Satellite communications
First eight Globalstar 2-R satellites reach orbit
The replenishment spacecraft have established contact and begun commissioning, opening the orbital phase of a 17-satellite refresh without yet entering operational service.
The archive
News archive
Every dispatch, feature and dossier published by the Space Exploration .IN newsroom.
Launch economics
India’s $13,302-per-kg launch estimate uses capacity, not payload flown
A new dataset ranks India highest among six major launching regions in 2025. Its result divides estimated flyaway costs by vehicles’ maximum LEO capacity, leaving prices, mission budgets and actual payload masses outside the measure.
Launch
ISRO tests improved SSLV first stage for 100 kg payload gain
The SS1 firing exercised a higher propellant burn rate in two segments, revised thermal protection and nozzle-production changes, but the gain has not yet been demonstrated in flight.
Launch
Kulasekarapattinam operator search opens as construction continues
The latest project reply puts spending at ₹588.70 crore of ₹985.96 crore, while IN-SPACe seeks a private manager and leaves the commissioning date unstated.
Science
JWST and ALMA resolve two active nuclei 1.5 kpc apart in LID-1166
Separate Hα and [CII] velocity components support the dual-AGN identification at redshift 4.5. The manuscript is accepted by Nature Astronomy but remains an arXiv preprint, and its record claim is the authors'.
Science
JWST source MoM-BH*-1 fits a black hole star model—but alternatives remain
A Nature study links an extreme Balmer break to a dense, turbulent gas envelope around a black hole, but the mass estimate spans more than two orders of magnitude and another peer-reviewed model invokes one supermassive star.
Lunar cooperation
NASA invites ISRO to join Moon Base programme, but terms remain undisclosed
The offer was recorded after an August 5–6 bilateral meeting in Bengaluru. Neither side announced Indian acceptance, funding, hardware or a mission assignment.
Navigation
Only three NavIC satellites currently broadcast navigation signals
A Rajya Sabha reply shows a four-satellite gap against NavIC’s seven-satellite design. NVS-03 is ready, but the government gave only a launch sequence—not launch dates—for rebuilding the base layer.
Lunar infrastructure
Northrop outlines three lunar demos using HALO systems; no NASA award disclosed
The company says power, data and mechanical interfaces can be reused after Gateway’s cancellation. It does not identify the flight hardware, funding, launch dates or landing providers.
Launch
Othisis publishes 3D-printed cryogenic engine hot-fire results
The Bengaluru startup now calls the liquid-oxygen/methane unit a nominal 5 kN engine after earlier reporting 4.5 kN, while test data and a reusable-vehicle demonstration remain undisclosed.
Science
Indian-built ProtoPol surveys polarization changes across 45 stars
Two accepted studies use repeated spectra to separate variable Hα behaviour in Herbig stars from steadier Be signatures and continuum changes in evolved systems.
Industry
VinSpace plans first satellites for 2027 SpaceX Transporter launch
The contract gives the young Vietnamese venture a named route to orbit, but no mission number, spacecraft count or specifications, price, or fixed launch date is public.