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Domestic firms will <keyword id="6356112" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="lease" source="Orion">lease</keyword> an estimated 60-65 million square feet of <keyword id="181150" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="office-space" source="Orion">office space</keyword> between 2024 and 2025, according to <keyword id="20060150" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cbre" source="keywords">CBRE</keyword> South Asia's report, '<keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword> Inc's Ascension - The Rise of Domestic Firms as an Office Demand Driver'. Domestic companies have been responsible for nearly 47 per cent of office leasing activity from 2022 to H1 2024, marking a departure from the traditional dominance of global corporations, particularly American firms. During 2022-2023, domestic firms experienced a 60 per cent surge in office space absorption compared to the pre-pandemic period of 2018-2019. Key occupier groups have secured significant spaces in prime locations across major cities, with <keyword id="19913115" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="delhi-ncr" source="keywords">Delhi-NCR</keyword> leading, followed by <keyword id="6354321" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bengaluru" source="Orion">Bengaluru</keyword> and Mumbai. E-commerce and life sciences companies have driven occupancy in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, respectively, while Mumbai has captured a substantial 43 per cent share of domestic <keyword id="19910880" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bfsi" source="keywords">BFSI</keyword> leasing, with strong contributions from Delhi-NCR and Chennai. The report attributes the robust growth of India's office market to several factors, including government initiatives like Make in India and the <keyword id="19952889" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="production-linked-incentive" source="keywords">Production Linked Incentive</keyword> (PLI) Scheme. These programs, along with increased domestic manufacturing, employment generation, and a well-capitalized banking sector, have created a supportive environment for business expansion. Other contributing factors include low corporate leverage ratios and improved access to capital, which have enhanced the investment capacity of Indian companies. India's talent pool, with approximately 2.5 million STEM graduates and a thriving start-up ecosystem featuring over 100 unicorns, has also been a major driver of growth. With over 38 sector skill councils, the government's focus on bridging the skill gap is preparing domestic firms for future demands, further bolstering the office leasing sector. Flexible space operators, technology, and BFSI sectors have emerged as the primary drivers of office leasing, collectively accounting for two-thirds of all domestic activity. The RCA sector, which includes legal, taxation, HR, and media services, is also playing a significant role in boosting domestic leasing. Additionally, Indian engineering and manufacturing firms, which currently represent 7-8 per cent of domestic office leasing, are expected to expand into <keyword id="20270212" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tier-ii" source="keywords">Tier-II</keyword> and Tier-III cities, which are emerging as manufacturing hubs. Anshuman Magazine, Chairman and CEO, India, Southeast Asia, Middle East &amp; Africa, CBRE, said, "India's rapidly expanding start-up ecosystem and talent abundance are major drivers of this demand. As India's major urban centers continue to grow and diversify, the demand for premium office spaces will shape the future of the commercial real estate market, setting new standards for innovation and excellence. He added, "India's top nine cities are poised to see an impressive addition of ~185 million sq. ft. of premium office space by 2026. This dramatic increase in office space is a testament to several key factors driving the transformation of the commercial real estate landscape". Ram Chandnani, Managing Director, Advisory and Transaction Services, CBRE India, said, "Advances in technology, especially artificial intelligence (AI), are poised to further transform the office sector. While AI may cause job displacement in some areas, it will also create new opportunities and necessitate comprehensive workforce reskilling. The surge in workforce needs, driven by digitalization, evolving workplace strategies, and enhanced business confidence, has substantially boosted leasing activity."

Domestic firms to lease 60-65 million sq ft office space by 2025: CBRE report

Australian High Commissioner to <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword>, <keyword id="20307863" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="philip-green" source="keywords">Philip Green</keyword> OAM, on Wednesday, expressed Canberra's willingness to collaborate with New Delhi in the <keyword id="20242397" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-sector" source="keywords">space sector</keyword> and added that both nations are going ahead with the three collaborative space projects and signing the first Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today. While speaking to ANI, Philip Green expressed <keyword id="19895799" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Australia" source="keywords">Australia</keyword>'s interest in partnering with India in its <keyword id="19929542" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-exploration" source="keywords">space exploration</keyword> endeavours, adding that the Australian government has pledged a USD 18 million grant for <keyword id="22187831" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="joint-India-Australia-space-projects" source="keywords">joint India-Australia space projects</keyword>. "Here today we are saying that we are keen to be partners for India in its space journey. We're already strategic and quad partners with India and we want to do more with space and my government is backing it," said Philip Green. Today we're signing the first MOU of three that has been settled as a result of an USD 18 million dollar grant for my government specifically, for India-Australia space collaborations," he added. Further, the Australian envoy said they are excited about the <keyword id="20535850" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-space-sector" source="keywords">Indian space sector</keyword> and believe its different and complementary skills can benefit each other. "We're very excited about the Indian space sector and we're particularly excited about the fact that Australia has different and complementary skills," the Australian envoy said to ANI. "We're a very big continent with very few numbers of people, which means we have very dark skies. We have great abilities in terms of space tracking," he added. Congratulating PM Modi for his victory in the 2024 general elections, Philip Green said that Australia is looking to work even more closely in the future. He also disclosed during the interview that there could be high-level visits by Australia and India to galvanise the already strong partnership. "We congratulate Modi and his government on re-election. We look forward to working even more closely as we go forward. There are three powerful drivers in our bilateral relationship, our new strategic alignment, the very strong complementarity between our economies and what we call the human bridge, the more than a million people of Indian origin who now make Australia their home," said Philip Green. "We're planning visits I'm not going to announce them to you today, but I can assure you there will be high-level visits by Australia and India to galvanise what is already a strong partnership," he added On April 30, "the Australian Government announced funding for three collaborative space projects that will strengthen the space economy for the two partner nations," said the <keyword id="22187832" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Australian-Space-Agency" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Australian Space Agency" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Australian Space Agency">Australian Space Agency</keyword> in an official statement. "The projects will receive a total of A$18 million (Rs 98 crore) as part of the International Space Investment India (ISI) Projects program," the statement added. Each project will include a number of Australian and Indian partners, who will help address climate change, boost manufacturing, and advance artificial intelligence, among other objectives.

