• Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka and

Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh

MASTER
CONTROL • Monitors and controls all the Geostationary /
FACILITY Geosynchronous satellites of ISRO, namely, INSAT, GSAT,
Kalpana and IRNSS series of satellites.
Indian Deep Space
Network (IDSN)
• The Indian Deep Space Network (IDSN),
commissioned during the year 2008, at Byalalu
village near Bengaluru, forms the Ground
segment for providing deep space support for
India’s Space Science Missions like Lunar
mission-Chandrayaan-1, Mars Orbiter Mission
(MOM) etc.,
Vikram Sarabhai
Space Centre
• VSSC pioneers in rocket research
and launch vehicle projects of ISRO

• The ongoing programmes at VSSC

include launch vehicle projects like
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV),
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle (GSLV), Rohini Sounding
Rockets and Space-capsule Recovery
Experiments.
 Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle
(PSLV)
Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is the third generation launch vehicle of India.
It is the first Indian launch vehicle to be equipped with liquid stages.

After its first successful launch in October 1994, PSLV emerged as a reliable and versatile
workhorse launch vehicle of India. The vehicle has launched numerous Indian and foreign
customer satellites.

Besides, the vehicle successfully launched two spacecraft "Chandrayaan-1 in 2008 and
Mars Orbiter Spacecraft in 2013"that later travelled to Moon and Mars respectively.
PSLV earned its title 'the workhorse of ISRO' through consistently delivering
various satellites into low earth orbits, particularly the IRS Series of satellites

Due to its unmatched reliability, PSLV has also been used to launch various
satellites into Geosynchronous and Geostationary orbits, like satellites from the
IRNSS Constellation

The PSLV is capable of placing multiple payloads into orbit, thus multi-payload
adaptors are used in the payload fairing.
Strap-on Motors
PSLV uses 6 solid rocket strap-on motors to
augment the thrust provided by the first stage.
However, strap-ons are not used in the core
alone version (PSLV-CA).
Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene

Unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine

Monomethylhydrazine
• delivering various satellites to Low Earth Orbits,
• It can take up to 1,750 kg of payload to Sun-Synchronous Polar
Orbits of 600 km altitude.
• Due to its unmatched reliability, PSLV has also been used to
launch various satellites into Geosynchronous and
Geostationary orbits
• GEOSYNCHRONOUS SATELLITE LAUNCH VEHICLE
Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark II (GSLV Mk II) is the
launch vehicle developed by India, to launch communication satellites

This operational fourth generation launch vehicle is a three stage

vehicle with four liquid strap-ons
The GSLV uses 4 liquid strap-on motors. The strap-ons are
The strap-ons are powered by one Vikas engine each
one Vikas engine each

One Vikas engine is used in the second stage of GSLV. The

stage was derived from the PS2 of PSLV where the Vikas
engine has proved its reliability

Developed under the Cryogenic Upper Stage Project (CUSP),

the CE-7.5 is India's first cryogenic engine, developed by the
Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre
• GSLV MkIII is configured as a three stage vehicle with two solid strap-
on motors (S200), one liquid core stage (L110) and a high thrust
cryogenic upper stage (C25).
Reusable Launch Vehicle

fully reusable launch vehicle to

enable low cost access to space
What are RLV’s?
Reusable Launch Vehicle – Technology
Demonstrator (RLV-TD)
 • Space Capsule Recovery Experiment (SRE) was a
Space Capsule remarkable achievement in which ISRO successfully
demonstrated the nation’s capability in bringing an
Recovery orbiting capsule safely back on Earth and recovering it.
Experiment SRE-1 weighing 555 kg, was launched on January 10, 2007,
onboard PSLV-C7
Air Breathing Propulsion

• Launch vehicles use combustion of propellants

consisting of oxidiser and fuel for deriving the energy. Air
breathing propulsion systems use atmospheric oxygen,
which is available up to about 50 km of earth’s surface
Q) Discuss the Contribution of Indian Space Programme for Socio-
Economic Development of the country?
 Important initiatives pursued by ISRO towards societal development
include :
Tele-education,
Tele-medicine,
Village Resource Centre (VRC)
Disaster Management System (DMS) Programmes.
The potential of the space technology for applications of national
development is enormous.
Transponder
• In a communications satellite, a satellite transponder receives signals
over a range of uplink frequencies, usually from a satellite ground
station.

• The transponder amplifies them and re-transmits them on a different

set of downlink frequencies to receivers on Earth, often without
changing the content of the received signal or signals.
Satellite frequency bands
L-band (1–2 GHz)
• Used by Global Positioning System (GPS) carriers and satellite mobile
phone communication devices.
S-band (2–4 GHz)
• Used by weather radar, surface ship radar, and some communications
satellites.
C band (4–8 GHz)
Used for satellite communications, for full-time satellite TV networks.
Because of the low frequencies, C band waves have longer
wavelengths.
Because of bigger wavelengths, a bigger dish is required to receive such
frequencieS
X-band (8–12 GHz)
• Primarily used by the military. Sub-bands are used in civil, military
and government institutions for weather monitoring, air traffic control,
maritime vessel traffic control, defence tracking and vehicle speed
detection for law enforcement.

