Aerospace Archives - Defence Monitor

29 Oct

Pakistan’s Taiwan airspace U-turn exposes diplomatic balancing act

New Delhi, Oct 29 (IANS) Pakistan’s abrupt decision to bar Taiwanese commercial airlines from using its airspace, followed by an equally swift U-turn, has exposed the tight diplomatic rope that Islamabad treads to keep open all possible sources of support for the crumbling administration and its economy, and the frequent slips while doing that. While engaging desperately in parleys to solve the vexed issue of being pitted against neighbour Iran with its strategic defence pact with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, Pakistan is on the edge between “all-weather” partner China and the United States, who Islamabad needs to urge upon financial…

21 Oct

India urges adoption of comprehensive, legally-binding treaty to outlaw arms in space

United Nations, Oct 21 (IANS) Amid growing risks from weaponisation of outer space, India has urged the adoption of a comprehensive legally-binding treaty to outlaw armaments there. “India reiterates its preference for a legally binding instrument, one that is universally acceptable, verifiable and multilaterally negotiated”, Rajya Sabha member Sudha Murty said on Tuesday. Suggesting a comprehensive approach to such a treaty, she said, “India notes that threats to the safety, security and sustainability of outer space, the risk of misunderstanding and miscalculation, and the threshold for what constitutes a use of force in outer space must all be considered together”.…

29 Sep

NASA lays out phased plan to return Starliner to service

Washington, Sep 29 (IANS) NASA and Boeing have set out a phased plan to return the Starliner spacecraft to service after technical problems on the flight that carried astronauts Sunita “Suni” Williams and Butch Wilmore to the International Space Station. The next Starliner mission will fly without a crew. It could launch in December or January 2027, NASA said Monday. A crewed mission is planned by 2028 if the spacecraft completes its tests and certification requirements. “We are starting with an uncrewed Starliner-1 mission to the International Space Station to validate the improvements made to the spacecraft and gather the…

04 Sep

Gujarat leaders congratulate ISRO on successful GSLV-F17 launch, EOS-05 deployment

Gandhinagar, Sep 4 (IANS) Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi on Friday congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), following the successful launch of the GSLV-F17 carrying the EOS-05 Earth observation satellite and described the mission as a "significant achievement" for India’s space programme. The GSLV-F17 lifted off from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 2:55 a.m. on Friday and successfully placed EOS-05 into a sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit. ISRO said the mission marks the first time India has placed an imaging Earth observation satellite in a geosynchronous orbit.…

18 Jul

Leaders hail successful launch of Vikram-1, say it reflects potential of India’s space economy

New Delhi, July 18 (IANS) Congratulations poured in after Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched Vikram-1, the country's first privately developed orbital rocket, under Mission Aagaman, calling it a significant step forward in India's space ecosystem. With the successful launch of Vikram-1, India scripted a historic chapter in its space journey, becoming only the third nation after the United States and China to have a private company capable of launching a rocket into orbit. Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan, in a post on X, extended heartfelt congratulations to Skyroot Aerospace on the successful launch of Vikram-1. "This landmark achievement marks a new…

25 Jun

एयरोस्पेस और सुरक्षा के क्षेत्र में बहुमुखी प्रतिभा के धनी डॉ विवेक लाल

दुश्मन की निगहबानी करने या संभावित हमले से बचाव करने में अनमैंड एरियल वेहिकल्स (यूएवी) और कृत्रिम मेधा (आर्टिफीशियल इंटेलिजेंस) के इस्तेमाल से युद्धक्षेत्र का नक्शा बदलता जा रहा है। यूएवी की कई तरह की भूमिकाएँ हैं। वे हथियार ले जा सकते हैं, सर्विलांस कर सकते हैं, मिसाइलों को दिशा-निर्देश दे सकते हैं, लाइव वीडियो फीड प्रदान कर सकते हैं और यहाँ तक कि दो यूनिटों के बीच संचार के ट्रांज़िट पॉइंट का काम भी कर सकते हैं। दुनिया में जनरल एटॉमिक्स एयरोनॉटिकल सिस्टम्स इनकॉरपोरेटेड (जीए-एएसआई) इस क्षेत्र की अग्रणी संस्था है, जो रक्षा और अन्य उच्च तकनीकों से जुड़े…

18 Jun

India and France to launch Trishna satellite in 2027: PM Modi

Paris, June 18 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced that India and France will jointly launch the TRISHNA satellite next year, a mission designed to contribute to global water and food security. Addressing members of the Indian diaspora in Paris during the final leg of his visit to France and Slovakia, PM Modi said the satellite project was a natural extension of the cooperation showcased at the AI Summits co‑hosted last year in Paris and this year in Delhi. PM Modi emphasised that fifty or a hundred years from now, when this era is reviewed, it will be…

09 Jun

India enters new space era as startups power deep tech push: Report

New Delhi, June 9 (IANS) India’s space sector is witnessing a significant transformation as startups increasingly emerge as key players in deep tech innovation, marking a shift from a traditionally state-led model to a more collaborative state–private ecosystem, according to a report. A report by The Diplomat noted that the development comes after Indian startup GalaxEye successfully launched the world’s first OptoSAR satellite, a milestone that underscores the growing capabilities of domestic private firms in advanced space technologies. GalaxEye’s OptoSAR technology integrates optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging, enabling high-resolution earth observation even in challenging weather conditions such as…

30 Apr

US warns of China, Russia threats as space turns battlefield

Washington, April 30 (IANS) The United States has warned that outer space is rapidly emerging as a contested military domain, with China and Russia expanding capabilities that could threaten global security, satellite infrastructure and international stability. Eminent lawmakers and experts, during a Congressional hearing, described a shifting strategic landscape in which competition is intensifying across military, commercial and diplomatic fronts. “Space is now a congested and contested domain, one that the US Space Force characterises as a warfighting domain,” said Congressman Keith Self, chairing the House subcommittee hearing. He added that “the realities in outer space are very much different…

08 Apr

Three uncrewed missions before Gaganyaan, says ISRO Chairman Narayanan

Bengaluru, April 8 (IANS) Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Chairman V. Narayanan on Wednesday said that three uncrewed missions are scheduled before the Gaganyaan mission, India's first human space venture Talking to reporters after the inaugural session of the International Conference on Spacecraft Mission Operations, Narayanan said: "Based on the guidelines, direction and the announcement made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are working on the Gaganyaan programme." "Before going for the crewed mission, three uncrewed missions are targeted. So right now we are working on the first uncrewed mission. All activities are going on well," he added. The space…