Reuters

10 October 2023
India to conduct key test in crewed space mission on Oct
21

A security guard stands behind the logo of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at its
headquarters in Bengaluru

NEW DELHI, Oct 10 (Reuters) - India will conduct a key test in its ambitious space mission
Gaganyaan on Oct. 21, launching an empty module into outer space and bringing it back to earth,
deputy minister for science and technology Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday.

The final mission, expected to take place next year, is the first of its kind for the country and will
cost about 90.23 billion Indian rupees ($1.08 billion). It will involve launching a human-habitable
space capsule with a crew of three to an orbit of 400 km (250 miles) before bringing them safely
back to land in Indian waters.

The test this month will be conducted from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in southern India and
will look at the efficacy of the crew escape system, which can be used to eject astronauts in
emergencies.

It will be followed by another test flight carrying a robot to outer space before the final manned
mission takes place, the minister said.

"Before the ultimate manned 'Gaganyaan' mission, there will be a test flight next year, which will
carry Vyommitra, the female robot astronaut," he said.

While an exact timeline has not been shared, the main mission is expected to be launched from the
country's main spaceport in Sriharikota before the end of 2024.

Singh was speaking at a program to commend Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
scientists associated with the Chandrayaan-3 mission, which made India the first country to land on
the south pole of the moon.

In September, the country's space agency quickly followed up on this success by launching a rocket
to study the sun - its first such solar mission.
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Source:https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-conduct-key-test-crewed-space-mission-oct-21-
2023-10-10/
Business Today
10 October 2023
ISRO sets sights beyond Earth on other planetary
systems after Chandrayaan-3 triumph
This vision coincides with the evolving Indian Space Policy, which outlines ISRO's shift in primary
focus from manufacturing operational space systems to pioneering research and development of
new space technologies and applications.

ISRO's chairman advocated for increased private sector involvement in the space industry,
reiterating the imminent release of foreign direct investment (FDI) regulations for the space sector.
SUMMARY

ISRO is aiming to broaden India's space endeavours to encompass other planetary systems
One such milestone is the Gaganyaan mission, slated to be India's inaugural manned space
expedition
Additionally, ISRO's chairman advocated for increased private sector involvement in the
space industry

Riding high on the success of Chandrayaan-3, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is
aiming to broaden India's space endeavours to encompass other planetary systems, even
transcending the 'Earth system,' as stated by the space agency's Chairman S Somanath on Monday.

"At the Department of Space and ISRO, we are exploring space activities that can expand the
realms of exploration following the triumphant mission of Chandrayaan-3," Somanath expressed
during his virtual address on the inaugural day of the Indian Space Conclave in New Delhi.

"We are actively contemplating missions aimed at comprehending the universe, securing other
planetary systems for our Indian space pursuits, and venturing beyond the Earth system," he
highlighted.
This vision coincides with the evolving Indian Space Policy, which outlines ISRO's shift in primary
focus from manufacturing operational space systems to pioneering research and development of
new space technologies and applications.

The policy specifically mandates ISRO to "undertake studies and missions related to in-situ
resource utilisation, celestial prospecting, and other facets of extraterrestrial habitability."

Prior to embarking on missions to other planetary systems, ISRO has numerous objectives to
accomplish in the upcoming years. One such milestone is the Gaganyaan mission, slated to be
India's inaugural manned space expedition.

In this context, Somanath remarked, "We are also advancing programs for human spaceflight, which
are poised to mature in the coming years. We are considering how, in conjunction with human
spaceflight, we can establish a long-term vision for space activities encompassing exploration,
scientific pursuits, understanding the universe, fostering commerce, even though such endeavours
may span extended timeframes."

Additionally, ISRO's chairman advocated for increased private sector involvement in the space
industry, reiterating the imminent release of foreign direct investment (FDI) regulations for the
space sector.

"We are keen to attract more foreign investment into the space domain, and for that purpose, we
will soon unveil the FDI regulatory guidelines," Somanath affirmed.

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Source:https://www.businesstoday.in/technology/news/story/isro-sets-sights-beyond-earth-on-other-
planetary-systems-after-chandrayaan-3-triumph-401326-2023-10-10
The Hindu
10 October 2023
ISRO to conduct first test flight of Gaganyaan mission
on October 21

The preparations for the Flight Test Vehicle Abort Mission-1 (TV-D1) is underway as ISRO is about
to commence unmanned flight tests for the Gaganyaan Mission, in Sriharikota.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will execute the first of multiple test flights ahead
of the Gaganyaan mission — India’s first manned mission to space — on October 21, Jitendra
Singh, Minister of State for Space, Science and Technology, said on Tuesday.

The test will be conducted at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota and is intended to test
the ‘crew module ’ or the part of vehicle where the Indian astronauts will be housed.

The test involves launching the module to outer space and bringing it back to earth and recovering it
after touchdown in the Bay of Bengal. The Navy personnel have already started mock operations to
recover the module, said Mr. Singh. Along with the crew module, there will also be a ‘crew escape’
system. If the spacecraft while ascending into space faces a problem, this escape system is expected
to separate and bring the crew safely back to sea from where they will be picked by the Navy
personnel.

In the first of this tests called, Test Vehicle Abort Mission (TV-D1), the module will be identical to
the one deployed to space, except that it will be ‘unpressurised.’
Crew Escape Systems

The TV-D1 test vehicle is a single-stage liquid-fuelled rocket developed for this abort mission. “The
payloads consist of the Crew Module [CM] and Crew Escape Systems [CES] and will simulate the
abort condition during the ascent trajectory corresponding to a Mach number of 1.2 [1 mach is 330
metres per second, or the speed of sound] expected in the Gaganyaan mission. CES with CM will
be separated from the Test Vehicle at an altitude of about 17 km. Subsequently, the abort sequence
will be executed autonomously commencing with the separation of CES and deployment of the
series of parachutes, finally culminating in the safe touchdown of CM in the sea, about 10 km from
the coast of Sriharikota,” the ISRO said in a statement.

The success of this test will set the stage for the first unmanned “Gaganyaan” mission and
ultimately manned mission to outer space in low earth orbit, said Mr. Singh. “Before the ultimate
manned “Gaganyaan” mission, there will be a test flight next year, which will carry “Vyommitra”,
the female robot astronaut,” he added.

The Gaganyaan mission is expected to be executed in the second half of next year.

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Source:https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/isro-to-conduct-first-test-flight-of-gaganyaan-
mission-on-october-21/article67404697.ece
Times of India
11 October 2023

ISRO’s Gaganyaan test vehicle launch at Sriharikota on

October 21: Union minister Jitendra Singh
Announcing the date for a crucial test in preparation for India’s human spaceflight mission, space minister
Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday that Isro will launch the ‘Gaganyaan’ test vehicle space flight (TV-D1) on October
21. Isro will also test the efficacy of the crew escape system, which is the crucial part of the ‘Gaganyaan’ mission,
resulting in unmanned and manned missions to outer space by 2024.

Union minister Jitendra Singh felicitated Isro scientists associated with Chandrayaan and Aditya L1 missions, in Delhi.

NEW DELHI: Announcing the date for a crucial test in preparation for India’s human spaceflight
mission, space minister Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday that Isro will launch the ‘Gaganyaan’ test
vehicle space flight (TV-D1) on October 21.

Isro will also test the efficacy of the crew escape system, which is the crucial part of the
‘Gaganyaan’ mission, resulting in unmanned and manned missions to outer space by 2024. The test
is to be conducted at Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Indian Navy personnel have
already started mock operations to recover the crew module.

The success of the October 21 test will set the stage for the first unmanned ‘Gaganyaan’ mission
and ultimately the manned mission to outer space in low Earth orbit. Before the ultimate manned
mission, there will be a test flight next year, which will carry ‘Vyommitra’, a female robot
astronaut, Singh said. The crew module will finally have two to three astronauts during the manned
mission to outer space.
The minister made the launch date announcement during a felicitation programme of Isro scientists
associated with the Chandrayaan and Aditya L1 missions, in Delhi. The scientists included
Chandrayaan-3 project director Veeramuthuvel, moon mission associate project director K Kalpana,
M Shrikanth, mission director of Chandrayaan-3 & Aditya L1 and Nigar Shaji, project director of
the Sun mission.

