Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

Paris [France], March 30 (ANI): Director General of the <keyword id="20681418" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="european-space-agency" source="keywords">European Space Agency</keyword> (<keyword id="191401" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ESA" source="Orion">ESA</keyword>), <keyword id="21132866" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="josef-aschbacher" source="keywords">Josef Aschbacher</keyword>, has heaped praise on the <keyword id="19915130" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-space-research-organisation" source="keywords">Indian Space Research Organisation</keyword> (<keyword id="6358064" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ISRO" source="Orion">ISRO</keyword>) for its recent successful launches and said that India's accomplishments in space and especially in lunar exploration is 'astonishing'. Aschbacher posted an appreciation post on X, after ESA hosted its 323rd Council meeting in Paris which was attended by the ISRO Chairman, S Somanath. ESA Member States met in Paris, France, for the 323rd session of the ESA Council on March 26 and 27, 2024. The European scientist also underscored that the significance of strengthening ties and deepening cooperation with international partners cannot be underestimated. "What India is accomplishing in space - especially in Lunar exploration - is astonishing. We hosted ISRO's Chairman, Dr. S. Somanath at ESA Council today. It was a milestone occasion for Delegates to learn more about current and future plans for ESA-ISRO cooperation," he posted on X. "The strategic importance of strengthening ties and deepening cooperation with international partners cannot be underestimated," he added. <div type="twitter" handle="AschbacherJosef" handlename="AschbacherJosef" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1773071288686264521"></div> Additionally, Astronaut <keyword id="20326710" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="thomas-pesquet" source="keywords">Thomas Pesquet</keyword> also shared about meeting with the ISRO chairman and the ESA Director and said that they witnessed enthusiastic exchanges between the two leaders. "Very proud to welcome ISRO chairman Shri. S. Somanath at ESA HQ in Paris yesterday, with our director Josef Aschbacher. Enthusiastic exchanges between the two men, and abounding cooperation opportunities between the two organisations. Let's co-travel to space together!" he posted on X. <div type="twitter" handle="Thom_astro" handlename="Thom_astro" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1773399899498803577"></div> In a stellar display of prowess, India soared to new heights in 2023 with the successful soft landing of <keyword id="8011274" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chandrayaan-3" source="Orion">Chandrayaan-3</keyword> on the South Pole of the Moon and the launch of <keyword id="5998804" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aditya-L1" source="Orion">Aditya-L1</keyword>, India's first solar mission. These milestones not only secured India's standing in the global space economy but also fueled the engines for the private space sector in India. On August 23, 2023, the Chandrayaan-3 mission created history with the successful soft landing on Moon's surface. India is now the first nation to reach near the Moon's unexplored South Pole and ranks amongst the top four nations to carry out a soft landing on the lunar surface. Chandrayaan-3 is India's third lunar mission and the second attempt to land softly on the moon's surface. It's part of the Chandrayaan program, a series of missions developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to explore the moon. The mission consists of a Vikram lunar lander, a Pragyan lunar rover, and a propulsion module that carries the spacecraft from Earth orbit to lunar orbit. Additionally, in a major milestone, India placed its first dedicated solar mission, the Aditya-L1 spacecraft, in the Halo orbit. The country went gaga over this historic achievement, especially since this mission came at the back of India's moon landing, the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Aditya-L1 reached Lagrange Point L1 which is about 1.5 million km from earth. The PSLV-C57.1 rocket carrying the Aditya-L1 orbiter lifted off successfully from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh, in September.

European Space Agency Director praises ISRO, calls India's accomplishments in space "astonishing"

