Judicial Appointments Commission Bill gets President’s nod
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The Constitutional amendment Bill that seeks to scrap the collegium system of appointing judges to higher judiciary has received Presidential nod. The National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) Bill passed by the Parliament in August this year has received President’s assent, official sources said.
The new law facilitates the setting up of a commission for appointment of judges, replacing the 20-year-old collegium system, which has been under severe criticism.
It paves the way for the setting up of NJAC, which will appoint and transfer judges to the Supreme Courts and the 24 High Courts. The Bill, 124th amendment to the Constitution, grants Constitutional status to the NJAC and its composition which will be headed by the Chief Justice of India.
As many as 16 of the 29 states have ratified the Bill. Any Constitutional amendment Bill requires ratification by at least 50 per cent of the state legislatures. Besides the CJI, the judiciary would be represented by two senior judges of the Supreme Court. Two eminent personalities and the Law Minister will be the other members of the body.
The new law facilitates the setting up of a commission for appointment of judges, replacing the 20-year-old collegium system, which has been under severe criticism.
It paves the way for the setting up of NJAC, which will appoint and transfer judges to the Supreme Courts and the 24 High Courts. The Bill, 124th amendment to the Constitution, grants Constitutional status to the NJAC and its composition which will be headed by the Chief Justice of India.
As many as 16 of the 29 states have ratified the Bill. Any Constitutional amendment Bill requires ratification by at least 50 per cent of the state legislatures. Besides the CJI, the judiciary would be represented by two senior judges of the Supreme Court. Two eminent personalities and the Law Minister will be the other members of the body.
Palestinian statehood resolution fails at UNSC
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The UN Security Council has failed to adopt a Palestinian statehood resolution that set a deadline for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Palestinian territories by 2017.
The long-anticipated draft tabled here last night drew the support of eight countries —- Argentina, Chad, Chile, China, France, Jordan, Luxembourg, Russia —- just one shy of the nine needed to pass a resolution in the absence of a veto by any of the Council's five permanent members.
The United States and Australia opposed the resolution while the United Kingdom, Nigeria, South Korea, Rwanda and Lithuania abstained.
The resolution failed to receive the required majority among members, the United States also opposed the text, a move that would have seen the draft fail to pass.
The draft outlined a solution which fulfilled the vision of two independent, democratic and prosperous states —- Israel and a sovereign, contiguous and viable State of Palestine —- living side by side in peace and security in mutually and internationally recognised borders.
It also outlined several parameters for the proposed solution –- with a one-year deadline for negotiations with Israel and a "full and phased withdrawal of Israeli forces" from the West Bank by the end of 2017 – and would have looked forward to welcoming Palestine as a full UN Member State within the 12-month time frame, urging both parties to build trust and negotiate in good faith.
The text also envisaged a "just solution" to the status of Jerusalem as the capital of the two states and to the question of Palestinian refugees as well as to all other outstanding issues, including control of water resources and the fate of prisoners in Israeli jails.
The long-anticipated draft tabled here last night drew the support of eight countries —- Argentina, Chad, Chile, China, France, Jordan, Luxembourg, Russia —- just one shy of the nine needed to pass a resolution in the absence of a veto by any of the Council's five permanent members.
The United States and Australia opposed the resolution while the United Kingdom, Nigeria, South Korea, Rwanda and Lithuania abstained.
The resolution failed to receive the required majority among members, the United States also opposed the text, a move that would have seen the draft fail to pass.
The draft outlined a solution which fulfilled the vision of two independent, democratic and prosperous states —- Israel and a sovereign, contiguous and viable State of Palestine —- living side by side in peace and security in mutually and internationally recognised borders.
It also outlined several parameters for the proposed solution –- with a one-year deadline for negotiations with Israel and a "full and phased withdrawal of Israeli forces" from the West Bank by the end of 2017 – and would have looked forward to welcoming Palestine as a full UN Member State within the 12-month time frame, urging both parties to build trust and negotiate in good faith.
The text also envisaged a "just solution" to the status of Jerusalem as the capital of the two states and to the question of Palestinian refugees as well as to all other outstanding issues, including control of water resources and the fate of prisoners in Israeli jails.
Kudankulam-1 has been declared a commercial unit
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The significance of commercial generation of power from the first unit at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project is that the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) will start charging money from the State Electricity Boards (SEBs) to which it sells the electricity.
Kudankulam-1 has been declared a commercial unit from the midnight of December 31, 2014. “We are working out the tariff per unit that we will be charging from the SEBs,” a top NPCIL official said.
The first unit went critical in July 2013. The NPCIL has been selling the generation of this “infirm power” to the State Electricity Boards from July 2013 at Re.1.22 a unit. The NPCIL officials indicated that the sale of power to the SEBs on a commercial basis would be at a much higher rate.
R.S. Sundar, Site Director, Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, said Kudankulam-1 had been generating its full power of 1,000 MWe from December 10, 2014, which meant a generation of 20.4 million units a day. So far, the cumulative number of hours that the unit’s turbine generator is in service is 5,266 hours.
The present allocation, as per the stipulation of the Union Ministry of Power, is that out of 1,000 MWe from the first unit, Tamil Nadu will get 562.50 MWe, Andhra Pradesh 50 MWe, Karnataka 221 MWe, Kerala 133 MWe and Puducherry 33.50 MWe. “This is as per the latest notification from the Central Electricity Authority,” said Mr. Sundar.
The turbine blades which were damaged in the first unit a few months ago were replaced with those from the second unit. So the original equipment manufacturers are now providing the second unit with the new blades and the work is being done on them at the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Hyderabad, Mr. Sundar said.
The second unit at Kudankulam, also of 1,000 MWe capacity, will reach criticality in 2015.
Russian reactors
The two reactors at Kudankulam were supplied by Russia. They use enriched uranium as fuel and light water as coolant. Russia has given a commitment to India that it will supply enriched uranium to the Kudankulam reactors for their lifetime. The NPCIL built the two reactors.
Two more Russian reactors, each of 1,000 MWe capacity, will be built at Kudankulam. The NPCIL again will build them. These third and fourth reactors will together cost more than Rs.39,500 crores.
The Kudankulam site is big enough to accommodate fifth and sixth reactors too.
Kudankulam-1 has been declared a commercial unit from the midnight of December 31, 2014. “We are working out the tariff per unit that we will be charging from the SEBs,” a top NPCIL official said.
The first unit went critical in July 2013. The NPCIL has been selling the generation of this “infirm power” to the State Electricity Boards from July 2013 at Re.1.22 a unit. The NPCIL officials indicated that the sale of power to the SEBs on a commercial basis would be at a much higher rate.
