India conducts maiden flight-trials of stratospheric airship platform
India on Saturday successfully carried out maiden flight-trials of a stratospheric airship platform which is being developed to boost the military's surveillance capabilities. Very few countries in the world have developed such a complex platform, officials said.
#Pahalgam Terrorist Attack
Code of war: India and Pakistan take their battle to the (web)front
Forex reserves show a pauperised Pakistan, a prospering India
Pakistan conducts training launch of surface-to surface ballistic missile
The flight trial was carried out by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) at Sheopur in Madhya Pradesh.
DRDO Chairman Samir V Kamat said the prototype flight is a "milestone" towards realisation of lighter-than-air high-altitude platform systems that can remain airborne for very long endurance at stratospheric heights.
by Taboola
by Taboola
Sponsored Links
Sponsored Links
Promoted Links
Promoted Links
You May Like
Start Commodity Trading Today with This Free Masterclass By Hiral !
TradeWise
Learn More
The airship platform was launched with an instrumental payload to an altitude of around 17 kms, according to the defence ministry.
The successful flight trials of the platform came amid escalating tensions between India and Pakistan over the
Pahalgam terror attack
.
Live Events
Defence Minister
Rajnath Singh
congratulated the DRDO for the successful maiden flight-trial of the system.
This system will uniquely enhance India's earth observation and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, making the country one of the few countries in the world having such indigenous capabilities, he said.
"The DRDO successfully carried out maiden flight-trials of stratospheric airship platform from Sheopur trial site in Madhya Pradesh on May 3," the defence ministry said.
Developed by Agra-based Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment, the airship was launched carrying an instrumental payload to an altitude of around 17 kms, it said.
"Data from onboard sensors was received and would be utilised for development of high-quality fidelity simulation models for future
high-altitude airship
flights," the ministry said in a statement.
"Envelop pressure control and emergency deflation systems were deployed in flight for their performance evaluation. Trial team recovered the system for further investigation. The total duration of the flight was about 62 minutes," it said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
13 minutes ago
- Time of India
'Just like I got India and Pakistan to make a deal': Trump claims he can end Israel-Iran conflict too
Donald Trump As Israeli airstrikes on Iran entered a third day and the region teetered on the brink of a wider conflict, US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Sunday, claiming he could bring peace between Israel and Iran just as he had done with other historic adversaries, pointing to his past efforts in de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote, 'Iran and Israel should make a deal, and will make a deal, just like I got India and Pakistan to make, in that case by using TRADE with the United States to bring reason, cohesion, and sanity into the talks with two excellent leaders who were able to quickly make a decision and STOP!' As fighting continues in the Middle East, Trump said he's been taking calls and holding meetings behind the scenes. 'Likewise, we will have PEACE, soon, between Israel and Iran! Many calls and meetings now taking place,' he added. The President highlighted other international conflicts he claimed to have intervened. 'During my first term, Serbia and Kosovo were going at it hot and heavy, as they have for many decades, and this long time conflict was ready to break out into WAR. I stopped it,' he said, blaming former President Joe Biden for hurting longer-term prospects with 'some very stupid decisions.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Urologists Urge Men To Try This Breakthrough for ED Bring Back Fast Read More Undo He also cited Egypt and Ethiopia's tensions over the Nile River dam. 'There is peace, at least for now, because of my intervention, and it will stay that way!' Despite escalating Israeli airstrikes and rising casualties in Iran and Israel, Trump said peace is still possible. 'I do a lot, and never get credit for anything, but that's OK, the PEOPLE understand. MAKE THE MIDDLE EAST GREAT AGAIN!' he concluded. Meanwhile, the region remains on edge Trump's comments come amid a sharp escalation between Israel and Iran. Following surprise Israeli strikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites on Friday, which killed top generals and scientists, Iran has fired over 270 missiles in retaliation, with 22 hitting Israeli targets. Israel has warned of broader strikes and advised Iranian civilians to evacuate arms factories. Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said that if Israel's strikes on Iran stop, then 'our responses will also stop." He said the United States "is a partner in these attacks and must take responsibility.' Trump doubles down on peace deal Earlier, Trump had also posted that the US was not involved in the Israeli attacks but warned that any Iranian retaliation against the US would result in an American response 'at levels never seen before.' Still, he insisted, 'we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!!' Fallout from strikes on nuclear facilities Meanwhile, satellite imagery has confirmed damage to Iran's key nuclear sites in Natanz and Isfahan. Experts say it could take months or more to repair the damage. Israel claims the strikes were preemptive to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons, something Tehran has consistently denied.
