December 2020 Science and Technology

• Jupiter and Saturn meet in closest ‘great conjunction’ since 1623
  On December 21, 2020 the world is to witness a rare celestial event, the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter.
  
  The next time, the two giants will come this close only on March 15, 2080. The last time these planets came this close was on July 16, 1623. Earlier to this, it occurred in 1226. As this conjunction occurs after 400 years, it is called as ‘Great Conjunction’.
  
  The planets are to come so close to each other that they will appear as one bright dot. However, the distance between them will be 735 million kilometres. The event is to be visible from all over the world. It can be seen with naked eye without any special instruments. This can be witnessed in the southwestern part of the sky.
  
  The planets are on a race track in revolving the sun. Jupiter takes twelve years to revolve around the sun and Saturn takes 29 years. Therefore, the faster planet overtakes the slower.
  
  
• A massive cyber attack in the US, using a novel set of tools
  The ‘SolarWinds hack’, a cyberattack discovered in the United States, has emerged as one of the biggest ever targeted against the US government. It is likely a global cyber attack.
  
  It was first discovered by US cybersecurity company FireEye.
  
  The US Treasury, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Commerce, parts of the Pentagon are all believed to have been impacted.
  
  Security Adviser for President Donald Trump has named Russia for the attack.
  
  On December 13 FireEye said a cyberattack, which it named Campaign UNC2452, was not limited to the company but had targeted various “public and private organizations around the world”.
  
  The extent of data stolen or compromised is still unknown, given the scale of the attack is still being discovered.
  
  According to FireEye, the hackers gained “access to victims via trojanized updates to SolarWinds’ Orion IT monitoring and management software”.
  
  Basically, a software update was exploited to install the ‘Sunburst’ malware into Orion, which was then installed by more than 17,000 customers.
  
  FireEye says the attackers relied on “multiple techniques” to avoid being detected and “obscure their activity”.
  
  The malware was capable of accessing the system files.
  
  
• Indian government mulls E20 ethanol mixed petrol to curb vehicle emissions
  The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has published a draft notification seeking comments from the public for adoption of E20 fuel as an automotive fuel and for the adoption of mass emission standards for this fuel.
  
  The notification facilitates the development of E20 compliant vehicles.
  
  E20 fuel is blend of 20% of ethanol with gasoline.
  
  It will also help in reducing emissions of carbon dioxide, hydrocarbons, etc.
  
  It will help reduce the oil import bill, thereby saving foreign exchange and boosting energy security.
  
  The compatibility of the vehicle to the percentage of ethanol in the blend of ethanol and gasoline shall be defined by the vehicle manufacturer and the same shall be displayed on the vehicle by putting a clearly visible sticker.
  
  
• Three important DRDO developed systems to Army, Navy and Air Force
  The Union Defence minister recently handed over three indigenously developed Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) systems to Army, Navy and Air Force.
  
  The Minister handed over the Indian Maritime Situational Awareness System (IMSAS) to the Chief of Naval Staff , ASTRA Mk-I Missile to Air Chief Marshal and Border Surveillance System (BOSS) to the Chief of Army Staff.
  
  BOSS is an all-weather electronic surveillance system.
  
  The system facilitates monitoring and surveillance by automatically detecting the intrusions in harsh high-altitude sub-zero temperature areas with remote operation capability.
  
  The IMSAS is high performance intelligent software system that provides Global Maritime Situational Picture, Marine planning tools and Analytical capabilities to Indian Navy.
  
  The ASTRA Mk-I is the indigenously developed first Beyond Visual Range (BVR) Missile, which can be launched from Sukhoi-30, Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Mig-29 and Mig-29K.
  
  
• India successfully test-fires Army version of medium-range surface-to-air missile
  India successfully test-fired a medium-range surface-to-air missile (MRSAM) on 23 December from Odisha coast. Indian Army will induct the missile. It will significantly enhance the combat effectiveness of the defence forces.
  
  The missile was fired from a ground mobile launcher at launch pad number-1 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR).
  
  The missile hit the target with accuracy and was monitored by various radars and electro-optico instruments.
  
  The missile was jointly developed the missile in collaboration with Israel Aerospace Industries.
  
  Banshee, an unmanned air vehicle (UAV), was first flown into the air, which was hit by the MRSAM. The MRSAM was manufactured by Bharat Dynamics Ltd.
  
  
• NITI Aayog launches DigiBoxx, India’s answer to Dropbox and Google Drive
  DigiBoxx, a Made-in-India digital asset management and storage platform has launched in India. This cloud storage and file sharing service was announced by Niti Aayog.
  
  The platform is the first of its kind ‘Make in India, Store in India’ digital asset management SaaS product that is in line with the country’s national security and data localisation priorities.
  
  The launch of DigiBoxx comes just a few weeks after Google announced that it won’t be offering unlimited free photo uploads starting June 1, 2021.
  
  The company is offering free 20GB cloud storage and 100GB space per month to those who pay just Rs 30.
  
  DigiBoxx has different prices and benefits for a free user, an individual/freelancer, small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and enterprises.
  
