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>Europe has been dependent on Elon Musk's SpaceX to reach space — but that could be about to change.</li><li>The Ariane 6, Europe's answer to SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, is set to launch on Tuesday. </li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-elon-musk">SpaceX</a> is dominating the global space industry — but Europe is hoping a new rocket will change that.On Tuesday, the <a target="_blank" href="https://cnes.fr/en/press-releases/ariane-6-inaugural-launch-targeted-july-9">200-foot tall Ariane 6 rocket</a> plans to launch for the first time after years of delays from a spaceport in French Guiana, carrying the hopes of Europe's space industry and its ambition of competing with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">Elon Musk's</a> rocket firm into orbit.Over the past few years, Europe has been <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musks-spacex-hired-feurope-rocket-launches-after-russia-war-2022-10">largely dependent on SpaceX to launch satellites into space</a>, thanks to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-06-05/europe-plans-ariane-6-rocket-s-debut-launch-in-july-after-delays">lengthy delays</a> to Ariane 6 and the war in Ukraine, which left European nations unable to use Russia's Soyuz rockets.In 2023, European Union officials struck <a target="_blank" href="https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-signs-security-deal-us-launch-satellite-spacex-elon-musk/">a reported $195 million deal</a> to have SpaceX launch four of its Galileo global navigation satellites.More recently, the Ariane 6 suffered a major blow when <a target="_blank" href="https://www.eumetsat.int/meteosat-satellite-be-launched-spacex">European weather satellite operator Eumetsat</a> announced it would use SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket to launch its next-generation weather satellite, rather than the Ariane 6 as planned.That decision stunned European officials, with French space agency head Philippe Baptiste <a target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/philippe-baptiste-0bb0b76_s%C3%A9v%C3%A8re-d%C3%A9convenue-pour-ariane-6-une-agence-activity-7212200978383548417-nxCh/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop">calling it a "quite brutal change"</a> and criticizing Eumetsat for not buying European.Those officials hope a successful launch will lessen Europe's reliance on Elon Musk, with the billionaire's satellite internet service Starlink already playing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-goes-after-musk-disputes-claim-russia-not-using-starlink-2024-2">a crucial — and controversial —</a> role in Ukraine's fight against Russia. "This powerful rocket is the culmination of many years of dedication and ingenuity from thousands across Europe and, as it launches, it will re-establish Europe's independent access to space," said Josef Aschbacher, Director General of the European Space Agency, <a target="_blank" href="https://cnes.fr/en/press-releases/ariane-6-inaugural-launch-targeted-july-9">in a press release.</a>It remains to be seen whether Ariane 6 is capable of competing with SpaceX, which dominates the global space industry.Arianespace, the firm behind the rocket, says <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wsj.com/business/europe-ariane-6-rocket-launch-spacex-5559a826?mod=hp_lead_pos9">it will offer prices that are competitive with</a> SpaceX's current rockets. But unlike Space X's Falcon, the Ariane 6 is not reusable, with ESA executive Toni Tolker-Nielsen <a target="_blank" href="https://spacenews.com/europe-aims-to-end-space-access-crisis-with-ariane-6s-inaugural-launch/#:~:text=With%20only%20nine%20or%2010,need%20it%20at%20this%20point.">telling Space News</a> that there aren't enough launches planned to justify building a multi-use rocket.That decision has attracted criticism from Musk. "They need to go all-in on reusability or be utterly uncompetitive," he wrote <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1683865021191794688">in a post on X last year</a>."Rockets are no different from other transport technologies," he said, adding: "No one would buy a single-use airplane."

