General Awareness

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - July 2017

Jul 2017

Aug 23, 2024

Chandrayaan-3 Reveals Stunning New Detail about Moon from Shiva Shakti Point

As India marked its first National Space Day on August 23, commemorating the historic landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Moon's South Pole last year (2023), scientists unveiled a groundbreaking discovery from the mission's data.
A team led by Santosh Vadawale from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad revealed new insights into the lunar surface composition near the landing site.
The study showed that the lunar regolith around the landing site has a uniform elemental composition, primarily consisting of ferroan anorthosite rock, a product of the lunar magma ocean (LMO) crystallisation.
This discovery supports the lunar magma ocean (LMO) hypothesis, which suggests that the Moon's mantle formed as heavier materials sank inward while lighter rocks floated to the surface.
Interestingly, the chemical makeup of the regolith near the South Pole closely matches soil samples from equatorial and mid-latitude regions, further supporting the LMO theory. The presence of additional Mg-rich materials indicates a mixing of outer crustal material with deeper lunar layers.

Aug 17, 2024

UK Military Satellite Launches to Boost Space Power

The UK military launched its first ever dedicated Earth-imaging satellite.
Called Tyche, the washing machine-sized spacecraft has sufficient resolution to identify battlefield troop positions and vehicles.
It is a demonstrator that should be followed by a network of satellites this decade using a variety of sensors.
Some of these future spacecrafts will be able to see through cloud and even eavesdrop on radio transmissions.
Tyche's ride to orbit was booked on a SpaceX Falcon rocket flying out of California.

Aug 16, 2024

Centre Launches New AI-Based Surveillance System to Manage Pests

The Union Government launched the AI-based National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS) that will help farmers to connect with agriculture scientists and experts on controlling pests using their phone.
The aim of NPSS is to reduce the dependence of farmers on pesticide retailers and inculcate a scientific approach among them towards pest management. NPSS will analyse the latest data on pests using AI tools to help farmers and experts in pest control and management.

ISRO Successfully Places Earth Observation Satellite into Orbit

ISRO successfully placed an Earth observation and SR-O DEMOSAT satellites into intended orbit. The space agency launched its third and final developmental flight, Small Satellite Launch Vehicle-D3, carrying Earth Observation Satellite EOS-08.
The rocket lifted off majestically from the first launch pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, situated about 135 km east of Chennai.
The objectives of the SSLV-D3-EOS-08 mission include designing and developing a microsatellite and creating payload instruments compatible with the microsatellite bus.
Built on the Microsat/IMS-1 bus, EOS-08 carries three payloads--Electro Optical Infrared Payload (EOIR), Global Navigation Satellite System-Reflectometry payload (GNSS-R) and SiC UV Dosimeter.

Aug 14, 2024

China EV firm Claims World's Fastest-charging Battery

Chinese car maker Zeekr said that its new electric vehicle (EV) batteries charge faster than any of its rivals, including industry leader Tesla.
The firm's upgraded batteries can be charged from 10% to 80% capacity in 10 and a half minutes using its ultra-fast charging stations.
In comparison, Elon Musk's Tesla said a 15 minute charge allows its Model 3 to cover 175 miles (282km), a little under half the car's full range.

Union Cabinet Approves Road Connecting Proposed Vadhvan Port to NH48

A 32-km long road connecting the proposed Vadhvan Port in Maharashtra's Palghar district to the national highway 48 was approved by the Union cabinet, the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) said.
The JNPA is developing the Vadhvan Port.
The National Highways Authority of India's Land Acquisition Committee (NHAI-LAC) approved road connectivity for Vadhvan Port from NH-48 of about 32 km and authorised the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to make relevant decisions.
JNPA chairman Unmesh Sharad Wagh, said, "The construction of the road is a critical activity necessary to initiate the work at Vadhvan Port. It is essential for transporting quarry material from the sites to the port, as local roads are too narrow for such heavy transportation. The declaration by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to designate this road as a National Highway will expedite the process significantly." Once the notification is issued by the NHAI, land acquisition will commence immediately.

Aug 13, 2024

Wipro Expands Partnership with Google Cloud to Adopt AI Tech Gemini

Wipro announced the expansion of its strategic partnership with Google Cloud to scale its adoption of Google Cloud AI.
Wipro will train its workforce with generative AI-powered tools using Vertex AI and Gemini models for developer productivity and better cloud migration.
"Using Vertex AI and Gemini models, Wipro, in its project execution for clients, is equipping its workforce with generative AI-powered tools to enhance developer productivity, accelerate cloud migrations, and deliver innovative GenAI solutions," the company said.

US Scientists Find Reservoir of Liquid Water on Mars

An immense reservoir of liquid water may reside deep under the surface of Mars within fractured igneous rocks, holding enough to fill an ocean that would cover the entire surface of Earth's planetary neighbor.
That is the conclusion of scientists based on seismic data obtained by NASA's robotic InSight lander during a mission that helped decipher the interior of Mars. The water, located about 7.2 to 12.4 miles (11.5 to 20 km) below the Martian surface, potentially offers conditions favorable to sustain microbial life, either in the past or now, the researchers said.

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