Page 3 - International Space Station

India to land man on Moon by 2040, set up space station by 2035: PM Modi

Private sector players see huge business opportunity through joint ecosystem with ISRO

Space-tech startup Agnikul Cosmos raises Rs 200 crore, eyes expansion

Space-tech startup Agnikul Cosmos, incubated by IIT-Madras, on Tuesday said it has raised Rs 200 crore in the Series-B funding round and aims to use that for supporting its expansion plans as the firm looks at putting satellites in orbit. Agnikul has started the integration of the launch vehicle Agnibaan SubOrbital Technology Demonstrator at its private launchpad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. "We are planning to have a test launch before the year-end," Agnikul co-founder and CEO Srinath Ravichandran told PTI. With the successful closure of a Series-B fund of Rs 200 crore (USD 26.7 million), the startup has increased its total capital raised till date to USD 40 million. The round saw participation from venture capital investors such as Celesta Capital, Rocketship.vc, Artha Venture Fund and Artha Select Fund, Mayfield India, along with existing investors such as pi Ventures, Speciale Invest and Mayfield India. "We have a fair idea of the technology that is involv

Russia reports coolant leak in backup line at space station, says crew safe

Coolant leaked from a backup line at the International Space Station, Russian officials said Monday, adding that there was no risk to the crew or the outpost. Russian space agency Roscosmos said that coolant leaked from an external backup radiator for Russia's new science lab. The lab's main thermal control system was working normally, the agency emphasized. The crew and the station aren't in any danger, Roscosmos said. NASA confirmed that there is no threat to the station's crew of seven and that operations are continuing as usual. Roscosmos said engineers were investigating the cause of the leak. The incident follows recent coolant leaks from Russian spacecraft parked at the station. Those leaks were blamed on tiny meteoroids. The lab named Nauku, which means science arrived at the space station in July 2021. Last December, coolant leaked from a Soyuz crew capsule docked to the station, and another similar leak from a Progress supply ship was discovered in February. A Russian

India, US begin talks to send Indian astronaut to the ISS next year

India and the US on Friday said they have started talks to put in place a strategic framework for human space flight by year-end as they plan to send an Indian astronaut to the International Space Station in 2024. US President Joe Biden also congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the historic landing of Chandrayaan-3 at the south polar region of the Moon and the success of Aditya-L1 solar mission. "Determined to deepen our partnership in outer space exploration, ISRO and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have commenced discussions on modalities, capacity building, and training for mounting a joint effort to the International Space Station in 2024, and are continuing efforts to finalise a strategic framework for human space flight cooperation by the end of 2023," said a joint statement issued after the 52-minute talks between the two leaders. During Modi's visit to the US in June, Biden had announced India and the US were collaborating to send an astrona

Everybody on Earth is counting on…: Ex-commander of ISS on Aditya-L1 launch

In an exclusive interview with ANI, the former astronaut Hadfield spoke about how the findings of the Aditya L-1 mission will impact human space flight

Nasa sends SpaceX Crew-7 to International Space Station for exploration

The crew will conduct more than 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations preparing for missions to the moon, mars and beyond, says Nasa administrator

SpaceX Crew-7 with Nasa astronauts launches to International Space Station

The agency's SpaceX Crew-7 mission is the seventh commercial crew rotation mission for Nasa

India, US plan to send Indian astronaut to ISS in 2024: President Biden

India and the US are collaborating to send an Indian astronaut to the international space station in 2024, US President Joe Biden said here on Thursday after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Addressing the media after bilateral talks with Modi, Biden said India and the US were collaborating in nearly every human endeavour in delivering progress across the board. "From designing new ways to diagnosing and treating new illnesses like cancer and diabetes to collaboration on human space flight, including on sending an Indian astronaut to the international space station in 2024," Biden said with Modi by his side. Modi also said that India has decided to sign the Artemis Accords and taken a great leap forward. "We have decided to join the Artemis Accords. We have taken a giant leap in our space cooperation. In short, I would say even the sky is not the limit for cooperation with the US, Modi said. Grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 (OST), the Artemis Accords are a ..

