ISRO to Launch NVS-03 Satellite on October 30 to Enhance Navigation Services
ISRO will launch its NVS-03 navigation satellite aboard a GSLV-F18 rocket on October 30 at 11:51 pm. Chairman V. Narayanan said the mission will strengthen India’s navigation capabilities for trains, vehicles and ships. The satellite will carry an indigenous atomic clock, support real-time tracking and extend navigation coverage approximately 1,500 kilometres beyond India’s borders.
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NASA’s Artemis III Mission to Test Lunar Landers Ahead of Planned 2028 Moon Landing
NASA plans to launch Artemis III in 2027, sending four astronauts into low Earth orbit rather than to the Moon. The roughly 14-day mission will test docking and operational systems involving Blue Origin’s Blue Moon and SpaceX’s Starship landers, helping prepare for the planned Artemis IV lunar landing in 2028.
First-Ever Radio Signal Detected From Planet Beyond Solar System
Astronomers have detected the first radio emission from a planet outside our solar system, tracing the signal to Beta Pictoris b, located 63 light-years away. Using South Africa’s MeerKAT array, researchers linked the emission to auroras and the planet’s magnetic field, which is 200 times stronger than Jupiter’s. The discovery remains under peer review. The findings could provide new insights.
2026 Nobel Prize in Medicine Honours Scientists Behind Brain-Controlling Protein
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine goes to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for discoveries enabling control of nerve cells using light. Their work on optogenetics has transformed neuroscience, helping scientists study how brain cells regulate movement, emotions, sleep and functions, while opening avenues for understanding neurological disorders.
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Saturn at Opposition: Seeliger Effect Visible in India
Saturn reaches opposition on October 4, bringing the ringed planet closer to Earth and making it visible for much of the night. The event also offers a chance to observe the Seeliger effect, an opposition surge that brightens Saturn's rings. In India, Saturn will rise around sunset, remain visible overnight and reach its highest point after midnight in the sky.
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Potential Earth-like Exoplanet Discovered by Spanish Scientists
Spanish scientists have confirmed two exoplanets, TOI-1752 b and TOI-1752 c, orbiting the same star. While TOI-1752 b is an extremely hot world that may have molten rock, researchers believe TOI-1752 c could potentially be habitable. Its conditions may allow liquid water, making it a promising candidate for study beyond our solar system.
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Telescope Set for August 30 Launch
NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is scheduled to launch August 30 aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Florida. The observatory will study dark energy, exoplanets and distant galaxies. Teams have connected the telescope to its payload adapter and are preparing for checks ahead of the mission’s targeted launch.
G1 Geomagnetic Storm Expected to Reach Earth
A coronal mass ejection triggered by a solar eruption on August 14 is expected to reach Earth on August 17, potentially producing a G1-class geomagnetic storm. The minor storm could generate auroras at high latitudes and temporarily affect satellites, radio communications and navigation systems. However, no significant impact on the public is expected, while experts monitor conditions around the world.
Astronomers Spot Enigmatic Early-Universe Object Larger Than Solar System
Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope identified MoM-BH-1*, an object from the early universe larger than our Solar System. It shines like 100 billion Suns and may contain a black hole 100,000 times the Sun’s mass, surrounded by a hydrogen envelope. Researchers say it could represent a cosmic class.
