India has delayed the first test flight of its human-rated GSLV Mark 3 rocket until the spring of 2014.
India has delayed the first test flight of its human-rated GSLV Mark 3 rocket until the spring of 2014.
Tag: India
India has successfully tested a homebuilt engine to be used in its more powerful geosynchronous launch rocket, set for launch in July.
The competition heats up: India has successfully tested a homebuilt engine to be used in its more powerful geosynchronous launch rocket, set for launch in July. More here.
Previous launches of the GSLV rocket used a Russian-built engine on a second stage. They also ended in failure, not because of the Russian equipment but because of other problems.
India successfully launched seven satellites into orbit today on a single launch.
The competition heats up: India successfully launched seven satellites into orbit today on a single launch.
India’s space agency celebrated its 100th launch today.
The competition heats up: India’s space agency celebrated its 100th launch today.
It is unclear whether the numbers include their failed launches. Regardless, India has a vibrant space program, modeled somewhat after the Russian system, a government space agency focused on gaining commercial market share. Whether that model can successfully compete in the commercial world remains unknown. Russia has had success, but only during a period when they were faced with few competitors. Now that the competition is heating up it is unclear whether Russia’s model will be flexible enough to compete.
What is clear about India, however, is that they are passionate about space exploration. Historically, even the Russian government model has worked when the country using it was the new kid on the block.
Using today’s most advanced climate models Indian meteorologists were still unable to correctly predict this year’s monsoon rainfall.
The uncertainty of science: Using today’s most advanced climate computer models and data, Indian meteorologists were still unable to correctly predict this year’s monsoon rainfall.
The rains during the four-month-long monsoon season (June to September) – accounting for more than 80% of India’s annual rainfall – is crucial for the agricultural economy. In April, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had predicted that the monsoon season would see normal or above-average rainfall. On 2 August, however, it confessed that more than half of India has received “deficient or scanty” rains, and that the monsoon rainfall for the entire country is likely to be 19.7 % less than normal.
Because they were trying to predict a long term weather pattern, the overall rainfall produced by the yearly monsoon, this prediction was not unlike most of the climate temperature predictions produced by the IPCC’s global warming climate scientists. Moreover, this monsoon prediction likely used similar algorithms and the same data as the IPCC models.
Thus, this failed prediction of monsoon rainfall gives us another peek into the accuracy of those global warming climate models. And that peek is not encouraging. It suggests once again that we should not yet put much faith in the predictive accuracy of the IPCC’s models. The science is simply not advanced enough yet.
India’s government has okayed the launch of an unmanned probe to Mars.
The competition heats up: India’s government has okayed the launch of an unmanned probe to Mars.
India is in the process of biometrically identifying every one of it 1.2 billion citizens.
Orwell would be proud: India is in the process of biometrically identifying every one of it 1.2 billion citizens.
Destroying polio: only three nations left to go.
Destroying polio: only three nations left to go.
It is revealing that the only three nations where polio still survives — Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan — happen to be poor, corrupt, and heavily dominated or influenced by Islam. Moreover, the article notes that India just celebrated its first full year free from polio, even though it had been thought that the country would be a difficult challenge given its high population density and what the article calls “poor hygiene.” We shouldn’t be surprised, however. Since India abandoned socialism in the early 1990s and embraced capitalism and freedom, the country has thrived. And with increased wealth comes better education and better living conditions, both of which will aid in getting the population to cooperate in this effort.
India yesterday successfully launched its own all-weather imaging satellite.
The competition continues to heat up: India yesterday successfully launched its own all-weather imaging satellite.
Indian scientists, using data from their lunar probe Chandrayaan-1, have found evidence for past volcanic activity on the central peak of the crater Tycho.
Indian scientists, using data from their lunar probe Chandrayaan-1, have found evidence for past volcanic activity on the central peak of the crater Tycho.
According to Indian officials, Russia and India are near agreement on a preliminary design for the joint development of a hypersonic cruise missile.
Leaving us in the dust: According to Indian officials, Russia and India are near agreement on a preliminary design for the joint development of a hypersonic cruise missile.
India’s second lunar probe, Chandrayaan-2, faces possible launch delays
India’s second lunar probe, Chandrayaan-2, faces possible launch delays due to limitation in their rocket engine capabilities.