Singh said that India is among the top five nations in the field of space exploration. “India has
recently created history by becoming the first country to land on the virgin south polar region of the
lunar surface. With the launch of Aditya -1, which is the first space-based Indian mission to study
the Sun, India’s ambitious space exploration programme has left a clear message that we are one of
the most scientifically advanced nations in the field of space, science and technology,” he said. The
minister gave full credit to PM Modi for enabling India’s space scientists to vindicate the dream of
their founding father Vikram Sarabhai by ‘unlocking’ India’s space sector and providing an enabling
milieu in which India’s huge potential and talent could prove itself to the rest of the world.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source:https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/isros-gaganyaan-test-vehicle-launch-at-
sriharikota-on-october-21-union-minister-jitendra-singh/articleshow/104324457.cms?from=mdr
Financial Express
10 October 2023
ISRO chairman advocates strengthening NavIC
Technology for India’s future

ISRO Chairman underlined the rising significance of private sector enterprises and start-ups,
particularly in the fields of communications and PNT services.
For widespread implementation of NavIC (Navigation with Indian Constellation) on handheld
devices nationwide, the Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has emphasized
the crucial importance of bolstering positioning, navigating, and timing (PNT) technologies in
India.

Speaking at the Catalyst and Indian Defence Conclave 2023 organised by defence and strategic
affairs news portal, Bharat Shakti, Dr S Somnath highlighted the necessity for developing advanced
technologies in the space sector, an arena already seeing contributions from around 200-300
companies, many of which have carved out their unique niches.

These reports hint at the possibility of Indian smartphone manufacturers seeking an extension of the
PLI scheme until FY26. Conversely, global iPhone manufacturers like FoxConn (Hon Hai),
Wistron, and Samsung have consistently met their targets. Additionally, Pegatron, another iPhone
manufacturer in India, is likely to meet its targets for FY24.

In the context of space-based technology development, Somnath highlighted the vibrancy of India’s
space economy. And also highlighted the government’s commitment to strengthening private
partnerships in the strategic sector.

In attendance at the event were eminent figures including Ajay Kumar Sood, the Principal Scientific
Advisor to the government; P S Raghavan, Chairman of the National Security Advisory Board
(NSAB); and Nivriti Rai, MD & CEO of Invest India. Organized by Bharat Shakti, the program
featured knowledge sessions, with one focusing on the ‘Utilization of New and Emerging
Technologies for Civil and Military Domains.’
Ajay Kumar Sood, the Principal Scientific Advisor to the government, echoed this sentiment,
asserting that technology plays a pivotal role in bridging the gap between the civil and military
sectors dedicated to the country’s security.

Furthermore, Sood mentioned the focus of the Centre’s Anusandhan Research Foundation on
fostering synergy between various ministries, organizations, and funding agencies. This
collaborative approach aims to enable the government to engage with partners from industry and
academia through a unified framework.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source:https://www.financialexpress.com/business/defence-isro-chairman-advocates-strengthening-
navic-technology-for-indias-future-3268814/
Business Today
10 October 2023
Vyommitra: Meet the female robot ISRO is sending on
Gaganyaan mission

SUMMARY
 The second phase of Gaganyaan mission will involve the launch of Vyommitra
 It is a female spacefaring humanoid robot
 Vyommitra, a name derived from the Sanskrit words "Vyoma" (meaning "Space") and
"Mitra" (meaning "Friend")
Jitendra Singh, the Union Minister of State for Space, recently announced that trials for the
Gaganyaan missions by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) are scheduled to
commence later in October. He also revealed that the second phase of this mission will involve the
launch of Vyommitra, a female spacefaring humanoid robot.

Vyommitra, a name derived from the Sanskrit words "Vyoma" (meaning "Space") and "Mitra"
(meaning "Friend"), will function as a prototype for the Gaganyaan missions. This half-humanoid
entity made its debut during the opening session of the 2021 event titled 'Human Spaceflight and
Exploration - Present Challenges and Future Trends.'

Vyommitra is equipped with the capability to monitor module parameters, issue alerts, and execute
life support operations. It can perform tasks such as operating switch panels and serving as a
companion to astronauts, engaging in conversations, recognising them, and responding to their
inquiries. This half-humanoid is designed to simulate human functions in the space environment
and interact with the life support system.

The Gaganyaan mission, part of the broader Gaganyaan project, aims to demonstrate India's human
spaceflight capabilities by sending a crew of three members into orbit at an altitude of 400
kilometres for a three-day mission. The mission will culminate with their safe return to Earth,
landing in the Indian sea waters.

The project is being realised through a comprehensive approach, drawing upon in-house expertise,
the experience of the Indian industry, the intellectual resources of Indian academia and research
institutions, and cutting-edge technologies available from international agencies. Essential
prerequisites for the success of the Gaganyaan mission encompass the development of critical
technologies, including a human-rated launch vehicle for safely transporting the crew into space, a
life support system to create an Earth-like environment for the crew in space, provisions for crew
emergency escape, and the evolution of crew management protocols for training, recovery, and
rehabilitation.

Numerous precursor missions have been planned to demonstrate the Technology Preparedness
Levels before the actual Human Space Flight mission takes place. These demonstrator missions
encompass the Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT), Pad Abort Test (PAT), and Test Vehicle (TV)
flights. The safety and reliability of all systems will be rigorously tested in unmanned missions prior
to embarking on manned missions.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source:https://www.businesstoday.in/technology/news/story/vyommitra-meet-the-female-robot-
isro-is-sending-on-gaganyaan-mission-401470-2023-10-11
The Hindu
10 October 2023
Second spaceport of ISRO to be set up in Tamil Nadu

At present, ISRO has one space station — the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota — with
two launch pads from where the rocket launching operations of PSLV and LMV3 are carried out.

The second spaceport of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which will be dedicated
exclusively for Small Satellite Launch Vehicles (SSLVs) developed by the private sector, will come
up in about two years at Kulasekarapattinam in Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu.

On October 10, Dr. Pawan Goenka, chairman, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization
Centre (IN-SPACe) said, “We are developing a full launch centre in Thoothukudi district, which
will be dedicated for SSLV launches. Right now, about 2,000 acres has been acquired and handed
over to ISRO. The project team is in place, the budget has been defined, the planning has been
done, and we will be taking off in about two years from now.”

Dr. Goenka added that this launch pad will be used only by the private sector. “This is of use only
for the private sector because there will be no ISRO rockets launched from there. The SSLV will be
completely transferred to the private sector,” Dr. Goenka said.

SSLV is a 3-stage launch vehicle capable of launching approximately 500kg satellites in 500-km
planar orbit. According to ISRO, the key features of SSLV are low cost, with low turnaround time,
flexibility in accommodating multiple satellites, launch-on-demand feasibility, and minimal launch
infrastructure requirements.

Manufacturing park to come up near spaceport

Dr. Goenka also said that a small space manufacturing park would also come up near the spaceport
in Kulasekarapattinam.

At present, ISRO has one space station — the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota — with
two launch pads from where the rocket launching operations of PSLV and LMV3 are carried out.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source:https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/second-spaceport-of-isro-to-be-set-up-at-
kulasekarapattinam-in-tamil-nadu/article67403573.ece
Deccan Herald
10 October 2023
ISRO to monitor Himalayan lakes as floods kill 86

The Indian Space Research Organisation has been asked to continuously monitor South Lhonak and
Shako Chu lakes in northeastern state via satellites and alert authorities of any abnormal changes to
prevent further disasters, according to the federal home ministry.

Fresh off landing a spacecraft near the moon’s south pole, India’s space agency has a new task:
monitor water levels in two lakes in Sikkim where floods have killed at least 86 people.

The Indian Space Research Organisation has been asked to continuously monitor South Lhonak and
Shako Chu lakes in northeastern state via satellites and alert authorities of any abnormal changes to
prevent further disasters, according to the federal home ministry.

Sikkim, a mountainous state tucked between Nepal and Bhutan, is forecast to get more rain after a
glacial lake burst last week, causing flash floods and mass devastation. More than 87,000 people
were affected and about 100 remain missing, according to the ministry. The Indian Air Force was
requested to deploy helicopters to airlift 3,000 tourists stranded in some towns.

