Tech

In a major display of technical ingenuity, China has successfully rescued two satellites—DRO-A and DRO-B—that were stuck in the wrong orbit for 123 days following a launch failure. The satellites, part of China’s distant retrograde orbit (DRO) constellation, were saved using a series of complex gravitational slingshot manoeuvres that turned a near-disaster into a milestone in space navigation. This recovery mission not only preserved critical hardware but also highlighted China’s growing expertise in orbital mechanics, space rescue operations, and deep-space navigation technologies.

Innovative Thinking in critical condition

According to a recent story by CGTN, on March 15, 2024, China launched two satellites that were mounted on a Long March-2C rocket with a Yuanzheng-1S upper stage. While the launch initially appeared to be successful, a malfunction in the upper stage made the satellites tumble and head towards Earth much closer than planned. With limited power and damaged systems, conventional recovery was impossible.

Zhang Hao, a researcher at the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilisation (CSU), described the moment the team learned of the issue in an interview with CGTN Digital: “If the satellites were destroyed, that would have been a waste of the years of effort that we put in and the money invested in the mission. It would also be a mental blow to the team.”

CSU engineers divided into two teams—one worked to stabilise the spinning satellites, while Zhang’s team focused on calculating a new trajectory using gravitational assists. “We calculated the best route to move the satellites back on track,” Zhang explained during the interview.

A Gravity-Assisted Comeback

The mission exploited the gravitational pulls of Earth, the Moon, and even the Sun to carefully nudge the satellites into their target DRO positions. The technique is commonly applied in deep space missions, and it needs a minimal amount of fuel, which makes it a feasible way to bypass the fuel shortage. The most critical manoeuvre lasted just 20 minutes but took weeks of preparation. “I got more and more stressed as the clock ticked,” Zhang admitted. “I just kept staring at the screen until it said ‘normal, ‘” he further added.

Now successfully positioned, DRO-A and DRO-B have joined the earlier DRO-L to form a three-satellite constellation. According to CSU researcher Mao Xinyuan, the network will drastically reduce spacecraft positioning times—from days to just a few hours—and support autonomous navigation between Earth and the Moon.

This mission not only salvaged valuable satellites but also demonstrated China’s growing capability in autonomous spaceflight and long-distance orbital engineering.

SpaceX has successfully sent another batch of Starlink satellites into space on Monday, marking its second launch of the day. At 10:34 p.m. EDT (0234 GMT on April 29), a brand-new Falcon 9 rocket carried 23 Starlink broadband satellites, including 13 equipped with direct-to-cell capability, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Earlier today, a separate Falcon 9 launched 27 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The rapid double mission highlights SpaceX’s pace in expanding its Internet constellation, which already stands as the largest of its kind ever deployed.

Brand-New Falcon 9 Lands After Launching 23 Starlink Satellites to Orbit

According to a Space.com report, this launch was significant as it was the first flight for this specific Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage. SpaceX’s boosters see multiple missions, with one record-setting booster achieving 27 flights to date. Despite being brand new, the first stage of the Falcon 9 made a flawless landing approximately eight minutes after launch, gently landing on the “A Shortfall of Gravitas” droneship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Meanwhile, the rocket’s upper stage continued its journey, carrying the 23 Starlink satellites toward low Earth orbit (LEO). The satellites were released about 65 minutes after liftoff, joining — or more aptly, surrounding — the ever-growing constellation of Starlink spacecraft. With tonight’s successful deployment, SpaceX is one step closer to achieving its mission of offering global broadband coverage using thousands of satellites working together.

SpaceX Marks 50th Falcon 9 Launch of 2025, Expanding Starlink to 7,200 Satellites

SpaceX’s 50th Falcon 9 mission of 2025, devoted to growing the Starlink network, is a highlight of the company’s relentless launch cadence, with 33 missions dedicated to the project, which now counts more than 7,200 operating satellites.

SpaceX is still growing out its satellite constellation and refining its launch-and-recovery technology. The fact that the company was able to pull off two successful Starlink missions in a single day demonstrates just how well SpaceX has been able to finesse the balance between reusability with new hardware.

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket has been launched carrying 27 of Amazon’s Project Kuiper broadband spacecraft. The launch took place from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on April 28, 2025, at 7:01 PM EDT (4:31 AM IST). It is reported to be the first of more than 80 launches, which are planned to deploy a megaconstellation for Project Kuiper. The ultimate end goal for Amazon is to provide end-to-end network service, which means routing data both to and from the satellites and from the internet to the satellites and from the satellites to a customer’s terminal antenna. The effort is expected to start covering customers later this year. The remaining 80-plus launches will be performed by Atlas V and its successor, ULA’s new Vulcan Centaur rocket.

