A dying star nearing the end of its life is shedding material into space just 0.55 light-years from the Milky Way’s central black hole. And somehow, some of that material is holding on. New observations from the James Webb Space Telescope have revealed water and oxygen-rich dust surrounding IRS 3, an evolved star living remarkably close to Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the heart of our galaxy.

The finding gives astronomers a rare view of what happens when an ordinary stage of stellar evolution unfolds in an anything-but-ordinary neighbourhood.

A Dying Star Beside a Black Hole

IRS 3 is an asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star, a late stage in the life of stars like this one. As such stars age, they swell, cool and lose material through powerful stellar winds. IRS 3 is doing exactly that. Gas and dust are streaming away from the star, creating a large envelope around it.

The star sits only about 0.55 light-years from Sagittarius A*. That may sound distant, but on the scale of the Galactic Centre it is remarkably close. Earth is about 26,000 light-years away from the same black hole.

Around Sagittarius A* is a crowded, energetic environment filled with intense radiation, dense gas and powerful gravitational forces. Astronomers have long wondered how stars manage to evolve and shed material there. IRS 3 is offering an answer.

Webb Finds Water in the Stellar Outflow

NASA‘s James Webb Space Telescope looked at IRS 3 using its Mid-Infrared Instrument, or MIRI. Infrared observations are particularly useful here because the dust surrounding the star glows strongly at these wavelengths.

The observations revealed oxygen-rich dust in the star’s envelope. They also produced the first detection of water in this material. This does not mean Webb found a pool, cloud or droplets of water. The water exists as molecules mixed into the hot gas and dust surrounding the star.

That distinction matters because molecules can be vulnerable in the harsh environment around the Galactic Centre. Radiation can break them apart, while the conditions around a supermassive black hole can affect the material being expelled by nearby stars. Yet water molecules are present around IRS 3.

The Star is Feeding Its Surroundings

IRS 3 is losing material rapidly as it approaches the end of its life. Researchers estimate that the star is shedding roughly the mass of Earth every 18 days. That enormous outflow is important beyond IRS 3 itself.

When evolved stars lose their outer layers, they return material to the space between stars. The gas carries elements produced during the star’s lifetime, while newly formed dust becomes part of the reservoir from which future cosmic structures can emerge. IRS 3 is therefore caught in a familiar cycle of stellar life: a star is dying, but the material it releases can become part of something else.

What makes this case unusual is that the recycling process is happening almost next door to a supermassive black hole.

How Much Can Survive Here?

The observation does not mean that the black hole has little influence on its surroundings. Sagittarius A* still creates an extreme environment, and the researchers are interested precisely because IRS 3 shows that stellar material can persist within it.

“Galactic centres are among the most extreme environments,” said Florian Peißker of the University of Cologne, the study’s lead author to media. With Webb, researchers can now examine the material around stars such as IRS 3 in much greater detail and ask how stellar winds, dust formation and molecular chemistry behave so close to a black hole. The answer emerging from IRS 3 is intriguing: the environment may be extreme, but it does not necessarily shut down the chemistry of a dying star.

For IRS 3, the end of its stellar life is already underway. Its outer layers are drifting away into the Galactic Centre, carrying dust, molecules and the chemical ingredients of future cosmic systems with them. Even in the shadow of the Milky Way’s central black hole, a dying star is still leaving something behind.

When a flood spreads or a landslide cuts off a village, one of the first things authorities need is a clear picture of what has happened. India’s newest Earth-observation satellite could help close part of that information gap. Which areas are under water? Which roads are still open? Where are people stranded? Ground teams may be unable to reach affected areas, while conditions can change faster than assessments can be completed.

On September 4, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched GSLV-F17 carrying EOS-05, which ISRO describes as India’s first imaging satellite designed for geosynchronous orbit. The satellite was placed into a sub-geosynchronous transfer orbit before its subsequent orbital operations.

The launch is a technological milestone. But its larger significance may be in how India uses the satellite once it is in operation.

Seeing a Disaster From Above

Earth-observation data already play a role in India’s disaster management. ISRO’s systems are used for applications including flood mapping, damage assessment and emergency management, while the National Database for Emergency Management brings together geospatial information for disaster agencies.

EOS-05 adds a different capability because of its orbit. A geosynchronous satellite can repeatedly observe a broad region as the Earth rotates. That makes it possible to monitor large areas without relying entirely on a satellite making another pass over the location.

During a flood, that could help authorities understand the extent of inundation. After a landslide, imagery could contribute to assessing affected terrain. The same Earth-observation infrastructure has applications in agriculture, water resources, forestry and urban planning. But the satellite itself is not the solution.

The Real Test is Speed

There is a long distance between an image captured in space and a decision made in a district control room. Data have to be received, processed and interpreted. The resulting information has to reach officials and emergency teams quickly enough to matter. That is particularly important when disasters are unfolding by the hour.

A satellite cannot rescue people or reopen a blocked road. What it can do is help authorities decide where those efforts are most urgently needed.

That distinction is important. The value of space technology in disaster management is not simply that it produces better images. It is that those images can potentially reduce the time needed to understand what is happening on the ground.

From Mapping Damage to Managing Risk

India’s disaster landscape makes that capability increasingly relevant. Floods can spread across districts, while landslides can isolate mountain communities with little warning. Cyclones, forest fires and extreme rainfall can also leave authorities trying to assess large areas at once.

Satellite observation cannot predict every such event. But combined with weather forecasts, river-level data, ground reports and geographic information, it can provide a fuller picture of how a disaster is unfolding. That is where EOS-05 could become more than another addition to India’s satellite fleet.