After struggling with bad weather since the disaster struck #Sikkim, army choppers finally managed
to make several sorties & evacuated a large number of tourists stranded at Lachung & Lachen today.
@adgpi @PMOIndia @PIBHomeAffairs @PSTamangGolay @tourismgoi @IAF_MCC
@HMOIndia pic.twitter.com/QA2M6RqVFI

— sikkimgovtipr (@sikkimgovt) October 9, 2023

It’s the latest calamity to highlight the risk of climate change on weather patterns in South Asia.
Almost 2,500 people in India have been killed during this year’s monsoon season due to incidents
such as drowning and lightning, the ministry said. Floods in Pakistan last year because of the
heaviest rain in three decades killed about 1,000 people and damages totaled $30 billion.

An army ammunition depot in Sikkim has been washed away, with arms and explosives scattered
along a river basin, the ministry said. The authorities have appealed to residents to inform police if
they find the explosives.

A national motorway and more than a dozen state highways and other roads have been either
washed away or blocked, while a town in Mangan district has been completely cut off due to bridge
damage. Rain and floods have severely impacted water supply and electricity and telephone
networks in the region, in addition to damaging some hydropower plants.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source:https://www.deccanherald.com/science/isro-to-monitor-himalayan-lakes-as-floods-kill-86-
2721316
Analyticsindiamag
10 October 2023

ISRO to Use LiFi for Satellite Communication

ISRO has been rapidly expanding its partnerships in multiple verticals. lately they have partnered
with NavTech to use LiFi for satellite communication.

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has entered into a partnership with Nav Wireless
Technologies to employ LiFi (Light Fidelity) technology for satellite communication in space.

This collaboration represents a significant shift in space communication technology, leveraging

optical wireless technologies over traditional Radio Frequency (RF) systems.

With the advent of LiFi, ISRO’s Space Applications Centre (SAC) aims to implement high-speed,
secure quantum key communication between base stations and satellites, both in space and on
Earth. This technology will facilitate quantum key distribution (QKD) and pointing acquisition and
tracking (PAT) for satellite-to-satellite communications within the cosmos. The integration of LiFi
technology is poised to play a pivotal role in ISRO’s upcoming space exploration programs.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) inked between SAC/ISRO and Nav Wireless
Technologies spans a 3 year period, and is endorsed by the Department of Telecom (DoT). Notably,
Nav Wireless Technologies is the first Indian company to provide LiFi technology to SAC.

Hardik Soni, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Nav Wireless Technologies Pvt
Ltd, said “Very few space agencies in the world are currently using LiFi technology for secured
communication between base stations and for satellite communications around the globe.”

LiFi, also known as Light Fidelity, harnesses the transmission of data through a spectrum of light
beams, accommodating both indoor and outdoor environments. Additionally, it addresses the
connectivity challenges faced in rural regions where traditional fibre optic cables or networks are
not readily available.
ISRO has been partnering rapidly with companies to introduce new technologies and make space
exploration better and faster in the ever-growing space industry. The space organisation recently
partnered with Amazon Web services to help it integrate cloud technologies. India’s space industry
has been in the spotlight after the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3.

The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has entered into a partnership with Nav Wireless
Technologies to employ LiFi (Light Fidelity) technology for satellite communication in space.

This collaboration represents a significant shift in space communication technology, leveraging

optical wireless technologies over traditional Radio Frequency (RF) systems.

With the advent of LiFi, ISRO’s Space Applications Centre (SAC) aims to implement high-speed,
secure quantum key communication between base stations and satellites, both in space and on
Earth. This technology will facilitate quantum key distribution (QKD) and pointing acquisition and
tracking (PAT) for satellite-to-satellite communications within the cosmos. The integration of LiFi
technology is poised to play a pivotal role in ISRO’s upcoming space exploration programs.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) inked between SAC/ISRO and Nav Wireless
Technologies spans a 3 year period, and is endorsed by the Department of Telecom (DoT). Notably,
Nav Wireless Technologies is the first Indian company to provide LiFi technology to SAC.

Hardik Soni, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Nav Wireless Technologies Pvt
Ltd, said “Very few space agencies in the world are currently using LiFi technology for secured
communication between base stations and for satellite communications around the globe.”

LiFi, also known as Light Fidelity, harnesses the transmission of data through a spectrum of light
beams, accommodating both indoor and outdoor environments. Additionally, it addresses the
connectivity challenges faced in rural regions where traditional fibre optic cables or networks are
not readily available.

ISRO has been partnering rapidly with companies to introduce new technologies and make space
exploration better and faster in the ever-growing space industry. The space organisation recently
partnered with Amazon Web services to help it integrate cloud technologies. India’s space industry
has been in the spotlight after the successful launch of Chandrayaan-3.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source:https://analyticsindiamag.com/isro-to-use-lifi-for-satellite-communication/
Indian Express
10 October 2023
ISRO arm enters into MoU with Ahmedabad-based
space tech firm

The Ahmedabad unit of Space Applications Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research
Organization (ISRO) has signeds a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with city-
based Nav Wireless Technologies Pvt Ltd (NavTech) to use light-based high-speed communication
for satellite communication in space, an official release stated. Making the shift to optical wireless
technologies from radio frequency.

ISRO news, MoU with ahmedabad, ahmeada tech firm, Space Applications Centre, Indian Space
Research Organization, Nav Wireless Technologies Pvt Ltd. NavTech, indian express news

The Ahmedabad unit of Space Applications Centre (SAC) of the Indian Space Research
Organization (ISRO) has signeds a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with city-
based Nav Wireless Technologies Pvt Ltd (NavTech) to use light-based high-speed communication
for satellite communication in space, an official release stated.

Making the shift to optical wireless technologies from radio frequency in satellite communications,
SAC will use “high-speed, secure quantum key communication using light from base station to
satellite in space and terrestrial communication.”

According to the release, through this LiFi technology, SAC will be able to do the quantum key
distribution and pointing acquisition and tracking for satellite-to-satellite communications in the
space. This communication technology is “all set to be used in ISRO’s upcoming space exploration
programmes”, it added.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source:https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/isro-arm-enters-into-mou-with-
ahmedabad-based-space-tech-firm-8975551/
Telegraph India
10 October 2023
ISRO Scientist Unveils Space Exploration Missions at
SPACE India's EduOdyssey: Chandrayaan-3 and
Beyond

An exceptionally pedagogical journey unfolded as SPACE India, in collaboration with Kundan

Vidya Mandir Sr. Sec. School, Ludhiana, Punjab orchestrated a captivating interaction with
esteemed spokesperson of ISRO, Dr. Mamta Chauhan, Scientist/Engineer- SD, Geosciences
Department, IIRS, ISRO- Dehradun

The central focus of the event revolved around ISRO's latest project, Chandrayaan-3, which acted
as a driving force for EduOdyssey

An exceptionally pedagogical journey unfolded as SPACE India, in collaboration with Kundan

Vidya Mandir Sr. Sec. School, Ludhiana, Punjab orchestrated a captivating interaction with
esteemed spokesperson of ISRO, Dr. Mamta Chauhan, Scientist/Engineer- SD, Geosciences
Department, IIRS, ISRO- Dehradun. The event, titled EduOdyssey, presented an illuminating blend
of expertise and inquisitiveness, making a lasting impression on the students from various schools
in Punjab.

The central focus of the event revolved around ISRO's latest project, Chandrayaan-3, which acted
as a driving force for EduOdyssey. During the event, students gained comprehensive insights into
Chandrayaan 3’s soft landing, including details about the Vikram Lander's capabilities, the
automation of the engines, and Aditya L-1’s launch.

The distinguished presence of the chief guest, Dr. Mamta Chauhan, added a unique and remarkable
dimension to the event. An engaging Fireside Chat ensued between Dr. Chauhan and Mrs. Avani
Patwa, the CEO of SPACE Technology & Education Pvt. Ltd. (SPACE India). This interactive
dialogue not only allowed students to ask insightful questions but also aligned perfectly with the
event's primary objective: to ignite enthusiasm for science, space exploration, and advanced
technology among young minds.

During the conversation, Dr. Chauhan passionately discussed the vast potential and promising
career opportunities in the field of space. She emphasized the significance of pursuing careers in
Astrophysics and Aerospace modeling, highlighting the lucrative prospects these fields offer in the
future. This valuable insight served to inspire and guide the aspiring students toward fulfilling and
rewarding career paths in the realm of space and technology.

