Indian space agency's satellite mission fails due to technical issue in launch vehicle
NEW DELHI — The Indian space agency's mission to launch into orbit a new Earth observation satellite failed after the launch vehicle encountered a technical issue during the third stage of flight, officials said Sunday.
The EOS-09 Earth observation satellite took off on board the PSLV-C61 launch vehicle from the Sriharikota space center in southern India on Sunday morning.
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Associated Press
11 hours ago
- Associated Press
India's self-proclaimed 'history hunter' is on a drive to salvage the past for future generations
NEW DELHI (AP) — Cameras from a bygone era. Rusty typewriters. Vintage radios. Matchboxes once used to light contraband cigarettes. In an age of new technology and artificial intelligence, a visit to the New Delhi home of Aditya Vij is like stepping into a time machine. Every corner of his museum feels like a carefully constructed history chapter. The anthropologist is an avid collector of artifacts and has dedicated his life to antiquities. Over decades, he has doggedly collected thousands of items that span several centuries and documented their relevance and the impact they have had on society. Each collectable he has salvaged feels like a victory against time, Vij says, underscoring his belief that maybe one individual's attempts can quietly resist their erasure from people's memory. 'The deepest emotion I feel while collecting these items is the sense of satisfaction that I managed to save a piece of history,' said Vij, during an interview surrounded by his priceless collection of vintage cameras and gramophones. The excitement of the hunt Fossils of fish, snails, tadpoles and fern leaves that date back millions of years are Vij's most ancient items. But he has a passion for another trove of objects that date back to around 1915: thousands upon thousands of matchboxes. His obsession began at the age of 8 when he discovered his first matchbox while wandering on the roads with his father. Today, the 51-year-old possesses more than 22,000 matchboxes. A few of them are over a century old and their cover labels showcase different forms of religious representations and political scenarios of the times they were produced. 'It is not just the possession of these trinkets, but the process of hunting for them is what adds a layer of excitement for me,' Vij said, adding that matchboxes symbolize different cultures at different times. 'Vigilance and quick action' He says the preservation of memory through these collectables pushes people to think about the craftsmanship of a time where life was slower and decisions were more deliberate. Some of his possessions were acquired by a chance. Many years ago, Vij says, he spotted a scrap dealer about to break an old radio with a hammer. He shouted from across the street and stopped the man. The scrap dealer, taken by surprise, explained how he would get good money out of the parts. Vij offered to buy it. Today, that radio sits amongst his existing collection of vintages. 'Thirty more seconds and I would have lost it, and sometimes that's what it takes — vigilance and quick action,' he said. Vij describes his journey that of a man 'who links the past to the future' and aspires to create a museum out of his house that will act as a physical space where younger generations get to learn about innovations from the past. Otherwise, Vij says, these unassuming objects would be forever lost in the vast expanse of new technology. 'What was once familiar has become rare, often forgotten, and has left behind only traces of nostalgia and memories,' he said. 'Urgency to preserve history' Vij also gets requests from parents who want him to show their children how his collectables were put in use during the past. Some want their children to see how a typewriter works, or how pictures were clicked using a film camera. Others come to see how some household devices used to operate, like the rotary telephones, tube radios, pressing irons, ice cream makers, and lanterns. 'When they (kids) tell me how they had no idea about the existence of these objects, that is when I feel a stronger urgency to preserve history,' he said. Over the past few years, Vij says, technology has evolved rapidly and the gadgets from his childhood were made obsolete overnight. He believes archiving them is necessary. 'I hope the younger generations realize the importance of history and carry it forward by preserving it,' he said
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
India, a major user of coal power, is making large gains in clean energy adoption. Here is how
BENGALURU, India (AP) — One of the most carbon-polluting countries, India is also making huge efforts to harness the power of the sun, wind and other clean energy sources. Most of the electricity in India, the world's most populous nation, still comes from coal, one of the dirtiest forms of energy. But coal's dominance is dropping, going from 60% of installed power capacity 11 years ago to less than 50% today, according to India's power ministry. At the same time, India had its largest ever addition of clean power in the fiscal year between April 2024 and April of this year, adding 30 gigawatts — enough to power nearly 18 million Indian homes. With a growing middle class and skyrocketing energy needs, how fast India can move away from coal and other fossil fuels, such as gasoline and oil, could have a large impact on global efforts to confront climate change. Here is a snapshot of India's clean energy transition and some of the challenges. Renewable energy is now the most economical option Solar is now half the cost of power from new coal-powered plants. Availability of cheap components and many sunny days each year in India are some reasons experts say installed solar power increased 30 times in the last decade. 'Solar power is the cheapest it's ever been,' said Ruchita Shah, an energy analyst at climate think-tank Ember. Shah added that dropping costs for energy storage, in the form of batteries, means that renewable power will be the 'new normal," even when the sun doesn't shine or the wind doesn't blow. India has nearly 170 gigawatts of renewable energy projects in the pipeline, which are expected to be completed in the next few years. 'I have no doubt that India will reach its target of 500 gigawatts by 2030,' said Raghav Pachouri, an energy expert at Vasudha Foundation, a New Delhi-based think-tank. Government policies and private investments push renewables Experts say the growth in renewables is being spurred by India's plans to add approximately 50 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel power capacity every year for the next five years and for clean power to provide 50% of the nation's energy by the decade. When burned, fossil fuels let off greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, the main driver of climate change. A 2022 law that made electricity cheaper for companies choosing to buy clean power, the federal government's recommendation that state utilities buy more renewable power and a 2023 government plan to invest $452 million have all catalyzed investments in renewables. India has the fourth highest amount of clean power installed in the world and government officials said $81 billion has been invested in the renewable energy sector in the last decade. Multiple large-scale renewable power projects have begun operations or are under construction, including one of the world's largest wind and solar power farms. 