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Clash Of The Titans! It’s SpaceX VS Blue Origin!

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SpaceX and Blue Origin are in the race to make the best use of rockets which are a part of NASA’s suborbital reusable launch of vehicle flight contract. Yes, you heard it right! Not so long ago the idea of a man going to the moon or outer space was considered a fantasy! With the latest happenings and technology enhancements, people could now think of travelling and catching up flights to visit Mars and explore the outer space. One of the greatest news for the space travellers enthusiasts flourished, this week. Blue Origin, the reusable rocket company founded by Jeff Bezos announced that it will begin selling tickets for suborbital commercial space flights next year. According to reports, Blue Origin began to test its space vehicle successfully eight times, with the latest being on April 29, 2018. With Elon Musk revolutionizing the transport system on earth and space as well, this tech billionaire is also geared up! Space Exploration Technologies Corp., known as SpaceX is a private American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company headquartered in Hawthorne, California. Elon Musk led SpaceX is hitting all the headlines on future space travel, while, Jeff Bezos owned Blue Origin is catching up fast. At the AWS public sector summit, the Senior Vice President of Blue Origin, Rob Meyerson said Setting up colonies on the Moon and other planets are our primary target and we will need large payloads for surface landing. We are building the appropriate technology for that. However, Elon Musk led SpaceX has postponed its plans to send space tourists this year to circle the Moon due to technical and production challenges. SpaceX plans to start building mining, power and life support infrastructure to prepare for the first settlers that could arrive as soon as 2024. A Blue Origin Executive said the suborbital space tours will make a good market for us and our customers are very excited. Once we become the most-skilled reusable rocket company in the low-orbit, we can plan to go further, deeper into space.

There are speculations that the prices would be lower than the prices of Elon Musk SpaceX’s for carrying people to the moon in 2022. The cost of the SpaceX flight is around $ 35 million. Two people have apparently booked it, Musk didn’t say much about the two unidentified passengers. SpaceX is planning to make an uncrewed flight of its Dragon spacecraft to the space station this year and its first crewed flights are expected to happen in mid 2018. However, there are no further updates on this!

Currently, Blue Origin’s focus is on its New Shepard which is a fully reusable vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) space vehicle, consisting of a pressurised capsule atop a booster that can be reused for at least 25 times. The vehicle is named after the first American who went in space, Alan Shepard. It can carry six astronauts to spend approximately three minutes in a high quality, microgravity environment at an apogee of over 100 km.  April 30 marked the company’s first test flight of the New Shepard in 2018 and second flight of the New Shepard 2.0 spacecraft. Meyerson said Right now, we are living in a world where we need to throw away rockets within a year to ocean floors and millions of dollars go down the drain. With ‘New Shepard’, we can reuse the vehicle multiple times to significantly lower the travel cost.  

Speaking about the remarkable developments, Meyerson added space travel is a marathon, not a sprint. We are on the right track to write another chapter in the history of space travel.

However, Blue Origin isn’t the first company to go live with the tickets. Earlier, Virgin Galactic, a space flight company has booked hundreds of reservations for tickets at $ 250,000 each, while flight dates are yet to be confirmed! The story is different with Blue Origin, the company announced a policy of not taking reservations until its New Shepherd suborbital vehicle is ready for flights.

So, when are you grabbing your seat to the journey to space? Will it be SpaceX or will it be Blue Origin? Share your views in the comments section below!

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Apple’s iOS 18.7 vs iOS 26: Which Update Should You Choose for Your iPhone in 2025?

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StartupStories iOS 26

Apple’s recent iOS 18.7 rollout provides a secure alternative to the visually revamped iOS 26, empowering iPhone users to choose between system stability and next-generation features. While iOS 18.7 focuses on important security updates and bug fixes, it maintains the familiar iOS experience for users of older devices like iPhone XS, XS Max, XR, and SE models up to the 16e. The update is lightweight—about one-fifteenth the size of iOS 26—which means quicker downloads and less storage consumption. It’s designed for reliability and fast installation, making it ideal for users who prioritize a stable and secure operating system over design changes.

