Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has ambitious plans for the country’s space program. He has instructed the Indian space agency to send an astronaut to the Moon by 2040. Engineers are currently working on the details to make this mission a reality. On January 16, India celebrated a significant achievement with its first successful docking of two satellites in orbit. This milestone makes India the fourth country, joining the U.S., Russia, and China, to demonstrate this essential capability.
On February 11, China launched its Long March 8A rocket for the first time. This rocket carried a new set of satellites into orbit for the Guowang project, part of China’s expanded efforts in space, akin to the Starlink initiative by SpaceX. The launch took place from the Wenchang space center in southern China. However, details about the Guowang satellites remain limited, raising some questions about their design and functionality.
The Long March 8A is an enhanced version of the standard Long March 8, which launched for the first time in December 2020. While it shares components with its predecessor, it boasts a new, larger second stage for carrying heavier payloads. This rocket can transport about 7,000 kilograms into Sun-synchronous orbit and is set to play a crucial role in launching China’s satellite networks.
In other space news, SpaceX is gearing up for the eighth test flight of its Starship rocket. This comes after a previous launch ended with an explosion over the Caribbean. The Federal Aviation Administration has indicated that the next test could happen as early as February 26 from SpaceX’s Starbase in Texas. While this launch date seems likely, there’s a chance it could be postponed by a day or two.
