Latest news with #PallavaBagla
The Star
a day ago
- Science
- The Star
India's Cosmic Leap: A Billion Dreams, Will See Visits to Moon, Mars and Venus
Pallava Bagla | Published 30 minutes ago Reaching for the stars is becoming an everyday affair at India's space agency, having visited the Moon and Mars with orbital missions, now eyes are set on a mission to Venus and a sample return from the Moon. Human space flight to fly an Indian citizen on an Indian rocket from Indian soil, where the countdown will also be conducted by India, is also taking shape fast. India's space journey reached new heights with the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3 near the Moon's South Pole on August 23, 2023, making India the first country to achieve this feat. This mission demonstrated ISRO's capability in precision lunar landing and roving. The Vikram lander even performed a hop experiment, and the propulsion module was later manoeuvred into Earth orbit for extended operations. Building on this momentum, ISRO achieved its 100th rocket launch in January 2025, launching a navigation satellite, showcasing India's indigenous cryogenic engine technology. The pinnacle came with the July 30, 2025, launch of the nearly $1.3 billion NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar or NISAR satellite, a joint Indo-USEarth observation mission. Launched aboard India's GSLV F-16, NISAR features dual-frequency SAR payloads from NASA and ISRO, and will monitor climate change, disasters, and agriculture. ISRO Chairman Dr. V. Narayanan hailed it as a symbol of India's technological leadership and global collaboration, emphasising the precision and reliability of India's cryogenic launch systems. In a landmark achievement for India's space programme, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla completed a 20-day mission, including 18 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS), as part of the multinational Axiom-4mission — dubbed Mission Akash Ganga. This marks India's first human spaceflight since Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma in 1984. Prime MinisterModi hailed Shukla's courage and dedication as inspiring a billion dreams. Launched aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9, Shukla served as mission pilot and conducted seven India-specific experiments. Despite delays, the mission concluded successfully with a splashdown near San Diego. It lays the foundation for India's Gaganyaan mission, targeting a 2027 launch from Indian soil. India's roadmap doesn't stop at Gaganyaan. Prime Minister Modi has outlined a bold vision: establish an Indian space station by 2035 and land an Indian on the moon by 2040. If successful, India will join the elite club of nations — Russia, the United States, and China — with independent indigenous human spaceflight capabilities. India's lunar legacy is already formidable. India's first foray to the moon with the Chandrayaan-1 mission in 2008 discovered the presence of water molecules on the moon, fundamentally altering lunar geological history forever. Chandrayaan-2 provided the first independent images of Apollo mission artefacts left on the lunar surface, and Chandrayaan-3 made global headlines by landing nearer the moon's South Pole—now considered the gold rush zone for lunar exploration. With cost-effective yet reliable space missions, India is poised to become a major player in the global space race. The government has already allocated billions of dollars for the human spaceflight program, underscoring its commitment to cosmic exploration. India's science minister Dr Jitendra Singh, who also looks after the affairs of the Department of Space, says `India's quantum leap in space research, with India's space economy standing at $8 billion, has been only possible due to the courageous decision to open up or unlock the space sector from the shackles of the past.' Further highlighting that `India's space economy is projected to grow beyond $40 billion by 2040, which is going to be a gigantic jump. ' The future space missions include a lunar sample return mission named Chandrayaan-4; a mission to Venus; and the development of the new mighty rocket. As part of this ambitious roadmap, India plans to establish its space station, the Bhartiya Antariksha Station, by 2035. A precursor to this will be the launch of a space module in 2028. The culmination of this vision is the planned landing of an Indian astronaut on the moon by 2040. ''When we celebrate the 100th year of India's independence, in 2047, an Indian flag will already be flying on the moon's asserts Dr Singh. In a historic collaboration between the United States and India, the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite, also known as NISAR, is poised to revolutionise how we observe and understand our planet. It launched successfully on July 30, 2025, from the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota in southern India. At its core, NISAR is designed to monitor changes in Earth's surface with unprecedented precision, capturing movements as small as a centimetre. This capability is vital for tracking natural hazards 3such as earthquakes, landslides, volcanic activity, and glacial shifts, as well as human-induced changes like urban expansion, agricultural development, and infrastructure says the NISAR satellite weighs 2,392 kg, and it will scan the entire globe and provide all-weather, day-and-night data at a 12-day interval and enable a wide range of applications. The NISAR satellite, which has cost upwards of $ 1.3billion to make, can detect changes in the Earth's surface, such as ground deformation, ice sheet movement and vegetation dynamics. Further applications include sea and ice classification, ship detection, shoreline monitoring, storm characterisation, changes in soil moisture, mapping and monitoring of surface water resources and disaster response. It has been dubbed a lifesaving satellite. Today, over 250 space start-ups are driving innovation and fuelling India's spacesector. Among these, Agnikul Cosmos and Skyroot Aerospace made headlines by launching sub-orbital rockets, and Pixxel Aerospace makes unique high-resolution satellites. A recent study estimates that for every dollar spent on space, India has reportedly received a return of $ 2.52. India has end-to-end capabilities in space, as the country makes its rockets, satellites and has an enviable space technology applications portfolio. Today, India has over fifty operational satellites in space, which help power India's burgeoning economy. India's vast space ecosystem touches the lives of every Indian. Pallava Bagla(Pallava Bagla is an award-winning science journalist. Currently, he is Science Editor for New Delhi Television (NDTV) and Co-author of the book `Reaching for the Stars'. He can be reached at [email protected].