Ku-band (12–18 GHz)

Used for satellite communications, most notably the downlink used by
DTH television.
Ka-band (26–40 GHz) Used for communications satellites with high-
resolution, close-range targeting radars on military aircraft.
Satellite navigation
IRNSS will provide two types of services, namely

1. Standard Positioning Service (SPS) which is provided to all the users

2. 2. Restricted Service (RS), which is an encrypted service provided

only to the authorised users
The IRNSS System is expected to provide a position accuracy of better
than 20 m in the primary service area.
Q) Discus about the working of GPS. Highlight
various applications of this technology.
GPS Aided Geo Augmented Navigation
(GAGAN)
• GAGAN is a Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) for the
Indian Airspace.

• ISRO and Airports Authority of India (AAI) have implemented the

GAGAN project.

• GAGAN is operational through GSAT-8, GSAT-10 satellites & GSAT-15

satellites.
• GAGAN though primarily meant for aviation, will provide benefits
beyond aviation to many other segments such as intelligent
transportation, maritime, railways, etc.
• GAGAN footprint extends from Africa to Australia.
Sounding Rockets

• Sounding rockets are one or two stage solid propellant rockets

used for probing the upper atmospheric regions and for space
research

• The launch of the first sounding rocket from Thumba near

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala on 21 November 1963, marked
the beginning of the Indian Space Programme .
• In 1975, all sounding rocket activities were consolidated under the
Rohini Sounding Rocket (RSR) Programme

• The sounding rocket programme was the bedrock on which the

edifice of launch vehicle technology in ISRO could be built.
Chandrayaan-1

• Chandrayaan-1, India's first mission to Moon, was launched

successfully on October 22, 2008 from SDSC SHAR,
Sriharikota, PSLV - C11

• The spacecraft was orbiting around the Moon at a height of 100

km from the lunar surface for chemical, mineralogical and
photo-geologic mapping of the Moon.
Reasons for renewed interest
Economic
Helium-3 (an isotope of the element helium) is abundant on the
Moon, but rare on Earth. It is a potential fuel for nuclear fusion.

Base for future space exploration: It is the best place to test how life
reacts to harsh conditions of space.
To study Earth: Moon and Earth share a common past, studying it will
reveal how earth’s early past.
The spacecraft carried 11 scientific instruments built in India,
USA, UK, Germany, Sweden and Bulgaria.

After the successful completion of all the major mission

objectives, the orbit has been raised to 200 km during May 2009.

The satellite made more than 3400 orbits around the moon and
the mission was concluded when the communication with the
spacecraft was lost on August 29, 2009.
Scientific Payloads from India

a) Terrain Mapping Camera (TMC)

b) Hyper Spectral Imager (HySI)
c) Lunar Laser Ranging Instrument (LLRI)
d) High Energy X - ray Spectrometer (HEX)
e) Moon Impact Probe(MIP)
Scientific Payloads from abroad

f) Chandrayaan-I X-ray Spectrometer (CIXS)

g) Near Infrared Spectrometer (SIR - 2)
h) Sub keV Atom Reflecting Analyzer (SARA)
i) Miniature Synthetic Aperature Radar (Mini SAR)
j) Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3)
k) Radiation Dose Monitor (RADOM)
On 14 November 2008, the Moon Impact Probe separated from
the Chandrayaan orbiter and struck the south pole in a controlled
manner, making India the fourth country to place its flag insignia
on the Moon

The polar regions are of special interest as they might contain

water ice
Among its many achievements was the discovery of widespread
presence of water molecules in lunar soil

Chandrayaan-1 operated for 312 days as opposed to the

intended two years, however the mission achieved most of its
scientific objectives including detecting presence of water on the
moon
The Chandrayaan-1 payload has enabled scientists to study the
interaction between the solar wind and a planetary body like the
Moon without a magnetic field
Chandrayaan-1
• Detected water in vapour form in trace amounts,
• Confirmed the Ocean Magma Hypothesis i.e., the moon was once
completely in molten state,
• Detected x-ray signals during weak solar flares thus indicating
presence of magnesium, aluminum, silicon and calcium on lunar
surface,
• Detection of new spinel-rich rock type on lunar far-side.
Chandrayaan-2
22 July 2019 --Launched

Detected unambiguous presence of hydroxyl and

water molecules on the Moon with the precision of
differentiating between the two.
• Detected solar proton events due to high intensity
solar flares.
• Imaged Sarabhai crater on the Moon.
• Detection of Argon-40 in the lunar exosphere.
CHANDRAYAAN-3
meant to demonstrate lunar landing and roving capability

Chandrayaan-3 will carry only a modified lander and rover and will use
the orbiter of the Chandrayaan 2 mission to communicate with the
earth.
Scientific payloads that are being carried on-board are:
o Lander: Langmuir probe, Chandra's Surface
Thermo Physical Experiment (ChaSTE) and
Instrument for Lunar seismic activity (ILSA).
o Rover payloads are Alpha Particle X-Ray Spectrometer (APXS) and
Laser Induced Breakdown spectroscope (LIBS).
• Chandrayaan-3 lander is to perform an in-situ experiment of surface
and sub-surface measurements of temperature.
o It is meant to help understand the thermal exchange and physical
properties of the uppermost Lunar soil.
Mars Orbiter Mission
• Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), India's first interplanetary mission
to planet Mars was launched onboard PSLV-C25 on November
05, 2013.
• ISRO has become the fourth space agency to successfully send
a spacecraft to Mars orbit
Objectives
The objectives of this mission are primarily technological and
include design, realization and launch of a Mars Orbiter
spacecraft capable of operating with sufficient autonomy during
the journey phase;

Mars orbit insertion / capture and in-orbit phase around Mars.

