Rahul Desai

Space & Astronomy Correspondent

Rahul Desai

Rahul Desai writes about space exploration, astronomy, and India's growing space program. He has covered multiple ISRO missions.

Articles by Rahul Desai

16 posts
Atmosphere Confirmed on Habitable Planet 49 Light-Years from Earth
ScienceJul 21, 2026

Harvard astronomers have detected helium escaping from rocky exoplanet LHS 1140b, marking the first confirmed atmosphere on any Earth-like world in the habitable zone of another star.

Skyroot Vikram-1 Successfully Reaches Orbit: India's First Private Rocket Makes History
SpaceJul 19, 2026

Skyroot Aerospace Vikram-1 becomes India first private orbital rocket, successfully deploying 6 payloads and making India the 3rd country with private orbital launch capability.

Artemis Moon Missions Could Ruin Ancient Ice on the Moon, NASA Study Warns
SpaceJul 18, 2026

A new NASA-funded study warns that Artemis landings may contaminate the Moon's ancient ice deposits, potentially destroying scientific evidence frozen for billions of years.

Skyroot Vikram-1: Indias first private orbital rocket set for maiden flight on July 18
Science & SpaceJul 17, 2026

Skyroot Aerospace will attempt to launch India's first privately developed orbital rocket from Sriharikota on Saturday, carrying multiple technology payloads.

SpaceX scrubs Starship Flight 13 after 4 engines fail to ignite what went wrong
Science & SpaceJul 17, 2026

SpaceX called off the 13th Starship test flight at T-0 when four Raptor 3 engines failed to start, forcing engineers to replace two engines on the Super Heavy booster.

Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon heads to ISS today how to watch launch live
Science & SpaceJul 16, 2026

Anil Menon launched aboard Soyuz MS-29 from Baikonur on July 14, 2026, becoming the first Indian-origin NASA astronaut to fly to space. He docked with the ISS and will spend months aboard the station.

Space junk cloud discovered in key satellite orbit is a potential minefield for the costliest spacecraft
ScienceJul 16, 2026

Researchers at the University of Warwick found 25 previously undetected debris fragments in geostationary orbit using a blind stacking technique. The debris, as small as 5 cm, could destroy billion-dollar satellites.

NASA Hubble discovers first missing black hole in Omega Centauri -- what it means for astronomy
SpaceJul 15, 2026

Astronomers using 20 years of Hubble archival data and Webb observations have found the first stellar-mass black hole in Omega Centauri, ending a decades-long search and revealing surprising properties.

NASA Astronaut Anil Menon Launches to ISS Today: Indian-Origin Doctor Begins 8-Month Space Mission
SpaceJul 14, 2026

Indian-origin NASA astronaut Anil Menon lifts off today aboard Soyuz MS-29 from Kazakhstan, beginning his first spaceflight at age 49 with research that could shape the future of deep-space medicine.

New study reveals ideal number of astronauts for a moon base - and it is not what you think
SpaceJul 13, 2026

A new PLOS ONE study used agent-based modeling to simulate how many astronauts should live on a moon base. The answer could shape NASA's Artemis plans for a permanent lunar outpost.

ISRO successfully tests Gaganyaan main parachute system in major milestone for human spaceflight
SpaceJul 12, 2026

ISRO successfully conducted the fifth Integrated Main Parachute Air Drop Test for the Gaganyaan mission at Sheopur, Madhya Pradesh, bringing India closer to its first human spaceflight.

Chandrayaan-3 data reveals link to Earth's oldest lunar meteorite what it means for lunar science
SpaceJul 10, 2026

ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission has found that the soil at its Shiv Shakti landing site closely matches a meteorite discovered in Antarctica, helping scientists connect lunar samples on Earth to specific regions on the Moon for the first time.

ISRO likely to launch Chandrayaan-4 on LVM-3 in 2028 -- what the new document reveals
SpaceJul 9, 2026

A Parliamentary Standing Committee report confirms ISRO's target dates for Chandrayaan-4, with the lunar sample return mission now planned for 2028 using the LVM-3 rocket without its semi-cryogenic upgrade.

Total Solar Eclipse on August 12 2026 -- will India see it and how to watch safely
SpaceJul 9, 2026

A total solar eclipse will sweep across the Northern Hemisphere on August 12, 2026, turning day into night for over two minutes. Here is why India will miss it, where you can watch online, and when the next one visible from India arrives.

Astronomers discover potentially habitable super-Earth just 25 light-years away: 'This one is exciting'
SpaceJul 7, 2026

Astronomers have confirmed GJ 3378b, a super-Earth in the habitable zone of a red dwarf star just 25 light-years from Earth, making it one of the closest potentially habitable worlds ever found.

NASA faces backlash after announcing all-male crew for Artemis III Moon mission
SpaceJul 7, 2026

NASA selection of an all-male crew for the Artemis III mission has sparked widespread criticism online, with many pointing to the agency push for diversity in human spaceflight.