Boeing Replaces Starliner Program Chief Amid Ongoing Challenges Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft program has undergone a leadership change as Mark Nappi steps down from his role. John Mulholland, previously managing Boeing’s International Space Station (ISS) program, has been appointed as the new head. Boeing confirmed the change on Thursday, stating that Nappi, who has overseen Starliner since 2022, will now focus on streamlining operations across Boeing’s space division before retiring next month. Starliner’s Troubles and Leadership Shifts Mulholland, who led the Starliner program from 2011 to 2020 before transitioning to the ISS program, returns at a critical time. Boeing’s Starliner, developed…
Author: Kanika Sharma
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SoftBank Plans Up to $25 Billion Investment in OpenAI SoftBank Group Corp (9984.T) is reportedly in discussions to invest between $15 billion and $25 billion in OpenAI, the Microsoft-backed artificial intelligence company. According to a source familiar with the matter, this move aligns with the Japanese conglomerate’s continued push into the AI sector. SoftBank’s Expanding Role in OpenAI and Stargate A portion of SoftBank’s investment may contribute to OpenAI’s financial commitment to Stargate, a joint AI venture involving Oracle, OpenAI, and SoftBank. Stargate aims to invest up to $500 billion to help the US maintain its competitive edge in AI…
SpaceX Launches SpainSat NG-1, Advancing European Secure Communications SpaceX launches SpainSat Next Generation 1 (SpainSat NG-1) satellite on Wednesday night (Jan. 29), placing it into a geostationary transfer orbit. The mission, a collaboration between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Spain-based Hisdesat, aims to enhance secure communications across Europe. Falcon 9 Completes Its Final Flight The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Pad 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 8:34 p.m. EST (0134 GMT on Jan. 30). This marked SpaceX’s 13th launch of 2025 and the last mission for the Falcon 9 first-stage booster B1073. The booster…
ISRO’s 100th Mission with NVS-02 Satellite Now Orbiting The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) marked a significant milestone with the success of ISRO’s 100th mission on January 29. The 2,250-kg NVS-02 satellite was launched aboard the GSLV-F15 from Sriharikota at 6:23 AM and is now enhancing India’s navigation capabilities from orbit. https://youtu.be/Ndbwcijvqw8 Advancements with NVS-02 The NVS-02 satellite, the second of five second-generation satellites, is a major step forward in upgrading the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), also known as NavIC. Featuring advanced indigenously developed atomic clocks and utilizing the L1 frequency — commonly used in the US Global…
Global Investors Panic as Chinese AI Model Shakes Up Tech Stocks Global investors dumped tech stocks on Monday, rattled by fears that a new low-cost Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) model could threaten industry leaders like Nvidia. This selloff erased $593 billion from Nvidia’s market value, marking the largest one-day loss for any company on Wall Street. The panic followed the release of DeepSeek AI assistant, a free, cost-efficient alternative that has already surpassed US-based ChatGPT in downloads on Apple’s app store. The tech-heavy Nasdaq index plunged 3.1%, with Nvidia’s shares tumbling nearly 17%. This drop set a new record for…
ISRO’s Core Liquid Stage (L110) for LVM3 Mission Flagged Off The Secretary of the Department of Space (DOS) and Chairman of ISRO officially flagged off the core liquid stage (L110) of ISRO’s LVM3 launch vehicle on 17 January 2025. The event took place in the presence of directors from Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC SHAR), and ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC). The L110 stage was transported to the launch complex at Sriharikota for the upcoming mission. Tenth L110 Liquid Stage Integration This marks the 10th L110 liquid stage to be integrated at the ISRO Propulsion Complex…
SpaceX Starship Flight 7: Successes and Challenges SpaceX launched its Starship megarocket for the seventh time on January 16, 2025, marking another step forward in its mission to revolutionise space exploration. The 403.5-foot (123-metre) reusable rocket lifted off from the company’s Starbase facility in South Texas at 5:37 p.m. EST (2237 GMT). While the test flight showcased remarkable achievements, it also faced significant setbacks, leaving a mix of excitement and questions for SpaceX to address. Successful Booster Catch with “Chopstick” Arms One of the primary objectives of the flight was to demonstrate the recovery of the Super Heavy booster. Using…
SpaDeX Docks Successfully in Historic Achievement Courtesy of ISRO, SpaDeX docks successfully, a groundbreaking achievement. The agency performed the complex manoeuvre days after bringing the spacecraft as close as 3 metres apart. Sharing the news on social media platform X, ISRO stated: “Spacecraft docking successfully completed! A historic moment. The SpaDeX docking process involved moving from a 15-metre hold point to 3 metres, initiating docking with precision, completing spacecraft capture, smooth retraction, and rigidisation for stability.” This marks a milestone for ISRO, which had earlier missed two scheduled docking attempts on January 7 and 9 due to technical issues. The…
Dr V Narayanan: A Visionary Leader in Indian Space Exploration Dr V Narayanan, a distinguished scientist and expert in rocket and spacecraft propulsion, assumed the prestigious roles of Secretary, Department of Space; Chairman, Space Commission; and Chairman, ISRO on 13 January 2025. His remarkable contributions span over four decades at ISRO, with prior leadership as the Director of the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC). Under his guidance, LPSC advanced critical technologies in liquid, semi-cryogenic, and cryogenic propulsion, cementing India’s position as a space power. Key Contributions to Propulsion and Launch Vehicles Dr Narayanan played a pivotal role in India’s space…
TikTok Faces Supreme Court Challenge Over Forced Sale or Ban TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, defended their platform in a pivotal Supreme Court case on Friday, arguing against a law that could force its sale or ban its operation in the United States. The companies contend the law violates constitutional free speech protections and sets a dangerous precedent for targeting other businesses. TikTok’s Legal Defence Highlights Broad Implications TikTok’s lawyer, Noel Francisco, warned of far-reaching consequences if the law is upheld. He argued that it could open the door for Congress to impose similar mandates on other companies.…