Newsweek
09-06-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
India to Get New Spy Planes to Counter Nuclear Rivals Pakistan and China
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. India is preparing to bolster its intelligence and surveillance capabilities with the acquisition of advanced I-STAR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition, and Reconnaissance) aircraft, in a major boost to the Air Force's ability to counter challenges posed by Pakistan and China, according to news reports. Newsweek has reached out to India's Defense Ministry and the Pakistani government for comment. Why It Matters The reports follows the worst confrontation in decades with Pakistan and underlined India's plan to strengthen aerial reconnaissance and to reduce reliance on foreign arms. Pakistan performed strongly in air combat in May with the help of jets from China, which is another strategic rival of India's and is also locked in territorial disputes. Tensions remain high between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan, despite U.S. diplomatic efforts that helped bring about a ceasefire. NEW DELHI, INDIA JANUARY 26: A view of the Indian Air Force show put on for Republic Day with a air display of 75 aircrafts in various formations on January 26, 2022 to mark the... NEW DELHI, INDIA JANUARY 26: A view of the Indian Air Force show put on for Republic Day with a air display of 75 aircrafts in various formations on January 26, 2022 to mark the 75 years of India's Independence in New Delhi ,India. More Pallava Bagla/Corbis/Getty Images What To Know The project, at an estimated cost of 10,000 Indian Rupee (approximately $1.2 billion), involves integrating indigenous sensor systems onto foreign-made airframes and is expected to be reviewed by the defense ministry, according to news agency ANI, citing defense officials. The systems for I-STAR have been developed by the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) which integrates advanced airborne surveillance platforms for the Indian military. The I-STAR could mark a leap in the Indian Air Force's (IAF) ability to conduct precision strikes and monitor enemy movements. High‑altitude surveillance planes will allow the IAF to conduct target enemy radar sites, mobile air defense units, and command posts—including from stand‑off ranges, according to The Economic Times. IAF to get Rs 10,000 crore indigenous I-STAR spy planes to help in precision strikes against enemy ground targets. Report By : @ajitkdubey — Alpha Defense™🇮🇳 (@alpha_defense) June 8, 2025 India has fast-tracked the modernization of its air power—jets, drones, and advanced systems—following its recent armed exchange with Pakistan, where it caused damage but was also challenged by Pakistani air defenses. India accelerated its defense buildup with $4.6 billion in emergency procurement, advancing stealth jet development, a $470 million drone deal, and a $7 billion purchase of 26 Rafale naval fighters, according to Reuters. In March, Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi, said new Delhi "can no longer overlook" threats resulting from the military ties between Pakistan and China, especially in advanced cyber and electronic warfare tools, according to India Today. What People Are Saying Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi said in March, according to India Today: "There is a high degree of collusion that we must acknowledge. In the virtual domain, it is nearly 100 per cent. Physically, most of the equipment present is of Chinese origin. The two-front war threat is a reality." Christopher Clary, Non-resident fellow at the Stimson Center's South Asia program wrote in an analysis in May: "This crisis involved the use of several weapons systems, often in innovative ways, which neither India nor Pakistan possessed at the time of their last crisis in 2019. While this crisis provides a baseline for the next India-Pakistan crisis, the pace of military technological change means that the contours of that next crisis might be meaningfully different. Both sides' perceived setbacks and failures will serve as a major driver for defense acquisitions and doctrinal innovation." What Happens Next India aims at acquiring three aircraft from foreign manufacturers including Boeing and Canada's Bombardier for the spy planes, ANI reported.