MOM carries five scientific payloads to study the Martian surface
features, morphology, mineralogy and Martian atmosphere.
Indian Mars Orbiter Mission carried the following five scientific
payloads:

1.Mars Color Camera (MCC)

2.Thermal Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (TIS)
3.Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM)
4.Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyser (MENCA)
5.Lyman Alpha Photometer (LAP)
Achievements

• The Mars Colour Camera, one of the scientific payloads

onboard MOM, has produced 1100+ images so far and
published a Mars Atlas.
• Published more than 35 research papers in peer-reviewed
journals.
• India’s ability to successfully realize the complex mission to
Mars in its first attempt, in a cost-effective (Rupees 450 Cr) has
captured the world attention
Q)India has achieved remarkable successes in unmanned space
missions including the Chandrayaan and Mars Orbiter Mission, but has
not ventured into manned space mission, both in terms of technology
and logistics. Explain critically.
Gaganyaan
The objective of Gaganyaan programme is to demonstrate indigenous
capability to undertake human space flight mission to LEO.
Benifits
1.Progress towards a sustained and affordable human and
robotic programme to explore the solar system and beyond.
2.Advanced technology capability for undertaking human space
exploration, sample return missions and scientific exploration.
3.Future capability to actively collaborate in global space station
development & to carry out scientific experiments of interest to
the nation.
Create a broad frame work for wider Academia – Industry partnership
in taking up development activities for national development.
Ample scope for employment generation and human resource
development in advanced science and R&D activities.
.
Unique opportunity to inspire and excite Indian youth and steer many
students toward careers in science and technology towards challenging
jobs that encourage knowledge, innovation and creativity.
The programme will strengthen international partnerships and global
security through the sharing of challenging and peaceful goals. Having
a vibrant human spaceflight programme can be leveraged as a potent
foreign policy tool
The major new technologies required for Gaganyaan programme are as
follows:

Human rated launch vehicle

Crew escape systems
Habitable orbital module
Life support system
Crew selection and training and associated crew management activities
Major collaborating partners for Gaganyaan include

Indian Armed Forces

Defence Research Development organisation
Indian maritime agencies - Indian Navy, Indian Coast Guard, Shipping
corporation of India, National institute of Oceanography, National Institute
of Ocean Technology.
Indian Meteorological Department
CSIR Labs
Academic institutes
Industry partners
AstroSat
AstroSat is the first dedicated Indian
astronomy mission aimed at studying
celestial sources in X-ray, optical and UV
spectral bands simultaneously. The
payloads cover the energy bands of
Ultraviolet (Near and Far), limited optical
and X-ray regime (0.3 keV to 100keV).
One of the unique features of AstroSat
mission is that it enables the simultaneous
multi-wavelength observations of various
astronomical objects with a single satellite.
The scientific objectives of AstroSat mission are:

o To understand high energy processes in binary star systems

containing neutron stars and black holes;
o Estimate magnetic fields of neutron stars;
o Study star birth regions and high energy processes in star systems
lying beyond our galaxy;
o Detect new briefly bright X-ray sources in the sky;
o Perform a limited deep field survey of the Universe in the Ultraviolet
region.
Reforms in the Space sector
• Aimed at boosting private sector participation in the entire
range of space activities
• Will enable Indian Industry to be an important player in
global space economy
• The proposed reforms will enhance the socio-economic use
of space assets and activities, including through improved
access to space assets, data and facilities.
• These reforms will allow ISRO to focus more on
research and development activities, new technologies,
exploration missions and human spaceflight
programme.
• Some of the planetary exploration missions will also
be opened up to private sector through an
‘announcement of opportunity’ mechanism
IN-SPACe
• The newly created Indian National Space Promotion and
Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) will provide:
• A level playing field for private companies to use Indian space
infrastructure.
• It will also hand-hold, promote and guide the private industries
in space activities through encouraging policies and a friendly
regulatory environment.
• IN-SPACe which is under creation will have Safety and Security
Directorate to ensure security of ISRO installations when
allowing access to private entities.
NSIL
The Public Sector Enterprise ‘New Space India Limited (NSIL)’
ensures optimum utilization of our space assets.

The major business areas of NSIL include:

1.Production of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Small
Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) through industry;
2.Production and marketing of space-based services, including
launch services and space-based applications like transponder
leasing, remote sensing and mission support services;
• Building of Satellites (both Communication and Earth Observation) as per
user requirements.
• Transfer of technology developed by ISRO centres/ units and constituent
institutions of Dept. of Space;
• Marketing spin off technologies and products/ services emanating out of
ISRO activities
• Consultancy services
NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), incorporated on 6 March 2019 (under
the Companies Act, 2013) is a wholly owned Government of India
company, under the administrative control of Department of Space
(DOS).
Antrix
• Antrix Corporation Limited is an Indian government-owned company
under the administrative control of the Department of Space.
• It was incorporated in September 1992 commercially exploiting space
products of ISRO, providing technical consultancy services and
transferring technologies to industry.
• ts objective is to promote the ISRO's products, services and
technologies.
• It was awarded 'Miniratna' status by the government in 2008
 PSLV-C51/Amazonia-1
India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C51
successfully launched Amazonia-1 along with 18 co-
passenger satellites

PSLV-C51/Amazonia-1 is the first dedicated commercial

mission of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), a Government of
India company under Department of Space

