NEW DELHI: Remember the 2014 Oscar-winning sci-fi movie "Interstellar", where a group of volunteers travels across the galaxy in search of a new home for humanity? In real life, however, only five Nasa spacecraft have gone beyond the planets of our solar system. Interstellar missions (travelling between stars or planetary systems) remain only in the realms of possibility.
Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) became part of a global project that will help bring star travel closer to reality, when its PSLV C38 rocket launched six prototypes of tiny interstellar spacecraft, or sprites, into low-earth orbit on June 23 this year.
The good news is that one of these six stamp-sized sprites, which weigh just 4gm and are 3.5cm long, has managed to establish contact with ground stations, becoming the smallest spacecraft ever to do so. It's being seen as a giant step in space technology, with the Isro launch sowing the seed of what could be future interstellar missions.
Sprite will help explore deep space mysteries
The six interstellar spacecraft or sprites, launched, are part of an ambitious, multi-million dollar 'Breakthrough Starshot' research project being funded by Russian billionaire and tech investor Yuri Milner and supported by cosmologist Stephen Hawking. Read more...
Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) became part of a global project that will help bring star travel closer to reality, when its PSLV C38 rocket launched six prototypes of tiny interstellar spacecraft, or sprites, into low-earth orbit on June 23 this year.
The good news is that one of these six stamp-sized sprites, which weigh just 4gm and are 3.5cm long, has managed to establish contact with ground stations, becoming the smallest spacecraft ever to do so. It's being seen as a giant step in space technology, with the Isro launch sowing the seed of what could be future interstellar missions.
Sprite will help explore deep space mysteries
The six interstellar spacecraft or sprites, launched, are part of an ambitious, multi-million dollar 'Breakthrough Starshot' research project being funded by Russian billionaire and tech investor Yuri Milner and supported by cosmologist Stephen Hawking. Read more...