Europe hopes to take on Elon Musk's SpaceX with new rocket launch

<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

<ul class="summary-list"><li>SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets will be used in two launches by the European Space Agency.</li><li>The ESA previously used Russian rockets, but has cut ties since the invasion of Ukraine.</li></ul>Elon Musk's SpaceX will launch two rockets for the European Space Agency after the Ukraine conflict led to the organization severing ties with Russia.The ESA's director general, Josef Aschbacher, confirmed on Thursday that it will use SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets to launch two spacecraft, Euclid and Hera, in 2023 and 2024 respectively, per <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/spacex-hired-two-european-launches-fill-gap-left-by-russia-2022-10-20/">Reuters</a>.The Euclid space telescope — which hopes to allow humans to better understand dark matter, and will orbit near NASA's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/webbs-pillars-creation-snap-shows-glittering-view-hubble-cant-see-2022-10">James Webb telescope</a> — was supposed to launch this year from Europe's spaceport in French Guiana. But after the ESA cut ties with Russia in February, Moscow's space program Roscosmos withdrew its employees from the project, causing a major headache for the ESA."In response to EU sanctions against our enterprises, Roscosmos is suspending cooperation with European partners in organizing space launches," it announced at the time.Hera, planned to launch in 2024, will examine the aftermath of NASA's DART mission, which succeeded in <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-confirms-dart-probe-crash-moved-asteroid-2022-10">deflecting an asteroid off course</a> last month. While the ESA has its own Ariane 5 rocket for heavy payloads, it has previously depended on Russia's Soyuz system for medium-sized launches such as Hera and Euclid. However, with Roscosmos withdrawing its cooperation, the space agency was forced to look elsewhere.Delays to the next-generation Ariane 6 – which was planned to compete with SpaceX and maintain Europe's independence in space – have also constricted the ESA's plans. Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/exclusive-europe-eyes-spacex-fill-launch-void-left-by-russian-tensions-2022-08-12/">reported in August</a> that discussions had begun with SpaceX, but said at the time Japanese and Indian rockets were also being considered.Aschbacher told Reuters: "We of course need to make sure that they are suitable. It's not like jumping on a bus."In a <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/7d561078-37c7-4902-a094-637b81a26241">Financial Times interview</a> last year, Aschbacher warned that Europe and the rest of the world was not responding quick enough to the progress being made by the likes of SpaceX, adding that Musk was "making the rules" in space. The ESA's choice of SpaceX rockets comes soon after a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/s?q=starlink#:~:text=Hours%20after%20being%20blasted%20for%20parroting%20Putin%27s%20propaganda%2C%20Elon%20Musk%20says%20he%20is%20%27obviously%27%20pro%2DUkraine%20and%20says%20SpaceX%20has%20spent%20%2480%20million%20on%20Starlink%20in%20the%20country">payment dispute</a> over Musk's Starlink service in Ukraine, which has provided key internet access during the war while normal infrastructure has been offline.CNN reported last week that the billionaire had asked the Pentagon to pick up the bill for Starlink, with the bill already surpassing $200 million. Musk has since said he has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-spacex-starlink-ukraine-pentagon-withdrawn-funding-request-2022-10">withdrawn the request</a>.Russian sanctions have also delayed a previously-joint mission to look for signs of life on Mars, initially scheduled for a September launch but now postponed to 2028.SpaceX did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider on the ESA's use of Falcon 9 rockets.

Europe's space agency is turning to Elon Musk's SpaceX after anti-Russian sanctions left it scrambling for rockets