'We've seen domestic manufacturing capacity, at least when it comes to modules for solar panels, increasing,' said Madhura Joshi, a senior energy analyst at the European think-tank E3G. Still, renewables are underutilized Despite the rapid growth, challenges persist. While non-fossil fuel sources now comprise 45% of India's total installed capacity, their share in actual electricity generation stood at 24% last year. Coal remains the dominant source, accounting for 75% of electricity generation. The share of solar, wind, small hydro power and biomass in India's electricity generation mix stood at 12%, double what it was in 2014 but still lower than expectations by this time, according to a report by New Delhi-based think-tank, the Centre for Science and Environment. Installed capacity is growing, but power generation from renewables needs to be optimized and integrated effectively into the grid, the report found. At a clean energy crossroads A recent report by the nonprofit clean energy think-tank, RMI, found that electricity demand is expected to triple by 2050 — driven by more electric vehicles, air conditioners and industrial growth. Acquiring land for clean energy projects remains a challenge. India also needs to rapidly build robust electricity transmission infrastructure and energy storage facilities to continue increasing clean power capacity. 'India is expected to become the world's third-largest economy in a few years, and I think we will need to adopt renewable energy to do this. There is no option for us because fossil fuels can't keep pace" with energy needs, said Deepak Thakur, chief executive officer of Mumbai-based renewable energy company, Mahindra Susten. ___ Follow Sibi Arasu on X at @sibi123 ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Associated Press
13 hours ago
- Associated Press
India, a major user of coal power, is making large gains in clean energy adoption. Here is how
BENGALURU, India (AP) — One of the most carbon-polluting countries, India is also making huge efforts to harness the power of the sun, wind and other clean energy sources. Most of the electricity in India, the world's most populous nation, still comes from coal, one of the dirtiest forms of energy. But coal's dominance is dropping, going from 60% of installed power capacity 11 years ago to less than 50% today, according to India's power ministry. At the same time, India had its largest ever addition of clean power in the fiscal year between April 2024 and April of this year, adding 30 gigawatts — enough to power nearly 18 million Indian homes. With a growing middle class and skyrocketing energy needs, how fast India can move away from coal and other fossil fuels, such as gasoline and oil, could have a large impact on global efforts to confront climate change. Here is a snapshot of India's clean energy transition and some of the challenges. Renewable energy is now the most economical optionSolar is now half the cost of power from new coal-powered plants. Availability of cheap components and many sunny days each year in India are some reasons experts say installed solar power increased 30 times in the last decade. 'Solar power is the cheapest it's ever been,' said Ruchita Shah, an energy analyst at climate think-tank Ember. Shah added that dropping costs for energy storage, in the form of batteries, means that renewable power will be the 'new normal,' even when the sun doesn't shine or the wind doesn't blow. India has nearly 170 gigawatts of renewable energy projects in the pipeline, which are expected to be completed in the next few years. 'I have no doubt that India will reach its target of 500 gigawatts by 2030,' said Raghav Pachouri, an energy expert at Vasudha Foundation, a New Delhi-based think-tank. Government policies and private investments push renewables Experts say the growth in renewables is being spurred by India's plans to add approximately 50 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel power capacity every year for the next five years and for clean power to provide 50% of the nation's energy by the decade. When burned, fossil fuels let off greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, the main driver of climate change. A 2022 law that made electricity cheaper for companies choosing to buy clean power, the federal government's recommendation that state utilities buy more renewable power and a 2023 government plan to invest $452 million have all catalyzed investments in renewables. India has the fourth highest amount of clean power installed in the world and government officials said $81 billion has been invested in the renewable energy sector in the last decade. Multiple large-scale renewable power projects have begun operations or are under construction, including one of the world's largest wind and solar power farms. 'We've seen domestic manufacturing capacity, at least when it comes to modules for solar panels, increasing,' said Madhura Joshi, a senior energy analyst at the European think-tank E3G. Still, renewables are underutilized Despite the rapid growth, challenges persist. While non-fossil fuel sources now comprise 45% of India's total installed capacity, their share in actual electricity generation stood at 24% last year. Coal remains the dominant source, accounting for 75% of electricity generation. The share of solar, wind, small hydro power and biomass in India's electricity generation mix stood at 12%, double what it was in 2014 but still lower than expectations by this time, according to a report by New Delhi-based think-tank, the Centre for Science and Environment. Installed capacity is growing, but power generation from renewables needs to be optimized and integrated effectively into the grid, the report found. At a clean energy crossroads A recent report by the nonprofit clean energy think-tank, RMI, found that electricity demand is expected to triple by 2050 — driven by more electric vehicles, air conditioners and industrial growth. Acquiring land for clean energy projects remains a challenge. India also needs to rapidly build robust electricity transmission infrastructure and energy storage facilities to continue increasing clean power capacity. 'India is expected to become the world's third-largest economy in a few years, and I think we will need to adopt renewable energy to do this. There is no option for us because fossil fuels can't keep pace' with energy needs, said Deepak Thakur, chief executive officer of Mumbai-based renewable energy company, Mahindra Susten. ___ Follow Sibi Arasu on X at @sibi123 ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
