1. Indigenous Tejas Mark-1A Set to Replace MiG Series in Indian Air Force
Tags: Science and Technology
The maiden flight test of the inaugural aircraft of the advanced iteration 'Mark 1A' of the indigenous Tejas fighter jet, produced in India, has concluded triumphantly on March 28, 2024, at the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) facility in Bengaluru.
An Overview of the News
The first aircraft of this series, designated as LA5033, completed an 18-minute flight.
Notably, the Tejas Mark 1A, the predecessor of this advanced version, has already been incorporated into the Indian Air Force's fleet, enhancing its operational capabilities.
With continued advancements and successful testing, the Tejas Mark 1A advanced variant is poised to further bolster India's defense capabilities, reinforcing its commitment to self-reliance and indigenous manufacturing in the defense sector.
The Tejas Mark-1A is set to replace iconic models like the MiG-21, MiG-23, and MiG-27, symbolizing a shift towards modern, domestically produced fighter aircraft.
Over 65% of the equipment for the Tejas Mark-1A is manufactured domestically.
The decision to station the Tejas Mark-1A at the Nal airbase in Bikaner, Rajasthan, near the Pakistan border, underscores its role in bolstering India's defense posture in sensitive regions.
What enhancements does the improved version of Tejas offer?
New technologies include Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar and Advanced Beyond-Visual Range (BVR) Missile systems.
Enhanced defensive capabilities for self-protection.
Added mid-air refueling capability to increase operational range.
Upgraded radar warning receiver system for quick threat detection.
Features digital map generator, smart multi-function display, and advanced radio altimeter for improved navigation and communication.
History of Tejas
The Tejas project began in 1983 under the Light Combat Aircraft Project, with the aircraft's maiden flight taking place on January 4, 2001. It was officially named 'Tejas' by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2003.
The success of the Tejas project can be attributed to the visionary leadership of scientists like Dr. Kota Harinarayana and his dedicated team, whose relentless efforts and expertise culminated in the creation of an indigenous fighter aircraft.
Variants of the Tejas tailored for naval operations were initiated in 2007, showcasing the adaptability and versatility of the Tejas platform to meet varied defense requirements, including naval aircraft carrier operations.
2. New Isopod Species Discovered in Kollam Named after ISRO
Tags: Science and Technology
Scientists have identified a new species of deep-sea isopod, Brucethoa Isro, in the deep sea off the Kerala coast, which has been named after the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).
An Overview of the News
This small crustacean, belonging to the genus Brucethoa, thrives on eating fish and was specifically located within the gill cavity of the spinyjaw greeneye.
Notably, it is the second documented species within its genus found in India and has been named Brucethoa Isro to honor ISRO's significant space explorations.
Features of Brucethoa Isro:
Females of this species are generally larger than males, measuring 19 mm in length and 6 mm in width, about half the size of the males.
About Isopods:
Isopods make up a fascinating group of invertebrates within the crustacean family, which includes well-known marine creatures like crabs and shrimp.
They display remarkable adaptability to diverse habitats ranging from arid deserts to deep sea trenches, demonstrating their global distribution and ecological importance.
General characteristics of Isopods:
Isopods share common traits despite their diverse forms, including two pairs of antennae, compound eyes, and four sets of jaws.
Their body is divided into seven parts, each with a pair of walking legs, a short abdominal segment consisting of six fused segments called "plions".
Habitat and Behavior of Isopods:
Many Isopods live in marine environments, others are found in coastal and shelf waters, where they navigate on the sea floor or live among aquatic vegetation.
While most isopods are free-living, some marine species exhibit parasitic behavior, relying on other animals for sustenance.
About Kollam:
Located in Kerala, Kollam has the famous Ashtamudi Lake, which offers beautiful boating opportunities for tourists.
The city's principal waterway, the Kollam Canal, connects it to the country's extensive water transport network, while several islands lie on the picturesque lake.
Kollam has tranquil beaches and lush forests, making it a hub for eco-tourism projects like Shenduruni, Thenmala, and Palaruvi.
