Tag: India
-
Rocket Report: SpaceX lands in the Bahamas; ULA tests modified booster
Welcome to Edition 7.32 of the Rocket Report! It’s true that the US space program has always been political. Domestic and global politics have driven nearly all of the US government’s decisions on major space issues, most notably President John F. Kennedy’s challenge to land astronauts on the Moon amid intense Cold War competition with…
-
Two European satellites launch on mission to blot out the Sun—for science
Two spacecraft developed by the European Space Agency launched on top of an Indian rocket Thursday, kicking off a mission to test novel formation flying technologies and observe a rarely seen slice of the Sun’s ethereal corona. ESA’s Proba-3 mission is purely experimental. The satellites are loaded with sophisticated sensors and ranging instruments to allow…
-
SpaceX launches India’s GSAT-N2 satellite on Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) on the GSAT-N2 / GSAT-20 mission on Nov. 18, 2024. Image: Michael Cain/Spaceflight Now SpaceX launched its third Falcon 9 rocket in less than 24 hours, bringing all three of its launch pads into play. Capping off this trio was its second…
-
India approves development of reusable launcher, space station module
All at once, India’s government has approved plans to develop a new reusable rocket, the centerpiece of an Indian space station, a robotic sample return mission to the Moon, and a science probe to explore Venus. “Great news for the space sector!” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. Collectively, the projects authorized by…
-
SERA Names India Partner in Human Spaceflight Programme, Offering Space Travel Opportunity
The U.S.-based Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) announced on Monday that India will participate as a partner country in its upcoming human spaceflight programme, aimed at sending six citizen astronauts from nations with limited or no space exploration history into space. Partnering with Blue Origin, SERA’s programme will enable selected citizens to embark on…
-
Rocket Report: North Korean rocket explosion; launch over Chinese skyline
Welcome to Edition 6.46 of the Rocket Report! It looks like we will be covering the crew test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft and the fourth test flight of SpaceX’s giant Starship rocket over the next week. All of this is happening as SpaceX keeps up its cadence of flying multiple Starlink missions per week.…
-
MDA Space Joins Starlab Space Venture, Expanding Commercial Space Station Efforts
Canadian company MDA Space has joined the Starlab Space joint venture, enhancing the project’s capabilities for developing a commercial space station. MDA Space will contribute its expertise in space robotics to the partnership, which already includes Voyager Space, Airbus Defence and Space, and Mitsubishi Corp. MDA Space’s involvement in Starlab Space includes taking an equity…
-
Japan’s H3 Rocket Set for Second Launch Attempt Amidst Bid to Revitalize Space Program
Japan is gearing up for another launch attempt of its flagship rocket, the H3, this weekend, aiming to rejuvenate its space program following a setback during the booster’s maiden flight last year, which disrupted satellite and planetary exploration plans. Scheduled to launch from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan on Saturday, the second flight…
-
India Successfully Launches INSAT-3DS Meteorological Satellite
India achieved another milestone in its space exploration efforts with the successful launch of the INSAT-3DS meteorological satellite. The satellite was launched aboard a 51.7-meter-long Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The GSLV lifted off at 7:05 a.m. Eastern on Feb. 17, delivering the INSAT-3DS into geosynchronous transfer orbit. The…
-
Rocket Report: SpaceX’s record year; Firefly’s Alpha rocket falls short
Welcome to Edition 6.25 of the Rocket Report! We hope all our readers had a peaceful holiday break. While many of us were enjoying time off work, launch companies like SpaceX kept up the pace until the final days of 2023. Last year saw a record level of global launch activity, with 223 orbital launch…