  All plans support unlimited external collaborators, meaning people who don’t have DigiBoxx accounts can also access the files sent to them.
  
  The plans offer features such as integration with Gmail, real-time multi-user file collaboration, advanced real-time collaboration, web document previews and automated account backups.
  
  The free plan includes 20GB cloud storage space and supports files, which of a maximum size of 2GB each. This includes Gmail integration and unlimited external collaborations.
  
  The company claims that the service supports smart tags and users will be able to find any file within seconds.
  
  One can share any document, photo or videos from the platform without downloading them again on their device.
  
  The service allows users to pull back any file that they might have sent to a wrong person.
  
  There is also a feature called InstaShare, which lets users share large files. If a user delete the data, the service won’t remove it for 60 days, which means they will have time to restore them.
  
  DigiBoxx is currently available for Android users only.
  
  DigiBoxx claims that the service has connection encryption and all the files stored on its platform are encrypted at a database level. The company confirmed that all the data is being stored in the country. The service claims to offer support for SSL file encryption.
  
  
• A Scientists group won Innovate 4 SDG
  A group of scientists from the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi (IIT Delhi) won an innovation competition (Innovate 4 SDG) organized by the India Accelerator Laboratory of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which is their innovative "plant-based simulation egg".
  
  The Indian Development Program Accelerator Laboratory is dedicated to solving some of the most pressing issues facing India through innovation, such as air pollution, sustainable water management and customers' recoverable livelihoods.
  
  The team won first place and won an innovation award of $5,000.
  
  It is developed from a very simple farm-based crop protein, which not only looks and tastes like eggs, but also has nutrients very similar to poultry eggs.
  
  The development of simulated eggs meets the protein needs of diet-specific, health-conscious, vegetarians, and vegetarians.
  
  The team has also developed analogs that use fruits and vegetables to extract chicken and fish meat from plants.
  
  Plant-based texture foods have been developed, similar to eggs, fish, and chicken, aimed at solving people’s long-standing struggles for malnutrition and clean protein foods.
  
  
• China’s Chang’e 5 lunar mission returned with 2Kg of the fresh rock samples from the moon
  China's Chang 'e 5 lunar mission returned to Earth, carrying about 2 kilograms of fresh rock samples extracted from the moon for the first time in 44 years.
  
  The spacecraft Chang 'e 5 landed at Siziwang Banner in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in northern China.
  
  The probe, named after the ancient Chinese goddess of the moon, took off for the first time from the Wenchang spacecraft launch site in Hainan on November 24.
  
  Two of the four modules of Chang'e 5 landed on the moon on December 1, and drilled 2 meters from the surface and drilled into the lunar crust, thus collecting about 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of samples.
  
  The sample is placed in a sealed container, which is transported back to the return module by the ascent cart.
  
  The retrieved Chang'e 5 re-entry capsule will be airlifted to Beijing, where the capsule will be opened and ready for sample analysis.
  
  In this way, China became the third country to collect lunar samples after the United States and the Soviet Union.
  
  This is also the first batch of samples collected by any country after Russia in 1976.
  
  The samples were taken from regions of the moon that have not been visited before.
  
  The latest sample comes from a part of the moon called Oceanus Procellarum or Stormy Ocean, located near a site called "Mons Rumker", which is believed to have been a volcano in ancient times.
  
  Mons Rumker is geologically younger than the sampling areas of the US and Soviet missions and has never sampled before.
  
  
• NASA’s latest sonification of Crab Nebula image impresses netizens
  The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently shared a sonification video of crab Nebula.The video shows Nebula being transformed into music based on its different colours.
  
  The blue shades were translated into bass and white shades into to wood winds. Nebula is an interstellar cloud of hydrogen, dust, Helium and ionized gases.
  
  Data sonification is the use of sound to represent data. It is the auditory version of data visualisations. The project helps the users to hear several astronomical phenomena such as birth of a star, black hole, birth of a cloud or dust.
  
  According to NASA, the Crab Nebula is a result of a supernova and was discovered back in 1054 A.D. It is situated in the constellation of Taurus, over 6,500 light-years away from Earth.
  
  
• Hubble Space Telescope Discovers Clues to ‘Planet Nine’ From a Distant Exoplanet
  A strange exoplanet, orbiting a double-star 336 light years away, has caught the interest of astronomers.
  
  The oddball behaviour of the planet, HD106906 b, provides clues about our own mysterious Planet Nine-if it exists.
  
  Planet Nine is an elusive, distant planet in our own Solar System.
  
  Although it has not been found yet, it has been predicted by a series of studies over the last few years, and has been described by astronomers as “hiding in plain sight”.
  
  If it exists, Planet Nine is 10 times as massive as Earth.
  
  Both planets (assuming Planet Nine is real) reside far out in their respective stellar systems. Both orbit their respective stars at an extreme tilt. And both are massive enough to influence the behaviour of other objects in their respective regions.
  
  The authors of a recent research paper investigated how HD106906 b could have reached such a distance from its star, and raised the question whether something similar happened with Planet Nine.
  
