Blog

  • Key Progress in Air India Crash Investigation as Black Box Data Retrieved

    New Delhi:

    Information from the black boxes recovered from the June 12 Air India plane crash has been successfully downloaded and is being analysed, the government said Thursday afternoon.

    The black boxes – a flight data recorder, or FDR, and a cockpit voice recorder, or CVR – were damaged in the crash and there were questions over the recovery of usable data. Last week sources told NDTV the government may send the FDR and CVR to the United States for forensic extraction of data.

    However, in a big breakthrough, the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau has succeeded in safely extracting the Crash Protection Module, or CPM, and the memory module, and downloaded the data.

    The government said both boxes – one found on the rooftop of the hostel into which the plane crashed and the other from the debris – were securely transported to the AAIB lab in Delhi on Tuesday.

  • Iran’s Supreme Leader: US Benefited ‘Nothing’ From Strikes on Iran

    New Delhi:

    Iran will never surrender to the US and any future aggression would come at a great cost, its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said today in his first remarks after the ceasefire between Iran and Israel. The ceasefire followed the US’ targeting of three nuclear sites in Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strike at a US base in Qatar.

    “The American president indicated in one of his statements that Iran must surrender. Surrender! It is no longer a question of enrichment, nor the nuclear industry, but of the surrender of Iran,” Khamenei said in a televised speech. “Such an event (surrender) will never happen. It will never happen.”
    Referring to Iran’s airstrikes on US’s Al Udeid air base in Qatar, Khamenei said, “The fact that the Islamic Republic has access to key US centers in the region and can take action whenever it deems necessary is a significant matter. Such an action can be repeated in the future too. Should any aggression occur, the enemy will definitely pay a heavy price.” The remarks were posted on X, too. 
    “Iran’s enemies use excuses like missiles or our nuclear programme, but they are actually looking for our surrender. Trump has unveiled the truth that the US will only be satisfied with Iran’s surrender. But surrender will never happen, our nation is powerful,” he said. 
    Iran, he said, “delivered a heavy slap to the US’s face”. “It attacked and inflicted damage on the Al-Udeid Air Base, which is one of the key US bases in the region,” he said.  

  • Khamenei Dismisses US Gains From Attacks on Iran

    New Delhi:

    Iran will never surrender to the US and any future aggression would come at a great cost, its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said today in his first remarks after the ceasefire between Iran and Israel. The ceasefire followed the US’ targeting of three nuclear sites in Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strike at a US base in Qatar.

    “The American president indicated in one of his statements that Iran must surrender. Surrender! It is no longer a question of enrichment, nor the nuclear industry, but of the surrender of Iran,” Khamenei said in a televised speech. “Such an event (surrender) will never happen. It will never happen.”
    Referring to Iran’s airstrikes on US’s Al Udeid air base in Qatar, Khamenei said, “The fact that the Islamic Republic has access to key US centers in the region and can take action whenever it deems necessary is a significant matter. Such an action can be repeated in the future too. Should any aggression occur, the enemy will definitely pay a heavy price.” The remarks were posted on X, too. 
    “Iran’s enemies use excuses like missiles or our nuclear programme, but they are actually looking for our surrender. Trump has unveiled the truth that the US will only be satisfied with Iran’s surrender. But surrender will never happen, our nation is powerful,” he said. 
    Iran, he said, “delivered a heavy slap to the US’s face”. “It attacked and inflicted damage on the Al-Udeid Air Base, which is one of the key US bases in the region,” he said.  

  • US Got ‘Nothing’ From Attacking Iran, Says Khamenei

    New Delhi:

    Iran will never surrender to the US and any future aggression would come at a great cost, its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said today in his first remarks after the ceasefire between Iran and Israel. The ceasefire followed the US’ targeting of three nuclear sites in Iran and Tehran’s retaliatory strike at a US base in Qatar.

