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Another Intersputnik satellite gets into orbit
Intersputnik’s Express-6A satellite was launched successfully on 12 March (Moscow Time). The satelllite to be located at 80 degrees East, is positioned as a bird that will significantly improve communications capacity across Russia and was lifted off Kazakhstan’s Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard a Proton launch vehicle. Under an agreement with the Russian Satellite Communications Company (RSCC), Intersputnik will utilize the major part of Express-6A’s 17 transponder strong C- and Ku-band relay capacity.
Express-6A will replace the aging Express-6 spacecraft currently in orbit and allows Intersputnik’s customers to use earth stations without tracking systems, and providing a higher quality of services.
“The successful launch of Express-6A is the next step in modernizing Intersputnik’s communications system,” Gennady Kudryavtsev, Intersputnik’s Director General, said. “The new Express-A series of spacecraft provides a longer service life, more capacity and higher radiated power. Express-6A will carry all of the television channels currently handled via Express-6, and also will be used for new digital communications and broadcasting channels including relay in Ku-band.”
In addition to traditional services such as analog broadcasting and public switched telephone networks, Express-6A also will provide such services as digital television and radio broadcasting, Internet access and dedicated corporate VSAT-based Ku-band networks. Users of the Express-6A include such Russian television channels as TV-6, TV-Centre, AST; large telecommunications network operators (Rustel); dedicated networks operators (Insat, Sirena), and telephone companies from Intersputnik’s member nations.
The second satellite in the new Express-A series is Express-3A, which is to be launched in June and positioned at 11 degrees West. This spacecraft will replace the aging Statsionar-11 (Gorizont-26) satellite. Express-3A will allow Intersputnik to offer more satellite channels to telecommunications companies interested in transAtlantic traffic.
Russia’s Krasnoyarsk-based NPO PM is prime contractor for the Express-A-series satellites. The satellite bus is developed by NPO PM, while Alcatel Espace of France supplies the payload.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
