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World IP Day | Why a robust IP ecosystem vital for progress of a nation

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Summary

IP creation will naturally foster innovation, develop new technologies and build better concepts. These will collectively help in addressing global challenges like climate change and tackling health issues, writes Vanita Srivastava.

Intellectual property rights (IPR) is an important driver for innovation and growth. From global health to addressing the issues of climate change, intellectual property is an important element in policy making. Therefore, maintaining a robust intellectual property ecosystem that fuses innovation and creativity is imperative for a better and sustainable world. However, it is always a challenge for countries, especially the countries with poor resources and a low income population.    

World Intellectual Property Day, observed on April 26 every year as a reminder of the effects that intellectual property has on the social and economic progress,  has this time chosen the theme — IP and the SDGs: Building our common future with innovation and creativity. 

The United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) still have a lot to attain and are lagging behind in targets. The countries must collaborate to make the goals attainable and for this there is a need to harness the innovation and creative potential while making intellectual property an important area of all developments.

IP creation will naturally foster innovation, develop new technologies and build better concepts. These will collectively help in addressing global challenges like climate change and tackling health issues.  Innovators across the world are using IPR to translate their innovations into assets that can have a positive social and  economic benefit for the people.

Intellectual property refers to any kind of creation and creativity like an invention, artistic and literary work, names, images and designs. And, the intellectual property rights are being protected in the form of patents, trademarks, copy rights and geographical indications.    

IP and SDG

According to a recent report of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the intersection of IP and the SDGs offers a unique lens and help track innovation aligned with the SDGs across diverse technology landscapes. It provides a quantifiable measure of the intellectual capital being invested in each goal, offering a tangible representation of the commitment to sustainable development within the global innovation landscape.

The report tracks how patents contribute to progressing towards and achieving the SDGs revealing the latest patent trends. It shows the pivotal role of IP in steering development towards sustainability and can be used to empower the decision makers, policy makers and innovators to foster collaborations. WIPO’s Global Challenges program seeks to raise awareness and understanding of the complex linkages between global health and access to medical technologies, innovation, technology transfer and trade. The goal is to leverage intellectual property (IP) as a tool that contributes to meeting the world’s most pressing health needs.

Patent data offers a powerful lens into the state of technological development because groundbreaking innovations are typically disclosed through the patenting process.  Sagacious IP, an organisation that helps to provide IP solutions to global companies and expand their IP portfolios, has highlighted the need to analyse patent portfolios for identifying how they can serve as a leading indicator of a company’s commitment to sustainable practices. 

In 2020, Sagacious IP embarked on an extensive green patent landscape study to identify the leading innovators driving the transition to a greener future through their patenting activities. The resulting GREEN100® report, first published in 2021 and updated in 2023, spotlights companies generating high-quality “green” patents focused on mitigating climate change. An analysis of the green patent portfolios reveal that organisations from five key industries are having an outsized impact —transportation, motor vehicles & parts, energy and power, information and communication technology, industrial machinery and renewables.

India needs a better IP ecosystem 

Intellectual property (IP) filings in India have surged significantly in recent years. In a statistics released by WIPO in 2022, India ranked fifth in terms of the number of trademark applications filed annually and sixth in the world for patent filings.

According to the 12th edition of the International IP Index released by the US Chamber of Commerce in February,  2024,  India ranked at 42 out of the 55 countries in the index with an overall score of 38.64%. The United States emerged at the top of the list followed by the United Kingdom and France respectively.

The report highlighted concerns over India’s IP regime, pointing out the dissolution of the Intellectual Property Appellate Board in 2021, and a judiciary that lacks adequate resources. While acknowledging certain IP strengths such as the Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill 2023, the report urged leading economies like the USA and EU to reaffirm their IP policy leadership.

The report also affirmed that multilateral organisations can reaffirm global IP commitment instead of tolerating counterproductive measures like IP waivers.

 

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -72.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +28.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95

Currency

Company Price Chng %Chng
Dollar-Rupee 73.3500 0.0000 0.00
Euro-Rupee 89.0980 0.0100 0.01
Pound-Rupee 103.6360 -0.0750 -0.07
Rupee-100 Yen 0.6734 -0.0003 -0.05
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Chandrayaan missions to continue until an Indian lands on moon: ISRO Chairman

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Summary

Last August, the premier space agency’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft made a soft landing on the south pole of the lunar surface, making India the first country to achieve the feat. Chandrayaan 3 has done very well.