  
• Virgin Galactic Stock Drops After Test Flight Fails to Reach Space
  The test flight of the SpaceShip Two Unity was aborted by the Virgin Galactic. This was because the Virgin Galactic Space Ship Two Unity spacecraft that was released from the mother ship lost connection.
  
  This was detected by the computers as the fail-safe scenario and the rocket did not continue. It was a crewed mission without passengers and the pilots landed back safely. The space ship was designed for space tourism.
  
  It is SpaceShip two class suborbital rocket powered crewed space plane. It is being used as a part of the Virgin Galactic fleet. It was designed for suborbital space flights.
  
  The launch of space tourism by the company in the spacecraft was cancelled mainly due to October Crash.
  
  Virgin Galactic is a commercial spaceline established in 2004 as a part of the UK billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin group of companies. This company had launched the first manned test of its paceShipTwo spaceflight system from New Mexico in the United States.
  
  The objective of this company is “democratising space” by developing and operating space vehicles for individuals and researchers. It aims to initiate space tourism flights from 2021. It currently has more than 600 customers.
  
  The company was founded by Richard Branson.
  
  
• Divers Discover a Legendary Nazi Enigma Machine in The Baltic Sea
  German divers who recently fished an Enigma encryption machine out of the Baltic Sea, used by the Nazis to send coded messages during World War II.
  
  The divers discovered the machine while searching the seabed with sonar devices for abandoned fishing nets that might harm the sea life.
  
  Enigma is an encryption device that was used by the German Nazis during the 2nd World War to encode secret messages.
  
  It was recently discovered by divers in the Baltic Sea.
  
  The machine was invented by Arthur Scherbius near the end of the 1st World War.
  
  The use of these machines made it very hard for the Allied Forces to intercept and decode the German’s coded messages.
  
  Near the end of the 2nd World War, the Germans destroyed most of these machines to prevent the Allied powers from accessing them.
  
  In 1932, the Polish cryptanalysts decoded the Enigma cipher that was written with earlier version of Enigma.
  
  They built electro-mechanical machines to search for solutions. The Polish decodings were the base for the English mathematicians to develop the “Bombe” machine.
  
  The Bombe machine used known parts of the message as starting point to break the code created by Enigma.
  
  
• GRSE-built Stealth frigate ‘Himgiri’ launched
  Himgiri, stealth frigate has been launched into the water.
  
  It is the first of the three stealth frigates being built by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.
  
  It is being built under Project 17A for the Navy.
  
  P17A ships will be the most advanced state-of-the-art guided missile frigates once inducted.
  
  P17A ships have been indigenously designed by Directorate of Naval Design (Surface Ship Design Group) – DND (SSG), and are being built at indigenous yards namely Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and GRSE.
  
  Fincantieri of Italy is the know-how provider for technology upgrade and capability enhancement in this project.
  
  In Goa, the fifth and last of the offshore patrol vessels (OPV) in the series Saksham being built at Goa Shipyard was launched into water.
  
  It is expected to be delivered to the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) by October 2021.
  
  ‘Saksham’ is a part of the indigenous project launched by the Prime Minister in November 2016.
  
  OPVs will be used for protection of the Exclusive Economic Zone of territorial water of the Nation.
  
  
• Indian Coast Guard (ICG) commissions interceptor boat in Surat
  The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) commissioned an indigenously built interceptor boat at Hazira in Surat district of Gujarat.
  
  This Interceptor boat is built indigenously by M/s L&T Jetty, Hazira.
  
  This Interceptor Boat will operate from Gujarat under administrative and operational control of the Commander Coast Guard Region (NW).
  
  The interceptor boat will ensure maritime security of Gujarat’s 1,600-km coastline.
  
  There are a total of 16 interceptor boats with the ICG in Gujarat.
  
  Vessel is fitted with latest state-of-the-art navigation and communication equipment designed for high-speed interception, close coast patrol, low intensity maritime operations, Search and Rescue and maritime surveillance.
  
  This Interceptor boat is capable of a high speed of 45 knots (or 85km per hour) having capability to operate in shallow waters.
  
  The alloy used in this ship is 2.5 times lighter, as a result of which the speed increases with short time and it can run deep into the sea.
  
  Its capacity is it can run 24 hours without outsider logistic support.
  
  The boat has two riffles and single pistol, 12.7 mm heavy machine gun (Prahari) on board as main armament.
  
  This boat (over 27 metres long) is made for interdiction (chase and catch) and for search and rescue.
  
  The ship is equipped with two twin diesel engines, twin water jet propulsion and has the endurance of 500 nautical miles at 25 knots of speed.
  
  Commissioning of this boat is a part of Indian Coast Guard to strengthen coastal security of Gujarat maritime borders.
  
  It will augment patrolling and prevent illicit activities such as infiltration, smuggling and illegal fishing activities along the international maritime borders.
  
  
• Rare, Deadly 'Black Fungus' Stalking Covid-19 Patients
  Doctors witnessed increased cases of Covid-19 triggered Mucormycosis. The low immunity of Covid-19 patients makes them more susceptible to this fungal infection. Mucormycosis, also known as black fungus or zygomycosis, is a serious but rare fungal infection caused by a group of molds called mucormycosis.
  