3. Professor Jayant Murthy honored with Asteroid name
Tags: Science and Technology Person in news
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) recognized Indian scientist Professor Jayant Murthy by naming an asteroid after him.
An Overview of the News
Asteroid (215884) Jayantamurthy
Originally known as 2005 EX296, this asteroid orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter every 3.3 years.
Its new name, (215884) Jayanta Murthy, will always carry forward the rich legacy of the Indian scientist.
Career and Contribution of Jayant Murthy
Professor Murthy served as the Acting Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) and currently holds the rank of Honorary Professor.
His scholarly achievements in the interstellar medium, ultraviolet astronomy, and space missions have greatly advanced our understanding of the universe.
Participation in NASA's New Horizons Mission
Professor Murthy played a key role in NASA's New Horizons science team and contributed to the observation of ultraviolet background radiation in the outer reaches of the Solar System.
The New Horizons mission's historic flyby of Pluto in 2015 provided unprecedented insights into the dwarf planet and its satellites.
Rare Honor and Legacy
Annapurni Subramaniam, the current director of the IIA, considers the asteroid naming "a very rare honor", linking Professor Murthy with respected predecessors in astronomical research.
(215884) The naming of Jayanti Murthy symbolizes the outstanding contributions of Professor Murthy and serves as an inspiration for future scientists.
4. Gaia Telescope Unveils Ancient Star Streams: Shiva and Shakti
Tags: Science and Technology
The Gaia telescope, led by Khyati Malhan, reveals two ancient star streams: Shiva and Shakti.
An Overview of the News
These streams were formed over 12 billion years ago and exhibit unique classes and compositions.
The discovery, made by the European Space Agency's Gaia telescope, enhances our understanding of the galaxy's origins.
Khyati Malhan is from the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (MPIA) in Germany.
Features and Structure:
Unique Orbits and Chemical Structures: Gaia identifies two distinct structures, Shakti and Shiva, with distinct orbitals and chemical structures.
Mass and age: Each cluster contains about 10 million suns, ranging in age from 12 to 13 billion years, displaying similar orbits and compositions.
Galactic position and origin:
Location and formation: Located toward the galaxy's core, these streams originated as separate fragments that merged into one galaxy early in its history, shedding light on the galaxy's formation.
Galactic archaeology: Discovery of Gaia reveals the oldest stars in the Galaxy, which predate the formation of the galactic disk, suggesting a complex origin involving filaments of gas and dust.
Symbolism and Naming:
Divine Inspiration: Named after the Hindu divine couple, Shiva and Shakti symbolize the creation of the universe, reflecting the distinctive characteristics of stellar streams.
Orbital differences: Shakti stars exhibit orbits slightly more distant from the galactic center, featuring more circular paths than Shiva.
Importance and future prospects:
Understanding early galaxies: This discovery provides insight into the early evolution of the Milky Way, indicating its origin from long filaments of gas and dust that gave rise to stars and galaxies.
Future Insights: Upcoming Gaia data releases may deepen our understanding of these ancient components, aiding research on star clusters, galaxies, and exoplanets beyond the Milky Way.
About Gaia Space Telescope:
Mission and operations: Launched in December 2013, Gaia, operated by the European Space Agency, surveys the sky to create a detailed 3D map of the Milky Way.
Objectives and Contributions: In addition to mapping the Milky Way, Gaia data informs studies on a variety of astronomical phenomena, including star clusters, galaxies, and exoplanets, furthering our understanding of the dynamics of the universe.
5. Aviation Week Laureates Award for Chandrayaan-3
Tags: Science and Technology Awards
ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission received the prestigious Aviation Week Laureates Award.
An Overview of the News
Sripriya Ranganathan, Deputy Ambassador at the Indian Embassy in the US, accepted the award on behalf of ISRO.
The award recognizes aerospace excellence, celebrating innovation and exploration.
Aviation Week Laureates Award:
Highly regarded accolade in the aviation and aerospace industry.
Celebrates extraordinary achievements encompassing exploration, innovation and vision.
Over 400 industry professionals and influencers participated, acknowledging the unprecedented achievements.