The Indian Space Research Organisation will continue its Chandrayaan series of lunar probes until an astronaut from the country lands on the Moon, said ISRO Chairman S Somanath on Wednesday.

Last August, the premier space agency’s Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft made a soft landing on the south pole of the lunar surface, making India the first country to achieve the feat. Chandrayaan 3 has done very well.

Data has been collected and scientific publication has just started. Now, we want to continue the Chandrayaan series till an Indian lands on the Moon. Before that, we have to master many technologies, such as going there and coming back. That we are trying to do in the next mission, he told reporters on the sidelines of an event.

Somnath was in Ahmedabad as the chief guest of a programme organised by the Astronautical Society of India. About India’s first-ever human space flight mission, Gaganyaan, Somanath said ISRO will carry out an uncrewed mission, a test vehicle flight mission and an airdrop test this year.

The airdrop test will happen on April 24. Then two more uncrewed missions will happen next year and then the manned mission, if everything goes well, by the end of next year, the ISRO chairman said. The Gaganyaan project envisages the demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of 3 members to an orbit of 400 km for a 3-day mission and bringing them back safely to Earth, by landing in Indian sea waters.

On ISRO’s newly developed Carbon-Carbon (C-C) nozzle for rocket engines, he said it will improve payload capacity for being lightweight and it will be installed in the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle or PSLV. This is the technology we wanted to develop over the past many years. Now we have mastered it, built it and then tested it in the engine.

It’s a Carbon-Carbon nozzle. It gives us a weight advantage in comparison to metal and it also allows us to operate at higher temperatures. Reduction in weight improves the efficiency of engine and payload capacity. We are going to put it in PSLV, he said.

In a release on April 16, ISRO announced that it had achieved a breakthrough in rocket engine technology with the development of a lightweight C-C nozzle for rocket engines, enhancing payload capacity.

This innovation accomplished by the space agency’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre promises to enhance the vital parameters of rocket engines, including thrust levels, specific impulse, and thrust-to-weight ratios, thereby boosting the payload capacity of launch vehicles, it said.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -72.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +28.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95

Currency

Company Price Chng %Chng
Dollar-Rupee 73.3500 0.0000 0.00
Euro-Rupee 89.0980 0.0100 0.01
Pound-Rupee 103.6360 -0.0750 -0.07
Rupee-100 Yen 0.6734 -0.0003 -0.05
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What is cloud seeding? How it works

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Summary

Cloud seeding is the practice of generating artificial rain by implanting substances in clouds. It uses generators and planes to pour chemicals into clouds to condense tiny particles into larger raindrops.

Dubai used cloud seeding to increase rainfall in the region on Tuesday, April 16. The city administration has been conducting this process for years, particularly in the summer, to improve the rainfall to deal with the problem of water scarcity.

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, the Prince of Dubai, shared on Instagram a view where the elephants were spotted walking and enjoying the weather after Dubai received heavy rainfall.

What is cloud seeding?

Cloud seeding is the process of weather modification to stimulate the precipitation process to produce rain or snow. For this, substances like silver iodide, potassium iodide, or liquid propane are dispersed into the air. These substances provide nuclei around which water droplets can form before the formation of precipitation.

This technique has been used for decades in some regions to alleviate drought conditions.

Process of cloud seeding

According to DRI, the process of cloud seeding can be carried out from ground-based generators or aircraft. The DRI Cloud Seeding Research Program primarily uses ground-based generators that are designed and built such that they can work remotely. They also use a subcontracted seeding aircraft in the Carson and Walker River basins.

In this operation, most of the time, they use a compound called silver iodide to aid in the formation of ice crystals. When a storm system passes through the cloud-seeding areas, the ground-based generators or aircraft burn a solution containing a small amount of silver iodide.

When it reaches the cloud, it works as an ice-forming nuclei and helps in the formation of snowflakes.

Benefits of cloud seeding

Cloud seeding is the practice of generating artificial rain by implanting substances in clouds. It uses generators and planes to pour chemicals into clouds to condense tiny particles into larger raindrops.