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A cluster of sunspots 15 times the size of <keyword id="6359982" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="earth" source="Orion">Earth</keyword> rolled into view.</li><li>These have been fizzing with activity and could send solar weather toward Earth as early as Saturday. </li></ul>A cluster of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-see-sunspot-four-times-size-of-earth-2023-5">sunspots</a> has rolled into view of Earth and may send a <keyword id="397045" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="solar-storm" source="Orion">solar storm</keyword> our way as early as Saturday. The cluster includes about a dozen sunspots that are around 125,000 miles wide— about 15 times bigger than our planet, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.space.com/enormous-sunspot-archipelago-solar-flares-earth">Space.com reported</a>. The group is very active. It had already shot out three M-class and several C-class solar flares before it came into view, per spaceweather.com. M-class flares are medium-sized eruptions. When directed toward Earth, they can cause brief radio blackouts, according to the <keyword id="59844" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="european-space-agency" source="Orion">European Space Agency</keyword>. C-class solar flares, meanwhile, are minor and have little effect when they hit Earth. <div type="image" title="An animated gif shows the sunspots scrolling across the sun" height="600" width="600" msid="105481961" hostid="261"></div>Space-weather experts will be keeping a close eye on the cluster as it lines up with Earth, Daniel Verscharen, an associate professor of space and climate physics at University College London, told Business Insider. "Groups of sunspots are regions that we pay close attention to. They are areas in the sun's photosphere where the magnetic field is particularly strong and often complex," he said. "These complex magnetic fields are more likely to become sources of flares and mass ejections," he said. Simulations from the European Space Agency, using the EUHFORIA computer code, suggest that if the cluster releases a mass ejection, it could reach Earth as early as Saturday evening ET (just after midnight Sunday morning), per Verscharen. Scientists will keep watching the cluster until it rolls away from Earth. The cluster should be in full alignment with the Earth within a day or two, Matt Owens, a professor of space physics at the University of Reading, told Business Insider in an email. Verscharen and Owens noted that it's very difficult to predict the strength of solar weather that could come from the sunspots — if they release any Earth-directed particles at all. "The spots are fairly big and complex, which suggests they're likely to produce some space weather," said Owens. "Sometimes huge spots produce a tonne of activity before and after they pass Earth, but nothing at that critical time when they're pointed right at us," he added. As of Friday evening, the US and UK agencies that monitor space weather forecasted a low risk of any type of dangerous solar weather in the coming days. It is the latest in a slew of bizarre observations as our sun is getting closer to a near-decadal <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-maximum-could-sooner-than-expected-2023-6">peak of solar activity</a>. Scientists have recently spotted brilliant auroras, solar <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-video-solar-tornado-plasma-2023-3">"tornados,"</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronal-holes-definition-causes-sun-earth-cme-storm-winds-2023-3">coronal holes,</a> and more. Solar weather is mostly harmless. The overwhelming majority of the charged particles sent by the sun are bounced back by the Earth's magnetic field. Every so often, solar flares and eruptions can temporarily overwhelm our planet's protection, and most of these events can be mildly disruptive, for instance causing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/solar-flare-from-sunspot-caused-widespread-radio-blackouts-earth-2023-5">radio blackouts</a> that can affect the aviation industry. The concern is that a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/next-solar-maximum-2025-what-expect-cycle-2023-4">peak of solar</a> activity can increase the chance of a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rare-solar-storm-blast-power-grids-chance-higher-next-years-2023-8">very rare once-a-century solar storm</a>, which would be so strong that it could pierce through our planet's protection and surge our infrastructure, with little advanced warning. It's not clear how our electrical, communication, and satellite system would fare in that scenario, as such a storm hasn't been spotted in decades, in which time humans have become much more reliant on technology. Correction — November 27, 2023: An earlier version of this story misstated the number of days it would take for the sunspots to align with Earth. This was changed to reflect that they would align within a day or two.

A cluster of sunspots 15 times bigger than Earth could send a solar storm our way as early as Saturday

