India and the second Space Age

India stands at a pivotal crossroads in its journey in space. The era of state-led exploration has given way to the “Second Space Age”—a competitive frontier defined by commercial interests, private enterprise, and new geopolitical ambitions. This collection of articles from The Hindu provides an essential record of how a nation, once celebrated for its … Read more

What is space-based solar power?

A conceptual illustration of a satellite collecting solar energy in earth orbit and beaming it down as microwaves. | Photo Credit: NASA A: The Shimizu Corporation in Japan has proposed a belt of power plants sitting along the moon’s equator, which is 11,000 km long, called the “Lunar Ring”. According to the company’s plans, robots … Read more

Kalpakkam fast breeder reactor attains criticality

A file image of fast-breeder reactor in Tamil Nadu‘s Kalpakkam | Photo Credit: The Hindu India’s first prototype fast-breeder reactor (PFBR) in Tamil Nadu‘s Kalpakkam on Monday (April 6, 2026) came another step forward in its civil nuclear journey as it attained criticality. First criticality in a fast breeder reactor is the moment when the nuclear … Read more

Artemis II breaks Apollo 13’s distance record with daring moon flyby that included a solar eclipse

After traveling deeper into space than any other humans, the Artemis II astronauts pointed their moonship toward home on Monday (April 6, 2026) night, wrapping up a lunar cruise that revealed views of the far side never beheld by eyes until now. Their flyby of the moon even included some celestial sightseeing besides yielding rich … Read more

Psychedelics are revealing how the brain builds the sense of self

Many people have reported moments when the sense of being a distinct self ‘loosens’. Among astronauts, it is called the overview effect while deep-sea explorers report a similar shift sometimes called the underview effect. Both involve sudden changes in perspective in which the usual boundary of ‘me’ briefly softens, as if the vastness they encounter … Read more