"Keen to be partners with India in its space journey": Australian envoy on space collaboration projects

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>The US X-37B and China's Shenlong are unmanned spacecraft that play secretive roles in space.</li><li>Space-based technology has long given the US military an edge.</li></ul>Just before the start of 2024, the United States and China <a target="_blank" href="https://www.airandspaceforces.com/x-37-chinese-space-plane-launch/">launched</a> what may be their most secretive spacecraft into orbit to little fanfare.Commonly referred to as space planes, the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/missions-experiments-for-space-force-mysterious-x-37b-space-plane-2020-5">American X-37B</a> and the Chinese Shenlong are unmanned spacecraft so secretive that their launches were marked with little more than vague general statements from their governments.The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-launched-a-top-secret-military-spaceplane-into-orbit-2023-12">launches</a> are the seventh and third missions for the respective spacecraft, and although they are highly classified, observers have had limited success in tracking some of their movements.The missions demonstrate exceptional leaps in the development of space planes, and come at a time when both the Chinese and US militaries have ramped up their <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-must-control-space-in-future-wars-top-marine-general-2023-12">space operations</a> — a new frontier that can determine the course of war.Space-based technology has long given the US military an edge. It can track the movements of enemy weapons with powerful <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/manned-orbiting-laboratory-crewed-us-spy-satellite-never-sent-to-space-2024-1">spy lenses</a> and provide the navigation and communications systems ships, aircraft, and troops in the field depend upon.Enter the space plane. From one vantage, they could be robot keepers who keep these large networks fueled and functional, but from another, they could be orbiting spies and saboteurs.What's clear is that their missions are getting more complex, as is their centrality to the strategies of the two countries that fly them.<div type="image" title="The uncrewed X-37B, seen here after its 2019 landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility, is believed to be about 30 feet long." height="1333" width="2000" msid="112761598" hostid="261" sizebytes="82008"></div><h2 id="3dc83e63-5cf2-42d5-8174-a6f3d2577c69">X-37B</h2>A space plane is a reusable spacefaring craft that can maneuver in space independently and also fly and glide within Earth's atmosphere. They are sent into space via a detachable <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-launch-secret-spy-satellites-space-force-government-2022-8">rocket booster</a>, and contain a cargo bay to deploy satellites and other objects for use and experimentation.After completing their mission, they independently return to Earth's atmosphere, land at a designated landing site on their own power, and prepare for their next mission. The most well-known space planes are the American <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/challenger-video-nasa-space-shuttle-program-2016-1">Space Shuttle</a> and the Soviet <a target="_blank" href="https://airandspace.si.edu/stories/editorial/soviet-buran-shuttle-one-flight-long-history">Buran</a>. But in contrast to the Space Shuttle, the X-37B is owned and operated by the military.The X-37B's origin begins in 1999, when the civilian space agency NASA awarded Boeing a contract to develop a small unmanned spacecraft capable of fitting inside the Space Shuttle. What they created was a small space plane measuring approximately 30 feet long and with a wingspan of 15 feet — roughly one-fourth the size of the now-retired Space Shuttle.It also contains a cargo bay measuring about 7 feet by 4 feet, which, in addition to housing satellites and other space cargo also holds a solar panel enabling the space plane to recharge. Boeing says the plane's avionics automate its descent from orbit and landing.In 2004, before a working prototype had even been built, the project was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.space.com/337-nasa-transfers-37-project-darpa.html">transferred</a> to the US Defense Department, specifically the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Glide tests on the first testing prototypes (known as the X-37A), <a target="_blank" href="https://www.space.com/1226-rutan-white-knight-carries-37-space-plane-aloft.html">began in 2005</a>, with the first fully successful free glide occurring in 2006.That same year, the project was transferred from DARPA to the United States Air Force Space Command, which then built another model, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/details-about-air-force-space-plane-that-spent-2-years-in-space-2017-5">the X-37B</a>. Also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), two X-37Bs have been built.They have flown seven flights so far, with each being <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unmanned-craft-us-space-force-lands-2-5-years-orbit-2022-11">longer</a> than the previous one. Though most of the details of the flights and their results remain classified, some information has been released to the public.<div type="image" title="The X-37B launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in 2017." height="1333" width="2000" msid="112761595" hostid="261" sizebytes="88120"></div>The first flight began on April 22, 2010, and saw the first X-37B remain in orbit for a total of 224 days. The second flight, which was the second X-37B's inaugural mission, began on March 5, 2011, and was extended well beyond its original 270-day limit to a total of 468 days. The third flight, beginning on December 11, 2012, marked the first time an X-37B had been reused, and lasted 674 days.The fourth flight began on May 20, 2015. Over the course of 717 days, the space plane tested new propulsion technology for satellites as well as the effects of radiation on certain objects.The X-37B's fifth flight on September 7, 2017 was launched atop Space X's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/falcon-9/">Falcon 9</a> rocket (all previous launches were with the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ulalaunch.com/rockets/atlas-v">Atlas V</a> rocket). Over the course of 780 days — a little over two years — the space plane performed a number of activities and experiments, including the deployment of multiple <a target="_blank" href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/topics/cubesats">CubeSat</a> satellites, which NASA foresees as an orbiting sensory network that can solve complex tasks with a "powerful central spacecraft."The sixth flight began on May 17, 2020, and lasted <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/unmanned-craft-us-space-force-lands-2-5-years-orbit-2022-11">908 days</a>. It was the first mission conducted under the command of the newly formed U.S. Space Force and may have been one of the busiest missions yet. It exposed select materials to space, tested the effects of space radiation on seeds, and deployed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.usafa.edu/research/research-centers/space-systems-research-center/">FalconSat-8</a>, a satellite built by US. Air Force Academy cadets to conduct five experiments.The X-37B's most recent and current flight began on December 28, 2023. Its mission is classified, with the Space Force <a target="_blank" href="https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3583347/department-of-the-air-force-scheduled-to-launch-seventh-x-37b-mission/">stating</a> only that it will be "operating the reusable space plane in new orbital regimes, experimenting with future space domain awareness technologies, and investigating the radiation effects on materials provided by NASA."The <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/space-force-guardian-nick-hague-spacex-rocket-iss-2024-2">Space Force</a> has not given the X-37B's flight path, but because it was launched atop SpaceX's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photo-spacex-falcon-heavy-launchpad-blasted-lightning-rocket-spaceflight-musk-2023-5">Falcon Heavy rocket</a>, there has been speculation that the space plane could be headed for a much higher orbit than previous missions, as the rocket is one of the most powerful in the world.