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <keyword id="11921802" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="european-space-agency" source="Orion">European Space Agency</keyword> announced it will no longer be cooperating with <keyword id="11894337" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="russia" source="Orion">Russia</keyword> on moon missions. </li><li>The agency cited the Russian aggression in <keyword id="11985141" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ukraine" source="Orion">Ukraine</keyword> as the reason for halting operations. </li></ul>The European <keyword id="11895441" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="space" source="Orion">Space</keyword> Agency on Wednesday announced that it will stop working with Russia on moon missions because of their attack in Ukraine. "Following the Russian aggression against Ukraine, <keyword id="12243982" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="esa" source="Orion">ESA</keyword>'s Director General has initiated a comprehensive review of all activities currently undertaken in cooperation with Russia and Ukraine," <a href="https://www.esa.int/Newsroom/Press_Releases/Redirecting_ESA_programmes_in_response_to_geopolitical_crisis">a statement from the ESA said</a>. "The objective is to determine the possible consequences of this new geopolitical context for ESA programmes and activities and to create a more resilient and robust space infrastructure for Europe."The statement said that "ESA's science and technology for these missions remains of vital importance" and they are working toward finding alternatives to continue these missions using other machines. The statement said that missions Luna-25 and Luna-27 are being discontinued and that alternative plans are already underway. The ExoMars Rover mission, which was ready for flight and was supposed to launch in September, will now be suspended, the ESA said, adding that Russian aggression against Ukraine and the resulting sanctions "represent a fundamental change of circumstances and make it impossible for ESA to implement the planned lunar cooperation.""Instead, a fast-track study is now under way led by Thales Alenia Space of Italy to assess options for the way forward," the ESA said.

The European Space Agency announced it will stop working with Russia on moon missions

The <keyword id="59844" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="european-space-agency" source="Orion">European Space Agency</keyword>'s (<keyword id="191401" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="esa" source="Orion">ESA</keyword>) said its Earth-observing Sentinel-1A satellite barely escaped a "high-risk collision" from a 2021 Russian missile test that had generated over 1,500 pieces of trackable orbital debris in space. ESA's Sentinel-1 mission is designed as a two-satellite constellation, which provides an all-weather, day-and-night supply of imagery of <keyword id="6359982" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="earth" source="Orion">Earth</keyword>'s surface. In a series of tweets on Wednesday, the ESA officials said Sentinel-1A, launched in April 2014, had to perform a set of emergency manoeuvres on Monday to avoid a "high-risk collision." "On Monday, for the first time, we performed a set of manoeuvres to avoid a high-risk collision with #SpaceDebris created in the #Cosmos1408 anti-satellite test last year," ESA Operations said. The agency noted that although its part of their routine work, yet this "was a difficult #CollisionAvoidance manoeuvre", "unique" as well as "tricky to avoid" because the situation evolved rapidly, and they had less than 24 hours of warning. Even though the Russian satellite orbited more than 200 km below Sentinel-1A, the energy released during its explosion pushed fragments of it all the way up, intersecting the satellite's orbit. As a result, the team said Sentinal-1A had to alter its orbit "by 140 m in order to prevent collision with a debris fragment". Though the Sentinel-1A is safe for now, the ESA called out against the threat due to such space debris. "Quick reaction by teams at #MissionControl, who managed to plan and execute an avoidance manoeuvre in a matter of hours, meant we safely avoided impact," they said. "This incident highlights the devastating risks to the whole space environment from the (intentional) creation of space debris," they added. In November 2021, Russia fired a direct-ascent anti-satellite (DA-ASAT) missile that collided with its defunct satellite, generating hundreds of thousands of pieces of space debris, or space junk. The DA-ASAT test also posed risk to the <keyword id="6382020" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="international-space-station" source="Orion">International Space Station</keyword>, at that time prompting an outrage by the US. According to the <keyword id="183676" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="us-department-of-state" source="Orion">US Department of State</keyword>, the anti-satellite test generated over 1,500 pieces of trackable orbital debris and hundreds of thousands of pieces of smaller orbital debris that now threaten the interests of all nations. "...I'm outraged by this irresponsible and destabilising action. Their actions are reckless and dangerous, threatening as well the Chinese space station and the taikonauts on board," <keyword id="6360409" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="nasa" source="Orion">NASA</keyword> Administrator <keyword id="252415" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="bill-nelson" source="Orion">Bill Nelson</keyword> had said condemning the act. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/google-russia-has-no-money-to-pay-salaries-to-its-100-employees-heads-for-bankruptcy/articleshow/91658749.cms">Google Russia has no money to pay salaries to its 100 employees, heads for bankruptcy</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/late-comic-book-legend-stan-lee-set-to-live-again-in-movies-as-marvel-studios-signs-20-year-deal/articleshow/91655455.cms">Late comic book legend Stan Lee set to live again in movies as Marvel Studios signs 20-year deal</a>

