Soumya Pillai covers environment and traffic in Delhi. A journalist for three years, she has grown up in and with Delhi, which is often reflected in the stories she does about life in the city. She also enjoys writing on social innovations.
Articles by Soumya Pillai
ISRO begins preparation for India’s 2nd mission to Mars
India is preparing to send its second spacecraft, Mangalyaan-2, to Mars, nine years after its successful first attempt.
Updated on Oct 02, 2023 04:26 AM IST
Aditya L1 escapes sphere of Earth’s influence: Isro
India's Aditya-L1 spacecraft, the country's first observatory to study the Sun, has travelled over 920,000 km from Earth on its way to the Sun-Earth Lagrange Point-1. The spacecraft will remain in a halo orbit around L1, about 1.5 million km from Earth, to observe the Sun's corona and other aspects without interruptions. This mission follows the success of India's Mars Orbiter Mission, which also travelled beyond Earth's influence.
Updated on Oct 01, 2023 11:01 PM IST
‘Below normal’ end for patchy monsoon: IMD
India's monsoon season this year brought only 94% of its usual rainfall, classifying it as a "below normal" season.
Updated on Oct 01, 2023 04:30 AM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
Polarimetry mission set for December launch: Isro chief
India's first polarimetry mission, the XPoSat, is set to launch in December. The satellite will study bright X-ray sources in extreme conditions, providing valuable information about celestial objects. It is the world's second mission to measure the polarisation of light and will help scientists better understand emissions from black holes, neutron stars, and other astronomical sources. In addition, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation announced that the first test flight for the Gaganyaan crew module is scheduled for October, with the unmanned mission expected in early 2024.
Updated on Sep 27, 2023 08:28 AM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
Top science awardees may not get cash perks next year onwards
The government last week announced that science, technology and innovations awards will now be conferred as the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar
Published on Sep 26, 2023 12:54 AM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
After Vikram’s ‘hop’, Isro eyes next lunar leap: To bring back samples from Moon
The recent successful hop experiment by Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander will inform future lunar missions.
Updated on Sep 25, 2023 04:58 AM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
Isro to wait 14 more days for Pragyaan, Vikram signals
Scientists are hoping that as temperatures rise on the Moon, the possibility of revival will also go up.
Updated on Sep 24, 2023 05:01 AM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
Isro continues efforts to establish contact with Chandrayaan-3
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists are continuing their efforts to re-establish communication with the Vikram lander and Pragyan rover of the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Despite not receiving any signals so far, ISRO is persisting in its attempts to revive the lander and rover. The revival attempt aims to extend the mission's objectives and collect more data. The batteries on the equipment were left charged before being put to sleep, and if the revival is successful, the rover will resume movement and the lander will collect data once again.
Updated on Sep 23, 2023 12:38 AM IST
ISRO aims to revive lander, rover during lunar sunrise
The Isro chairman, said that they are hoping when the sun rises on the Shivshakti Point, where lander & rover are parked, the equipment will come back to life.
Updated on Sep 21, 2023 05:24 AM IST
Rajya Sabha discusses India’s space journey
While addressing the Rajya Sabha, Union minister of science and technology Jitendra Singh on Wednesday said that Chandrayaan-3 has been a major leap in the country’s space programme
Updated on Sep 21, 2023 12:01 AM IST
ISRO sends off Aditya-L1 to final destination, successfully performs key manoeuvre
On September 2, the Indian space agency launched the Aditya-L1 spacecraft—the country’s maiden mission to study the Sun—from the spaceport in Sriharikota
Published on Sep 19, 2023 03:06 PM IST
After its successful sun, moon expeditions, Isro works on polarimetry mission
ISRO is preparing to launch its first polarimetry mission, XPoSat, by the end of the year. This will be the second polarimetry mission in the world
Updated on Sep 19, 2023 12:09 AM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
Vikram pulls off a lunar hop before entering sleep mode
Vikram lander, part of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, successfully completed a "hop" on the lunar surface.
Updated on Sep 05, 2023 01:36 AM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
Chandrayaan-3 instruments to be put to ‘sleep’ today
The primary objectives of the mission have been successfully completed, including recording the first seismic readings on the Moon.
Updated on Sep 03, 2023 01:42 AM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
Aditya-L1 begins its long solar voyage
At 11.45am on Sunday, Isro will perform the first Earth-bound firing to raise the orbit of the Aditya-L1 craft.