<div type="image" title="A Long March-2F rocket blasted off in October carrying a manned spaceship from China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The Shenlong was launched on December 14 from the same center without images or fanfare." height="1333" width="2000" msid="112761594" hostid="261" sizebytes="201664"></div><h2 id="ef23e953-67f4-4399-8bc9-c452d0019685">Shenlong</h2>Named after the most important dragon god in Chinese mythology and first revealed in 2007, the Shenlong is thought to be a direct Chinese response to the X-37B.The program is surrounded in such extreme secrecy that there are no known images of the space plane in its current form. Images of what is believed to be a Shenlong test prototype <a target="_blank" href="https://www.space.com/18410-china-space-plane-project-mystery.html">mounted under the fuselage of an H-6 strategic bomber</a> in 2007 indicate that the craft is likely to be similar in appearance to the X-37B.Though its specific capabilities remain classified, it is known that, like the X-37B, the Shenlong is unmanned, that it is deployed via a rocket, that it is capable of adjusting its position and maneuvering in space, and that it can carry and deploy satellites and other space objects.Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Shenlong is the speed of its development. Though the exact start date is unknown, academic models of a Chinese space plane were reported as far back as 2000.Years of modelling, wind tunnel testing, and prototype test fights via deployment from H-6 bombers followed, and in 2011, the Shenlong reportedly made its first suborbital flight.On September 4, 2020, the Shenlong made its <a target="_blank" href="https://spacenews.com/chinese-reusable-experimental-spacecraft-releases-object-before-returning-to-earth/">first orbital flight</a>, which lasted two days and saw it release an object into orbit before returning to China on its own power. A second orbital flight began on August 4, 2022, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-lands-secretive-space-plane-after-months-in-orbit-2023-5">lasted</a> nine months.<div type="image" title="The X-37B launched on its sixth flight in May 2020 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station." height="1280" width="2000" msid="112761596" hostid="261" sizebytes="165564"></div>In addition to being considerably longer, the Shenlong's second flight was far more eventful. About two months into its flight, the space plane <a target="_blank" href="https://spacenews.com/chinas-spaceplane-conducted-proximity-and-capture-maneuvers-with-subsatellite-data-suggests/">deployed a subsatellite and then practiced recovering it</a> at least two (and possibly even three) times, a capability for so-called proximity operations that may allow it to snatch an enemy's satellite.The Shenlong embarked on its third and current flight on December 14, 2023, just seven months after its second mission. In May, the Shenlong <a target="_blank" href="https://spacenews.com/chinas-secretive-spaceplane-conducts-proximity-operations-with-small-spacecraft/">released an object from its cargo hold, and began proximity operations</a>, possibly even recapturing it.How much longer the Shenlong will remain in orbit, as well as its future plans more broadly, remain secrets that the Chinese government has shown little appetite for divulging. The government has only <a target="_blank" href="https://app.xinhuanet.com/news/article.html?articleId=b9141bb29a221c45ac2ad0d44dc87fc6">said</a> that the space plane will eventually land in China, and that "reusable technology verification and space science experiments will be carried out as planned to provide technical support for the peaceful use of space."The vague wording resembles previous statements, like those of its builder, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, which has previously said that the Shenlong "will provide a more convenient and inexpensive way to access space for the peaceful use of space in the future."<div type="image" title="The satellite networks of the US and its allies could be targeted by enemy spaceplanes." height="1280" width="1920" msid="112761592" hostid="261" sizebytes="362914"></div><h2 id="2f25d6b5-fe78-4384-a750-e76f8663eacb">Satellite threat</h2>Given the immense secrecy of the crafts and what is known about their capabilities, it's easy to understand speculation that the two space planes could be orbiting weapons platforms.The very fact that the US Department of Defense is in charge of the X-37B instead of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/nasa">NASA</a> confirms that the US government believes that there is a military application for the space plane. Similarly, the fact that the Chinese government has been so silent on the Shenlong's activities despite its penchant for boasting about its other space accomplishments may be a tacit indication that there is more to the Shenlong than the 'peaceful use of space.'One of the most impactful possible uses of the space planes is as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-condemns-irresponsible-russian-anti-satellite-test-threatening-space-station-2021-11">anti-satellite assets</a>. Both have deployed satellites from their cargo bays, and the Shenlong's proximity operations may be training runs for attacks on hostile satellites in orbit.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russian-inspector-satellite-chasing-secret-us-military-satellite-cat-mouse-2023-4">Proximity operations</a> are murky. They could be dress rehearsals for disrupting or eavesdropping on an enemy's satellite, just as they could be drills for missions to refuel and repair one of the country's own satellites.Satellites are among the most important assets for any first-rate military, as they are essential for secure communications, navigation, and intelligence gathering via orbital imaging and communication intercepts. They are even sometimes used to guide smart munitions to hostile targets as well.Neutralizing an enemy's satellites would be one of the most important objectives in any potential conflict between the world's foremost military powers. <a target="_blank" href="https://swfound.org/media/9550/chinese_asat_fact_sheet_updated_2012.pdf">China</a>, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4198/1">US</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2019/04/indias-asat-test-an-incomplete-success?lang=en">India</a>, and <a target="_blank" href="https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2021/11/the-dangerous-fallout-of-russias-anti-satellite-missile-test?lang=en">Russia</a> have each demonstrated a capability to destroy satellites in orbit with anti-satellite missiles, but each of those tests resulted in the creation of large debris fields in orbit that took sometimes took years to disappear. Such debris fields could also pose a very severe threat to friendly satellites as well. China's anti-satellite missile test in 2007 triggered a space debris cloud that was an <a target="_blank" href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/hollywood-space-disaster-gravity-uses-kessler-syndrome-for-scares">inspiration</a> for the blockbuster film "Gravity."Having a way to neutralize or even capture satellites, then, could be a better alternative. Tapping into enemy satellites to eavesdrop or shut down their data streams and communications could also serve as a better alternative, and may also be possible with the assistance of space plane (similar to the tapping of underwater cables by submarines).With the militarization of space <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/there-path-counter-russias-space-weapons">seemingly fast becoming</a> reality and with China's space program demonstrating that it can <a target="_blank" href="https://spacenews.com/chinas-shijian-21-spacecraft-docked-with-and-towed-a-dead-satellite/">tow away satellites</a>, it is likely that space planes will only become more important in the years ahead.Benjamin Brimelow is a freelance journalist covering international military and defense issues. He holds a master's degree in Global Affairs with a concentration in international security from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. His work has appeared in Business Insider and the Modern War Institute at West Point.