ESA satellite Sentinel-1A dodges a 'high-risk collision' from Russian space debris

<ul><li><keyword id="2838013" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="cristoforetti" source="Orion">Cristoforetti</keyword> is a part of SpaceX's Crew-4 mission.</li><li>Previously, Cristoforetti lived on a space station from November 2014 to June 2015.</li><li>In a <keyword id="6762469" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="TikTok" source="Orion">TikTok</keyword> video astronaut said, “Follow me to boldly go where no TikToker has gone before”.</li></ul>The <keyword id="59844" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="european-space-agency" source="Orion">European Space Agency</keyword> (ESA) astronaut <keyword id="2343608" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="samantha-cristoforetti" source="Orion">Samantha Cristoforetti</keyword> has become the first-ever TikToker to post a video from the <keyword id="6382020" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="international-space-station" source="Orion">International Space Station</keyword>. Cristoforetti is part of SpaceX's Crew-4 mission, which arrived at the orbiting lab on April 27 for a six-month stay. "Follow me to boldly go where no TikToker has gone before," the astronaut said in the 88-second TikTok video posted on May 5. In the video Cristoforetti took her viewers through Crew-4's launch as well as introduced them to the mission's two zero-g indicators, a plush turtle named Zippy and a stuffed monkey called Etta, Space.com reported. "Etta is short for 'scimmietta', which is Italian for 'little monkey,' of course," Cristoforetti says in the video. <div type="twitter" handle="AstroSamantha" handlename="Samantha Cristoforetti" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1516878392129376256/oyOo2Fmk_normal.jpg" favoritecount="8628" retweetcount="1059" status="Back on the International @Space_Station (and TikTok) https://t.co/oCgJSdWKcu" createdat="1651840000000" id="1522553431747092482"></div> (Etta was the first plush toy that Cristoforetti bought for her daughter, Kelsey.) "What questions do you have about life on the space station?" she asked her audience toward the end of the video, even as she floated in front of one of the orbiting lab's windows. "Tell me in the comments. And remember: Follow me to boldly go where no TikToker has gone before." Before Crew-4's launch, ESA officials noted that Cristoforetti is the first professional astronaut ever on the platform, "bringing space content and European research to a wider audience." Cristoforetti had already posted a number of space-explainer videos on TikTok, but Thursday's was the first one she actually filmed in the final frontier, the report said. Crew-4 is Cristoforetti's second spaceflight. She previously lived aboard the space station from November 2014 to June 2015. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/tinder-developer-sues-google-over-restrictive-billing-policies-on-play-store/articleshow/91460077.cms">Tinder developer sues Google over restrictive billing policies on Play Store</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/this-silicon-valley-based-vc-tells-us-why-falling-indian-startup-stocks-is-a-boon-in-disguise-for-him/articleshow/91457761.cms">This Silicon Valley-based VC tells us why falling Indian startup stocks is a boon in disguise, for him</a>

Watch: Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti creates history with first TikTok video from International Space Station

