Iran Used a Commercial Satellite for War. India Still Treats Space as a Government Monopoly

By BPN News Desk April 16, 2026

Op-Eds Opinion

Iran did not just fire missiles at American positions across the Gulf and the wider West Asian theatre. According to reports, Iranian planners had allegedly secured access to a Chinese-built commercial satellite already in orbit and used it to track U.S. bases through time-stamped imagery and

Op-Eds Opinion

NavIC Delayed, SSLV Slowed, PSLV Failing: Is India’s Space Program Facing More Than Technical Glitches?

By BPN News Desk April 15, 2026

Back-to-back PSLV failures have done more than just dent ISRO’s launch calendar. They have disrupted the deployment of NavIC satellites, slowed down the SSLV rollout, and exposed how deeply India’s space ecosystem depends on a single launch vehicle. What should have been an isolated technical setback has now snowballed into a systemic disruption. The question […]

Op-Eds Opinion

India’s ‘Bodyguard Satellites’ Show Why the US-China Space Duopoly Must End

By BPN News Desk March 5, 2026

The recent report that India is developing “bodyguard satellites” to protect its space assets marks a significant shift in the country’s strategic thinking. For decades, space security has largely been shaped by a small group of powerful nations, particularly the United States and China. Their technological dominance and military capabilities have effectively created a

Science Space & Astronomy

India’s US Satellite Launch Caps 2025 on High Note

By BPN News Desk December 26, 2025

India successfully launched a United States commercial satellite into orbit, marking a major milestone in its space activities and international cooperation in 2025. The mission was carried out by the Indian Space Research Organisation using its heavy-lift launch vehicle, placing the US-built satellite into its intended orbit. The launch further strengthened India’s

Science Space & Astronomy

ISRO’s LVM3 Launches Heaviest Payload Successfully

By BPN News Desk December 24, 2025

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Tuesday successfully launched the BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite aboard its LVM3-M6 heavy-lift rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The mission marked the heaviest payload ever carried by India’s LVM3 launch vehicle, also popularly known as the Baahubali rocket. Mission details

Science Space & Astronomy

India And Japan To Partner On Chandrayaan-5 Lunar Mission

By BPN News Desk August 29, 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in Tokyo that India’s ISRO will collaborate with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on the upcoming Chandrayaan-5 mission. The agreement includes an Indian-built lander and a Japanese-developed rover, and the mission is expected to launch aboard a Japanese H-3 series rocket. Part Of Larger LUPEX Framework Chandrayaan-5,

Science Space & Astronomy

Modi Marks National Space Day, Hails India’s Progress

By BPN News Desk August 23, 2025

On August 23, Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the nation on the occasion of National Space Day. He praised India’s progress in space exploration, noting that the country has successfully reached both the Moon and Mars. Modi said India’s achievements in semi-cryogenic engine technology and electric propulsion reflect its growing confidence as a space power. […]

National

India Spent ₹548 Crore on Astronaut Shukla’s Axiom-4 Mission

By BPN News Desk August 19, 2025

India’s government has confirmed that it spent approximately ₹548 crore on the Axiom-4 mission that carried Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station (ISS). This total includes costs for training, logistics, spacecraft seat reservation, and scientific activities. Shukla, an Indian Air Force test pilot and ISRO astronaut, spent 18 days aboard the

Science Space & Astronomy

Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla Returns for Space Day

By BPN News Desk August 16, 2025

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the first Indian to visit the International Space Station (ISS), is set to return to India on Sunday, August 17, after completing an 18-day mission followed by rehabilitation in the United States. Emotional Return on the Horizon Shukla shared that he feels both sadness about leaving his team at the ISS […]

Op-Eds Opinion

From Dependence to Dominance: Why India’s First Private EO Constellation Is a Strategic Masterstroke

By BPN News Desk August 14, 2025

For decades, India’s view of the world from above has been filtered through foreign lenses. When border tensions flared or natural disasters struck, the nation’s ability to act decisively often depended on commercial satellite imagery supplied by companies like Maxar. While such providers offer advanced capabilities, their operations are bound to the political, legal, and