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Latest Achievement July 2016

Onwards

1. ISRO sets space record with successful PSLV

launch of Cartosat-2 and 103 other satellites
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) made India
proud when it created a world record by launching 104 satellites
in a single rocket. The satellites were launched from Sriharikota
of Andhra Pradesh, and it has made India the first country to
launch such a huge number of satellites together.
Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) made India
proud when it created a world record by launching 104 satellites
in a single rocket. The satellites were launched from Sriharikota
of Andhra Pradesh, and it has made India the first country to
 Latest Achievement July 2016 Onwards 185

launch such a huge number of satellites together. India, apart

from outdoing its own previous achievements, has also moved
ahead of Russia by a long margin. Russia had held the record
earlier, for the most satellite launches in a single mission and
the number was 37. Russia had achieved that feat in 2014. This
record is followed by the US space agency NASA, which has
launched 29 satellites in a single mission. When ISRO had put
into earth’s orbit 10 satellites on the PSLV-C10 on June 2008,
it had created a world record. But it was subsequently broken
many times by Russian and American rockets.
ISRO had commenced the 28-hour countdown for the
launch on Tuesday, which was the shortest for any Polar Satellite
Launch Vehicle ever. The PSLV-37 is ISRO’s workhorse and on
its 39th mission, carried the 104 satellites. This single mission
launch is India’s second attempt and the first time it had
launched 23 satellites in one go. That mission was launched in
June 2016. India’s most powerful rocket the XL variant, which
was used in the momentous Chandrayaan and during the Mars
Orbiter Mission (MOM) has been used by ISRO in this launch
too. In the launch, 100 satellites are foreign made, including
some from the US, and rest of the 3 belong to India, which in
itself is a big achievement. Earlier, ISRO had reportedly planned
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to launch 83 satellites by January end. But later 20 more were

added. PM Modi’s pet South Asian satellite project is scheduled
to be launched in March 2017 and it will be a part of GSAT-9, that
will be launched in March 2017. Meanwhile, Modi congratulated
to the space organisation for the successful launch of PSLV-C37
and CARTOSAT satellite together with 103 nanosatellites.
This was ISRO’s first space mission for the year 2017, and
the most complicated mission it has ever carried out. Prime
Minister Narendra Modi and President Pranab Mukherjee
congratulated the space agency for the historic event that
significantly boosts India’s space programme.
The PSLV-C37/Cartosat2 Series satellite mission included
the primary satellite (Cartosat-2) and 101 international nano
satellites. It also launched two of its own nano satellites, INS-
1A and INS-1B.PSLV first launched the 714 kg Cartosat-2 Series
satellite for earth observation, followed by the INS-1A and INS-
1B, after it reached the polar Sun Synchronous Orbit. It then
went on to inject 103 co-passenger satellites, together weighing
about 664 kg, in pairs.

2. ISRO drones help to map disasters in north-east

The Indian Space Research
Organization (ISRO) is using drones
to map disasters in north-eastern
States by collecting land details and
add it to data from remote sensing
satellites. In this regard, ISRO’s
Shillong-based North-Eastern Space
Applications Centre (NE-SAC) has
tested unmanned aerial vehicles
(UAVs) to map various problems and disasters.
Key facts NE-SAC has taken the initiative for design and
assembling of UAVs for various applications to assess several
regional problems in the northeast region. UAVs can perform
efficient surveys for disaster-prone or physically inaccessible
areas. It can undertake quick damage assessment of floods,
landslides and earthquakes and enable timely relief measures.
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These drones providing ground-based details which are

generally combined with data from ISRO’s remote sensing
satellites.
Recently they were used for to map the area affected
by landslides along NH40, Meghalaya’s life line. It also gave
the extent of damage caused to pest-infested paddy fields in
Naramari village of Assam.

About North-Eastern Space Applications Centre

(NE-SAC)
NE-SAC is a joint initiative of Department of Space (DoS)
and North Eastern Council. It was started in the year 2000. It is
located at Umiam (near Shillong), Meghalaya.It aims to provide
developmental support to the North Eastern region using Space
technology-based communication and technology.Its mandate
is to develop high technology infrastructure support to enable
NE states to adopt space technology for their development.
NE-SAC provides developmental support by undertaking
specific application projects using remote sensing, satellite
communication, GIS and conducts space science research.