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11897862" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="elon-musk" source="Orion">Elon Musk</keyword> is "making the rules" in <keyword id="11895441" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="space" source="Orion">space</keyword>, European Space Agency boss told the Financial Times.</li><li>The <keyword id="12243982" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="esa" source="Orion">ESA</keyword> boss urged European countries to stop enabling Musk to dominate the space industry.</li></ul>Rapid expansion of <keyword id="11908743" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="spacex" source="Orion">SpaceX</keyword>'s Starlink <keyword id="12460190" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="satellite-internet" source="Orion">satellite internet</keyword> service is letting CEO Elon Musk make the rules in the sector, the head of the European Space Agency said. "You have one person owning half of the active <keyword id="12681725" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="satellites" source="Orion">satellites</keyword> in the world. That's quite amazing. De facto, he is making the rules," Josef Aschbacher, the ESA's director-general, told <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/7d561078-37c7-4902-a094-637b81a26241">the Financial Times</a> Sunday. The rest of the world, including Europe, was not responding quick enough, he added.SpaceX's Starlink, which beams internet from satellites in orbit to user terminals on Earth, now has more than 1,750 working satellites in orbit and serves around 140,000 users in 20 countries, according to a presentation filed by the company to the Federal Communications Commission dated November 10. There are currently more than 4,000 active satellites in orbit, according to data from <a href="https://celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/table.php?tleFile=active&amp;title=Active%20Satellites&amp;orbits=0&amp;pointsPerRev=16&amp;frame=1">CelesTrak</a>, cited in <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/space/spacex-launch-starlink-satellite-elon-musk-b1967879.html">The Independent</a>.Aschbacher told the FT that the absence of government co-ordination and European countries' support for Starlink's expansion risked preventing European companies from competing in the commercial space industry and launching satellites into low earth orbit, where Starlink dominates.Germany has applied to the International Telecommunications Union to request permission for Musk's Starlink to launch around 40,000 satellites, the FT reported. The satellite internet service was also given the green light by US regulators to launch more than 30,000 satellites, the paper added."Space will be much more restrictive [in terms of] frequencies and orbital slots," Aschbacher told the FT. He said that governments in Europe should support European internet providers by giving them equal opportunities in the market, the paper reported.He told the FT that the rest of the world "is just not responding quick enough," adding that other competitors and regulators were struggling to catch up with Starlink due to its rapid expansion.Aschbacher urged European governments to stop enabling Musk to dominate the space industry, the FT reported.SpaceX didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider made outside of operating hours.Starlink wants to deploy<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starlink-plans-rollout-200k-user-terminals-india-asia-expansion-2021-11?r=US&amp;IR=T"> 200,000 user terminals in India</a> by December 2022, as well as launch in the Philippines, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-29/musk-s-starlink-in-talks-to-bring-fast-internet-to-philippines?sref=lAVQtUwz">Bloomberg</a> reported.

Elon Musk 'is making the rules' in space with rapid expansion of SpaceX's Starlink internet service, agency boss says

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11897862" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="elon-musk" source="Orion">Elon Musk</keyword> rebuffed claims that <keyword id="11897866" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="starlink" source="Orion">Starlink</keyword> was taking over <keyword id="12578367" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="orbit" source="Orion">orbit</keyword> and blocking rivals, per the FT.</li><li><keyword id="11900742" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="musk" source="Orion">Musk</keyword> said there's room for "tens of billions" <keyword id="12681725" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="satellites" source="Orion">satellites</keyword> in low Earth orbit, where Starlink is.</li></ul>Elon Musk has pushed back on claims from the European <keyword id="11895441" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="space" source="Orion">Space</keyword> Agency that <keyword id="11908743" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="spacex" source="Orion">SpaceX</keyword> was blocking out rivals in space, saying there was room for "tens of billions" of satellites in orbit.In an interview with <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/18dc896f-e92f-41f7-9259-69cfd8d61011">The Financial Times</a>, the CEO likened the number of satellites flying in low Earth orbit (LEO) to having two billion cars and trucks on Earth.Given that orbital "shells" are bigger than the Earth's surface, "that would imply room for tens of billions of satellites," Musk told the FT."A couple of thousand satellites is nothing. It's like, hey, here's a couple of thousand of cars on Earth — it's nothing," he added.His comments follow backlash from Josef Aschbacher, the European Space Agency's director general, who told the <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/7d561078-37c7-4902-a094-637b81a26241">FT</a> in early December that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-makes-the-rules-space-launch-starlink-satellites-esa-2021-12?r=US&amp;IR=T">Musk was "making the rules" in space</a>.Aschbacher previously told the FT that SpaceX's satellite internet network, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starlink-internet-service-elon-musk-all-you-need-know-2021-2?r=US&amp;IR=T">Starlink</a>, was taking over LEO and risked preventing European satellite companies from competing in the commercial space industry.In Wednesday's interview, Musk told the FT that space is "extremely enormous," and satellites are "very tiny.""This is not some situation where we're effectively blocking others in any way," Musk told the FT. "We've not blocked anyone from doing anything, nor do we expect to."To date, SpaceX has launched more than <a href="https://planet4589.org/space/stats/star/starstats.html">1,700 Starlink satellites</a> into orbit — although Musk has said he eventually wants to have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-elon-musk-42000-starlink-satellites-earth-effects-stars-2020-10?r=US&amp;IR=T">42,000 satellites</a> in space.

