🚨 𝗢𝗿𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗔𝗜𝗗 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮'𝘀 𝟭𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗙𝗲𝗯 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟳! 🛰 Following their AayulSAT-1 mission for internal fuel+power transfer demo set for launch on SSLV-L1 in early November, OrbitAID will launch twin satellites AayulSAT-2A & 2B on an Indian launch vehicle in February 2027! The purpose of this mission will be to provide an autonomous end-to-end demonstration of Rendezvous, Proximity Operations and Docking (RPOD) + satellite refueling and power transfer. It will demonstrate two scenarios - (a) refueling a satellite fitted with OrbitAID's SIDRP refueling interface, and, (b) acting as a 'jetpack' satellite for spacecrafts lacking SIDRP. Much like ISRO's SpaDEx, the two satellites AayulSAT-2A and AayulSAT-2B (chaser & target) on this mission, each weighing 70 kg, will launch into Low Earth Orbit together and distance themselves after deployment. The chaser will then perform a series of maneuvers to approach the target satellite and finally dock with it using OrbitAID's proprietary ARCAS docking mechanism that can attach to any satellite's standard Launch Adapter Ring (LAR). Once docked, their SIDRP robotic arm will be used to refuel the chaser. After this, the chaser will use its own propulsion to boost the orbit of the target to a higher altitude and then lower it back to the original orbit to complete the mission. The technologies that will be demonstrated in this mission are being developed to scale directly to refueling and servicing missions in Geosynchronous orbit, targeting GEO satellite operators - the segment that offers the highest commercial value for satellite life extension. (OrbitAID CEO Sakthikumar R to ISRO Spaceflight)

🚨 𝗚𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗮𝗮𝗻-𝗚𝟭 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝟮 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀! 🚀 ISRO has finally completed the long pending integration work & testing of the Crew Module for the first uncrewed orbital flight of Gaganyaan, and its launch on board the first human-rated LVM3 (HLVM3) rocket is now expected to take place within 1 month after the launch of the GSLV-F18 / NVS-03 mission - which itself is expected in mid-October to early-November!

🚨 𝗜𝗦𝗥𝗢 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗡𝗩𝗦-𝟬𝟯 (𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗜𝗖) 𝗶𝗻 𝗢𝗰𝘁 𝟭𝟱-𝟮𝟬, 𝗚𝗦𝗟𝗩-𝗙𝟭𝟴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘄𝗮𝘆! Just 2 weeks after their last launch, ISRO has begun the launch campaign of their next mission to rescue India's NavIC constellation! 🚀 NVS-03, weighing in at 2.2 tons, is the 3rd satellite in the 2nd generation of India's satellite navigation constellation 'NavIC'. It will be launched into a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) on a GSLV rocket, after which the satellite will use its on board propulsion to enter into a Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO). So far, the first stage of the GSLV-F18 vehicle has been stacked, with its launch expected to take place between October 15-20, 2026. This is going to be a crucial mission as out of the total 11 satellites launched till date in the 1st & 2nd generations of NavIC, only 3 remain currently operational due to mass failures of imported Swiss atomic clocks on 1st gen sats and the failure of NVS-02 (2nd gen) to reach GEO. As a result, the constellation currently does not fulfill its minimum 4 satellite requirement to stay operational and remains in a defunct state. If successful, NVS-03 will finally bring NavIC back into service by adding the 4th active satellite in the constellation! This is also going to be the 5th-to-last launch of the GSLV rocket.

🛰 First launch of Reliance Jio's satellite internet constellation in Sept, 2027! 🚀 Reliance Jio, that has been developing a 1,600-satellite constellation for delivering high-speed internet, is now planning to launch their first mission in September next year! In that first mission, they will launch a small number of satellites to validate their systems and hardware. From there onwards, the roadmap will be as follows – • 90-100 total satellites by Q2, 2028, internet coverage across India. • 400-450 satellites by 2030. • Completed constellation having 1,600 satellites by 2035, global coverage. The constellation will operate in Low Earth Orbit at an altitude of 650 km. Once the constellation is complete, India will have 30-32 satellites over it at all times, with each satellite delivering 100-150 Gbps throughput, adding up to a total of 4-4.8 Terabits per second! This is higher than the 600 Gbps that SpaceX Starlink has approval for, and the 3 Tbps over India that Amazon Leo has applied for.