Syllabus: Space technology Pragyan rover has confirmed the presence of sulphur on the moon’s surface, near its south pole. The Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instrument aboard the rover has made the first-ever in-situ measurements on the elemental composition of the lunar surface near the south pole. The LIBS is a …
Read More »Aditya-L1 mission
Why in news: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that the Aditya-L1 mission, the first space-based Indian observatory to study the Sun, will be launched soon. About Aditya-L1 mission The Aditya-L1 mission will see the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) carry the 1,475-kg spacecraft to an elliptical orbit around the Earth. The …
Read More »Antarctica’s melting sea ice killed thousands of emperor penguins chicks
Why in news: Up to 10,000 emperor penguin chicks across four colonies in Antarctica’s Bellingshausen Sea may have died as the sea ice underneath their breeding grounds melted and broke apart in late 2022, according to a new study. About Emperor Penguins: The emperor penguin is the tallest and heaviest of all …
Read More »Tejas Mk-2 Development
Syllabus: Achievements of Indians in science & technology; indigenization of technology and developing new technology. Context Amid Indigenous Tejas Mk-2 Development, SAAB Offers Single-Engine Gripen E For IAF’s 114 Advanced Fighter Jet Contract 114 Advanced Fighter Jet Contract Swedish aerospace company Saab has announced its intent to submit a proposal …
Read More »Echolocation
Science behind it Source emits sound waves, and listens for their reflections by objects in their surroundings. Based on what the reflected waves, or echoes, sound like, the animal or device understands its environment. Animals that use echolocation emit high-frequency sound pulses beyond the range of human hearing. Bats – …
Read More »Somatic mutations: a genomic revolution hiding inside our cells
The human genome has 23 pairs of chromosomes, one inherited from each of our parents. The genome is the blueprint of our genetic makeup. As the cells divide, the DNA is copied with extremely high accuracy due to proteins that proofread and correct errors in the DNA. But despite this …
Read More »As Pragyan digs deep into moon, scientists at a VSSC lab turn their gaze to solar wind
Syllabus: Space technology Context: Aditya-L1 mission, meant to study the sun, lifts off in September. First space-based Indian mission to study the sun from a halo orbit around the Lagrangian point 1 (L1) of the sun-earth system. XL variant of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) to place the Aditya-L1 …
Read More »Why did Chandrayaan-3 land on the near side of the moon?
Syllabus: Space technology Near side refers to the portion of the moon visible to us (about 60%). It is always the same side that is visible from Earth because the moon takes the same time to rotate about its axis as it does to circle around the Earth. The ‘new …
Read More »Cleantech, for an inclusive green future in India
Syllabus: Green economy India’s experience has shown that climate action is only effective and embraced at scale if it aligns with the development aspirations of millions and contributes to economic growth. The green economy paradigm provides an optimistic pathway to align development and environmental outcomes. Example: building a solar park …
Read More »Chandrayaan 3 and other missions to moon
Other lunar missions this year Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) and Lunar Trailblazer from the U.S.. China’s lunar communication and navigation satellite constellation Japan’s Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) Other lunar missions next year Beresheet 2 from Israel S.’s Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) China’s Lunar Exploration Programme …
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