Elon Musk says there is room for 'tens of billions' of satellites, after facing criticism from Europe that SpaceX is blocking out rivals in orbit

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The head of <keyword id="11894337" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="russia" source="Orion">Russia</keyword>'s <keyword id="11895441" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="space" source="Orion">space</keyword> agency said it will stop cooperating on the <keyword id="12060330" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="iss" source="Orion">ISS</keyword> with NASA and others.</li><li>Dmitry Rogozin says he wrote to NASA and other space agencies criticizing Western <keyword id="12754126" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sanctions" source="Orion">sanctions</keyword>.</li></ul>Russia is suspending its cooperation on the International Space Station (ISS), according to <a href="https://twitter.com/Rogozin/status/1510155505884409859">Dmitry Rogozin, head of Russian space agency Roscosmos.</a>The country will also suspend its partnership with NASA, the European Space Agency (<keyword id="12243982" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="esa" source="Orion">ESA</keyword>), and the Canadian Space Agency (<keyword id="13530584" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="csa" source="Orion">CSA</keyword>), Rogozin said.<a href="https://www.newsweek.com/russia-will-end-cooperation-international-space-station-sanctions-ukraine-1694435?amp=1">Newsweek</a> and others first reported the story. In a series of tweets written in Russian on Saturday, <a href="https://twitter.com/Rogozin/status/1510155505884409859">Rogozin said</a>: "I believe that the restoration of normal relations between partners in the International Space Station and other joint projects is possible only with the complete and unconditional lifting of illegal sanctions."Rogozin said he sent a letter to NASA, the ESA, and the CSA demanding that they lift sanctions against a number of enterprises in the Russian rocket and space industry. NASA responded with its own letter, which appeared to be signed by NASA chief Bill Nelson, according to a photo shared by Rogozin.Insider has not been able to independently verify the authenticity of the letter, which said: "The US continues to support international government space cooperation, especially those activities associated with operating the ISS with Russia, Canada, Europe, and Japan."It added: "New and existing US export control measures continue to allow cooperation between the US and Russia to ensure continued safe operations of the ISS."<div type="image" title="A screenshot of Rogozin's tweet saying: &quot;I believe that the restoration of normal relations between partners in the Internation Space Station and other joint projects is possible only with the complete and unconditional lifting of illegal sanctions.&quot;" height="858" width="1144" msid="90612573" hostid="261"></div>The ISS is a multi-nation space station in low Earth orbit and is operated primarily by partner agencies including NASA, ESA, CSA, Roscomos, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Per Rogozin's tweets, ESA's director-general Dr Josef Aschbacher said he would forward Rogozin's request to the ESA member states "as these matters fall under their responsibility."Lisa Campbell, CSA's president, gave Rogozin a response similar to NASA's, according to the screenshots. "I can assure you that Canada continues to support the ISS program, and is dedicated to its safe and successful operations."Insider contacted the CSA but they declined to comment.All the other space agencies, including Roscosmos, did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, made outside of normal working hours. The US and allies have imposed sanctions on Russia in a bid to put pressure on Putin's unprovoked war in <keyword id="11985141" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ukraine" source="Orion">Ukraine</keyword>. This prompted Rogozin to previously say the country would end its cooperation with the ISS but he did not follow suit then.Such sanctions include the ban of<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-swift-ban-not-most-effective-sanction-experts-2022-3"> SWIFT payments</a>, the prohibition of any transaction <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3771/text">involving Russian gold,</a> or the country's wealthiest men <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sanctioned-russian-oligarch-mikhail-fridman-atm-card-bank-accounts-blocked-2022-3">getting their assets seized</a>.Rogozin's tweets on Saturday also said: "Specific proposals of Roscosmos on the timing of the completion of cooperation within the framework of the ISS with the space agencies of the United States, Canada, the European Union, and Japan will be reported to the leadership of our country in the near future."

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