The benefits of cloud seeding are different from time to time, but the main objective is to enhance the rainfall, winter snowfall, etc.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -72.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +28.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -72.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +28.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95

Currency

Company Price Chng %Chng
Dollar-Rupee 73.3500 0.0000 0.00
Euro-Rupee 89.0980 0.0100 0.01
Pound-Rupee 103.6360 -0.0750 -0.07
Rupee-100 Yen 0.6734 -0.0003 -0.05
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A 1.6-pound metal fell from the sky and crashed on someone’s house — space debris can be scary

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Summary

More than 25,000 objects larger than 10 centimetres are floating around the Earth’s orbit and this junk travels at a tremendous speed of about 7 to 8 kilometres a second, according to NASA. Some of them travel at ten times the speed of a bullet. Some of them fall on earth.

On March 8, a mysterious object crashed through the roof of Alejandro Otero’s home in Florida. Today, NASA admitted that it was a 700 gram metal object that was discarded by the International Space Station in March 2021.

It’s common practice to dispose of junk in space and they are supposed to burn up when it enters the Earth’s atmosphere but this one didn’t. Many

The metal object that fell from the sky and crashed into Otero’s home was part of a pallet, a flat wooden structure, which was used to store aging batteries  that weighed over 2,630 kg.

The problem of rising space debris

More than 25,000 objects larger than 10 centimetres are floating around the Earth’s orbit and this junk travels at a tremendous speed of about 7 to 8 kilometres a second, according to NASA.

Some of them travel at ten times the speed of a bullet.

An average of one cataloged piece of debris fell back to Earth each day in the last 50 years, the American space agency said.

On April 2, a flaming piece of orbital wreck weighing over 1,500 kg, which was left in space by the Shenzou 15 mission launched by China, crashed over Southern California.

A space debris from the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) PSLV satellite fell on a beach in Australia in 2023.

Most of the space debris falls into the oceans, covering over 70% of the Earth’s surface.

While the odds may be low, but a big piece of space junk falling at great speeds and crashing into a ship could cause a lot of damage.

Some of the pieces may even be radioactive as was the case with the remnants of the Kosmos 954, a Soviet Union satellite that crashed in the north of Canada in 1978 .

Even those that fall into the water may hurt life and pollute marine ecosystems.

Possible accidents on Earth due to falling space debris are not the only risks.

The floating space junk also collide with satellites in outer space. By NASA’s admission, the ISS collides with space debris at an average of once a year.

There are international laws to curb the generation and management of space junk. Article 7 of the Outer Space Treaty says that the country launching the space object would be liable to pay for any damages due to the debris it leaves behind.

The convention, which came into force in September 1972, also provides for procedures for the settlement of claims for damages, says the United Nations Office of Outer Space Affairs.

However, the junk and the risks emerging from it are increasing with the rising role of private players in the space industry.

The first fine for leaving discarded junk in space was imposed only in October 2023. The US-based Dish Network paid $150,000 for violating the norms.

The European Space Agency has a planned launch in 2026 to clean up millions of space debris. The Switzerland-based Startup Clearspace that built the solution described the vehicle as a tow truck for the space.

A defunct rocket weighing 112 kg is only one of the millions of junk floating over our head in the low Earth orbit waiting to be cleaned up by Clearsapce, which was described byTIME Magazine rated as one the best inventions of 2023.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -72.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +28.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -72.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +28.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95

Currency

Company Price Chng %Chng
Dollar-Rupee 73.3500 0.0000 0.00
Euro-Rupee 89.0980 0.0100 0.01
Pound-Rupee 103.6360 -0.0750 -0.07
Rupee-100 Yen 0.6734 -0.0003 -0.05
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The world’s most popular coffee may be over 600,000 years old

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Summary

The findings of a new study, funded by Nestle, may be a step in making Coffee Arabica more resistant to pests and illnesses.

The latest study published in Nature Genetics reportedly showed that Coffee Arabica, the most commonly consumed variety of coffee, developed in Ethiopia between 600,000 years and a million years ago.

The University of Bufffalo study of the coffee genome, which was funded by Nestle, has shown that the crop grew in the wild, without any role for humans, and that it can survive climate change.

Why are the findings significant?

Poor genetic diversity has led to a shrinking population size of Arabica, which is used by popular coffee chains like Starbucks and Tim Hortons, and made the crop vulnerable to pests and illnesses.

For instance, one of the other variants of coffee, the Robusta (used primarily in the making of instant coffee), is born out of mating between Arabica and Canephora. Robusta is relatively more resistant to diseases than Arabica.

“These results (of the study) suggest a novel target locus for potentially improving pathogen resistance in Arabica,” Jarkko Salojärvi, assistant professor at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and one of the authors of the latest study, reportedly said.