  It occurs by inhaling, inoculation or ingesting spores from the environment. Mucormycosis will not spread from person to person or from person to animal. It usually occurs in people who have health problems or take medicines that will reduce the lower body's ability to fight germs and sickness.
  
  General symptoms are single face swelling and numbness, headache, nasal or sinus congestion, black lesions in the bridge of the nose or upper part of the mouth, fever, abdominal pain, nausea, and gastrointestinal bleeding.
  
  Treatment with prescription antifungals is required to prevent mucormycosis and other mold infections. Usually, mucormycosis requires surgery to remove the infected tissue.
  
  
• PM meets space industry leaders; Spaceport in Tuticorin, fund for startups on agenda
  The Prime Minister of India interacted with key industries, start-ups and academia in the space sector through video conferences to encourage them to participate in space activities.
  
  The PM expressed the hope that the country will become a manufacturing hub for aerospace assets as soon as possible when interacting with the leaders of the space industry.
  
  PM outlined his vision to ensure that the benefits of the space program reach the poorest.
  
  Just as Indian talents have been able to gain a global reputation in the IT field, the Prime Minister also hopes that even the aerospace field can do this in the near future.
  
  Make a historic decision to open up the space sector and involve the Indian private sector in the entire space activities.
  
  With the establishment of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe), these reforms will provide a level playing field for private companies and start-ups.
  
  These proposals involve a wide range of activities, including satellite constellations, small satellite launch vehicles, ground stations, geospatial services, propulsion systems and application products.
  
  The decision to unleash India’s potential in the space sector heralds a new era of public-private cooperation in this area.
  
  Private investment in this field will lead to the creation of high-tech jobs, which will provide a large number of opportunities for the talent pool of IIT/NIT and other technical institutions.
  
  This move demonstrates faith and belief in the capabilities of the private sector in the space sector and it will promote more innovation.
  
  
• Health ministry's telemedicine service eSanjeevani records 1 million teleconsultations
  The eSanjeevani telemedicine service of the Ministry of Health has exceeded 1 million teleconsultations.
  
  The launch of eSanjeevani in India is said to be the first digital transformation of a developing country to provide health services nationwide.
  
  During the COVID-19 pandemic, eSanjeevani not only achieved a huge digital transformation in the provision of health services, but also promoted the country's digital health ecosystem.
  
  Telemedicine needs to use the Internet to provide medical services from a distance. It can not only expand the coverage of medical services, but also improve the quality of medical services while saving time and money.
  
  "eSanjeevani" is a comprehensive web-based telemedicine solution.
  
  "eSanjeevani" extends the reach of specialized healthcare services to people in rural areas and remote communities.
  
  Quality and accessibility have always been the core agenda of the programme.
  
  eSanjeevani also aims to make healthcare services fair by bridging the digital divide between urban and rural areas, between the rich and the poor.
  
  eSanjeevani can also be used to provide medical education for interns, people across various Common Service Centers (CSCs), etc.
  
  The eSanjeevani initiative of the Ministry of Health provides services in two streams in 28 states and Union territories.
  
  
• ISRO launches new communication satellite CMS-01 successfully -- GK > sci & tech
  The Indian Space Research Organisation, has successfully launched the country’s new communication satellite CMS-01 in the intended orbit in space.
  
  The workhorse rocket PSLV-C50 carrying the satellite lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
  
  The satellite was injected into the geo-syncronous transfer orbit.
  
  More maneuvers are coming in the next few days to raise the satellite's orbit slightly and to move it into its correct position in geosynchronous orbit, so that it is above India.
  
  Once the satellite is ready, it will provide C-band communications for the Indian mainland and the Andaman-Nicobar and Lakshadweep islands for at least seven years.
  
  CMS-01 will replace and enhance the services of GSAT-12, which was launched in 2011 with an expected mission life of eight years.
  
  
• The UN removes cannabis from a list of the most dangerous substances
  The United Nations passed a resolution to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from the category of 'most dangerous substances'.
  
  India votes in favour to remove cannabis from 'most dangerous drugs' list in UN.
  
  Total 27 member states, including India, the US and EU countries, supported the vote, while 25 nations including China, Pakistan and Russia voted "no".
  
  The UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs approved a recommendation from the World Health Organization to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from its Schedule IV classification under the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. That designation put cannabis and one of its derivatives in a category alongside heroin and other opioids.
  
  Substances classified as Schedule IV are a subset of Schedule I drugs. That means not only are they considered to be "highly addictive and highly liable for abuse," they're also labeled as "particularly harmful and of extremely limited medical or therapeutic value."
  
  
• Puerto Rico’s giant Arecibo telescope collapsed
  The National Science Foundation of the US-owned the Arecibo telescope.
  
  The 305m telescope’s instrument platform in Puerto Rico’s Arecibo Observatory has fallen.
  
  Arecibo was first constructed in 1963. The telescope is the second-largest single-dish telescope in the entire world.
  
  Arecibo contributed to planets and asteroids observation for several years.
  
