Latest news with #ISRO
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Science
- Time of India
ISRO centre organises outreach event at Jharsuguda institute for National Space Day 2025
Jharsuguda: In a move aimed at inspiring young minds in India's hinterland, scientists from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC SHAR) at Sriharikota, popularly known as the Spaceport of India, marked National Space Day 2025, which is scheduled to be held on Aug 23, with a two-day outreach programme at Jharsuguda Engineering School (JES) starting from Monday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now This was the first time that such an event was organised at the 70-year-old school in association with SDSC SHAR, which is an ISRO centre. The event was inaugurated by chief guest Dipak Kumar Sahoo, who is the vice-chancellor of VSSUT, Burla, in the presence of G Ramesh Babu, the deputy director of SDSC SHAR, and Dr A K Ghosh, chairman of organising sub-committee of SDSC SHAR. Breaking away from the usual celebrations held in metropolitan engineering colleges, ISRO officials chose this rural institution to ensure that students from interior areas, who often lack internet access and exposure to scientific developments, could directly engage with India's space science community. "We wanted to reach out to students in remote areas. Bright minds are not confined to cities. Even in villages, with the right zeal, one can achieve anything," G Ramesh said, while citing the example of former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam as an inspiration. As part of the event, space exhibitions were held to inspire children to think creatively, enabling them to take steps towards research and development. The event included a space science exhibition, lectures, a written quiz, a live open quiz and working models. The ISRO team, comprising around 13 members, arrived three days in advance to conduct preliminary training sessions for the school's students. These sessions, according to officials, yielded remarkable results. "The way the students learned and went beyond the material shows their immense curiosity. They were able to research independently and explain concepts fluently," the official added. JES principal Ranita Das said, "As you know, National Space Day is observed on Aug 23, however, this celebration is being held for at least a month at various places. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now So, JES decided to host it from Aug 11 to 12. Our students have a good amount of knowledge and we thought such programmes should be organised here so that students can get an exposure. Various other schools' students from Classes 6 to 10 had also visited. It is free for all, including the public. We are also proud that many ISRO officials present here are from Odisha. I would like to thank our alumnus, Taradeep Seth, who is working at ISRO, for speaking to them and helping organise this event. If alumni can support us, then an institution can truly move forward."
The Hindu
6 hours ago
- Science
- The Hindu
IIST, KAU launching post-flight studies on crop seeds that are back from International Space Station
The Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) and the Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) have begun post-flight studies on the crop seeds that were sent to the International Space Station (ISS) on the Axiom-4 mission. After Group Capt. Shubhanshu Shukla and the other astronauts returned to earth after the 18-day mission, the IIST had taken possession of the seeds towards July-end. Using a portion of the seeds, IIST's Space Biology Lab, which is leading the 'Crop Seeds on ISS' project, has launched germination studies under lab conditions. But most of the 4000-plus seeds have been transferred to the KAU's College of Agriculture at Vellayani here for field studies, which is a collaborative initiative between the two institutions. The entire research project is expected to take two-and-a-half to three years to complete, IIST sources said. Seeds of Jyothi and Uma rice varieties, Kanakamani (horse gram), Vellayani Vijay (tomato), Thilakathara (sesame) and Soorya (brinjal/eggplant) were sent to ISS on the Axiom-4 mission which lifted off on June 25 on a SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket. The biology payload consisted of dry seeds that were packed and exposed to microgravity conditions on the ISS and returned to earth. The 'Crop Seeds on ISS' project was achieved through multi-level agreements among ISRO and the European Space Agency, ISRO's Human Spaceflight Centre (HSFC) and IIST and IIST and KAU.
India Today
8 hours ago
- Science
- India Today
Welcome back to Earth: Two astronauts complete Hope Mars analog mission
Two Indian analog astronauts, Rahul Mogalapalli and Yaman Akot, stepped out on Monday after spending 10 days in strict isolation inside the Himslayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration (Hope) habitat, nestled in the rugged terrain of Tso Kar, approximately 150 km from Leh, Ladakh. Their mission, aimed at simulating the stresses and routines of lunar and Martian exploration, marks a major milestone for India's human spaceflight INSIGHTS FROM THE ANALOG ASTRONAUTSSpeaking to which received exclusive access to the remote habitat, the astronauts reflected on their journey, describing it as a challenging yet transformative experience. 'The ten days were a real learning curve,' said Rahul. 'We had to ration food, water, and even internet bandwidth. Maintaining communication and staying disciplined was tough, but if given a chance, I'd do it again.' Both crew members emphasised the unique psychological hurdles of extended confinement, pointing to the value such analog missions bring to India's future space exploration plans. HOPE MISSION: PIONEERING INDIA'S SPACE FUTUREThe Himalayan Outpost for Planetary Exploration (HOPE) mission, developed by Bengaluru-based Protoplanet in collaboration with ISRO's Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC), is India's maiden attempt to mimic extraterrestrial living conditions. The 8-meter habitat module and a 5-meter utility module, named Phobos and Deimos after Mars' moons, were designed to replicate the challenges of long-duration space travel. The region's extreme environment, with drastic temperature swings from 35C to -25C, provided the ideal Mars-like conditions for rigorous Hope analog experiment is crucial groundwork for India's upcoming Gaganyaan mission, which will send astronauts into space and eventually to the Moon by 2040. The data and protocols forged here, covering mission planning, health monitoring, and environmental adaptation, are directly applicable to future crewed missions. Rahul and Yaman undertook biomedical experiments, collecting urine, breath, and blood samples. These will be analysed by ISRO scientists to understand genetic, physiological, and psychological changes induced by isolation and harsh conditions. BUILDING FOR THE FUTUREDr Siddharth Pandey, founder and director of Protoplanet, emphasised the mission's importance as a learning curve not only for the astronauts but for his team as well. He revealed plans to expand the habitat to accommodate up to six analog astronauts and expressed hope that Gaganyaan's astronaut corps will participate in future analog the maiden mission concluded, Phobos and Deimos will operate as automated weather stations, gathering invaluable data for upcoming analog missions while Protoplanet gears up to upgrade the facility ahead of the next simulation, planned for April 2026.A GIANT LEAP FOR INDIA'S SPACE EXPLORATIONBy successfully simulating lunar and Martian conditions, the HOPE analog mission unfolds a new chapter in India's journey to establish a human presence beyond Earth. As the Gaganyaan program eyes a launch in 2027, this Ladakh outpost stands as a rehearsal for a future when Indian astronauts walk on the Moon and, someday, Mars.- Ends