America's X-37B vs. China's Shenlong: Top space planes and their shadowy role in orbital war

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some expat Indians are moving back home to launch companies of their own.</li><li>India's booming market size, internet growth, and post-pandemic spending is driving their decision.</li></ul>Nithin Hassan, 41, has always been fascinated with building something of his own.As a child in India, he would get in trouble for dismantling electronics around the house just so he could peek inside.In college, in true <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/startups-to-bet-your-career-on-in-2024-2024-2">startup</a> fashion, he started working on a small business out of his parent's garage in Bengaluru, assembling computers for friends and family.It was the early 2000s and the internet was not the trove of knowledge it is today — Hassan was relying on books to learn. Finding mentorship and the right guidance was a challenge, too.Everyone around Hassan told him that going to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/resume-tips-google-software-engineer-skills-experience-careers-software-tech-2024-3">US for a master's degree</a> was the next big opportunity. So he did.Over the next 16 years, he put his startup plans on hold and worked at some of the world's biggest companies, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta.<div type="image" title="Nithin Hassan" height="2450" width="3266" msid="113831978" hostid="261" sizebytes="215682"></div>But the pandemic felt like a turning point. And its aftermath made India look like a lab-designed business environment: It had just become the world's most populous country, the pandemic had created <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/private-consumption-continues-to-be-supported-by-pent-up-demand-finance-ministry/articleshow/99069973.cms?from=mdr">pent-up demand</a> for consumer products, and growing internet adoption made commerce more scalable, he said.So Hassan left behind about $500,000 in annual pay at Meta to move back to Bengaluru in December 2023 with his wife and two children. He has since launched two startups.Hassan is part of a group of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/i-moved-back-to-india-after-living-abroad-for-decade-2024-9">expat Indians moving back</a> home to venture out on their own. As such, he's also part of a decades-long trend of reverse migration back to India.The trend began in the 1990s and picked up at the turn of the century, driven by the economic collapse in 2008, said Binod Khadria, the president of Global Research Forum on Diaspora and Transnationalism. Many of those who returned to India for work were largely working for multinational companies.Today, the impetus for the move often looks a bit different: It's driven by factors like unstable visa policies and economic recessions, which lead to uncertainty when it comes to jobs and duration of stay in these destinations.Many returnees find work in tech, but the finance, retail, and climate sectors also absorb a large number of expat Indians, Khadia said. And some of the returnees are heading back to India to start companies of their own.India is undergoing a startup explosion. The country reported over<a target="_blank" href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2043805"> 140,800 recognized startups</a> at the end of June — nearly 50,000 more than last year — and credited them with creating 1.6 million direct jobs.To be sure, not all of these companies will make it big — and some do still stumble, like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://inc42.com/features/what-are-the-current-problems-being-faced-by-oyo/">Oyo </a>and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blackrock-hsbc-funds-byjus-startup-valuation-zero-edtech-india-raveendran-2024-6">Byju's</a>. But the chaos, where even established startups are trying and failing, makes India a fair playing field for new entrants, Hassan said.Business Insider spoke to six <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-vc-wants-see-5-traits-new-founders-fundraising-antler-2024-8">first-time founders </a>about why they have recently returned to India after spending several years, or even an adult life, abroad.<h2 id="0e4a3c47-ba19-4690-8b52-c6bfece1c81d">Fastest-growing economy</h2>The health of the economy and interest from investors are fueling the entrepreneurship boom.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-billionaire-karan-adani-plans-challenge-china-dominance-seaports-2024-8">India's economic growth</a> in 2023 — 8.2% — was the fastest of all large economies worldwide. That's led to greater purchasing power, which lets companies, including startups, sell more.India's inflation rate of about 3.5% is well below its annual wage growth of 9.6%. This makes inflation less of a challenge than it is for slower-growing peers, where consumer-focused businesses have been <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/economy-jobs-report-sentiment-consumers-elections-recession-inflation-mortgage-rates-2024-9">hurt by high prices</a>.Investors are getting in on the action.From 2015 to 2021, the number of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sequoia-capital-vc-firm-split-china-india-2023-6">unique investors in India</a> nearly quadrupled, though the number is tracking much lower this year, per PitchBook."Other than a slight downturn in 2022 and 2023 due to global macroeconomic factors, VC funding has been consistently growing in India," said Ben Mathias, a managing partner at Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia &amp; India.Besides funding, domestic developments have encouraged founders and VCs too, Mathias said.The Indian government's Universal Payment Interface system has spurred consumers and businesses to pay online, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bcg.com/press/2june2022-digital-payments-in-india-projected-to-reach-10-trillion-by-2026">40% of all digital payments</a> globally happen in India today, the partner said.Programs like Startup India, which provides founders benefits like tax exemption, easier compliance, and funding support, have made creating a company smoother.Devyani Parameshwar worked in the microfinance and fintech space in India in the 2010s before heading to the UK and Africa. She returned to India in 2022 to launch a financial management venture."It's changed dramatically. I remember standing in line at various ministries in Delhi trying to get meetings and then trying to get answers and it wasn't easy in the past," she said of her memories of India.Now, she can use an online platform to ask the country's central bank and banking regulator questions.It's easier than ever for foreign companies to invest in India, which means startups have a clearer exit path through acquisition — something VCs think hard about before entering new markets or writing checks.<h2 id="e5dd7b6f-a09f-4ff2-84c1-5907de96dc5e">Market ripe for the taking</h2>For Rohan Bhide, who spent most of his college and professional life <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/worked-in-big-tech-before-launching-my-own-startup-engineer-2024-9">preparing to launch something of his own</a>, a trip home in 2017 while he was studying in the US was a turning point.Indian telecom giant Reliance had recently launched a cheap unlimited data plan, which spiked Indian internet adoption. India was charting among the countries with the highest online transactions."That really, really drew my attention," said Bhide, who worked at Meta after graduation. "It was my dream come true — a huge market, a huge user base, and at the same time, the ability to adopt technology was incredible."Bhide returned to India in January, leaving behind about $580,000 in total compensation at ticketing platform StubHub. He and a cofounder are working on launching a consumer tech product later this year.<div type="image" title="Rohan Bhide" height="2304" width="3072" msid="113831979" hostid="261" sizebytes="218468"></div>Most Indians grew up wanting to work at a multinational company — but that's changing, Bhide said.Freelancing, running your own business, or working for a startup is much more socially acceptable now, because people see the success of other Indian startups. The country has the third-largest number of "unicorns" — companies worth $1 billion or more — with 64, per PitchBook.<h2 id="7f423804-745b-4e04-a250-839e01663f09">Boom in entrepreneurship culture</h2>A lot has changed since Hassan first wanted to launch his hardware startup in the early 2000s.Tech hot spots like Bengaluru and Gurugram have seen a boom in entrepreneurship culture in the last few years, with meet-ups, networking mixers, and even morning walks with like-minded builders.<div type="image" title="man standing in front of mountains in USA" height="2268" width="3024" msid="113831980" hostid="261" sizebytes="141132"></div>Dhruv Anand, who left Google in the US to move back to India in 2021 to launch an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-startups-most-promising-2024-9">AI startup</a>, said that there were lots of other founders and mentors to help guide him."If you want to figure out who's the right chartered accountant to talk to, who's the right lawyer to help you draft agreements, all of that stuff is very easy," Anand said."It's been a really, really supportive community," Bhide said. There are people "telling you about their entire lives just because they want to help you and they're hoping that you pass the favor onto the next person who moves to India and wants to start their own company."