Daily Current Capsules
25th October 2022

Geophysical phenomena
Cyclone Sitrang 

 

What's the NEWS

 

• At least five people were killed in Bangladesh as Cyclone Sitrang slammed into densely-populated, low-lying areas of the nation Thailand named Sitrang, which is pronounced Si-Trang in the Thai language.

 

 

Know! about the process of naming of cyclones

 

• There are five regional bodies for monitoring and predicting tropical cyclones over its respective region.
• The Regional Specialised Meteorological Centre (RSMC), Tropical Cyclones, New Delhi, gives a tropical cyclone formed over Indian Ocean an identification name from a given list.
• A latest list of tropical cyclone names was adopted by the World Meteorological Organisation/United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (WMO/ESCAP) panel countries in April 2020 for naming of tropical cyclones over north Indian Ocean, including Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea.
• The 13 panel countries - Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen - have submitted a list of 13 names each.
• India's Meteorological Department issued a list of 169 likely tropical storm names in 2020 after negotiations with 13 World Meteorological Organization member nations. Each country was given the opportunity to submit 13 names.
• According to Indian Meteorological Department sources, the name of a tropical cyclone from south China Sea that crosses Thailand and emerges into the Bay of Bengal as a tropical cyclone will not be changed. Similarly, the names of tropical cyclones will not be repeated here.

 

Space Awareness
ISRO's heaviest rocket places 36 satellites in orbit

What's the NEWS

 

• PM Narendra Modi congratulated NewSpace India Limited, IN-SPACe and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for the successful launch of heaviest rocket LVM3 with 36 OneWeb satellites into orbit.

 

Know! about the Vehicle LVM3-M2

 

• The LVM3-M2 mission is a dedicated commercial mission for a foreign customer OneWeb, through NSIL.
• The vehicle carried the heaviest payload with 36 satellites of OneWeb, becoming the first Indian rocket with a payload of 5,796 kg.
• The launch is also the first for LVM3-M2 to place the satellites in the Low Earth Orbit (LEO-up to 1,200 km above the Earth) unlike Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO).
• ISRO scientists had renamed the launch vehicle as LVM3-M2 from GSLV-Mk III as the newest rocket is capable of launching 4,000 kilograms class of satellites into GTO and 8,000 kg of payloads into LEO.
• The LVM3-M2 mission would give a fillip to the space agency with the new launch vehicle set to place satellites into the low earth orbit, along with ISRO's trusted workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

 

Know! about Launch Vehicle Mark 3 (LVM3)

 

• The rocket is a three-stage launch vehicle consisting of two solid propellants S200 strap-ons on its sides and a core stage comprising the L110 liquid stage and C25 cryogenic stage
• It is ISRO's newest medium-heavy lift launch vehicle, the heaviest rocket currently in use by the space agency.
• Formerly called the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III), the rocket is designed to mainly launch satellites into geostationary orbit at 35,000km.
• The LVM3 is capable of lifting much heavier satellites than the GSLV Mk II with a bigger cryogenic upper stage and a larger first stage.
• Both GSLV Mk II and LVM3 are three-stage vehicles, while the PSLV, which launches to low earth polar orbits, is a four-stage vehicle.
• The GSLV Mk-II can place up to 2,500kg in geosynchronous orbits and up to 5,000kg to low earth orbit.
• By comparison, the LVM3 can lift 4,000kg to GTO and up to 8,000 kg to LEO.
• The LVM3 also has the human-rated variant which will be used for Gaganyaan missions.

 

Know! about OneWeb's mission

 

• OneWeb Ltd is the UK-based customer of NSIL, ISRO's commercial arm, and a global communication network powered from space, enabling internet connectivity for governments and businesses.
• Bharti Enterprises is one of the major investors in OneWeb.
• With this, the total number constellation in OneWeb is 462 satellites.
• There are only four launches left, after which OneWeb will activate its global coverage by 2023
• OneWeb is implementing a constellation of 648 satellites in the Low Earth Orbit.

