Japan's Slim spacecraft wakes up again, survives frigid lunar night
Nights on the Moon are intensely cold due to its lack of atmosphere to trap heat. Without air, heat cannot be retained, causing temperatures to plummet dramatically. Key Points
India TodayPeregrine lander launched to Moon with humans remains to crash on Earth tonight
The spacecraft was to deliver approximately 20 payloads, with a total mass capacity of 90 kg, to the lunar surface. It was also carrying unconventional items such as a copy of Wikipedia, a bitcoin. Key Points
India TodayNasa’s Lucy spacecraft swoops past first of 10 asteroids on its way to Jupiter
The spacecraft zoomed by at a staggering speed of 16,000 kmph, coming within 434 kilometers of Dinkinesh. This encounter served as a dry run for the spacecraft. Key Points
India TodayAditya-L1 escapes Earth’s sphere of influence, travels 9.2 lakh km in space
The spacecraft is now en route to Sun-Earth Lagrange Point 1 (L1), a strategic location approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. Key Points
India TodaySoyuz spacecraft with US astronaut, two Russian cosmonauts docks at ISS
A Russian spacecraft blasted off from Kazakhstan's Baikonur cosmodrome on Friday carrying two Russian cosmonauts and a U.S. astronaut to join the crew of the International Space Station (ISS), live TV images showed. Key Points
Reuters
Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander undergoes first successful deboosting
India's spacecraft Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander underwent a crucial deboosting manoeuvre, positioning itself in an orbit where the closest point to the Moon is 30 km and the farthest point is 100 km. The lander has been through a series of orbital manoeuvres and its scheduled landing is on August 23. Chandrayaan-3 follows up on India's Chandrayaan-2 mission, which faced challenges during its soft landing on the lunar surface in 2019. Key Points
Economic TimesSpaceX to launch Crew-7 with four astronauts to Space Station
The Crew Dragon spacecraft will lift off at 5:23 a.m. EDT on August 21 aboard the Falcon-9 rocket to space. Key Points
India TodayVoyager-2 likely lost forever outside Solar System after minor error
The command, sent by flight controllers, was intended to maintain regular operations. However, it inadvertently caused the spacecraft's antenna to deviate from its alignment with Earth. Key Points
India TodayOsiris-Rex adjusts course to get closer to Earth with asteroid samples
On July 26, the spacecraft fired its engines for approximately 63 seconds, altering its velocity by a seemingly minuscule but crucial 2.09 kilometers per hour. Key Points
India TodayAll is well! Stuck antenna released on Jupiter-bound spacecraft
Controllers tried shaking and warming the spacecraft to get the pin to move by just millimeters. Back-to-back jolts finally did the trick. Key Points
India Today
India's PSLV to launch Europe's Proba-3 mission to unravel secrets of the Sun
The 340-kilogram spacecraft will be deployed by PSLV in a high Earth orbit with an orbital period of 19.7 hours. Key Points
India TodayChandrayaan-3's Vikram lander to be deboosted today
India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft's Vikram lander is set to conduct a crucial deboosting manoeuvre today. The lander has been named after Vikram Sarabhai, regarded as the father of the Indian space programme. It has been a month and three days since the Indian Space Research Organisation launched the Chandrayaan-3 mission on July 14. The spacecraft was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota. Key Points
Economic TimesNasa spacecraft launched to mysterious, rare metal asteroid mission
SpaceX launched the NASA’s Psyche spacecraft into a midmorning sky from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Named for the asteroid it’s chasing, Psyche should reach the huge, potato-shaped object in 2029. Key Points
India TodayIndia’s Aditya-L1 spacecraft travels 9.2 lakh km, successfully escapes sphere of Earth’s influence
ISRO said on Saturday the Aditya-L1 spacecraft has travelled beyond a distance of 9.2 lakh km from Earth, successfully escaping the sphere of Earth’s influence. Key Points
The Tribune IndiaAll about Chandrayaan-3 & how to watch it live — whip out the popcorn at 5.20 pm tomorrow
Launched on 14 July, Chandrayaan-3 mission aims to put the Vikram lander softly at the lunar south pole. The process will start at approximately 5.45 pm IST Wednesday. Key Points
ThePrint
Chandrayaan-3 hits milestone as Vikram lander detaches from spacecraft's propulsion module
Chandrayaan-3 on Thursday achieved a significant milestone as the Vikram lander detached from the spacecraft's propulsion module. The spacecraft will remain in orbit for a few more days before the lander and rover, Pragyaan, attempt to land on the Moon on August 23. If successful, this achievement will significantly bolster India's space ambitions. No other nation has achieved a successful landing on the Moon's south pole, making this a groundbreaking moment. Key Points
Economic TimesPsyche: NASA spacecraft embarks on mysterious mission to find rare metal asteroid
NASA's Psyche spacecraft has begun its six-year journey to a metal-covered asteroid. This will be the first exploration of a metal world, which scientists believe may be the remains of an early planet's core. The mission aims to shed light on the inaccessible centers of Earth and other rocky planets. Psyche is expected to reach its destination in 2029, where it will study the asteroid's composition and potentially discover trace amounts of precious metals. The spacecraft will use solar electric propulsion and an experimental communication system using lasers. Key Points
Economic TimesPrivate IM-1 mission captures Moon as it preps to enter lunar orbit
The spacecraft, developed by Intuitive Machines, completed two out of three Trajectory Correction Maneuvers (TCM) on its way to the Moon. The two manoeuvres were so precise that the team ruled out the third TCM. Key Points
India TodayAditya L1: ISRO's solar mission set for 4-month Journey to Lagrange point
ISRO's Aditya L1 spacecraft will travel 1.5 million km from Earth in a four-month journey to study the Sun's activities. Lagrange points represent specific locations in space where the gravitational forces of two celestial bodies, such as the Sun and Earth, generate regions of gravitational balance Key Points
mintNasa to launch Psyche mission to metal-rich asteroid to find how Earth formed
The journey to the asteroid, also named Psyche, will span nearly six years and cover approximately 3.6 billion kilometers. Key Points
India Today
Russia's Luna-25 spacecraft suffers technical glitch in pre-landing maneuver
Russia's moon-bound Luna-25 spacecraft has encountered an “abnormal situation” prior to entering the pre-landing orbit, according to Roscosmos. The issue arose during a maneuver, preventing the specific parameters from being met. The south pole of the moon, where the spacecraft is scheduled to land on Monday, has piqued scientists' curiosity owing to the belief that it contains permanently shadowed polar craters with water. Key Points
Economic TimesThe ancient technology keeping space missions alive
Some of the most famous space missions, including the two Voyager probes, have been exploring our Solar System for decades. The technology helping to keep them aloft, however, is not what you'd expect. Key Points
BBC