<h2 id="3c8bff36-e855-4530-9b44-bcc7f36b0825">Not everything is perfect</h2>Although these founders made the decision to return to India, that doesn't mean they no longer see the benefits of operating in the US.Ruchit Garg founded an agriculture startup in Silicon Valley in 2016, with a focus on supporting farmers around the globe. In 2019, he returned to India, where his late grandfather worked as a farmer.Garg has been building in India ever since, but he says its startup ecosystem cannot yet compete with the Valley's decades of experience."The overall ecosystem was more mature back in Silicon Valley. It's still one of the best places for entrepreneurs. India isn't there yet, although it's growing pretty drastically," he said.Despite efforts to digitalize key processes, many bureaucratic challenges persist.For most founders, after living in US cities where populations are a fraction of those in Mumbai and Bangalore, congested roads and poorer air quality are also everyday annoyances.But India provides some big perks, including affordable domestic help and the appeal of building solutions for problems they witness firsthand."It's a different joy to be able to build for problems that you feel for very personally," Parameshwar, the fintech founder, said. When she worked in Africa, she needed translators. Now, she can speak with her users herself.Bhide said the general sentiment among local founders is shifting from "Build from India" to "Build for India."For some founders, being surrounded by family and the culture they grew up in was another selling point.Niranjan Vemulkar moved back to India in 2015 and later founded a digital legacy planning platform.He said that he never fully felt at home in the US, where he lived for over a decade."For us, it was the fact that we wanted to raise a family in an environment where the children would have access to the grandparents and Indian culture," Vemulkar said. "The fact that you could come back to India, start something of your own and figure things out in an ecosystem which was potentially booming for startups, was just a cherry on the cake."Are you in India and have a story to share about the tech and entrepreneurship landscape? Please reach out at shubhangigoel@insider.com

Some techies are leaving cushy Silicon Valley jobs to launch startups at home in India

<ul class="summary-list"><li>This year, the world made several major achievements in the race to space. </li><li>They included SpaceX sending its most powerful rocket to space and India reaching the moon. </li></ul>Every year, space agencies and private companies move closer to making us a multi-planetary species, breaking barriers along the way.This year was no exception. 2023 saw groundbreaking rocket launches, unprecedented lunar missions, and remarkable scientific discoveries.Ahead of the new year, here's everything you need to know to catch up.<h2>1. SpaceX's Starship soared toward space twice – and blew up both times</h2><div type="image" title="starship rocket launching" height="1596" width="2842" msid="106403268" hostid="261" sizebytes="146050"></div>One of the most long-awaited spaceflight events of the decade took place in 2023, after SpaceX launched its gargantuan Starship mega-rocket in its fully-stacked form for the first time.Starship is the most powerful rocket ever built. Standing at almost 400ft, it is designed to be a workhorse to ferry humans and cargo to and from Mars. It could also play a crucial role in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-starship-launch-crucial-nasa-moon-return-sls-2023-3">NASA's return to the moon</a>.Elon Musk's SpaceX had previously shown it could fly the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/watch-spacex-starship-rocket-exploded-five-times-2023-4">Starship spaceship</a> on its own. But the company had never attempted to launch it on top of its Super Heavy booster — a necessary step to bring the spaceship to outer space.That seal was broken this year, twice. The fully stacked mega-rocket took its maiden flight on April 21.The flight, in some measure, was a success. The rocket cleared the launchpad and flew for a few minutes. But it eventually burst into flames after tumbling out of control. It later came to light that Starship's powerful engines had also <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starship-rocket-crater-concrete-launchpad-upon-liftoff-2023-4">blown a crater</a> in its concrete launchpad.Undeterred, SpaceX modified the rocket and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starship-launch-rocket-blows-up-explosion-elon-musk-mars-2023-11?r=US&amp;IR=T">flew again</a> on November 18. This time, the spacecraft successfully separated and flew into space, though it burst again within <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starship-launch-rocket-blows-up-explosion-elon-musk-mars-2023-11?r=US&amp;IR=T">seconds of reaching its apex</a>.<h2>2. Private space companies made waves</h2><div type="image" title="A photomontage shows Terran 1 ready to launch on its launchpad next to a picture of the rocket's trajectory after launch." height="1000" width="2000" msid="106403270" hostid="261" sizebytes="73662"></div>It was a big year for other spaceflight companies as well.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/relativity-space-3d-printed-rocket-mars-musk-spacex-bezos-launch-2023-3?r=US&amp;IR=T">Relativity Space</a> showed the capability of its monstrous 3D printers by launching and flying a rocket that was made of 85% printed materials. Terran 1 successfully separated from its first stage but didn't quite make it to orbit.The company now aims to develop an even bigger rocket, called Terran R, in a bid to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.relativityspace.com/press-release/2022/7/19/impulse-space-and-relativity-space-announce-first-commercial-mission-to-mars">beat Musk to Mars</a>. While Relativity will keep pushing its rocket development, its main purpose is to demonstrate the power of its 3D printers, which could one day be used to create custom equipment for Martian settlers, the company CEO Tim Ellis previously told Business Insider.Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos's Blue Origin got a much-needed vote of confidence from NASA. In May, it became the second private company, after SpaceX, to land the agency's coveted contract to develop tech to land astronauts on the moon. The company was awarded $3.4 billion.The firm was also awarded the Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) NASA contract, which means New Glenn, a heavy-lift orbital launch vehicle in development by Blue Origin, could fly a research payload to Mars on its first flight.SpaceX also beat a record that it had set only last year.By October, the company had launched 74 orbital missions, up from its previous record of 62 in 2022.The firm aims to launch 100 flights by the end of 2023, Bill Gerstenmaier, a senior SpaceX official, said on October 18 during a hearing of the U.S. Senate's Subcommittee on Space and Science, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.space.com/spacex-launch-144-missions-2024">per Space.com.</a>He added that next year it would aim for 12 flights per month, or a mission every three days or less, per Space.com.<h2>3. China got serious about the moon</h2>China once again demonstrated its precise spaceflight engineering capabilities, reporting it had reached orbit with a rocket fueled<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-beats-spacex-blue-origin-orbit-methane-rocket-2023-7?r=US&amp;IR=T"> with methalox,</a> a composite liquid fuel of methane and oxygen, in July.In doing so, the country beat several US companies trying to get methalox-fueled rockets to orbit, including SpaceX and Blue Origin.<div type="image" title="Chinese LandSpace's Zhuque-2 rocket is seen on its launchpad at night" height="1290" width="2000" msid="106403271" hostid="261" sizebytes="104158"></div>The country this year continued to set aggressive timelines for its space program, announcing it could <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-to-build-moon-station-five-years-lunar-soil-bricks-2023-4?r=US&amp;IR=T">build a space station</a> on the moon within five years, and put boots on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-moon-mission-astronauts-by-2030-2023-5?r=US&amp;IR=T">lunar soil by 2030.</a><h2>4. Russia fell behind on its lunar ambitions</h2>Meanwhile, Russia's lunar aspirations were dealt a blow this year.Roscosmos attempted to beat nations like China, the USA, Japan, and India by aiming to be the first to land a robotic mission near the south pole of the moon, a strategically important site for upcoming lunar missions.The nation was attempting to revive its long-dormant lunar program, which hadn't landed on the moon <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-russia-falling-behind-us-china-in-moon-space-race-2023-9?r=US&amp;IR=T">since the collapse of the Soviet Union</a>.But after a successful launch in August, Roscosmos's Luna-25 probe broke contact with Earth and spun out of control before <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-attempt-land-moon-ends-in-disaster-luna-25-2023-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">crashing into the moon.