Beyond the discourse on Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya L-1, the event also provided a glimpse into
ISRO's ambitious future ventures in space exploration. Participants were offered a preview of
upcoming missions, including Gaganyaan, India's pioneering human spaceflight mission. The
evening culminated with a captivating Astronomy showcase by SPACE India, leaving attendees
awestruck.

“It was a truly exceptional and impeccably organized event. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to Shri
S. Somanath, (Chairman, ISRO), and Dr. R.P. Singh (Director, IIRS) for their invaluable
contributions. I would also like to express my deep appreciation for Dr. Sachin Bahmba (CMD,
SPACE India), Mrs. Avani Patwa (CEO, SPACE India), and their dedicated team, whose meticulous
planning made this event a success. I extend special compliments to Mr. Anand Prakash Sharma,
Principal of Kundan Vidya Mandir, Ludhiana, for fostering a strong scientific temperament among
the students.” stated Dr. Mamta Chauhan (Scientist/Engineer- SD, Geosciences Department, IIRS,
ISRO).

“We are deeply honored by the esteemed presence of Dr. Mamta Chauhan at EduOdyssey. We hold
the firm belief that her engagement has ignited a profound enthusiasm among our learners,
propelling them to tap into their full potential and pursue excellence in every dimension of their
lives", stated Mrs. Avani Patwa (CEO, SPACE India).

The joint endeavors of SPACE India and Kundan Vidya Mandir Sr. Sec. School in Ludhiana,
Punjab, left an unforgettable impression on the young students, who represent the future leaders of
tomorrow.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source:https://www.telegraphindia.com/edugraph/campus/isro-scientist-unveils-space-exploration-
missions-at-space-indias-eduodyssey-chandrayaan-3-and-beyond/cid/1972430
Analytics Indiamag
10 October 2023
This Indian Space Tech Startup is Building World’s
First Multisensor Satellite
GalaxEye aims to solve key problems with their satellite, like providing all-weather, intuitive
imagery globally and bridging the gap in visual imaging using generative AI

One of the persistent challenges in satellite imaging is the dearth of data, especially while using
multispectral or optical camera satellite imaging, where the presence of clouds hampers the
consistent capturing of data.

Clouds act as the natural barrier to optical cameras and multispectral imaging systems, creating data
gaps that impede the monitoring and analysis of Earth’s surface. This challenge is particularly
significant in time-sensitive scenarios like environmental monitoring, disaster response, and
agricultural assessments, where the obstruction caused by clouds not only disrupts the continuity of
observations but also compromises the accuracy and reliability of the gathered data.
GalaxEye to the Rescue

Recognising the severity of this challenge, Bengaluru-based space tech startup GalaxEye is in the
process of developing its own satellite — the world’s first multi-sensor micro-satellite called
‘Drishti Mission’ with data fusion capabilities.

Founded in 2021 by Suyash Singh, Denil Chawda, Kishan Thakkar, Pranit Mehta, Rakshit Bhatt,
and Prof S R Chakravarthy, GalaxEye operates on a Data-as-a-Service Model, enabling businesses
and governments to make informed decisions by leveraging insights from satellite data.

Originating from members of Avishkar Hyperloop, a global competition linked to SpaceX,

GalaxEye emerged as part of the FalconX immersion program 2022 in Silicon Valley, California.
Currently based in Bengaluru, it has evolved from the Hyperloop team at IIT-Madras.
They plan to launch Drishti Mission in collaboration with ISRO in the fourth quarter of 2024. They
have synchronised two complementary sensors, bridging the gap in visual imaging using generative
AI through data fusion and integrated synthetic aperture radar (SAR), known for its ability to
penetrate the clouds and provide X-ray-like imagery.

“Since the very beginning, our aim has been to render Earth observation feasible across various
industries,” said Suyash Singh, CEO and co-founder of GalaxEye, in an exclusive interview with
AIM.

He added that he combined multispectral and SAR technologies into a single sensor stack, creating
an all-weather, intuitive imagery system.

Addressing the alignment of GalaxEye’s initial mission with its current endeavours, Singh
explained, “Our strategy has always involved minimising costs and risks by gradually
demonstrating and maturing the technology. This approach, starting with aerial demonstrations
before moving to space, allows for iterative development and learning from failures in a stepwise
manner.”

The space tech startup recently secured $3.5 million in seed funding, with Special Invest leading the
investment round in December 2022. Other contributors include Artha India Ventures, Veda VC,
Anicut Capital, Upsparks, and a consortium of notable entrepreneurs such as Nithin Kamath of
Zerodha, Prashant Pitti of EaseMyTrip, Abhishek Goyal of Traxn and more.
Tech Stack

“While design and development activities are entirely internal, the manufacturing and assembly
were outsourced to the ecosystem,” said Singh. On the software side, the algorithms for geospatial
analysis, spanning applications from insurance to agriculture, are also made by the 35+ strong tech
team of GalaxEye.

The team primarily works with machine learning and deep learning frameworks. “We are also
experimenting with generative AI algorithms to make Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery
more interpretable,” he added. However, in Singh’s experience, there exist talent gaps in specialised
fields like radar algorithms and signal processing.

Discussing the internally developed data fusion technology, he emphasised its potential to provide
unique insights and data from space as it aims to enable satellite constellations to perform all-
weather imaging consistently, overcoming atmospheric challenges that affect existing single-sensor
satellites.

Once fully operational, the constellation is anticipated to achieve global coverage within a 12-hour
time frame. The ability to conduct continuous all-weather, all-time imaging, coupled with precise
object geometry analysis, offers significant benefits across various industries. These include
applications in insurance, precision agriculture, accurate property tax assessments, and the
monitoring of utilities such as transmission lines, among others.
Position of Indian Space Ecosystem

Singh, discussing India’s evolving space tech ecosystem, highlighted the complexity of determining
the minimum investment for a space mission, attributing it to the dynamic nature of the market.

Despite this challenge, he acknowledged, “We are witnessing a positive trend of growing interest
and investments in India’s space tech sector, making it a good time to be in this field.”
Additionally, collaboration between government and private players is one of the strong pillars of
Indian space tech, given the geopolitical significance that it holds. Singh stressed that such
collaboration plays a pivotal role, signifying a transition from a phase of learning to a more active
investment phase.

Last week, GalaxEye and drone tech firm ideaForge partnered to develop an innovative UAV
FOPEN Radar, enhancing aerial surveillance for security forces. The radar, overcoming obstacles
like clouds and foliage, will provide all-weather surveillance with real-time ground photography,
identifying concealed objects behind camouflage or dense vegetation.

GalaxEye has solidified collaborations and business agreements with prominent entities within the
space technology domain, such as Antaris Inc., a space software provider based in the US. Notably,
the company has forged partnerships with QL Space, XDLINX Labs, Ananth Technologies, and
Dassault System.

GalaxEye is committed to further broadening its network of alliances and clientele in the coming
months. Demonstrating its ambition, the company has submitted a proposal to IN-SPACe, seeking
endorsement and support from ISRO for its initiatives.

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Source:https://analyticsindiamag.com/this-indian-space-tech-startup-is-building-worlds-first-
multisensor-satellite/
NASA
10 October 2023
5 Things to Know About NASA’s Deep Space Optical
Communications
NASA’s DSOC is composed of a flight laser transceiver attached to Psyche and a ground system
that will send and receive laser signals. Clockwise from top left: the Psyche spacecraft with DSOC
attached, flight laser transceiver, downlink ground station at Palomar, and downlink detector.

Slated to launch on Oct. 12 with the Psyche mission, DSOC will demonstrate technologies enabling
the agency to transmit higher data rates from deep space.

NASA’s pioneering Deep Space Optical Communications (DSOC) experiment will be the first
demonstration of laser, or optical, communications from as far away as Mars. Launching with
NASA’s Psyche mission to a metal-rich asteroid of the same name on Thursday, Oct. 12, DSOC will
test key technologies designed to enable future missions to transmit denser science data and even
stream video from the Red Planet.

