Big tension for China, Pakistan as Indian satellites are practicing
Satellite Dogfighting in Space: From carrying rockets on a bicycle to landing a spacecraft on the moon's south pole, the journey of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and India's space sector is nothing less than a fairy tale. Now, India's dominance in space is continuously increasing as the country has emerged as the cheapest option to launch other countries' satellites in space. From Chandrayaan-3 to Aditya L-1, India has proved its prowess in the space sector to the world. In the recent development, India is conducting a rare and very sophisticated 'dogfight' in space between 'chaser' and 'target' satellites, orbiting about 500 km above Earth. ISRO is going to conduct the operation after Chinese defense satellites practised 'dogfight' in the low Earth orbit last year. Notably, a dogfight in space refers to the strategic, close-quarters maneuvering of spacecraft, similar to aerial dogfights between fighter jets. Improved Expansion Of Spadex Missions
The unique effort by India is another extension of ISRO's SpadeX mission. ISRO Chairman Dr V Narayanan told NDTV that SpadeX mission in India has successfully shown the 'docking and undocking process twice'. He informed that after the extended docking and undocking manoeuvres, both the satellites still had 50 percent fuel left. What Is The View Of Space Like?
According to reports, the two Indian satellites – flying in space at a speed of 28,800 kmph participated autonomously in this precise flight pattern. Both satellites conducted rendezvous and proximity operations. A recent near-encounter between two satellites happened after days of manual movements to adjust their orbits. China Also Conducted 'Dogfight'
The Dragon also demonstrated its capabilities by several satellites. Even the United States mentioned that its rivals are closing the technology gap. SPADEX Satellites Continue To Make An Impact
India's ISRO successfully conducted a second docking manoeuvre of its SPADEX satellites (SDX 01 and SDX 02) on April 20, followed by a successful power transfer test between the two satellites on April 21st. Heat Transferred From One Satellite To Another
Notably, the experiment also involved operating a heater element in one satellite through power from the other satellite. The duration of power transfer was about 4 minutes, and the performance of the satellites was as expected. In the second docking attempt, docking was accomplished with full autonomy from an inter-satellite distance of 15 meters. In the first docking attempt, an additional hold point was manually used at an inter-satellite distance of 3 meters.
The first docking was achieved on January 16 this year. ISRO successfully docked two Indian satellites orbiting in space at 475 km above the Earth, making it the fourth country to learn docking after Russia, the US and China.
India launched the SpadeX mission using its reliable and low-cost PSLV rocket on December 30 last year. Docking is an enabling technology for upcoming missions such as Chandrayaan-4 and the Indian Space Station.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
At PGI, new hope to rein in type-2 diabetes
1 2 Chandigarh: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) may not be invincible after all. Researchers are exploring the possibility of achieving remission through a combination of medication and lifestyle changes. The study, 'DiaRem-1' – recently published in the 'Indian journal of endocrinology and metabolism' – challenges the traditional view that T2DM is a permanent condition and provides evidence that remission is a feasible goal for some patients. The DiaRem-1 trial was an open-label, randomised controlled study at a single centre in India. It involved adult patients with T2DM of less than five years duration and an HbA1c level below 8.5% All participants were medicated for three months, followed by a three-month off-treatment period to assess for remission. Remission was officially defined as maintaining an HbA1c below 6.5% without any antidiabetic medication for three months. Nearly a third of the patients achieved remission. This small but powerful trial offers a cost-effective and scalable strategy that can work in outpatient clinics across India and the world. "With early, intensive treatment and continued support, many patients may no longer need diabetes medication. That's a powerful message of hope," said Dr Rama Walia, lead investigator of the study, adding: "Physical workout for an hour daily, including brisk walk, yoga or dance, was advised in the trial. Patients were kept on home-based healthy diet." Unlike other methods that rely on intensive, impractical diets or expensive surgeries, this study focused on using modern, widely available medications along with standard dietary and physical activity advice. Doctors now understand that two major culprits drive diabetes progression: glucotoxicity (too much sugar damaging beta cells) and lipotoxicity (fat accumulation impairing insulin action). By reversing these with medication and lifestyle therapy, the pancreas gets a much-needed break and, in some cases, begins to function more normally again. SWEAT & DIET MAY KEEP PILLS AWAY Chandigarh is considered the diabetic capital of India as the prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes is the highest in the country How Test Was Conducted Participants were divided into two groups: Intervention arm: 14 patients received a combination of liraglutide, dapagliflozin, and metformin. Control arm: 15 patients received vildagliptin, glimepiride, and metformin. Definition of Remission: HbA1c <6.5% for at least 3 months without medication Key Findings Remission Rate: 9 of the 29 participants (31%) achieved remission. Four from the intervention arm and five from control arm maintained HbA1c below 6.5% without treatment Weight Loss: Both groups experienced significant weight loss, as well as reductions in fat mass and body fat percentage. Intervention group had a median weight loss of -4.9 kg and the control group -3 kg, No Special Meds: Both modern and standard drugs helped when tightly managed Hope Floats: Not a cure, but a realistic and hopeful path to freedom from drugs Any Predictors Of Success? No baseline characteristics could be identified to predict which patients would achieve remission. However, those who did achieve remission tended to have a shorter duration of diabetes and greater weight loss. What's Next? PGI team is continuing research to test how long remission lasts and whether longer treatment duration might improve outcomes further Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