  In 1967, Arecibo helped find out that the planet Mercury rotates in 59 days. Earlier it was thought that the planet Mercury rotates in 88 days.
  
  Through the Arecibo telescope, giant asteroids approaching the earth were observed. The telescope became a hub for searching for extraterrestrial life.
  
  Scientists Russell Hulse and Joseph Taylor were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1993 for their work on the Arecibo telescope observatory.
  
  The telescope featured in James Bond film ‘GoldenEye’ and ‘Contact’.
  
  
• Japan’s Hayabusa-2 capsule returns to Earth with pristine asteroid samples
  Six years after the launch of Japan's "Hayabusa2" mission, it will return to Earth. It will carry samples from the Ryugu asteroid orbiting the sun.
  
  The Mission Hayabasu2 was launched in December 2014.
  
  The spacecraft was sent on a six-year voyage to study the asteroid Dragon Palace and collect samples.
  
  NASA's OSIRIS-REX mission also brought back samples from the asteroid Bennu in late October 2020.
  
  According to the Japan Aeronautics and Space Administration (JAXA), this is the first time a probe has visited a celestial body with a diameter of less than 100 meters.
  
  Ryuguis is classified as a potentially dangerous asteroid (PHA). It was discovered in 1999.
  
  It was named by the Minor Planet Center in 2015 and is 300 million kilometers away from Earth. Hayabusa2 took 42 months to reach the goal.
  
  The predecessor of Hayabasu2, the Hayabusa mission brought back samples from the Asteroid Itokawa in 2010.
  
  
• Jupiter, Saturn to come close to each other on December 21 after 397 years
  In a rare celestial event, Jupiter and Saturn will be very close to each other (conjunction) on December 21, 2020, looking like a bright star. If two celestial bodies are visually close to the earth, they are called conjunctions.
  
  Great Conjunction: Astronomers use the term "Great Conjunction" to describe the meeting of the two largest worlds in the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn. It happens approximately every 20 years.
  
  From the perspective of the Earth, this combination is the result of the alignment of the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn.
  
  Jupiter orbits the sun about once every 12 years, and Saturn orbits about once every 29 years.
  
  The combined time will be December 21, 2020, which is the date of the summer solstice each year.
  
  In terms of distance, this will be the closest alignment between Saturn and Jupiter since 1623. The next time the planet will be so close is 2080.
  
  They may seem close, but they are more than 400 million miles apart.
  
  
• China turns on nuclear-powered 'artificial sun' for first time
  China has successfully powered its "artificial sun" nuclear fusion reactor for the first time, marking a huge improvement in the country's nuclear power research capabilities. Nuclear reactors are expected to provide clean energy.
  
  The HL-2M Tokamak reactor is largest and most advanced nuclear fusion experimental research equipment in China. Scientists hope that this equipment can potentially release powerful clean energy.
  
  The HL-2M tokamak device is used to replicate the natural nuclear fusion process of the sun.
  
  The reactor uses a powerful magnetic field to fuse thermal plasma, which can reach a temperature of over 150 million degrees Celsius, which is about ten times the temperature of the core of the sun.
  
  The reactor is located in Sichuan Province and is often called the "artificial sun" because of the large amount of heat and power it generates.
  
  
• Union cabinet clears DoT proposal to set up public Wi-Fi networks
  The Cabinet approved the proposal of the Department of Telecommunications for setting up of public Wi-Fi networks by Public Data Office Aggregators (PDOAs) to provide public Wi-Fi service through Public Data Offices (PDOs) across the country.
  
  This public Wi-Fi access network interface will be known as PM-WANI and there will be no licence fee for providing broadband Internet through these public Wi-Fi networks.
  
  Public data centres will be opened across the country. There will be no licence, fee or registration for it.
  
  The proliferation of public Wi-Fi will not only create employment but also enhance disposable incomes in the hands of small and medium entrepreneurs and boost the GDP (gross domestic product) of the country.
  
  Public Data Office (PDO) will establish, maintain, and operate only WANI compliant Wi-Fi access points and deliver broadband services to subscribers, Public Data Office Aggregator (PDOA) will be an aggregator of PDOs and perform the functions relating to authorisation and accounting.
  
  PM-WANI will be operated by different players in different regions.
  
  The private app providers are likely to develop apps to register users and discover WANI compliant Wi-Fi hotspots in the nearby area and display the same within the app for accessing the internet service and the Central Registry will maintain the details of app providers, PDOAs, and PDOs.
  
  Initially the Central Registry will be maintained by C-DoT.
  
  
• IIT-Guwahati Researchers Develop Technology to Harvest Water from Air
  The research team from IIT-Guwahati has used the concept of chemically patterned SLIPS for the first time, to effectively harvest water from moist air.
  
  Such water-harvesting techniques use the concept of hydrophobicity or water-repelling nature of some materials.
  
  The concept of hydrophobicity can be understood by looking at the lotus leaf.
  
  The Researchers have used the action of the insect-eating pitcher plant whose slippery surface makes insects landing on it to fall into itself to be digested.
  
