, Editor of World Book of Records (London), the Director of Floriculture Kashmir, various officials, and dedicated gardening staff.

Commending this remarkable achievement, Sheikh Fayaz Ahmad expressed heartfelt gratitude to the team at the World Book of Records (London) for acknowledging the splendour of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden.

He emphasized that this recognition stands as a monumental milestone, not only enhancing the reputation of Srinagar’s floral treasure but also contributing to the local economy’s growth within the tranquil valleys of Kashmir.

The Commissioner Secretary remarked that the inclusion in the World Book of Records signifies not just the blossoming gem of Srinagar, but also celebrates the enchanting bond between humanity and nature, a sentiment cherished deeply in the hearts of Kashmir’s inhabitants.

Santosh Shukla, President and CEO of the World Book of Records, extended his warmest congratulations to the Central Working Committee of the organization for this exceptional achievement.

He underlined that this recognition underscores the unparalleled beauty and magnificence of the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden, positioning it as an emblem of both natural splendor and human creativity.

Affectionately known for its breathtaking vistas, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden boasts not only a splendid array of tulips but also provides sanctuary to an array of other flower species.

Delicate Daffodils, fragrant Hyacinths, resplendent Roses, charming Ranunculi, vibrant Muscaria, and enchanting Iris blooms flourish alongside the iconic tulips, weaving an enchanting tapestry of colours and fragrances that captivates visitors.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

INTERNATIONAL : EUROPE: Punjab Police Officer Gurjat Singh Maler Hosts Tricolour on Mount Elbrus – the Roof of Europe, to Commemorate 76 years of India’s Independence

Commemorating 76 years of Independence, Gurjot Singh Kaler, a senior police officer in Punjab, scaled and unfurled the tricolour on the top of Mount Elbrus — the highest and most prominent peak in Russia and Europe.

Kaler, a professionally-trained mountaineer, was adjudged the best mountaineer during his Basic Mountaineering Course (BMC) at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) at Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand.

His recent feat is noteworthy considering that the Caucasus’ tallest mountain, Mount Elbrus, is 5,642 metres (18,510 feet) above sea level.

There were four others in Kaler’s team, which reached the top of Mount Elbrus on August 11 at 7 a.m. after battling heavy snowstorms, thunderstorms and atmospheric lightning.

Mount Elbrus is covered in snow through out around and is home to 22 glaciers that feed three rivers — Baksan, Malka and Kuban. Elbrus is part of the Caucasus mountain range, near the Georgian border in the south of Russia.

The Caucasus technically sits in Asia and Europe, although most geographers place it in Europe. It’s a mountain range that spans two continents.

Committed to the spirit of combating climate change and global warming, the mission of Mount Elbrus was dedicated by Kaler to exhort the world community to preserve the environment and create awareness about depleting forest reserves across the planet and melting of glaciers.

“It took five days to successfully do the summit after acclimatisation hikes to Mount Cheget and Pastukhov Rocks. The weather was very turbulent on the day of the summit and there was a lot of lightning and thunderstorms which made the climb very difficult,” Kaler told IANS over phone.

At one point, it looked impossible but the sheer willpower, perseverance and determination served him in good stead throughout the adventurous expedition.

“It is only in tough circumstances that we can test the real toughness of mind,” he said.

Kaler has become the first Punjab Police officer to scale Mount Elbrus. Earlier, he had successfully climbed the summit of the highest mountain in the African Continent — Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

The daredevil officer had also performed a skydive from 15,000 feet during the Covid pandemic to serve as a heartfelt tribute of bravery and courage to the corona warriors who had sacrificed their lives during the pandemic.

He’s currently handling the charge of AIG (Excise and Taxation) and was awarded with the Chief Minister’s Medal for outstanding devotion to duty in January 2023. He was also conferred with the Shaheed-e-Azam Bhagat Singh Raj Yuva Puraskar by the government of Punjab in March 2023 for his fight against drug abuse in Punjab and for promoting the culture of sports.

Kaler feels that his efforts in terms of climbing Mount Ebrus will go a long way in awakening the world community to join hands for combating climate change.

He admits that global warming and climate change is a grim reality of “our times and every region on earth is impacted by our actions”.

“Even the recent ghastly floods in Punjab and Himachal can be attributed to lack of ecological balance and disregard to the Mother Earth. Therefore, it’s very important to understand the precarious situation through which the entire humanity is passing through right now and take concerted actions before its too late.