</a><h2>5. Where Russia failed, India thrived — a step that puts them in pole position in the space race</h2>India surprised the world in August when it became <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/watch-india-attempt-first-ever-moon-landing-2023-8?r=US&amp;IR=T">the first nation</a> to land a spacecraft near the south pole of the moon, and only the fourth country to ever land on the moon.Chandrayaan-3's dog-sized rover, released by the spacecraft a few days after it landed, collected crucial information about the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-vikram-lunar-lander-moon-discoveries-2023-9?r=US&amp;IR=T">lunar soil</a> before shutting down in September.<div type="image" title="image of the lander on the moon" height="1024" width="1024" msid="106403273" hostid="261" sizebytes="123486"></div>"It definitely puts them on the international stage as an emerging space power," Robert Braun, head of space exploration at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, previously told Business Insider.<h2>6. Europe tried to catch up</h2>The UK attempted the first launch from British soil from its new <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virgin-orbit-uk-space-launch-fail-rocket-mission-spaceport-photos-2023-1">Spaceport Cornwall</a> in Newquay in January. But celebrations were cut short when Virgin Orbit's rocket failed to reach orbit. This was a blow to the spaceport as Virgin Orbit, its only listed customer, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/virgin-orbit-bankruptcy-protection-richard-branson-space-launch-funding-2023-4">closed down shortly after.</a>This misfire is a symptom of a bigger issue at stake. The European Space Agency's (ESA's) independent access to space has been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/14b060df-4cfc-4494-a3d2-2af57dc6fa2a">shrinking steadily</a>.ESA has been facing fire for the delay in its heavy-lift <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/55619674-9ca3-478f-9c5a-d3a7525ccac7">Ariane 6 development</a> and the recent failures of its newest rocket, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.space.com/vega-c-failure-rocket-nozzle-flaw-investigation-report">Vega-C</a>. This has left the European agency in an "acute launcher crisis" after the retirement of Ariane 5 in July, ESA head Josef Aschbacher <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/holistic-approach-launchers-exploration-europe-josef-aschbacher/">said</a>.The UK's newly-developed spaceports are part of a bigger push to expand commercial launching capability in the area. European countries have been investing in building continental spaceports to complement ESA's launchpad in French Guiana. The first EU mainland spaceport was inaugurated in Sweden's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.space.com/first-european-mainland-orbital-spaceport-swedish-rocket-range">Arctic Circle</a> in January. An orbital spaceport was opened in <a target="_blank" href="https://spacenews.com/norway-opens-andoya-spaceport/">Andøya, Norway</a>, in November.In announcing the Swedish spaceport, EU president <a target="_blank" href="https://www.pressclub.be/press-releases/speech-by-president-von-der-leyen-at-the-inauguration-of-the-esrange-spaceport/">Ursula van der Leyen</a> foreshadowed a "change to the way we 'do space' in Europe," promising more support for small space firms and private investors.Europe's private spaceflight ambitions did get a welcome boost in October when the bloc's first fully private rocket, a single-stage rocket called Miura-1 designed by Spanish firm PLDSpace, took its first flight.The rocket failed to reach orbit but provided precious data that the firm hopes will help them push the development of its two-stage reusable rocket Muira-5, which could launch as early as 2025, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.space.com/pld-space-first-launch-miura-1-rocket">Space.com reported.</a>

From Elon Musk's giant Starship rocket to India's spectacular moon landing, 2023 was an epic year in space

Indian-origin <keyword id="21544825" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sunita-Williams" source="keywords">Sunita Williams</keyword>' piloted 'Starliner' is set to launch into space on Saturday, after the joint mission of US space agency <keyword id="19935155" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NASA" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NASA" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NASA">NASA</keyword> and aircraft major Boeing was previously hit by snags. The flight will mark Williams' third space mission. According to NASA, the flight to the orbiting International Space Station (<keyword id="20307956" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ISS" source="keywords">ISS</keyword>) is scheduled to lift off from Florida's Kennedy Space Centre around 10 pm Indian Standard Time today. 'Suni' Williams and fellow NASA <keyword id="20248602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="astronaut" source="keywords">astronaut</keyword> Barry 'Butch' Wilmore will be the first humans to go aboard Starliner spacecraft as part of the US space agency's Commercial Crew Program. The Starliner spacecraft will be catapulted into space on an Atlas 5 rocket of the rocket company United Launch Alliance (ULA). It will dock with the ISS on Sunday and the astronauts will be at the ISS conducting a range of tests for about a week. Starliner will then undock from the ISS re-enter Earth's atmosphers and make a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the southwestern United States on June 10, NASA said. If this mission is successful, NASA will begin the final process of certifying Starliner and its systems for crewed rotation missions to the International Space Station. The Starliner capsule will carry four astronauts, or a mix of crew and cargo, for NASA missions to low Earth orbit. NASA, Boeing, and ULA (United Launch Alliance) are ready for the June 1, launch of the agency's Boeing Crew Flight Test according to an announcement during a prelaunch media briefing from NASA's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. "I'm very proud of the teams who have worked really hard the last two and a half weeks to prepare for launch," said Steve Stich, manager, NASA's Commercial Crew Program. "We're really ready to go fly" he said. The integrated ULA Atlas 5 rocket and Starliner spacecraft stack rolled out to the pad at Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on May 30 in preparation for liftoff. Both Williams and Wilmore had remained in preflight quarantine inside the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building following their return to the Florida spaceport on May 28. Mission managers of the <keyword id="21541868" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Boeing-Starliner" source="keywords">Boeing Starliner</keyword>'s Crewed Test Flight (CFT) called off the mission on May 7, just two hours before the scheduled launch due to a valve glitch in the Atlas 5 rocket's upper stage. Boeing said in its statement that the valve was successfully replaced on May 11 and tested to confirm it was working properly. Later on May 14, NASA announced that the CFT mission scheduled for May 17 has been pushed to no later than May 21 due to what it described as a "small helium leak" in the spacecraft's service module. On May 17 the space agency said that the launch was further pushed back to May 25. The flight marking Boeing's first Starliner spacecraft mission with a human crew, is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which is working with the US aerospace industry through a public-private partnership to launch astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from US soil. NASA selected Boeing and SpaceX in September 2014 to transport crew to the International Space Station from the United States. These integrated spacecraft, rockets and associated systems will carry up to four astronauts on NASA missions, maintaining a space station crew of seven to maximize time dedicated to scientific research on the orbiting laboratory. After a failed attempt in December 2019, Boeing conducted a successful uncrewed Orbital Flight Test 2 (OFT-2) in 2022. Its Starliner is expected to be reusable for up to ten missions within a six-month turnaround time, according to the aerospace company. Elon Musk-owned SpaceX company's Crew Dragon has performed 12 crewed missions since its first launch on May 30, 2020. Williams and Wilmore were both former commanders of the International Space Station. Williams, from Needham, Massachusetts, earned a physical science degree from the US Naval Academy, and a master's in engineering management from the Florida Institute of Technology. Her first spaceflight was Expedition 14/15 (from December 2006 to June 2007) launching on space shuttle Discovery's STS-116 mission to reach the International Station, according to NASA. While onboard, Williams established a world record for women at the time with four spacewalks. She concluded her tour of duty by returning to Earth with shuttle Atlantis' STS-117 flight to land at Edwards Air Force Base in California on June 22, 2007. Selected as an astronaut by NASA in June 1998, Williams has spent a total of 322 days in space on two missions and accumulated 50 hours and 40 minutes of cumulative EVA time on seven spacewalks. Williams worked with Roscosmos on its contribution to the space station and with the first Expedition crew. Meanwhile, 61-year-old, Wilmore has logged 178 days in space and has 25 hours and 36 minutes of time on four spacewalks. Boeing has planned six manned missions for the platform over the next six years, the projected end of the ISS' operating lifespan. NASA plans to use both SpaceX's Dragon and Boeing's Starliner to send up astronauts at least every six months from US soil. Both Boeing and SpaceX were given the responsibility in 2014 by NASA to send commercial crew missions to the ISS. Boeing received over USD 4 billion in US federal funds to develop the Starliner, while SpaceX received about USD 2.6 billion. 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Sunita Williams flies to ISS on NASA's Boeing Starliner tonight; 3rd time in space for Indian-origin astronaut