3. IISc researchers develop low-cost, sensitive CO

sensor
Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
researchers from Bengaluru have
developed a highly sensitive, low cost
nanometre-scale carbon monoxide (CO)
sensor, with potential applications in
environmental pollution monitoring.
The sensor was developed using novel
fabrication technique that does not
involve costly and time consuming lithography technology.

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

CO is a colorless, odorless gas. It is harmful when
inhaled in large amounts The greatest source of CO is internal
188 Indian Contributions to Science

combustions (IC) engines of cars, trucks and other vehicles or

machinery that burn fossil fuels. Breathing high concentration
of CO reduces the amount of oxygen that can be transported
in the blood stream to critical organs like the heart and brain.

Key Facts
The nanometer-sized sensor was made using zinc-
oxide (ZnO) nanostructure on a silicon wafer substrate. Tiny
polystyrene beads were also used on the wafer. These beads
were first added on the on the oxidised silicon wafer arrange
themselves into what is called a hexagonal close-packed
structure.
Reasonable level of vacuum is maintained between the
wafer and beads. When a high voltage is applied, it etches away
the surfaces of the beads until a gap of desired thickness is
formed between adjacent beads. Then ZnO is deposited on the
system. This occupies the spaces between the beads, forming a
honeycomb like nano-mesh that can function as a nanosenor.

Significance
The nanometre-scale CO sensor is able to detect a
difference in CO level as low as 500 parts per billion (ppb). It
can selectively respond to CO even in the presence of other
gases. It also significantly cuts down the time and cost involved
in making nanostructured gas sensors.

4. IISc scientists develop sensor to detect E. coli

bacterium
A group of scientists at the Indian Institute of Science
(IISc) has successfully designed a sensor to detect the presence
of harmful E. coli bacterium in food and drinking water.
The sensor has been designed by the research teams of Dr
Sai Siva Gorthi and Prof SundarrajanAsokan of Department of
Instrumentation and Applied Physics and Robert Bosch Centre
for Cyber Physical Systems, IISc.
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The sensor is designed using a photo-sensitive optical

fibre and is called a ‘bare Fiber Bragg grating (bFBG) sensor’,
which is coated with antibodies specific to E. coli. When a beam
of light comprising a band of wavelengths is passed through
the bFBG sensor, it reflects one particular wavelength of light.
When exposed to a sample in which e-coli cells are present, the
e-coli cells bind specifically to the sensor.

5. Model to predict monsoon

Scientists at IISc have also proposed a new model to detect
rainfall over localized land regions in real-time using satellite
images.
Dr J Indu and Prof D Nagesh Kumar of Department of
Civil Engineering, IISc, have developed the model from satellite
microwave sensor data. Their work was recently published in
the Hydrological Sciences Journal.
The team carried out their research in the Mahanadi basin
area which is prone to large-scale flooding. Observations in such
a diverse region can be used to improve the existing algorithms
to detect rainfall, according to the researchers.

6. Captive flight trials of anti-radiation missile soon

Captive flight trials of an advanced, state-of-the-art
Anti-Radiation Missile (ARM) are planned for April-May this
year, and the maiden flight test by year-end by the missile
technologists of the Defence Research and Development
Organisation.
190 Indian Contributions to Science

