Space Research Organization in News 2024 [January to June]
Welcome to another important Science and Technology Current Affairs on space research organization in the news. You are in the right place if you are preparing for upcoming competitive exams like SSC, UPSC, RRB NTPC, RAILWAY, BANK, CDS, and State Level Exams. Space research organizations have been making headlines this year with their incredible achievements and groundbreaking missions. From launching new satellites to testing innovative technologies, these organizations are paving the way for the future of space exploration. Let’s dive into the exciting world of space research and see what’s been happening in 2024!
November 2024
ISRO
- ISRO partnered with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) to test metabolic supplements and microalgae reactions under microgravity at the International Space Station (ISS).
- ISRO will launch its first indigenously developed electric propulsion system satellite, TDS-01, in December 2024.
- ISRO and IIT Madras collaborated to establish a Centre of Excellence in Fluid and Thermal Sciences.
- The NISAR satellite, a joint mission by ISRO and NASA, will monitor Earth’s surface movement and scan areas every 12 days, launching in early 2025.
- ISRO collaborated with SpaceX for the first time to launch the GSAT-N2 (GSAT-20) communication satellite.
- ISRO signed an Implementation Agreement (IA) with the Australian Space Agency (ASA) to enhance space activity cooperation.
NASA
- NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) detected Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) on Charon, Pluto’s largest moon.
- NASA and Microsoft partnered to create “Earth Copilot,” an AI-driven chatbot for Earth Science data access.
ASA
- ISRO signed an Implementation Agreement (IA) with the Australian Space Agency (ASA) to strengthen space collaboration.
ESA
- India will launch the Proba-3 mission for the European Space Agency (ESA) in December 2024.
October 2024
- NASA’s Hubble Telescope shared a stunning video of Caldwell 45 (NGC 5248), a spiral galaxy.
- India’s Lupex Mission: ISRO and JAXA collaborate on the Lunar Polar Exploration Mission to explore water and resources on the Moon.
- NASA launched the robotic solar-powered Europa Clipper spacecraft to study life possibilities on Jupiter’s moon Europa.
- ESA’s PROBA-3 mission, set for November 2024, focuses on advancements in solar observation and autonomy.
- Prada and Axiom Space unveiled the spacesuit design for NASA’s Artemis 3 mission to the Moon (2026).
- European Space Agency (ESA) launched the Moonlight Lunar Communications and Navigation Services (LCNS) programme.
- NASA and ESA collaborate on the LISA mission, with prototypes of six telescopes revealed to detect gravitational waves.
- Space Kidz India launched ShakthiSAT, training 12,000 girls globally in space technology under ISRO’s Chandrayaan-4 mission.
- ISRO Chairman S. Somanath received the IAF World Space Award for the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
- Ananth Technologies handed over two 400 kg satellites to ISRO for the SPADEX – Space Docking Experiment.
September 2024
- Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) concluded operations of ‘Smart Lander for Investigating Moon’ (SLIM), also known as “Moon Sniper,” after losing communication.
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) engineers are developing underwater robot probes to measure the rapid melting of ice shelves in Antarctica due to climate change.
- Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) demonstrated satellite technology using Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R), developed by Space Applications Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad, to study ocean and soil parameters.
- Axiom Space partnered with Nokia to integrate advanced 4G/LTE communication into next-generation spacesuits for the Artemis III lunar mission.
- Pixxel became the first Indian space startup to receive an order from NASA.
- NASA selected eight companies for a new award to acquire Earth observation data and related services.
- Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to launch the 1st base module of Bharatiya Antariksh Station (BAS), India’s 1st space station, by 2028.
- NASA is preparing to launch a spacecraft to explore Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons.
- Nibe Space Private Limited (NSPL) announced plans to set up India’s 1st multi-sensor, all-weather, high-revisit Earth Observation Satellite Constellation (EOSC).
- Union Cabinet approved the development of the Venus Orbiter Mission (VOM), with ISRO launching it by 2028.