The rapid growth of the anthropogenic space object population, including satellite mega-constellations' that are placed in low <keyword id="6359982" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="earth" source="Orion">Earth</keyword> orbit to deliver broadband internet and other services, are increasingly threatening the orbital space, according to a team of international researchers. The shell bound by the <keyword id="13700577" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karman-Line" source="Orion">Karman Line</keyword> at a height of about 80-100 km above the Earth's surface and geosynchronous orbit at about 36,000 km is defined as the orbital space surrounding the Earth. Researchers including from universities of Edinburg (UK), Washington (US), British Columbia (Canada), and astronomers from the <keyword id="59844" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="european-space-agency" source="Orion">European Space Agency</keyword> (ESA) have called for immediate action to protect the orbital space around Earth by rules and regulations similar to those that safeguard the planet's oceans and the atmosphere. Writing in Nature Astronomy, the team argued that the rise in the number of satellites is polluting the night sky for astronomers and stargazers. It is also increasing the risk of objects colliding in space and potentially even striking aircraft when they fall back to Earth. "We rely on the orbital space environment by looking through it, as well as by working within it. Hence, we should consider damage to professional astronomy, public stargazing, and the cultural importance of the sky, as well as the sustainability of commercial, civic, and military activity in space," the researchers wrote. "We urge decision makers and policymakers to consider the environmental impacts of all aspects of satellite constellations, including launch, operation and de-orbit, and to work with all stakeholders to co-create a shared, ethical, sustainable approach to space," they added. In late 2018, about 2,000 active satellites circled Earth. The team warned that the number could exceed 100,000 by 2030. While companies such as <keyword id="6360701" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SpaceX" source="Orion">SpaceX</keyword> and <keyword id="2686914" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="OneWeb" source="Orion">OneWeb</keyword> are leading the way in placing satellite mega-constellations, others are interested, including Rwanda, which recently filed an application to launch 327,000 satellites in a single project, the Guardian reported. "We really need to get our act together. This is about recognising that the problems we see in orbit are the same as those we see when we worry about the land, the oceans and the atmosphere. We need to knock heads together and say how can we solve this problem," Andy Lawrence, Professor of astronomy at the University of Edinburgh, was quoted as saying. The scientists argue that while there is robust regulation to ensure satellites are launched safely and transmit signals only within certain frequency bands, there is almost nothing to govern the impact of satellites on the night sky, astronomy, Earth's atmosphere or the orbital environment. The visible presence of so many satellites also undermines the ability to enjoy the night sky. Further, they noted that light reflecting off satellites can ruin astronomical observations by leaving streaks across images, while their broadcasts can drown out the faint, natural radio signals that astronomers study to understand some of the most exotic objects in the cosmos, the report said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/lg-chem-has-developed-a-flame-retardant-plastic-that-can-delay-fires-in-electric-vehicles/articleshow/91069701.cms">LG Chem has developed a flame-retardant plastic that can delay fires in electric vehicles</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/electric-scooter-fire-accident-claims-another-mans-life-leaves-his-wife-and-two-daughters-with-severe-burns/articleshow/91063992.cms">Electric scooter fire accident claims another man's life, leaves his wife and two daughters with severe burns</a>

Rise in the number of satellites are threatening orbital space around Earth, say scientists

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Astronaut Tim Peake said Europe's space agency avoids hiring people who want a one-way trip to Mars.</li><li>The ESA wants people who are thoughtful and aware of risk mitigation, Peake told the FT.</li></ul>British astronaut Tim Peake said the European Space Agency (ESA) avoided hiring people who said they would live and die on a Mars colony.During an interview with the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/d2ac4c11-ed89-484f-9e08-115fd95013d3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Financial Times,</a> published on Monday, Peake said those types of people were not who the space agency was looking for when hiring candidates."We're not after people who are happy to throw it all away on a one-way ticket to Mars. We're after people who are very thoughtful and aware of risk mitigation," said <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-tim-peake-took-of-earth-from-space-2016-11">Peake</a>, who was the first British ESA astronaut to visit the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tim-peake-blast-off-international-space-station-iss-watch-live-2015-12">International Space Station for a scientific expedition.</a>The ESA confirmed Peake's comments to Insider but declined to comment further, noting that the agency doesn't fly humans to Mars. Representatives for Peake didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.Around 2,200 employees work for the ESA, including tech specialists, engineers, and scientists, per its <a href="https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Corporate_news/ESA_facts">website</a>. The ESA's <a href="https://esamultimedia.esa.int/docs/careers/ESA_Competency_Framework.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">competency framework</a> has various requirements, including understanding the agency's vision and contributing to overall goals.Reaching Mars is a key ambition for Elon Musk. His company SpaceX has been successfully <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-tests-rocket-engines-starship-super-heavy-photos-2023-2">testing</a> out its rocket system Starship. Musk eventually wants Starship to take people to the red planet. In March, he <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-predicts-people-will-get-to-mars-2029-2022-3">predicted</a> people would land on Mars in 2029.Peake told the FT that before getting there, "we have to get over the hurdles of getting to Mars safely." This included landing on the planet safely, establishing human habitats, and expanding those communities, he added."I absolutely do not see us having a problem with getting to Mars and creating safe habitats on Mars," Peake told the FT.Despite this, Peake said in the interview that living in settlements on Mars would be uncomfortable.This is something Musk has also spoken about in the past. "It's very important to emphasize that Mars, especially in the beginning, will not be luxurious," Musk said <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRvf00NooN8" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">in a video interview </a>with Chris Anderson, the head of TED, in April. "It will be dangerous, cramped, difficult, hard work."However, Musk previously <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-mars-colonization-death-prepared-to-die-2016-9">said</a> the first mission to Mars would be very dangerous and the risk of death would be high."It would be basically: are you prepared to die? And if that's okay then you're a candidate for going," Musk said during the 67th International Astronautical Congress in Mexico in 2016.