R.S. Sundar, Site Director, Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, said Kudankulam-1 had been generating its full power of 1,000 MWe from December 10, 2014, which meant a generation of 20.4 million units a day. So far, the cumulative number of hours that the unit’s turbine generator is in service is 5,266 hours.
The present allocation, as per the stipulation of the Union Ministry of Power, is that out of 1,000 MWe from the first unit, Tamil Nadu will get 562.50 MWe, Andhra Pradesh 50 MWe, Karnataka 221 MWe, Kerala 133 MWe and Puducherry 33.50 MWe. “This is as per the latest notification from the Central Electricity Authority,” said Mr. Sundar.
The turbine blades which were damaged in the first unit a few months ago were replaced with those from the second unit. So the original equipment manufacturers are now providing the second unit with the new blades and the work is being done on them at the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, Hyderabad, Mr. Sundar said.
The second unit at Kudankulam, also of 1,000 MWe capacity, will reach criticality in 2015.
Russian reactors
The two reactors at Kudankulam were supplied by Russia. They use enriched uranium as fuel and light water as coolant. Russia has given a commitment to India that it will supply enriched uranium to the Kudankulam reactors for their lifetime. The NPCIL built the two reactors.
Two more Russian reactors, each of 1,000 MWe capacity, will be built at Kudankulam. The NPCIL again will build them. These third and fourth reactors will together cost more than Rs.39,500 crores.
The Kudankulam site is big enough to accommodate fifth and sixth reactors too.
Earth-sized planets in Milky Way hint at ancient life
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Five planets transiting a larger primary star about 117 light years from Earth may constitute the oldest known system of terrestrial-sized planets, scientists say.
The discovery hints at the possibility of ancient life elsewhere in our galaxy, researchers said.
Dr Tiago Campante, an Asteroseismology Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham (UK) who led the research team, focused on a system of five terrestrial-sized planets observed by the Kepler space telescope transiting the star KOI-3158, about 117 light years from Earth in the constellation Lyra.
KOI-3158 is the closest and brightest multi-planet system detected so far by Kepler, said Campante.
The star system is estimated to be 11.2 billion years old, give or take 900 million years or so “which makes KOI-3158 the oldest known system of terrestrial-size planets,” Campante told a symposium in France earlier this year.
In contrast, our own Sun and solar system is believed to be less than 5 billion years old.
The planets circling KOI-3158 are also familiar in terms of their size, with the innermost being about the size of Mercury, followed by three Mars-sized intermediate planets and a fifth and largest planet that is bigger than the other four, but a bit smaller than Venus.
Campante noted that KOI-3158 is an iron-poor star, and that stars hosting small planets tend to be more diverse in terms of their chemical composition than stars hosting giant planets, which tend to be metal-rich, ‘Gizmag’ reported.
“That implies that Earth-sized planets may have readily formed at earlier epochs in the universe’s history when metals were more scarce,” he said.
“KOI-3158, a system of terrestrial-sized planets, formed when the universe was less than 20 per cent of its current age, so that suggests that Earth-sized planets may have formed throughout most of the universe’s history, leaving open the possibility for the existence of ancient life in the galaxy,” he added.
The discovery hints at the possibility of ancient life elsewhere in our galaxy, researchers said.
Dr Tiago Campante, an Asteroseismology Research Fellow at the University of Birmingham (UK) who led the research team, focused on a system of five terrestrial-sized planets observed by the Kepler space telescope transiting the star KOI-3158, about 117 light years from Earth in the constellation Lyra.
KOI-3158 is the closest and brightest multi-planet system detected so far by Kepler, said Campante.
The star system is estimated to be 11.2 billion years old, give or take 900 million years or so “which makes KOI-3158 the oldest known system of terrestrial-size planets,” Campante told a symposium in France earlier this year.
In contrast, our own Sun and solar system is believed to be less than 5 billion years old.
The planets circling KOI-3158 are also familiar in terms of their size, with the innermost being about the size of Mercury, followed by three Mars-sized intermediate planets and a fifth and largest planet that is bigger than the other four, but a bit smaller than Venus.
Campante noted that KOI-3158 is an iron-poor star, and that stars hosting small planets tend to be more diverse in terms of their chemical composition than stars hosting giant planets, which tend to be metal-rich, ‘Gizmag’ reported.
“That implies that Earth-sized planets may have readily formed at earlier epochs in the universe’s history when metals were more scarce,” he said.
“KOI-3158, a system of terrestrial-sized planets, formed when the universe was less than 20 per cent of its current age, so that suggests that Earth-sized planets may have formed throughout most of the universe’s history, leaving open the possibility for the existence of ancient life in the galaxy,” he added.
TRAI recommends 3G spectrum base price
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Telecom regulator TRAI today recommended a base price of Rs 2,720 crore per Mhz for pan India 3G spectrum, about 22 per cent lower than the previous auction which would provide some relief to mobile operators.
Government in 2010 had auctioned 3G spectrum at pan-India reserve price of Rs 3,500 crore per megahertz.
Besides, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has recommended that DoT should put additional 15 Mhz for auction, which has to be obtained in exchange of spectrum that is with the Defence services.
The Department of Telecom, however, is optimistic of getting 5 Mhz of 3G spectrum (2100 Mhz band) from the Defence Ministry.
“The Authority recommends that the reserve price for 2100 MHz spectrum in each LSA (licence service area) should be…Rs 2,720 crore,” TRAI said.
“Furthermore, the 15 MHz of spectrum in the 2100 MHz spectrum being vacated by Ministry of Defence, in lieu of spectrum in the 1900 MHz spectrum, should be auctioned in view of the in-principle agreement reached with MoD, even if it is not available immediately,” it added.
This can be done as “actual assignments do not have to be made immediately”, it said.
The regulator has recommended that the DoT should take all measures to ensure that the 2100 MHz spectrum which was earlier assigned to S-TEL in three service areas — Bihar, Orissa and Himachal Pradesh — is also put to auction.
STel closed its business in India after the Supreme Court cancelled 122 licences in February 2012 in the 2G spectrum allocation case.
Incidentally, the 2010 reserve price for 3G spectrum had formed the basis of CAG estimating notional loss figure of Rs 1.76 lakh crore in 2G spectrum allocation case of 2008.
The auction for 800, 900 and 1800 megahertz bands is expected to be held in February and DoT is also mulling auctioning 3G radiowaves (2100 Mhz) along with these three bands.
TRAI has recommended that in upcoming auction of 2100 MHz band spectrum, an auction-specific cap should be placed that no bidder would be permitted to bid for more than 2 blocks in an LSA if 3-4 blocks are available in that licence service area.