- ISRO, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre, and NewSpace India Limited signed five Technology Transfer Agreements (TTA) with non-governmental entities, excluding Dhruva Space Pvt Ltd.
- Bellatrix Aerospace unveiled ‘Project 200’, an innovative satellite designed to operate at Ultra-Low Earth Orbit (180 km-250 km).
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
August 2024
- NEOWISE (Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) mission has concluded after a decade-long journey; it is associated with NASA.
- The JUICE mission by the European Space Agency (ESA) will use the gravity of the Moon and Earth to investigate the potential for extra-terrestrial life on Jupiter’s icy moons: Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa.
- ISRO successfully launched Earth Observation Satellite-8 (EOS-8), but the satellite did not carry Large Area X-ray Proportional Counters (LAXPC) as a payload.
July 2024
- Juno Mission: NASA’s Juno probe revealed new findings on the widespread lava lakes on Jupiter’s moon Io.
- NASA Contract: NASA awarded SpaceX an $843 million contract to construct a spacecraft for safely deorbiting the ISS by 2030.
- Habitable Worlds Observatory: NASA plans to launch the Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) in 2040 to search for extraterrestrial life and inhabited planets.
- CURIE Mission: NASA launched the CubeSat Radio Interferometry Experiment (CURIE) mission to study solar radio waves.
- CHAPEA Project: NASA’s Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA) project simulated a Mars mission, with the crew recently emerging.
- NASA Song Transmission: NASA transmitted Missy Elliott’s 1997 hit “The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” to Venus, the first hip-hop song beamed into deep space.
- Exoplanet Discovery: NASA achieved a milestone with the discovery of six new exoplanets outside the solar system.
- Ram Setu Mapping: ISRO scientists, with NASA’s ICESat-2 satellite, generated the first undersea map of the submerged ‘Ram Setu’ or Adam’s Bridge.
January to June 2024
- NASA successfully tested an innovative 3D Printed propulsion system called the “Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine (RDRE)”.
- Researchers from the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism, Mumbai examined high-frequency plasma waves in the Martian environment using NASA’s MAVEN spacecraft data.
- NASA invited applications to put names aboard its VIPER moon rover (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover).
- NASA and Lockheed Martin unveiled the X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft.
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- Perseverance rover re-established contact with the Ingenuity Mars Helicopter launched by NASA.
- The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) mission of NASA discovered a ‘super-Earth’ – TOI-715 b.
- NASA launched the PACE (Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem) satellite.
- NASA started flights in Asia with the world’s biggest flying laboratory “Douglas DC-8” under the ASIA-AQ project.
- Intuitive Mission launched the Odysseus spacecraft as part of NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative and Artemis campaign.
- NASA launched the “Message in a Bottle” campaign for its Europa Clipper spacecraft.
- Solar & Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO), a project of international collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA, was in the news.
- NASA directed to establish a unified standard of time for the moon and other celestial bodies.
- NASA deployed two WB-57 jet planes to capture a recent total solar eclipse.
- NASA launched 3 Black Brant IX sounding rockets for Atmospheric Perturbations around Eclipse Path (APEP) mission.
- NASA confirmed a Dragonfly rotorcraft mission to Saturn’s moon Titan.
- NASA distributes science-quality data from its Earth-observing Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, and Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite.
- Perseverance Rover created the first “sample depot on another world” for NASA.
- NASA launched the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3).
- Two Indian student teams won awards at the Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC) organized by NASA.
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- Black Hole Week drew attention to the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope project by NASA.
- NASA unveiled plans for the first lunar railway system, FLOAT (Flexible Levitation on a Track).
- XRISM (X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission), a joint mission of Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and NASA, discovered iron fingerprints in the active galaxy NGC 4151.
- David Salvagnini was appointed as the first-ever chief artificial intelligence (AI) officer of NASA.
- PREFIRE polar mission consisting of twin satellites set to launch soon by NASA.