    “The American president indicated in one of his statements that Iran must surrender. Surrender! It is no longer a question of enrichment, nor the nuclear industry, but of the surrender of Iran,” Khamenei said in a televised speech. “Such an event (surrender) will never happen. It will never happen.”
    Referring to Iran’s airstrikes on US’s Al Udeid air base in Qatar, Khamenei said, “The fact that the Islamic Republic has access to key US centers in the region and can take action whenever it deems necessary is a significant matter. Such an action can be repeated in the future too. Should any aggression occur, the enemy will definitely pay a heavy price.” The remarks were posted on X, too. 
    “Iran’s enemies use excuses like missiles or our nuclear programme, but they are actually looking for our surrender. Trump has unveiled the truth that the US will only be satisfied with Iran’s surrender. But surrender will never happen, our nation is powerful,” he said. 
    Iran, he said, “delivered a heavy slap to the US’s face”. “It attacked and inflicted damage on the Al-Udeid Air Base, which is one of the key US bases in the region,” he said.  

  • With Tricolour on His Shoulder, Shubhanshu Shukla Begins Historic 14-Day Journey on ISS

    New Delhi:

    Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla said he is excited about the scientific tasks that he and the crew will perform for the next 14 days in the International Space Station (ISS). He said he is feeling a bit “lightheaded” but “that is nothing compared to the excitement”.

    It was the first time the entire team spoke together since Group Captain Shukla and three other astronauts successfully docked their Dragon spacecraft with the ISS this evening. Visuals beamed from the ISS showed the four astronauts who had just arrived enjoying a healthy drink and laughing.

    “I am feeling lightheaded,” the IAF pilot-turned-astronaut said. “But that is not much of an issue compared to the things we will do here for the next 14 days. It is a very proud and exciting moment, a big step in our space journey,” Group Captain Shukla said, flanked by the ISS crew and the three astronauts who came with him – Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, Tibor Kapu of Hungary, and Dr Peggy Whitson of the US.

    He reiterated what he said earlier about the tricolour (national flag). “I wear the tricolour on my shoulders with pride.”

    Group Captain Shukla’s family along with friends and relatives gathered at the school in Lucknow where he studied and watched the live telecast of the space capsule Dragon’s successful docking at the ISS.

    The capsule which is part of the Axiom 4 mission is the fifth and final Dragon in Elon Musk-owned company SpaceX fleet. It was christened “Grace” after reaching orbit.

  • ‘Proud to Carry the Tricolour’: Shubhanshu Shukla Speaks from ISS Ahead of 14-Day Mission

    New Delhi:

    Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla said he is excited about the scientific tasks that he and the crew will perform for the next 14 days in the International Space Station (ISS). He said he is feeling a bit “lightheaded” but “that is nothing compared to the excitement”.

    It was the first time the entire team spoke together since Group Captain Shukla and three other astronauts successfully docked their Dragon spacecraft with the ISS this evening. Visuals beamed from the ISS showed the four astronauts who had just arrived enjoying a healthy drink and laughing.

    “I am feeling lightheaded,” the IAF pilot-turned-astronaut said. “But that is not much of an issue compared to the things we will do here for the next 14 days. It is a very proud and exciting moment, a big step in our space journey,” Group Captain Shukla said, flanked by the ISS crew and the three astronauts who came with him – Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, Tibor Kapu of Hungary, and Dr Peggy Whitson of the US.

    He reiterated what he said earlier about the tricolour (national flag). “I wear the tricolour on my shoulders with pride.”

    Group Captain Shukla’s family along with friends and relatives gathered at the school in Lucknow where he studied and watched the live telecast of the space capsule Dragon’s successful docking at the ISS.

    The capsule which is part of the Axiom 4 mission is the fifth and final Dragon in Elon Musk-owned company SpaceX fleet. It was christened “Grace” after reaching orbit.

  • India in Space: Shubhanshu Shukla Flaunts Tricolour, Shares Excitement from ISS

    New Delhi:

    Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla said he is excited about the scientific tasks that he and the crew will perform for the next 14 days in the International Space Station (ISS). He said he is feeling a bit “lightheaded” but “that is nothing compared to the excitement”.

