April 29, 2024

India Aims To Be In The Top Group Of Global Space Powers By 2047 (Source: The North Lines)
India's space programme has been in the spotlight ever since the Chandrayaan-3 mission landed on the Moon's southern hemisphere on August 23, 2023. The mission—costing a meager $75 million—covered everything, from the rocket launch to the propulsion system and the lunar lander and rover expenses. This cost-effective approach is driving other developing countries eager to establish their own sustainable space programs.

The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) announced a space roadmap featuring the Chandrayaan-4 mission, planned for a conceptual phase with a targeted launch no earlier than in 2028; building a space station (Bharatiya Space Station), set to be positioned at an altitude of 120-140 kilometres in low-Earth orbit (LEO), by 2035; and sending astronauts to the Moon by 2040.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) has proposed changing its name to the ‘Indian Air and Space Forces' (IASF). This reflects a shift in India's strategic approach, emphasizing the significance of space in national security. This initiative is part of India's official space policy, which celebrates the 100th anniversary of India's Independence from British rule in 1947. (4/28)

India’s Sea-Based Launch Pads: A Game Changer for Safer, More Flexible Missile Testing (Source: IDRW)
India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) is setting its sights on the high seas with a project for a mobile, sea-based missile launch platform. The proposed platform offers a compelling solution with enhanced safety, greater flexibility, reduced environmental impacts, and faster testing cycles. (4/28)

ISRO Conducted 23 Collision Avoidance Maneuvers in 2023 to Save Satellites (Source: India Today)
The Indian Space Research Organization released its comprehensive Space Situational Assessment Report (ISSAR) for the year 2023, revealing it conducted 23 collision avoidance maneuvers to safeguard satellites. The report gives significant insights into the challenges in space traffic management and satellite operations. ISRO received approximately 1,37,565 close approach alerts from the US Space Command (USSPACECOM), with about 3,033 alerts involving satellites coming within 1 km of each other. (4/29)

Chinese Astronauts Repair Space Station's Solar Wings After Debris Impact (Source: Space Daily)
The crew of the Shenzhou XVII, stationed on China's space station, successfully repaired damage to the core module's solar wings caused by space debris. This repair was accomplished during the country's inaugural mission involving extravehicular maintenance, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The TSS core module, Tianhe, experienced a reduction in power after debris impacted the solar wing's power cables.

The TSS has conducted several maneuvers to avoid collisions with space debris, a growing concern due to increased human activity in space. The agency has improved its predictions of the space station and nearby orbital objects' paths, enhancing its collision avoidance protocols and reducing false alarms by 30%, Lin Xiqiang detailed.

Future plans include using high-definition cameras on the space station's robotic arm and cameras held by spacewalking astronauts to inspect and assess the external conditions of the station and the potential risks posed by small debris. The next crew, aboard the Shenzhou XVIII, will focus on enhancing the station's defenses against space debris by adding protective measures to external piping, cables, and essential systems during their spacewalks. (4/25)

No More Jammer Sales: it’s Time for Global Enforcement (Source: Space News)
The Global Positioning System (GPS) and other Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) provide critical positioning, navigation and timing services to users across the globe. However, like other electronics-based systems (and despite industry efforts to bolster the security of these technologies) devices receiving a signal from GNSS satellites could be vulnerable to jamming and spoofing. It is time for the United States to coordinate international efforts to halt the marketing and sale of devices that interfere with GNSS systems. (4/22)

China Set to Launch High-Stakes Mission to Moon's 'Hidden' Side (Source: Reuters)
China will send a robotic spacecraft in coming days on a round trip to the moon's far side in the first of three technically demanding missions that will pave the way for an inaugural Chinese crewed landing and a base on the lunar south pole. Since the first Chang'e mission in 2007, named after the mythical Chinese moon goddess, China has made leaps forward in its lunar exploration, narrowing the technological chasm with the United States and Russia. (4/28)

SpaceX Making Progress on Starship In-Space Refueling Technologies (Source: Space News)
NASA says SpaceX is on track to demonstrate in-space refueling of Starship next year, a critical technology for returning humans to the lunar surface using that vehicle. Amit Kshatriya, NASA deputy associate administrator for the Moon to Mars Program, said SpaceX achieved one step toward refueling of Starship with a demonstration on the latest Starship test flight March 14.

During that flight, SpaceX performed an in-flight propellant transfer demonstration under a NASA Tipping Point contract awarded in 2020. SpaceX planned to transfer at least 10 metric tons of liquid oxygen from a header tank to the main tank within the Starship upper stage while in space. While SpaceX said the day of the flight that it performed the demonstration, neither the company nor NASA provided any updates since then. At the advisory committee meeting, though, Kshatriya said the test appeared to go well.

“On Flight 3, they did an intertank transfer of cryogens, which was successful by all accounts,” he said, adding that analysis of the test is ongoing. The next major milestone is a demonstration planned for 2025 where two Starships will dock in orbit, with one transferring propellants to the other. Plans for that have passed a flight system review, according to a slide he presented at the meeting, examining the overall mission architecture and key subsystems, among other topics. (4/27)