1. VL-SRSAM: Successful Launch of Short Range Surface to Air Missile
Tags: Science and Technology
Recently Vertical Launched Short Range Surface to Air Missile (VL-SRSAM) was successfully flight tested from an Indian Naval Ship at Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Odisha.
The test was conducted jointly by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy.
About VL-SRSAM -
The VL-SRSAM has been jointly designed and developed by three units of the Defence Research and Development Organisation for deployment on warships of the Indian Navy.
The missile has the capability to neutralise various airborne threats at close range including sea-skimming targets.
Sea skimming is a technique used by many anti-ship missiles and some fighter or strike aircraft to evade radar and infrared detection.
The missile is designed to strike high-speed air targets at a range of 40 to 50 km and an altitude of about 15 km.
Its design is based on the Astra missile, which is an air-to-air missile beyond visual range.
Features
Cruciform Wings: They are four small wings arranged like a cross on four sides and provide a stable aerodynamic position to the projectile.
Thrust vectoring: It is the ability to change the direction of thrust, angular velocity and position of the missile with its engine.
Thrust is the force that moves the aircraft through the air.
Canistered System: It controls the environment inside, thus making it easier to transport and store, and to make the weapon durable.
2. Successful launch of Indian communication satellite GSAT-24 from French Guiana
Tags: Science and Technology
On 23 June, India launched its GSAT-24 satellite from Kourou in French Guiana in South America.
The GSAT-24 satellite was launched by the French company Arianespace on the Ariane 5 space launch vehicle.
This satellite is built by ISRO for NewSpace India Limited (NSIL).
GSAT-24 is a 24-KU band communication satellite. Its weight is 4180 kg.
This satellite will provide pan India coverage to meet the needs of DTH application.
Why was GSAT-24 launched on a French rocket?
The GSAT-24 satellite was launched on board the French rocket Ariane 5, as India currently does not have a space-launch rocket that can lift a satellite weighing more than 4 tonnes into geostationary orbit.
India's most powerful rocket GSLV MK3 is capable of lifting a maximum of 4 tonnes into geostationary orbit.
GSAT-24
GSAT-24 is a 24-Ku band communication satellite
The weight of this satellite is 4180 kg.
About NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) -
NSIL is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) and the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
It was established on March 6, 2019.
It works under the administrative control of the Department of Space (DoS).
This organisation seeks to increase the participation of industries in the Indian space programmes.
3. IOC unveils indoor solar cook top Surya Nutan
Tags: Science and Technology
Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has unveiled its patented indigenous solar cook top, "Surya Nutan".
It is a patented product designed and developed by IndianOil's R&D Centre, Faridabad.
Surya Nutan will help drastically reduce India's CO2 emissions and protect our citizens from the uncertainty of high international fossil fuel prices.
The product was showcased at the residence of Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Puri.
About Surya Nutan -
Surya Nutan is an indoor solar cooking system installed at one location, rechargeable and always connected to the kitchen.
Surya Nutan operates in hybrid mode, which means it can run on both solar and auxiliary power sources simultaneously. The solar cook top's insulation design minimises radiative and conductive heat loss.
Surya Nutan's insulation design minimises radiation and conductive heat loss.
Surya Nutan is available in three different models: Surya Nutan's premium model (Breakfast + Lunch + Dinner) can cook a complete meal for a family of four.
Surya Nutan is a modular system and can be designed in different sizes as per the requirement.
The starting cost of the product is Rs 12,000 for the base model and Rs 23,000 for the top model. However, costs are expected to come down significantly with economies of scale.
Presently, pilot projects are being conducted at around 60 locations like Leh (Ladakh) to explore various operational and commercial aspects related to its application.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION -
About Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) -
Indian Oil Corporation Limited is the largest integrated oil refining and marketing public sector company of the Government of India.
Indian Oil has been accorded Maharatna status by the government.
Establishment- 1959
Headquarters- New Delhi, India
President- Shrikant Madhav Vaidya
4. Indian communication satellite launched by Arianespace
Tags: Science and Technology
Arianespace, two communication satellites belonging to India and Malaysia were placed in geostationary orbit on 22 June by the European Space Agency.
The two satellites cumulatively weighed over 10 thousand kilograms, flown by Ariane-5 rocket from the spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
The Indian satellite, GSAT-24, has been developed by New Space India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of ISRO, for television service provider Tata Sky.
