The Indian government has approved constructing and establishing the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory-India (LIGO-India) project at an estimated cost of Rs 2,600 crore. Union Minister Jitendra Singh revealed that the project would come up in Hingoli, Maharashtra and is likely to be completed by 2030. LIGO-India will be an advanced gravitational-wave observatory and is part of a global network of observatories. The project would be a collaborative effort between Indian research institutions, the LIGO Laboratory in the United States, and other international partners. The project received in-principle approval from the Indian government in February 2016, and since then has…
Author: Team Interstellar
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The White House has released a new national R&D strategy outlining the Biden Administration’s vision to ensure US dominance in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO). The Office of Science and Technology Policy has released a new national strategy enabling the US to realise LEO research initiatives’ economic, scientific, educational, and diplomatic benefits. The strategy document lists the following agenda: Advancing groundbreaking research and development for the US Strengthen the US government’s partnerships with the private sector Create opportunities for the commercial sector to innovate Strengthen international cooperation and maintain the US’s leadership in LEO Promote STEM education and workforce development…
Thales, a French multinational company specialising in aerospace, defence and security, has announced the launch of a collaborative project called SCRED. The project involves 11 French companies and organisations dedicated to cybersecurity, aiming to create a single platform that provides cyber threat intelligence services to companies and government entities over the next three years. This initiative is part of the France 2030 investment plan and national cyber strategy, which aims to support the development of the country’s cybersecurity sector. The project was selected after a call for projects launched by the French public investment bank, Bpifrance. Thales will lead the…
In March this year, heavy rainfall and flooding hit several municipal areas in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, causing significant damage to infrastructure. To aid in disaster response efforts, the South African National Space Agency (SANSA) utilised Earth Observation Satellite (EOS) data to map the extent of the damage in Mnquma, Mbashe, King Sabatha Dalindyebo, Nyandeni, Port St Johns, Ingquza, and Mbizana. In collaboration with the National Disaster Management Centre (NDMC), SANSA activated the International Charter, Space and Major Disaster on March 27. This activation allowed the owners of earth observation satellites that are part of the charter…
Air pollution is a severe problem in North America, with cities such as Los Angeles, Mexico City, and Houston ranking among the most polluted cities globally. Air pollution poses severe health risks, particularly for the urban population. The World Health Organization estimates air pollution to be the cause of around seven million premature deaths annually. People in most regions of North America currently need more resources to know when their local air is clean. To address this challenge, NASA and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory have partnered to launch TEMPO (Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution), a first-of-its-kind satellite mission designed to…
Kenya is preparing to launch its first operational satellite, Taifa-1, on April 11, 2023. The satellite will be launched by SpaceX’s Falcon-9 launch vehicle, as a rideshare, from the Vandenberg Base, USA. Taifa-1’s launch is part of the Kenyan government’s strategy to take advantage of the opportunities presented by space science, technologies, and applications. The satellite, designed and developed by Kenyan engineers, will provide timely and regular remote sensing data for predictive analysis and data-driven decision support for agriculture and food security, natural resources management, blue economy, disaster management, and environment monitoring. The Taifa-1 satellite is an operational 3U Earth…
Mexico is extremely susceptible to hurricanes along its Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts every summer. The hurricanes and torrential rains cause tremendous damage to Mexico’s agriculture sector and public infrastructure, affecting livelihoods and the national economy. To combat this chronic climate challenge, the Mexican Space Agency (AEM) is preparing to train its youth in using satellite technology to support social tasks such as civil protection against floods. Salvador Landeros Ayala, the General Director of AEM, announced that AEM has partnered with the Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEMEX), where the youth capacity building will be based on…
United Arab Emirates Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat) announced on Monday that its subsidiary, Thuraya Telecommunications, has signed an agreement to invest $17.5 million in Astrocast, a low earth orbit (LEO) internet of things (IoT) network operator. It marks Thuraya’s first investment in an LEO satellite constellation. According to Yahsat’s filing with the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, the investment will be made as a convertible loan. In addition to the acquisition, both companies will extend a technical cooperation agreement signed in 2019 between Astrocast and Thuraya for another four years. Astrocast is a Switzerland-based company operating a global nanosatellite…
Lockheed Martin has been awarded the contract to build Australia’s first sovereign military satellites. The company was announced as the preferred tenderer for Joint Project 9102, which will provide the Australian Defence Force with a satellite communications system for the Indo-Pacific region. The multi-billion dollar project will include the following: New communication satellites. Multiple ground stations across Australia. A communications management system. Two new operations centres. The system will increase the resilience, agility, and flexibility of the defence’s military satellite capability. Satellite communications have become increasingly crucial for defence capabilities, with the data superhighway becoming a potential theatre of war…
United Arab Emirates Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat) announced on Monday that its subsidiary, Thuraya Telecommunications, has signed an agreement to invest $17.5 million in Astrocast, a low earth orbit (LEO) internet of things (IoT) network operator. It marks Thuraya’s first investment in an LEO satellite constellation. According to Yahsat’s filing with the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, the investment will be made as a convertible loan. In addition to the acquisition, both companies will extend a technical cooperation agreement signed in 2019 between Astrocast and Thuraya for another four years. Vinamarine, the maritime administration of Vietnam, has recently chosen…
