Delhi breathes easy for another day, AQI at 150
New Delhi (PTI): Air quality improved further on Sunday following showers two days ago in the national capital as the minimum temperature was recorded at 6.6 degrees Celsius, about 0.9 notch lower than normal.
Delhi breathed cleaner air in the morning, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 150 at 9 am in the "moderate" category, according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The AQI dropped to the "moderate" category for the first time in over three and a half months on Saturday. Pollution levels in the city dropped following a spell of rain on Friday.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 to 100 'satisfactory', 101 to 200 'moderate', 201 to 300 'poor', 301 to 400 'very poor', and 401 to 500 'severe', according to CPCB.
Night temperatures remained below the seasonal average, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Among various weather stations, Safdarjung logged a minimum of 6.6 degrees Celsius, Palam 4.5 degrees Celsius, Lodhi Road 5.8 degrees Celsius, the Ridge 6.1 degrees Celsius and Ayanagar 5.3 degrees Celsius.
Relative humidity was recorded at 90 per cent at 8.30 am, the IMD said.
The weather office has forecast a partly cloudy sky with sustained surface winds of 15 to 25 kmph and the likelihood of mist during the night, with the maximum temperature expected to settle around 19 degrees Celsius.
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ISRO successfully conducts second integrated air drop test for Gaganyaan mission
New Delhi (PTI): Space agency ISRO has successfully conducted the second integrated air drop test (IADT-02) for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission at the space station in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota.
The system is essential to ensure a safe recovery of the crew module -- the capsule in which astronauts sit during a human flight -- during re-entry and landing.
Union minister Jitendra Singh congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for successfully conducting the test.
"Congratulations #ISRO for the successful accomplishment of Second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) for #Gaganyaan, India's first Human Space flight scheduled next year. The second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) was successfully conducted at Satish Dhawan Space Station Sriharikota," Singh said in a post on X.
The IADT-02 follows the successful completion of the first IADT, which took place on August 24, 2025, at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
Air drop tests recreate the last leg of a spacecraft's return to Earth. An aircraft or helicopter drops the spacecraft from a height to test various systems under different scenarios.
These are the deployment of the parachute system in case the mission is aborted mid-flight, system performance when one parachute fails to open and the spacecraft's orientation and safety during splashdown etc.
In the IADT-02 test, a simulated crew module, weighing about 5.7 tonnes, was lifted by an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter to an altitude of about three kilometres and released over a designated drop zone in the sea, near the Sriharikota coast.
In a statement, the ISRO said, "Ten parachutes of four types were deployed in a precise sequence during the descent of the crew module, gradually reducing the velocity for safe touchdown. Subsequently, the simulated crew module was successfully recovered in coordination with the Indian Navy."
