General Awareness

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - December 2018

Dec 2018

Jul 04, 2023

India's First Indigenous 700 MW Nuclear Reactor Starts Commercial Operation in Gujarat

India's first indigenously developed 700 MW nuclear power reactor at the Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP) in Gujarat successfully commenced commercial operations, marking a significant milestone in the country's nuclear energy sector. The reactor, known as KAPP-3, began operating at 90 per cent of its total power capacity.
The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is building two 700 MW pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) at Kakrapar, which is also home to two 220 MW power plants.
The NPCIL plans to build sixteen 700 MW PHWRs across the country and has granted financial and administrative sanction for the same.

Scientists Embark on Expedition Onboard India's Research Vessel Sagar Nidhi

Scientists from Bangladesh and Mauritius embarked onboard India's research vessel Sagar Nidhi to participate in a joint ocean expedition. The event took place under the framework of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) between the nations of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR).
The expedition will last nearly 35 days. The cruise is conducted by Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
The scientists will collaboratively research ocean data to predict and manage changes in the marine environment and variations in ocean parameters.
The decision to embark on the expedition was a direct outcome of the maiden CSC Oceanographers and Hydrographers conference held at Goa and Hyderabad in November 2022.
The members of the Colombo Security Conclave include India, Maldives, Mauritius, and Sri Lanka, while Bangladesh and Seychelles are the two observer nations.

Jul 03, 2023

ESA's Euclid Space Telescope Launched

The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully launched the Euclid space telescope. It was launched with the help of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. After reaching the orbit it sent a signal to mission control.
Euclid is a 1.2-meter-diameter telescope that will travel to L2, about 1 million miles away from Earth. The telescope will spend two months calibrating its instruments before commencing a six-year survey of one-third of the sky.
The Euclid mission's main goal is to investigate the dark side of the universe, focusing on dark matter and dark energy. For those who don't know, dark matter comprises 85 per cent of the universe's matter, however, it has never been directly observed, while dark energy is a mysterious force responsible for the universe's accelerating expansion.
Euclid aims to create a highly accurate 3D map of the universe by observing billions of galaxies up to 10 billion light-years away. It will reveal how dark energy has influenced the stretching and separation of matter over cosmic time.

Jul 01, 2023

Virgin Galactic Successfully Completes Its First Manned Mission to the Edge of Space

Virgin Galactic, the space venture established by British entrepreneur Richard Branson, achieved a significant milestone as it successfully completed its first manned mission to the edge of space. The inaugural commercial flight marked a momentous achievement for Virgin Galactic after two decades of dedicated efforts.
The mission featured two Italian Air Force personnel who were funded by the organisation. Colonel Walter Villadei, who is also slated for a future paid SpaceX mission to orbit, and Lieutenant Colonel Angelo Landolfi, a physician trained as a crew surgeon for Russian cosmonauts, were among the passengers.
Unlike its competitor Blue Origin, founded by Jeff Bezos, this particular mission had a research-oriented focus rather than catering to celebrities and affluent thrill-seekers.

Jun 26, 2023

IIT Kanpur Successfully Conducts Test Flight for Cloud Seeding

Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur successfully conducted a test flight for cloud seeding.
Cloud seeding involves the utilisation of various chemical agents such as silver iodide, dry ice, common salt, and other elements with the aim of enhancing the probability of rains.
The project was initiated a few years ago and is headed by the Computer Science and Engineering Department of IIT Kanpur.
The flight went up to an approximate height of 5,000 feet. It landed on the IIT Kanpur lab airstrip after successfully completing the test ride.
The experiment was conducted with due approval from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
A Cessna aircraft was flown from the flight laboratory of IIT Kanpur with cloud seeding attachments procured from a manufacturer in the US. The modifications in the aircraft were approved by the manufacturers of the aircraft and the DGCA.

Jun 24, 2023

India, US to Launch Joint Mission to Space in 2024

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of US and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) agreed to launch a joint mission to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2024.
India also decided to join the Artemis Accords, which brings like-minded countries together on civil space exploration. The Artemis Accords are a set of principles, guidelines and best practices applicable for the safe exploration of the Moon and ultimately expand space exploration to Mars and beyond. It is a part of the US government's Artemis program, an American-led effort to take humans to the Moon by 2025. When India signs the Artemis Accord, it will join the signatory list, which includes the UK, US, Italy, Japan, UAE, Luxembourg, France, Romania, New Zealand, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Singapore, Ukraine and South Korea.

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