Why is a strong space security apparatus needed for a strong space economy? What issues must be addressed for India to establish a space defence force? Who would finance the R&D of dual-use technologies? How is the Indian military ensuring preparedness for space security? And what was special about the table-top simulation that the Indian private space sector participated in with the Indian military? Interstellar brings all this and more exclusively for our viewers from its coverage of the DEFSAT 2023 Conference & Expo organised by Satcom Industry Association – India in cooperation with the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies,…
Author: Team Interstellar
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In this longish episode of Orbital Rendezvous, we interview Paul Szymanski. Paul is a noted space military strategist with years of experience collaborating with the US space military ecosystem, including the Department of Defense, for decades. Paul is an expert in space warfare theory, policy, doctrine, strategies & tactics. He shares his revealing insights on the various space wars fought in the past, a realist’s view of dual-use space commercialisation, how the Outer Space Treaty might be rendered obsolete, and much more.
Ambassador Bhaskar Balakrishnan who is also the Fellow for Science Diplomacy, Research and Information System gives his thoughts on the challenges governing space today at the DefSat Conference and Expo. Excerpts What should be India’s role in space? International cooperation is a strategic area for a space programme. India has always recognised the importance of working with international partners. Areas like climate change impacts on earth, space science and planetary exploration need international cooperation. India is pursuing bilateral and multilateral relations with space agencies and space-related bodies for new scientific and technological challenges; refining space policies and defining international frameworks…
A lunar lander developed by Japanese startup iSpace, named Hakuto-R, descended to the moon’s surface after a journey of several months. However, during the final stages of the mission, the lander went out of contact and was presumed lost. ispace CEO Takeshi Hakamada confirmed that they could not complete the landing, and ground controllers in Tokyo tried to re-establish communications, but to no avail. Despite this setback, Hakamada said they would continue their lunar quest and try again. Hakuto-R, named after the mythical white rabbit on the moon, was launched into space in December 2022 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9…
The US Space Force has announced the addition of five new intelligence squadrons to keep up with foreign competitors in space. Officials say these new squadrons will help the US better understand the space domain and the potential threats. Colonel Brett Swigert, commander of the Space Force’s Space Delta 7, stated that the US military had taken its “eyes off the ball” regarding gathering intelligence about other governments’ space activities. Swigert said that the US had been focused on counterterrorism and the Global War on Terror battle over the last two decades and has missed competitors’ progress in space. The…
The UAE’s space probe Hope has captured the first high-resolution images of the far side of Mars’s moonlet Deimos. According to mission scientists, this observation adds weight to the theory that Deimos formed with Mars rather than as an asteroid that Mars captured in its orbit. The Emirates Mars Mission (EMM), also known as Hope, conducted a fly-by of Deimos on March 10. EMM science lead Hessa Al Matroushi reported the results at the European Geosciences Union meeting in Vienna on April 24. Al Matroushi explained that Hope’s high and elongated orbit, which reaches over 40,000 kilometres above Mars’s surface…
Ecuador has joined the list of countries using satellites from Elon Musk’s Starlink company to provide broadband connections across all 24 provinces of the country. Vianna Maino, the Minister of Telecommunications and the Information Society welcomed the company, stating that Starlink has already assigned 15 satellites for exclusive use in Ecuador since April 1. The satellite internet will provide better connectivity to remote areas and promote work, income generation, and access to knowledge and information. During the launch event held in the Galapagos Islands, Starlink’s Vice President, Chad Gibbs, connected via video conference from the United States and thanked Ecuador…
China’s first Mars exploration mission has released a series of global images of Mars obtained by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the China National Space Administration (CNSA). The coloured images were released during the launch event of the Space Day of China in Hefei, Anhui Province. The images include the following: The orthographic projection of the eastern and western hemispheres of Mars. The Robinson projection of Mars. The Mercator projection. An azimuthal projection of the planet. These images have a spatial resolution of 76 metres and are based on 14,757 image data acquired by a remote-sensing camera on the…
Azerbaijan has chosen Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to supply two satellites for USD 120 million. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen confirmed the deal during his visit to Baku last week. Azerbaijan currently operates two communications and one Earth observation satellite. However, its national space agency, Azercosmos, reported last week that it had lost contact with the Earth observation satellite a year before it was due to complete its mission. The agency ascertained that the satellite was damaged by space debris or a meteorite, and attempts to restore communications failed. This satellite procurement deal with IAI could be part of a…
Turkey joined the global space race as it launched its first-ever observation satellite, IMECE, from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on April 15. The sub-meter high-resolution earth observation satellite has been domestically developed and designed by TÜBİTAK Space Technologies Research Institute. The cutting-edge features of the satellite include a flight computer, communication systems, and an electro-optical camera, capable of taking high-definition imagery everywhere on Earth while circling the globe at an altitude of 680 kilometres. Apart from target detection and identification, Turkey intends to utilise the IMECE satellite for disaster management, mapping, and agricultural practices. The satellite’s mission…