TSTP (Test Schedule Test Procedure) which prescribes the process and method for measurements and tests to be carried out to ensure the required roll-out of the 3G network should be finalised at the earliest but, in any case, no later than the conduct of the February 2015 auction, TRAI said.
The regulator has said that list of areas under rural exchange along with the names of the towns under them should be made part of the auction document.
Besides, it said, telecom operators winning 3G spectrum in the upcoming auction should be mandated to roll out network on this spectrum with 3 years from the time of getting the radiowaves.
In 2010, there was obligation to roll out network within 5 years of spectrum allocation.
Telecom operators already having 3G spectrum will have to follow same roll out obligation that were prescribed when it acquired 3G spectrum in 2010.
Government in 2010 had auctioned 3G spectrum at pan-India reserve price of Rs 3,500 crore per megahertz.
Besides, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has recommended that DoT should put additional 15 Mhz for auction, which has to be obtained in exchange of spectrum that is with the Defence services.
The Department of Telecom, however, is optimistic of getting 5 Mhz of 3G spectrum (2100 Mhz band) from the Defence Ministry.
“The Authority recommends that the reserve price for 2100 MHz spectrum in each LSA (licence service area) should be…Rs 2,720 crore,” TRAI said.
“Furthermore, the 15 MHz of spectrum in the 2100 MHz spectrum being vacated by Ministry of Defence, in lieu of spectrum in the 1900 MHz spectrum, should be auctioned in view of the in-principle agreement reached with MoD, even if it is not available immediately,” it added.
This can be done as “actual assignments do not have to be made immediately”, it said.
The regulator has recommended that the DoT should take all measures to ensure that the 2100 MHz spectrum which was earlier assigned to S-TEL in three service areas — Bihar, Orissa and Himachal Pradesh — is also put to auction.
STel closed its business in India after the Supreme Court cancelled 122 licences in February 2012 in the 2G spectrum allocation case.
Incidentally, the 2010 reserve price for 3G spectrum had formed the basis of CAG estimating notional loss figure of Rs 1.76 lakh crore in 2G spectrum allocation case of 2008.
The auction for 800, 900 and 1800 megahertz bands is expected to be held in February and DoT is also mulling auctioning 3G radiowaves (2100 Mhz) along with these three bands.
TRAI has recommended that in upcoming auction of 2100 MHz band spectrum, an auction-specific cap should be placed that no bidder would be permitted to bid for more than 2 blocks in an LSA if 3-4 blocks are available in that licence service area.
TSTP (Test Schedule Test Procedure) which prescribes the process and method for measurements and tests to be carried out to ensure the required roll-out of the 3G network should be finalised at the earliest but, in any case, no later than the conduct of the February 2015 auction, TRAI said.
The regulator has said that list of areas under rural exchange along with the names of the towns under them should be made part of the auction document.
Besides, it said, telecom operators winning 3G spectrum in the upcoming auction should be mandated to roll out network on this spectrum with 3 years from the time of getting the radiowaves.
In 2010, there was obligation to roll out network within 5 years of spectrum allocation.
Telecom operators already having 3G spectrum will have to follow same roll out obligation that were prescribed when it acquired 3G spectrum in 2010.
Australia bans commercial sun beds
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SYDNEY: Most Australian states and territories are set to ban commercial sun beds from Thursday, in a crackdown on artificial tanning in a country that has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world.
The ban which comes into force in the states of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and in the Australian Capital Territory on January 1 will make Australia the second nation after Brazil to impose such a restriction, campaigners said.
Western Australia has said it would also implement a ban, though it has yet to announce a start date. There are no commercial solariums in the only other part of Australia, the hot and humid Northern Territory.
Cancer Council Australia welcomed the ban, which it has long pushed for, adding that it would help to reduce rates of skin cancer, which affects two out of three Australians by age 70.
"Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world," advocacy director Paul Grogan said in a statement to AFP.
"Solariums expose users to extremely highly levels of UV (ultraviolet) radiation, greatly increasing their risk of melanoma and other skin cancers."
Australia is sometimes referred to as the sun burnt country, where beaches are thronged with bathers basking under blue skies and the rates of melanoma, a potentially fatal form of skin cancer, are the highest in the world.
Public health campaigners have long pushed to promote awareness of the dangers of exposure to the sun, urging people to wear sunscreen, hats and sunglasses. They have also warned that tanning on a sun bed is not safe.
"Queensland already has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world and there is no question there's a direct link between regular sun bed use and the incidence of malignant melanoma," the state's interim Health Minister Mark McArdle told Australian Associated Press.
The incidence of skin cancers in Australia is two to three times the rates in Canada, the United States and Britain, the Cancer Council said.
More than 2000 Australians died from skin cancer in 2011, the majority from melanoma, which is caused by harmful ultraviolet light from the sun, the council added.
Australia's proximity to Antarctica, where there is a hole in the ozone layer which normally filters out UV rays, also increases the risk.
The ban which comes into force in the states of New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and in the Australian Capital Territory on January 1 will make Australia the second nation after Brazil to impose such a restriction, campaigners said.
Western Australia has said it would also implement a ban, though it has yet to announce a start date. There are no commercial solariums in the only other part of Australia, the hot and humid Northern Territory.
Cancer Council Australia welcomed the ban, which it has long pushed for, adding that it would help to reduce rates of skin cancer, which affects two out of three Australians by age 70.
"Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world," advocacy director Paul Grogan said in a statement to AFP.
"Solariums expose users to extremely highly levels of UV (ultraviolet) radiation, greatly increasing their risk of melanoma and other skin cancers."
Australia is sometimes referred to as the sun burnt country, where beaches are thronged with bathers basking under blue skies and the rates of melanoma, a potentially fatal form of skin cancer, are the highest in the world.
Public health campaigners have long pushed to promote awareness of the dangers of exposure to the sun, urging people to wear sunscreen, hats and sunglasses. They have also warned that tanning on a sun bed is not safe.
"Queensland already has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world and there is no question there's a direct link between regular sun bed use and the incidence of malignant melanoma," the state's interim Health Minister Mark McArdle told Australian Associated Press.
The incidence of skin cancers in Australia is two to three times the rates in Canada, the United States and Britain, the Cancer Council said.
More than 2000 Australians died from skin cancer in 2011, the majority from melanoma, which is caused by harmful ultraviolet light from the sun, the council added.
Australia's proximity to Antarctica, where there is a hole in the ozone layer which normally filters out UV rays, also increases the risk.
Terrorists smuggling weapons through Turkey for : UN
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Turkey is being used as the main route for smuggling weapons to terrorist groups operating in Iraq and Syria, the UN has said.