The air-to-surface tactical missile being developed by

Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) will
target the enemy’s air defense capabilities by attacking radars
and communication facilities. The range of the missile is 100 to
125 km and it will be mounted on combat aircraft Sukhoi (Su-
30) and Tejas-Light Combat Aircraft. The missile picks up the
radiation or signals of radars and communication facilities and
homes on to the targets to destroy them.
According to DRDO sources, scientists will evaluate the
performance of the seeker, navigation and control system,
structural capability and aerodynamic vibrations during the
captive flight trials. These will be followed by ground testing
and the missile will be fired from Su-30 during the actual flight
trial by year-end. Instead of thrust propulsion, the missile uses
dual pulse propulsion system as in the case of LR-SAM. The
dual pulse propulsion will widen the envelope as well as the
engagement capability of the missile. After coasting the missile
for the required duration by firing the first pulse, the second
pulse will be initiated just before interception of the target or
during the terminal phase, the sources added.
The entire missile is being developed indigenously,
including the seeker. The missile will be inducted in about two
years after conducting a number of developmental trials. Only
a few countries, including the U.S. and Germany, have ARMs at
present, the sources added. The dual pulse propulsion system
could be configured with other air-to-surface and air-to-air
missiles, the sources added.
Meanwhile, the induction of LR-SAM (Long Range
Surface-to-Air Missile), jointly developed by India and Israel,
will begin September-October this year. It was successfully test-
fired from INS Kolkata to intercept an aerial target last year and
the missile is slated to be launched from warships, INS Kochi
and INS Chennai, for similar trials later this year.

7. Science Catches Up With Astrology: Planets Cause

Quakes, Says New Study
Predicting earthquakes has always been an iffy science but a
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group of Indian experts claims to have found a possible way out.

They have come up with a list of “earthquake-sensitive” days for
2016 and even claim that their predicted quake dates for January
have been validated. A study by JeganathanChockalingam of
the Birla Institute of Technology at Mesra in Ranchi and two
co-authors found that there is very clear evidence of planetary
configurations creating orbital perturbations on the earth,
which finally results in an earthquake. Motivated by astrology,
Chockalingam and his team wanted to test whether there is any
possible link between earthquakes and planets. They started
their observations seriously after the 2004 tsunami which
killed thousands of people in India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka to
understand planetary configurations and major earthquakes. The
study says gravitational interactions among the bigger planets
such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune create invisible
resultant gravity vectors (IRGV) that act as an imperceptible
planetary force when an inner planet crosses them. “Whenever
our Earth crossed these IRGVs, there invariably were major
earthquakes. Other inner planetary crossings showed similar
results as well,” says the study published in the latest issue of
the International Journal of Advances in Remote Sensing, GIS
and Geography.
Even simple two-planetary alignments were checked out
for their contribution to earthquakes, the study said, adding
that the researchers consistently identified a link between a
particular planetary configuration and earthquakes. “Overall,
the explanation capabilities of each possible configuration were
critically crosschecked and we hope that the study will give a
new dimension to the field of earthquakes, gravity anomalies
and their prediction. Finally, the study predicted the sensitive
days for 2016 and researchers may validate our concepts and
results based on actual ground shaking,” said Chockalingam.
The authors visualised the solar system as a gravity lake having
a lot of gravity waves (big and minor just like ocean), and that
every planet travels across these waves during its orbit round
the sun just like a ship travelling in the ocean. According to
their assumption, these gravity waves can increase and decrease
192 Indian Contributions to Science

spatially and temporally. “All spatial locations of resultant

gravity vectors (RGVs) resulting from all combinations of major
planets were identified. The study revealed that whenever
a planetary vector crosses those RGVs, a gravity ripple is
created and it perturbs the earth’s orbital path and hence alters
the movement pattern on the surface of the earth as well as
underground,” the study said.

8. Two new species of Cycas

discovered
Research conducted on
Cycaspschannae, a lone tree found in the
Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose Indian
Botanic Garden, West Bengal has revealed
two new species of Cycas to the world. This discovery takes the
total number of Cycas species found in India to 14.

Cycas
Cycas are one of the most ancient plants whose fossils date
to the Jurassic period. They are often referred to as living fossils.
They have evolved on the earth as the first seeded plants and
they grow very slowly, adding only a few centimetres every
year. Nearly 65% of Cycas are threatened. There are over 100
species of Cycas found across the globe.

Key Facts
Initial studies on the lone Cycaspschannae tree revealed
that it was Cycas, a gymnosperm. Further research based on its
anatomical and morphological characters led to the discovery
of new species of Cycaspschannae and later Cycasdharmrajii
in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Cycasdharmrajii is characterised by the abnormal
branching habit of its giant trunk and its swollen base. It
has well-defined 10 to 28 hook-like structures in the apex
of the mega sporophyll which makes it distinct from other
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Cycas found in the country. Sporophylls are spore-bearing

leaf-like female sex organ of the plant. The sporophylls of
Cycaspschannae are characterised by the presence of two
lateral horn-like structures.

