Author: Resham Bhambani

Microsoft Reports No Significant AI Disinformation in European Parliamentary Elections Microsoft’s president, Brad Smith, stated in a recent interview with Reuters that there has been no significant use of artificial intelligence in disinformation campaigns during the European Parliamentary elections. Smith was in Stockholm to reveal Microsoft’s plan to invest 33.7 billion Swedish crowns ($3.21 billion) to enhance its cloud and AI infrastructure in Sweden over the next two years. AI Risks in Content Creation Smith emphasised the potential dangers of AI, particularly in generating harmful content such as deepfakes. While these AI-generated fakes have been utilised in elections around the…

India’s Agnikul Cosmos called off the test flight of its first rocket on Tuesday, just seconds before it was due to launch. This marks the fourth such cancellation in the past three months. Repeated Delays The rocket, India’s second privately built and the first to use a combination of gas and liquid fuel, has faced multiple technical issues leading to aborted launches. One previous attempt was cancelled only 90 seconds before lift-off. The latest attempt was scheduled for 5:45 a.m. IST (0015 GMT) on Tuesday but was delayed due to a technical glitch in the countdown activities. A new lift-off…

SpaceX’s satellite internet service, Starlink, is now live across the Republic of Fiji’s more than 300 islands. This development marks Starlink’s expansion to its 99th country, territory, or market worldwide, offering high-speed internet services to a broader audience. Licensing and Approval In mid-November 2023, Starlink was granted a license to provide internet services in Fiji, a nation with a population of approximately 936,375 people. The Fijian Competition and Consumer Commission (FCCC) welcomed this news, highlighting that Starlink’s presence would enhance competition and foster a more inclusive digital economy. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Co-operatives, SMEs, and Communications, Manoa…

China successfully launched a Long March-2D carrier rocket, sending a remote sensing satellite into space on Sunday. The launch took place at 07:45 Beijing Time (23:45 GMT on Saturday) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in Sichuan province. The rocket carried the Yaogan-42 02 satellite into its designated orbit. This event marked the 517th flight mission of the Long March series rockets, demonstrating China’s growing capabilities in space exploration. The Long March-2D Carrier Rocket This is a powerful two-stage liquid-propellant carrier rocket, boasting a liftoff thrust of 300 tonnes. It is engineered to launch both single and multiple satellites to…

At the recently held Indian Space Congress 2023 in New Delhi, Interstellar was privileged to cover an exciting panel discussion titled “Breaking Barriers, Inspiring Futures: Women in Space.” The panel saw early-career and well-established women personalities who spoke their hearts about their experiences, challenges and successes. The panel featured esteemed speakers, including Dr. N. Ranjana, Director of the Directorate of Systems and Technology Analysis (DSTA) at Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO); Space Entrepreneur Dr. Susmita Mohanty; Ms. Isabelle Mauro, Director General of GSOA; Ms. Nidhi Vasaikar, APAC Regional Partnerships Manager from the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC), Ms. Laura…