Tag Archives: ISRO
An award that isn’t
ISRO just put out a call for a one-time space journalism award, named for Vikram Sarabhai, with a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh. Here’s the doc with all the details. Pay attention to (4), where it says submissions will … Continue reading
Posted in Scicomm
Tagged Akshay Kumar, Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, Jaggi Vasudev, Mission Mangal, science journalism, space journalism, Vikram Sarabhai
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Why covering ISRO is a pain
The following is a bulleted list of reasons why covering developments on the Indian spaceflight programme can be nerve-wracking. ISRO does not have a media engagement policy that lays out when it will communicate information to journalists and how, so … Continue reading
Posted in Scicomm
Tagged access journalism, Chandrayaan 2, GSLV Mk-III, Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, Lok Sabha, Tamil cinema
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Why are we going to the Moon again?
At 2:51 am on July 15, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch its Chandrayaan 2 mission on board a GSLV Mk III rocket from its spaceport in Sriharikota. The rocket will place its payload, the orbiter, in a … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds
Tagged Aditya L1, Chandrayaan 1, Chandrayaan 2, Gaganyaan, GSLV Mk-III, Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, Mangalyaan, Mars Orbiter Mission, NASA MAVEN, South Asian satellite, space diplomacy
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Finding trash in the dumpster
Just as there’s no merit in writing a piece that is confused and incomplete, there’s no merit in digging through a dumpster and complaining that there’s trash. However, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t hurt when The Quint publishes something … Continue reading
For space, frugality is a harmful aspiration
Ref: ‘ISRO’s Chandrayaan-2 mission to cost lesser than Hollywood movie Interstellar – here’s how they make it cost-effective’, staff, Moneycontrol, February 20, 2018. ∞ ‘Chandrayaan-2 mission cheaper than Hollywood film Interstellar’, Surendra Singh, Times of India, February 20, 2018. ∞ The following … Continue reading
Posted in Op-eds
Tagged Chandrayaan, ESA, frugal engineering, frugal innovation, gravity, hollywood, Indian Space Research Organisation, Interstellar, ISRO, K Sivan, labour costs, Mars Orbiter Mission, Moneycontrol, NASA, NASA MAVEN, public sector undertaking, quality control, Times of India
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ISRO v. SpaceX doesn’t make sense
Though I’ve never met the guy, I don’t hold Pallava Bagla in very high regard because his stories – particularly of the Indian space programme – for NDTV have often reeked of simplistic concerns, pettiness and, increasingly of late, a … Continue reading
Posted in Life notes, Op-eds, Science
Tagged Antrix, Arianespace, Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, Indian Space Research Organisation, ISRO, K Sivan, NASA, NDTV, PSLV, reusable launch vehicle, SpaceX
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Awk CZTI result from Crab pulsar
An instrument onboard the ISRO Astrosat space-telescope has studied how X-rays being emitted by the Crab pulsar are being polarised, and how such polarisation varies from one pulse to the next. This is very important information for understanding how pulsars … Continue reading
Posted in Science
Tagged ASTROSAT, Crab pulsar, CZTI, Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope, ISRO, NASA GEMS, neutron stars, Ooty radio telescope, POLIX, X-ray polarisation
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Do your bit, broaden your science menu
Don’t judge the best science journalists in India after having read only the worst science journalism. Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Fountain Ink, helium-3, ISRO, Reuters, science journalism, science writing, Scroll, The Hindu, The Telegraph, Twitter
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Auditing science stories: Two examples from the bottom rungs
The worst kinds of science stories are those that get facts wrong – and then those that report null results wrong. Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Breakthrough Listen, helium-3, India TV, ISRO, Livemint, Paul Gilster, science journalism, science reporting, SETI, Sivathanu Pillai, The Guardian
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