  They used ‘Slippery liquid-infused porous surface’ (SLIPS) to effectively harvest water from foggy air.
  
  The SLIPS are capable of harvesting water from air without the use of an external cooling arrangement.
  
  Conventionally, the Atmospheric water generator (AWG) that extracts water from humid ambient air, uses condensation, exposing to desiccants or pressurizing water.
  
  A patterned hydrophilic SLIP was produced by spraying a sponge-like porous polymeric material on top of a simple A4 printer paper.
  
  Further, chemically modulated hydrophilic spots were associated on the coating, prior to lubricating with two distinct types of oils.
  
  This surface could harvest water from foggy/water vapour laden air without the need for any cooling arrangement.
  
  
• Israel plans 2024 moonshot after first unmanned lander crashed
  Israel will try another unmanned lunar landing in early 2024 after its first attempt ended last year with the spacecraft crashing on the moon’s surface.
  
  The new project, named “Beresheet 2”, will involve launching two landing craft and an orbiter that would circle the moon for years, conducting experiments and collecting data on behalf of school students.
  
  Israel in early 2019 launched “Beresheet” - Hebrew for “Genesis” and the opening words, “In the beginning”, of the biblical book - from Cape Canaveral.
  
  But the dishwasher-sized robotic spacecraft crashed during the final approach, with engineers blaming technical failure.
  
  Beresheet 2 would "redefine the limits of what's possible and establish Israel as an innovation powerhouse."
  
  Beresheet 2 will be comprised of three adjacent spacecrafts.
  
  Only Russia, the United States and China have made the 384,000-kilometre journey and landed safely on the Moon.
  
  Beresheet 2 will cost around $100 million raised from international partnerships and donors, and will involve state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Israeli non-profit space venture SpaceIL.
  
  
• BSNL in partnership with Skylo to introduce worlds' first, satellite-based narrowband-IoT network in India
  BSNL in partnership with Skylotech India to introduce world's first, satellite-based NB-IoT (Narrow Band-Internet of Things) in India.
  
  With this solution, India will now have access to a ubiquitous fabric of connectivity for millions of yet unconnected machines, sensors and industrial IoT devices.
  
  Skylo, will connect with BSNLs satellite- ground infrastructure and provide PAN-India coverage, including Indian seas.
  
  The coverage will be so vast that it will not leave any dark patch within the boundary of India, from Kashmir and Ladakh to Kanyakumari, and from Gujarat to the North East, including the Indian seas.
  
  The solution is in line with BSNL’s vision to leverage technology to provide affordable and innovative telecom services and products across customers segments.
  
  Skylo would also help provide critical data for the logistics sector to enable effective distribution of Covid-19 vaccine in 2021.
  
  This new technology supports the Department of Telecom and NITI Aayog’s plan of bringing indigenous IoT connectivity to India’s core sectors.
  
  Skylo is currently being integrated and tested on trucks, commercial vehicles, railways, and fishing vessels in India.
  
  Manufactured under the “Make in India” initiative, Skylo has leveraged cellular-grade hardware to communicate over satellite, resulting in highly affordable, easy to install rugged hub devices, and an immersive dashboard to be able to access information from remote locations on mobile devices or desktops.
  
  Skylo leverages existing satellites to bring reliable connectivity without the need to add new infrastructure in space.
  
  
• DRDO successfully demonstrates quantum communication between two labs
  The Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully demonstrated the communication between its two laboratories using Quantum Key Distribution (N) technology. The Defense Research and Development Laboratory - DRDL and the Imarat Research Center (RCI) are the two laboratories participating in this demonstration.
  
  In QKD technology, the encryption key is sent in the form of qubits in the fiber optic cable.
  
  Quantum computing uses qubits as basic resources, similar to how bits are used as basic resources in classical computing.
  
  QKD is designed in such a way that if an illegal entity attempts to read the transmission,it will interfere with the qubits encoded on the photon, and cause transmission errors, causing legitimate end users to be notified immediately.
  
  DRDO's ongoing work will be used to support start-ups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the field of quantum information technology.
  
  It will also be used to define standards and encryption strategies that can utilize the QKD system in the framework of the Unified Password Policy Committee (CPC), thereby providing more secure and practical key management for current and future military cryptographic systems.
  
  
• Nokia starts production of next-gen 5G equipment at Chennai factory
  Nokia announced that it has begun the production of next generation 5G equipment at its manufacturing site in Chennai.
  
  Nokia was the first to manufacture the 5G New Radio in India, and it is now producing the cutting-edge Nokia AirScale massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (mMIMO) solution.
  
  The equipment is already being exported to many countries which are in advanced stages of 5G deployment.
  
  The factory was the first to deploy India’s first ‘real-world’ application of Industry 4.0, including AR/VR, automation and analytics, to enhance operational efficiency and productivity.
  
  Nokia is manufacturing mMIMO based 5G products with the latest 64-Transmit/64-Receive (64T64R) configuration.
  
  Massive MIMO is a key element of 5G technology that delivers high capacity, especially in densely populated locations.
  
  It brings together antennas at the transmitter and receiver to ensure improved speed and spectrum efficiency.
  
