Astrosat – India’s first space observatory dedicated to the study of distant celestial objects – is preparing for an October launch.

“We are keen to have a satellite monitoring station in Fiji to monitor our spacecraft over the Pacific after they have launched,” a senior Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) scientist tells Aviation Week.

An Indian air force MiG-21 fighter crashed Aug. 24 in the fields of Jammu and Kashmir in northern India.