Amazonia-1 is the optical earth observation satellite of

National Institute for Space Research (INPE). This satellite
would further strengthen the existing structure by providing
remote sensing data to users for monitoring deforestation in
the Amazon region and analysis of diversified agriculture
across the Brazilian territory.
Small Satellite Launch
Vehicle Planned by ISRO
• The maiden flight of Small Satellite Launch Vehicle
(SSLV) - ISRO’s compact launcher - will be made soon.
• SSLV will meet the “launch on demand” requirements
in a cost-effective manner for small satellites in a
dedicated and ride-share mode.
• It is a 3-stage all solid vehicle that can launch up to
500 kg satellite into 500 km Low Earth Orbit and 300
kg into Sun Synchronous Orbit.
• With lower per kg launch cost, the mini launcher will
have multiple satellite mounting options for nano,
micro and small satellites.
• SSLV can be assembled in 3 days (PSLV needs 60 days).
China’s Space Missions
• Recently, China launched an unmanned module of its permanent
space station that it plans to complete by the end of 2022.
• The module, named "Tianhe", or "Harmony of the Heavens", was
launched on the Long March 5B, China's largest carrier rocket.
• India has also set its eye on building its own space station in low earth
orbit to conduct microgravity experiments in space in 5 to 7 years.
• The only space station currently in orbit is the International Space
Station (ISS), from which China is excluded.
• The ISS is backed by the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and
Canada.
Dwarf planet
Dwarf planet, body, other than a natural satellite
(moon), that orbits the Sun and that is, for practical
purposes, smaller than the planet Mercury yet large
enough for its own gravity to have rounded its shape
substantially.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) adopted

this category of solar system bodies in August 2006,
designating Pluto, the even more-remote object Eris,
and the asteroid Ceres as the first members of the
category.
• Unlike major planets, these bodies are not massive enough to have
swept up most smaller nearby bodies by gravitational attraction; they
thus failed to grow larger.

• In June 2008 the IAU created a new category, plutoids, within the
dwarf planet category. Plutoids are dwarf planets that are farther
from the Sun than Neptune.
• All the dwarf planets except Ceres are plutoids. because of its
location in the asteroid belt, Ceres is not
Gravitational lensing
As the light emitted by distant galaxies passes
by massive objects in the universe, the
gravitational pull from these objects can
distort or bend the light. This is called
gravitational lensing.
• Strong gravitational lensing can actually result in such strongly bent light
that multiple images of the light-emitting galaxy are formed.

• Weak gravitational lensing results in galaxies appearing distorted, stretched

or magnified. Although difficult to measure for an individual galaxy,
galaxies clustered close together will exhibit similar lensing patterns.

• Analysing the nature of gravitational lensing patterns tells astronomers

about the way dark matter is distributed within galaxies and their distance
from Earth. This method provides a probe for investigating both the
development of structure in the universe and the expansion of the
universe.
Sun's Corona
The Sun’s corona is the outermost part of the Sun’s atmosphere.
The corona is usually hidden by the bright light of the Sun's
surface. That makes it difficult to see without using special
instruments. However, the corona can be viewed during a total
solar eclipse.

The corona is about 10 million times less dense than the Sun’s
surface. This low density makes the corona much less bright than
the surface of the Sun.

The corona’s high temperatures are a bit of a mystery. Imagine

that you’re sitting next to a campfire. It’s nice and warm. But
when you walk away from the fire, you feel cooler. This is the
opposite of what seems to happen on the Sun.
Astronomers have been trying to solve this mystery for a long time. The
corona is in the outer layer of the Sun’s atmosphere—far from its
surface. Yet the corona is hundreds of times hotter than the Sun’s
surface.

The corona extends far out into space. From it comes the solar wind
that travels through our solar system. The corona's temperature causes
its particles to move at very high speeds. These speeds are so high that
the particles can escape the Sun's gravity.
Sagittarius A*
• Sagittarius A*, supermassive black hole
at the centre of the Milky Way Galaxy,
located in the constellation Sagittarius. It
is a strong source of radio waves and is
embedded in the larger Sagittarius A
complex. Most of the radio radiation is
from a synchrotron mechanism,
indicating the presence of free electrons
and magnetic fields. Sagittarius A* is a
compact, extremely bright point source
. X-ray, infrared, spectroscopic, and radio interferometric investigations
have indicated the very small dimensions of this region. Infrared
observations of stars orbiting the position of Sagittarius A*
demonstrate the presence of a black hole with a mass equivalent to
4,310,000 Suns.

(For these infrared observations, American astronomer Andrea Ghez

and German astronomer Reinhard Genzel were awarded the 2020
Nobel Prize for Physics.)
The Kármán line is an attempt to define a boundary between Earth's atmosphere and outer space,
which is important for legal and regulatory purposes: aircraft and spacecraft fall under different
jurisdictions and are subject to different treaties
Chandra X-ray
Observatory
• The Chandra X-ray Observatory is part
of NASA's fleet of "Great Observatories"
along with the Hubble Space Telescope,
the Spitizer Space Telescope and the
now deorbited Compton Gamma Ray
Observatory. Chandra allows scientists
from around the world to obtain X-ray
images of exotic environments to help
understand the structure and evolution
of the universe.
Asteroids
 Potentially hazardous object

Potentially hazardous object

Hayabusa 2
OSIRIS-REx
OSIRIS-REx traveled to near-Earth asteroid Bennu and is bringing a
small sample back to Earth for study.