“Rather, the truth is that we are already quite late in combating global climate change and if we continue to ignore the warnings of Mother Nature, a day will come when everything will be simply lost forever,” Kaler added.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: SPACE – INDIA IN SPACE: Final Orbit-raising Manoeuvre of Chandrayaan-3 Completed

Following the final orbit-raising manoeuvre, ISRO will perform the TransLunar Injection (TLI) on August 1.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday (July 25) successfully completed the fifth and final orbit-raising manoeuvre (Earth-bound perigee firing) of the Chandrayaan-3 mission . It was performed successfully from ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru.

The spacecraft is expected to attain an orbit of 1,27,609 km x 236 km. This means that Chandrayaan-3 is now in an orbit, which, when closest to Earth is at 236 km and when farthest is at 1,27,609 km.

“The achieved orbit will be confirmed after the observations,” ISRO said after the successful orbit-raising manoeuvre.

The four earlier orbit raising manoeuvres were performed by ISTRAC between July 15 and July 20.

Following the final orbit-raising manoeuvre, ISRO will perform the TransLunar Injection (TLI) on August 1 to slingshot Chandrayaan-3 towards the Moon.

“The next firing, the TransLunar Injection (TLI), is planned for August 1, 2023, between midnight and 1 a.m. IST,” ISRO said.

The Chandrayaan-3 consists of a lander module (LM), propulsion module (PM) and a rover which was launched by the LVM3-M4 on July 14.

After the TLI takes place, the PM and the LM separation will happen on August 17. A series of deboost manoeuvres is also scheduled to take place before the power descent phase for the soft landing on the Moon. The lander is expected to touch down on the Moon surface on August 23 at 5.47 p.m.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully completed the fifth and final orbit-raising manoeuvre (Earth-bound perigee firing) of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. It was performed successfully from ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bengaluru.
The spacecraft is expected to attain an orbit of 1,27,609 km x 236 km. This means that Chandrayaan-3 is now in an orbit, which, when closest to Earth is at 236 km and when farthest is at 1,27,609 km.
The four earlier orbit raising manoeuvres were performed by ISTRAC between July 15 and July 20.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

INDIA IN SPACE: Chandrayaan-3: First orbit-Raising Maneuver Successfully Performed, says ISRO

Scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation have performed the first orbit raising maneuver of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on Saturday.

Scientists at the Indian Space Research Organisation have performed the first orbit raising maneuver of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft on Saturday, the space agency said. The health of the spacecraft was “normal”, ISRO said in a social media post. Chandrayaan-3 is now in an orbit, which when closest to Earth is at 173 km and farthest from Earth is at 41,762 km, the space agency said.

“Chandrayaan-3 Mission update: The spacecraft’s health is normal. The first orbit raising manoeuvre (Earthbound firing-1) was successfully performed at ISTRAC/ISRO, Bengaluru. Spacecraft is now in 41762kms x 173kms orbit,” ISRO said.

ISRO on July 14 successfully launched the third edition of its Moon exploration programme from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota, aimed at making a soft landing on the unexplored south pole of the Moon that would make India achieve a rare feat.

Only three countries, the United States, China and Russia, have managed to land on the lunar surface so far.

source/content: hindustantimes.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: NATIONAL: SPACE : Chandrayaan-3 Lunar Mission | ISRO’s next Leap to the Moon – July 14th, 2023

Catch India’s highly anticipated lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 with The Hindu’s coverage of the latest news, developments, behind-the-scenes, insights and related stories into this remarkable feat of Indian space science.

India’s space agency, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), began the launch of the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission to explore the Moon on July 14, 2023, by making a soft landing on the natural satellite of Earth. Building upon the success of its predecessors, Chandrayaan-1 and Chandrayaan-2, the third lunar mission is set to push the boundaries of space discovery and innovation.

Just under four years after the launch of Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3 takes off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Andhra Pradesh perched on the back of a Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV-MK III) heavy-lift rocket, on July 14, 2023. The mission is a prime example of India’s growing commitment towards advancing its presence in the global space community.

According to ISRO, the Chandrayaan-3 mission has three major objectives:

Demonstrate safe and soft landing on the surface of the Moon,
Conduct rover operations on the Moon, and
Conduct on-site experiments on the Lunar surface.

In 2019, Chandrayaan-2, captured the world’s attention when it successfully placed the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover near the Moon’s South Pole. But the mission experienced partial setbacks. The Vikram lander on Chandrayaan-2 had crashed on the lunar surface while attempting to land. Despite the mishap, it still marked a significant achievement in India’s space history.

If the Chandrayaan-3 mission lifts off on July 14 as planned, the lander would be ready to soft-land on the lunar surface by August, according to S. Somanath, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Mr. Somanath also said that the space agency has incorporated major improvements in the lander for the upcoming mission. This includes stronger ‘legs’ for the lander, the ability to withstand a higher descending velocity and a reduction in the number of engines from five to four. ‘‘We have also increased the quantity of the propellant, and solar panels cover a larger area. New sensors also have been added,’‘ he said.

