The NASA–ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite has successfully unfolded its massive 12-meter-wide radar antenna reflector in orbit—a pivotal moment that transitions the mission from launch to commissioning. With the reflector fully deployed and locked, engineers can now perform critical system checks, calibration, and tuning of its dual-band radar systems (L-band by NASA; S-band by ISRO), vital for capturing high-resolution Earth observations. Once operational, NISAR will begin mapping the entire planet every 12 days, providing real-time data essential for monitoring climate-driven changes, natural disasters, and environmental shifts like glacier melting, land deformation, forest health, and water-cycle dynamics. (PC: NASA)

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, India’s celebrated astronaut of the Axiom-4 mission, is heading back to India — marking his first return since the successful International Space Station expedition . Sources indicate he may meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi this Monday to share insights and experiences critical to India’s upcoming Gaganyaan human spaceflight program . Upon landing tomorrow, he will also participate in the National Space Day celebrations on August 23. Shukla spent 18 days aboard the ISS conducting seven India-specific experiments, whose results are now being reviewed by Indian scientists. (PC: NDTV)  

ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan unveiled bold timelines: a crewed Gaganyaan mission is slated for early 2027, preceded by uncrewed test flights in 2025, marking India’s definitive push into human spaceflight. Concurrently, India plans its own modular space station, with the first 52-tonne module due in orbit by 2028, and full deployment by 2035. The Gaganyaan programme has been reinforced with enhanced systems, including human-rating of the launcher and astronaut safety measures like escape mechanisms and robust re-entry shielding. These milestones underscore India’s ambition to become a key global player in space exploration and human spaceflight leadership. (PC: ANI)

Two Indian aquanauts achieved a landmark deep-sea dive on August 5–6, 2025, reaching depths of 4,025 m and 5,002 m in the North Atlantic aboard the French submersible Nautile. Raju Ramesh and Commander (Retd) Jatinder Pal Singh completed these unprecedented dives as part of preparations for India’s Samudrayaan Deep Ocean Mission. This milestone equipment operation marks India’s entry into elite club of nations capable of manned deep-sea exploration and paves the way for the indigenously developed Matsya 6000 submersible, expected to carry a crew of three to 6,000 m by December 2027. (PC: X)

Two Indian aquanauts, Commander (Retd) Jatinder Pal Singh and R Ramesh, have set new national records by diving to depths of 5,002 meters and 4,025 meters, respectively, in the North Atlantic Ocean. These dives were conducted aboard the French submersible Nautile on August 4 and 5, 2025, marking the deepest underwater explorations ever undertaken by Indians. The mission is part of India's Deep Ocean Mission, Samudrayaan, which aims to send three aquanauts to 6,000 meters by 2027 using an indigenously developed titanium submersible. The dives also facilitated valuable training in vessel handling and operational protocols. (PC: The Times of India)

ISRO Chairman V. Narayanan announced that India will soon launch a 6,500 kg communication satellite built by the United States, marking one of the heaviest payloads ever handled by the Indian space agency. The launch is planned within the next two months using India’s GSLV Mk-III (LVM3) rocket. Speaking at SRM Institute’s convocation, Narayanan highlighted ISRO’s journey from launching a small American-supplied rocket in 1963 to becoming a global launch provider. He also noted the recent success of the NISAR mission, jointly developed with NASA, calling the upcoming launch a significant milestone in Indo-US space cooperation and ISRO’s heavy-lift capability. (PC: The Hindu)  

On July 24, 2025, NASA’s Curiosity rover spotted a 1-inch-wide coral-shaped rock inside Mars’ Gale Crater. While not biological, its intricate branching structure formed billions of years ago when mineral-rich water seeped into rock fractures, leaving hardened deposits. Over time, wind and sand erosion stripped away softer material, revealing the resilient pattern. Scientists say this discovery adds to evidence that liquid water once existed on Mars, shaping its terrain. Similar formations, including the “Paposo” rock and a flower-like feature found in 2022, strengthen theories about Mars’ potentially habitable past.  

Four astronauts — NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA’s Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov — returned to Earth on August 9, 2025, concluding a five-month International Space Station mission. Their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, Endurance, splashed down off the coast of San Diego, marking NASA’s first Pacific Ocean splashdown in 50 years . The astronauts conducted crucial scientific experiments aboard the ISS before undocking and enduring a precise 17-hour descent, culminating in a safe recovery by SpaceX teams. (PC: AFP)  

Skyroot Aerospace successfully conducted the first static test of its KALAM-1200 solid rocket motor at Sriharikota’s Satish Dhawan Space Centre. The test, held at 09:05 hrs on August 9, marks a major milestone for the Hyderabad-based private space startup. The KALAM-1200, an 11-meter-long, 1.7-meter-diameter monolithic composite motor with 30 tonnes of propellant, is the first stage of the Vikram-1 launch vehicle. It is the longest monolithic motor ever built at Sriharikota’s Solid Propellant Plant. ISRO provided design inputs and confirmed the motor’s performance met all predictions. This achievement aligns with India’s Space Policy 2023, which supports private sector participation and infrastructure development to boost the country’s commercial space economy. (PC: India Today & Reddit)

In a recent viral video shared by India Today, ISRO scientist Shubhanshu Shukla offers a captivating explanation of how astronauts digest food in space. Shukla, known for his engaging science communication, breaks down the effects of microgravity on the human digestive system. He explains that in space, food doesn’t move down due to gravity but is pushed along the digestive tract by muscular contractions called peristalsis. His simple yet insightful demonstration has gained widespread appreciation, especially among students and space enthusiasts, highlighting the challenges of human biology beyond Earth.