The mission launched Sept. 8, 2016, from Cape Canaveral Air Force
Station. The spacecraft reached Bennu in 2018 and will return a
sample to Earth in 2023.
Outer Space Treaty
• The Outer Space Treaty was considered by the Legal Subcommittee in 1966 and agreement was
reached in the General Assembly in the same year
• The Outer Space Treaty provides the basic framework on international space law, including the
following principles:
• the exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interests of all
countries and shall be the province of all mankind;
• outer space shall be free for exploration and use by all States;
• outer space is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or
occupation, or by any other means;
• States shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass
destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in
any other manner;
• the Moon and other celestial bodies shall be used exclusively for peaceful
purposes;
• astronauts shall be regarded as the envoys of mankind;
• States shall be responsible for national space activities whether carried out
by governmental or non-governmental entities;
• States shall be liable for damage caused by their space objects; and
• States shall avoid harmful contamination of space and celestial bodies.
Open Skies Treaty
• Signed March 24, 1992, the Open Skies Treaty permits each state-party to conduct short-
notice, unarmed, reconnaissance flights over the others' entire territories to collect data on
military forces and activities.

• Observation aircraft used to fly the missions must be equipped with sensors that enable
the observing party to identify significant military equipment, such as artillery, fighter
aircraft, and armored combat vehicles.

• Though satellites can provide the same, and even more detailed, information, not all of
the treaty states-parties have such capabilities. The treaty is also aimed at building
confidence and familiarity among states-parties through their participation in the
overflights.
Yarkovsky effect
Rotating asteroids have a tough time sticking to their orbits. Their surfaces
heat up during the day and cool down at night, giving off radiation that can
act as a sort of mini-thruster. This force, called the Yarkovsky effect, can
cause rotating asteroids to drift widely over time, making it hard for
scientists to predict their long-term risk to Earth.

. In order to learn more about this process on asteroid Bennu, NASA is

sending a spacecraft called OSIRIS-REx to make detailed observations of
Bennu's shape, brightness, and surface features.

These factors are thought to influence the Yarkovsky effect, and

understanding how will enable scientists to better predict the orbit of Bennu
and other near-Earth asteroid
Gravitational Waves
• When 2 black holes merge, it will radiate GW. GW are ‘ripples’ in the
fabric of space-time caused by some of the most violent and
energetic processes in the Universe.
• They are extremely weak so are very difficult to detect.
• Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves in 1916
in his general theory of relativity.
• These ripples travel at the speed of light without being scattered
significantly.
Sources of Gravitational waves
• Mergers of black holes or neutron stars, rapidly rotating neutron
stars, supernova explosions and the remnants of the disturbance
caused by the formation of the universe, the Big Bang itself, are the
strongest sources.
• There can be many other sources, but these are likely to be too weak
to detect.
• Scientists have for the first time detected gravitational waves
produced by the collision of a neutron star and a black hole.
• This finding confirms that there are neutron star-black hole systems
and will help answer many questions about the cosmos, from star
formation to the expansion rate of our universe.
• Interferometer
• It is an instrument that uses interference patterns formed by waves
(usually light, radio, or sound waves) to measure certain
characteristics of the waves themselves or of materials that reflect,
refract, or transmit the waves.
• Interferometers can also be used to make precise measurements of
distance.
• Interference patterns are produced when two identical series of
waves are brought together.
Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave
Observatory (LIGO)
• It is the world's largest gravitational wave observatory and a wonder of
precision engineering.
• It comprises of two enormous laser interferometers located thousands of
kilometres apart, each having two arms which are 4 km long. The detectors
are in (Livingston) Louisiana and (Hanford) Washington.
• It exploits the physical properties of light and of space itself to detect and
understand the origins of Gravitational Waves (GW). Upgraded version is
called Advanced LIGO.
• The Japanese detector, KAGRA, or Kamioka Gravitational-wave Detector, is
expected to join the international network soon.
• LIGO detectors: Unlike optical or radio telescopes, it does not see
electromagnetic radiation
• IndIGO (India Initiative of GW Observations) in Hingoli district, Maharashtra.
• The proposed LIGO-India project aims to move one Advanced LIGO detector from
Hanford to India.
• LIGO-India project is envisaged as an international collaboration between the LIGO
Laboratory and 3 lead institutions in the IndIGO consortium: Institute of Plasma Research
(IPR) Gandhinagar, Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune
and Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Indore.

