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India is the first country to land at the Moon's south pole
India has become the first country to land a spacecraft at the Moon's south pole.
NASA satellite will use radar to map Earth's crust in extreme detail
NASA and India's space agency are teaming up to launch a satellite that uses radar to study even the tiniest details of Earth's crust.
India will launch a humanoid robot ahead of its first crewed space mission
Before sending its first crewed mission in late 2021, India will launch a humanoid robot called Vyommitra into space, reports The Tribune. It will take flight later this year and in 2021. According to the publication, the robot's name is a combination of the Sanskrit words for "space" and "friend," and as you can see from the video below, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) modeled it after a human woman -- though it doesn't feature any legs.
NASA photos show the crash site of India's Vikram lunar lander
In September India lost contact with its Vikram lander just a mile above the Moon's surface, and now NASA has confirmed photos taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter show where it impacted. The actual discovery, however, has been credited to an amateur, Shanmuga Subramanian. As the New York Times reported, he is an Indian programmer and mechanical engineer who noted subtle differences in before/after mosaic photos back in October. The debris kicked up by the impact was small enough that it's barely recognizable in the orbiter's resolution. According to NASA, the debris Shanmuga found is about 750m from the main crash site. Last week the ISRO said Vikram crashed within 500m of its intended landing point, but didn't release any pictures. The crash was apparently due to a problem with its braking thrusters, although the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft that released it is still operational and orbiting the moon, collecting data.
India’s lunar lander crashed within 500 meters of its target
In September, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) lost contact with its Vikram lander as it was making its descent to the lunar surface. If you were one of the people who guessed that Vikram crashed, you are correct. In a report to lawmakers, ISRO has confirmed that Vikram did indeed "hard land."
India found its missing Vikram lunar lander
India has located its Vikram lunar lander after losing contact, and the situation isn't looking great. Indian Space and Research Organization chairman K. Sivan said that cameras aboard the orbiter found the spacecraft and believed it had been a "hard landing." There were efforts in progress to contact the lander, Sivan said, although there hadn't been any sign of success as of this writing.
India's Vikram lunar lander lost contact during its descent
Today India attempted to become only the fourth nation to successfully soft-land on the surface of the Moon. That mission appears to have failed, when the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) lost contact with its Vikram lander at an altitude of 2.1km above the lunar surface. The space agency has said only that it is analyzing available data, and that the Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft is still in orbit. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address the nation at about 10:30 ET. If the mission is lost, then out of three soft-landing attempts this year it will be the second to go awry. China's Chang'e 4 reached the far side of the Moon in January, while the privately-owned Beresheet lander from Israel crashed in April after sending back one last photograph.
India's historic Moon mission takes off after week-long delay
One week after a "technical snag" forced the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to delay the launch of its Chandrayaan-2, the lunar mission launched today. It appears to be back on track, and if all goes well, it will be India's first soft landing on the Moon using its own technology. It will also be the first soft landing attempt ever at the Moon's South Pole.
Watch India launch a historic Moon mission starting at 5PM ET (updated)
India is on the cusp of making space exploration history in more ways than one, and you might get to watch it first-hand. ISRO is livestreaming the launch of Chandrayaan-2, its second uncrewed mission to the Moon, starting at 5PM Eastern (liftoff is expected at 5:21PM Eastern). The trip is meant to deliver the VIkram lander and Pragyan rover to the Moon, making this India's first soft landing on the lunar surface using its own technology -- only the US, Russia and China have managed this feat so far. It's also the first soft landing attempt for any country at the Moon's South Pole, where Pragyan will study the chemistry, seismography and topography of the celestial body.
India plans to launch space station by 2030
India's broadening spaceflight ambitions now include a longer-term presence in Earth's orbit. Indian Space Research Organization chief K Sivan (above) recently revealed plans to launch a space station around 2030. It will be a relatively small station where astronauts would only stay for 15 to 20 days, but that should be enough to allow microgravity experiments. India won't lean on other countries for help, Sivan said.
India opens its first center for human spaceflight
Crewed spaceflight is still limited to a handful of countries, but India is close to changing that. The Indian Space Research Organization has formally opened its first facility devoted to human spaceflight. The appropriately titled Human Space Flight Centre in Bengaluru will be responsible for key aspects of Gaganyaan, the country's crewed orbital vehicle (shown in replica form above). The location will develop crew survival systems, train crew members, plan missions and "pursue activities" for sustained flights.
India loses contact with a recently launched satellite
On Thursday, the ISRO (Indian Space Research Organization) launched the GSAT-6A, the country's most powerful communications satellite to date, into orbit. Yesterday, the organization confirmed that it had lost contact with the satellite, possibly due to a failure in the power system, according to the Times of India.
India's Tata announces plans for hydrogen car
India -- already an established presence in the alternative fuels space -- has announced that it will be joining the US, Japan, Germany, and the Netherlands in rolling out a hydrogen-powered car next year. The country's space agency (ISRO) has teamed up with Tata Motors -- makers of the recently-revealed plastic car -- to develop a fuel cell vehicle whose only emissions will be water vapor, critical for a developing country whose pollution woes are only getting worse. According to ISRO chairman Madhavan Nair, while the hydro-car is scheduled for 2008 completion, mass production has yet to be determined.[Thanks, Raghu]
