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.
Jun 23, 2022
South Korea: Launches First Domestically Built Space Rocket
South Korea launched its first domestically built space rocket in the country's second attempt, months after its earlier liftoff failed to place a payload into orbit.
A successful launch would boost South Korea's growing space ambitions but also prove it has key technologies to build a space-based surveillance system and bigger missiles amid animosities with rival North Korea.
The three-stage Nuri rocket carrying what officials called a functioning "performance verification" satellite blasted from South Korea's only space launch centre on a small island off its southern coast.
In the first attempt in October 2021, the rocket's dummy payload reached its desired altitude of 700 km (435 miles) but didn't enter orbit because the engine of the rocket's third stage burned out earlier than planned.
Jun 22, 2022
Indian Communication Satellite Launched by Arianespace
European space agency Arianespace put orbit two communication satellites belonging to India and Malaysia in geostationary orbit.
The two satellites weighing cumulatively 10,863 kg were flown by Ariane 5 rocket from the spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
GSAT-24 built by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is a 24-Ku band communication satellite weighing 4,180 kg with pan India coverage for meeting the direct-to-home (DTH) application needs.
The Indian government owned enterprise NewSpace India Ltd (NSIL) has leased the entire satellite capacity to Tata Play.
Jun 21, 2022
SpaceX Launches 3 Rockets in 36 Hours
SpaceX completed a hat-trick of spaceflight missions in less than two full days, amid reports of employee dissent within the company.
The latest launch took place, when a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket was launched from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, taking a communications satellite developed by Globalstar into orbit.
The busy launch schedule will continue in the coming months, and SpaceX hopes to send its fully reusable Starship rocket into orbit later this summer.