• Significance of IndiGo Project

• To locate the source of gravitational waves more accurately.
• Identification of new sources.
• The project will help Indian scientific community to be a major player in the emerging
research frontier of GW astronomy.
• The high-end engineering requirements of the project (such as the world's largest ultra-
high vacuum facility) will provide unprecedented opportunities for Indian industries in
collaboration with academic research institutions.
• A cutting edge project in India can serve as a local focus to interest and inspire students
and young scientists.
VERITAS Mission and DAVINCI+ Mission: NASA
Missions on Venus
• NASA announced two missions to Venus, Earth’s closest planetary
neighbour, as part of its ‘Discovery Program’ that aims to explore and study
the solar system.
• Missions are
• The VERITAS (Venus Emissivity, Radio Science, InSAR, Topography, and
Spectroscopy) mission will map the surface of the planet, study its geology,
and hunt for volcanic activity.
• The DAVINCI+ (Deep Atmosphere Venus Investigation of Noble gases,
Chemistry, and Imaging) with its atmospheric probe, called Plus, will study
the dense atmosphere of Venus to understand the trigger and evolution of
the runaway greenhouse effect active on the planet.
• The missions are funded for $500 million each and are expected to launch
somewhere around 2028-2030.
• Earth’s twin: Venus is often called Earth’s twin because of similar
mass, size, gravity, surface composition and complex atmospheric
processes.
• However, we know much less about it compared to the other
planetary neighbour, Mars. This is largely due to it being obscured by
an extremely dense layer of atmosphere and clouds.
• VERITAS Mission
• The VERITAS mission will study the planet’s geology with radar, map its entire surface
topography in 3D and will try to understand why it developed differently from Earth.
• It will also study infrared emissions from the surface to map various kinds of rocks.
• The mission will also seek to understand if any volcanic or tectonic activity is present on
the planet currently.
• It will also try to find out if any active volcanoes are releasing water vapour into the
atmosphere, sustaining its greenhouse effect.
• DAVINCI+ Mission
• The DAVINCI+ will measure the atmospheric composition of Venus and its formation and
evolution.
• The mission will also try to determine if the planet held an ocean of liquid water in the
past.
• The mission will return the first high-resolution images of unique surface features known
as “tesserae” on Venus, which are akin to the continents on Earth, and suggest the
existence of plate tectonics.
• The mission’s accompanying Plus probe will drop into the atmosphere, making
measurements of noble gas composition in the layers.
Fast Radio
Bursts
NASA's Mars Exploration Program
• NASA’s Mars Helicopter Ingenuity has successfully flown on Mars. It is
the first powered flight on another planet.
• The helicopter’s main task is to carry out a technology demonstration
to test the first powered flight on Mars. It also aims to collect samples
from the locations on Mars where the rover cannot reach.
• Moreover, it is also solar-powered and is able to charge on its own
• Perseverance is a car-sized Mars rover designed to explore the crater
Jezero on Mars as part of NASA’s Mars 2020 mission.
• The rover was launched in July,2020. It landed at the Jezero Crater of
Mars in February.2021.
• NASA’s Psyche mission: The primary target of the Psyche mission to
be launched in 2022 by NASA is to study this asteroid completely and
confirm the assumptions being made by the scientists.
• It was found that Psyche could be a unique asteroid composed of iron
and nickel almost completely which is similar to earth's core.
• Psyche mission will be the first mission to investigate this metallic
asteroid. Psyche spacecraft will land on the asteroid in early 2026. As
the composition of Psyche is very similar to earth’s own core, its study
will also give an insight to earth’s violent history of collisions and
accretion that created it.
• Asteroid 2001 FO32 is the largest asteroid passed by Earth in 2021.
Why Study Asteroids?
• Asteroids, like comets, are primitive bodies that can be considered to
be the building blocks of the early solar system. They hold a record of
the birth and initial evolution of the solar system.
• Larger planets like Earth went through a more complex evolution over
which the pristine materials were melted and altered significantly.
Due to this change, the materials found on large planets do not hold
information into their early stages of formation.
• Comets and asteroids, formed early in the evolution of the Solar
System, retain a record of when, where and in what conditions they
were formed. Exploration of these primitive bodies is essential in
gaining insight into the formation of the Solar System.
Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA)
• It is the first international space mission to demonstrate asteroid impact
hazard mitigation ny using a kinetic impactor to deflect an asteroid and
measure the deflection.
• This mission that targets a double asteroid called Didymos is cooperation
between NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission and
European Space Agency’s (ESA’s) Hera.
• DART (to be launched in 2021) would slam into the smaller asteroids of the
Didymos system in 2022.
• Hera (to be launched in 2024) would measure the impact crater produced
by DART collision and study the change in the asteroid’s orbital trajectory.
It will arrive at the Didymos system in 2027.
• AIDA will help in studying asteroid strength, surface physical properties and
internal structure.
Solar Missions
Aditya-L1
• Aditya-L1 Mission is India’s first solar mission planned by the Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Earlier the name was Aditya -1,
which has been renamed as Aditya-L1 Mission.
• The main objective of the Aditya L1 Mission is that it will help in
tracking Earth-directed storms and predict its impact through solar
observations
• The L1 point is home to the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory
Satellite (SOHO), an international collaboration project of National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the European
Space Agency (ESA).
• Lagrange points are positions in space where objects sent there tend to stay put.
At Lagrange points, the gravitational pull of two large masses precisely equals
the centripetal force required for a small object to move with them. These points
in space can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption needed to remain
in position.

• Lagrange Points are positions in space where the gravitational forces of a two
body system like the Sun and the Earth produce enhanced regions of attraction
and repulsion. These can be used by spacecraft to reduce fuel consumption
needed to remain in position.

