ISRO takes NASA route, plans to outsource routine rocketryThe proposed shift has triggered concerns within the space agency, with nine employee associations writing to the Department of Space in a ...
08 Sep, 2026, 06.00 AM IST
Germany plans anti-sabotage shield after airport drone attackGermany is planning a broad security package to counter Russian drone attacks, cyber intrusions and sabotage, following a failed drone atta...
06 Sep, 2026, 02.00 PM IST
In 1994, 300 young male fruit flies flew for 14.5 days on IML-2; repeated video showed their locomotor activity rose sharply while they were in microgravityIn 1994, fruit flies were launched into space, revealing significantly heightened activity levels in microgravity. These flies aged more ra...
06 Sep, 2026, 01.30 PM IST
On a 12-day Russian biosatellite flight, seven silkworm varieties spun silk, built cocoons, mated and laid eggs; some developmental stages occurred 2-3 days faster than ground controlsChinese silkworms have successfully navigated their life cycle during an impressive twelve-day mission in space. Notably, their eggs hatche...
06 Sep, 2026, 01.20 PM IST
In 1966, Gemini 9 and Gemini 12 exposed fungal spores and viruses directly to space; a 0.4 mm aluminum shield kept fungal spores alive and boosted virus survival 3,000-foldEarly space missions tested microbial survival outside spacecraft without protection. Fungal spores and viruses showed very low survival ra...
06 Sep, 2026, 01.00 PM IST
In 2015, Japan exposed bacteria outside the ISS for 3 years; some clumps survived, while thicker ones were estimated to last longerJapanese researchers launched the resilient bacteria Deinococcus into orbit aboard the International Space Station. Remarkably, these micro...
05 Sep, 2026, 01.00 PM IST
In 1972, Florida dumped 2 million tires into the ocean to build the world’s largest man-made reef; decades later, the military had to remove themIn 1972, old tires were submerged as an artificial reef, but they didn't succeed in fostering marine life and instead became a daunting env...
04 Sep, 2026, 08.45 PM IST
In 1995, NASA sent 30 fertilised Japanese quail eggs to the Mir space station for 16 days; what scientists found after they returned raised new questions about life without gravityIn 1995, NASA launched a fascinating experiment by sending fertilized quail eggs to the Mir space station. The objective was to explore how...
04 Sep, 2026, 07.50 PM IST
Bengaluru: Govt to move 8,500 seized vehicles from police stations to vacant sites on city outskirtsThe vehicles were seized by the Police Department in connection with various cases and could not be disposed of as the cases are pending be...
03 Sep, 2026, 05.37 PM IST
In 1990, the USSR sent six Japanese tree frogs to the Mir space station for an eight-day experiment, where researchers watched them float with all four legs stretched out and their bodies bent backward - then found the frogs improved their ability to land after jumping in microgravitySix Japanese tree frogs journeyed to the Soviet space station Mir in 1990. They spent eight days in microgravity, which allowed researchers...
03 Sep, 2026, 11.56 AM IST
Toyohiro Akiyama dies at 84: Japan’s first person in space was a journalist who live-reported from Mir and observed six tree frogs in zero gravityToyohiro Akiyama, the trailblazing figure and Japan's first civilian in space, has passed away at the age of 84. His remarkable journey to ...
03 Sep, 2026, 11.16 AM IST
In 2000, a crew for the first time headed for the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket for four months to prepare ISS facility for researchIn 2000, a crew for the first time headed for the International Space Station aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket for four months to prepare ISS ...
03 Sep, 2026, 01.51 AM IST
In 2006, ISS astronauts threw an old Russian spacesuit stuffed with clothes into orbit; SuitSat circled Earth twice before its radio signal became unexpectedly weakAstronauts launched an old spacesuit, SuitSat-1, as a makeshift satellite in 2006. This creative experiment aimed to transmit messages and ...
01 Sep, 2026, 06.30 PM IST
In 1972, NASA sealed 3 astronauts inside a 20-foot chamber for 56 days to rehearse Skylab; the ground experiment exposed hardware and medical problems before launchIn 1972, three astronauts conducted a remarkable ground simulation, residing in a sealed chamber for a staggering 56 days. This experiment ...
30 Aug, 2026, 04.10 PM IST
In 2013, Bion-M1 carried land snails in orbit for 30 days; hardware failures killed many other animals, but the snails survivedIn a space mission conducted by Russia in 2013, a tragic outcome ensued as most of the aboard animals, including mice, gerbils, and fish, c...
30 Aug, 2026, 04.00 PM IST
In 1997, NASA sent 64 desert beetles to Russia’s Mir space station with tiny wheels tracking their every movement; their movements helped scientists understand how light regulates biological clocks in microgravityNASA sent black desert beetles into space aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis in 1997. These insects lived on the Russian Mir space station f...
28 Aug, 2026, 08.19 PM IST
In 1994, the space shuttle Discovery held a Wake Shield disk behind it while still attached to its robot arm; the facility produced 5 good semiconductor filmsIn 1994, the space shuttle Discovery transported the Wake Shield Facility, designed to establish an ultra-clean vacuum environment. This gr...
28 Aug, 2026, 01.10 PM IST