A “glitch” resulted in the cancellation of the launch of India’s ambitious Chandrayaan-2 mission to the Moon early on Monday morning. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has preferred not to say more, leaving a more detailed explanation until after examining what went wrong. SNI spoke to Group Captain Ajay Lele (Retd), a space and security specialist at the Institute of Defence Studies & Analysis in New Delhi. In his view, it is better the “glitch” was detected on Earth rather than in space when it would have been near impossible to save the mission. Scientists now have time to iron out all the problems before readying Chandrayaan-2 for what will hopefully be a textbook launch.
Swami Dhirendra Shastri called for a meat-free Navratri in Bengal. Parties answered by invoking Shakta tradition. A restricted rite, stripped of its disciplines, has become “culture”, and Bengal uses its first taste of political freedom in decades to flaunt the very decay that helped undo it.
Moscow saw a rare confluence. CIA Director Ratcliffe to warn Putin, Vatican Foreign Minister Gallagher to stop Ukraine war, Indian Foreign Minister with a special message from PM Modi. Meanwhile Russia has destroyed "90% Warehouses" in Ukraine.