The real measure of its success will not be the launch itself, or even the quality of the images it produces. It will be whether those images reach the right people quickly enough to change what happens on the ground. Because in a disaster, seeing more is useful only if it helps authorities act faster and act in the right place.

Gaganyaan is only the beginning. India’s space mission faces new opportunities and challenges as human spaceflight, diplomacy, private industry and security reshape its ambitions beyond Earth.

Indian human space programme Gaganyaan is mooted by Indian Space Research Organisation. This ambitious space mission aims to send Indian astronauts in Outer Space indigenously by the proactive leadership of the Indian government.  India as a leading space power of the world aims to demonstrate her space capabilities and research in the final frontier. The Gaganyaan mission is the dream of 1.4 billion Indians. The programme will be initiated in 2027 creating a historic mark in the collective space exploration journeys. This is a stepping stone as NASA is envisioning to make Moon as the next base for active space programmes by 2030.

According to NASA this spectacular feat will be achieved soon within 3 years.  NASA has asked India’s ISRO to join for the permanent Lunar base in the south pole of Moon. Here comes the significance of Indo-US space partnership and how India will navigate through the space diplomacy keeping in mind of Indian dream of Bharatiya Antariksh Station and the long lasting commitment to strategic autonomy and an independent foreign policy. India already signed the Artemis accords in June 2023. If India is ready to be part of this initiative, it will mark the beginning of a new era in India-United States space cooperation. The question is how India will navigate this process, protecting its sovereignty and national interest while engaging with NASA to help build a new civilisation of space travellers on the lunar surface. According to media reports  India’s spectacular success with the Chandrayaan missions has led the United States to choose India as a natural partner, inviting it to join space exploration programmes on the Moon.

India’s Space Mission: The Next Frontier of Global Power

The Gaganyaan mission is significant for strengthening Indian space station’s vision.  The Bharatiya Antariksh Station is an Indian space station which is a symbol of Indian space nationalism and a centre for joint research with friendly nations. India is actively pushing for space diplomacy and it is evident from the trainings received by Gaganyaan crew members. They have trained in Russia and the United States, continuing India’s commitment to strong bilateral ties with both Cold War-era rivals. Space exploration and travel are combined with diplomacy, as Indian foreign policy in a multipolar world order pushes for strong partnerships with both Russia and the United States.

Indian Air Force veteran Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma was the first Indian cosmonaut to reach the final frontier, in a Soviet space mission. Following this historic feat, Kalpana Chawla and Sunita Williams travelled to outer space on American missions. Recently, Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla represented India in the Axiom mission successfully travelling to International Space Station and returned safely as a national hero. He is also part of the Gaganyaan mission. Colonel Anil Menon, who is part of the US Space Force, is also now in outer space. He has strong Indian connections, making him the first astronaut with roots in Kerala to explore the domain of outer space.

With privatisation in outer space in India, Skyroot Aerospace, a private company based in Hyderabad, successfully launched Vikram-1 rocket to low Earth orbit. Thus India is taking leverage of the infinite possibilities chasing stars and galaxies. Indian space ambitions are at a historic juncture now, with over 400 private Space  startups. Another mission is aiming for a reusable re-entry vehicle, targeted for launch in 2027, building on ISRO’s success with the Pushpak mission, the Reusable Launch Vehicle Landing Experiment, in 2024.

However, there are concerns in India’s space sector, with many ISRO scientists seeking early retirement. The efficiency of major projects like Aditya and Gaganyaan should not be affected by this. Former ISRO Chairman G Madhavan Nair shared his concerns with the media about bureaucratisation within the organisation. ISRO is a symbol of India’s space story which is filled with resilience and strength of great visionary leaders like Dr Vikram Sarabhai and Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Unfortunately, there have been budgetary cuts to major ISRO space projects. The government’s focus on Viksit Bharat, a holistically developed India, is only possible with investment in science and technology, and in-depth research in the domain of outer space.

Outer space is militarised, and the race for resource nationalism is a reality. For India to emerge as a global power, investment in space exploration is inevitable. Nations are increasingly aware of the strategic use of outer space for securing national interests. Satellites with civilian and national security purposes are critical assets of any nation. India too has many civilian and strategic assets in outer space, and protecting these is the responsibility of the government. The anti-satellite test Mission Shakti is a milestone demonstrating India’s hard-power capabilities in outer space. Some nations have capabilities such as laser-guided weapons, which can disable or destroy an enemy’s assets during conflict. Space is a key domain for ensuring seamless communication and intelligence-sharing during both war and peace.

Intelligence and surveillance are key factors in winning the wars of the present and future. The dominance in space technology and information superiority will determine the victories of nations fighting for their national interest.   

In India, the share of higher education in the annual budgetary allocation remains low. A young generation passionate to explore arenas of space science is to be inculcated with the right mindset. Allocation of funds in education sector is a key requirement for building a strong India with educated and skilled youth. ISRO’s active collaboration with 100 Atal Tinkering Labs is a positive step in inculcating the spirit of scientific enquiry at the grassroots level. Support and encouragement for students in the creative arts and sciences is the need of the hour. Atal Tinkering Labs and India’s startup ecosystem can achieve greater synergy, ensuring a seamless transition from school life to entrepreneurship, from plan to execution.

Human activity has actively degraded the ecosystem, impacting life on both land and water. Now, with active competition in the arena of outer space, space debris is a serious global security challenge. This debris travels swiftly in outer space, damaging active space assets including civilian and defence satellites. The young budding scientists of India need to re-invent and discover practical solutions to the pressing global challenge of space debris and work with relentless passion for making a strong and stable India.