GSAT-24 is a 24-Ku band communication satellite weighing more than four thousand kilograms and caters to the needs of DTH applications across the country.
GSAT-24 will be the 25th Indian satellite to be orbited by Arianespace.
On September 28, 2021, NSIL handed over Arianespace with the launch of its GSAT-24 telecommunications satellite, the European Space Agency.
The other satellite MEASAT-3d is a multi-mission telecommunications satellite built by Airbus Defence and Space for MEASAT, a Malaysian satellite operator.
This new satellite will significantly increase broadband speeds of up to 100 Mbps in areas with limited or no terrestrial network or in rural Malaysia.
About Arianespace
It is the world’s first commercial launch service provider.
It is a French company founded in 1980.
It operates and markets the Ariane program.
The company offers several different launch vehicles such as the heavy-lift Ariane 5 for dual launch in geostationary transfer orbit, Soyuz-2 as a medium-lift option, etc.
5. China launches third most advanced domestically built aircraft carrier ‘Fujian’
Tags: Science and Technology
China recently launched the country's most advanced and first fully domestically built aircraft carrier named 'Fujian'.
The third aircraft carrier named after China's eastern coastal province of Fujian was commissioned.
China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning is a refined version of the Soviet-era ship, which was commissioned in 2012 and was followed by the launch of second aircraft carrier 'Shandong' in 2019 which was indigenously built.
China's new warship is said to be the first drone aircraft carrier.
The ship can carry 50 unmanned systems, including unmanned boats, drones and underwater vehicles.
Important facts
China officially the People's Republic of China is a country in East Asia.
It is the world's most populous country, with a population of more than 1.4 billion.
China spans five geographical time zones and borders 14 countries,
the second most of any country in the world after Russia.
China's capital is Beijing, and the financial centre is Shanghai.
China is the world's largest economy by GDP at purchasing power parity, the second-largest economy by nominal GDP, and the second-wealthiest country.
China is one of the fastest growing major economies and is the world's largest manufacturer and exporter.
China is the world's largest standing army by military personnel and second-largest defence budget.
President- Xi Jinping
6. U.S. to fund 3 Indian research institutions
Tags: Science and Technology National News
The United States of America has announced $122 million in funding to the top three Indian medical research institutes to help prevent preventable pandemics, early detection of disease threats, and prompt and effective response.
A total amount of US$ 122,475,000 will be disbursed to three top Indian health research institutes over a period of five years.
These three research institutes are Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune and National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Chennai.
The fund will accelerate progress towards India that protects against infectious disease threats by focusing on emerging pathogens.
The fund will help in detecting and controlling zoonotic disease outbreaks through a ‘one health’ approach, evaluate vaccine safety monitoring systems, capacitance of the public health workforce in epidemiology and outbreak response.
Starting from September 30, 2022, eligibility for funding is limited to ICMR, and ICMR institutions, which are the National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune, and the National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE), Chennai.
Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
It is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world headquartered in New Delhi for the coordination and promotion of biomedical research.
It works under the Department of Health Services (DHS), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
It was established in 1911 as Indian Research Fund Association (IRFA).
Later in 1949 its name was changed to ICMR.
National Institute of Virology (NIV)
It is one of the major institutes of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).
It was established at Pune, Maharashtra in 1952.
It was established as Virus Research Center (VRC) under the aegis of ICMR and Rockefeller Foundation (RF), USA.
National Institute of Epidemiology (NIE)
It is a permanent premier institute of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) established on 2 July 1999.
It was established by merging the Central JALMA Institute for Leprosy (CJIL Field Unit), Avadi with the Institute for Research in Medical Statistics (IRMS), Chennai.
The objectives of the Institute are conducting epidemiological studies, development of human resources in epidemiology and bio-statistics etc.
7. India’s first Covid-19 vaccine for animals
Tags: Science and Technology
The Agriculture Ministry recently unveiled India’s first Covid-19 vaccine for animals.
The name of the vaccine is 'Ancovax' and it can protect animals against the Delta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2.
How does it work?
Ancovax can be used in dogs, lions, leopards, rats and rabbits.
It has been developed by the Hisar-based National Research Centre on Equines.
It is an inactivated vaccine developed using an infectious part of the delta variant.
It uses Alhydrogel as an adjuvant to boost the immune response.
