Tag: space

  • India lands on moon; Pakistanis celebrate neighbour’s success

    India lands on moon; Pakistanis celebrate neighbour’s success

    As India became the fourth country to land on the moon and the first to land on its south pole, Pakistanis took to X (formerly Twitter) to celebrate their neighbor’s success.

    Fawad Hussain, former federal minister of science and technology, celebrated by saying, “What a great moment for #ISRO as #Chandrayaan3 lands on the Moon.”

    Pakistani actress and model Mara Hocane was fascinated by watching fiction turning into reality.

    Former Pakistan cricket team captain, Muhammad Hafeez, also known as “professor”, posted a congratulatory message.

    Shahmir Iqbal remarked how ‘Congratulations Neighbors’ is trending on X in Pakistan.

    Adnan Javed reminded the world of the importance of educating women for success.

    Ali Rajput congratulated India while mentioning that Pakistan was among the first countries to send a mission to space but chose a different path after 60s.

    Sara Taseer celebrated India’s success with a little fun.

    Anas Tipu also had a funny take on India’s success as he posted a meme stating, “Chand pe hai apun.”

  • India makes history as Chandrayaan-3 successfully lands on moon

    India makes history as Chandrayaan-3 successfully lands on moon

    India makes history by being the first country to ever land on the moon’s south-pole.

    Earlier today, former Federal Minister for Science and Technology, Fawad Chaudhry, congratulated India on X (formerly Twitter) as the country awaits the Chandrayaan-3 moon landing:
    “All eyes on #Chandryaan3 Moon landing 5:40 PM, great day for Indian Science Community and Space scientists, Congratulations to people of India on this great achievement”

    Chandrayaan-3 (means “mooncraft” in Sanskrit) is the third Indian lunar exploration mission. It was launched on 14 July 2023 and was expected to land near the lunar south pole region on 23 August around 05:45 pm IST and the touchdown was expected around 06:04 pm IST.

    So far, only three countries, the United States, Russia, and China, have been able to achieve a controlled landing on the lunar surface. But now India has become the first country to land on the moon’s south pole.

    Earlier in the week, Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft was to land in the same area, however, it crashed on August 19 after spinning out of control.

  • India landing on the moon makes us miss Fawad Chaudhry and his wadaa

    India landing on the moon makes us miss Fawad Chaudhry and his wadaa

    India’s space agency has shared pictures of their spacecraft Chandrayaan-3, as the rover gets closer and closer to the surface of the planet. BBC revealed that by August 23, Chandrayaan’s rover and lander are due to reach the surface of the earth. It was released from the Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota in the Andhra Pradesh state on July 14.

    This would be the second time after thirteen years that the country has launched a spacecraft to the moon. The first time was in 2008 after which the discovery of the presence of water molecules in the moon’s atmosphere was made.

    Scientists from the Indian Space Research Agency (ISRO) spoke to the media, stating that Chandrayaan-3 was in “good health”, adding that this was the third time in succession that ISRO had successfully injected a spacecraft into a lunar orbit.

    If the mission is successful this would make India the first country to perform a controlled soft landing near the south pole, and the fourth country after USA, China and the former Soviet Union to achieve a soft landing on the moon.

    Congratulations to India but we do remember how a certain promise was made by the former Information and Broadcasting Minister Fawad Chaudhry, whol announced in a tweet in 2019 that by the year 2022, Pakistan will send their first person to space. He even mentioned that selection for the project was to begin by Feb 2020 after which 25 people will be selected. Kya hua tera wada, wo qasam wo iraada?

  • Ex-Air Force Officer says U.S. govt collects UFOs

    Ex-Air Force Officer says U.S. govt collects UFOs

    An ex-Air Force intelligence officer, while testifying to Congress, claimed that the U.S. has been secretly operating a long-term program to recover unidentified flying objects. However, these allegations have been refuted by the Pentagon, reported AP.

    During his testimony before Congress, a former Air Force intelligence officer asserted that the U.S. is clandestinely running a program to collect unidentified flying objects, with the U.S. government currently in possession of these retrieved objects. When he was probed further, he confidently stated, “Absolutely, based on interviewing over 40 witnesses over four years.”