Here are five things to know about this cutting-edge technology demonstration:

1. DSOC is the first time NASA will test how lasers could increase data transmission from
deep space.

Until now, NASA has used only radio waves to communicate with missions that travel beyond the
Moon. Much like fiber optics replacing old telephone lines on Earth as demand for data grows,
going from radio communications to optical communications will allow increased data rates
throughout the solar system, with 10 to 100 times the capacity of state-of-the-art systems currently
used by spacecraft. This will better enable future human and robotic exploration missions, along
with supporting higher-resolution science instruments.
Learn more about how DSOC will be used to test high-bandwidth data transmission beyond the
Moon for the first time – and how it could transform deep space exploration. Credit: NASA/JPL-
Caltech

2. The tech demo involves equipment both in space and on Earth.

The DSOC flight laser transceiver is an experiment attached to NASA’s Psyche spacecraft, but
Psyche relies on traditional radio communications for mission operations. The laser transceiver
features both a near-infrared laser transmitter to send high-rate data to Earth and a sensitive photon-
counting camera to receive a laser beam sent from Earth. But the transceiver is just one part of the
technology demonstration.

There is no dedicated infrastructure on Earth for deep space optical communications, so for the
purposes of DSOC, two ground telescopes have been updated to communicate with the flight laser
transceiver. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California will host the operations team,
and a high-power near-infrared laser transmitter has been integrated with the Optical
Communications Telescope Laboratory at JPL’s Table Mountain facility near Wrightwood,
California. The transmitter will deliver a modulated laser signal to DSOC’s flight transceiver and
serve as a beacon, or pointing reference, so that the returned laser beam can be accurately aimed
back to Earth.

Data sent from the flight transceiver will be collected by the 200-inch (5.1-meter) Hale Telescope at
Caltech’s Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, which has been equipped with a
special superconducting high-efficiency detector array.

3. DSOC will encounter unique challenges.

DSOC is intended to demonstrate high-rate transmission of data of distances up to 240 million

miles (390 million kilometers) – more than twice the distance between the Sun and Earth – during
the first two years of Psyche’s six-year journey to the asteroid belt.

The farther Psyche travels from our planet, the fainter the laser photon signal will become, making
it increasingly challenging to decode the data. As an additional challenge, the photons will take
longer to reach their destination, creating a lag of over 20 minutes at the tech demo’s farthest
distance. Because the positions of Earth and the spacecraft will be constantly changing as the
photons travel, the DSOC ground and flight systems will need to compensate, pointing to where the
ground receiver (at Palomar) and flight transceiver (on Psyche) will be when the photons arrive.

4. Cutting-edge technologies will work together to make sure the lasers are on target and
high-bandwidth data is received from deep space.

The flight laser transceiver and ground-based laser transmitter will need to point with great
precision. Reaching their targets will be akin to hitting a dime from a mile away while the dime is
moving. So the transceiver needs to be isolated from the spacecraft vibrations, which would
otherwise nudge the laser beam off target. Initially, Psyche will aim the flight transceiver in the
direction of Earth while autonomous systems on the flight transceiver assisted by the Table
Mountain uplink beacon laser will control the pointing of the downlink laser signal to Palomar
Observatory.

Integrated onto the Hale Telescope is a cryogenically cooled superconducting nanowire photon-
counting array receiver, developed by JPL. The instrument is equipped with high-speed electronics
for recording the time of arrival of single photons so that the signal can be decoded. The DSOC
team even developed new signal-processing techniques to squeeze information out of the weak laser
signals that will have been transmitted over tens to hundreds of millions of miles.

This is a close-up of the downlink detector prototype that was used to develop the detector attached
to DSOC’s receiving ground station at Palomar. The active area – at the center of the dark square –
measures about 0.0126 inches (0.32 millimeters) across. It can detect a billion photons per second.

5. This is NASA’s latest optical communications project.

In 2013, NASA’s Lunar Laser Communications Demonstration tested record-breaking uplink and
downlink data rates between Earth and the Moon. In 2021, NASA’s Laser Communications Relay
Demonstration launched to test high-bandwidth optical communications relay capabilities from
geostationary orbit so that spacecraft don’t require a direct line of sight with Earth to communicate.
And last year, NASA’s TeraByte InfraRed Delivery system downlinked the highest-ever data rate
from a satellite in low-Earth orbit to a ground-based receiver.

DSOC is taking optical communications into deep space, paving the way for high-bandwidth
communications beyond the Moon and 1,000 times farther than any optical communications test to
date. If it succeeds, the technology could lead to high-data rate communications with streaming,
high-definition imagery that will help support humanity’s next giant leap: when NASA sends
astronauts to Mars.
More About the Mission

DSOC is the latest in a series of optical communication demonstrations funded by NASA’s

Technology Demonstration Missions (TDM) program and the agency’s Space Communications and
Navigation (SCaN) program. JPL, a division of Caltech in Pasadena, California, manages DSOC for
TDM within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and SCaN within the agency’s Space
Operations Mission Directorate.
The Psyche mission is led by Arizona State University. JPL is responsible for the mission’s overall
management, system engineering, integration and test, and mission operations. Psyche is the 14th
mission selected as part of NASA’s Discovery Program, managed by the agency’s Marshall Space
Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. NASA’s Launch Services Program, based at the agency’s
Kennedy Space Center, is managing the launch service. Maxar Technologies in Palo Alto,
California, provided the high-power solar electric propulsion spacecraft chassis.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source:https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/stmd/tech-demo-missions-program/deep-space-optical-
communications-dsoc/5-things-to-know-about-nasas-deep-space-optical-communications/
Space Daily
10 October 2023
Russian ISS segment springs third leak in under a year

The Russian segment of the International Space Station (ISS) sprung its third coolant leak in under
a year Monday, raising new questions about the reliability of the country's space program even as
officials said crew members were not in danger.

Flakes of frozen coolant spraying into space were seen in an official live feed of the orbital lab
provided by NASA around 1:30 pm Eastern Time (1730 GMT), and confirmed in radio chatter
between US mission control and astronauts.
"The Nauka module of the Russian segment of the ISS has suffered a coolant leak from the external
(backup) radiator circuit, which was delivered to the station in 2012," Russian space agency
Roscosmos said on Telegram, adding temperatures remained normal in the affected unit.
"Nothing is threatening the crew and the station," added the statement.
Nauka, which means "science" in Russian and is also known as the Multipurpose Laboratory
Module-Upgrade (MLM), launched in 2021.
US mission control in Houston could be heard asking astronauts on the American side to
investigate.
"Hi, we're seeing flakes outside, we need a crew to go to the cupola, we think windows five or six,
and confirm any visual flakes," an official said to the astronauts.
"There's a leak coming from the radiator on MLM," NASA astronaut Jasmin Moghbeli replied a
little later.
NASA later confirmed the events in a statement Monday, saying that "the crew aboard (the) station
was never in any danger," and that the leak was coming from Nauka's backup radiator.
"The primary radiator on Nauka is working normally, providing full cooling to the module with no
impacts to the crew or to space station operations," NASA said, adding that the crew "was asked to
close the shutters on US segment windows as a precaution against contamination."
- 'Something systematic' -
This is the third coolant leak to hit the Russian side of the ISS in less than a year.
On December 15, 2022, dramatic NASA TV images showed white particles resembling snowflakes
streaming out of the rear of a docked Soyuz MS-22 spacecraft for several hours.
Speculation about the cause centered on an unlucky strike by a tiny space rock, or micro meteorite.
That spaceship returned to Earth uncrewed, and then another uncrewed Soyuz was sent to replace it
a few months later. Two Russians and an American crew had to stay for a year-long mission as a
result, returning home only last month.
A similar leak in mid-February also affected the Russian Progress MS-21 cargo ship, which had
been docked to the ISS since October 2022.
The succession of leaks lowers the probability they were caused by meteorites.
Space analyst Jonathan McDowell told AFP: "You've got three coolant systems leaking -- there's a
common thread there. One is whatever, two is a coincidence, three is something systematic," he
said, speculating that a subcontractor company may be at fault.
"It really just emphasises the degrading reliability of Russian space systems. When you add it to the
context of their failed Moon probe in August, they're not looking great."
The Russian space sector, which has historically been the pride of the country, has been facing
difficulties for years, between lack of funding, failures and corruption scandals.
The ISS is one of the few areas of cooperation still ongoing between Moscow and Washington since
the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine and the international sanctions that followed.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Source:https://www.spacedaily.com/reports/
Russian_ISS_segment_springs_third_leak_in_under_a_year_999.html
The Space Review
10 October 2023
With a tweet, America has joined the race to develop
astroelectricity—hopefully!