Amazon’s Upgraded Project Kuiper Satellites Aim for Orbit to Rival Starlink Expansion

According to a Space.com report, the 27 satellites will be initially placed at an altitude of 280 miles (450 kilometres) and will later manoeuvre themselves to their operational height of 392 miles (630 kilometres). Interestingly, reports suggest that Amazon will eventually harbour more than 3,200 satellites. In contrast, SpaceX’s Starlink network already has over 7,200 active broadband satellites. The report further claims that the brand is planning to launch 80 more satellites in the next few months.

Today’s launch used an Atlas V rocket, and the Kuiper fleet rollout will see additional launch missions with more Atlas Vs and Vulcan Centaur rockets.

Amazon has also advanced its satellites with innovative technologies, such as phased array antennas, optical inter-satellite links, updatable software, solar arrays, and efficient propulsion, to create a high-performance service architecture, accessible from any point on Earth.

Amazon’s Kuiper launch seems near following satellite deployment and testing, with an approach to compete with the operational architecture of Starlink by establishing a datalink from the internet down to Earth stations.

Coinbase and Animoca Brands have joined a group of institutional investors to announce an accelerator initiative in the UK, focused on Web3 projects. Fabric Ventures and Founders Factory are also part of the programme, that will allow promising Web3 startups to gain financial aid of up to GBP 250,000 (roughly Rs. 2.85 crore). The firms announced the new programme on Monday, and stated that it was designed to advance tech startups working on AI and blockchain technology that can elevate the UK’s economic status.

The initiative also offers 16 weeks of industry experience from Founders Factory, a startup accelerator firm based in London, UK. The selected startups will get business strategy support and market exposure along with training in product development and fundraising, according to a press release published on Monday.

Fabric Ventures, Animoca Brands, and Coinbase will also guide these startups on tokenomics, community strategies, and business scaling practices in the blockchain and AI sectors.

“Ensuring that these products and services are born out of the UK is vital. For too long, access to capital, mentorship, and resources has held back this ambition. This significant investment changes that,” said Keith Grose, UK CEO, Coinbase.

The group of investors has yet to disclose the exact amount of funds that have been allocated to support this initiative. The announcement vaguely mentions the accelerator programme is worth several million pounds.

Startups building for open economy and tokenised business models have been invited to apply. The founders of the selected startups will also get an opportunity to present a demo of their projects to global investors and work for seed funding or Series A investments.

The UK plans to release its crypto rules by 2026. Due to its crypto-friendly approach, several Web3 firms have entered the UK market.

All Web3 firms looking to operate in the UK are required to acquire an operational licence with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). Coinbase is among firms that recently registered with the FCA earlier this year.

Xiaomi 16 and Xiaomi 16 Pro are almost half a year away from their anticipated launch, but details of these handsets have already begun to appear on the web. A new leak has revealed some of the key specifications of the entry-level model in the Xiaomi 16 series. The standard Xiaomi 16 is said to arrive with the largest battery seen on a 6.32-inch display phone. It could also feature a triple rear camera setup. The current-generation Xiaomi 15 model debuted in India in March.

Xiaomi 16 Specification (Expected)

Weibo user Smart Pikachu (translated from Chinese) leaked the key specifications of the purported Xiaomi 16. It is said to have a compact form factor with a 6.32-inch flat display with narrow bezels on all sides. It is tipped to run on HyperOS 3 interface, which is expected to be based on Android 16.

The Xiaomi 16 is said to sport a thin and light build. It could feature a 50-megapixel triple camera setup, like the existing Xiaomi 15 model. The upcoming phone is claimed to pack the largest battery ever seen on a 6.3-inch display phone. However, the tipster has not hinted at the exact battery size of the handset. The claim suggests it will be larger than the OnePlus 13T, which landed in China earlier this month with a 6,260mAh battery.

As per recent rumours, battery capacity of the Xiaomi 16 will be around 7,000mAh. It is speculated to ship with the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2 chipset, which is yet to be unveiled by Qualcomm. Xiaomi is rumoured to use the latest silicon-carbon (Si/C) technology in the Xiaomi 16 series.

The Xiaomi 15 was launched in China in October 2024 with a 5,400mAh battery with support for 90W wired fast charging and 50W wireless charging. The Indian variant of the phone is armed with a 5,240mAh battery and the same 90W wired and 50W wireless charging support. It came with a price tag of Rs. 64,999 for the 12GB RAM + 512GB storage configuration.

Other specifications of Xiaomi 16 are likely to be an upgrade over the current Xiaomi 15 model. The latter has a 6.36-inch Full-HD+ (1,200 x 2,670 pixels) LTPO AMOLED display and a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip. It came with up to 12GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB of UFS 4.0 onboard storage. 