    In response to inquiries about the location of these objects, he claimed to be aware of the exact storage sites, which he had reported to the Inspector General. When asked about the nature of activities related to these unidentified objects, he acknowledged that several of his colleagues had suffered physical injuries.

    Upon further questioning to ascertain if the harmful activities were attributed to the unidentified aerial phenomena (UAPs) or the federal government, he indicated that both were responsible. Despite these statements, the Pentagon has vehemently denied his allegations.

  • Meteors, beware; NASA’s DART Mission alters asteroid’s course

    Meteors, beware; NASA’s DART Mission alters asteroid’s course

    In a groundbreaking test of Earth’s planetary defenses, NASA’s DART probe successfully knocked an asteroid off its trajectory, creating a dazzling display of boulders hurtling into space.

    The story was shared by Dawn with images of the historic experiment. Last year’s momentous collision between the fridge-sized spacecraft and the pyramid-sized, rugby ball-shaped asteroid Dimorphos, situated 11 million kilometers from Earth, yielded astonishing results, as captured by the Hubble Space Telescope. The images were released on Thursday.

    Astonishing Aftermath Unveiled:

    Newly released images from the Hubble Space Telescope unveiled the extraordinary aftermath of the DART mission. A total of 37 boulders, ranging in size from one to seven meters in diameter, were sent floating into the cosmos. These boulders represent approximately two percent of the loosely-held-together asteroid’s surface, as estimated in a recent study by scientists.

    Unraveling the Secrets:

    Scientists are eager to continue tracking the trajectory of these celestial boulders, as their movement patterns hold crucial clues about how they were propelled from the asteroid’s surface. The research, detailed in the Astrophysical Journal Letters, offers invaluable insights into asteroid deflection techniques and potential strategies for planetary defense.

    Insights for Future Asteroid Defense:

    The findings hold significant implications for future missions aimed at diverting potentially life-threatening asteroids on a collision course with Earth. While the images might raise concerns about boulder dispersion towards Earth, experts reassure that these specific rocks pose no threat. The successful DART mission sets an encouraging precedent for safeguarding our planet against potential asteroid threats and lays the groundwork for future endeavors to protect Earth from space hazards.

  • UAE astronaut shares stunning video of Makkah, Madina from space

    UAE astronaut shares stunning video of Makkah, Madina from space

    United Arab Emirates (UAE) astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi has shared a stunning video of Makkah, Madina and Jeddah sparkling in the night as seen from space. 

    AlNeyadi has been posting images on his Twitter account since he went off to space in March. 

    In his latest Twitter post, AlNeyadi wrote: “Dedication to the country of the Two Holy Mosques, the landing site of revelation and the land of the message, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”

    The video shows a clear image of twinkling lights and many roads. 

    “This is the city of Jeddah, often referred to as the Bride of the Red Sea,” says AlNeyadi as he moves the camera towards the second city. “… the holy city of Makkah, where the message of Islam took root with the Prophet (PBUH).” 

    AlNeyadi then points out the light from the Masjid Al Haram which can be seen shining bright even from space. 

    “They are shining like stars, and it is one of the most beautiful views I have ever seen,” he wrote.

  • No space for dead in Karachi graveyards

    No space for dead in Karachi graveyards

    The graveyards maintained by Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) are completely full, KMC Senior Director Municipal Services Mazhar Khan revealed in a show on Samaa television.

    He further said that the administration has approached the Sindh government for acquiring land for new graveyards.

    He stated that on average, 15 to 20 bodies are brought to KMC cemeteries for interment each day, emphasizing that with such an inflow, shortage of graveyard space was a serious issue.

    The Senior Director further revealed that because of these dire circumstances, families were forced to bury their loved ones at cemeteries run by charitable organisations.

    The KMC had requested the purchase of at least 400 acres in each Karachi district, Mazhar Khan told Samaa.

    In response to a query, he stated that after purchasing the site, boundary walls would be built around the area right away.
    Several cemeteries in the megacity are being used to sell graves illegally, according to a KMC official. The undertakers are not employed by KMC, and some of them have already been busted.