• There are five special points where a small mass can orbit in a constant pattern
with two larger masses. The Lagrange Points are positions where the
gravitational pull of two large masses precisely equals the centripetal force
required for a small object to move with them.
• Of the five Lagrange points, three are unstable and two are stable. The
unstable Lagrange points - labeled L1, L2 and L3 - lie along the line
connecting the two large masses. The stable Lagrange points - labeled L4
and L5 - form the apex of two equilateral triangles that have the large
masses at their vertices. L4 leads the orbit of earth and L5 follows.
• The L1 point of the Earth-Sun system affords an uninterrupted view of the
sun and is currently home to the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory
Satellite SOHO.
• The L2 point of the Earth-Sun system future home of the James Webb
Space Telescope. L2 is ideal for astronomy because a spacecraft is close
enough to readily communicate with Earth, can keep Sun, Earth and Moon
behind the spacecraft for solar power and (with appropriate shielding)
provides a clear view of deep space for our telescopes. The L1 and L2
points are unstable on a time scale of approximately 23 days, which
requires satellites orbiting these positions to undergo regular course and
attitude corrections.
• It is unlikely to find any use for the L3 point since it remains hidden behind
the Sun at all times.
• Objects found orbiting at the L4 and L5 points are often called Trojans
Coronal Mass Ejections

• Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)

that comes from the Sun are
huge bubbles of gas threaded
with magnetic field lines.
• They cause various
disturbances to the space
environment, and cause
geomagnetic storms, satellite
failures, and power outages.
Indo French Space Collaboration
• Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and French space agency
Centre National dEtudes Spatiales (CNES) are working on their 3rd
joint satellite mission.
• ISRO and CNES have completed the feasibility study to realise the
earth observation satellite mission with TRISHNA, thermal infrared
imager.
• TRISHNA will monitor the water cycle to help in properly utilizing it.
• ARGOS of CNES will be integrated into ISRO’s OCEANSAT-3 satellite.
• ARGOS is the data collection and location system of its kind dedicated
to studying and preserving the environment.
• There are discussions on establishing ‘NavIC’ reference station in
France and CNES ‘Scintillation’ receivers in India.
Previous Joint Satellite Missions

• MEGHA-TROPIQUES (2011) - This Indo-French joint satellite mission

that was launched to study the tropical atmosphere and climate
related to aspects such as monsoons, cyclones, etc.
• SARAL (2013) - This mission was launched to study the ocean from
space using altimetry.
Bacteria found on International Space Station
named after Indian scientist
• 4 species of bacteria have been discovered onboard the International
Space Station (ISS).
• One of the bacteria has been named after Indian biodiversity scientist
Seyed Ajmal Khan (Methylobacterium ajmalii).
• These bacteria aid in plant growth.
• International Space Station (ISS) is a modular space station or a habitable
artificial satellite.It has been installed in low Earth orbit.
• It is a multinational collaborative project that involves the participation of
five space agencies namely, NASA from United States, Roscosmos from
Russia, JAXA from Japan, ESA from Europe, and CSA from Canada.
NISAR
• ISRO and NASA signed a partnership in 2014, to collaborate on and
launch NISAR (NASA-ISRO SAR) by 2022.
• NASA is providing L-band SAR, a high-rate communication subsystem
for science data, etc.,
• ISRO is providing the S-band radar, and launch services.
• NISAR is a Synthetic Aperture Radar that can produce extremely high-
resolution images for a joint earth observation satellite mission.
• It will be the first satellite mission to use 2 radar frequencies (L-band
and S-band) to measure changes in Earth’s surface less than a
centimetre across.
• The Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), located near Pune, Junnar, near
Narayangaon at khodad in India, is an array of thirty fully steerable parabolic radio
telescopes of 45 metre diameter, observing at metre wavelengths. It is operated by the
National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), a part of the Tata Institute of
Fundamental Research, Mumbai.
• One of the aims for the telescope during its development was to
search for the highly redshifted 21-cm line radiation from primordial
neutral hydrogen clouds in order to determine the epoch of galaxy
formation in the universe.
• Astronomers from all over the world regularly use this telescope to
observe many different astronomical objects such as galaxies, pulsars,
supernovae, and Sun and solar winds
• In February 2020, it helped in the observation of the biggest
explosion in the history of the universe, the Ophiuchus Supercluster
explosion. The eruption occurred due to a supermassive black hole.
THIRTY METER TELESCOPE PROJECT.
• It is an astronomical observatory with an extremely large telescope (ELT).
• It is an international project being funded by scientific organisations of
Canada, China, India, Japan and USA.
• Planned location is Mauna Kea on the island of Hawaii in the US state of
Hawaii
• The TMT is designed for near-ultraviolet to mid-infrared observations,
featuring adaptive optics to assist in correcting image blur.
• TMT will enable scientists to study fainter objects far away from us in the
Universe, which gives information about early stages of evolution of the
Universe
SpaceX creates new world record after launching 143
satellites on a single rocket
• SpaceX, an aerospace company,
has beaten the record of the
Indian Space Research
Organisation- ISRO where it
deployed 104 satellites in
February 2017 in a single launch.
• The reusable rocket launched 143
satellites to space which are part
of the SmallSat Rideshare program
of SpaceX from Florida’s Cape
Canaveral Space Force Station.
Science, Technology and Innovation (STI)
Policy, 2013
• The policy seeks to focus on both STI for people and people for STI.
• It aims to bring all the benefits of STI to the national development
and sustainable and more inclusive growth.
• It seeks the right sizing of gross expenditure on R&D by encouraging
private sector participation in R&D, Technology and Innovation.
• It also wants to bring gender parity in STI activities and gaining global
competitiveness in select technological areas through International
collaboration and alliances.
• A Strong and viable Science, Research and Innovation system for High
Technology led path for India (SRISHTI) is the goal for the STI policy.
Key Features of the STI policy 2013
• Promoting the spread of scientific temper amongst all sections of
society.
• Enhancing skills for applications of science among the young from all
social sectors.
• Making careers in science, research and innovation attractive enough
for talented and bright minds.
• Establishing the world-class infrastructure for R&D for gaining global
leadership in some select frontier areas of science.
• Positioning India among the top five global scientific powers by 2020 (by
increasing the share of global scientific publications from 3.5% to over 7%
and quadrupling the number of papers in top 1% journals from the current
levels).
• Creating an environment for enhanced private sector participation in R &D.
• Enabling conversion of R & D output with societal and commercial
applications by replicating hitherto successful models, as well as
establishing of new PPP structures.
• Creating a robust national innovation system.
• Sharing of IPRs between inventors and investors.
• Modifying IPR policy to provide for marching rights for social good when
supported by public funds and for co-sharing IPRs generated under PPP.
PM's Science, Technology and Innovation
Advisory Council (PM-STIAC)
• Govt scraps Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and replace it with
PM's Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-
STIAC)
• It has 2 functions
• Act as a high level advisory body to several ministries.
• Execute Mission oriented programmes.
• It has 9 members. Unlike the earlier SACs, Secretaries of various
scientific ministries like Education, Environment and Health would be
special invitees to PM STIAC meetings.
• PM-STIAC identified 9 National S&T Missions
• National Language Translation

