General Awareness

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - December 2018

Dec 2018

Jun 28, 2022

Bengaluru's Digantara, Hyderabad Start-up Dhruva Become First to Get IN-SPACe Authorisation

The Indian Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) authorised two Indian private firms, marking the beginning of private space sector launches in the country.
Hyderabad's Dhruva Space Pvt Ltd and Bengaluru's Digantara research & technologies Pvt Ltd were authorised by IN-SPACe to launch their payloads.
Dhruva Space's Dhruva Space Satellite Orbital Deployer – (DSOD 1U), a technology demonstration payload, and Digantara's ROBust Integrating Proton Fluence Meter (ROBI), a Proton dosimeter payload, were authorised, an IN-SPACe statement.
The payloads would fly onboard PSLV Orbital Experimental Module (POEM) of PSLV-C53 scheduled to be launched on June 30.
"The first two launch authorisations issued by IN-SPACe is an important milestone and marks the beginning of private space sector launches in India.

NASA Delays Launch of CAPSTONE Mission to Moon

US space agency NASA delayed the scheduled launch of the CAPSTONE mission to the Moon over systems checks.
The Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment (CAPSTONE) is a microwave oven-sized CubeSat weighing just 55 pounds. It will serve as the first spacecraft to test a unique, elliptical lunar orbit.
CAPSTONE will fly in cislunar space - the orbital space near and around the Moon. The mission will demonstrate an innovative spacecraft-to-spacecraft navigation solution at the Moon from a near rectilinear halo orbit slated for Artemis' Gateway.
Once released from Rocket Lab's Photon satellite bus, CAPSTONE will use its propulsion system to travel for approximately three months before entering into orbit around the Moon.
After arrival at the Moon, CAPSTONE will begin its 6-month-long primary mission.

Jun 27, 2022

NASA Asteroid Mission on Hold

NASA put an asteroid mission on hold, blaming the late delivery of its own navigation software.
The Psyche mission to a strange metal asteroid of the same name was supposed to launch in September or October 2022. But the agency's Jet Propulsion Lab was several months late delivering its software for navigation, guidance and control—a crucial part of any spacecraft. Engineers "just ran out of time" to test it.
According to NASA planetary sciences chief Lori Glaze, now the space agency is going to step back, and an independent review will look at what went wrong, when the spacecraft could launch again and even if it should go ahead.

China Launches Three New Yagon-35 Remote Sensing Satellites

Three new remote sensing satellites were successfully launched by China from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in the Sichuan Province in southwest China. The satellites were launched by a Long March-2D carrier rocket as part of the Yaogan-35 family and successfully entered the intended orbit.
The satellites will primarily be utilised for scientific research, land resource assessments, agricultural production estimation, and disaster prevention and mitigation. The Long March series carrier rockets' 424th mission was this one.
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation's Long March carrier rocket family, which accounts for around 96.4%.

Jun 26, 2022

Scientists Discover the Largest Bacteria Ever Seen

In a Caribbean mangrove forest, scientists have discovered a species of bacteria that grows to the size and shape of a human eyelash.
These cells are the largest bacteria ever observed, thousands of times bigger than more familiar bacteria such as Escherichia coli.
Scientists once thought bacteria were too simple to produce big cells. But Thiomargarita magnifica turns out to be remarkably complex. With most of the bacterial world yet to be explored, it is entirely possible that even bigger, even more complex bacteria are waiting to be discovered.

Jun 25, 2022

Union Minister Unveiled Seismology Observatory in Udhampur

Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister for Jammu and Kashmir, officially opened the Seismology Observatory in the Dandayal neighbourhood of the Udhampur district. The Ministry of Earth Sciences spent Rs. 20 lakh to establish the third such Center in J&K.
The observatory will compile a comprehensive seismic record of Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, and many more districts.
According to Dr. Jitendra Singh, the central government plans to open 152 earthquake observatories over the next four months, including three more in the Kashmir division.
100 additional seismological centres of this type will emerge nationwide over the next five years to enhance real-time data collection and monitoring.
India is getting closer to being a key player in the development and knowledge of seismology. The J&K, particularly South and North Kashmir, are in the seismic zone and have such observatories set up.

Jun 24, 2022

TCS to Launch Chip-based Passports by End of 2022

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is expected to begin the rollout of chip-based e-passports in India by the end of 2022. The company is working with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to set up a new control centre and a new data centre for the same. Once the setup is complete, the company will begin rolling out e-passports in the country.
As per reports, under the second phase of the passport implementation phase, the company will setup new Passport Seva Kendra (PSK) and revamp the existing PSKs with refreshed infrastructure to ensure a more convenient and faster turn-around-time. It will also improve citizens' experience with solutions such as chatbots, biometrics and auto-responses as a passport application is processed. In addition to this, PSKs across the country will also be upgraded in terms of infrastructure in the second phase of the project.

Share on

TCY Analytics (View Subscription Plans)

Subscribe to GK Updates

I want to receive

GK Tags

July GK, June GK, May GK, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, ENVIRONMENT, BUSINESS AND ECONOMY, SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, SPORTS, NATIONAL AFFAIRS, DEFENCE, PERSONS IN NEWS, DAYS AND EVENTS, AWARDS AND HONOURS, GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND SCHEMES, GENDER/ HEALTH/ EDUCATION, ART AND CULTURE, BOOKS AND AUTHORS, TOURISM AND HOTEL INDUSTRY AWARENESS, ART AND CULTURE, LAW AND CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Start Discussion

On any topic

Take Tests

Compiled from GK updates

Login

Sign Up

Forgot Password

Download TCY App

Unlock All Services And Enjoy The Premium Benefits

US$ 10

US$ 13

US$ 15

US$ 17

US$ 19

US$ 20

US$ 21

US$ 22

US$ 23

US$ 24

US$ 25

US$ 26