Science & Technology Current Affairs (Set:- 2)

-: Science & Technology Current Affairs: -

Set:- 2

                     1. India using Robot to Fight Covid 19

Robot HCARD (Hospital Care Assistive Robotic Device) to assist frontline COVID19 healthcare warriors.

It has features like navigation, drawer activation for providing medicine & food to patients, sample collection & audio-visual connection.

It is developed by CMERI, (Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute.)

IIT Ropar design 'WardBot' that will deliver food, medicines to patients in isolation wards.

 2. Yuvika scheme

ISRO has started Yuvika schemes to impact basic knowledge on Space Technology.

Those who have just finished 9^th standard & waiting to join 10^th standard will be eligible for this programme.

During summer holidays & it is proposed to select 3 students each from each State/UT.

Students belonging to the rural area have been given special weightage in the selection criteria.

3. Geotail

The Sun emits the solar wind, which is a continuous stream of charged particles (like electron, protons, alpha particles etc.)

These particles are present in the upper atmosphere of the Sun, called the CORONA.

Since the Earth has a magnetic field, it obstructs this solar winds plasma.

This interaction results in the formation of a magnetic envelope around Earth called magnetosphere.

On the opposite side, the envelope is stretched into a long tail, which extends beyond the orbit of the moon, known as Geotail.

4. NASA`s InSight Mission

InSight {Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy & Heat Transport} is the first mission dedicated to looking deep beneath the Martian Surface.

It is part of the NASA`s Discovery Program.

It is embedded with seismometer for detecting quakes, sensors for gauging wind & air pressure, magnetometer & heat flow probe designed to take the planet`s temperature.

Mars doesn`t have tectonic plates like Earth, but it does have Volcanically active regions, one of which is Cerberus Fosssas, that can cause rumbles. 

 

5. Spektr-RG

It is a joint project b/w the Russia Space Agency, Roscosmos & the German Space agency, DLR.

Spektr-RG will be placed in a stable orbit in space called a Lagrange point (specifically, L2), where the gravitational forces of two large Object- in this case, the Sun of the Earth- balanced each other out.

This location will allow Spektr-RG to perform its observation while using a minimal amount of fuel.

The Spacecraft is expected to ‘detect 100,000 galaxy clusters, 3 million supermassive black holes, tens of thousands of star-forming galaxies, the presence of the plasma (super-heated gas) & many more types of object.

6. Dragon Fly Mission

NASA has planned a “Dragon Fly Mission” to the largest moon of Saturn (Titan).

Dragonfly was selected as part of the agency`s New Frontier Program.

Program also includes-

New Horizon Mission- Pluto & Kuiper Belt,

Juno Mission- Jupiter,

Osiris-Rex Mission- Asteroid Bennu.

Titan- It is the moon of the Saturn & the 2^nd largest moon of the Solar System.

Its atmosphere is mostly made of nitrogen like Earth`s.

Its surface is composed of water ice, frozen as hard as rock.

7. Srilanka first satellite designed & developed indigenously.

Raavana-1 was successfully launched into orbit from the International Space Station.

The Satellite was designed & developed by 2 Srilanka engineers-Tharindu Dayaratne & Dulani Chamika.

Raavana-1 was developed to the 400km of orbit at an inclination of 51.6 degree using the JAXA (Japanese Aerospace & Exploration Agency) owned Kibo experiment module.

It will have minimum lifespan of 1^1/₂ half years but was expected to active for up-to 5 years.

8. Hope Spacecraft built for the Mars mission

United Arab Emirates scheduled to launch in July 2020.

It will orbit the Mars & Studying the dynamics of the Martian atmosphere & its interaction with outer space & the Solar wind.

9. The maximum number of Moons has Saturn 

Saturn has 82 moon (20 new moon have been discovered, recently)

Jupiter has 79 moon

The moons were discovered using the Subaru Telescope on Mauna Kea (volcano), Hawaii.

17 new moon`s orbit the planet in opposite direction known as retrograde direction.

3 new moon`s orbit the same direction of Saturn known as Prograde direction.

10. Four armed robot, Chaser to clean up Earth`s Orbit in 2025

European Space Agency (ESA), is planning to launch.

Chaser is to developed by a Swiss Start-up Clear space under clear Space-1 mission.

Once launched into Space, it will grab the chosen piece of space trash, one at a time, using its robotic arms & fall back towards Earth in a controlled descent.

The target is a piece of junk called Vespa, around 800km above the Earth.