- NASA took a unique picture of a strange hole on Mount Nemrut in Türkiye.
- NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) spotted ‘JADES-GS-z14-0’, a galaxy.
- Peru and Slovakia signed NASA’s Artemis Accords.
- Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) studied multi-drug resistant pathogens on the International Space Station (ISS).
- SpaceX launched the final satellite for NOAA’s GOES-U program, enhancing weather monitoring in partnership with NASA.
SpaceX
July 2024
- NASA Contract: NASA awarded SpaceX an $843 million contract to construct a spacecraft for safely deorbiting the ISS by 2030.
- GSAT 20 Launch: ISRO’s latest large satellite, GSAT 20, will be launched on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket and will be owned and operated by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).
January to June 2024
- SpaceX launched the first Starlink satellites with direct-to-cell capabilities.
- SpaceX launched Axiom Space’s private Ax3 (Axiom Mission 3 astronaut mission) to the International Space Station.
- SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Merah Putih 2 communications satellite for Indonesia.
- “MethaneSAT” satellite was launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California with Google as the mission partner.
- SpaceX launched the third test flight of its “Starship” rocket.
- Starlink, with over 5,000 satellites orbited by SpaceX, provides global commercial high-speed internet access.
- SpaceX launched ‘Bandwagon-1’, the first rideshare mission to low-Earth orbit.
- South Korea launched its second indigenous spy satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
- SpaceX launched its first batch of operational spy satellites as part of a new United States intelligence network.
- SpaceX‘s Starship, the world’s most powerful launch vehicle, completed its first full test flight.
- SpaceX launched the final satellite for NOAA’s GOES-U program, enhancing continuous weather monitoring across the Western Hemisphere in partnership with NASA.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
July 2024
- GSAT 20 Launch: ISRO will launch its latest large satellite, GSAT 20, on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, with ownership and operation by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).
- Vikram Sarabhai Medal: Anil Bhardwaj was honored with the Vikram Sarabhai Medal, a joint award by COSPAR and ISRO.
- Ram Setu Mapping: ISRO scientists generated the first undersea map of the submerged ‘Ram Setu’ or Adam’s Bridge using NASA’s ICESat-2 satellite.
- World Space Award: ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 mission team won the prestigious World Space Award for 2024.
- Air Breathing Propulsion Test: ISRO successfully conducted the second experimental flight test for the demonstration of Air Breathing Propulsion Technology.
January to June 2024
- PSLV-C58 will launch the XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) for ISRO.
- Union Cabinet approved the MoU between ISRO and Mauritius Research and Innovation Council for a joint small satellite development.
- ISRO successfully tested 10 Ah Silicon-Graphite-anode based high energy density Li-ion cells.
- ISRO to launch the Proba-3 mission in September 2024, a mission by the European Space Agency (ESA).
- ISRO developed a second-generation ‘Distress Alert Transmitter’ (DAT-SG) for fishermen.
- Vyommitra will fly into space ahead of ISRO’s Gaganyaan mission as a woman Robot Astronaut.
- ISRO announced the launch of “YUva VIgyani KAryakram” (YUVIKA) (Young Scientist Programme).
- ISRO announced the completion of de-orbiting its high-resolution imaging satellite “Cartosat-2”.
- ISRO accomplished a human rating of its CE20 cryogenic engine, designed by the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC), Thiruvananthapuram.
- PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for ISRO’s second spaceport at Kulasekarapattinam, Thoothukudi district.
- ISRO announced the New Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) project, named Project Soorya.
- ISRO awarded the Aviation Week Laureates Award 2023-2024 for the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
- ISRO successfully conducted the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) LEX-02 landing experiment, named Pushpak.
- POEM-3 (PSLV Orbital Experimental Module ) re-entered Earth’s atmosphere, launched by ISRO.
- ISRO invited Expression of Interest to host Space Science and Technology Awareness Training (START)-2024 with the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing, Dehradun.