2 Saudi astronauts return from International Space Station after 9-day trip

A private flight carrying two Saudi astronauts and other passengers returned to Earth late Tuesday night after a nine-day trip to the International Space Station. The SpaceX capsule carrying the four parachuted into the Gulf of Mexico, just off the Florida Panhandle, 12 hours after undocking from the orbiting lab. The Saudi government picked up the multimillion-dollar tab for its two astronauts: Rayyanah Barnawi, a stem cell researcher who became the first Saudi woman in space; and fighter pilot Ali al-Qarni. Barnawi wiped away tears as she wrapped up her experiments and prepared to leave the space station. Every story comes to an end and this is only the beginning of a new era for our country and our region, she said Monday. A Knoxville, Tennessee, businessman who started a race car team, John Shoffner, paid his own way to the space station. The ticket-holders were accompanied by retired NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who now works for the Houston company that chartered the fligh

SpaceX launching Saudi astronauts on private flight to space station

SpaceX's next private flight to the International Space Station awaited takeoff Sunday, weather and rocket permitting. The passengers include Saudi Arabia's first astronauts in decades, as well as a Tennessee businessman who started his own sports car racing team. They'll be led by a retired NASA astronaut who now works for the company that arranged the 10-day trip. It's the second charter flight organised by Houston-based Axiom Space. The company would not say how much the latest tickets cost; it previously cited per-seat prices of $55 million. With its Falcon rocket already on the pad, SpaceX targeted a liftoff late Sunday afternoon from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. It's the same spot where Saudi Arabia's first astronaut, a prince, soared in 1985. Representing the Saudi Arabian government this time are Rayyanah Barnawi, a stem cell researcher set to become the kingdom's first woman in space, and Royal Saudi Air Force fighter pilot Ali al-Qarni. Rounding out the crew: John Shoff

Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit announces to fire 85% of its workforce

Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit is letting go of almost its entire work force with the satellite launch company finding it difficult to secure funding three months after a failed mission. The company, headquartered in Long Beach, California, will cut 675 jobs, about 85% of its workforce, according to a Friday filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Earlier this month Virgin Orbit said that it was pausing all operations amid reports of possible job cuts. At the time the company confirmed that it was putting all work on hold, but didn't say for how long. In January, a mission by Virgin Orbit to launch the first satellites into orbit from Europe failed after a rocket's upper stage prematurely shut down. It was a setback in the United Kingdom which had hoped that the launch from Cornwall in southwest England would mark the beginning of more commercial opportunities for the U.K. space industry. The company said in February that an investigation found that its rocket's

Indian-origin engineer to lead NASA's latest Moon to Mars Programme

Amit Kshatriya, a decorated Indian-American software and robotics engineer was appointed as the first head of NASA's newly-established Moon to Mars Programme that will help the agency ensure a long-term lunar presence needed to prepare for humanity's next giant leap to the Red Planet. Kshatriya will serve as NASA's first head of the office, with immediate effect, the agency announced on Thursday. The new office aims to carry out the agency's human exploration activities on the Moon and Mars for the benefit of humanity, a NASA press release said. The golden age of exploration is happening right now, and this new office will help ensure that NASA successfully establishes a long-term lunar presence needed to prepare for humanity's next giant leap to the Red Planet," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. The Moon to Mars Programme Office will help prepare NASA to carry out our bold missions to the Moon and land the first humans on Mars, Nelson explained. The new office resides within t

NASA-SpaceX Crew-6 astronauts dock safely at ISS after hour-long delay

NASA-SpaceX's Crew-6 astronauts arrived safely at the International Space Station (ISS) on Friday, after a 26-hour journey