Time of India
13 minutes ago
- Time of India
Wind energy centre of Atma Nirbhar Bharat: India becomes 3rd largest maker of renewable energy; wind capacity hits 51.5 GW in a decade
On Global Wind Day 2025, Union minister for new and renewable energy Pralhad Joshi stressed on the importance of wind energy and said that it is crucial to India's clean energy plans and crucial to its ambition of becoming a global manufacturing hub. Speaking at a stakeholder meeting in Bengaluru, he said India needs reliable energy, from wind, solar or other sources, to become a global manufacturing hub. "Wind energy is not a component of our renewable energy strategy, but it is at the heart of it and at the centre of Atma Nirbhar Bharat," he said. The minister said that India has achieved 51.5 GW of wind capacity, marking a 150% increase over the last decade, and is now exporting turbines and components globally. The country has set its sights on 100 GW of wind energy by 2030, including 30 GW from offshore projects, 'backed by strong policy reforms and a robust manufacturing ecosystem.' The minister said India has set clear and ambitious goals — to get 50% of its power from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030 and to become net-zero by 2070. He stressed that wind energy is not just a part of the country's renewable strategy, but lies at its core and is key to building an Atma Nirbhar Bharat. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 Top Trending Local Enterprise Accounting Software [Click Here] Accounting ERP Click Here Undo He also underlined the three issues the sector must now tackle: integrating wind with solar and storage for round-the-clock power, reducing tariffs from the current Rs 3.90 per unit, and boosting manufacturing efficiency to compete globally. Highlighting PM Modi's vision, Joshi said the goal is to use renewable energy to power India's manufacturing sector, while conventional energy continues to meet household needs. India is currently the world's fourth-largest country in installed wind power capacity and the third-largest renewable energy producer overall. India's manufacturing capacity is increasing, and it will continue to rise. "No one had thought that India would become the third largest manufacturer of renewable energy in 10 years, but today it is a reality," said the minister. To unlock the full potential of the wind sector, Joshi outlined five focus areas: expanding into new states like Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Odisha; launching the offshore wind sector with leasing areas in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu; integrating wind with storage for firm green power; modernising the grid using AI-based forecasting; and strengthening local manufacturing across the wind value chain. Joshi also released two key reports, the Wind Energy Roadmap and Manufacturing Roadmap, to serve as frameworks for India's clean energy journey. 'These documents reflect our strategic vision and our collective resolve to build a strong, self-reliant wind ecosystem,' he said. The event also saw the recognition of top-performing states in wind capacity addition: Karnataka led with 1,331.48 MW, followed by Tamil Nadu (1,136.37 MW) and Gujarat (954.76 MW). Union minister of state for new and renewable energy, Shripad Yesso Naik, and Karnataka's energy minister, KG George, were also present at the event. India's wind ambitions align with its global climate commitments, including the five-point 'Panchamrit' pledge made at COP26 in Glasgow. These include reaching 500 GW of non-fossil capacity, cutting emissions by 1 billion tonnes, and reducing emissions intensity by 45%, all by 2030. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
15 minutes ago
- Time of India
ChatGPT took on a 50-year-old Atari — and lost
ChatGPT, arguably the world's most popular artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, was humbled by a 50-year-old chess console. The Atari 2600 , first launched in 1977, outperformed ChatGPT in a recent experiment to the point that the AI chatbot conceded. The experiment was set up by cloud computing engineer Robert Jr. Caruso after ChatGPT itself insisted on playing chess against an Atari following a conversation about AI in chess. OpenAI 's chatbot "claimed it was a strong player in its own right and would easily beat Atari's Video Chess", Caruso said in a LinkedIn post. He expected it to be "a lighthearted stroll down retro memory lane" for the AI. His hopes were deflated once the match began. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Roteirizador Pathfind - O planejador de rotas mais completo do mercado Sistema TMS embarcador Saiba Mais Undo ChatGPT and its various AI models are being used for everything from answering emails, generating images and conducting in-depth research. Meanwhile, Atari 2600 sports an 8-bit, 1.1 MHz CPU which could only think 1–2 moves ahead. Live Events ChatGPT got absolutely wrecked on the beginner level, Caruso wrote. Despite being given a baseline board layout to identify pieces, ChatGPT confused rooks for bishops, missed pawn forks, and repeatedly lost track of pieces. The AI chatbot first blamed the Atari icons as too abstract to recognise, then failed to improve even after switching to the standard system of recording chess moves. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories At times, ChatGPT worked — analysing moves, explaining options and offering solid advice. At others, it made absurd suggestions — like sacrificing a knight to a pawn — or tried to move pieces that had already been captured, even during turns when it otherwise had an accurate view of the board, Caruso wrote. He said he had to stop ChatGPT from making awful moves and correct its board awareness multiple times per turn over 90 minutes. The modern tech kept promising it would improve 'if we just started over.' Eventually, it conceded the challenge to Atari. Technology has been better at chess than humans since the IBM Deep Blue supercomputer defeated the erstwhile champion and renowned grandmaster Gary Kasparov in 1997. The latest Stockfish chess engine have an estimated 3,600 points on the Elo chess ranking system, whereas the current world number one Magnus Carlsen has the highest rating among humans at around 2,800. One response to Caruso's post argued that ChatGPT does not employ artificial general intelligence (AGI), and only emulates human examples. Thus, it was unfair to test it in a game of logic like chess. Another pointed out that ChatGPT is not a chess engine, unlike Atari 2600, which despite being archaic, tracks the board and formulates moves.