In contrast, iOS 26 introduces Apple’s ambitious “Liquid Glass” interface with a transparent look across apps, enhanced widget and lock screen customization, smarter Siri, and improved camera controls. These innovations, however, come with a larger update size and compatibility exclusive to newer iPhones beginning from the iPhone 11 series. While early adopters can enjoy the futuristic interface and AI-powered upgrades, major OS launches may present initial bugs or app compatibility issues that cautious users typically wish to avoid.

Choosing between iOS 18.7 and iOS 26 depends on each user’s priorities—those seeking guaranteed stability and fast security fixes should consider sticking with iOS 18.7, while users excited about premium features and visual changes should migrate to iOS 26 if their device supports it. Both updates are available through Software Update settings, and Apple will support iOS 18.7 for only a limited duration, eventually encouraging all users to transition to the latest platform. This dual update strategy ensures every iPhone user can safely update their device for a seamless and secure experience in 2025.

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Deep-Tech Startup EndureAir Raises INR 25 Crore from IAN Alpha Fund to Boost Drone Innovation

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EndureAir, a deep-tech drone startup specializing in UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and aerial robotics solutions, has successfully raised INR 25 crore in a funding round led by IAN Alpha Fund, with participation from IAN Angel Fund. The fresh capital infusion will enable EndureAir to enhance its advanced drone technologies for defense applications, broaden its reach in enterprise markets, and accelerate the development of next-generation high-altitude logistics and aerial robotics platforms.

Founded in 2018 by Dr. Abhishek, a professor of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Kanpur, along with his former students Rama Krishna and Chirag Jain, EndureAir stands out in India’s indigenous UAV sector by developing both hardware and software in-house. Backed by over 15 years of rotorcraft research and holding eight patents in flight dynamics and autonomous systems, the company has rapidly established itself as a pioneer in the deep-tech drone ecosystem.

EndureAir’s flagship drone platforms, including the Sabal heavy-lift UAV family inducted by the Indian Army’s Eastern Command and the Vibhram drone supporting Telangana’s Medicine from the Sky program, are deployed in critical operations. The startup also collaborates with Bharat Electronics Limited for co-developing high-altitude drones and works with Bhutan’s Druk Holding & Investments on remote logistics missions. With this funding, EndureAir aims to position India as a global leader in UAV innovation, advancing resilient domestic drone systems for defense and enterprise applications.

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Venture Catalysts Raises Rs 150 Crore to Boost Multi-Stage VC Platform and AI Capabilities

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Venture Catalysts, a leading Mumbai-based venture capital platform, has secured Rs 150 crore (around $18 million) through a strategic mix of primary and secondary transactions. This fresh round of funding resulted in a company valuation of approximately $200 million and drew participation from high-profile investors such as Ashish Kacholia, the Shah Rukh Khan family office, Aishwarya Rai, as well as several established capital market veterans and renowned business houses. The move not only demonstrates strong investor confidence but also positions Venture Catalysts at the forefront of India’s rapidly evolving startup landscape.

The infusion of capital is earmarked to accelerate key initiatives, including expanding Venture Catalysts’ leadership team, launching new investment funds, and exploring advanced technology solutions with an emphasis on AI-enabled due diligence and reporting tools. Additionally, the firm aims to strengthen its footprint across major Indian startup hubs and grow its suite of Category II alternative investment funds, harnessing this growth to support a new wave of promising startups and founders within the ecosystem.

Since its inception in 2016, Venture Catalysts has evolved from an angel network to a multi-fund powerhouse, managing over $500 million in assets and deploying nearly $200 million across more than 400 startups, including industry leaders like BharatPe, Renee Cosmetics, and InsuranceDekho. This latest funding round reinforces Venture Catalysts’ pivotal role in nurturing and scaling some of India’s most innovative startups, catalyzing growth throughout the country’s thriving entrepreneurial sector.

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