Militant groups such as the Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda affiliated Nusra Front in Iraq and Syria have been receiving weapons and equipment smuggled "primarily by routes that run through Turkey," Press TV reported, citing Tuesday's report by the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Implementation Monitoring Team.
They have also seized some of their weapons "from the armed forces of Iraq or (to a lesser extent) the Syrian Arab Republic," the report added.
Senior Iraqi and Syrian officials have repeatedly criticized Turkey over links to the militants, including Turkish involvement in buying oil from both the IS and Nusra Front.
The IS militants "control a number of oil fields in Syria and Iraq and they smuggle the oil overland through truck and middlemen to Turkey or towards other countries," Iraqi Finance Minister Hoshyar Zebari told a news channel Dec 12.
In September, EU Ambassador to Iraq Jana Hybaskova revealed that some EU member states have purchased oil from the IS despite their rhetoric against the group.
US intelligence officials estimate that the IS militants earn more than USD 3 million a day from illegal oil sales, theft, human trafficking and ransom. They said the militants sell oil and other products via established networks in Turkey, Jordan and Iraq's Kurdistan region.
Turkey has denied reports of involvement in IS' smuggling operations.
The IS militants control some parts of Syria and Iraq. They have engaged in crimes against humanity in the areas under their control.
Militant groups such as the Islamic State (IS) and Al-Qaeda affiliated Nusra Front in Iraq and Syria have been receiving weapons and equipment smuggled "primarily by routes that run through Turkey," Press TV reported, citing Tuesday's report by the UN Analytical Support and Sanctions Implementation Monitoring Team.
They have also seized some of their weapons "from the armed forces of Iraq or (to a lesser extent) the Syrian Arab Republic," the report added.
Senior Iraqi and Syrian officials have repeatedly criticized Turkey over links to the militants, including Turkish involvement in buying oil from both the IS and Nusra Front.
The IS militants "control a number of oil fields in Syria and Iraq and they smuggle the oil overland through truck and middlemen to Turkey or towards other countries," Iraqi Finance Minister Hoshyar Zebari told a news channel Dec 12.
In September, EU Ambassador to Iraq Jana Hybaskova revealed that some EU member states have purchased oil from the IS despite their rhetoric against the group.
US intelligence officials estimate that the IS militants earn more than USD 3 million a day from illegal oil sales, theft, human trafficking and ransom. They said the militants sell oil and other products via established networks in Turkey, Jordan and Iraq's Kurdistan region.
Turkey has denied reports of involvement in IS' smuggling operations.
The IS militants control some parts of Syria and Iraq. They have engaged in crimes against humanity in the areas under their control.
NASA instrument to measure soil moisture on Earth
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NASA is launching a new remote sensing instrument in space that will measure the moisture lodged in Earth’s soils with unprecedented accuracy and resolution.
The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) instrument scheduled for launch on January 29, 2015, has three main parts — a radar, a radiometer and the largest rotating mesh antenna ever deployed in space.
Remote sensing instruments are called “active” when they emit their own signals and “passive” when they record signals that already exist.
The mission’s science instrument ropes together a sensor of each type to corral the highest-resolution, most accurate measurements ever made of soil moisture — a tiny fraction of Earth’s water that has a disproportionately large effect on weather and agriculture.
To enable the mission to meet its accuracy needs while covering the globe every three days or less, SMAP engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, designed and built the largest rotating antenna that could be stowed into a space of only one foot by four feet for launch.
The dish is 19.7 feet in diameter.
“We call it the spinning lasso,” said Wendy Edelstein of JPL, the SMAP instrument manager.
The antenna is attached on one side to an arm with a crook in its elbow. It spins around the arm at about 14 revolutions per minute (one complete rotation every four seconds).
Although the antenna must fit during launch into a space not much bigger than a tall kitchen trash can, it must unfold so precisely that the surface shape of the mesh is accurate within about an eighth of an inch.
The mesh dish is edged with a ring of lightweight graphite supports that stretch apart like a baby gate when a single cable is pulled, drawing the mesh outward.
“Making sure we don’t have snags, that the mesh doesn’t hang up on the supports and tear when it’s deploying — all of that requires very careful engineering. We have a very stable and robust system now,” the SMAP instrument manager said.
SMAP’s radar uses the antenna to transmit microwaves towards Earth and receive the signals that bounce back, called backscatter.
The microwaves penetrate a few inches or more into the soil before they rebound. Changes in the electrical properties of the returning microwaves indicate changes in soil moisture, and also tell whether or not the soil is frozen.
Using a complex technique called synthetic aperture radar processing, the radar can produce ultra-sharp images with a resolution of about one to three kilometres.
The SMAP will be the fifth NASA Earth science mission launched within the last 12 months.
The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) instrument scheduled for launch on January 29, 2015, has three main parts — a radar, a radiometer and the largest rotating mesh antenna ever deployed in space.
Remote sensing instruments are called “active” when they emit their own signals and “passive” when they record signals that already exist.
The mission’s science instrument ropes together a sensor of each type to corral the highest-resolution, most accurate measurements ever made of soil moisture — a tiny fraction of Earth’s water that has a disproportionately large effect on weather and agriculture.
To enable the mission to meet its accuracy needs while covering the globe every three days or less, SMAP engineers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, designed and built the largest rotating antenna that could be stowed into a space of only one foot by four feet for launch.
The dish is 19.7 feet in diameter.
“We call it the spinning lasso,” said Wendy Edelstein of JPL, the SMAP instrument manager.
The antenna is attached on one side to an arm with a crook in its elbow. It spins around the arm at about 14 revolutions per minute (one complete rotation every four seconds).
Although the antenna must fit during launch into a space not much bigger than a tall kitchen trash can, it must unfold so precisely that the surface shape of the mesh is accurate within about an eighth of an inch.
The mesh dish is edged with a ring of lightweight graphite supports that stretch apart like a baby gate when a single cable is pulled, drawing the mesh outward.
“Making sure we don’t have snags, that the mesh doesn’t hang up on the supports and tear when it’s deploying — all of that requires very careful engineering. We have a very stable and robust system now,” the SMAP instrument manager said.
SMAP’s radar uses the antenna to transmit microwaves towards Earth and receive the signals that bounce back, called backscatter.
The microwaves penetrate a few inches or more into the soil before they rebound. Changes in the electrical properties of the returning microwaves indicate changes in soil moisture, and also tell whether or not the soil is frozen.
Using a complex technique called synthetic aperture radar processing, the radar can produce ultra-sharp images with a resolution of about one to three kilometres.
The SMAP will be the fifth NASA Earth science mission launched within the last 12 months.
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) report
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Brussels: The most dangerous country for journalists is Pakistan, where 14 media persons lost their lives in 2014, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) said Wednesday.