As the European Space Agency and other governments fund space solar power initiatives, the US
government may be showing renewed interest.
In a September 21 tweet, US Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jennifer Granholm suggested
that space(-based) solar power (SSP) was now a part of the clean energy mix DOE is pursuing. This
off-the-cuff announcement followed preliminary work begun last year by NASA—for the third time
—to study SSP. While this announcement has not yet been characterized as an admission by DOE
that their decades-long quest for practicable terrestrial sustainable energy has failed, this is exactly
what the formal expansion of DOE’s clean energy mandate to include SSP really is. The world is
now entering the “Age of Astroelectricity” where SSP-generated astroelectricity will not only
substantially power the world (and America) with abundant clean energy, but it will, as Gerard
O’Neill forecast a half-century ago, necessitate the permanent human settlement of the central solar
system.

How we got here—a personal view

This important recent step by DOE is the result of a quest for more than a decade by many around
the world to advocate for SSP. In early 2007, I was invited to support a small, informal study of SSP
undertaken by the National Security Space Office (NSSO) in the Department of Defense (DOD).
Aware of John Mankins’ past efforts at NASA and his ongoing private efforts to advance SSP-
enabling technologies, NSSO recognized the game-changing nature of powering America and the
world with SSP. The opening paragraph of the forward to that study’s report, “Space-Based Solar
Power as an Opportunity for Strategic Security”, stated:
 Preventing resource conflicts in the face of increasing global populations and demands
in the 21st century is a high priority for the Department of Defense. All solution options
to these challenges should be explored, including opportunities from space.

My joining the Mankins-led study team was to provide support for the space logistics capabilities
(astrologistics) needed to jumpstart the in-space research and development of key SSP technologies
and in-space manufacturing and assembly. While the Space Shuttle was then still operational, it was
recognized that more robust and safer astrologistics capabilities were needed. I was asked to join the
study team based on my previous astrologistics concept exploration efforts while working as a
civilian engineer at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and as having been the chairman of
the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Space Logistics Technical
Committee.
Recall that in 2007 the United States was still in the grips of This important recent step by DOE is
its decades-long substantial dependence on imported oil and the result of a quest for more than a
natural gas, a national energy security dependency that had decade by many around the world to
dragged America into persistent and very costly warfare in advocate for SSP.
the Middle East. The commercial fracking revolution that has since substantially increased
America’s oil and gas technically-recoverable resources, enabling America to, at least temporarily,
return to domestic energy independence was still in the future. The geopolitical importance of oil,
along with oil’s global market price, was near an historic high point. Consequently, America was
committing tremendous national resources to sustain America’s precarious foreign oil and gas
economic lifeline through both military expenditures and substantial foreign oil and gas purchases.
(At that time, as shown below, America was importing around 60% of its oil.)

Later in 2007, the geographically dispersed study team gathered to report our findings. At the “meet
everyone” dinner, as the study lead, John Mankins spoke to the assembled group. He gave a very
encouraging talk on the future potential and need for SSP. In his presentation, Mankins presented
top-level estimates of the growing global need for energy and how SSP could significantly help to
meet these needs—a topic first addressed in the 1970s by Professor Gerard O’Neill in his still
inspiring book, The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space. So convincing were his explanations
that it left me wondering why SSP was not enthusiastically embraced by the federal government,
then still seeking long-term sustainable energy security as it is today. After all, America’s 2007 oil
insecurity was comparable to that of America’s first oil supply crisis 40 years earlier that prompted
the original extensive NASA and DOE SSP investigations in the late 1970s and early 1980s. So,
why wasn’t SSP in 2007 a DOE and NASA priority? (In fact, why isn’t it today?)
After the NSSO study concluded and the team went their separate ways—and with the Pentagon
losing interest in SSP as warfare in the Middle East intensified—I focused on answering the implicit
“why” question. In 2008, I published the white paper, “The End of Easy Energy and What to Do
About It”. It was an extensive 127-page quantitative assessment of energy needs and sustainable
energy options. The paper’s abstract summarizes my findings:
Easy energy refers to the current oil, coal, and natural gas energy sources that provide
about 86% of the U.S.’s and the world’s energy. An increasing average world per capita
demand for easy energy combined with a growing U.S. and world population will
exhaust recoverable resources of easy energy this century, probably within the lifetime
of today’s young children. Current sustainable nuclear and renewable energy sources
provide only about 14% of the world’s electricity and modern fuel needs. To meet the
world’s projected 3X increase in energy needs by 2100, if not decades earlier, today’s
sustainable energy production must expand by a factor of over 24X. This paper’s
assessment of the energy production potential of conventional nuclear, geothermal,
wind, ground solar electric, and land biomass finds that these will fall significantly short
of both the U.S.’s or the world’s 2100 sustainable energy needs. To fill the substantial
sustainable energy shortfall that will emerge by 2100 as the era of easy energy ends,
space solar power and algae biodiesel—absent the extensive use of advanced nuclear
energy and/or undersea methane hydrates—will need to be substantially developed.
Space solar power will be needed to supply most of the U.S.’s and the world’s
dispatchable electrical power generation capacity while hydrogen produced with off-
peak space solar power electricity and algae biodiesel will be needed to fill the fuels
shortfall.

Noting that algae-based fuels have not developed as a viable energy source and that sustainable
clean carbon fuels produced from clean hydrogen and captured carbon dioxide are better for general
use than hydrogen alone, my paper’s findings have generally remained valid. Given these clear
quantitative findings justifying why SSP was needed (updated as discussed below), I remained
puzzled on why the federal government, particularly DOE and NASA, were not aggressively
pursuing SSP. Perhaps, I thought, the 2008 presidential election, bringing a change in
administrations and, potentially, energy policies would correct this oversight.
The outcome of the 2008 presidential election was substantially influenced by the oil price-driven
banking crisis immediately preceding the election. Unfortunately, with the election of Barack
Obama and Joe Biden, the “green movement” long hidden in the shadows of the federal government
took unabashed administrative control of US energy and environmental policies. At the same time,
renewed growth of DOE’s “nuclear roots” aimed to make good on the half-century-old goal of
acceptably safe nuclear fission power. In addition, fervent opposition from the environmental
movement arose to renewing America’s domestic fossil carbon fuel energy security using the new
emerging commercial technology of guided drilling and hydraulic fracturing, aka “fracking”.
Consequently, advancing terrestrial renewable energy sources and pursuing renewed nuclear fission
power plant designs moved to center stage in terms of DOE research and development priorities.
Meanwhile, the organizationally aging NASA was generally happy with conducting repeated Space
Shuttle “expeditions” to the International Space Station (ISS).
In 2011, the Obama/Biden administration retired the shuttle. As a result, America was relying on
Russia for access to the ISS. Indicative of the general technological planning ineptitude of that
administration, for the first time in US history, a key national logistics infrastructure capability was
ended without a better replacement taking its place. (This “accomplishment” is about to be repeated
with the planned abandonment of the ISS in 2031.) Ending the shuttle without an improved, fully
reusable, and airworthiness-certified human space access capability ready to replace it, something
that has been achievable by America’s aerospace industry since the mid-1980s, effectively closed
the door on federal support for SSP. Without the ability to safely reach and operate in space,
something NASA’s first SSP studies clearly identified in the 1970s and 1980s as being essential,
SSP remained a dream.
The possibility of focused federal support for SSP diminished further when President Obama signed
the Paris Agreement in 2015 in which SSP was glaringly absent—in fact, any real technological
solution to the world’s need for abundant clean energy was absent. (I was informed that some in the
Obama Administration were aware of my earlier SSP efforts.) Regrettably, the Paris Agreement
made repressive global energy policies, now exemplified by the “Great Reset” and the “Green New
Deal”, the focus of US and global misnamed “progressive” politicians. (In 2021, the Biden
Administration renewed America’s pledge to support the Paris Agreement, illustrating the green
movement’s continuing, carefully hidden, almost subversive control of US energy policies.) With
the Paris Agreement, SSP was essentially a “dead” topic in the federal government.