History of coffee

Coffee is believed to have originated in the forests of Ethiopia in pre-historic times. But it wasn’t a global phenomenon until the 15th century when its cultivation began in Yemen and other parts of the Arabian peninsula.

America’s National Coffee Association says that coffee made it to Europe in the 17th century, thanks to the merchants from Venice travelling to the Ottoman empire.

The coffee may have reached India around the same time. Legend goes that a Sufi saint Baba Budan was so in awe of the ‘magical beverage’, he smuggled seven beans of coffee in his beard, on his way back from Mecca.

The saint is supposed to have planted them on the hills in modern day Chikkamagaluru in Karnataka, giving rise to the name Baba Budangiri, where his tomb is situated.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -72.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +28.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -72.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +28.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95

Currency

Company Price Chng %Chng
Dollar-Rupee 73.3500 0.0000 0.00
Euro-Rupee 89.0980 0.0100 0.01
Pound-Rupee 103.6360 -0.0750 -0.07
Rupee-100 Yen 0.6734 -0.0003 -0.05
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Meet Gopi Thotakura, set to be the first Indian space tourist

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Summary

Gopi Thotakura will be the first Indian space tourist and the second Indian to venture into space after the Indian Army’s Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma in 1984.

Blue Origin, an aerospace company led by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has revealed its six-person crew that will soon be flying on its NS-25 mission. Among the crew members is Gopi Thotakura, an entrepreneur and a pilot, who will be the first Indian to venture into space as a tourist.

Other crew members of the flight include Kenneth L Hess, Sylvain Chiron, Carol Schaller, Mason Angel and former Air Force Captain Ed Dwight, who was selected by former US President John F Kennedy in 1961 as the nation’s first black astronaut candidate. However, he was never granted the opportunity to fly to space.

Thotakura will be the first Indian space tourist and the second Indian to venture into space after the Indian Army’s Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma in 1984, PTI reported.

ALSO READ | In search for life, NASA’s ‘Clipper’ spacecraft to explore Jupiter’s moon

The upcoming mission is set to be the seventh human flight for Blue Origin’s New Shepard programme and the 25th in the company’s history. So far, the programme has flown 31 humans above the Karman line, which is the proposed conventional boundary between the Earth’s atmosphere and outer space.

In a statement, the company said the flight date is yet to be announced.

Who is Gopi Thotakura?

Born in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Thotakura is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

He serves as the co-founder of Preserve Life Corp, a global centre for holistic wellness and applied health. The centre is situated near Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

“Gopi is a pilot and aviator who learned how to fly before he could drive,” Blue Origin said in a release.

ALSO READ | US, Japan announce plans to send Japanese astronaut to moon

Besides flying jets commercially, Thotakura pilots bush, aerobatic, and seaplanes, as well as gliders and hot air balloons. He has also served as an international medical jet pilot.

A lifelong traveller, Thotakura’s most recent adventure included the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

As per the company’s release, each astronaut will carry a postcard to space during the flight on behalf of its foundation, Club for the Future.

The programme provides students access to space on its rockets, including an all-digital method to create and send postcards.

The mission of Club for the Future is to inspire and mobilise future generations to pursue a career in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) for the benefit of Earth.

“From an environmental standpoint, nearly 99% of New Shepard’s dry mass is reused, including the booster, capsule, engine, landing gear, and parachutes,” the company said.

It added that the New Shepard’s engine is fuelled by highly efficient liquid oxygen and hydrogen.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

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nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -72.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +28.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -72.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +28.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95

Currency

Company Price Chng %Chng
Dollar-Rupee 73.3500 0.0000 0.00
Euro-Rupee 89.0980 0.0100 0.01
Pound-Rupee 103.6360 -0.0750 -0.07
Rupee-100 Yen 0.6734 -0.0003 -0.05
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 5 Minutes Read

In search for life, NASA’s ‘Clipper’ spacecraft to explore Jupiter’s moon

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

 Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Summary

The probe will cost NASA a whopping $5 billion and is currently at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, sitting in a “clean room”.

US space agency NASA is gearing up for an interplanetary probe to hunt for extra-terrestrial life on one of Jupiter’s icy moons. US scientists recently unveiled plans to send the Clipper spacecraft to Europa, one of dozens of moons orbiting Jupiter, in October this year, AFP reported.

It is touted as the nearest spot in our celestial neighbourhood that might offer a perch for life.

“One of the fundamental questions that NASA wants to understand is, are we alone in the cosmos?” the news agency quoted Bob Pappalardo, the mission’s project scientist, as saying.

