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Wednesday, July 23, 2025
TopicSpacecraft

Topic: Spacecraft

A 1972 Soviet-era spacecraft never reached Venus. Stuck in space for 50 yrs, it’s now crashing back down

ScientiFix, our weekly feature, offers you a summary of the top global science stories of the week, with links to their sources.

Texas-based firm achieves first moon landing in more than half a century with private spacecraft

The six-legged robot lander, dubbed Odysseus, touched down at about 6:23 pm EST (2323 GMT), the company and NASA commentators said.

Japan working on 1st ever biodegradable satellite, made of magnolia wood

Kyoto University engineers plan to launch the tiny wooden satellite, LignoSat, to reduce space pollution. It is expected to fly this yr and operate in space for at least 6 months.

Aditya-L1 gets ‘send off’ from Earth’s orbit after ISRO performs key manouevre

Aditya-L1 is the first Indian space-based observatory to study the Sun from a halo orbit around first Sun-Earth Lagrangian point (L1), located roughly 1.5 million km from earth.

Chandrayaan-3 shows more than just ISRO’s excellence. It’s the STEM catalyst India needed

Having millions of young Indians enthusiastically engaging with science and technology is a huge return on investment on a mission like Chandrayaan-3. It will create several ripple effects.

Chinese spacecraft carrying lunar samples takes off from moon

China's Chang'e-5 probe, comprising an orbiter, a lander, an ascender, and a returner, was launched on 24 November. Its lander arrived on the north of the Mons Rumker on 1 December.

China sends off Chang’e-4 for historic mission to the far side of the moon

Expected to land in January, Chang’e-4 will be the world’s first spacecraft to land on the side of the moon that faces away from Earth.

ISRO to assemble 27 satellites in 3 years with the help of 3 new vendors

In a bid to increase capacity building activities, Spacecraft Assembly Integration and Testing by ISRO is a big cut.

On Camera

Bihar mimics 19th-century American South. Citizenship is now weaponised to exclude voters

Disenfranchisement by institutional fiat is profoundly undemocratic. The effect of the ECI's new documentary process in Bihar will tilt the scales in favour of the BJP.

India-US set to ink mini trade deal soon, reach understanding on agricultural & dairy products

Mini deal will likely see no cut in 10% baseline tariff on Indian exports announced by Trump on 2 April, it is learnt, but additional 26% tariffs are set to be reduced.

Not just AK-203, India & Russia to jointly manufacture AK-19 and PPK-20 for domestic use and export 

India-Russia JV is also racing to deliver 7,000 more AK-203 assault rifles by 15 Aug. These are currently being made with 50% indigenisation and this will surge to 100% by 31 December.

Strategic partner one day, tactical nightmare the next: India’s learning Trumplomacy the hard way

Public, loud, upfront, filled with impropriety and high praise sometimes laced with insults. This is what we call Trumplomacy. But the larger objective is the same: American supremacy.