An IFJ statement said that with 35 killings, the Asia Pacific region was the most dangerous region for journalists and media staff in the world for a second consecutive year.
The Middle East is the second most dangerous region with 31 fatalities followed by Americas with 26. Africa came fourth (17 killings) and Europe reported nine deaths.
The Federation said the figures were a reminder of the gravity of the safety crisis in the media and urged governments to ensure the safety and protection of journalists.
It cited the brutal public beheading of journalists including US freelancers James Foley and Steven Sotloff by the Islamic State as a game changer.
IFJ president Jim Boumelha said: “Failure to improve media safety will adversely impact the coverage of war which will be poorer for lack of independent witnesses.”
The IFJ said another cause for killing of journalists in 2014 was the reckless attacks on them in conflict zones like Ukraine, Syria and the Gaza Strip.
The organised crime’s terror and violence continued in Latin America, especially in Honduras and Mexico, where journalists pay the ultimate price for reporting on issues such as corruption and drug trafficking.
In 2014, the IFJ intensified its safety work including training programmes for journalists from high risks countries such as the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
It also joined partnership with the Council of Europe to establish an online safety platform for journalists. It is testing new cutting edge safety tools to maintain permanent contact with journalists while on assignments in dangerous zones.
An IFJ statement said that with 35 killings, the Asia Pacific region was the most dangerous region for journalists and media staff in the world for a second consecutive year.
The Middle East is the second most dangerous region with 31 fatalities followed by Americas with 26. Africa came fourth (17 killings) and Europe reported nine deaths.
The Federation said the figures were a reminder of the gravity of the safety crisis in the media and urged governments to ensure the safety and protection of journalists.
It cited the brutal public beheading of journalists including US freelancers James Foley and Steven Sotloff by the Islamic State as a game changer.
IFJ president Jim Boumelha said: “Failure to improve media safety will adversely impact the coverage of war which will be poorer for lack of independent witnesses.”
The IFJ said another cause for killing of journalists in 2014 was the reckless attacks on them in conflict zones like Ukraine, Syria and the Gaza Strip.
The organised crime’s terror and violence continued in Latin America, especially in Honduras and Mexico, where journalists pay the ultimate price for reporting on issues such as corruption and drug trafficking.
In 2014, the IFJ intensified its safety work including training programmes for journalists from high risks countries such as the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
It also joined partnership with the Council of Europe to establish an online safety platform for journalists. It is testing new cutting edge safety tools to maintain permanent contact with journalists while on assignments in dangerous zones.
New cosmological simulation results in realistic galaxies
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For decades, astronomers have predicted the formation of galaxies using computer simulations, but with limited success. The galaxies that formed in previous simulations were often too massive, too small, too old and too spherical - nothing like actual galaxies.
An international team has developed a simulation of the universe in which realistic galaxies are created; their mass, size and age are similar to those of observed galaxies. Their similarity is caused by the simulation of strong galactic winds - gas winds that are blown from galaxies.
The simulations took several months to run at the "Cosmology Machine" in Durham and at "Curie" in Paris, among the largest computers used for scientific research in the U.K. and France, respectively. Astronomers can now use the results to study the development of galaxies from almost 14 billion years ago until now.
The galaxies formed in the EAGLE-simulation (Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environments) are a much closer reflection of real galaxies thanks to the strong galactic winds, which blow away the gas supply needed for the formation of stars. EAGLE's galaxies are lighter and younger because fewer stars form and they form later. In the EAGLE simulation these galactic winds - which are powered by stars, supernova explosions and super-massive black holes - are stronger than in earlier simulations.
The sizes and shapes of the thousands of galaxies that form in the EAGLE simulation are also similar to those of galaxies that astronomers observe in the Universe. "The universe generated by the computer is just like the real thing. There are galaxies everywhere, with all the shapes, sizes and colours I've seen with the world's largest telescopes. It is incredible. In the EAGLE universe I can even press a button to make time run backwards," says co-author Richard Bower from Durham University.
Having developed a simulation which produces galaxies with characteristics similar to observed galaxies, astronomers can now study the evolution of individual galaxies in detail. "This is the start of a new era for us," says co-author Rob Crain from Liverpool John Moores University. "We can now manipulate the conditions of the Universe and study the evolution of galaxies throughout the past 14 billion years."
An international team has developed a simulation of the universe in which realistic galaxies are created; their mass, size and age are similar to those of observed galaxies. Their similarity is caused by the simulation of strong galactic winds - gas winds that are blown from galaxies.
The simulations took several months to run at the "Cosmology Machine" in Durham and at "Curie" in Paris, among the largest computers used for scientific research in the U.K. and France, respectively. Astronomers can now use the results to study the development of galaxies from almost 14 billion years ago until now.
The galaxies formed in the EAGLE-simulation (Evolution and Assembly of GaLaxies and their Environments) are a much closer reflection of real galaxies thanks to the strong galactic winds, which blow away the gas supply needed for the formation of stars. EAGLE's galaxies are lighter and younger because fewer stars form and they form later. In the EAGLE simulation these galactic winds - which are powered by stars, supernova explosions and super-massive black holes - are stronger than in earlier simulations.
The sizes and shapes of the thousands of galaxies that form in the EAGLE simulation are also similar to those of galaxies that astronomers observe in the Universe. "The universe generated by the computer is just like the real thing. There are galaxies everywhere, with all the shapes, sizes and colours I've seen with the world's largest telescopes. It is incredible. In the EAGLE universe I can even press a button to make time run backwards," says co-author Richard Bower from Durham University.
Having developed a simulation which produces galaxies with characteristics similar to observed galaxies, astronomers can now study the evolution of individual galaxies in detail. "This is the start of a new era for us," says co-author Rob Crain from Liverpool John Moores University. "We can now manipulate the conditions of the Universe and study the evolution of galaxies throughout the past 14 billion years."
2014-An Year of Success for Department of Space
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Department of space has witnessed a number of successes during 2014 in its endeavour to put India on a ladder of achievements:
SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF THE GEOSYNCHRONOUS SATELLITE LAUNCH VEHICLE (GSLV-D5)
Successful launch of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D5) with an indigenous cryogenic engine & stage on 5th January 2014 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The GSLV-D5 injected the GSAT-14 Communications Satellite, weighing 1982 kg, into a precise Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.
SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF INDIAN NAVIGATIONAL SATELLITE IRNSS-1B, THE SECOND SATELLITE IN THE INDIAN REGIONAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEM (IRNSS)
Successful launch of Indian navigational satellite IRNSS-1B, the second satellite in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) onboard PSLV-C24 on April 04, 2014 and IRNSS-1C, the third satellite of IRNSS onboard PSLV-C26 on October 16, 2014 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
SAARC SATELLITE
India successfully launched five foreign satellites on board PSLV-C23 on June 30th, 2014 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. These foreign satellites are – (i) SPOT-7 (France), (ii) AISAT (Germany), (iii) NLS 7.1/CAN-X4 (Canada), (iv) NLS 7.2/CAN-X5 (Canada) and (v) VELOX-1 (Singapore).
Till that date, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched 40 satellites from 19 foreign countries, on commercial basis, under contract between respective foreign customer and Antrix Corporation Limited, the commercial arm of ISRO. The amount generated through the launch of these satellites is € 50.47 million and US $ 17.17 million.
The future projects envisages development of advanced launch vehicle systems, thematic earth observational satellites with improved resolution, high-power, high-throughput communication satellite, microwave multi-spectral remote sensing satellites, weather and climate studies, constellation of satellites for regional navigation, development of critical technologies for human spaceflight and satellites for space science and planetary exploration purposes.
The Prime Minister of India in his address at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota on 30th June 2014 asked the Indian Space community to develop a SAARC satellite that provides a full range of applications and services to all our neighbours. ISRO, through the Government of India, in consultation with the SAARC countries, needs to formulate a proposal for SAARC Satellite development programme to address the space applications and services needs of the SAARC countries.
MARS ORBITER SPACECRAFT SUCCESSFULLY INSERTED INTO MARS ORBIT
India’s Mars Orbiter Spacecraft successfully entered into an orbit around planet Mars today morning (September 24, 2014) by firing its 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) along with eight smaller liquid engines. This Liquid Engines firing operation which began at 07:17:32 Hrs IST lasted for 1388.67 seconds which changed the velocity of the spacecraft by 1099 metre/sec. With this operation, the spacecraft entered into an elliptical orbit around Mars. Honourable Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi, was present at ISRO’s Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bangalore to witness this important event. Other dignitaries who were present at ISTRAC include His Excellency Governor of Karnataka, Mr Vajubhai R Vala, Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Mr D V Sadananda Gowda, Hon’ble Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Mr Ananth Kumar, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, Mr Siddaramaiah, Hon’ble Minister of State (Space), Dr Jitendra Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Mr G M Siddeswara, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Mr Prahlad V Joshi, Hon’ble Minister of Transport, Government of Karnataka, Mr Ramalinga Reddy and Hon’ble Member of Legislative Assembly, Government of Karnataka, Mr Muniraju S. Prof U R Rao, former chairman, ISRO and Prof Yash Pal, former director, Space Applications Centre, were also present.
The events related to Mars Orbit Insertion progressed satisfactorily and the spacecraft performance was normal. The Spacecraft is now circling Mars in an orbit whose nearest point to Mars (periapsis) is at 421.7 km and farthest point (apoapsis) at 76,993.6 km. The inclination of orbit with respect to the equatorial plane of Mars is 150 degree, as intended. In this orbit, the spacecraft takes 72 hours 51 minutes 51 seconds to go round the Mars once.
Mars Orbiter Spacecraft was launched on-board India’s workhorse launch vehicle PSLV on November 05, 2013 into a parking orbit around the Earth. On December 01, 2013, following Trans Mars Injection (TMI) manoeuvre, the spacecraft escaped from orbiting the earth and followed a path that would allow it to encounter Mars on September 24, 2014.
With this successful Mars Orbit Insertion operation, ISRO became the fourth space agency to successfully send a spacecraft to Mars orbit. In the coming weeks, the spacecraft will be thoroughly tested in the Mars orbit and the systematic observation of that planet using its five scientific instruments would begin.
PSLV-C26 SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED INDIA'S THIRD NAVIGATION SATELLITE IRNSS-1C
ISRO`s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C26, successfully launched IRNSS-1C, the third satellite in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), in the early morning hours of October 16, 2014 at 0132 hours IST from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. This was the twenty seventh consecutively successful mission of PSLV. The `XL`configuration of PSLV was used for this mission. Previously, the same configuration of the vehicle was successfully used six times.
Minister of State (Space), Dr Jitendra Singh, witnessed the launch from the Mission Control Centre at SDSC, Sriharikota.
After the lift-off of PSLV-C26 with the ignition of the first stage, the important flight events, namely, stage and strap-on ignitions, heat-shield separation, stage and strap-on separations and satellite injection, took place as planned. After a flight of about 20 minutes 18 seconds, IRNSS-1C Satellite, weighing 1425 kg, was injected to an elliptical orbit of 282.56 km X 20,670 km, which is very close to the intended orbit.
After injection, the solar panels of IRNSS-1C were deployed automatically. ISRO`s Master Control Facility (at Hassan, Karnataka) assumed the control of the satellite. In the coming days, four orbit manoeuvres will be conducted from Master Control Facility to position the satellite in the Geostationary Orbit at 83 deg East longitude.
IRNSS-1C is the third of the seven satellites constituting the space segment of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. IRNSS-1A and IRNSS-1B, the first two satellites of the constellation, were successfully launched by PSLV on July 02, 2013 and April 04, 2014 respectively. Both IRNSS-1A and 1B are functioning satisfactorily from their designated geosynchronous orbital positions.
IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system designed to provide position information in the Indian region and 1500 km around the Indian mainland. IRNSS would provide two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Services (SPS) - provided to all users – and Restricted Services (RS), provided to authorised users.
A number of ground stations responsible for the generation and transmission of navigation parameters, satellite control, satellite ranging and monitoring, etc., have been established in as many as 15 locations across the country.
In the coming months, the next satellite of this constellation, namely, IRNSS-1D, is scheduled to be launched by PSLV. The entire IRNSS constellation of seven satellites is planned to be completed by 2015.
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS OF ISRO
The Government took a number of steps to popularise ISRO`s prowess in the field of space launches.
Antrix Corporation Limited (Antrix), the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), from 1999 onwards - till date, had successfully launched 40 satellites of foreign customers from 19 countries, using ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Further, contracts have been finalized to launch 16 satellites from 6 countries in the coming years.
The ISRO, through its commercial arm Antrix, already launched one satellite for developing countries in Asia namely, Indonesia and contract has been finalized for launching two more satellites of Indonesia. One satellite was also launched for developing countries in Africa namely, Algeria.
The space projects undertaken by Antrix Corporation Limited, the commercial arm of ISRO, included: (i) establishment of ground stations for reception of data from Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites along with processing facilities at 20 locations outside India; (ii) building two contemporary communication satellites for European customers, and one communication satellite for Indian strategic user; (iii) providing tracking support for over 70 spacecraft missions of foreign customers; (iv) provisioning of satellite transponder capacity from Indian communication satellites for telecommunication, TV broadcasting, Direct-To-Home (DTH) services and VSAT applications; (v) launching of 40 foreign satellites on-board ISRO’s PSLV; (vi) establishment of ground terminals for tele-education, tele-medicine, disaster mitigation and Village Resource Centres; and (vii) consultancy services to domestic and foreign clients.