This probe will cost NASA a whopping $5 billion and is currently at its Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, sitting in a ‘clean room’. The sealed area is only accessible to those who wear head-to-toe covering.

The US space agency is making all possible efforts to make sure that the probe remains free of contaminants to avoid transporting Earthly microbes to Europa.

Clipper will be launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket in October 2024 to kickstart its five-year journey that involves a pass by Mars.

It is expected to be in orbit around Jupiter and Europa in 2031. There it will start its detailed study of the moon which scientists believe is covered in frozen water.

Pappalardo said that Clipper will have instruments like cameras, and spectrometers, a magnetometer and a radar that can “penetrate right through ice, bounce off liquid water and back to the surface to tell us how thick is the ice and where is liquid water located”.

The mission managers are looking out for conditions that could support life on Europa — nearly the size of Earth’s moon.

Conditions on Europa could provide a similar habitat, the scientists believe.

“If moons around planets far away from stars could hold life, then the number of opportunities around the solar system, around the universe, where life could take hold, I think goes up dramatically,” AFP quoted Jordan Evans, project manager for the Europa Clipper mission, as saying.

However, the challenging environment around Europa poses significant challenges to NASA’s mission.

A powerful radiation field around Europa may degrade the instruments, because of this the signal will take 45 minutes to arrive at mission control.

Further, it will be difficult to keep Clipper powered as sustaining power with solar arrays is difficult.

Right after launch, the solar panels put out 23,000 watts, however, once they are out at Jupiter, they are only putting out 700 watts, Evans said.

 

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

 Daily Newsletter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

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today's market

index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -72.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +28.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -72.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +28.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95

Currency

Company Price Chng %Chng
Dollar-Rupee 73.3500 0.0000 0.00
Euro-Rupee 89.0980 0.0100 0.01
Pound-Rupee 103.6360 -0.0750 -0.07
Rupee-100 Yen 0.6734 -0.0003 -0.05
Quiz
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What coins do you think will be valuable over next 3 years?

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Should Elon Musk be able to buy Twitter?

 5 Minutes Read

International Day of Human Space Flight 2024: History, theme, significance, and more

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

 Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Summary

The day is celebrated to honour the first person in the world named Yuri Gagarin, who dared to go to space.

The International Day of Human Space Flight is celebrated on April 12. The day is celebrated to honour the first person, Yuri Gagarin, to go to space. The day is also dedicated to the beginning of the space era for mankind, the contribution of space science and technology, and ensuring to conservation of outer space for peaceful purposes. On April 7, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly finalised April 12 as the International Day of Human Space Flight.

International Day of Human Space Flight 2024: History

On October 4, 1957, a human-made satellite named, Sputnik I, was sent to space. This was the first ever human effort to explore space. After understanding space and enhancing the technologies, on April 12, 1961, Yuri Gagarin from the Soviet Union became the first human to travel around the earth in space. Later, on June 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first person on Earth to set foot on the moon.

International Day of Human Space Flight 2024: Significance

Exploring space has enabled the world to understand the fields of communications, navigation, and weather forecasting, among others. As a result, the United Nations acknowledges the benefits that outer space can have for mankind. As space scientists are making continuous innovations with technology, it has helped mankind understand the potential threats that might be freely moving in the solar system and approaching our planet Earth.

In the end, it is also an appreciation for the technological advancements that have been made to better understand space. It is also a reminder to keep exploring and using our knowledge to make the world a better place for everyone.

International Day of Human Space Flight 2024: Theme

The theme of this year’s International Day of Human Space Flight is ‘Encourage Scientific Curiosity’. This year, the world will focus on promoting peaceful exploration and maintenance of outer space.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

 Daily Newsletter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Previous Article

Oil Fluctuates as Traders Assess China’s Vow, Unrest in Libya

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Shanghai residents turn to NFTs to record COVID lockdown, combat censorship

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today's market

index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -72.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +28.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -72.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +28.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95

Currency

Company Price Chng %Chng
Dollar-Rupee 73.3500 0.0000 0.00
Euro-Rupee 89.0980 0.0100 0.01
Pound-Rupee 103.6360 -0.0750 -0.07
Rupee-100 Yen 0.6734 -0.0003 -0.05
Quiz
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10 Questions · 5 Minutes
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Win WRX (WazirX token) worth Rs. 1500.
Question 1 of 5

What coins do you think will be valuable over next 3 years?