ISRO's successful Chandrayaan-3 mission exemplifies the tradition of honoring outstanding contributions to aerospace exploration.
About Chandrayaan-3 Mission:
Launch and craft details: Launched from Sriharikota on July 14, 2023, using a GSLV-Mark III (LVM-3) heavy-lift rocket. It consists of a lander named Vikram and a rover named Pragyan excluding an orbiter.
Mission objectives: to perform safe landing, rover exploration and conduct in-situ scientific experiments.
Budget: Estimated Rs 615 crore.
Lander and Rover Specifications: Vikram, 2 meters long and weighing more than 1,700 kg, carries a 26 kg lunar rover named Pragyan for spectrometer analysis.
Landing and deployment: Scheduled for August 23, 2023 on the Moon.
Operational Period: Designed to operate for up to one lunar day, equivalent to 14 Earth days.
6. DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman to lead Microsoft's AI division
Tags: Science and Technology Person in news
Google's DeepMind co-founder Mustafa Suleyman has been appointed to head Microsoft's AI division.
An Overview of the News
Suleyman will report directly to Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
Responsibilities Include Overseeing:
Integration of AI Copilot into Windows.
Incorporating interactive elements into Microsoft's Bing search engine.
Consolidating all consumer AI projects under a single leadership.
Key Points on the Background of Mustafa Suleyman
Mustafa Suleyman comes from a background where his father was a Syrian-born taxi driver and his mother was an English nurse.
He was brought up in the London Borough of Islington.
Suleyman studied philosophy and theology at the University of Oxford but discontinued during his second year.
He founded Muslim Youth Helpline, a charitable organization in the UK.
At the young age of 22, he provided advisory services on human rights policy to former London Mayor Ken Livingstone.
Mustafa Suleyman's Journey from DeepMind to Inflection AI and Microsoft:
Co-founded DeepMind in 2010, taking on the role of head of Applied AI, with an emphasis on ethical AI use.
Left Google in 2022 to found Inflexion AI.
Inflection AI achieved success with the creation of the popular AI chatbot Pi and secured $1.3 billion in funding.
Key figure Karen Simonyan, co-founder and chief scientist of Inflection AI, will move to Microsoft as chief scientist for Microsoft AI.
7. India's first battery storage gigafactory to begin operations in Jammu and Kashmir
Tags: Science and Technology
GoodEnough Energy announced plans to begin operations at India's inaugural battery energy storage gigafactory in Jammu and Kashmir by October 2024.
An Overview of the News
The facility aims to help industries cut carbon emissions by more than 5 million tonnes annually, in line with India's net zero emissions target by 2070.
GoodEnough has invested 1.5 billion rupees ($18.07 million) in a factory with 7 GWH capacity, with plans to invest another 3 billion rupees by 2027 to expand capacity to 20 GWH.
These expansion plans were revealed by GoodEnough founder Akash Kaushik.
Importance of renewable energy:
Battery energy storage projects are key to India's objective of expanding renewable energy capacity to 500 GW by 2030 from the current 178 GW.
Government Incentives:
The Indian government is offering $452 million in incentives to companies under a program aimed at promoting battery storage projects.
Role of battery storage systems:
Battery storage systems facilitate the storage of energy from renewable sources, ensuring reliable and continuous energy supply.
Implications of Gigafactory establishment:
The establishment of India's first battery storage gigafactory marks a significant progress towards achieving the country's renewable energy targets and reducing carbon emissions.
The operations in Jammu and Kashmir are set to boost the renewable energy sector in India.
8. xAI releases Grok-1, AI chatbot as open source
Tags: Science and Technology
Grok-1 is an AI chatbot developed by xAI, a company founded by Elon Musk.
An Overview of the News
xAI announced that Grok has been made open source, fulfilling a promise made by Musk.
GROC-1, the base model, is a 314 billion parameter mixture-of-experts model trained from scratch.
xAI released the base model weights and network architecture of Grok-1 on GitHub, promoting transparency and collaboration in AI development.
Elon Musk aims to set an example by open-sourcing Grok.