The tide is now changing due to growing international support for SSP
Implementation of the Paris Agreement evolved into national “net-zero by 2050” pledges—
referring to ending anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions from the use of fossil carbon fuels by
2050. Over the last decade, advancing the Paris Agreement/net-zero agenda have become a key
progressive litmus test not only for politicians but also for journalists, climate scientists, social
media magnates, CEOs, and many of the world’s rich and famous. Undergirding this net-zero
political pressure has been incessant claims blaming supposed anthropogenic-driven global
warming and climate change for just about any disaster that comes along.
However, recently this misinformation-driven propaganda Many European countries, faced with
has been collapsing. For the last several decades, the increased energy costs and heightened
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)— energy insecurity due to Russia’s
created to summarize key climate-related research—has invasion of Ukraine, are facing
been the primary governmental organization warning of consumer backlash in upcoming
elections about aggressive net-zero
pending environmental catastrophe should the repressive
transition plans.
net-zero policies arising from the Paris Agreement not be
met. In July 2023, Jim Shea was elected as the new IPCC chair. Following Shea’s election, he was
widely quoted as saying, “Climate change is an existential threat to our planet.” Yet, just four days
later, Shea was quoted as clarifying his remarks with, “If you constantly communicate the message
that we are all doomed to extinction, then that paralyzes people and prevents them from taking the
necessary steps to get a grip on climate change. The world won’t end if it warms by more than 1.5
degrees," Shea told Der Spiegel. “It will however be a more dangerous world.” (More on this point
later.)
What has happened is that the need for repressive energy policies has not been supported by tested
scientific hypotheses. To make up this deficiency, the IPCC staff’s own opinions have largely
become the substantive basis of their intended policy-influencing reports. As one recent scientific
paper’s author publicly admitted, slanting the results of the published summary of their scientific
work to match the expectations of editorial staffs has apparently become common to get one’s work
published to advance one’s career and secure future funding. If true, then the IPCC has become a
self-licking ice cream cone.
Recently, Bill Gates, speaking at British Prince William’s Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit, said,
“There’s a lot of climate exaggeration… The climate is not the end of the planet. So the planet is
going to be fine.” (Gates apparently uses “climate” in these remarks in place of “climate change”
and “global warming”.)
In remarks following that summit, Gates emphasized that climate policies will not be successful
using what he characterized as “brute force” approaches. “If you try to climate brute force, you will
get people who say, ‘I like climate but I don’t want to bear that cost and reduce my standard of
living,’” said Gates. “With innovation, it’s unlikely, particularly in middle-income countries, that
the brute force approach will be successful.”
Recently, Britain—a longtime leading “net-zero by 2050” supporter—has backed off its previously
announced transition plans due to added costs and unrealistic goals. On September 20, 2023, British
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in his speech on net zero, said:
But what I have concluded during my time so far as Prime Minister, is that those
decisions - the decisions that could bring real change, change that could alter the
trajectory of our country - can be so caveated, so influenced by special interests, so
lacking in debate and fundamental scrutiny that we’ve stumbled into a consensus about
the future of our country, that no one seems to be happy with.

And this is because too often, motivated by short term thinking, politicians have taken
the easy way out. Telling people the bits they want to hear, and not necessarily always
the bits they need to hear.

We must reduce our emissions. And when I look at our economic future, I see huge
opportunities in green industry. The change in our economy is as profound as the
industrial revolution and I’m confident that we can lead the world now as we did then.
So, I’ll have no truck with anyone saying we lack ambition.

But there’s nothing ambitious about simply asserting a goal for a short-term headline
without being honest with the public about the tough choices and sacrifices involved
and without any meaningful democratic debate about how we get there.

The Climate Change Committee have rightly said you don’t reach net zero simply by
wishing it. Yet that’s precisely what previous governments have done – both Labour and
Conservative. No one in Westminster politics has yet had the courage to look people in
the eye and explain what’s really involved. That’s wrong – and it changes now.

Now I believe deeply that when you ask most people about climate change, they want to
do the right thing, they’re even prepared to make sacrifices. But it cannot be right for
Westminster to impose such significant costs on working people especially those who
are already struggling to make ends meet and to interfere so much in people’s way of
life without a properly informed national debate.
Coincidentally with the Prime Minister’s speech, the British non-profit Civitas: Institute for the
Study of Civil Society released “Net Zero: an analysis of the economic impact”. The study
predicted that the UK’s cost to implement “net-zero” would rise from the UK Government’s
projected £1.3 trillion to, “at least”, £4.58 trillion. This is for a UK population of only about 70
million.
Many European countries, faced with increased energy costs and heightened energy insecurity due
to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, are also facing consumer backlash in upcoming elections about
aggressive net-zero transition plans. As a result, backing off on “net-zero” pledges is not exclusive
to Britain. In Europe, Germany is restarting coal plants to help ensure that their future electricity
generation needs are met. Germany is also delaying the imposition of climate protection-related
building codes due to affordable middle-class housing shortages. Britain and France are delaying
announced bans on gas-fired boilers while Britain will also delay an announced ban on conventional
petrol-fueled cars.
Similarly, Australia is also wrestling with how to achieve net zero. One recent news article included
an estimate for Australia—with a population of only 26 million—that switching from coal to small
nuclear fission power plants for electricity generation would cost an estimated $249 billion (US).
That’s $10,000 per person for eliminating just a modest percentage of their overall use of fossil
carbon fuels.
As the peoples of the free nations of the world are now This growing political honesty in
coming to understand, the post-World War II progressive achieving “net-zero” has now opened
political movement is failing on a broad range of important the door to official renewed interest in
policy areas, particularly regarding protecting the SSP-generated astroelectricity.
environment while enabling robust global sustainable energy development. As mentioned, Sunak
questioned the veracity of “simply asserting a goal for a short-term headline without being honest
with the public about the tough choices and sacrifices involved and without any meaningful
democratic debate about how we get there.” This failure has been very evident in both the Obama
and Biden Administrations’ fervent pursuit of the Paris Agreement and net-zero environmental and
energy policies.
It is important to segregate the goals of achieving net-zero anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions
and global robust sustainable energy supplies from the abusive and ineffective progressive political
Great Reset and Green New Deal means of achieving these goals. While the goals are moral and
warrant political support, the mentioned means are not and must be abandoned. Honorable
politicians will recognize this to be true and respond accordingly, like Sunak.
This growing political honesty in achieving “net-zero” has now opened the door to official renewed
interest in SSP-generated astroelectricity—the enabling “innovation” that Gates mentioned. Japan
has expressed interest in SSP, as has China. Both Japan and China seek an in-space substantial SSP
demonstration in the coming years. The European Space Agency has created the Solaris project
with similar goals. It is noteworthy that they recently sponsored a substantive study of a lunar SSP
architecture undertaken by Astrostrom (German for astroelectricity). Clearly, the world’s “go clean”
political momentum is shifting away from terrestrial options towards astroelectricity. In fact, a new
SSP-focused space race is getting underway as the world comes to understand that astroelectricity is
the world’s new “oil” in terms of its future geopolitical importance.
My current quantitative-based findings favoring SSP
Several times since completing the 2008 white paper, I have updated the underlying quantitative
analysis justifying the need for SSP. I summarized my most recent effort in a four-part series
published in the fall of 2022 in The Space Review. Here are the key findings and conclusions:
 To achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), an orderly
worldwide transition to globally available clean energy should be the world’s primary peace-
and prosperity-focused priority. Without abundant and middle-class affordable clean energy,
the SDGs are unachievable.
 Enabling free peoples, through their earnest efforts, to achieve the equivalent of a European
middle-class standard of living should, as a minimum, be the target outcome of achieving
the SDGs.
 To implement an orderly transition to clean energy to enable a European middle-class
standard of living, each one million people will require seven to nine gigawatts of equivalent
continuous electrical power—abbreviated as GWc.
 For a population of 10 billion, the world will need 70,000 to 90,000 GWc of clean energy to
achieve the SDGs. For perspective, this is equivalent to 35,000 to 45,000 Hoover Dams
operating continuously.
 For a world population of 10 billion using terrestrial wind and ground solar power, a land
area three times the size of Africa covered in wind farms, or 1.5 times the area of Australia
covered in ground solar farms, would be needed to meet the SDGs. Obviously, these are
impracticable solutions highlighting that the current terrestrial renewables-focused net-zero
efforts will fail.
 For a world population of 10 billion, if using nuclear fission power—with a plant capacity
factor of 90%—the world would need roughly 78,000 one-gigawatt reactors. Each year,
roughly 80 million kilograms of plutonium or U-233—both capable of being used for
nuclear weapons—would need to be bred to fuel these reactors. For many reasons, “going
nuclear” is extremely unwise and clearly not a scalable “clean energy” solution.
 To fully embrace nuclear fission power today as America’s clean energy solution would
require more than 10,000 one-gigawatt reactors or, perhaps, as many as 100,000 small
modular reactors. These would need to be fueled with 10 million kilograms of bred
plutonium or U-233 each year.
 For a world population of 10 billion using a combination of 80% SSP-generated
astroelectricity and 20% ground solar-generated electricity, the total land area needed would
be roughly 2.3 million square kilometers—substantially less than either the wind or ground
solar solutions. Further, the combined terrestrial astroelectric/ground solar plants can be
geographically widely located to enable a robust global clean energy equitable solution, as
shown below.
Note that current US per-person energy use is more than twice that of Europe. In fact, current
European per-person energy use is about where the US was in the 1920s. This fact emphasizes the
need for America to adopt practicable means and timelines for its orderly transition to clean energy
to avoid the repressive “brute force” approaches currently sought by fervent environmentalists with
the willing support of the Biden Administration.