SpaceX launches four astronauts from US, Russia, and UAE to space station

SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA on Thursday, including the first person from the Arab world going up for an extended monthslong stay. The Falcon rocket bolted from Kennedy Space Center shortly after midnight, illuminating the night sky as it headed up the East Coast.. Nearly 80 spectators from the United Arab Emirates watched from the launch site as astronaut Sultan al-Neyadi only the second Emirati to fly to space blasted off on his six-month mission. Half a world away in Dubai and elsewhere across the UAE, schools and offices planned to broadcast the launch live. Also riding the Dragon capsule that's due at the space station on Friday: NASA's Stephen Bowen, a retired Navy submariner who logged three space shuttle flights, and Warren Woody Hoburg, a former research scientist at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and space newbie, and Andrei Fedyaev, a space rookie who's retired from the Russian Air Force. The first attempt to launc

Russia launches rescue ship for two cosmonauts to space station after leaks

Russia launched a rescue ship on Friday for two cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut whose original ride home sprang a dangerous leak while parked at the International Space Station. The new, empty Soyuz capsule should arrive at the orbiting lab on Sunday. The capsule leak in December was blamed on a micrometeorite that punctured an external radiator, draining it of coolant. The same thing appeared to happen again earlier this month, this time on a docked Russian cargo ship. Camera views showed a small hole in each spacecraft. The Russian Space Agency delayed the launch of the replacement Soyuz, looking for any manufacturing defects. No issues were found, and the agency proceeded with Friday's predawn launch from Kazakhstan of the capsule with bundles of supplies strapped into the three seats. Given the urgent need for this capsule, two top NASA officials travelled from the US to observe the launch in person. To everyone's relief, the capsule safely reached orbit nine minutes after lift

Nasa astronauts successfully install new roll-out solar array on ISS

NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio have successfully installed Roll-Out Solar Array on the starboard truss structure of the space station

Start-ups line up for space glory, but still very far from 'SpaceX moment'

Roughly 70% of these start-ups were launched after 2020; of $245 mn that the sector has received in last seven years, $198 mn came after 2020

Global space cooperation integral part of Indian space programme: Offficial

Global space cooperation is an integral part of India's space programme, a top Indian space scientist has said and supported the idea of nations coming together to replicate the International Space Station for another outpost in space. In this entire journey of the Indian space programme, global space cooperation has always been an integral part, Krunal Joshi who is currently a counsellor, Space (ISRO) at the Embassy of India told a recent ASCEND Conference. Participating in two-panel discussions at the prestigious ASCEND conference, hosted by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) in Las Vegas from October 24 to October 26, Joshi told the space scientific community that India has launched more than 350 satellites from 33 countries. In the 1960s, India dedicated Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station to the UN and a variety of research and launch experiments were done from here. India today has more than 230 agreements with over 55 countries and five ...

SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts splash down in Atlantic after 170 days in orbit

NASA's SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts, who spent 170 days in orbit aboard the Dragon spacecraft, completed the agency's fourth commercial crew mission to the International Space Station

Russian cosmonaut launched to space from US, first time in 20 years

For the first time in 20 years, a Russian cosmonaut rocketed from the U.S. on Wednesday, launching to the International Space Station alongside NASA and Japanese astronauts despite tensions over the war in Ukraine. Their SpaceX flight was delayed by Hurricane Ian, which ripped across the state last week. I hope with this launch we will brighten up the skies over Florida a little bit for everyone, said the Japan Space Agency's Koichi Wakata, who is making his fifth spaceflight. Joining him on a five-month mission are three new to space: Marine Col. Nicole Mann, the first Native American woman bound for orbit; Navy Capt. Josh Cassada and Russia's lone female cosmonaut, Anna Kikina. They're due to arrive at the space station Thursday, 29 hours after departing NASA's Kennedy Space Center, and won't be back on Earth until March. They're replacing a U.S.-Italian crew that arrived in April. Kikina is the Russian Space Agency's exchange for NASA's Frank Rubio, who launched to the space ..