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Preparations for Ariane 5s dual mission enters final phase
MUMBAI: Preparations for Arianespaces next Ariane 5 flight are entering their final phase as the missions dual-satellite payload is integrated at the Spaceport in French Guiana.
For the upper element of the payload stack, Indias Insat-4A spacecraft has been encapsulated in its ogive-shaped Ariane 5 payload fairing, which will protect the satellite during the launchers initial ascent.
It is the first in India’s new Insat-4 telecommunications spacecraft series that will provide coverage over the Indian subcontinent and carries a mixed payload of 12 Ku-band and 12 C-band transponders. All the 12 Ku Band transponders have been leased out to the new Tata-Sky joint venture for DTH.
Produced by Switzerlands Contraves, the fairing carries noise suppression pads on its interior walls and is to be jettisoned at an altitude of approximately 100 km.
In parallel action at the Spaceport; the European MSG-2 meteorological spacecraft has been installed atop the Ariane 5. This places the spin-stabilised MSG-2 platform in the lower payload position on Ariane 5.
Liftoff of the Ariane 5 with Insat-4A and MSG-2 is set during a launch window that opens at 7:33 pm local time at the Spaceport and continues through 8:01 pm on 21 December (India time 4:03 am to 4:31 am on 22 December).
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Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