 

Associated Terminologies

NewSpace India Limited (NSIL)

 

• It is a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU) of Government of India and commercial arm of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
• It was established on 6 March 2019 under the administrative control of Department of Space (DoS) and the Company Act 2013.
• The main objective of NSIL is to scale up private sector participation in Indian space programmes.

 

Objectives

• Transfer of Small Satellite technology to industry
• Manufacture of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) in collaboration with private sector
• Production of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) through Indian industry
• Production and marketing of Space based products and services, including launch and application
• Transfer of technology developed by ISRO Centres and constituent units of DoS
• Marketing of spin-off technologies and products/services, both in India and abroad

 

Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe)

 

• IN-SPACe, is the second space organisation which has been set up by the Union Government within two years, i.e., 2019 and 2020.
• In 2019, the Union Government approved the formation of New Space India Limited (NSIL).
• IN-SPACe is an autonomous nodal agency, approved by the Union Government and will be governed by the Department of Space.
• This organisation shall act as a medium between ISRO and the private space sector in India.
• Under the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre, the private parties will be allowed to perform space activities and use the equipment and facilities of the Department of Space (DoS) for launch manifest.
• This will be the first time that the infrastructure and property under the control of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will be used by the private sector.

 

Types of Orbits

 

 

 

Factoids
Bhoota Kola

What's the NEWS

 

• The recent Kannada movie Kantara opens up a controversy relates to the origins of Bhoota Kola, an annual ritual performance where local spirits or deities are worshipped.

 

Know! about the ritual

 

• Bhoota Kola is an annual ritual performance where local spirits or deities are worshipped.
• It is believed that a person performing the ritual has temporarily become a god himself.
• This performer is both feared and respected in the community and is believed to give answers to people's problems, on behalf of the god.
• There are several ‘Bhootas' who are worshipped in the Tulu-speaking belt of Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi districts of Karnataka.
• It is usually performed in small local communities and rural areas.

 

Defence
Agni Prime

What's the NEWS

 

• The Agni Prime new generation ballistic missile was successfully test fired off the coast of Odisha.

 

Know! about Agni Prime

 

• The 'Agni Prime' is a two-stage canisterised solid-propellant missile with dual redundant navigation and guidance system.
• The nuclear-capable missile has been designed and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• The surface-to-surface ballistic missile has a range of 1000 to 2000 km.
• The Agni Prime missile, the smallest and lightest among the entire Agni series of ballistic missiles.
• It weighs 50 per cent less than the Agni 3 missile and has new guidance and propulsion systems.
• In addition, since it is canisterised, it can be launched from rail or road, be stored for longer periods and can be transported as per operational requirements.

 

List of Agni missiles:

 

• Agni-I - Short to medium-range ballistic missile/ Range: 700-800 Km
• Agni-II- Medium-range ballistic missile equipped with two solid fuel stages/ Range: 2000 Km
• Agni-III - Intermediate-range ballistic missile equipped with two solid fuel stages/Range: 3000 Km
• Agni-IV - Intermediate-range ballistic missile equipped with two solid fuel stages./ Range: 4000 Km
• Agni-V - Intercontinental range ballistic missile with three solid fuel stages/Range: 5000 Km

 

Know! about Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme

 

• Ministry of Defence programme for the research and development of the comprehensive range of missiles.
• The programme was managed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Ordnance Factories Board
• The project started in 1982-83 under the leadership of Abdul Kalam
• Completed in 2008 after these strategic missiles were successfully developed.

 

IGMDP consist four missiles projects:

 

• Short range surface-to-surface missile (Prithvi)
• Short range low-level surface-to-air missile (Trishul)
• Medium range surface-to-air missile (Akash) and
• Third-generation anti-tank missile (Nag).

 

Indian Surface-to-Surface missile system

• Agni missile
• Prithvi missile
• Shaurya missile
• Surya missile

 

KEEP Learning KEEP Evolving
TEAM CL