Here is comprehensive coverage of the historic mission of the latest updates, exclusive interviews with ISRO scientists, and in-depth analyses of the mission.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

GLOBAL: SPACE & SPACE TECHS : The New York Times says India’s Space Programme set to ‘Transform Planet’s Connection to Final Frontier’

The article titled ‘The Surprising Striver in the World’s Space Business’ notes that India has become home to at least 140 registered space-tech start-ups.

Lauding India’s ambitious space programme, The New York Times has said the country, currently witnessing an “explosive” growth in space-tech start-ups, is set to “transform the planet’s connection to the final frontier” and can emerge as a “counterweight” to China.

“When it launched its first rocket in 1963, India was a poor country pursuing the world’s most cutting-edge technology. That projectile, its nose cone wheeled to the launchpad by a bicycle, put a small payload 124 miles above the Earth. India was barely pretending to keep up with the US and the Soviet Union. In today’s space race, India has found much surer footing,” the leading US newspaper said.

The article titled ‘The Surprising Striver in the World’s Space Business’ notes that India has become home to at least 140 registered space-tech start-ups, “comprising a local research field that stands to transform the planet’s connection to the final frontier.” “The start-ups’ growth has been explosive, leaping from five when the pandemic started. And they see a big market to serve,” the paper said.

Underscoring that India’s “importance as a scientific power” is taking centre stage, the NYT report referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s State Visit to Washington last month at the invitation of President Joe Biden and the joint statement issued by the two sides said that said the two leaders “set a course to reach new frontiers across all sectors of space cooperation.” In the joint statement, “the leaders called for enhanced commercial collaboration between the US and Indian private sectors in the entire value chain of the space economy and to address export controls and facilitate technology transfer.” The NYT report added that both the US and India “see space as an arena in which India can emerge as a counterweight to their mutual rival: China.” “One of India’s advantages is geopolitical,” the paper said as it added that Russia and China had historically offered lower-cost options for launches.

“But the war in Ukraine has all but ended Russia’s role as a competitor,” it said as it cited the USD 230 million hit British satellite start-up OneWeb took after Russia impounded 36 of its spacecraft in September. OneWeb’s next constellation of satellites was sent into orbit by India’s Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

“Likewise, the US government would be more likely to approve any American company’s sending military-grade technology through India than through China,” the NYT said.

It added that “Since June 2020, when Mr Modi announced a push for the space sector, opening it up to all kinds of private enterprise, India has launched a network of businesses, each driven by original research and homegrown talent. Last year, the space start-ups raked in USD 120 million in new investment, at a rate that is doubling or tripling annually.” The NYT report mentions Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace and aerospace manufacturer Dhruva Space.

“Skyroot and Dhruva work in the relatively sexy sectors of launch and satellite delivery, but together those account for only 8 per cent of India’s space business pie.

“A much bigger slice comes from companies that specialise in collecting data beamed by satellite,” the report said and cited the example of Bengaluru-headquartered start-up Pixxel, co-founded by Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal and which has a “contract with a secretive agency within the Pentagon.” Pixxel has developed an imaging system to detect patterns on the Earth’s surface that lie outside the range of ordinary colour vision.

Describing India as a “thriving centre of innovation” and “one of the most competitive launch sites in the world”, the NYT article said space-tech start-ups are one of India’s “most sought-after sectors” for venture capital investors and their growth “has been explosive, leaping from five when the pandemic started.” Terming India’s vendor ecosystem as “staggering in size”, the NYT said years of conducting business with ISRO has created “about 400 private companies in clusters around Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune and elsewhere, each devoted to building special screws, sealants and other products fit for space.” India has an abundance of affordable engineers, but their smaller salaries alone cannot beat the competition. That leaves an Indian company like Skyroot concentrating on more specialised services, the newspaper said.

Pawan Kumar Chandana, 32, Co-Founder and CEO, Skyroot Aerospace, anticipates a global need for 30,000 satellites to be launched this decade.

“We are more like a cab,” said Chandana, whose company charges higher rates for smaller-payload launches, while Elon Musk-owned SpaceX “is more like a bus or a train, where they take all their passengers and put them in one destination.” Dhruva Space, which deploys satellites, was India’s first space start-up. In any given month, Kranthi Chand, its head of strategy, is hardly in Hyderabad, as he spends about one week in Europe and another in the US, rounding up clients and investors, the article said.

In May, Dhruva Space announced the successful test and Space-qualification of its 3U and 6U Satellite Orbital Deployers and Orbital Link onboard ISRO’S PSLV-C55 mission.

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