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME BY ISRO.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had setup an endowed fellowship programme at the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), California, USA. This fellowship programme was established in honour of Dr. Satish Dhawan, who was the former Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation.
The fellowship provides an opportunity every year to one meritorious graduating student from the Aerospace Department of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram to be sponsored by the Department of Space, to pursue Masters in Aerospace Engineering at Caltech.
The fellowship programme started in the winter session of the academic year 2013-14 and one student availed this fellowship and already completed his Masters degree at Caltech.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) were working together to realize a Dual frequency (L& S band) Synthetic Aperture Radar mission for Earth observation. Both agencies have established a ‘ISRO-NASA Mars Working Group’ to explore the possibilities of enhancing the cooperation in Mars exploration.
FIRST EXPERIMENTAL FLIGHT OF INDIA’S NEXT GENERATION LAUNCH VEHICLE GSLV MK-III SUCCESSFUL
The first experimental flight (GSLV Mk-III X/CARE) of India’s next generation launch vehicle GSLV Mk-III was successfully conducted on December 18, 2014 morning from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota. Also known as LVM3-X/CARE, this suborbital experimental mission was intended to test the vehicle performance during the critical atmospheric phase of its flight and thus carried a passive (non-functional) cryogenic upper stage.
The mission began with the launch of GSLV Mk-III at 9:30 am IST from the Second Launch Pad as scheduled and about five and a half minutes later, carried its payload – the 3775 kg Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment (CARE) – to the intended height of 126 km. Following this, CARE separated from the upper stage of GSLV Mk-III and re-entered the atmosphere and safely landed over Bay of Bengal with the help of its parachutes about 20 minutes 43 seconds after lift-off.
Two massive S-200 solid strap-on boosters, each carrying 207 tons of solid propellants, ignited at vehicle lift-off and after functioning normally, separated 153.5 seconds later. L110 liquid stage ignited 120 seconds after lift-off, while S200s were still functioning, and carried forward for the next 204.6 seconds. CARE separated from the passive C25 cryogenic upper stage of GSLV Mk-III 330.8 seconds after lift-off and began its guided descent for atmospheric re-entry.
After the successful re-entry phase, CARE module’s parachutes opened, following which it gently landed over Andaman Sea about 1600 km from Sriharikota, there by successfully concluding the GSLV Mk-III X/CARE mission.
With this successful GSLV Mk-III X / CARE mission, the vehicle moved a step closer to its first developmental flight with the functional C25 cryogenic upper stage.
SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF THE GEOSYNCHRONOUS SATELLITE LAUNCH VEHICLE (GSLV-D5)
Successful launch of the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-D5) with an indigenous cryogenic engine & stage on 5th January 2014 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The GSLV-D5 injected the GSAT-14 Communications Satellite, weighing 1982 kg, into a precise Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit.
SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH OF INDIAN NAVIGATIONAL SATELLITE IRNSS-1B, THE SECOND SATELLITE IN THE INDIAN REGIONAL NAVIGATION SATELLITE SYSTEM (IRNSS)
Successful launch of Indian navigational satellite IRNSS-1B, the second satellite in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) onboard PSLV-C24 on April 04, 2014 and IRNSS-1C, the third satellite of IRNSS onboard PSLV-C26 on October 16, 2014 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
SAARC SATELLITE
India successfully launched five foreign satellites on board PSLV-C23 on June 30th, 2014 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. These foreign satellites are – (i) SPOT-7 (France), (ii) AISAT (Germany), (iii) NLS 7.1/CAN-X4 (Canada), (iv) NLS 7.2/CAN-X5 (Canada) and (v) VELOX-1 (Singapore).
Till that date, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has launched 40 satellites from 19 foreign countries, on commercial basis, under contract between respective foreign customer and Antrix Corporation Limited, the commercial arm of ISRO. The amount generated through the launch of these satellites is € 50.47 million and US $ 17.17 million.
The future projects envisages development of advanced launch vehicle systems, thematic earth observational satellites with improved resolution, high-power, high-throughput communication satellite, microwave multi-spectral remote sensing satellites, weather and climate studies, constellation of satellites for regional navigation, development of critical technologies for human spaceflight and satellites for space science and planetary exploration purposes.
The Prime Minister of India in his address at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota on 30th June 2014 asked the Indian Space community to develop a SAARC satellite that provides a full range of applications and services to all our neighbours. ISRO, through the Government of India, in consultation with the SAARC countries, needs to formulate a proposal for SAARC Satellite development programme to address the space applications and services needs of the SAARC countries.
MARS ORBITER SPACECRAFT SUCCESSFULLY INSERTED INTO MARS ORBIT
India’s Mars Orbiter Spacecraft successfully entered into an orbit around planet Mars today morning (September 24, 2014) by firing its 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) along with eight smaller liquid engines. This Liquid Engines firing operation which began at 07:17:32 Hrs IST lasted for 1388.67 seconds which changed the velocity of the spacecraft by 1099 metre/sec. With this operation, the spacecraft entered into an elliptical orbit around Mars. Honourable Prime Minister of India, Mr Narendra Modi, was present at ISRO’s Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network (ISTRAC) in Bangalore to witness this important event. Other dignitaries who were present at ISTRAC include His Excellency Governor of Karnataka, Mr Vajubhai R Vala, Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Mr D V Sadananda Gowda, Hon’ble Minister of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Mr Ananth Kumar, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, Mr Siddaramaiah, Hon’ble Minister of State (Space), Dr Jitendra Singh, Hon’ble Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Mr G M Siddeswara, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Mr Prahlad V Joshi, Hon’ble Minister of Transport, Government of Karnataka, Mr Ramalinga Reddy and Hon’ble Member of Legislative Assembly, Government of Karnataka, Mr Muniraju S. Prof U R Rao, former chairman, ISRO and Prof Yash Pal, former director, Space Applications Centre, were also present.
The events related to Mars Orbit Insertion progressed satisfactorily and the spacecraft performance was normal. The Spacecraft is now circling Mars in an orbit whose nearest point to Mars (periapsis) is at 421.7 km and farthest point (apoapsis) at 76,993.6 km. The inclination of orbit with respect to the equatorial plane of Mars is 150 degree, as intended. In this orbit, the spacecraft takes 72 hours 51 minutes 51 seconds to go round the Mars once.
