The Oceansat-3A satellite is likely to be launched before the end of this year, National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) Director Prakash Chauhan said in Visakhapatnam on Friday. He was speaking after inaugurating the NICES-Coastal Observation Research Laboratory (CORAL) at the Centre for Studies on Bay of Bengal (CSBoB), Andhra University (AU), along with Vice-Chancellor G.P....
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July 17, 2026July 17, 2026Science & Tech
India’s first private orbital rocket Vikram-1 set for lift-off
Forty-six years after India successfully launched its first experimental Satellite Launch Vehicle-3 (SLV-3), history is set to repeat itself as Vikram-1, the country’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket, prepares to lift off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on July 18 (Saturday) at 11.30 a.m. On July 18, 1980, India became the sixth...
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July 17, 2026July 17, 2026Science & Tech
Science Snapshots: July 19, 2026
Central African monkey with striking patch is new species Researchers have found a new species of African monkey in Central Africa. Colobus congoensis, or ‘Likweli’, lives in Lomami National Park. It was first photographed in 2008 but has only now been confirmed to be a unique species, using genetic tests and field observations in 2018-2022....
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July 17, 2026July 17, 2026Science & Tech
Why does our body scent change distinctly as we age? Are there ways to manage it?
— Mahua Ray A: The distinct scent often associated with ageing is primarily caused by a compound called 2-nonenal. Around 40 years, our bodies’ natural antioxidant defenses start to weaken, allowing certain fats on the skin to break down. For instance, when omega-7 unsaturated fatty acids like palmitoleic acid are exposed to oxygen, they oxidise...
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July 17, 2026July 17, 2026Science & Tech
SpaceX abruptly scrubs Starship test flight
SpaceX on Thursday (July 17, 2026) aborted what was to be its first Starship flight since the company went public, abruptly calling it off just as the booster began to ignite. “Some of the engines didn’t start, triggering an automatic launch abort. Now offloading propellant,” company head Elon Musk said on X. “To be confident...
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July 17, 2026July 17, 2026Science & Tech
SpaceX Starship launch aborted on pad at last moment
SpaceX’s mega Starship rocket came within a second or so of blasting off on a test flight but some of the engines failed to start, triggering a launch abort. Elon Musk’s company said it will have to figure out what went wrong before making another attempt to send Starship on a space-skimming flight halfway around...
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July 16, 2026July 16, 2026Books, Science & Tech
India’s old computing wars offer a roadmap for future chips
In his new book Computing in the Age of Decolonization, MIT-based historian Dwaipayan Banerjee uncovers the overlooked history of India’s computing industry from the 1950s to the 1980s, and analyses why the efforts to build self-reliance failed. The story unfolds at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), where scientists found computing to be integral...
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July 16, 2026July 16, 2026Science & Tech
India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket Vikram-1 set for July 18 lift-off
India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket, Vikram-1 will be launched on July 18, 2026, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota. Private space launch company Skyroot Aerospace on Thursday (July 16, 2026) announced that it will attempt to launch Vikram-1 from the space port’s first launch pad at 11.30 a.m. “We have done everything...
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July 16, 2026July 16, 2026Science & Tech
The marine crab that grew too big for its plastic shell
In July 2022, a group of scientists recovered a seemingly unremarkable barnacled, opened plastic bottle bobbing off the coast off Okinawa in Japan; but something piqued their imagination This bottle, investigated by Hiroshima University researchers indeed contained a story: living inside it was a large female crab, missing a leg, its body larger than the...
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July 16, 2026July 16, 2026Health, Science & Tech
What prolonged fasting can do to the human body | Explained
The story so far: As Sonam Wangchuk’s indefinite fast entered its 19th day on Thursday (July 16, 2026), concerns have emerged about his health. As the 59-year-old Mr. Wangchuk protests the continuation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in his position, in solidarity with the protests organised by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP), and the central government is yet to engage with them, experts have flagged...
