ISRO arm NSIL signs $18-million deal with Australian government for commercial satellite launch
New Delhi: The Australian government has signed an $18-million memorandum of understanding (MoU) with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Announced by Australian High Commissioner Philip Green, the partnership will see Australian firm Space Machines launch a satellite inspection and observation payload aboard ISRO's Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) in 2026. This payload will be the largest Australian satellite launched to date, according to Rajat Kulshrestha, co-founder of Space Machines.
Australian High Commissioner Philip Green emphasized that this partnership marks a significant step in Australia's space engagement with India. The collaboration will enable Australian satellites to be launched from Indian soil, elevating the bilateral space cooperation to new heights.
S. Somanath, Chairman of ISRO, outlined an ambitious vision for the future, aiming for 20-30 SSLV launches annually to meet the growing demand for small satellite launch services. He also highlighted the broader goal of increasing capacity and capability in India's space missions, including the ambition to land an Indian astronaut on the moon by 2040.
The partnership will involve several stakeholders in India's private space economy, including domestic space-engineering firm Ananth Technologies, which has previously supplied components and engineering services to ISRO. The privatisation of SSLV is ongoing, with six bidders identified, and the final decision pending.
This collaboration comes at a time when India's commercial space activities face a downturn due to a lack of internal demand. Despite this, India’s private space sector has attracted $370 million in investments to date, with Skyroot Aerospace leading with $95 million. The deal with Australia is one of India's first significant cross-border investments in the space sector since its privatisation in 2020.
ISRO and the Australian government announced plans for joint space conferences in November to further enhance collaboration between the two space economies.
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UP minister calls for renaming Agra's Shahjahan Garden after Ahilyabai Holkar
Lucknow, Apr 6 (PTI): Uttar Pradesh minister Baby Rani Maurya has urged Shahjahan Garden in Agra be renamed after the Malwa Kingdom queen Ahilyabai Holkar.
The Women Welfare Minister made the urge in a letter to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
"Yes, I wrote to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath ji on the issue and my proposal to name the Shahjahan Garden after progressive queen Ahilyabai Holkar who did a lot for women's empowerment. It would soon be a reality as our governments have always promoted women's empowerment," Maurya told PTI.
Shahjahan Garden is a Mughal-era green space between the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort in the Agra district.
Maurya said she "strongly identified" with Ahilyabai Holkar and has at her heart the issue of women's empowerment.
"So I feel that the renaming of this garden that draws people from across the globe would inspire the masses, women in particular … there is nothing wrong in such renaming," the Agra Dehat MLA said.
Maurya said instructions have been issued to look into the Shahjahan Garden renaming.
Over the years, UP has seen a litany of similar demands, involving invariably a Mughal-era nomenclature for replacement.
On March 29, posters demanding renaming Muzaffarnagar to 'Laxminagar' came up in the western UP district.
Calls have been made to rename Aligarh as Harigarh, Mainpuri as Mayanpuri, Sambhal as Prithviraj Nagar or Kalki Nagar, Sultanpur as Kushbhavanpur, and Ghazipur to Gadhipuri.
The opposition parties have decried these moves as tactics to divert people's attention from pressing issues.
The UP government has already renamed Allahabad as Prayagraj, and Faizabad as Ayodhya.
Samajwadi Party spokesperson Sharvendra Bikaram Singh said it has become a "fashion" among BJP leaders to make such demands.
"Its leaders make such demands because the BJP has failed. The government should instead focus on the real development issues that can benefit the common man," Singh said.
