Planetary missions
BepiColombo sheds transfer module on approach to Mercury
The separation has started the mission's arrival phase, but Mercury orbit insertion, the split between its two science orbiters and science operations are still ahead.
The archive
News archive
Every dispatch, feature and dossier published by the Space Exploration .IN newsroom.
Launch
GSLV-F17 places EOS-05 in intended orbit
The September 4 mission update confirms orbital insertion, while post-launch spacecraft commissioning and operational service remain unreported in the reviewed accounts.
Launch
ISRO plans GSLV-F17 launch for September 4
The agency has scheduled the Sriharikota mission for 2:55 a.m. IST, with EOS-05 bound for a sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit rather than an operational orbit.
Solar science
Aditya-L1 study traces small brightenings before major solar flares
Seven 2024 flare cases contained 102 ultraviolet transients before onset, but the observations do not yet establish a flare-forecasting method.
Space observatories
Roman completes first course correction as commissioning moves ahead
NASA's early updates report an August 31 trajectory burn, followed by antenna and sunshade deployments and Coronagraph Instrument activation; Roman has not reached L2 or begun science operations.
Commercial Crew
Crew-13 launch date adjusted after Dragon oxidizer leak
NASA says teams will test Dragon, review the data and complete any needed rework before launch; a new target has not been announced.
Policy
Andhra Pradesh order allotted Skyroot 294.67 acres for Tirupati rocket plant
The September 2025 order set the land allotment rate at ₹5 lakh per acre and recorded a ₹400-crore proposal; Telugu360 reported Nara Lokesh citing the rounded 300-acre figure on August 25, 2026.
Space observatories
Roman launches on Falcon Heavy and separates successfully
The space telescope left Kennedy Space Center on August 30, separated 31 minutes later, and is now beginning a three-month trip to the Sun-Earth L2 region.
Space industry
InspeCity raises ₹100 crore for planned in-orbit servicing demonstrations
The Mumbai-area company says the pre-Series A round will support a staged set of inspection, rendezvous and docking demonstrations. The financing is reported; no reviewed source says those missions have flown.
Policy
Modi meets 20 space-startup leaders, urging wider uses of their technology
The August 21 meeting put the private space sector before the prime minister, but the official account announced no new funding, authorisations, contracts or binding policy changes.
India space policy
Starlink’s reported Gen 2 filing adds a constellation step in India
A reported application to IN-SPACe would seek authority to provide Gen 2 capacity in India, but it does not settle the separate spectrum and security steps before customer service can begin.
Launch
Second Vikram-1 first stage begins transfer to Sriharikota
The transfer starts a new campaign after July’s maiden orbital flight, but Skyroot has not announced a launch date or said that the next vehicle is integrated.