China launches “Tianhe” module for its space station
Context: China launched an unmanned module containing what will become living quarters for three crew on a permanent space station that it plans to complete by the end of 2022. Relevance: GS-III: Science and Technology (Space technology, Developments in Science and Technology), Prelims Dimensions of the Article: About China’s Tiangong Space Station About Tianhe About […]
China to hold talks on building asteroid defence system
Context: China will hold discussion on building a defence system against near-earth asteroids – China is stepping up efforts towards realizing its longer term space ambitions. China has made space exploration a top priority in recent years, aiming to establish a programme operating thousands of space flights a year and carrying tens of thousands of […]
Russia plans its own space station in 2025
Context: As tensions simmer between Russia and a number of Western countries on the ground, the head of the Russian space agency has announced work has begun on a space station of its own. Russia recently celebrated its proud history in space, marking the 60th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin becoming the first human to go […]
‘Britcoin’ not bitcoin
Context: The British finance minister told the Bank of England (BoE) [Similar to RBI in India] to look at the case for a new “Britcoin”, or central bank-backed digital currency, aimed at tackling some of the challenges posed by cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. Relevance: GS-III: Science and Technology (Developments in Science and Technology, Application of […]
Copyright war: Oracle vs. Google case
Context: Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favour of Alphabet Inc.’s Google in a case where it was accused by Oracle of violating the country’s copyright law. Relevance: GS-III: Science and Technology (Intellectual Property Rights), GS-II: International Relations (Foreign policies and developments affecting India’s Interests) Dimensions of the Article: The story so far More […]
ARIES facility to host the support centre for Aditya-L1
Context: The Indian programme to study the Sun and the region between the Sun and the Earth from space – Aditya-L1 – is due to be launched in 2022. Relevance: Prelims, GS-III: Science and Technology (Space technology, Developments in Science and Technology) Dimensions of the Article: About Aditya-L1 What is Lagrange Point 1? Role of […]
NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR)
Context: NASA and ISRO are collaborating on developing an SUV-sized satellite called NISAR, which will detect movements of the planet’s surface as small as 0.4 inches over areas about 100 sq. meters. The satellite will be launched in 2022 from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh) into a near-polar orbit. Relevance: Prelims, […]
HOW EPIGENETICS ALTERS INHERITED GENETICS’ MESSAGE?
Focus: GS-III Science and Technology Why in news? An exciting research paper on reprogramming to recover youthful epigenetic information and restore vision According to the paper a proposed cause of ageing is the accumulation of “epigenetic noise” that disrupts gene expression patterns lending to changes in inherent DNA function. The paper suggests that if one […]
PLASMODIUM OVALE MALARIA
Focus: GS-III Science and Technology Why in news? Plasmodium ovale – a very uncommon type of malaria, has been identified in a soldier in Kerala – who was posted in Sudan where Plasmodium ovale is endemic. Types of malaria Malaria is caused by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito, if the mosquito itself is […]
ELURU MYSTERY ILLNESS
Focus: GS-III Science and Technology Why in news? At least 550 people have fallen sick in Eluru town of Andhra Pradesh had fallen sick following an undiagnosed illness. Officials of the other teams which collected from the patients in Eluru found the presence of nickel and lead elements in the blood samples. More investigations should […]