Weekly - ISRO announces Gaganyaan astronauts and more

Weekly Space News - Quick and Easy

Scientists find out why the largest pair of black holes ever is not merging

Last week, scientists analysing data from the Gemini North Telescope recently uncovered a mystery of the largest pair of supermassive black holes ever. The pair of black holes is located 750 million light years away from the earth and have a combined mass that is 28 billion times that of the sun. The 2 blackholes also have the least separation between them ever observed (only 24 lightyears). This leads to the question: Why haven’t they merged? Data from the Gemini telescope has helped answer that question. The 2 blackholes are in an extremely fast orbit around each other. It is so fast that it prevents the black holes from getting pulled towards each other. Usually, the gravity of such matter, tugs at the blackholes, eventually slowing it down, but in this case, the blackholes have nearly no stars near them to slow them down. This explains why they are not merging.

China launches first high orbit satellite

Last week, China launched its first high-orbit internet satellite. Most communications satellites are in the Geostationary orbit which is very far away from the Earth. China has never launched a satellite into this orbit before. Instead, most chinese communications satellites are put into low earth orbit. This time the new satellite called the High Orbit Satellite Internet-01 is going much farther. It's headed for an orbit higher than the LEO but below the GEO called the Geotransfer orbit. This unique orbit allows it to provide internet coverage to a much larger area. Developed by Chinese space experts, this satellite promises to bring internet access to more people, even in remote areas.

ISRO announces Gaganyaan astronauts

Last week, ISRO announced the list of 4 astronauts selected for its Gaganyaan mission. The Gaganyaan mission will attempt to send Indians safely to space from India’s own soil for the first time. The 4 astronauts are Group Captains Prashanth Nair, Ajit Krishnan and Angad Pratap, Along with Wing Commander Shubhanshu Shukla. All 4 are part of the Indian Air Force. The manned mission will take place in 2025 after a few more tests this year. If successful, the 4 astronauts will be the first Indians to go to space in about 40 years. The first and last Indian to go to space was Rakesh Sharma in 1984.