    It was the first time the entire team spoke together since Group Captain Shukla and three other astronauts successfully docked their Dragon spacecraft with the ISS this evening. Visuals beamed from the ISS showed the four astronauts who had just arrived enjoying a healthy drink and laughing.

    “I am feeling lightheaded,” the IAF pilot-turned-astronaut said. “But that is not much of an issue compared to the things we will do here for the next 14 days. It is a very proud and exciting moment, a big step in our space journey,” Group Captain Shukla said, flanked by the ISS crew and the three astronauts who came with him – Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland, Tibor Kapu of Hungary, and Dr Peggy Whitson of the US.

    He reiterated what he said earlier about the tricolour (national flag). “I wear the tricolour on my shoulders with pride.”

    Group Captain Shukla’s family along with friends and relatives gathered at the school in Lucknow where he studied and watched the live telecast of the space capsule Dragon’s successful docking at the ISS.

    The capsule which is part of the Axiom 4 mission is the fifth and final Dragon in Elon Musk-owned company SpaceX fleet. It was christened “Grace” after reaching orbit.

  • Shubhanshu Shukla Makes History, Becomes First Indian To Enter ISS

    New Delhi:

    Air Force pilot Shubhanshu Shukla wrote a historic new chapter in the country’s space exploration story Thursday after becoming the first Indian to float into the International Space Station.

    Live visuals from the ISS showed Shukla, and the other three astronauts on the Crew Dragon capsule, being helped through the vestibule connecting the spacecraft and the ISS. Each had big grins on their face and were welcomed with bear hugs by the seven astronauts already on the ISS.

    The four then lined up for a photo op drinking liquids from a foil packet.

    The capsule that carried the astronauts – part of Axiom-4, a private mission – docked this evening, completing a 28-hour flight from Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre to a point 424km over the northern Atlantic Ocean.

    Docking is the procedure by which a spacecraft connects to the space station.

    But before that docking can even begin the spacecraft must first rendezvous with the space station, meaning they must both be in the same orbital plane and be positioned close to each other.

  • Shubhanshu Shukla Makes History, Becomes First Indian To Enter ISS

    New Delhi:

    Air Force pilot Shubhanshu Shukla wrote a historic new chapter in the country’s space exploration story Thursday after becoming the first Indian to float into the International Space Station.

    Live visuals from the ISS showed Shukla, and the other three astronauts on the Crew Dragon capsule, being helped through the vestibule connecting the spacecraft and the ISS. Each had big grins on their face and were welcomed with bear hugs by the seven astronauts already on the ISS.

    The four then lined up for a photo op drinking liquids from a foil packet.

    The capsule that carried the astronauts – part of Axiom-4, a private mission – docked this evening, completing a 28-hour flight from Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre to a point 424km over the northern Atlantic Ocean.

    Docking is the procedure by which a spacecraft connects to the space station.

    But before that docking can even begin the spacecraft must first rendezvous with the space station, meaning they must both be in the same orbital plane and be positioned close to each other.

  • Shubhanshu Shukla Makes History, Becomes First Indian To Enter ISS

    New Delhi:

    Air Force pilot Shubhanshu Shukla wrote a historic new chapter in the country’s space exploration story Thursday after becoming the first Indian to float into the International Space Station.

    Live visuals from the ISS showed Shukla, and the other three astronauts on the Crew Dragon capsule, being helped through the vestibule connecting the spacecraft and the ISS. Each had big grins on their face and were welcomed with bear hugs by the seven astronauts already on the ISS.

    The four then lined up for a photo op drinking liquids from a foil packet.

    The capsule that carried the astronauts – part of Axiom-4, a private mission – docked this evening, completing a 28-hour flight from Florida’s Kennedy Space Centre to a point 424km over the northern Atlantic Ocean.

    Docking is the procedure by which a spacecraft connects to the space station.

    But before that docking can even begin the spacecraft must first rendezvous with the space station, meaning they must both be in the same orbital plane and be positioned close to each other.