GPS, which stands for Global Positioning System, is a satellite-based navigation system. It is a network of satellites and receiving devices that allows users to determine their precise location (in latitude, longitude, and altitude) and obtain accurate time information anywhere on Earth. The original […]
Context: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced that India is set to launch its first X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) onboard the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) scheduled to be launched in December 2023. X-Ray Polarimeter Satellite: Payloads: Polarisation of light: Polarimetry: Why X-rays? […]
Auroras: What makes this happen? Do other planets get auroras?
What are Gamma-ray Bursts? Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs) are extremely energetic explosions that produce intense flashes of gamma rays lasting from a few seconds to several minutes. Based on their duration, there are two kinds – Short GRBs that last 2 seconds or less and […]
Context: The European Space Agency (ESA) has unveiled the first images captured by the Euclid space telescope designed to unlock the secrets of dark matter and dark energy. The primary objective of the telescope is to create the largest cosmic 3D map of the […]
Context: The European Space Agency (ESA) has unveiled the first images captured by the Euclid space telescope. Euclid Space Telescope Objective: Dark Energy Dark Matter
Context: Researchers discovered a remote blast of cosmic radio waves that lasted less than a millisecond in June 2022. This “fast radio burst” is the most distant ever detected and its source is in a galaxy that took eight billion years to reach Earth. […]
Context: A global team of scientists led by the University of Oxford have announced the source of the largest-ever seismic event recorded on Mars. Major Highlights about Marsquake Mars vs Earth:
Context: China plans to expand its space station to six modules from three in coming years, offering astronauts from other nations an alternative platform for near-Earth missions as the NASA-led International Space Station nears the end of its lifespan. Tiangong Space Station (TSS) International […]
Context: The OSIRIS-REX mission has ended with the return of regolith (space sample) from the primordial asteroid Bennu. OSIRIS-REx Mission: Asteroid Bennu: Why was Bennu chosen? Significance: Key Fact:
Context: An earthquake is caused when tectonic plates shift. But quakes themselves aren’t restricted to the earth. For example, small tremors have also been detected on the moon. About moonquakes Causes and types of moonquakes: The first three kinds of moonquakes mentioned above tend […]
Context: The Small Nuclear Reactors and Small Satelite Vehicles have increased the presence of private sector in these sectors, which may lead to cost efficient, environmentally sustainable and competitive future technologies. Nuclear Fusion and Energy Nuclear fission is a reaction where the nucleus of […]
Context: Researchers studying the findings of the Solar Orbiter Aircraft, a joint mission by the European Space Agency and the U.S. space agency NASA, recently announced that they have detected picoflare jets from the sun’s outer atmosphere. About Picoflare jets: Significance of Picoflare jets:
Context: India must contribute towards drawing up an international space resource management framework that balances competing objectives in pursuit of the use of outer space for peaceful purposes. What is outer space? What are the related agreements and conventions? What are the associated issues […]
Context: ISRO’s Aditya L1 mission was successfully launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre on 2 September 2023. About Aditya L1: Objectives: Payloads: Significance of the mission: Lagrange points:
Context: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced that Pragyan, the rover of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, has confirmed the presence of Sulphur on the moon’s surface, near its South pole. Major Highlights: Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy instrument (LIBS): Key Fact: Source: The Hindu
Context: The Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 made it one of the closest approaches of a lunar mission to the moon’s South Pole. However, like most of the lunar-landing missions before, Vikram too landed on the near side of the moon. What are the moon’s […]
Context: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has a packed schedule after Chandrayaan-3 as it is working on various missions. Upcoming missions of ISRO: i. Sun’s Photosphere ii. Chromosphere and iii. Corona Significance:
Context: India’s ISRO is launching Chandrayaan-3 mission to moon. However, along with ISRO other space faring nations are also planning mission towards moon. This article explores the reasons behind the same. Moon Recent missions planned or executed for Moon Reasons behind increased focus on […]
Context: Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) plans to launch the Chandrayaan-3 mission, India’s third lunar mission, to the moon on July 14. Chandrayaan-3: Objectives: Soft-landing on Moon: Several advanced technologies in Chandrayaan-3: Significance of Chandrayaan-3: Why moon’s South Pole? Further, South Pole is located […]