NEW DELHI — India has raised doubts regarding the launch of its second robotic lunar mission — Chandrayaan II — due to development delays with its Russian-furnished lander. Due to launch next year, Chandraayan II will include an unmanned orbiter, a lander supplied by the Russian space agency Roscosmos, and a rover to be developed by India for in-situ scientific exploration of the lunar surface.

NEW DELHI — India is trying to “fast track” production of its Tejas Light Combat Aircraft, producing 20 of the single-seat fighters over the next three years, despite lingering delays with the program, according to an official with the Defense Research Development Organization (DRDO). After several delays, the first of the indigenous LCAs, being developed for the Indian air force (IAF), is expected to fly out by the end of this year or the beginning of 2014. “The LCA project has been put on [the] fast track,” DRDO chief Avinash Chander says.

NEW DELHI — India on July 1 lofted its first navigation and timing satellite meant to provide accurate position information services to both civilians and the military. IRNSS-1A, the first satellite of the seven-spacecraft Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), was launched on a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C22) from the spaceport at Sriharikota off the coast of the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, says an official at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).