US, China arm for space warfare: Hunter satellites and orbital weaponsChina and the United States are developing advanced military space capabilities. Both nations are preparing for potential conflict extendin...
02 Sep, 2026, 04.06 PM IST
In 1967, Biosatellite II irradiated parasitic wasps for 2 days in orbit; females later laid as many eggs as controls, and hatchability remained excellentA 1967 NASA mission sent parasitic wasps into orbit around Earth. These wasps showed surprising resistance to radiation damage while in spa...
02 Sep, 2026, 01.00 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 1969, lightning struck Apollo 12 seconds after launch; John Aaron’s “SCE to AUX” call restored telemetry and helped save the Moon missionApollo 12 astronauts encountered a significant crisis when lightning struck their rocket, not once but twice. A neglected protocol related ...
30 Aug, 2026, 03.50 PM IST
In 1984, two shuttle-deployed satellites became stranded when their rocket stages failed; months later, Discovery astronauts captured both and returned them to the shuttleIn 1984, a space shuttle mission retrieved two communication satellites left in the wrong orbit. Insurance underwriters funded this unusual...
30 Aug, 2026, 02.10 PM IST
In 2018, NASA invited people worldwide to send their names to the Sun. More than 1.1 million did and their names are still travelling aboard Parker Solar ProbeOver one million names traveled to the Sun aboard NASA's Parker Solar Probe. These names were digitally stored on a memory card, becoming p...
28 Aug, 2026, 06.48 PM IST
From Mars to interstellar space, NASA’s new giant antenna is now operationalNASA activated its new 34-meter radio antenna, DSS-23, on August 3, 2026. This new antenna will help communicate with spacecraft across the...
27 Aug, 2026, 08.52 PM IST
Will the Northern Lights appear by Friday? Powerful solar flare sparks new hopesA powerful solar flare has erupted, sending a cloud of material towards Earth. Scientists are monitoring this event for potential geomagnet...
26 Aug, 2026, 06.47 PM IST
In 1966, Gemini VIII made the first U.S. docking in space; 27 minutes later, a stuck thruster sent it spinning near 1 revolution per second before Neil Armstrong stopped itThe Gemini VIII mission quickly transitioned from a planned rendezvous to a critical in-flight emergency. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Dav...
26 Aug, 2026, 02.30 PM IST
In 1977, NASA placed a gold-plated copper record on each Voyager; it carries 115 images, greetings in 55 languages, and instructions for playing itIn 1977, NASA embarked on a monumental quest by launching the Voyager spacecraft, which was equipped with a Golden Record meant to communic...
25 Aug, 2026, 03.30 PM IST
In 1999, a small unit mismatch sent NASA's Mars Climate Orbiter deep into the Martian atmosphere and led to the failure of the missionIn 1999, a small unit mismatch sent NASA's Mars Climate Orbiter deep into the Martian atmosphere and led to the failure of the mission. The...
25 Aug, 2026, 02.30 AM IST
In 1969, three NASA astronauts abroad Apollo 10 flew incredibly close to the Moon. They had a lunar module a working descent engine but weren't allowed to landDuring the Apollo 10 mission, astronauts soared just nine miles above the Moon's surface, meticulously testing lunar module systems and lan...
24 Aug, 2026, 09.46 PM IST
In 1964, NASA first tracked a satellite with lasers; the method later helped measure sea-level rise and ice lossIn 1964, NASA researchers made history by tracking a satellite for the first time using a laser beam. Leveraging spare radar components and...
24 Aug, 2026, 06.30 PM IST
At 7, Jammy-born boy entered Guinness records as world’s youngest male webmaster. Now 20, he’s raised $4.3 million to fix a major space communication problemJammu-born Onkar Singh Batra is building a space communication network. His startup Apolink aims to keep satellites connected beyond ground...
23 Aug, 2026, 06.57 PM IST
In 2019, fewer than 2,000 active satellites circled Earth as SpaceX began scaling Starlink. Seven years later, 15,711 were orbiting the planet, with Starlink accounting for 65.97% of the working satellitesSince 2019, the number of active satellites around Earth has surged nearly eightfold, with SpaceX's Starlink making up about two-thirds of ...
23 Aug, 2026, 12.31 AM IST
In 2013, NASA beamed laser data from lunar orbit at 622 megabits per second, demonstrating faster space communications than radioIn 2013, NASA's Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration set a groundbreaking standard by achieving data transmission speeds of 622 megabits...
22 Aug, 2026, 02.30 PM IST
NASA abandons attempt to rescue aging space telescope from atmospheric re-entryNASA and Katalyst Space Technologies have ended their mission to save the Swift Observatory. Persistent attitude-control failures on the Li...
21 Aug, 2026, 12.25 AM IST