The Central Government has confirmed in a written reply to Lok Sabha about the presence of 1600 tonnes of lithium deposits in Mandya district of Karnataka. However, the significance and the quantity of the lithium in the region can only be confirmed after exploring the entire area. Further, commercial exploitation for the deposits can start only after the technical, social and economic feasibility studies are done.
Survey was done by the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD).
AMD is a constituent unit under the Department of Atomic Energy.
Japan Scientists Study Source of High Heat on Asteroid
Japanese space experts said they are examining soil samples brought back from a distant asteroid in an attempt to find the source of heat that altered the celestial body, in their search for clues to the origin of the solar system and life on Earth.
A preliminary examination of 5.4-gram soil, which the Hayabusa2 spacecraft brought in December, has already been done.
Feb 04, 2021
SatSure Plans Remote Sensing Satellite Fleet
SatSure is planning to launch a fleet of remote sensing microsatellites from 2022 to meet the growing need of high-resolution satellite imagery across aviation, banking, insurance and transportation sectors. The satellites will be powered by hybrid-propulsion systems of Bellatrix Aerospace, a startup incubated at the Indian Institute of Science.
SatSure will be the second Indian firm after Bengaluru-based Pixxel to look at its own earth observation satellite fleet. Pixxel's first satellite - Anand is expected to be launched on the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in early 2021.
Feb 03, 2021
Stardust 1.0, The First Rocket to Run On Biofuel
On January 31, 2021 Stardust 1.0 was launched from Loring Commerce Centre in Maine, US, a former military base, becoming the first commercial space launch powered by biofuel, which is non-toxic for the environment as opposed to traditionally used rocket fuels.
The launch marked another historic first for Maine since Stardust 1.0 has become the first commercial rocket launch for the state located in the northeastern US.
Feb 02, 2021
SpaceX to Launch World's First All-civilian Astronaut Mission this Year
SpaceX announced that it will launch four private individuals on a Crew Dragon capsule into orbit around the Earth, dubbed as the world's first all-civilian mission. It is scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter of 2021.
The company's spacecraft would be commanded by Jared Isaacman, the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, who is also a trained pilot. The mission, known as Inspiration4, seeks to raise support for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
The Inspiration4 crew will receive commercial astronaut training by SpaceX on the
Falcon 9 launch vehicle and Dragon spacecraft, orbital mechanics, operating in microgravity, zero gravity, and other forms of stress testing. They will go through emergency preparedness training, spacesuit and spacecraft ingress and egress exercises, as well as partial and full mission simulations.
This multi-day journey, orbiting Earth every 90 minutes along a customized flight path, will be carefully monitored at every step by the mission control.
Gaganyaan's First Unmanned Launch Slated for December 2021
The launch of the first unmanned mission of Gaganyaan is slated for December, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. The mission was originally scheduled for launch in December 2020 but had to be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Sitharaman said that as part of Gaganyaan, India's manned space mission, four Indian astronauts are being trained on generic space flight aspects in Russia.
The Rs. 10,000 crore Gaganyaan mission aims to send a three-member crew to space for a period of five to seven days by 2022 when India completes 75 years of independence.
The ISRO had started planning for the mission accordingly. The first unmanned mission was planned in December 2020, the second unmanned mission in June 2021.
Feb 01, 2021
Maine Company Successfully Launches Prototype Rocket
A Maine company that's developing a rocket to propel small satellites into space passed its first major test. Brunswick-based blueshift Aerospace launched a 20-foot (6-meter) prototype rocket, hitting an altitude of a little more than 4,000 feet (1,219 meters) in a first-run designed to test the rocket's propulsion and control systems.
It carried a science project by Falmouth High School students that will measure flight metrics such as barometric pressure, a special alloy that's being tested by a New Hampshire company - and a Dutch dessert called stroopwafel.
China's first Hualong One Nuclear Reactor Starts Commercial Operation
As per China National Nuclear Corp, the first of its Hualong One units, third-generation pressurised water nuclear reactors, began commercial operations.
The reactor in Fuqing in China's southeastern province of Fujian was first connected to the grid on Nov. 27 last year, following more than five years of construction work.
This marks that China has mastered independent third-generation nuclear power technology following the United States, France, Russia and others.
The Hualong One units, designed to have a 60-year lifespan, have an installed capacity of 1.161 million kilowatts each.
Construction of a second Hualong One unit at the Fuqing site is due to be completed this year.
+91-85588-96644