  • Elon Musk offers $43 billion to acquire Twitter

    Elon Musk offers $43 billion to acquire Twitter

    Elon Musk has submitted a takeover bid for Twitter, offering $54.20 per share, days after becoming the group’s largest shareholder. This is an offer worth more than $43 billion.

    According to a Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, Mr. Musk described this as a “best and last offer,” reflecting a 54 per cent premium over the day before he commenced investing in the business in late January 2022.

    Musk stated in the filing that “I don’t have faith in the management” and that he could not make the adjustments he desired in the public market.

    As per a letter written to CEO Salesforce and chairman of Twitter, Bret Taylor, Musk stated that if the proposal is not accepted, he will reassess his status as a shareholder as Twitter has a lot of potential which needs to be unlocked.

    The billionaire CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and the world’s richest man, purchased a 9.2 per cent share in Twitter on April 4, according to a regulatory filing. The tech mogul was invited to join Twitter’s board of directors the next day, but he denied the offer by the end of the week.

    Musk wrote to Mr. Taylor on April 13: “I invested in Twitter because I believe it has the potential to be the global platform for free speech, and I believe free speech is a societal requirement for a healthy democracy”.

    Read more: Elon Musk is no longer joining Twitter board as the microblogging network is “dying”

    “However, after making my investment, I’ve come to recognize that the company, in its current form, can neither thrive nor serve this societal need,” he wrote. “Twitter should be turned into a private firm”.

    Considering the tweeted document, Musk’s financial adviser for the proposal is Morgan Stanley.

  • Billionaire Richard Branson achieves his space dream

    British Billionaire, Richard Branson, flew into space on Sunday on his Virgin Galactic rocket plane and safely returned in the vehicle’s first fully-crewed test flight to space.

    After the historic moment, he released a video of him and the crew during the flight on Twitter.

    “I was once a child with a dream looking up to the stars. Now I’m an adult in a spaceship looking down to our beautiful Earth,” said Branson.

    According to reports, the space plane took off from Spaceport America, a huge base built in the Jornada del Muerto desert. It reached a peak altitude of around 53 miles beyond the boundary of space and carried two pilots and four passengers, including Branson.

    Shortly after the flight, the 70-year-old billionaire hugged his loved ones. He added, “Welcome to the dawn of a new space age.”

    The mission’s success has made Branson the first tycoon — beating Bezos — to cross the final frontier in a ship built by his own company. However, the richest person in the world is due to fly on July 20 and he himself congratulated his friendly rival on Instagram.

    Read more – 11-minute flight: Billionaire Jeff Bezos is going to space without a pilot

    Branson founded Virgin Galactic in 2004, but his dream almost came to an end in 2014 when an accident caused the death of a pilot, considerably delaying the program. The company has planned two further flights, and then the start of regular commercial operations from early 2022.

  • 11-minute flight: Billionaire Jeff Bezos is going to space without a pilot

    Amazon billionaire, Jeff Bezos will fly to space with his brother Mark Bezos next month, on the first human spaceflight. The spacecraft are being made by his company, Blue Origin. The automated capsules with no pilot will include six passengers, including the winner of an ongoing auction taking place for a seat. After that, the remaining seats will be up for sale.

    In an Instagram video, the world’s richest person, Bezos disclosed that ever since he was five years old, he has dreamed of traveling to space.

    If the mission is successful, Bezos will leave behind Tesla and Space X founder Elon Musk. and British entrepreneur Richard Branson, who are also hoping to fly to space by the end of this year.

    As per reports, the total flight time would be 11 minutes approximately. The mission is to get ahead of the Karman line known as “an imaginary boundary” which is about 62 miles above the Earth and hundred kilometers above sea level.

    Since this is the first human spaceflight, there is no guarantee that the flight is safe for passengers. However, Blue Origin has successfully launched dozens of rockets from Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas.

    Blue Origin was founded by Bezos in 2000 with the mission of cheap traveling to space and reusable launch systems.

    The news came after the announcement made by Bezos in February that he would step down as the CEO of Amazon and would focus on his other work.