This is the first Covid-19 vaccine for animals developed in India.
Last year there were reports from Russia that it too had developed a vaccine against animals such as dogs, cats, minks and foxes.
8. Microplastics found in Antarctica for first time
Tags: Popular Science and Technology
Scientists have found microplastics in fresh ice in the Antarctic for the first time.
Scientists have warned that the microplastics in the fresh snow of Antarctica would accelerate the process of melting of ice.
The researchers found an average of 29 microplastic particles per litre of melted snow.
There were 13 different types of plastic found.
The findings, published in The Cryosphere Journal, point to a serious threat to the Antarctic region.
Impact of microplastic on environment
Studies have shown that microplastics negatively impact the health of the environment, as well as limit the growth, reproduction and normal biological functions of organisms.
Studies show that the global usage of plastic is set to increase by three fold by the year 2060.
Microplastics have been discovered inside fish and under Arctic ice in the deepest ocean depths.
Microplastics if found in humans have negative health effects.
In 2019, Alex Aves, a PhD student at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, collected ice samples from the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica.
The researchers found in the laboratory that every sample from even remote sites on the Ross Ice Shelf contained plastic particles.
Microplastics were found in ice samples from 19 sites in the Ross Island region of Antarctica.
What are Microplastics?
These are defined as plastics less than five millimetres in diameter.
They are small plastic particles that result from commercial product development and the breakdown of larger plastics.
Microplastics are non-degradable and insoluble in water.
As a pollutant, microplastics can be harmful to the health of the environment, humans and organisms.
9. ‘Abnormal’ dinosaur egg found in India
Tags: Science and Technology
Researchers from Delhi University have discovered a unique set of fossilized dinosaur eggs in Dinosaur Fossils National Park in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, with one egg nesting inside another.
Eggs within eggs are a rare phenomenon, found only in birds and never in reptiles.
This discovery brings to the new links between reptiles and avian evolution.
The findings of discovery are published in the journal 'Scientific Reports'.
The Upper Cretaceous Lameta Formation of Central India is long known for its dinosaur fossils.
Scientists found evidence of 52 titanosaurid sauropod nests near Padalia village near Bagh town in Madhya Pradesh.
One of these nests contained 10 eggs, one of which was an "abnormal" egg.
About Dinosaur
Dinosaurs of the Sauropod family were among the largest animals ever found on land and were found in India millions of years ago.
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles.
Fossils of these animals have also been found in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya.
Most Dinosaurs died out by the end of the Cretaceous period.
Modern birds are a type of dinosaur because they share a common ancestor with non-avian dinosaurs.
Dinosaur fossils have been discovered on all seven continents.
All non-avian dinosaurs became extinct about 66 million years ago.
The earliest known dinosaurs look during the Triassic period (about 250 to 200 million years ago).
One of the biggest dinosaurs was the Argentinosaurus.
Lizards, turtles, snakes and crocodiles are all descendants of dinosaurs.
Dinosaurs could not survive and became extinct due to climate change.
10. America's Frontier supercomputer has become the world's fastest supercomputer
Tags: Science and Technology
America's Frontier supercomputer has become the world's fastest supercomputer, surpassing Japan's Fugaku, according to the Top 500 list of the world's most powerful supercomputers.
The Frontier supercomputer, built for the US Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), has a speed of 1.1 exaflops, making it the world's first supercomputer operating at exascale speeds.
This supercomputer is built using Hewlett Packard Enterprise Architecture, coupled with Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) processors.
Its speed exceeds that of Japan's Fugaku supercomputer (442 petaflops), which was by far the fastest supercomputer in the world.
Frontier is also ranked first in the Green 500 list as the world's most energy efficient supercomputer. It measures supercomputing energy use and efficiency with 52.23 gigaflops of performance per watt, making it 32% more energy efficient than the Fugaku supercomputer.
In the latest edition of the Top 500 list, LUMI is followed by Frontier and Fugaku. The third place is given to the supercomputer, which is installed in Kajani, Finland.
Super computer of india
NAME | MOTION | PLACE |
Param Anant | 838 Teraflops | IIT, Gandhinagar (Gujarat) |
Param Pravega | 3.3 Petaflops | IISc Bangalore |
Param Ganga | 1.67 Petaflops | I.I.T. Roorkee |
Param shakti | 1.66 petaflops | I.I.T. Kharagpur |