Open-sourcing Grok has a significant impact on the AI industry, encouraging knowledge sharing and fostering innovation.
"Grok" was named for Robert A. Named after a word from Heinlein's science fiction novel "Stranger in a Strange Land", meaning to understand something deeply.
Elon Musk, in addition to founding XAI, is known for his roles as CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and his influence in the tech industry.
About Elon Reeve Musk
Elon Reeve Musk, born on June 28, 1971, is a prominent businessman and investor.
He holds various leadership positions in several high-profile companies:
Founder, chairman, CEO, and CTO of SpaceX.
Angel investor, CEO, product architect, and former chairman of Tesla, Inc.
Owner, executive chairman, and CTO of X Corp.
Founder of the Boring Company and xAI.
Co-founder of Neuralink and OpenAI.
President of the Musk Foundation.
Musk is recognized as one of the wealthiest individuals globally, with an estimated net worth of US$190 billion as of March 2024 according to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, and $195 billion according to Forbes.
His wealth primarily stems from his ownership stakes in Tesla and SpaceX.
9. Tamil Nadu Creates History with India's Second Privately Developed Rocket
Tags: Science and Technology
Agnikul Cosmos Private Limited, one of Tamil Nadu's space companies, is preparing to launch its first rocket, Agnibaan Sub Orbital Technology Demonstrator (SOrTeD), from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.
An Overview of the News
Agnibaan SOrTeD marks India's inaugural launch from a private launchpad, marking a significant advancement in the country's space industry.
The launch will also represent India's first rocket powered by a semi-cryogenic engine, showcasing advancements in propulsion technology.
Innovation with 3D Printed Engines:
Agnikul Cosmos has achieved another milestone with the production of the world's first single-piece 3D-printed engine, highlighting indigenous innovation and engineering expertise.
Founders and Collaborative Efforts:
Founded in 2017 by Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM and Satya Chakraborty, Agnikul Cosmos Pvt Ltd became the first Indian company to collaborate with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) under the IN-SPACe project.
The partnership, launched in December 2020, provided Agnikul Cosmos with access to ISRO's resources and expertise, facilitating the development of Agnibaan.
Prior Achievements:
India's journey into privately developed rockets began in 2022 with the launch of Vikram-S developed by Skyroot Aerospace Pvt Ltd.
Vikram-S achieved a peak altitude of 89.5 kilometers during its initial mission, marking India's entry into the privately developed rocket market and boosting its aspirations in the private space sector.
About ISRO
Founder - Vikram Sarabhai
Headquarters - Bengaluru
Established - 15 August 1969
Chairman - Shridhar Somnath
Officeholder - S. Somnath
10. Amazon's Project Kuiper launches prototypes for global Internet access
Tags: Science and Technology
Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN.O) successfully launched its first two prototype satellites, KuiperSat-1 and KuiperSat-2, into low Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 500 kilometers (311 miles) as part of the "Protoflight" mission of Project Kuiper.
An Overview of the News
The launch was performed using a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, United States.
About Project Kuiper:
Project Kuiper is a satellite system composed of satellites operating in LEO at altitudes between 590 and 630 kilometers (about 367 to 391 miles).
Its primary objective is to provide fast and affordable internet access to over 10 million underserved communities globally.
The project plans to deploy 3,236 satellites, spaced carefully to minimize overlap.
Launch Agreements and Partnerships:
Amazon has partnered with three commercial space companies - Arianespace, Blue Origin, and United Launch Alliance - to facilitate satellite launches.
These companies will launch 83 rockets to deploy the Kuiper satellites.
The project represents the largest commercial procurement of space launch services in history.
Important Points:
Project Kuiper faces competition from SpaceX's Starlink project, which shares the same goal of providing global Internet coverage through a satellite constellation.
Amazon.com, Inc. Headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States, it is led by Chairman and CEO Andy Jassy and was founded in 1994.
The project's launch agreements include 38 launches on ULA's Vulcan Centaur rocket, 18 launches on Arianespace's Ariane 6 rocket, and 12 launches on Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket, with an option for 15 additional launches.