Answer Anonymously

Should Elon Musk be able to buy Twitter?

 5 Minutes Read

US, Japan announce plans to send Japanese astronaut to moon

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

 Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Summary

The astronaut from Japan will take part in the Artemis program, a NASA-led effort to return astronauts to the moon as early as 2026, more than half a century after the last Apollo mission.

Japanese astronauts will join future NASA lunar missions, President Joe Biden announced Wednesday, a move meant to signal more robust economic and defense ties between the two nations.

In a news conference at the White House alongside Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Biden said that two Japanese astronauts will join future NASA lunar missions, “and one will become the first non-American ever to land on the moon.”

The pledge marks Washington’s latest move to use the space program to court friendly nations and compete with China in a race to the moon.

The astronaut from Japan will take part in the Artemis program, a NASA-led effort to return astronauts to the moon as early as 2026, more than half a century after the last Apollo mission.

The Biden administration has recorded other big wins in its space diplomacy strategy.

During Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington last September, the two countries announced that NASA would work with India’s space agency on a joint mission to the International Space Station.

New Delhi also agreed to sign the Artemis Accords, a US-backed initiative to establish guidelines for activity on the moon and elsewhere in space.

Japan and India are among three dozen countries to have signed the Artemis Accords, with Greece and Uruguay signing up in February.

China hasn’t signed, instead seeking support for a proposal to cooperate with Russia to establish a research base on the moon.

Beijing, which has committed to sending its first astronauts to the moon by the end of the decade, has had modest success in winning commitments for the lunar research base, with expressions of support from countries such as Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt, Pakistan and South Africa.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

 Daily Newsletter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Previous Article

Oil Fluctuates as Traders Assess China’s Vow, Unrest in Libya

Next Article

Shanghai residents turn to NFTs to record COVID lockdown, combat censorship

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today's market

index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -72.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +28.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -72.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +28.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95

Currency

Company Price Chng %Chng
Dollar-Rupee 73.3500 0.0000 0.00
Euro-Rupee 89.0980 0.0100 0.01
Pound-Rupee 103.6360 -0.0750 -0.07
Rupee-100 Yen 0.6734 -0.0003 -0.05
Quiz
Powered by
Are you a Crypto Head? It’s time to prove it!
10 Questions · 5 Minutes
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Win WRX (WazirX token) worth Rs. 1500.
Question 1 of 5

What coins do you think will be valuable over next 3 years?

Answer Anonymously

Should Elon Musk be able to buy Twitter?

 5 Minutes Read

SpaceX contract to supply Starlink in Ukraine is worth $23 million

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

 Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Summary

The contract to supply SpaceX’s Starlink communications terminals runs from June of last year through next month, the official said.

The Pentagon revealed that its contract to deploy Elon Musk’s Starlink terminals in Ukraine is worth $23 million, finally putting a dollar figure on a deal that has embroiled the world’s richest man in the Russia conflict — sometimes to his own chagrin.

A US official, who asked not to be identified because details of the contract haven’t been previously disclosed, characterized the service as a vital part of the security assistance the US is providing to Ukraine. The contract to supply SpaceX’s Starlink communications terminals runs from June of last year through next month, the official said.

The US had refused to disclose the size of the contract after Bloomberg News disclosed the arrangement last year. Asked what’s changed, the official pointed to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by Defense Daily, a Washington defense-trade newsletter.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

 Daily Newsletter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Previous Article

Oil Fluctuates as Traders Assess China’s Vow, Unrest in Libya

Next Article

Shanghai residents turn to NFTs to record COVID lockdown, combat censorship

LIVE TV

today's market

index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -72.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +28.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -72.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +28.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +30.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -14.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95
index Price Change
nifty 50 ₹16,986.00 -7.15
sensex ₹1,882.60 +8.30
nifty IT ₹2,206.80 +3.85
nifty bank ₹1,318.95 -1.95

Currency

Company Price Chng %Chng
Dollar-Rupee 73.3500 0.0000 0.00
Euro-Rupee 89.0980 0.0100 0.01
Pound-Rupee 103.6360 -0.0750 -0.07
Rupee-100 Yen 0.6734 -0.0003 -0.05
Quiz
Powered by
Are you a Crypto Head? It’s time to prove it!
10 Questions · 5 Minutes
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Win WRX (WazirX token) worth Rs. 1500.
Question 1 of 5

What coins do you think will be valuable over next 3 years?

Answer Anonymously

Should Elon Musk be able to buy Twitter?