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Humanoid robots are symbols of power and technological capability, a geopolitics expert says.</li><li>China and the US are going head-to-head `to mass produce them, like a 21st-century space race.</li></ul>The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-russia-falling-behind-us-china-in-moon-space-race-2023-9">space race</a>, an epic showdown between the US and the Soviet Union, epitomized the quest for scientific dominance and the battle for geopolitical supremacy in the 20th century.It conjured up legendary imagery of intercontinental missiles piercing the skies, animals being launched into the earth's orbit, and Neil Armstrong's historic moonwalk.An incident earlier this month involving a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-male-humanoid-robot-inappropriately-touched-female-reporter-video-shows-2024-3">Saudi humanoid robot inappropriately touching a female reporter</a> might not at first seem even remotely connected.But the incident inadvertently propelled Saudi Arabia's robotic endeavors into the international spotlight, underscoring how nations around the world are jockeying to make strides in developing functional humanoid robots.<div type="image" title="Muhammad the Humanoid Robot" height="1410" width="2030" msid="108900700" hostid="261" sizebytes="112900"></div>Saudi Arabia, for one, is investing heavily."We built a huge building at the heart of Riyadh, we hired more than 70 engineers," Elie Metri, the CEO of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-humanoid-robot-wont-talk-about-sex-politics-creator-says-2024-3">QSS Robotics</a>, which made the robot and has the Saudi government's backing, told BI.Muhammad, the robot with the wandering hand, was showcased at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.agbi.com/analysis/tech/2024/03/saudi-arabia-leads-gcc-adoption-robotics">DeepFest</a>, an AI conference where some of Saudi Arabia's more than 2,000 robotics companies sought to showcase the kingdom's technological prowess.Similar projects are emerging elsewhere, from India to Nigeria, as nations vie for leadership in this burgeoning industry.<h2>Humanoids are visual representations of breakthroughs in AI</h2>In Italy, the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia is working on iCub, a research-grade <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/humanoid-robots-jobs-manufacturing-tech-workforce-data-2023-12">humanoid robot.</a>According to Giorgio Metta, the institute's scientific director, their primary objective is knowledge-based: to investigate whether "machine learning and AI require a physical embodiment to develop a comprehensive understanding of the world."But Metta also acknowledges the escalating global competition to showcase innovational might, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-artificial-intelligence-chatgpt-world-economy-china-stock-market-analysis-2023-9">particularly in light of AI's growing economic value.</a>He told BI that human-like robots are particularly effective in demonstrating progress because they offer a visual and easy-to-understand representation of advancements."It's very easy to show that your technology is good because you see it, and there's not much to explain," he said. "If you show a computer a program, you get an answer … no matter how impressive it can be, it's not as visible as a robot."<div type="image" title="iCub, the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia's research-grade humanoid robot." height="4197" width="6296" msid="108900702" hostid="261" sizebytes="723258"></div>Despite much of their work being collaborative, particularly with others in the European Union, Metta said he has been advised to exercise caution when working with one major global player in humanoid robotics: China."We are asked to be more careful," he said of the additional scrutiny.It's "unfortunate" that scientists are being told to consider the sensitivities of the geopolitical situation during their research, he added.<h2>China wants to take the lead</h2>When it comes to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/humanoid-robots-talk-carry-items-and-even-run-a-company-2023-11 ">humanoid robots</a>, China is vying for the top spot, so it's no wonder other nations are getting nervous.The country plans to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-plans-mass-production-humanoid-robots-within-two-years-2023-11">mass produce advanced-level humanoids by 2025</a>, according to a blueprint document published by its Ministry of Industry and Information Technology in October.Fourier Intelligence, headquartered in Shanghai, told BI that it expects to have up to 1,000 units ready for delivery this year.CEO Zen Koh said: "China is a formidable competitor in the quest to establish dominance as a leading market force for humanoid robots."Koh explained that many factors have contributed to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/robotics-in-china-2015-11">China's prominence,</a> including substantial investment in research and development, namely in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/generative-ai-exaggeration-openai-nvidia-microsoft-chatgpt-jobs-investors-markets-2024-3">AI and robotics,</a> which he says has already given the country a leg up."The vast magnitude of the market offers an unmatched chance to test, improve, and expand the uses of humanoid robots," he said. "This could facilitate quick, frequent updates and enhancements, giving Chinese companies a competitive edge."<h2>The US also wants dominance</h2>Competing with Chinese ambitions, Agility Robotics in the US says it will produce "hundreds" of its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-amazon-warehouse-robot-humanoid-2023-10">Digit robots</a> in 2025. The company is building a factory in Oregon that's set to open later this year.Agility CEO Peggy Johnson told BI: "We'll get to the hundreds in 2025 and then ramp up capacity to thousands in the years following that."Johnson said it's well-positioned to engage customers and ramp up production and "welcomes" the competition. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-testing-humanoid-robots-digit-warehouses-agility-robotics-boston-dynamics-2023-12">Amazon is testing its robots</a> in its warehouses to help automate some functions.<div type="image" title="Digit, an upright robot by Agility Robotics demonstrates package delivery at the Ford booth during CES 2020 at the Las Vegas Convention Center on January 7, 2020." height="712" width="1024" msid="108900704" hostid="261" sizebytes="85136"></div>Several other key players in the US have also been flexing their muscles.This includes the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/openai-bets-big-on-humanoid-robots-with-figure-ai-2024-2">$2.6 billion firm Figure AI</a>, which recently signed an agreement with OpenAI to "develop next-generation AI models" for its robots.The company also <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-openai-talks-investment-figure-ai-humanoid-robotics-report-2024-1">inked a deal with BMW</a> to try out its robots in its manufacturing process.Texas-based Apptronik, meanwhile, signed a partnership with Mercedes to test out how its robot Apollo can help in the production assembly line.Tesla has its own <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-tesla-optimus-humanoid-robot-delivery-rollout-2024-1">humanoid ambitions</a> and has previously said it wants to start selling its Optimus robot by 2027.