Russia launched into space an Iranian research satellite which will scan Iran's topography from an orbit of 500 km (310 miles).
The remote Pars 1 research-sensing satellite, launched by a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, weighs 134 kg (295 pounds) and is equipped with three cameras.
Russia had sent Iran's remote Khayyam sensing satellite into orbit in 2022 from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome, reflecting deeper scientific cooperation between the two U.S.-sanctioned countries.
Feb 28, 2024
India's Reusable Launch Vehicle Named Pushpak
India's Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) was named Pushpak, a glimpse of the new livery was released during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre.
Prime Minister Modi reviewed the progress of the vehicle, which is a key component of India's space exploration endeavours.
The reusable launch vehicle promises to revolutionise this domain by slashing launch costs by nearly 80%, thereby making space exploration more accessible and sustainable.
The Pushpak RLV is designed as an all-rocket, fully reusable single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicle, incorporating several major elements such as the X-33 advanced technology demonstrator, the X-34 test bed technology demonstrator, and the upgraded DC-XA flight demonstrator.
Feb 27, 2024
PM Modi Announces Names of 4 Astronauts for Gaganyaan Mission
Prime Minister Narendra Modi revealed the name of four astronauts who were selected for the Gaganyaan Mission.
The four chosen Indian Air Force pilots are Group Captain Prashanth Nair, Group Captain Ajit Krishnan, Group Captain Angad Pratap, and Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla.
The four astronauts were trained at Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia. The Gaganyaan Mission is India's first human space flight programme.
Feb 26, 2024
Scientists Find 3 Previously Unknown Moons of Uranus and Neptune
Scientists discovered a new moon of Uranus after more than 20 years along with two new moons of Neptune, announced the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Centre.
The three newly discovered moons are the faintest ever found around these two ice giant planets using ground-based telescopes. It took special image processing to reveal such faint objects.
With the latest addition, Uranus has 28 moons in total. The latest measures only about 8 kilometres and is most probably the smallest moon of the planet. It takes 680 days to orbit the planet and has been named S/2023 U1.
With the two new moons, now Neptune has a total of 16 moons. Among Neptune's new additions, one moon stands out for its unusually long orbital journey, taking approximately 27 years to complete a single lap around the icy giant.
Feb 23, 2024
Intuitive Machines: US Company Makes Historic Moon Landing
An American company made history by becoming the first commercial outfit to put a spacecraft on the moon.
Houston-based Intuitive Machines landed its Odysseus robot near the lunar South Pole.
Intuitive Machines broke the United States' half-century absence from the moon's surface.