NDTV
8 hours ago
- NDTV
Agra-Born Arvi Bahal To Fly To Edge Of Space Aboard Blue Origin Mission
Arvinder "Arvi" Singh Bahal, a real estate investor originally from Agra, Uttar Pradesh, is set to join Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin's upcoming space tourism flight. The flight is scheduled for launch on August 3 from West Texas. The flight, NS-34, is part of Blue Origin's New Shepard programme, which has so far taken 70 people past the Karman line, the internationally recognised boundary of space. While NS-34 features a diverse international crew, Mr Bahal stands out not just for his Indian roots, but for a life defined by relentless exploration. Now a naturalised US citizen, he will become one of the few Indian-origin civilians to travel to the edge of space. A Life Of Exploration According to reports, Mr Bahal describes himself as a lifelong adventurer. The Blue Origin website stated that he has made it a personal mission to visit every country in the world. Mr Bahal has also stood at both the North and South Poles and skydived Mount Everest and the Pyramids of Giza. He even holds a private pilot's licence and is trained to fly helicopters. His next journey, soaring into suborbital space aboard New Shepard, is a natural extension of his adventurous spirit. Business And Background According to his LinkedIn profile, Bahal is the president of Bahal Properties, a real estate company he has led since 1975. With over 50 years in the industry, he has built a successful business career alongside his global travels. Other Members Of The Crew Bahal will be flying alongside five other people from around the world: HE Justin Sun, tech entrepreneur and founder of TRON. Gokhan Erdem, a Turkish businessman and space enthusiast. Deborah Martorell, a Puerto Rican meteorologist and science journalist. Lionel Pitchford, a British teacher and philanthropist based in Spain. JD Russell, a returning Blue Origin flyer and venture capitalist. Welcome to Astronaut Village, NS-34 Crew! — Blue Origin (@blueorigin) August 1, 2025 This will be the 14th crewed mission of Blue Origin's New Shepard programme and its 34th overall flight. The mission will be streamed live, with a webcast beginning 30 minutes before liftoff. A Symbolic Journey For Arvi Bahal, the flight is more than just a thrill. Born in Agra, his journey from the city on the banks of the Yamuna river to the edge of space speaks to the growing presence of Indian-origin professionals in global frontiers like commercial spaceflight.
Time of India
8 hours ago
- Time of India
IIEST restores, displays country's oldest seismograph, unearthed from godown
1 2 Kolkata: India's oldest seismograph, which had been lying at the wood godown of Indian Institute of Engineering, Science and Technology, Shibpur, till a few months ago, has finally been restored and displayed at the eight-storey building that houses the engineering college director's office and some departments. The earthquake measuring instrument, an original Benioff horizontal seismograph, was built by Victor Hugo Benioff of California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in 1932. It was Caltech that had gifted the seismograph to the geophysical laboratory of the institute, then known as BE College, Shibpur, marking India's entry into the global network of seismic observatories. IIEST Board of governors chairperson Tejaswini Ananth Kumar said, "This instrument (although defunct now) stands as a testament to India's early contributions to global geophysical research, with BE College playing a pioneering role in advancing seismology and establishing the country's presence in international scientific collaborations. It also shows the city's contribution to science, technology and research and is necessary to showcase the evolution to students." In 2019, the instrument was pulled out from beneath a one-storey building that was built on the campus for the geophysical lab but was later used as the university engineer's office. At present, the building houses a canteen. Though there were plans to lodge the heritage device in a proper place, it did not materialise and was kept at the wood godown, said a campus insider. "It was around June that we came across the seismograph at the wood godown while cleaning it," IIEST spokesperson Nirmalya Bhattacharyya said. " Under the leadership of director VMSR Murthy, we decided to clean it, restore it and put it on display. Assistant registrar Bivore Das helped us with the history and importance of the instrument. A rare copy of one of the recordings of an earthquake has also been retrieved and displayed." You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata Bhattacharyya highlighted that the seismograph could not only detect local tremors but also distant seismic events from the Himalayan belt, Southeast Asia and the mid-Indian Ocean ridges. "The geophysical lab used it to contribute seismic data to international earthquake catalogues. It became an essential part of earthquake monitoring during the interwar period, post-World War II and especially during the International Geophysical Year (1957–58). It was also during that period, under the leadership of maths professor S K Chakraborty, that BE College was selected as one of the few Indian observatories to send seismic and cosmic ray data," he said. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Friendship Day wishes , messages and quotes !