9. Reliance Jio launches world’s

longest 100Gbps submarine
cable system
MukeshAmbani led Reliance
JioInfocomm has launched the Asia-
Africa-Europe (AAE-1) submarine
cable system. It is claimed to be world’s
longest 100Gbp technology-based
submarine system.It stretches for over
25,000km from Marseille, France to Hong Kong. It will have 21
cable landings across Asia and Europe. Using it, Jio will continue
to offer its customers the most exceptional high speed internet
and digital service experience.

Key Facts
The AAE-1 project is a combination of leading telecom
service providers from Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
It will seamlessly link with other cable systems and fibre
networks to deliver direct access to all global markets.It will
feature diversified Points of Presence (PoP) in Asia (Hong
Kong and Singapore), with three onward connectivity options
in Europe (France, Ital and Greece). The cable system will pass
through critical hubs, serving the demand for video centric
data bandwidth that supports all types of communications,
applications and content within India and beyond.
The advanced design and route of AAE-1 system will offer
one of the lowest latency routes between Hong Kong, India,
Middle East and Europe. Using it, Reliance Jio will provide the
Network Operations & Management for AAE-1 Cable System.
194 Indian Contributions to Science

Its Network Operations Center (NOC) will use a state of the art
facility in Navi Mumbai.

New Terminologies in Science & Technology

1. Nirbhay = sub-sonic cruise missile Nirbhay is India’s
equivalent of Tomahawk, a long-range, sub-sonic cruise
missile, developed by the U.S. This is developed by
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
will travel at a sub-sonic speed (less than the speed of
sound).
2. NAG = ‘fire and forget’ anti-tank missile. It can destroy
enemy tanks four km away.
3. NAMICA = Nag Missile Carrier
4. It is a vehicle to carry and launch NAG missles
5. Helina = the helicopter-fired version of Nag. Helina =
Helicopter + Nag
6. LAHAT = Laser Homing Attack or Laser Homing Anti-
Tank missile anti-tank missile, will be used in the upgraded
Arjun battle tanks.
7. Tropex-2012 = theatre-level readiness and operational
exercise conducted by the Indian Navy. To test new
platforms, weapons sensors, communication systems and
tactics in order to optimise the network combat power of
the fleet.
8. Shoor Veer = Combat exercise in the Thar Desert in 2012
To test Army’s operational readiness to undertake
swift multiple thrusts across the border. Army and
IAF tested new battle fighting concepts with real time
pictures of the battle zone provided to a centralized
command using fighter jets, unmanned aerial vehicles
and attack helicopters National Large Solar Telescope
(NLST) = world’s largest solar telescope set up by the
Department of Science and Technology, in Ladakh.
It aims to study the sun’s microscopic structure.
9. RISAT 1 = RISAT 1 is India’s first radar imaging satellite. It
can scan the earth surface during both day and night under
all-weather condition. It will help in paddy monitoring and
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management of natural disaster like flood and cyclone.

10. ISRO’s 100th mission = Using PSLV-C21 rocket, ISRO
launched two foreign satellites SPOT 6 : French satellite
Proiteres: Japanese micro satellite From Satish Dhawan
Space Centre, Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh
11. Project Glass = a research and development program by
Google. It resembles a pair of normal eyeglasses where the
lens is replaced by a heads-up display. Project Glass is a
wearable computer that provides information not through
a screen, but rather through your “eyes.” It gives you data
about your surroundings without the need to whip out
your smartphone and know what to search. For example,
if you go into a bookstore, Google Glass will be able to
provide you with an indoor map of the place, and lead
you to your desired book.
12. Glivec := blood cancer drug Novartis is fighting a patent
case in India for this drug. Treatment of Glivec costs
Rs.1,20,000 per month per patient. But Novartis maintains
they give it free of cost to the needy patients.