It has a triple rear camera unit comprising a 50-megapixel Light Fusion 900 sensor, a 50-megapixel telephoto camera, and a 50-megapixel ultra-wide angle shooter. It boasts a 32-megapixel front camera. The phone has an IP68 rating for water and dust resistance.

Vivo Y300 and Vivo Y300 Pro were launched in China in September and December 2024, respectively. A few weeks back, the company unveiled the Vivo Y300 Pro+ and the Vivo Y300t variants in the country. The Vivo Y300 GT launch date has now been announced by the company, alongside the design and key features of the upcoming smartphone. The details shared by the company reveal that the phone could be a rebranded version of the iQOO Z10 Turbo, which was launched alongside a Pro version recently.

Vivo Y300 GT Launch Date, Design and Key Features 

The Vivo Y300 GT will launch in China on May 9 at 10am local time (7:30am IST), the company announced in a Weibo post. It is touted as a “durable audio-visual trio.” In the promotional image, the phone appears in black and champagne gold colourways.

The design of the Vivo Y300 GT is similar to that of the iQOO Z10 Turbo series handsets, which were introduced in China on Monday. A “squircle” rear camera module with two camera sensors and a ring-like LED flash unit is placed in the top left corner of the rear panel. The power button and volume rocker are placed on the right edge. 

Vivo Y300 GT TMall listing
Photo Credit: TMall

A teaser image on the TMall product page shows that the Vivo Y300 GT display will have a flat display with very slim bezels, a slightly thicker chin and a centre-aligned hole-punch cutout at the top. The listing reveals that the handset will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8400 SoC and a 7,620mAh battery with 90W wired fast charging support.

The key features suggest that the upcoming Vivo Y300 GT will be similar to the base iQOO Z10 Turbo model. If true, the Vivo Y200 GT successor may have a 50-megapixel Sony LYT-600 main rear sensor alongside a 2-megapixel depth sensor and a 16-megapixel selfie shooter. It can get a 6.78-inch 144Hz 1.5K AMOLED screen with SGS Low Blue Light and Low Flicker certifications.

Reddit, is expanding its automatic translation feature on Monday. The discussion forum-style social media platform introduced a machine learning (ML) feature in September 2024 that automatically translates posts and comments on the platform to users’ preferred language. At the time, the feature was rolled out in 35 countries across multiple languages. Reddit is now expanding the feature with support for posts and comments in Hindi. The artificial intelligence (AI) feature will soon be available in Bengali.

Reddit to Support AI-Translations in Bengali in the Future

The platform updated its blog post where the ML-powered localisation and translation feature was first announced, stating that it has added support for Hindi. Reddit called Hindi “one of India’s most spoken languages.” It also confirmed that support for Bengali will follow soon.

Reddit users in over 35 countries can now read posts and comments in their preferred language by tapping the translate icon in the overflow menu in the top right corner of the mobile apps, mobile app, or the website. The option automatically translates a user’s entire Reddit feed into the set language.

In addition to reading posts and comments in their preferred language, users can also make new posts and write comments in their local language. When the ML feature is activated, these posts and comments are automatically translated in the Subreddit’s (or community’s) native language. A banner is also added to let other users know that the post was translated using the tool.

Additionally, the company said it is also updating its search engine so that users can find relevant content even when searches are performed using the user’s preferred language. However, the company’s Answers chatbot only supports English currently.

Last week, Reddit rolled out its AI chatbot in India. Still in beta, the feature can answer queries, synthesise, and summarise existing posts and comments across all communities on Reddit. The chatbot’s knowledge base only includes the discussions on the platform, and users can make natural language queries to find information, opinions, and recommendations.

Samsung Galaxy S23 series of smartphones is reportedly receiving the Android 15-based One UI 7 update. The lineup comprises the Samsung Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+, and Galaxy S23 Ultra models. The update is rolling out to users in India and certain global markets. The handsets initially shipped with Android 13 with Samsung’s One UI 5 skin. The updated user interface comes with improved design, quick access and media features. The smartphones are now equipped with integrated Gemini AI features. 

Samsung Galaxy S23 Series Stable One UI 7 Update Available in India

The stable One UI 7 update, which is based on Android 15, has started rolling out to the Samsung Galaxy S23, Galaxy S23+ and Galaxy S23 Ultra models in India and select global regions, according to a 91Mobiles report. The over the air (OTA) update reportedly comes with the April 2025 security patches.

To download the stable One UI 7 update, the Samsung Galaxy S23 series users need to access the Settings menu on their respective handsets, then scroll down and select the Software Update option. Lastly, they need to click on the Download and Install option. To complete the installation process, users must restart their phones.

The build size of the update is around 5GB on the base Galaxy S23 handset. If you have not yet received the update, the report affirms that it will likely be available soon, since it is rolling out gradually to users worldwide.

