On August 17, 2026, India launched its first comprehensive Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) at the UNCCD COP17 summit in Mongolia. The spacecraft captured images of the crater a week following the impact from 60 miles (96 km) above, travelling at one mile per second. Flight controllers needed to angle the spacecraft so that its cameras faced the scene of the impact.

India has launched its first comprehensive guide on grasslands and open natural ecosystems at the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) at August 17, 2026. It highlightes the ecological, economic and cultural importance of these often-overlooked landscapes.

The guide aims to improve understanding of grasslands and other open ecosystems, which cover large areas across India and support a diverse range of plants, animals and communities. These landscapes include savannas, scrublands, semi-arid regions, meadows and other naturally open habitats.

India launches first comprehensive guide on grasslands

On August 17, 2026, India launched its first comprehensive Guide to Grasslands and Other Open Natural Ecosystems (ONEs) at the UNCCD COP17 summit in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The spacecraft captured images of the crater a week following the impact from 60 miles (96 kilometres) above, travelling at one mile per second. Flight controllers needed to angle the spacecraft so that its cameras faced the scene of the impact.