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SPACECRAFT NAVIGATION
In 1970, Apollo 13 used a wristwatch to time a 14-second burn without computer guidance. 56 years later, the manual maneuver remains a textbook survival feat and a NASA legendWhen Apollo 13 Went Dark, a Mechanical Wrist watch Saved the Mission. After an explosion crippled their spacecraft, the crew powered down t...
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...
In 1968, Apollo 8 photographed the famous Earthrise during its fourth lunar orbit; decades later, NASA used time-lapse images and LRO maps to reconstruct when and where it happenedThe forgotten camera aboard Apollo 8 inadvertently captured the Earthrise photo, highlighting an extraordinary moment for humanity. Utilizi...
In 1969, she helped Apollo 11 carrying Neil Armstrong land on the moon. Indiana woman wrote the code that made it happen. She was MIT's first female programmerMargaret Hamilton, a computer scientist from Indiana, played a crucial role in NASA’s Apollo programme by leading the team that developed t...
From Thumba to tomorrow: Indian space programme is preparing for its biggest leap yetIndia's space program began with a small rocket range in 1962. It progressed to launching its first satellite and developing indigenous lau...
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 ...
In 1972, Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke left a photo of his wife and two sons on the Moon with a touching message from ‘Planet Earth’ that has remained there for more than 50 yearsIn 1972, Apollo 16 astronaut Charles Duke left a framed photo of his wife and two sons on the Moon, along with a touching message identifyi...
Earlier this year, a California startup received approval to launch a 59-foot mirror into orbit. Two years later, the demonstration could redirect sunlight onto chosen points on Earth, allowing crews to keep working after darkA California startup just got FCC approval to test a 59-foot mirror satellite in orbit. The spacecraft, named Eärendil-1, will catch sunlig...
In 1859, the Carrington storm caused spectacular auroras and electrical disturbances in telegraph networks as far south as Cuba. 167 years later, a repeat could cripple key infrastructure while leaving some electronic devices surprisingly unaffectedThe Carrington storm of 1859 highlighted our planet's susceptibility to solar flares. If a similar phenomenon occurred today, it could caus...
Chinese proverb of the day: 'A one-inch error at the start can be...' Life lessons from motivational proverb on precision, careful planning, early vigilance, small mistakes, foundational accuracy and immediate correctionChinese proverb of the day, “A one-inch error at the start can be a thousand miles at the end,” explains how small mistakes can grow into m...
GalaxEye acquires StarOps, looks to strengthen satellite engineering after Drishti setbackInfosys-backed GalaxEye has successfully acquired StarOps, enhancing its satellite development capabilities. With roots in TeamIndus, India...
- This Bengaluru startup wants to give ageing satellites a 'power bank' in space
Aule Space is developing "jetpack" satellites to dock with aging spacecraft. These innovative spacecraft will take over propulsion and exte...
Failure didn't stop them! 750 Indian schoolgirls faced failure on their first space mission; their second satellite is now orbiting close to ISSAzaadiSAT-2, carrying experiments by 750 Indian schoolgirls, successfully entered Earth's orbit. This achievement followed an initial launc...
NASA's AI-powered Mission PRAXIS aims to touch Saturn's rings for the first time: Here's how it could solve a decades-old mysteryNASA is exploring a new mission concept called PRAXIS. This robotic explorer aims to directly sample particles from Saturn's rings. Artific...
Astronaut Anil Menon set to undertake maiden spacewalk next weekAstronaut Anil Menon will perform spacewalks to upgrade solar arrays and antennas. These spacewalks will prepare the orbital lab for future...
In 1969, Apollo 10 astronauts set the fastest human speed record in space — here's why it still hasn't been brokenApollo 10 astronauts still hold the fastest human spaceflight speed record. Their return journey from lunar orbit reached nearly 40,000 kil...
It was built for 30 days. It survived 1,004: How a 4-pound helicopter became one of NASA's greatest success storiesNASA's Ingenuity helicopter surpassed expectations, operating for over a thousand days instead of the initially planned thirty. Completing ...
Meet Prithvi Sanghani: Farmer's daughter who helped build the autopilot system for India's first privately developed orbital rocket, Vikram-1Prithvi Sanghani, from a farming family, played a key role in Vikram-1's autopilot system. This Indian space startup's rocket achieved its ...
In 1938, millions of Americans thought Martians had invaded Earth after a radio broadcast sounded so real that it triggered nationwide panicIn 1938, radio drama caused panic across America: Orson Welles' 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds caused widespread confusion a...
NASA issues major solar storm warning: Decades-old theory about Earth's defenses may be an illusionNew research suggests Earth's reaction to solar storms might be limitless. Scientists previously believed a ceiling existed for these power...