Category: Tech

The Indian Space Research Organisation’s Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) has successfully launched the Crew Module for the Gaganyaan project’s first uncrewed mission (G1). This is a significant milestone in India’s pursuit of human spaceflight. The module was delivered to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota on January 21, 2025, following the integration of its liquid propulsion system.

The Gaganyaan mission is India’s ambitious human spaceflight program, designed to demonstrate the ability to send astronauts into space. Before launching a crewed mission, ISRO intends to conduct several uncrewed test flights to ensure mission safety and reliability.

The Crew Module Propulsion System incorporated at LPSC includes a bi-propellant Reaction Control System. This technology offers precise three-axis control during the module’s descent and re-entry, including pitch, yaw, and roll. It operates when the service module separates, directing it until the parachutes are released. The system includes twelve thrusters, a pressurisation system, gas bottles, and fluid control components.

The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) developed the Crew Module Uprighting System to maintain appropriate alignment during descent. The module will go through avionics assembly, electrical harnessing, and system checks at VSSC before fully integrating with the Orbital Module at the U R Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi complimented ISRO on its breakthrough feat in successfully demonstrating space docking with the SpaDeX mission. In a tweet, he praised the crew, describing it as a “significant stepping stone for India’s ambitious space missions.”

Satellites SDX01 and SDX02 were successfully docked after being launched by the PSLV-C60 rocket on December 30, 2024. After perfect manoeuvres, they docked 475 kilometres above the Earth, making India the fourth country to master this complex technology, behind the United States, Russia, and China.

ISRO methodically planned the docking process, relocating the satellites from 15 meters to a close hold point of 3 meters before carrying it out. Once docked, the satellites began to work as one unit, demonstrating India’s advanced space exploration capabilities.

This milestone is essential for future missions such as Gaganyaan, which will launch Indian astronauts into space, and the Bharatiya Antariksh Station, India’s planned space station. Docking technology will be critical for in-orbit activities, including crew transfers and resupply missions.

The SpaDeX mission has received worldwide praise, cementing India’s reputation as an emerging star in space exploration.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC) successfully launched MBZ-SAT, the region’s most advanced satellite, which is named after UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum witnessed the launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Tuesday at 11:09 p.m. UAE time.

MBZ-SAT, constructed entirely by Emirati engineers at MBRSC, weighs 750 kg and uses cutting-edge Earth observation technologies. It has a high-resolution imaging system, advanced electric jet propulsion, and a navigation system with one-meter accuracy. With picture precision doubled and generating capacity tenfold improved, MBZ-SAT enables rapid image distribution within two hours, which aids environmental monitoring, disaster assistance, and infrastructure management.

MBRSC’s Mission Control Centre oversaw the satellite, which was 90% constructed locally, with significant contributions from UAE firms. This project has strengthened the country’s space technology sector and empowered indigenous talent.

Talal Humaid Belhoul Al Falasi, Vice President of MBRSC, emphasised the UAE’s leadership in space exploration, while Hamad Obaid AlMansoori, Chairman of MBRSC, hailed the achievement as a watershed moment in promoting global space innovation.

On Wednesday, Japan’s ispace and the United States Firefly Aerospace successfully launched their moon landers aboard a SpaceX rocket from Florida, taking a huge step forward in global lunar exploration. Ispace’s Hakuto-R Mission 2 is a follow-up to its unsuccessful lunar landing in April 2023, which was caused by an altitude mistake. Firefly’s Blue Ghost is the third private lunar lander launched through NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.

Ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada emphasised the partnership between private firms, describing the dual launch as a “symbol of growing commercial missions to the moon.” Ispace’s Resilience lander contains six payloads totalling $16 million, including a Micro Rover designed to collect lunar materials. The lander is planned to settle in May-June 2025 after following an energy-efficient trajectory.

Firefly’s Blue Ghost, carrying ten payloads, is scheduled to reach the lunar surface in March 2025 and operate for one lunar day (approximately two weeks) before succumbing to the intense cold of the lunar night.

Private lunar enterprises such as these complement NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the moon by 2027. With China aiming for crewed moon missions by 2030, the lunar surface has become a hotspot for technological and geopolitical competition.

Pixxel, India’s first private satellite network in the developing space industry, will launch three of the country’s six hyperspectral imaging satellites from California on a SpaceX rocket. The next three are expected to be deployed in the second quarter, and the satellites will be positioned in a sun-synchronous orbit at a distance of roughly 550 km. The launch is scheduled for Tuesday at 10:45 a.m. from the Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Awais Ahmed launched Pixxel, a Google-backed business that intends to grow its fleet to 24 satellites in order to compete in the $19 billion satellite imaging industry by 2029. Its hyperspectral imaging technique, which records fine-grained information across light bands, is intended for use in mining, agriculture, defence, and environmental monitoring. Rio Tinto, BP, and the Indian Ministry of Agriculture are among the 65 clients the company has already acquired.

Even though India’s space industry only accounts for 2% of the worldwide market, Pixxel intends to take a sizable chunk of the expanding satellite imaging business. Pixxel hopes to compete with international firms like SpaceX and China’s state-sponsored satellite initiatives by providing high-resolution capabilities through its Firefly constellation. By March, full commercial capabilities are anticipated.

India’s ambitious space program took a significant leap as two satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), came within three meters during a historic trial for space docking, announced the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Sunday. The satellites, part of the SpaDeX (Space Docking Experiment) mission, later moved to a safe distance for further analysis.

ISRO stated, “A trial attempt to reach up to 15 m and further to 3 m is done. Moving back spacecraft to a safe distance. The docking process will be done after analysing data further.” Stunning images and videos captured by the satellites at various distances were also shared.

Launched on December 30 aboard a PSLV C60 rocket, the SpaDeX mission aims to establish India’s indigenous Bhartiya Docking System. If successful, India will join the US, Russia, and China in mastering the complex docking technology critical for advanced space exploration.

The mission will pave the way for future projects, including the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and Chandrayaan-4. ISRO’s chief, Dr. S. Somnath, emphasized the importance of thorough calibration and testing before the docking process proceeds. Once docked, the satellites will transfer power and operate as a single unit, with undocking and independent operations confirming mission success.

The groundbreaking wooden satellite, LignoSat, has officially entered Earth’s orbit, marking an important milestone in space exploration. NASA acknowledged the deployment from the International Space Station (ISS) last month in a blog post published Tuesday. In November 2024, the revolutionary satellite was carried to the International Space Station onboard a SpaceX Dragon cargo spaceship.

Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry collaborated to create this pioneering initiative, which combines traditional Japanese craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. LignoSat consists of 10 cm-long panels made of honoki magnolia wood that is built using a traditional wood-joinery technique that does not use screws or glue. Weighing only 900 grams, the satellite strikes an impressive balance of simplicity and sophistication.

The six-month mission will investigate wood’s potential in space as a sustainable alternative to standard materials such as aluminium and titanium. Sensors on LignoSat monitor its structural strain, temperature resilience, and radiation resistance. Withstanding harsh temperatures ranging from -100 to 100 degrees Celsius every 45 minutes is one of the satellite’s most important durability tests.

Wooden satellites could revolutionize space sustainability by totally burning up upon re-entry, leaving no trace. This novel design provides a cleaner alternative to regular satellites, paving the possibility for environmentally friendly lunar and Mars exploration missions.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has reached a major milestone with the successful operation of its first space robotic arm on the POEM4 platform. This robotic arm, called the Relocatable Robotic Manipulator-Technology Demonstrator (RRM-TD), was activated during the PSLV-C60 SpaDeX mission.

ISRO announced the achievement on X, stating, “RRM_TD, India’s first space robotic arm, is in action onboard #POEM4! A proud #MakeInIndia milestone in space robotics.” The space agency also shared a video showing the arm performing various operations in space.

The video starts with the robotic arm unlocking and lifting from its base position. It then shows the arm performing complex tasks like “Arm manipulation with 7 actuators” and “Positioning using visual servoing,” a technique that uses visual data to control the robot’s movements. The footage ends with the arm returning to its base position after completing its tasks, as reported by NDTV.

Developed by the ISRO Inertial Systems Unit (IISU), the RRM-TD is India’s first space robotic manipulator with walking capability. It features advanced technology, including indigenous robotic joints, arm controllers, and visual servoing systems. Equipped with cameras for precise eye-in-hand operation, the robotic arm also has multiple safety features to ensure smooth functioning.

A batch of cowpea seeds, known as lobia in Hindi and thattapayaru in Tamil, has successfully sprouted in space. The seeds were taken into orbit by an Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) mission and sprouted within days. On Saturday, January 4, 2025, ISRO also announced the successful operation of India’s first space robotic arm.

These experiments were part of the 24 payloads on the PSLV-C60 SpaDeX mission’s PS4-Orbital Experiment Module (POEM-4), launched on December 30, 2024.

In a series of posts on X, ISRO shared, “Life sprouts in space! VSSC’s CROPS experiment onboard PSLV-C60 POEM-4 successfully sprouted cowpea seeds in 4 days. Leaves expected soon.” In another post, ISRO highlighted, “#RRM_TD, India’s first space robotic arm, is in action onboard #POEM4! A proud #MakeInIndia milestone in space robotics.”

The CROPS (Compact Research Module for Orbital Plant Studies) payload, developed by the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), aims to enhance ISRO’s ability to grow plants in extraterrestrial environments. Designed as a fully automated system, the experiment plans to demonstrate seed germination and plant growth to the two-leaf stage within five to seven days in microgravity. It involves growing eight cowpea seeds in a closed-box environment with active thermal control.

On December 30, 2024, ISRO launched the PSLV-C60 mission, aiming to achieve India’s first in-space docking through the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX). The mission deployed two satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), into orbit from Sriharikota’s spaceport. These satellites will attempt the docking maneuver on January 7, 2025. The Success will position India among space pioneers and boost future missions like Chandrayaan-4 and the Bhartiya Antrish Station.

In the coming days, the satellites will drift apart to a distance of approximately 20 km before ISRO attempts the critical docking maneuver. If successful, India will join the US, Russia, and China as pioneers of this complex technology.

ISRO Chairman S. Somanath expressed confidence, stating, “The rocket has placed the satellite in the right orbit. The satellites moved one behind the other. Their distance will increase to about 20km over the next few days before we close the gap and attempt the docking. We’re hoping to complete docking in the coming week. The nominal date for this is Jan 7.”

The SpaDeX mission highlights India’s growing prowess in space technology and its ambitions to lead in next-generation innovations. Beyond the technical achievement, a successful docking will mark a new chapter in India’s space exploration journey.