  5G RAN technology is significantly more efficient than legacy technologies when it comes to energy consumption per data traffic capacity with several hardware and software features that help to save energy.
  
  Nokia’s AirScale portfolio, including AirScale base stations and AirScale massive MIMO active antenna solutions, combined actual on-site base station energy consumption readings in different traffic load scenarios, ranging from zero percent to 100%, as well as remote monitoring of actual power consumption through the network management systems.
  
  
• China's Chang'e-5 probe to execute soft landing on the moon
  China'sChang'e-5 lunar mission recently became the first probe in 40 years to try to bring back lunar samples from an unexplored portion of the Moon. The spacecraft will return to Earth around December 15, 2020
  
  Chang’e-5 probe is the lunar sample return mission of China National Space Administration (CNSA).
  
  Goal is to Land on the Mons Rumke area of the moon, where it will operate for one lunar day, which is two weeks long and possibly return 2 kg of lunar rock samples by digging about 2 meters deep on the surface of the moon.
  
  The mission includes a lunar orbiter, a lander and an ascent probe, which will bring lunar samples back to orbit and return to Earth.
  
  The probe is named after the Chinese goddess of the moon, which is traditionally a white rabbit or a jade rabbit.
  
  In early 2019, China's Chang'e-4 probe successfully transmitted images from the other side of the moon (also known as the dark side).
  
  This is the first probe to land on the moon.
  
  
• Dry swab RT-PCR COVID-19 test gets ICMR nod
  The CSIR-CCMB dry swab direct RT-PCR method for coronavirus detection has been approved by the Indian Council of Medical and Research (ICMR).
  
  CSIR’s laboratory, Hyderabad Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) has developed a simple and rapid dry swab direct RT-PCR method to expand the detection of SARS-CoV-2 and has passed ICMR’s Independent verification.
  
  This method is a simple variant of the existing standard RT-PCR method and can easily scale up the test by 2 to 3 times without investing new resources.
  
  After evaluating the method and finding an overall agreement of 96.9%, ICMR issued a recommendation to use the CSIR-CCMB dry swab method, considering its low cost and short turnaround time.
  
  CSIR-CCMB dry swab method involves collecting and transporting the nasal swab in a dry state (as opposed to using the virus transport medium-VTM), which makes the transport and handling of the sample easy and not easy to spill and spread infection.
  
  In addition, the step of isolating RNA from the sample is omitted, only simple processing of the sample is involved, and then direct RT-PCR is performed using the kit recommended by ICMR.
  
  Omitting RNA isolation steps has a huge advantage over traditional methods, because RNA isolation is the main bottleneck in terms of time, cost and well-trained manpower.
  
  In this case, more samples can be tested using the same resources and no additional cost, and can be easily zoomed in at least 2-3 times immediately.
  
  
• Government Launches Mission COVID Suraksha to accelerate Indian COVID-19 Vaccine Development
  The Central Government has launched ‘Mission COVID Suraksha’ in order to facilitate the development of approximately 5-6 COVID-19 vaccine candidates. According to the Department of Biotechnology, it will also ensure that the vaccine candidates are brought closure to introduction and licensure in the market.
  
  The DBT further informed that the mission focuses on the COVID-19 vaccine development with end-to-end focus from the preclinical stage through clinical development as well as manufacturing and regulatory facilitation.
  
  Earlier in November 2020, the government had announced the third stimulus package worth Rs. 900 crores for ‘Mission COVID Suraksha- the Indian COVID-19 Vaccine Development Mission’. The grant under the package will be provided to the Department of Biotechnology for the research and development of vaccines.
  
  The mission will help in accelerating the development of the COVID-19 vaccine. It will also introduce them in the market for the consideration of regulation authorities for introduction in public health systems to control the further spread of infection.
  
  The DBT had earlier announced the programmes for vaccine development as well as other COVID-related solutions, but this mission will be dedicated purely to vaccine development.
  
  A total of 10 vaccine candidates have been supported by the Department of Biotechnology so far in both industry and academia.
  
  The mission’s aim will also be to establish clinical trial sites. It will also strengthen the central laboratories, existing immunoassay laboratories, and suitable facilities for production studies, animal studies, and other test facilities for supporting vaccine development.
  
  Under the mission, cell line development, capabilities for process development, manufacturing of Good Manufacturing Practices, clinical trials, and batches for animal toxicology will also be supported.
  
  The key portion will be the development of a suitable target product profile so that the vaccines that are being introduced through mission have characteristics that are applicable to India.
  
  
• Indian Navy successfully test-fires naval version of BrahMos missile
  The Indian Navy successfully tested a naval version of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile in the Bay of Bengal.
  
  BrahMos Missile is a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by Russia's DRDO and NPOM. It is a Brahmos aerospace joint venture and later became Brahmos Aerospace Private Limited.
  
  With its impeccable anti-ship and ground attack capabilities, as well as multi-role and multi-platform capabilities, the missile has become the main force multiplier on modern complex battlefields and has been deployed in all 3 wings of the armed forces of India.
  