Updated on Sep 03, 2023 01:50 AM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
Aditya-L1: ISRO launches India’s maiden Sun mission from Sriharikota
The Aditya-L1 mission, which will mark India’s first mission to study the Sun, will allow India’s scientists to unlock new insights about the centre of our solar system
Updated on Sep 02, 2023 12:58 PM IST
HT Interview: No one got continuous data on Sun yet, we will, says Jagdev Singh
India's Aditya-L1 mission will study Sun and provide data on its visible emission line and solar corona, according to Professor Jagdev Singh.
Updated on Sep 02, 2023 05:08 AM IST
Chandrayaan-3 takes seismic readings from lunar surface
India’s lunar exploration mission, Chandrayaan-3, took its first seismic readings on the moon, detecting the mild rumble of not just the rover and other scientific instruments probing the surface of the moon but also what appeared to be a “natural event” now under investigation.
Updated on Sep 01, 2023 12:18 AM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
Solar mission Aditya L-1 in position, set for launch
The solar probe is scheduled to be launched at 11.50am on Saturday atop the PSLV-C-57 rocket, which is a version of the India’s workhorse space launcher strapped on with additional engines
Updated on Aug 30, 2023 11:35 PM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
Chandrayaan-3’s Pragyan rover confirms presence of sulphur on surface of Moon
Rover has also detected elements like aluminium (Al), calcium (Ca), iron (Fe), chromium (Cr), titanium (Ti), manganese (Mn), silicon (Si), and oxygen (O).
Updated on Aug 30, 2023 05:21 AM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
Pragyan rover avoids crater, data collection key objective now: Isro
The Pragyan rover on the Chandrayaan-3 mission had to retrace its path to avoid a crater on the lunar surface. It is now safely heading on a new path. The mission is focused on maximizing findings from the lander and rover before the lunar sunset on September 6.
Updated on Aug 29, 2023 12:22 AM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
Aditya-L1 solar mission set for launch on Saturday from Sriharikota
The solar mission will be carried out by the Aditya-L1, which will be launched from the Sriharikota spaceport on the Isro’s workhorse rocket, the PSLV.
Updated on Aug 29, 2023 01:52 AM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
AIIMS doctors save 2-yr-old girl’s life after her heart stops on flight
Five doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) came to the rescue of a two-year-old girl who stopped breathing on a Vistara flight from Bengaluru to Delhi. The doctors improvised medical equipment from whatever they could find on the plane and managed to revive the child and stabilise her until the flight made an emergency landing in Nagpur. The girl had recently undergone heart surgery and had experienced post-surgery complications. The doctors continued to assist the child until she could be handed over to a paediatrician from a nearby hospital.
Updated on Aug 29, 2023 12:05 AM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
Isro to launch India’s first Sun mission on Sept 2
Isro has announced that India’s first Sun mission, Aditya-L1, is scheduled to take off from Sriharikota on September 2 morning
Updated on Aug 28, 2023 06:35 PM IST
Vikram sends back first moon readings
India's Chandrayaan-3 mission has recorded temperatures on the lunar surface, offering new insights into the Moon's thermal behavior and characteristics of lunar soil. The temperature dropped significantly as the probe dug deeper into the lunar surface, with temperatures of around 55°C at the topmost level and around -10°C at a depth of about 8cm. The experiment is set to continue for 10 more days.
Updated on Aug 28, 2023 12:19 AM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
Naming landing point ‘Shiv Shakti’, a message for gender equality: Scientists
Scientists responsible for Chandrayaan-3’s success said that the PM’s speech will encourage them to do better in the future.
Updated on Aug 27, 2023 04:51 AM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
Pragyan rover moves around lunar south pole region, all experiments functional
Isro says both the lander and the rover are in good health, and the mission is progressing according to schedule
Updated on Aug 26, 2023 11:56 PM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
PM Modi announces August 23 as ‘National Space Day’, lauds Isro scientists
Hailing the efforts of the woman scientists for the successful space mission and the landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the moon, PM Modi further announced that the point on the moon where Chandrayaan-3 landed will be called ‘Shivshakti’
Updated on Aug 26, 2023 10:57 AM IST
Chandrayaan-3: Pragyan rover successfully travels 8 metres on lunar surface
Pragyan, roughly 92cm in length and 75cm in width, has on board two spectrometers that can analyse the composition of moon rocks and dust
Updated on Aug 26, 2023 04:30 AM IST
Soumya Pillai, New Delhi
ISRO releases first images of Pragyan rover rolling out
Officials confirmed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to meet ISRO chief S Somanath and the team of Chandrayaan-3 scientists on Saturday, soon after returning from Athens in Greece.
Updated on Aug 25, 2023 06:02 PM IST