Astronaut Tim Peake says Europe's space agency avoids hiring people who say they would live and die on Mars

Mumbai, Of the 111 lunar missions in the last seven decades, 62 were successful, 41 failed and eight achieved partial success, according to the US space agency <keyword id="18017957" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NASAs-database-on-Moon" source="Orion">NASA's database on Moon</keyword> missions. India on Friday launched its third mission to the Moon, <keyword id="8011274" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chandrayaan-3" source="Orion">Chandrayaan-3</keyword>, with an aim to soft land on the surface of Earth's only natural satellite. A successful landing would make India the fourth country to achieve the rare feat after the United States, China and the erstwhile USSR. According to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the technically challenging soft landing on the lunar surface, which Chandrayaan-2 could not achieve, has been planned for 5.47 pm on August 23. Former <keyword id="648399" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ISRO-chairman-G-Madhavan-Nair" source="Orion">ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair</keyword> said the success rate of lunar missions is nearly 50 per cent because of the uncertainties when the rockets leave Earth's gravitational field. "The influence of other planets, from the Sun, is quite a bit. A lot of radiation conditions exist in space and this leaves some equipment or components prone to failure. In India's both missions (Chandrayaan 1 and 2), we have precisely reached the moon's orbit," Nair told PTI on Friday. From 1958 to 2023, India as well as the US, the USSR (now Russia), Japan, the European Union, China and Israel have launched different lunar missions - from orbiters, landers and flyby (orbiting the Moon, landing on the Moon and flying by the Moon), as per the data. The first mission to the Moon - Pioneer 0 - was launched by the US on August 17, 1958, though it was unsuccessful. Six more missions were launched by the USSR and the US in the same year, but all failed. Luna 1, launched by the USSR on January 2, 1959, achieved partial success. It was also the first 'Moon flyby' mission. The Ranger 7 mission launched in July 1964 by the US was the first to take close-up pictures of the Moon. The first lunar soft landing and first pictures from the lunar surface came from Luna 9, launched by the USSR in January 1966. Five months later, in May 1966, the US successfully launched a similar mission named Surveyor-1. The Apollo 11 mission in July 1969 was the landmark expedition through which humans stepped onto the lunar surface for the first time. The three-crewed mission was headed by Neil Amstrong. From 1958 to 1979, only the US and the USSR launched Moon missions. In these 21 years, the two countries launched 90 such space expeditions. There was a lull in the decade that followed with no lunar missions from 1980-89. Japan, the European Union, China, India and Israel were late entrants. Japan launched Hiten, an orbiter mission in January 1990. This was also Japan's first Moon mission. After that, in September 2007, Japan launched Selene, another orbiter mission. There were six lunar missions from 2000-2009 - Europe (Smart-1), Japan (Selene), China (Chang'e 1), India (Chandrayaan-1) and the US (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and LCCROSS). Since 1990, the US, Japan, India, the European Union, China and Israel have collectively launched 21 lunar missions.