Business Mayor
25-04-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
Trump signs order to boost deep-sea mining, seeking to break China's critical minerals dominance
Critical minerals such as cobalt, nickel, copper and manganese can be found in potato-sized nodules at the bottom of the seafloor. Pallava Bagla | Corbis News | Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping executive order to jump-start the controversial practice of deep-sea mining, seeking to offset China's dominant position in critical mineral supply chains. The administration is seeking to fast-track the pursuit of strategically important minerals such as nickel, copper and rare earth elements from the seabed in U.S. and international waters. 'The United States has a core national security and economic interest in maintaining leadership in deep sea science and technology and seabed mineral resources,' Trump said in the executive order Thursday. The unilateral action is intended 'to counter China's growing influence over seabed mineral resources,' strengthen partnerships with allies and ensure U.S. firms are 'well positioned' to support those interested in developing seabed minerals responsibly. The order, which critics say contradicts global efforts to adopt regulation, directs the Trump administration to expedite mining permits under the Deep Seabed Hard Minerals Act of 1980. It also seeks to establish a process for issuing permits along the U.S. outer continental shelf and, notably, calls for the expedited review of seabed mining permits 'in areas beyond national jurisdiction.' What is deep-sea mining? The practice of deep-sea mining involves using heavy machinery to remove minerals and metals from the seabed, where they build up into potato-sized nodules. The end-use of these minerals are wide-ranging and include electric vehicle batteries, wind turbines and solar panels. Advocates of the practice say deep-sea mining could be a highly lucrative industry that ultimately reduces the reliance of large mining operations on land. Scientists, however, warn that the full environmental impacts of deep-sea mining are hard to predict. Environmental campaign groups say the practice cannot be done sustainably and will lead to ecosystem destruction and species extinction. Environmental activists calling for an international moratorium on deep-sea mining. Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty Images 'We condemn this administration's attempt to launch this destructive industry on the high seas in the Pacific by bypassing the United Nations process,' Greenpeace USA's Arlo Hemphill said on Friday. 'This is an insult to multilateralism and a slap in the face to all the countries and millions of people around the world who oppose this dangerous industry,' Hemphill said in a statement. The International Seabed Authority (ISA), a little-known U.N. regulator that oversees deep-sea mining, has for years been seeking to resolve deep-sea mining's murky future before any mining activity begins. It is considering standards to regulate the exploitation and extraction of polymetallic nodules and other deposits on the ocean floor. Negotiators have been trying to ensure formal rules are in place by the end of 2025 — leading critics of Trump's executive order to question its timing. The ISA was established under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a treaty which the U.S. has not ratified. The agency is responsible for both the exploitation and conservation of an area that covers around 54% of the world's oceans. ISA Secretary-General Leticia Carvalho told CNBC last year that it remains feasible ISA member states can agree on some form of regulation by the end of 2025. Read More Do You Hate to Write? Try These Tech Tools May Help Unexpected country alliances 'This alignment of the private sector with the U.S. administration could escalate global geopolitical tensions over critical minerals and control of international waters,' analysts at Eurasia Group said in a research note published Thursday. 'U.S. dismissal of UN processes will probably lead to unexpected country alliances in opposition,' they added. Gerard Barron, chairman and CEO of The Metals Company, hopes that his company will be able to mine the seafloor for nickel, cobalt, manganese in the Pacific Ocean. Carolyn Cole | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images For instance, actions taken by the U.S. and Canada-based deep-sea mining exploration firm The Metals Company have been criticized by more than 40 countries, including China, Russia and Britain, among others. 'Norway, which had previously considered seabed mining within its national waters, has now aligned with China, India, and Poland — countries typically more supportive of streamlining approval processes for industrial-scale deep sea mining — to oppose U.S. actions,' analysts at Eurasia Group said. 'The concern centers on the U.S. abruptly bypassing previously agreed processes on deep-sea mining,' they added.
