India's space journey: Interactive timeline and infographics
Going forward, India has ambitious space goals to achieve. First up we have Gaganyaan, ISRO's first human spaceflight mission, in 2027, which plans to launch three crew members to an orbit of 400 km for a three-day mission and bring them back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters.
ISRO has plans for setting up its own space station, Bharatiya Antariksh Station, in low Earth orbit (around 400-450km above the Earth) by 2035. There is also a plan to send an Indian to moon in 2040 as part of Chandrayaan -4.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
‘One mission to watch Earth': ISRO-NASA's joint satellite NISAR set for July 30 launch
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday stated that the upcoming launch of NISAR, the first joint Earth observation satellite by ISRO and NASA, will mark a key milestone in Earth observation technology. The NISAR mission's primary objectives are to study land & ice deformation, land ecosystems, and oceanic regions in areas of common interest to the US and Indian science communities.(X/@isro) NISAR will be launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, on July 30 at 17:40 IST. NISAR is the first mission of its kind, jointly developed by ISRO and NASA. It is an L- and S-band, global, microwave imaging mission, with the capability to acquire fully polarimetric and interferometric data, as per an official statement from ISRO. The unique dual-band Synthetic Aperture Radar of NISAR employs the advanced, novel SweepSAR technique, which provides high-resolution and large-swath imagery. NISAR will image the global land and ice-covered surfaces, including islands, sea-ice and selected oceans, every 12 days. The NISAR mission's primary objectives are to study land & ice deformation, land ecosystems, and oceanic regions in areas of common interest to the US and Indian science communities. Also read: Modi hails Shubhanshu Shukla's return to Earth as India's new Chandrayaan moment The joint mission will accomplish multiple tasks, including measuring the woody biomass and its changes, tracking changes in the extent of active crops, understanding the changes in wetlands' extent, and mapping Greenland & Antarctica's ice sheets and the dynamics of sea ice and mountain glaciers. As per the statement, it will also help characterise land surface deformation related to seismicity, volcanism, landslides, and subsidence & uplift associated with changes in subsurface aquifers, hydrocarbon reservoirs, etc. "One mission to watch Earth. #ISRO #NASA builds, Earth benefits. This marks a key milestone in Earth observation technology. Stay tuned as we bring you closer to the mission that watches our world," ISRO sais in a post on X. "The Spacecraft is built around ISRO's I-3K Structure. It carries two major Payloads viz., L & S- Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). The S-band Radar system, data handling & high-speed downlink system, the spacecraft and the launch system are developed by ISRO. The L-band Radar system, the high-speed downlink system, the Solid-State Recorder, the GPS receiver, and the 9 m Boom hoisting the 12m reflector are delivered by NASA. Further, ISRO takes care of the satellite commanding and operations; NASA will provide the orbit manoeuvre plan and RADAR operations plan. NISAR mission will be aided with ground station support from both ISRO and NASA for downloading of the acquired images, which, after the necessary processing, will be disseminated to the user community," the statement added. The data acquired through S-band and L-band SAR from a single platform will help scientists understand the changes happening to Planet Earth. The complex payloads and mainframe systems have been designed, developed, qualified and realised over a period of 8 to 10 years. "The S- Band SAR and L- Band SAR were independently developed, integrated and tested at ISRO and JPL/NASA respectively. The Integrated Radar Instrument Structure (IRIS), consisting of S - Band and L - Band SAR and other payload elements were intergrated and tested at JPL/NASA and delivered to ISRO," it stated. Mainframe satellite elements and payloads were assembled, integrated and tested at URSC/ISRO. The mission phases can be broadly classified into: Launch phase, Deployment Phase, Commissioning Phase and Science Phase. NISAR will be launched onboard the GSLV-F16 launch vehicle on July 30, 2025 from ISRO's Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), also referred to as Sriharikota High Altitude Range (SHAR), located in Sriharikota on the southeast coast of the Indian peninsula. It hosts a 12m dia large reflector which shall be deployed in-orbit 9m away from the satellite by a complex multistage deployable boom designed and developed by JPL/NASA. The first 90 days after launch will be dedicated to commissioning, or In-Orbit Checkout (IOC), the objective of which is to prepare the observatory for science operations. Commissioning is divided into sub-phases of initial checks and calibrations of mainframe elements followed by JPL engineering payload and instrument checkout. The science operations phase begins at the end of commissioning and extends till end of mission life. During this phase, the science orbit will be maintained via regular maneuvers, scheduled to avoid or minimize conflicts with science observations. Extensive calibration and validation (CalVal) activities will take place. The observation plan for both L and S-band instruments, along with engineering activities (e.g., maneuvers, parameter updates, etc.), will be generated pre-launch via frequent coordination between JPL and ISRO, the statement added.
