Gifted myself the latest Kindle Paperwhite, and I just love so many things about it. Most of all the larger screen in only a slightly larger footprint is making a huge difference in the amount of thoughts I can absorb at once. 🤓

India’s revised space policy is here, and it’s a whole new world!

ISRO shall develop a long term road-map for sustained human presence in space. Towards this, it shall identify and develop necessary technologies, infrastructure and ecosystem.

I discuss India’s push for privatization of its space industry, ISRO doubling down on advanced research & development, and the policy’s mention of mining space resources in my latest monthly Indian Space Progress report. 🚀

I also cover the recent poetic PSLV launch, India’s upcoming gravitational wave detection facility, and more! 🤓

Image: ISRO

I was so happy and satisfied to see this share of my space blog from Mukunth. He kickstarted my science writing career with my first professional article in 2018, and beat academic writing out of me. It means so much for something like this to be said by a person who is an inspiration. ☺️

Was reading India’s new space policy yesterday on an off-day. Why? Because work shouldn’t just be about tasks to check off but also exploratory brain sprawls afforded by leisure.

I have some thoughts on said policy to share on my upcoming monthly Indian Space Progress report this Friday.

Many of my readers have asked me for my thoughts on ispace’s failed Moon landing last week. In my latest Moon Monday, I discuss its successes and failures, how ispace is forging ahead with another Moon mission and did a great job with their public communications, and how it all relates to the upcoming armada of private robotic Moon landers part of NASA’s CLPS program 🚀🌗

Aside: Quoting my favorite moment from the mission:

The Hakuto-R spacecraft captured this view of our Moon and Earth from lunar orbit. The dark shadow on Earth is of the Moon from the April 20 solar eclipse!

Image: ispace

My monthly Indian Space Progress reports now have more than 4,000 readers spread across the space community and the world. 🚀

Indian Space Progress is absolutely free to access by everyone, and I never display ads. If you find it valuable, you can sponsor it as an individual or an organization. 🇮🇳

I’ll be attending this public lecture tomorrow on future telescopes on the Moon at TIFR, Mumbai. If you’re around, and interested to talk space & science, would be nice to chat after the event. Email me.

Science mode is ON for South Korea’s KPLO spacecraft currently orbiting the Moon! Its instruments are returning valuable scientific data. I cover its details and more global lunar exploration updates in my latest Moon Monday. 🛰️

PS: KPLO captured this spectacular view of the Tsiolkovskiy crater.

You really need to look up to our Moon! Consider these amazing updates from just a week:

• NASA announced the four astronauts who will travel around our Moon soon
• Venturi Astrolab aims to launch its FLEX lunar rover in 2026
• Lockheed Martin launched a dedicated company to provide lunar infrastructure services
• Lunar samples from China’s Chang’e 5 mission found to contain water in glass beads
• NASA created a “Moon to Mars” Program Office

I cover details on all of this and more in my latest Moon Monday. 🚀🌗

Image: ESA

I can’t believe I posted a picture on all 31 days of Micro.blog’s March Photo Challenge! It was fun, and something I hadn’t done before as I’d only occasionally share some photos on the Web.

The 2011 young me, who had just started his very first blog on the Internet, had no idea what the 2023 me was going to accomplish. Here’s a linked list of all global media publications and institutions where my articles on space exploration have been published: blog.jatan.space/p/publish… 🚀

As I shared on my LinkedIn, my advice to budding (and much needed) science writers is to:

1. Create things for the sake of it
2. Share your work without hesitation
3. Practice the process of writing

Day 31 of the Micro.blog Photo Challenge.

Every spacecraft’s range of functionality is tested for weeks or even months in thermovac chambers, or space simulators. These achieve a space-like vacuum and simulate its extreme temperature swings. Powerful xenon lamps and mirrors simulate space’s unfiltered sunlight with varying intensities.

– How we test spacecraft before launch

Pictured, ESA’s Jupiter-bound JUICE spacecraft’s thermal model build undergoing an extreme temperature test in such a chamber. JUICE is launching really soon BTW 🚀

Image: ESA / M. Cowan

Day 30 of the Micro.blog Photo Challenge.

Two slices of semi-dark waffles.

Day 29 of the Micro.blog Photo Challenge.

This lovely dusk prompted me and my friend to go to the terrace.

Not pictured but we also enjoyed gazing the glowing half Moon near zenith, and a bold & bright Venus hanging well above this view.

Day 28 of the Micro.blog Photo Challenge.

Support indie cafés.

Day 27 of the Micro.blog Photo Challenge.

Words are the instrument of my choice. Ones from this Google Doc coming soon to a web-enabled screen near you.

Day 26 of the Micro.blog Photo Challenge.

I presented this poster at the 4th Indian Planetary Science Conference this week. Really, for civil space exploration missions, why is it that despite being an Indian citizen I have easy formal access to U.S. government space agency officials (NASA) but not ISRO?

I’ll reiterate what I said on my LinkedIn:

Progress in public awareness of science is the progress of science, and that of a nation. Let us solve this.

Spiced up my outstation travel with the Vande Bharat train. Save for the lack of Wi-Fi and dysfunctional shader design, it was a good overall experience.

Day 25 of the Micro.blog Photo Challenge.

Put the ball in ISRO’s court by presenting this poster at the 4th Indian Planetary Science Conference in Ahmedabad this week. 😬

Day 24 of the Micro.blog Photo Challenge.

Gave another indie café in another city a chance with their Mocha. It was okay.

Day 23 of the Micro.blog Photo Challenge.

I had been trying to get a clear image of these flying insects for weeks. They flew high, far, and too fast, and never stayed still. One day I finally got this good air-capture, and Internet-identified them as the aptly named “great orange-tip” butterfly.

Day 22 of the Micro.blog Photo Challenge.

The tiny “transverse” ladybird in my society’s backyard. It’s named after its back pattern style.

For Day 21 of the Micro.blog Photoblogging Challenge.

I’m not into keeping houseplants but I do like it when I spot a Dahlia at someone’s place. This picture is of a beautiful Dahlia placed outdoors but its cool because it shows a little spider sneaking out of it. :)

For Day 20 of the Micro.blog Photoblogging Challenge.

I look forward to attending the 4th Indian Planetary Science Conference in Ahmedabad this week, where I’m also presenting this poster. Also, if you’re around and want to meet to discuss Space, Science, or the Web, get in touch. :)

New business card I designed. For analog marketing which I’m terrible at. Well, I’m not good at digital marketing either.

For Day 19 of the Micro.blog Photoblogging Challenge.