  The first launch of BrahMos was carried out in 2001. So far, various ships, mobile automatic launchers and Su-30 MKI aircraft have been launched multiple times, which makes it a general weapon.
  
  
• HAL delivers cryogenic propellant tank to ISRO
  The public sector aerospace manufacturing company, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), provided the largest cryogenic propellant storage tank C32-LH2 to the Indian Space Research Organization.
  
  C32-LH2 tank is a developmental low-temperature propellant tank of aluminium alloy.
  
  It aims to increase the payload capacity of ISRO's GSLV MK-III launch vehicle. The tank can hold 5755 kg of propellant fuel.
  
  Cryogenic fuels are fuels that need to be stored at extremely low temperatures to keep them liquid.
  
  These fuels are used in machinery operating in space, because very low temperatures are often encountered in space, and because of the lack of an environment that supports combustion, ordinary fuels cannot be used in them.
  
  Cryogenic fuel usually constitutes liquefied gas including liquid hydrogen.
  
  
• Theremin musical instrument has turned hundred years old
  The Theremin musical instrument has turned hundred years old in 2020. It is considered as the world’s first electronic instrument.
  
  It generates sound by modulation of electromagnetic waves and this is done without the player having to even touch the instrument. It has a vertical antenna for controlling the tone and a looped antenna for controlling the volume.
  
  When radio waves were still a new phenomenon in technology, a scientist noted that the apparatus made strange sounds if he moved his hands around it.
  
  Lev Sergeyevich Termen- who later became famous by the name Leon Theremin- was also a classical musician, trained in the cello, and the strange observations piqued his interest.
  
  He 'played' with the sounds for a while and concluded that he had created a new musical equipment, one that was played without touching.
  
  It was the world's first electronic instrument, called the Theremin.
  
  The Theremin has a vertical antenna and a looped antenna, and players modulate the electromagnetic fields by moving their hands and fingers around there in space.
  
  If you move around the vertical antenna, you could increase or decrease the tone. The looped antenna controls the volume.
  
  
• IIT Kanpur Researchers develop ‘Damaru’ Inspired Lattice
  IIT Kanpur has demonstrated how with the use of a micro-structured hour-glass shaped Meta structure in the lattice unit, one can get a wider variation of propagation and stop bands.
  
  Inspiration of the lattice they developed has come from a two-headed drum called ‘Dambaru’ or ‘Damaru’ which is used in ancient Hinduism and Tibetan Buddhism.
  
  The hour-glasses are developed in the Smart Materials Laboratory of IIT Kanpur using additive manufacturing.
  
  Lattice based meta-structures have shown tremendous application in electro-magnetic and sonic wave absorption which could in principle create ‘invisibility’ of an object either in optical or in acoustic domain.
  
  Existing lattice and crystal based phononic materials have however, practical limitations in terms of customizability and hence, they can be generally used in a narrow band of frequency.
  
  IIT Kanpur researchers have shown the nature of stiffness of a vibrating medium could be altered drastically by controlling the lattice micro-structure from regular honeycomb to auxtetic honeycomb structure.
  
  This has wide applications in the field of vibration isolation in high speed trains, stealth submarines and helicopter rotors.
  
  Researchers also showed that for dynamic systems, we can control the propagation and band-gaps very effectively which can usher in the development of new ultrasonic devices with capacity of sub-wave length imaging empowering the medical practitioners and the health management industry.
  
  This work is sponsored by a SPARC project of MHRD.
  
  The work is published in the scientific report on 1st December, 2020 with the title “Exploring the dynamics of hourglass shaped lattice Metastructures”.
  
  
• PASSEX conducted by Indian Navy and Russian Navy
  The Indian Navy (IN) is undertaking a Passage Exercise (PASSEX) with Russian Federation Navy (RuFN) in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region (IOR) from 4 to 5 December 2020. The exercise involves participation of RuFN guided missile cruiser Varyag, large anti-submarine ship Admiral Panteleyev and medium ocean tanker Pechenga. IN is being represented by indigenously constructed guided missile frigate Shivalik and anti-submarine corvette Kadmatta long with integral helicopters.
  
  The exercise is aimed at enhancing interoperability, improving understanding and imbibing best practices between both the friendly navies, and would involve advanced surface and anti-submarine warfare exercises, weapon firings, seamanship exercises and helicopter operations.
  
  PASSEXs are conducted regularly by IN with units of friendly foreign navies, whilst visiting each other’s ports or during a rendezvous at sea. This exercise, being conducted in the Eastern Indian Ocean Region, reflects the strong long-term strategic relationship between the two countries and particularly, defence cooperation in the maritime domain.
  
  This exercise is being conducted on the occasion of ‘Navy Day’ of the IN on 4th December, which emphasizes the strong bonds of friendship shared between the two friendly militaries. This PASSEX would be another step towards strengthening Indo-Russian defence relations. The two navies have built a robust relationship through regular exercises such as INDRA Navy conducted biennially, with the last edition held in the Northern Indian Ocean Region from 4 to 5 September 2020.

Published date : 16 Dec 2020 06:15PM