Mars Orbiter Spacecraft was launched on-board India’s workhorse launch vehicle PSLV on November 05, 2013 into a parking orbit around the Earth. On December 01, 2013, following Trans Mars Injection (TMI) manoeuvre, the spacecraft escaped from orbiting the earth and followed a path that would allow it to encounter Mars on September 24, 2014.
With this successful Mars Orbit Insertion operation, ISRO became the fourth space agency to successfully send a spacecraft to Mars orbit. In the coming weeks, the spacecraft will be thoroughly tested in the Mars orbit and the systematic observation of that planet using its five scientific instruments would begin.
PSLV-C26 SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED INDIA'S THIRD NAVIGATION SATELLITE IRNSS-1C
ISRO`s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, PSLV-C26, successfully launched IRNSS-1C, the third satellite in the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), in the early morning hours of October 16, 2014 at 0132 hours IST from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. This was the twenty seventh consecutively successful mission of PSLV. The `XL`configuration of PSLV was used for this mission. Previously, the same configuration of the vehicle was successfully used six times.
Minister of State (Space), Dr Jitendra Singh, witnessed the launch from the Mission Control Centre at SDSC, Sriharikota.
After the lift-off of PSLV-C26 with the ignition of the first stage, the important flight events, namely, stage and strap-on ignitions, heat-shield separation, stage and strap-on separations and satellite injection, took place as planned. After a flight of about 20 minutes 18 seconds, IRNSS-1C Satellite, weighing 1425 kg, was injected to an elliptical orbit of 282.56 km X 20,670 km, which is very close to the intended orbit.
After injection, the solar panels of IRNSS-1C were deployed automatically. ISRO`s Master Control Facility (at Hassan, Karnataka) assumed the control of the satellite. In the coming days, four orbit manoeuvres will be conducted from Master Control Facility to position the satellite in the Geostationary Orbit at 83 deg East longitude.
IRNSS-1C is the third of the seven satellites constituting the space segment of the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System. IRNSS-1A and IRNSS-1B, the first two satellites of the constellation, were successfully launched by PSLV on July 02, 2013 and April 04, 2014 respectively. Both IRNSS-1A and 1B are functioning satisfactorily from their designated geosynchronous orbital positions.
IRNSS is an independent regional navigation satellite system designed to provide position information in the Indian region and 1500 km around the Indian mainland. IRNSS would provide two types of services, namely, Standard Positioning Services (SPS) - provided to all users – and Restricted Services (RS), provided to authorised users.
A number of ground stations responsible for the generation and transmission of navigation parameters, satellite control, satellite ranging and monitoring, etc., have been established in as many as 15 locations across the country.
In the coming months, the next satellite of this constellation, namely, IRNSS-1D, is scheduled to be launched by PSLV. The entire IRNSS constellation of seven satellites is planned to be completed by 2015.
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS OF ISRO
The Government took a number of steps to popularise ISRO`s prowess in the field of space launches.
Antrix Corporation Limited (Antrix), the commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), from 1999 onwards - till date, had successfully launched 40 satellites of foreign customers from 19 countries, using ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Further, contracts have been finalized to launch 16 satellites from 6 countries in the coming years.
The ISRO, through its commercial arm Antrix, already launched one satellite for developing countries in Asia namely, Indonesia and contract has been finalized for launching two more satellites of Indonesia. One satellite was also launched for developing countries in Africa namely, Algeria.
The space projects undertaken by Antrix Corporation Limited, the commercial arm of ISRO, included: (i) establishment of ground stations for reception of data from Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites along with processing facilities at 20 locations outside India; (ii) building two contemporary communication satellites for European customers, and one communication satellite for Indian strategic user; (iii) providing tracking support for over 70 spacecraft missions of foreign customers; (iv) provisioning of satellite transponder capacity from Indian communication satellites for telecommunication, TV broadcasting, Direct-To-Home (DTH) services and VSAT applications; (v) launching of 40 foreign satellites on-board ISRO’s PSLV; (vi) establishment of ground terminals for tele-education, tele-medicine, disaster mitigation and Village Resource Centres; and (vii) consultancy services to domestic and foreign clients.
FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMME BY ISRO.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) had setup an endowed fellowship programme at the Graduate Aerospace Laboratories of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), California, USA. This fellowship programme was established in honour of Dr. Satish Dhawan, who was the former Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation.
The fellowship provides an opportunity every year to one meritorious graduating student from the Aerospace Department of the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram to be sponsored by the Department of Space, to pursue Masters in Aerospace Engineering at Caltech.
The fellowship programme started in the winter session of the academic year 2013-14 and one student availed this fellowship and already completed his Masters degree at Caltech.
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) were working together to realize a Dual frequency (L& S band) Synthetic Aperture Radar mission for Earth observation. Both agencies have established a ‘ISRO-NASA Mars Working Group’ to explore the possibilities of enhancing the cooperation in Mars exploration.
FIRST EXPERIMENTAL FLIGHT OF INDIA’S NEXT GENERATION LAUNCH VEHICLE GSLV MK-III SUCCESSFUL
The first experimental flight (GSLV Mk-III X/CARE) of India’s next generation launch vehicle GSLV Mk-III was successfully conducted on December 18, 2014 morning from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota. Also known as LVM3-X/CARE, this suborbital experimental mission was intended to test the vehicle performance during the critical atmospheric phase of its flight and thus carried a passive (non-functional) cryogenic upper stage.
The mission began with the launch of GSLV Mk-III at 9:30 am IST from the Second Launch Pad as scheduled and about five and a half minutes later, carried its payload – the 3775 kg Crew Module Atmospheric Re-entry Experiment (CARE) – to the intended height of 126 km. Following this, CARE separated from the upper stage of GSLV Mk-III and re-entered the atmosphere and safely landed over Bay of Bengal with the help of its parachutes about 20 minutes 43 seconds after lift-off.
Two massive S-200 solid strap-on boosters, each carrying 207 tons of solid propellants, ignited at vehicle lift-off and after functioning normally, separated 153.5 seconds later. L110 liquid stage ignited 120 seconds after lift-off, while S200s were still functioning, and carried forward for the next 204.6 seconds. CARE separated from the passive C25 cryogenic upper stage of GSLV Mk-III 330.8 seconds after lift-off and began its guided descent for atmospheric re-entry.
After the successful re-entry phase, CARE module’s parachutes opened, following which it gently landed over Andaman Sea about 1600 km from Sriharikota, there by successfully concluding the GSLV Mk-III X/CARE mission.
With this successful GSLV Mk-III X / CARE mission, the vehicle moved a step closer to its first developmental flight with the functional C25 cryogenic upper stage.
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