General Awareness

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - January 2019

Jan 2019

Nov 29, 2020

Researchers Creates Hydrogen-Producing Living Droplets

Scientists have built tiny droplet-based microbial factories that produce hydrogen, instead of oxygen, when exposed to daylight in air.
Normally, algal cells fix carbon dioxide and produce oxygen by photosynthesis. The study used sugary droplets packed with living algal cells to generate hydrogen, rather than oxygen, by photosynthesis.
Hydrogen is potentially a climate-neutral fuel, offering many possible uses as a future energy source. A major drawback is that making hydrogen involves using a lot of energy, so green alternatives are being sought and this discovery could provide an important step forward.
The team trapped around 10,000 algal cells in each droplet, which were then crammed together by osmotic compression. By burying the cells deep inside the droplets, oxygen levels fell to a level that switched on special enzymes called hydrogenases that hijacked the normal photosynthetic pathway to produce hydrogen. In this way, around a quarter of a million microbial factories, typically only one-tenth of a millimetre in size, could be prepared in one millilitre of water.

Nov 27, 2020

Ladakh Gets Largest Solar Project at Leh

The Union Territory of Ladakh has got the largest solar power project setup under the Centre's ''Make In India'' initiative at Leh IAF station to provide sustainable energy alternative to fossil fuel and traditional methods of energy generation.
The project namely ''Provision of Solar Photo Voltaic Power Plant 1.5 MW'' has been completed within 12 months well before the completion deadline of March 31, 2021.
It is the largest installed solar project till date out of the target of 300 MW in three phases for defence sectors and 14 MW for Leh region as set by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.

Nov 26, 2020

NASA 'Megarocket' Assembly Begins in Florida

NASA has started assembling the first Space Launch System (SLS) rocket on a launch platform ahead of its maiden flight next year.
The SLS is the giant rocket that will send US astronauts back to the moon this decade — with the first crewed landing targeted for 2024.
Engineers in Florida have begun stacking the segments that make up the vehicle's two solid rocket boosters.
The rocket is scheduled to make its debut in November 2021.
The SLS consists of a giant, 65 m (212ft) — long core stage with four engines that's flanked by the twin solid fuel boosters.
Together, these produce a massive 8.8 million pounds (39.1 Meganewtons) of thrust that can loft astronauts into orbit; the rocket subsequently hurls them towards the moon.

Nov 25, 2020

Centre Bans 43 Chinese Mobile Apps

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology banned 43 Chinese mobile apps that were reportedly engaged in activities prejudicial to India's sovereignty and integrity.
The order was issued under the section 69A of the Information Technology Act.
This action was taken based on the inputs regarding these apps for engaging in activities which are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defence of India, the security of the state and public order.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has issued the order for blocking the access of these apps by users in India based on the comprehensive reports received from Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Center, Ministry of Home Affairs.

Nov 24, 2020

China Successfully Launches its First Spacecraft to Moon to Collect Samples

China successfully launched its first unmanned space mission to collect samples from the moon's surface and return to earth, the country's maiden attempt to retrieve materials from an extra-terrestrial body.
China has successfully launched the Chang'e-5 lunar probe from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern province of Hainan. The spacecraft was launched by a Long March-5 rocket.
Chang'e-5 is one of the most complicated and challenging missions in China's aerospace history, as well as the world's first moon-sample mission in more than 40 years.
China chose a complicated technological approach including unmanned rendezvous and docking in lunar orbit, which could bring back more samples and lay a technological foundation for manned lunar missions.

ISRO's Venus Mission Attracts International Payload Proposals

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has short-listed 20 space-based experiment proposals, including from France, for its proposed Venus orbiter mission 'Shukrayaan' to study the planet for more than four years.
These include collaborative contributions from Russia, France, Sweden and Germany.
ISRO was earlier eyeing June 2023 for the country's first mission to Venus.
But now ISRO is currently reviewing this mission timeline due to delays arising from the pandemic situation.
Future launch opportunity is either in 2024 or 2026.

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