Success rate of lunar missions is a little over 50% as per NASA database

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-astronaut-thomas-pesquet-gorgeous-photos-from-space-2021-11">European Space Agency</a> said on Thursday it's suspending an <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sanctions-to-likely-delay-launch-of-european-russian-mars-mission-2022-3">upcoming Mars mission</a> with <keyword id="11894337" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="russia" source="Orion">Russia</keyword>.</li><li>The ESA was set to cooperate with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-russia-space-chief-elon-musk-spacex-rivalry-tweets-2022-3">Russia</a> for a September launch to send a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasas-perseverance-rover-may-find-false-fossils-on-mars-2021-11">rover</a> to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-not-enough-people-for-mars-population-twitter-2022-1">Mars</a>. </li></ul>The European <keyword id="11895441" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="space" source="Orion">Space</keyword> Agency said on Thursday it's suspending an upcoming Mars mission with Russia due to the nation's ongoing assault against <keyword id="11985141" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ukraine" source="Orion">Ukraine</keyword>. After meeting in Paris on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the impact of Russia's war on Ukraine, the ESA said it would be unable to cooperate with Russian space agency Roscosmos in the upcoming ExoMars rover mission. The mission aims to search for signs of ancient Mars life and drill into the planet to collect samples up to 6 feet below the surface.The rover was designed to launch on a Russian Proton rocket and land on Mars atop a Russian <keyword id="11896083" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="science" source="Orion">science</keyword> platform — both integral elements of a Mars mission."We deeply deplore the human casualties and tragic consequences of the aggression towards Ukraine," the ESA said in a <a href="https://www.esa.int/Newsroom/Press_Releases/ExoMars_suspended">statement</a>.It added: "While recognizing the impact on scientific exploration of space, ESA is fully aligned with the sanctions imposed on Russia by its Member States."ExoMars is a <a href="https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Exploration/ExoMars">two-pronged</a> space exploration mission. The ESA first sent an orbiter to Mars in 2016. The rover was slated to launch in September 2022, but now it's on hold as the agency assesses its options.In an ESA council meeting on Thursday, the agency's director of human and robotic exploration, David Parker, said that a 2024 launch is still possible if cooperation with Roscosmos can resume later, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1504478601239928835">SpaceNews reporter Jeff Foust</a>. Otherwise, Parker said, the agency is looking at a launch in 2026 or later. He added that even some instruments and heating units on the rover itself are from Russia.According to <a href="https://twitter.com/jeff_foust/status/1504475648936407047">Foust</a>, ESA officials said they were considering working with NASA on the rover.<h2>ESA joins other Western alliances cutting ties with Russia</h2><div type="image" title="cars of evacuees line a road leaving blocks of burnt out destroyed apartment buildings" height="1629" width="2173" msid="90298373" hostid="261"></div>There are 22 member states in the ESA, and Ukraine is not one of them. Bordering states Poland, Romania, and Hungary, however, are part of the ESA. Russia's war against Ukraine has entered its fourth week, and President Vladimir Putin's forces have largely <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-in-ukraine-largely-stalled-all-fronts-uk-intelligence-says-2022-3">remained stalled</a>. The ESA's move comes as a slew of Western countries, alliances, organizations, and corporations have condemned or punished Russia by axing transnational cooperation or slapping sanctions on Russian institutions and oligarchs.<h2>Russia's invasion is straining space relations</h2><div type="image" title="soyuz rocket lifts off from launchpad" height="1617" width="2156" msid="90298375" hostid="261"></div>Although Roscosmos and NASA continue to collaborate on the International Space Station (ISS), space collaborations are crumbling here on Earth. Many companies and nations rely on Russia's Soyuz and Proton rockets to launch their satellites and other spacecraft into Earth's orbit.ESA said Thursday that it was also reassessing launch options for three satellites and its Euclid space telescope, which will study dark matter and dark energy. All four missions were designed to launch aboard Soyuz rockets.Those aren't the first missions affected by Russia's war. The launch of a Soyuz rocket carrying OneWeb satellites, scheduled for March 4, was cancelled after Russia demanded that the company promise the satellites would not be used for military purposes.Russia has stopped selling and servicing its rocket engines in the US in response to sanctions. Roscosmos Director General Dmitry Rogozin said that US astronauts can fly to the space station on "broomsticks" instead. That comment prompted online taunts from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. The company's Crew Dragon spaceships already routinely fly astronauts to the ISS, and its Falcon 9 rockets launch satellites even more frequently.<div type="image" title="spacex crew dragon spaceship docked to space station" height="1581" width="2108" msid="90298377" hostid="261"></div>In addition to Musk, Rogozin has gotten into <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astronaut-scott-kelly-and-russia-space-chief-trade-twitter-insults-2022-3">Twitter spats with former NASA astronaut Scott Kelly</a> and astronomer <a href="https://twitter.com/Rogozin/status/1501291188850208768">Jonathan McDowell</a>.Russia has also announced it will <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iss-russia-axes-joint-experiments-after-ukraine-invasion-sanctions-2022-3?r=US&amp;IR=T">stop collaborating with Germany</a> on experiments aboard the ISS.Otherwise, cooperation continues on the station. On Friday, Russia is launching three cosmonauts to the ISS. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-astronaut-mark-vande-hei-breaks-scott-kellys-spaceflight-record-2022-3">NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei</a> is scheduled to return to Earth alongside two Russian cosmonauts, aboard a Russian Soyuz spaceship, on March 30.

