India's defence ministry recently inked contracts worth $2.36 billion to acquire nuclear-capable BrahMos missiles for the navy, alongside a ship-borne missile system costing $1.3 billion. These purchases, part of the Make-in-India initiative, include aero-engines for MiG-29s, close-in weapon systems, High-Power Radar, and Shipborne Brahmos systems. The BrahMos serves as the navy's primary weapon for maritime strike operations, boasting precision and supersonic speeds for hitting land or sea targets. The procurement aims to meet combat and training requirements. The total value of the five
Japan's SLIM moon probe has defied expectations by surviving the frigid lunar night and re-establishing communication with Earth, over a month after its historic touchdown on the moon's surface. The Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) achieved its pinpoint landing last month, marking Japan as the fifth nation to land a probe on the moon. Initially, SLIM faced power depletion due to a tipped-over position, rendering its solar panels ineffective. However, a shift in the angle of the sun brought the panels back to life, marking an important achievement considering SLIM's initial lack o
On February 22, a significant milestone was achieved in lunar exploration as Odysseus, the first private spacecraft from Intuitive Machines in Houston, Texas, successfully landed on the Moon. This marks the United States' first lunar landing since 1972. Despite initial challenges with laser rangefinders, Odysseus managed to land at 6:23 p.m. Houston time, sending a signal back to mission control amid cheers of success. Odysseus, launched on February 15 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, utilised innovative methane-based rocket fuel, which is more efficient and environmentally friendly. In addit
India's ISRO is gearing up to send a helicopter to Mars alongside a lander, marking a continuation of its space exploration efforts after the Mangalyaan Mars Orbiter Mission concluded in 2022. The mission aims to have a lander touchdown on the red planet, deploying both a rover and a drone similar to NASA's Ingenuity quadcopter, which recently completed an unprecedented three-year mission comprising 72 flights. While ISRO's drone programme is still in its conceptual stage, it envisions flights reaching heights of up to 100 metres in Mars' thin atmosphere. The drone will carry payloads s
On Thursday, a private US company launched a lunar lander, sponsored by NASA, following a recent failed attempt by a rival. SpaceX's Falcon rocket, carrying Intuitive Machines' lunar lander, took off from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre and aims to land on the moon next week. For its latest lunar experiments, NASA is paying Intuitive Machines $118 million. The lander from Intuitive Machines is named after Odysseus from Homer, signifying the historic journey that lies ahead. A variety of organisations, including Columbia Sportswear and sculptor Jeff Koons, have contributed experiments and paylo
In 2023, American tech giant Apple beat out competitors in the BigTech space to acquire the most startups. According to Stocklytics, which gathered their data from Statista, Apple purchased up to 32 artificial intelligence startups last year to strengthen its AI capabilities. This strategic move bolsters Apple's AI capabilities across its products and services. Financial analyst Edith Reads highlighted Apple's significant deals, which bring in top talent and innovative technologies. While Apple remains discreet about its AI integration plans, its approach encompasses talent acquisition, te
NASA's Mars Helicopter, Ingenuity, has wrapped up its groundbreaking mission after completing an impressive 72 flights (roughly 129 minutes of flight time in the skies of Mars) on the red planet. Initially conceived as a brief technological demonstration, Ingenuity exceeded expectations by demonstrating the potential for aerial exploration on distant planets. Despite its diminutive 4-pound size and initial plans for just five flights, Ingenuity surpassed predictions, showcasing the viability of flight in Mars' thin atmosphere, which is only 1% of Earth's volume. However, during its 72nd
The US government is expected to fund billions of dollars in subsidies for top semiconductor companies, including Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC). Other top contenders include Samsung Electronics, Micron Technology, Texas Instruments, and GlobalFoundaries. According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report on Saturday, the upcoming announcement was made to help build new factories in the US. It further aims to kick-start the manufacturing of advanced semiconductors that power smartphones, AI, and weapon systems. The department spokesperson said that CHIPS awards w
On Saturday, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced the handover of its meteorological satellite INSAT-3DS to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The satellite is configured around ISRO's I-2k bus platform with a liftoff mass of 2275 kg. ISRO concluded its vital testing of the INSAT-3DS satellite, which included satellite assembly, integration, and testing activities completed at the Rao Satellite Centre in Bengaluru. The INSAT-3DS is a user-funded initiative with the Ministry of Earth Science (MoES) and was flagged to Sriharikota for t
On Sunday, Iran launched three domestically developed satellites into orbit using the Simorgh (Phoenix) satellite carrier, nearly a week after the launch of a research satellite by the Revolutionary Guards drew Western criticism. It also stated that the satellites were launched into a minimum orbit of 450 kilometers (280 miles). Iran's Space Agency constructed the 32-kilogram Mahda satellite, which is intended to test sophisticated satellite components. Kayhan 2 and Hatef weigh less than 10 kg each and will test narrowband communication and space-based locating technologies. The Islamic Re