Notably, Samsung previously delayed the One UI 7 rollout owing to a lock screen-related bug. The report suggests that Galaxy S23 series users could remove the lock screen security to prevent any issues. They can also clear the cache partition after the update is complete.

The stable One UI 7 update brings revamped buttons, icons, widgets, menus, notification tray, and control bars to the Samsung Galaxy S23 series handsets. The improved home screen grid layout now appears with symmetrical widget placement. Users can now change icon sizes and widget transparency, as well as customise the lock screen clock alongside other lock screen widget options.

The One UI 7 update also removes support for Edge Panels, which are replaced by the Now Bar feature. These handsets will also get Live Notifications support for real-time updates.

The update integrates Google’s Gemini AI features with Samsung apps like Calendar, Clock, Notes, and Reminders. Among other AI-backed features are support for Drawing Assist, as well as transcription and summarisation of recorded calls.

The report adds that the stable One UI 7 update improves the camera layout on the Galaxy S23 series smartphones with enhanced mode selection and improved zoom controls. The refreshed Pro modes allow users to save exposure settings per mode. The update introduces the “Best Face” feature and the ability for users to record videos while simultaneously playing audio.

Further, the One UI 7 update for the Galaxy S23 lineup allows users to view separate calendars on widgets. They can access additional levels for battery protection and set different performance settings for particular games.

Oppo Find X8 series was announced in October 2024, and the rumour mill is already churning out potential details about its successor. As per a tipster, Oppo may make a change to the camera system of the purported Oppo Find X9 Pro and simplify the design with the inclusion of a higher-resolution sensor. It is said to sport a new 200-megapixel periscope telephoto lens, which could replace the dual telephoto unit which the Find X8 Pro currently offers.

Oppo Find X9 Pro’s Periscope Telephoto Camera

This information comes from a post on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo by tipster Digital Chat Station (machine translated from Chinese). It is suggested that Oppo might replace the dual periscope telephoto unit seen on Find X8 Pro with a single 200-megapixel sensor with a higher resolution on the purported Oppo Find X9 Pro. It will result in a change of the overall layout of the handset’s camera system, as per the tipster.

Currently, the Oppo Find X8 Pro is equipped with a quad camera unit, comprising 50-megapixel primary camera with a LYT-808 sensor (f/1.6), a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera with a 120-degree field-of-view (f/2.0), a 50-megapixel Sony LYT-600 periscope telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom (f/2.6), and a 50-megapixel Sony IMX858 periscope telephoto camera with up to 6x optical zoom (f/4.3).

However, with the change in the periscope telephoto lenses, it may change into a triple camera unit. The 200-megapixel sensor is speculated to be paired with a 50-megapixel primary shooter and a 50-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens.

Interestingly, this is not the first time that the inclusion of a new camera sensor in the purported Oppo Find X9 series has been suggested. Earlier this month, tipster Smart Pikachu hinted towards the China-based OEM adopting a 200-megapixel sensor either for the primary camera or as the periscope telephoto lens.

Speculated to debut in October, the upcoming Find X9 series is rumoured to comprise four models — Oppo Find X9, Find X9 Plus, Find X9 Pro, and Find X9 Ultra.

Google is expanding its artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot Gemini to younger users. Last month, the Mountain View-based tech giant announced it would allow users under 13 in the US (or the corresponding age in other countries) to access its AI chatbot across Android, iOS, and on the web. The company will also let parents and school administrators manage and supervise their access to the AI chatbot, if a school account is used. Parents can control teenagers’ access to Gemini via the Family Link app.

Gemini Is Now Available to Younger Users

The tech giant announced in March that it was planning to roll out Gemini access to younger users with supervision tools and parental controls. According to a 9to5Google report, Google is now sending emails to parents detailing the upcoming availability of the chatbot for children.

Google has reportedly listed use cases several use cases of Gemini including help with homework, asking queries, and creating stories. Once available, children can access the AI chatbot on the web or via mobile apps. Additionally, they can reportedly also set Gemini as the default assistant on Android.

As per the report, the email also tells parents that Gemini can make mistakes, and children should double-check the responses before using the information. Additionally, the tech giant is said to emphasise that Gemini is not a human and that it cannot think or feel emotions, even if it can mimic conversations like a human.

In its earlier announcement, Google highlights that the decision to bring Gemini to younger users was made after receiving feedback from parents, teachers, and child development experts. The company said that with proper guardrails in place, “AI can be a valuable tool for learning and creativity.”

The tech giant is allowing parents to manage and supervise their child’s access to Gemini. This can be done via the Family Link app, which lets parents manage the Google accounts of minors. With this, they will be notified when a child uses Gemini, as well as restrict their access. For those children accessing the AI chatbot via their school accounts, administrators will be able to play the same role via Google Admin console.