Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the Spacecraft Testing and Integration Complex at NASA’s Goddard Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland, during her official trip to the United States. Her visit to NASA’s biggest facility marks India’s growing interest and investment in the space sector, particularly in private sector participation. In June 2020, the government announced a significant transformation of the Indian space sector with enhanced participation of private players in India’s space programme. This move aimed to boost India’s market share in the global space economy, and within three years, the number of start-ups in the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) reached…
Author: Team Interstellar
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NEW DELHI: In order to examine ways and means to boost India’s space defence capabilities, the Indian Space Association (ISpA), which represents the private space industry, and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have organised the first edition of DefSpa, a three-day symposium on space defence here from April 11-13. According to DefSpa, the idea behind the event is to create a platform for all stakeholders interested in India’s military space capability by bringing together experts from multiple domains to discuss the latest trends and challenges in that domain. The focus will be on delivering space domain awareness and satellite…
GHGSat, the Canadian company that operates the world’s first and only high-resolution methane monitoring satellite system, has released its 2022 Methane Emissions Report, sharing key results and insights. The report highlights that GHGSat successfully launched three satellites in May 2022, doubling the size of its constellation. As a result, the company achieved a higher revisit frequency and greater coverage, measuring more emissions in 2022 than in the previous five years combined. The expansion of GHGSat’s fleet allowed it to fine-tune its offshore monitoring expertise, measure numerous world-first emission events, and partner with global organizations such as the International Methane Emissions…
The French government has proposed a new military programming law (LPM) from 2024 to 2030, which is expected to allocate €400 billion in investments and a total of €413 billion in military requirements. The main focus of the proposed LPM is to support new capability efforts and ongoing programs through the end of the decade. The investments are for additional munitions and weaponry in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the likelihood of high-intensity conflict in Europe. French officials are also reasoning growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific and the rapid pace of technology disruption as incentives for the priorities…
The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) has been created to promote and supervise non-government entities (NGEs) in their space activities. IN-SPACe aims to promote the benefits of space exploration and applications to the general public. The organization is pleased to announce exciting opportunities to innovate in the agriculture sector in India by leveraging space technology. As the demand for food increases globally, it is essential to develop sustainable and efficient solutions to meet this demand. Space technology has enormous potential for improving agricultural practices and contributing to a more sustainable food system. By using space data, satellites,…
The development of a spaceport in Kyushu, Japan, has been delayed due to a lack of funding following the bankruptcy filing of Virgin Orbit Holdings Inc. The Oita Prefecture teamed up with Virgin Orbit in 2020 to create Japan’s first Asian spaceport at Oita Airport using a Boeing 747 for horizontal rocket launches. However, the bankruptcy has forced the project to be postponed, leaving Japan’s attempt to enter the commercial satellite launches market in further difficulty after recent rocket launch failures. Virgin Orbit, founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, had marketed itself as a launch platform for military and intelligence…
Italian space company D-Orbit has signed a €26 million contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) for the IRIDE space-based observation programme initiated by the Italian government. Under the deal, D-Orbit will provide one synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite and manage its flight operations segment for the end user. The contract also includes an option for an additional SAR satellite worth €24 million. MetaSensing, an Italian firm specialising in advanced radar technologies, will provide the SAR sensor. The IRIDE programme will be managed by the ESA and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The programme would include a satellite constellation, ground…
China has invited Venezuela to join its International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project alongside Russia. Venezuela would be the first country to partner with China and Russia on the project, which is set to be constructed in the early 2030s using super heavy-lift launch vehicles. The launches will follow smaller precursor missions scheduled to take place later this decade. On March 30, Marglad Bencomo, Executive Director Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities (ABAE), visited China’s Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL) to discuss cooperation and exchanges. She met Wu Yanhua, former deputy director of the China National Space Administration (CNSA) and currently…
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, has announced that the Indian government is considering revising its foreign direct investment (FDI) policy for the space sector. Presently, the FDI policy in the space sector allows up to 100% FDI in satellite establishment and operations through the government route only. However, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), the regulatory and promotional body for space activities, is involved in revising the FDI policy, which is expected to give private players a chance to invest in this…
Germany’s army has launched its new military space command with a twist of Star Wars cosplay. Instead of the traditional military officers in formal attire, the German military top brass was surrounded by characters straight out of the evil Galactic Empire seen in the iconic movie series Star Wars. Cosplay Darth Vader and a few cosplay stormtroopers were present at the inauguration of the €40 million space command headquarters. The premise of the evil, authoritarian Galactic Empire, ruled by Darth Vader, was inspired from the ideology moorings of the Nazi party in the 1930s and 1940s Germany. However, the space…