NDTV
9 hours ago
- Climate
- NDTV
ISRO Pics Show Impact Of Floods On Uttarakhand's Dharali, Bhagirathi River
New Delhi: The Indian Space Research Organisation has released satellite images from before and after flashfloods and landslides in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district in the first week of August show dramatic changes to the epicentre - Dharali village, which was almost completely destroyed. An ISRO picture from June last year shows the Bhagirathi River flowing past a small patch of land on which several houses, small orchards, and other small buildings can be seen. Then, in a second picture from August 7 that patch of land is completely flooded - as if it were never there - and the houses on it washed away. The interior parts of Dharali village, where the Kheer Gad River, a small tributary, flows into the Bhagirathi, have also been washed away. Roads and a small bridge crossing the Kheer Gad have been wiped off, and the curve of the Bhagirathi now resembles a large crater after sediment and debris was dumped at this point. The deposit measures a staggering 20 hectares. Satellite Insights Aiding Rescue & Relief Ops ISRO/NRSC used Cartosat-2S data to assess the devastating Aug 5 flash flood in Dharali & Harsil, Uttarakhand. High-res imagery reveals submerged buildings, debris spread (~20ha), & altered river paths, vital for rescue teams on… — ISRO (@isro) August 7, 2025 On Monday morning district officials told news agency ANI nearly 1,300 people were rescued and/or evacuated after the tragedy struck. Garwhal Commissioner Vinay Pandey said rescue ops have now been closed, and road connectivity, for the most part, had been restored. "The Valley Bridge has been restored... road connectivity should be fully restored by evening. Essential supplies like food, warm clothing, and daily items are being distributed. District officials are monitoring the situation and will disburse aid announced by the state..." he said. Mr Pandey confirmed that 43 people, including nine Army personnel, are still missing. "And the number of missing Nepali workers has dropped from 29 to 24. Additional information is being sought to further reduce the list. Updates will be provided..." he told ANI. At least five deaths have been confirmed so far. These and other ISRO satellite images have revealed the scale of destruction, and have also identified flooded areas and guided search-and-rescue teams to these priority locations. Meanwhile, rain early this morning threatened to hamper any still-ongoing operation in or around the village of Dharali. The weather department issued a 'yellow' alert for all districts. Also, a 'red' alert for heavy to very heavy rain over the next few hours in Almora, Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital, Pauri and Udham Singh Nagar districts. Heavy rain was also reported from capital Dehradun and the already-affected Uttarkashi district.
Time of India
15 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Academia-industry partnerships can play a transformative role in making India a manufacturing hub
Advt Advt Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. Get updates on your preferred social platform Follow us for the latest news, insider access to events and more. Yes, there is definitely a shift in trend. While hiring in the services sector—such as finance, IT, and banking—continues, we are seeing growing interest from companies in core sectors, including automobile manufacturing, components, and medical instruments. That said, the majority of students are not yet heading into hardware-related companies. It is a positive sign, though, indicating an emerging balance between the service and manufacturing than 50per cent of India's economy is supported primarily by the services sector, including finance, IT companies, banking, and others. The country must also be seen as a global supplier of hardware. While India can manufacture iPhones and other electronic devices for the world, we lack a robust semiconductor foundry. One critical area is the sourcing of raw materials and basic services sector is strong, but for sustainable economic growth and asset creation, manufacturing must grow. Our students can design chips, but converting VLSI designs into domestically manufactured chips remains a dream. We need to step up as a global hardware supplier. Manufacturing requires long-term investment and patience–unlike software, where results can be quick. Companies must be willing to invest with a long-term is among the top three countries in knowledge generation, based on high-quality research publications; however, most of this activity is occurring on a small scale. For instance, we are doing graded additive manufacturing, which could be of use to organisations such as ISRO or DRDO, but translating it even to a prototype scale is rare. This is where academia-industry partnerships is per UGC recommendations, we have launched a four-year BTech programme in AI and ML. These technologies will touch every sphere–from medicine to climate science. But introducing a programme is not difficult; the real challenge is finding competent faculty to teach it. Computer Science in India evolved—AI will, too. We must embed AI, ML, and data-driven tools into existing engineering disciplines. Only then will we build a strong, sustainable talent should support, not replace, core engineering knowledge. For example, a thermodynamics course should also teach AI-based simulation tools; however, AI does not create new knowledge; instead, it works on existing data. To feed AI, we must generate new data through real-world experiments. This again highlights the need for hands-on learning, skilled faculty, and strong integration of AI with traditional engineering and infrastructure are significant challenges. The institute was established 70 years ago, and most of its infrastructure dates back to the 1950s. Student intake has grown fourfold, but infrastructure hasn't kept pace. We require more equipment, additional space, and updated tools so that students can truly engage in their learning.