• By MEITy, MHRD and DST.

• It combines machine and human translation, that will eventually enable
access to teaching and reseach material bilingually i.e. in English and one's
native language.
• It removes the English barrier.

• National Mission on Quantum Frontier

• By DST, Dept of Space, DAE, DRDO, MEITy.

• To initiate work in the control of quantum mechanical systems.
• It will also be helpful for national security and in development of quantum
computers, quantum chemistry, quantum sensors, quantum
communication and quantum cryptography.
• National Mission on Artificial Intelligence

• By NITI Aayog, DST, MEITy, DBT.

• It will address societal needs like healthcare, education, agriculture, smart
cities and infrastructure, including smart mobility and transportation.

• National Biodiversity Mission

• By MoEFCC, DBT.
• It includes documentation of India’s biodiversity (cataloguing) and mapping
all lifeforms in India including associated cultural and traditional practices.
• Assessment of the distribution and conservation status of India’s
biodiversity.
• Development of a cadre of professionals.
• Establishment of a vibrant biodiversity based economy.
• Engagement with the public
• Enhanced options for agricultural production and livelihood security.
• National Mission on Waste to Health

• DST, DBT, MoEFCC, SBA and Ministry of Urban Development.

• It aims to identify, develop and deploy technologies to treat waste to generate energy,
recycle materials and extract worth.
• It will identify and support new technologies in creating a clean and green environment.
• The mission will assist and augment the Swachh Bharat and Smart Cities project.

• Deep Ocean Exploration

• By Ministry of Earth Sciences, DBT, Dept of Space, MNRE, ONGC, DRDO, Geological
Survey of India, National Hydrographic Office, National Biodiversity Authority.
• It aims to scientifically explore the deep oceans towards improving India’s understanding
of the blue frontier.
• It will address issues arising from long term changes in the ocean due to climate change.
• It includes exploration of resources and life; development of underwater vehicles and
robotics; desalination techniques etc.
• National Mission on Electric Vehicles

• By DST, Dept of Heavy Industries, MNRE, Ministry of Power, NITI.

• Academia - Industry collaboration to develop vehicle subsystems and
components including including rare earth based 4 electric motors, Li-ion
batteries, power electronics etc.
• To reduce fossil fuel consumption and mitigate emissions.
• Make EVs economically viable and scalable and build indigenous capability.

• National Mission on Bioscience for Human Health

• By DST, DBT, Dept of Health Research, DAE and Dept of Health.

• Construct comprehensive reference maps of genomes and their study to
identify the prevalence of rare and inherited diseases.
• The outcome will stimulate better diagnosis and treatment.
• AGNI (Accelerating Growth of New India's Innovations)

• By Invest India.
• It supports the innovation ecosystem in India by connecting
innovators across industry, individuals and the grassroots by
commercially innovative solutions.
• It will provide a platform for innovators to bring their technology
ready products.
• It includes techno commercialization, working with Govt R&D labs,
training and capacity building.
I-STEM
• I-STEM (www.istem.gov.in) is an initiative of Office of the Principal
Scientific Adviser to the Govt. of India (PSA, GOI) under the aegis of
Prime Minister Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council
(PM-STIAC) mission.
• I-STEM project has been accorded extension for five years, until 2026
and enters its second phase with added features.
• Providing necessary supplies and supports to researchers by enabling
them an access to existing publicly funded R&D facilities in the
country through the I-STEM web portal.
• I-STEM portal facilitates researchers to access slots for the use of
equipment, as well as to share the details of the outcomes, such as,
patents, publications and technologies.
• In the first phase, the portal is listed with more than 20,000 pieces of
equipment from 1050 institutions across the country and has more
than 20,000 Indian researchers.
• Under Phase II, the portal will host indigenous technology products
listed through a digital catalogue.
• The portal will also provide a platform for the various City Knowledge
and Innovation Clusters supported by the Office of PSA to enhance
effective use of R&D infrastructure through leveraging collaboration
and partnership built on a shared STI ecosystem.
• It will also host and provide access to selected R&D software required
to undertake research projects by students and scientists.
• The I-STEM portal in its new phase will be designed as a dynamic
digital platform that will provide boost to research and innovation
especially for 2 tier and 3 tier cities and also for the emerging start-up
ecosystem.