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
Baba Vanga was right? Scientists claim alien ship larger than Manhattan, moving at 1.3 lakh mph, to attack Earth this Nov
TIL Creatives AI-generated image for representation only Legendary Bulgarian mystic Baba Vanga had reportedly predicted that humanity would make contact with aliens in 2025. But recent scientific claims suggest that contact may come sooner — and far more hostile. According to a report published on July 16 on the preprint server arXiv and cited by the New York Post and South West News Service, a team of scientists has warned that an alien spacecraft may be heading toward Earth — potentially launching an attack as early as this November. The object in question, named 3I/ATLAS, was first detected on July 1 and is racing toward the Sun at over 130,000 miles per hour. Just a day after its discovery, astronomers confirmed that it originated from outside our solar system. Initial observations suggested it might be a comet, roughly 15 miles in diameter — making it even larger than Manhattan. However, in their paper, researchers Avi Loeb, Adam Hibberd, and Adam Crowl from the Initiative for Interstellar Studies propose that 3I/ATLAS might not be a natural object at all, but rather a piece of extraterrestrial spy technology in disguise. Loeb, a Harvard astrophysicist known for his controversial theory that the 2017 object `Oumuamua could have been an alien reconnaissance probe, argues that 3I/ATLAS displays several unusual characteristics — including a unique trajectory and exceptionally high speed. These anomalies, he suggests, could point to an intelligent origin. In a blog post, Loeb noted that the object's path through the solar system allows it to pass close to Jupiter, Mars, and Venus — an ideal opportunity, he says, for aliens to covertly deploy surveillance 'gadgets' on these planets. What's more concerning is that when 3I/ATLAS reaches its closest point to the Sun (perihelion) in late November, it will temporarily vanish from Earth's view. Loeb suggests this may be a deliberate move to avoid detection by Earth-based telescopes — possibly the moment when alien technology could be dispatched toward our planet. If 3I/ATLAS is indeed a technological artifact, it may support the "dark forest hypothesis" — the idea that intelligent alien civilizations stay hidden to avoid detection by potential threats. Loeb warns that this situation might not just be surveillance, but a precursor to a potential alien attack, urging that "defensive measures" may need to be considered. Whether this object turns out to be a comet or a cosmic Trojan horse, the scientific world — and the public — will be watching closely as November approaches.
Economic Times
2 hours ago
- Economic Times
‘Is it a comet, a probe, or something else?' Meet 3I/ATLAS, the strange interstellar object baffling everyone
AP This diagram provided by NASA/JPL-Caltech shows the trajectory of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS as it passes through the solar system. (NASA/JPL-Caltech via AP) A mysterious interstellar object, named 3I/ATLAS, is hurtling toward the Sun at over 130,000 mph, and scientists can't agree on what exactly it on July 1, 3I/ATLAS is the third known interstellar visitor to enter our solar system, following 2017's Oumuamua and 2019's Borisov. It measures about 15 miles wide, making it larger than Manhattan. While some astronomers suggest it's a comet made of water ice and organic compounds like silicates—similar to asteroids found in the outer regions of the solar system's main belt—others aren't convinced it's natural at all. — UAPWatchers (@UAPWatchers) Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, known for his bold theories about extraterrestrial intelligence, has again stirred debate. Along with researchers Adam Hibberd and Adam Crowl from the Initiative for Interstellar Studies, Loeb has proposed that 3I/ATLAS may be an alien probe, pointing to its unusual trajectory and exceptionally high speed, even greater than ?Oumuamua's. The team speculates that such characteristics could offer "advantages to extraterrestrial intelligence," suggesting the object's path might be optimized for reconnaissance. — coreyspowell (@coreyspowell) Interestingly, some theorists believe the object is older than our solar system, possibly carrying water that predates Earth. Loeb notes that 3I/ATLAS will pass close to Mars, Jupiter, and Venus, which, he argues, could provide a discreet opportunity to deploy surveillance it makes its closest approach to the Sun in late November, 3I/ATLAS will no longer be visible from Earth—a detail Loeb says could be intentional to avoid detection during its brightest phase. — latestinspace (@latestinspace) 'If it's a technological artifact,' Loeb adds, 'it could support the Dark Forest theory'—a concept suggesting that alien civilizations stay silent to avoid being discovered by potentially hostile warns that if this theory holds, defensive measures might be necessary, though the object is moving too fast for any Earth-based spacecraft to intercept before it exits the Solar discovery has triggered a storm of speculation on social media, especially on X (formerly Twitter). — ClintonDesveaux (@ClintonDesveaux) One post read: 'Hubble just captured 3I/ATLAS and it's weirder than anyone expected! It looks like a comet, it flies like a probe—and it might not be natural at all.'Another conspiracy theory account added: 'Is this Project Bluebeam in action? The mainstream media is pushing the 'hostile alien object' narrative. 3I/ATLAS could be an invader comet, just like ?Oumuamua before it mysteriously slingshotted around the Sun and left the system at an unnatural speed.' — UAPWatchers (@UAPWatchers) Whether comet or craft, 3I/ATLAS continues to fuel a heated debate—raising scientific curiosity and interstellar suspicion in equal measure.