<h2>High stakes</h2>In today's geopolitical landscape, Julian Mueller-Kaler, director of the Strategic Foresight Hub at the Stimson Center, said that "high technology has come to define high politics," with humanoid robots and AI representing the apex of technological development and serving as symbols of power.The US, he said, is "defining national security through the prism of supremacy, not just in military terms and political terms, but also in economic and technological terms."The US is strategically investing in these cutting-edge technologies as part of its bid for supremacy, he said, as well as employing other <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-economy-trade-war-export-manufacturing-property-crisis-biden-trump-2024-3">measures to impede China's growth</a> in the field.Over the last couple of years, the US has been implementing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-china-tech-war-computer-chips-semiconductor-plants-costing-americans-2023-1">export controls on semiconductors to China</a> to limit the country's high-tech capabilities.But China, he said, has stepped up to the challenge: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-planning-41-billion-semiconductor-fund-chip-war-heats-up-2023-9">US sanctions supercharged China's chipmaking industry</a>, with the majority of the fastest-growing chip firms in the world now being Chinese, <a target="_blank" href="https://time.com/6189341/us-sanctions-china-chips-semiconductors/">according to TIME.</a>"They know it takes decades to build a ship fleet or aircraft carrier," Mueller-Kaler said. "The high-tech sector is where the Chinese think they have a chance to catch up."<h2>Humanoids are the peak of a 'hype cycle'</h2>Beijing announced last August that it was establishing a $1.39 billion fund to develop a hub for the humanoid robotics industry.At the time, the city was already home to 100 robotics enterprises.<div type="image" title="umanoid service robots dance at the booth of Dataa Robotics during 2023 World Robot Conference at Beijing Etrong International Exhibition &amp; Convention Center on August 18, 2023." height="716" width="1024" msid="108900707" hostid="261" sizebytes="65048"></div>But Li Boyang, president of EX Robots, a humanoid robot company based in China's Liaoning Province, <a target="_blank" href="https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-12-25/China-s-booming-humanoid-robotics-industry-embraces-bright-future--1pP17eWe6SA/p.html">told CMG</a> that China faces challenges in getting robots out of laboratories and into mass production.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-tesla-inspired-by-boston-dynamics-humanoid-robot-atlas-2024-2">Boston Dynamics</a> agrees. Deploying robots at scale is "an incredibly difficult challenge," a representative told BI.While obstacles to mass adoption of the technology exist, the potential rewards are substantial.The mass production of humanoids could increase a nation's perceived power by increasing its workforce and population, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/watch-viral-video-of-realistic-ameca-robot-2021-12">Engineered Arts</a> CEO Will Jackson told BI.<div type="image" title="Human-shaped robot Ameca of Engineered Arts interacts with visitors on July 6, 2023, in Geneva, Switzerland." height="3456" width="5184" msid="108900711" hostid="261" sizebytes="159842"></div>"If you could manufacture your population, suddenly you've got all of these kinds of digital citizens, or you can raise the importance of your country. They don't complain, go on strike and don't ask for workers rights," he said.But Jackson warned that we're at the peak of what <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-emerging-tech-from-gartners-hype-cycle-2015-8">management consultant firm Gartner calls a "hype cycle," </a>characterized by five phases: technology trigger, the peak of inflation expectations, the trough of disillusionment, the slope of enlightenment, and the plateau of productivity.Humanoids are in the inflated expectations stage of the cycle, according to Jackson, with lots of talk on what the technology could do."They are not deployed," he said. "It's not a technology that's actually being used. Most of the humanoid robot companies out there now haven't ever even shipped the robot. There's a lot of optimism that is probably not very well founded."Even so, the industry is expected to be boosted by Nvidia's <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-humanoid-robots-jensen-huang-2024-3">recently unveiled Project GR00T</a>, according to Jackson and Agility Robotics' CTO Melonee Wise.It could help the sector reach a point of inflection by building a general-purpose foundation model for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/humanoid-robots-talk-carry-items-and-even-run-a-company-2023-11">humanoid robots</a>, they said, which would help them learn from past interactions and perform everyday tasks.<div type="image" title="A robot appears on stage as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang delivers a keynote address during the Nvidia GTC Artificial Intelligence Conference at SAP Center on March 18, 2024 in San Jose, California." height="711" width="1024" msid="108900714" hostid="261" sizebytes="35384"></div><h2>Saudi Arabia won't give up</h2>While the competition to unleash humanoid robots on the world looks like a two-horse race between the US and China, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/saudi-arabia">Saudi Arabia</a> refuses to be sidelined.Metri, of QSS, said: "We have all the capabilities, we have the brains, we have the resources, we have a very huge market. Saudi Arabia today is competing with Europe, it's competing with the US. It's between the biggest markets globally."The Saudi market, fueled by significant investments, is projected to have revenues nearing $120 million this year, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.statista.com/outlook/tmo/robotics/saudi-arabia">according to Statista. </a>The markets in China and the US have already surpassed the billion-dollar mark.But Metri remains undeterred by the global competition: "Why are we doing this from Saudi Arabia? Because why not?"

A global scramble to make humanoid robots is gearing up to be the 21st century's space race

Union Minister for <keyword id="15939248" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="science-and-technology-dr-jitendra-singh" source="Orion">Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh</keyword> on Sunday announced that the <keyword id="116095" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="indian-space-research-organisation" source="Orion">Indian Space Research Organisation</keyword> (ISRO) is ready to launch <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>'s first Atmanirbhar human flight "Gaganyaan" by the year 2024. The minister said that India is constantly making new achievements in the field of science and technology. Science is touching new heights under the leadership of Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="Orion">Narendra Modi</keyword>, which is why India's first self-sufficient Gaganyaan will enter space in 2024. Giving information about the achievements being made by the government in the field of science and technology, Jitendra Singh said "The idea of taking forward the 'Gaganyaan' program was in 2022 itself but due to Covid-19 it was delayed. In the next year (2024), there will be two preliminary launchings, the first launch will be unmanned, this experiment will be done to mark the routes because if the 'Gaganyaan' rocket goes into space then it should also return safely to the same way." "In the other experiment also there will be no human, instead a robot will be there as a human replica. When both the experiments assure that we are completely ready, then in the third one we will send humans into space," the minister added. Jitendra said that 'Gaganyaan' would be India's first human flight and it will also be an excellent symbol of self-reliance as it will increase the confidence of the nation. He also said that Indian origin <keyword id="191001" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="rakesh-sharma" source="Orion">Rakesh Sharma</keyword> went to space, but he went under a Soviet mission of space, so this mission will mark Indian origin in space. "This will be a historic initiative in itself because our space journey started very late compared to America and Russia but today the same country is doing our research with our knowledge and taking lessons and moving forward," the minister said. Jitendra Singh said, "The way PM Modi has given respect to science in the last 8 years, this has motivated the Indian scientists and has given a respectable place to them. Rules have been simplified, for example, space has been opened for private public participation, today the result is that private rockets are being launched from there and as soon as this year ends, you will get a wonderful kind of enthusiasm across the country." "While we will be fully prepared to launch "Gaganyaan" which will be the first human flight which will work to take an Astronaut of Indian origin to space of Indian origin, it will be the first mission of this type and hence also a pride for us. It will be a matter of confidence that this work of increasing our self-esteem will work because even though our space journey started late in comparison to America or Russia, today we are in a position where our research findings are similar to those of America and Russia. Countries work to advance their research by making it available," he added.

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