- ISRO awarded the 2024 John L ‘Jack’ Swigert Jr. award for space exploration for the Chandrayaan-3 mission.
- ISRO developing a new spaceport at Kulasekharapatnam, Tamil Nadu for efficient payload launches to polar orbits.
- Ministry of Tribal Affairs collaborated with ISRO to launch V-SAT (very small aperture terminal) stations on a pilot basis.
- ISRO conducted the first ignition test on the Semi Cryogenic Pre-Burner Ignition Test Article in Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.
- ISRO conducted a hot test of a 3D-printed liquid rocket engine in collaboration with WIPRO 3D.
- The Chairman of ISRO launched the ‘Zero Emission initiative’, a carbon reduction initiative of SFO Technologies.
- ISRO unveiled Mangalyaan-2. India is poised to become the third nation to land on Mars.
- The Ambassador of the United States visited ISRO headquarters and proposed a “QUAD satellite”.
- ISRO and Wipro 3D jointly developed and successfully tested a 3D-printed rocket engine for India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).
- ISRO partnered with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to inaugurate Propellant Tank Production and CNC Machining facilities at HAL’s Aerospace Division in Bengaluru.
- ISRO collaborated with the French Space Agency CNES on a new satellite mission called ‘TRISHNA’ to monitor and mitigate climate change.
- Srinivas Hegde, former ISRO scientist associated with Chandrayaan-1, passed away.
- Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) ‘Pushpak’ completed its third landing test successfully, associated with ISRO.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
- Recently, XRISM (X-ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) satellite has provided the first images of the X-ray cosmos. This mission is led by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).
- The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has successfully launched its next-generation H3 rocket.
- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have announced the launch of the world’s first wooden satellite, “LignoSat”.
- XRISM (X-Ray Imaging and Spectroscopy Mission) has discovered the presence of iron fingerprints in the active galaxy NGC 4151. This mission is a joint effort between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
- The Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer satellite (EarthCARE) has been launched to examine the role that clouds and aerosols play in reflecting solar radiation back into space. EarthCARE is a cooperative mission between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the European Space Agency (ESA).
European Space Agency (ESA)
January to July 2024
- Ramses Mission: The European Space Agency (ESA) announced the Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (Ramses) to study the Apophis asteroid when it passes close to Earth in 2029.
- Ariane 6 Launch: The European Space Agency (ESA) launched its new heavy-lift rocket, Ariane 6, into space for the first time.
- Recently, it was informed that the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch the Proba-3 mission in September 2024. Proba-3 mission is by the European Space Agency (ESA).
- Recently, the Gaia space telescope has discovered two ancient streams of stars, “Shakti” and “Shiva”, that helped form the Milky Way Galaxy. Gaia space telescope was launched by the European Space Agency (ESA).
- Recently, 12 nations have signed the Zero Debris Charter, solidifying their commitment to the long-term sustainability of human activities in Earth orbit. The European Space Agency (ESA) has also signed this Charter as an International Organization.
- The Earth Cloud Aerosol and Radiation Explorer satellite (EarthCARE) has been launched to examine the role that clouds and aerosols play in reflecting solar radiation back into space. EarthCARE is a cooperative mission between the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the European Space Agency (ESA).
- Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has collaborated with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a standardized time system for the lunar system under the Artemis program.
Other Space Agency
- SERA Collaboration: The Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) has announced India as a partner in its human spaceflight program, which will launch six citizen astronauts into space in collaboration with Blue Origin.
- COSPAR Assembly: South Korea hosted the 45th Scientific Assembly of the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) for the first time.
- Recently, Orienspace launched the Gravity-1 rocket from the mobile sea platform in the Yellow Sea.
- Recently, HyImpulse has successfully test-launched a candle wax-powered rocket “SR75”.
- Recently, Ed Dwight, who was America’s first Black astronaut candidate, made a historic trip into space with Blue Origin.
- Recently, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) has launched its “Queqiao-2”, “Tiandu-1”, and “Tiandu-2” satellites.
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