How the clean energy political winds (pardon the pun) need to shift at DOE
Drawing on my quantitative estimates summarized above, the Energy Secretary’s tweet must
grudgingly reflect acknowledgement that its past prioritization of terrestrial renewable and nuclear
fission energy has been in error. Otherwise, there would be no quantitative basis for including SSP.
DOE’s stated mission is “to ensure America's security and prosperity by addressing its energy,
environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions.” As
my analysis shows, scaling up wind and ground solar power or nuclear fission power to enable
America to achieve net-zero, while keeping America energy secure and prosperous, is not
practicable. Hence, the quantitative-driven need for DOE to now embrace SSP is clear.
In doing so, DOE policy emphasis and funding priorities will necessarily shift to SSP at the expense
of wind power and nuclear power. With this shift, America will be entering the new space race to
master the Age of Astroelectricity that will enable the world to peacefully achieve the UN SDGs
with globally abundant clean energy. Moreover, America will be fulfilling the “freedom from want”
pledge made by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941 that requires free peoples to have
abundant, middle-class affordable supplies of industrial energy.
Continued research advancing solar photovoltaic power generation will benefit both the space- and
ground solar-components of the integrated space/ground solar power solution discussed above.
Continued research into small modular molten-salt thorium-based nuclear fission reactors is also
warranted to replace current aging reactors and for their possible use in space.
Regarding Shea’s “dangerous world” remark
Recall Shea’s remarks, “Climate change is an existential threat to our planet” and “It will however
be a more dangerous world.” A key failure of the IPCC was its attempt to associate “climate
change” with only possible anthropogenic-driven climate changes. It is clear that climate scientists
still poorly understand the natural forcing functions dominating the Earth’s changing climate. Over
the past several million years, the global climate has been driven by these forcing functions to
oscillate between lengthy periods of extreme glaciation interspersed with much shorter periods of
abnormally warm temperatures such as we are now experiencing. A natural climatic return to
glaciation will destroy much of our industrial culture and, thus, is a true existential threat. For this
reason, we still live in a “dangerous world”.
At this time, we are unable to do anything to prevent a The Energy Secretary’s off-the-cuff
natural return to glaciation. However, that is not the only tweet may turn out to be the important
existential threat we face. As everyone understands, fossil first step for DOE to recast its
carbon fuels are non-sustainable. The prosperity and peace priorities and policies to favor the
of our industrial culture requires abundant middle-class development of astroelectricity as the
primary means for an orderly
supplies of affordable energy. As the history of the last 120
transition to clean energy.
years shows, global energy insecurity prompts warfare.
And, as Gates noted, the current “brute force” approaches of the fervent environmental movement
to move to clean energy—whole-heartedly embraced by the Biden Administration—are not
working.
Today, the primary existential threat the world faces is another world war by nuclear-armed nations
should middle-class affordable supplies of fossil carbon fuels diminish without replacement by
affordable supplies of practicable clean energy becoming globally available. Candidly, the Obama
Administration’s on-going legacy of “brute force” poor energy and environmental policies—
currently continuing in the Biden Administration—are the root cause of this threat. This is because
America’s political proxy war against fossil carbon fuels energizes the global fervent environmental
movement and backstops many progressive politicians’ “climate” misinformation.
This clear political existential threat must now be removed while we have the time and the needed
economic resources to bring abundant clean energy to the world. The Energy Secretary’s off-the-
cuff tweet may turn out to be the important first step for DOE to recast its priorities and policies to
favor the development of astroelectricity as the primary means for an orderly transition to clean
energy.

Setting net-zero by 2100 as the rational global goal

The primary global treaty addressing environmental protection and possible anthropogenic-caused
climate change is the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFC3). Following that
treaty’s adoption in 1992, a second formal treaty was pursued to define the specific actions needed
to achieve the UNFC3’s goals. After several aborted attempts, the Paris Agreement was created in
2015 for this purpose.
While the UNFC3 treaty intentionally did not include any legally mandated carbon dioxide
emission reduction actions, the Paris Agreement would require nations to adopt specific targets.
While President Obama signed the agreement, it was not submitted to the Senate for consideration
due to its expected lack of sufficient Senate support. Instead, the Obama/Biden Administration
generally pursued implementing the agreement through regulatory and non-legislative judicial
means sidestepping the legislative power of Congress. These have become the failing “brute force”
methods aimed at achieving the highly ambitious net-zero by 2050 goals mentioned earlier.
When the Paris Agreement was signed, then-president of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, desired
that the agreement would establish a “clear path to net zero before 2100”. Hence, instead of the
unrealistic “net-zero by 2050” goal, the more achievable “net-zero by 2100” goal should be adopted
to provide sufficient time for an orderly transition from fossil carbon fuels to clean energy.
However, to be clear, this does not mean just ending the use of fossil carbon fuels by 2100 but
replacing these with the abundant global clean energy needed to enable a universal European
middle-class standard of living necessary to achieve the SDGs.

Can net-zero by 2100 be achieved?

Is net-zero by 2100 feasible? Technologically, I would argue in the affirmative. Recall that it was
only 22 years from breaking the sound barrier in 1947 to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landing
on the Moon in 1969. Today, the US aerospace industry has substantial industrial and operational
mastery that past efforts by NASA and the space side of the Air Force—now the Space Force—have
not effectively utilized since the 1980s. There is substantial American industrial prowess yet to be
tapped that can be used to aggressively pursue the development of SSP.
To look at feasibility from an economic perspective, an engineer’s “back of the envelope” estimate
will be helpful. Recall the Civitas estimate of £4.58 trillion ($5.59 trillion) to achieve net-zero by
2050 for a UK population of about 70 million today. For a world population of 10,000 million, this
would equate to $800 trillion. The current size of the world economy is about $100 trillion.
Assuming no growth through 2100, the total economic activity grows to $7,500 trillion. Of this
total, the transition cost to net-zero would require about 10 percent of the world’s economic activity.
Of course, the world’s economy will continue to grow, typically about 4% per year provided there is
ample affordable energy during the transition. Thus, it is reasonable to expect the needed clean
energy transition cost percentage will fall significantly while the cost of implementation will also
fall due to technological advancements.

Conclusion
For reasons not now known, DOE may have entered the United States into the forthcoming global
space race to pursue the world’s new oil—astroelectricity. A simple, short tweet was all it took. The
result will be an exciting future for America as we reorganize our immense national resources to
participate—if not lead—the world’s transition to a true human spacefaring civilization,
permanently settling and industrializing the central solar system to make the Earth clean energy
secure with abundant astroelectricity. What America needs to do now is to chart an effective path
spaceward to make this goal achievable!

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Source:https://www.thespacereview.com/article/4665/1