European Space Agency is suspending its upcoming Mars mission with Russia over Putin's 'aggression' towards Ukraine

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The European Space Agency joined in on the jokes around Wednesday's launch of Threads.</li><li>In a post tagging Mark Zuckerberg, the ESA said: "Do you want to start making rockets?"</li></ul>The European Space Agency joined in on all the memes and jokes around Wednesday's launch of Threads – the new Twitter competitor app from Meta.The account, which currently has 122,000 followers on the new app, tagged Mark Zuckerberg in a <a href="https://www.threads.net/t/CuWbmzbMS6E/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> that asked: "Do you want to start making rockets?"That quip earned almost 4,000 likes in 24 hours, and seemingly pokes fun at both the Meta CEO and Elon Musk. The ESA has done several launches with Musk's SpaceX, including with its Euclid space telescope on a Space X Falcon 9 rocket on <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/4/23783648/euclid-space-telescope-esa-dark-matter-dark-energy-explain">Saturday</a>. The success of Meta's Threads, which had already reached 30 million users <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/world/threads-twitter-meta-facebook-instagram-app-mark-zuckerberg-b1092772.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">as of Thursday morning</a>, may have some questioning if Zuckerberg can do well in other fields too.After all, Musk isn't the only billionaire with a rocket company – Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson have also made trips to space. Or, the post might just be poking fun at Zuckerberg's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-copycat-zuckerberg-build-twitter-empire-2023-5">app being a Twitter copycat</a>.Even before Threads — which has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-lawsuit-meta-hiring-former-staff-elon-musk-fired-employees-2023-7">prompted Musk's lawyer to send a cease-and-desist letter</a> threatening legal action, accusing it of being a "copycat" — Meta implemented its stories feature similar to Snapchat's. Plus <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-videos-on-instagram-reels-facebook-copycat-2021-9">Instagram's reels took off shortly after TikTok gained popularity</a>.Either way, the space agency is one of the first companies to gain attention on Threads.The ESA declined to comment when contacted by Insider.

You Searched For "European Space Agency" and got 10 results

European Space Agency Director praises ISRO, calls India's accomplishments in space "astonishing"

ANI

A cluster of sunspots 15 times bigger than Earth could send a solar storm our way as early as Saturday

Marianne Guenot

The European Space Agency announced it will stop working with Russia on moon missions

Rebecca Cohen

ESA satellite Sentinel-1A dodges a 'high-risk collision' from Russian space debris

IANS

Watch: Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti creates history with first TikTok video from International Space Station

IANS

Rise in the number of satellites are threatening orbital space around Earth, say scientists

IANS

Astronaut Tim Peake says Europe's space agency avoids hiring people who say they would live and die on Mars

Kate Duffy

Success rate of lunar missions is a little over 50% as per NASA database

PTI

European Space Agency is suspending its upcoming Mars mission with Russia over Putin's 'aggression' towards Ukraine

Jake Epstein

The European Space Agency jokingly asks Mark Zuckerberg if he will start making rockets like Elon Musk after Threads launch

Pete Syme

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides