Category: Science

Space startup Agnikul Cosmos finally to launch maiden sub-orbital rocket after multiple delays

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

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Indian aerospace startup Agnikul Cosmos on Saturday informed that it will launch its 3D-printed, semi-cryogenic Agnibaan rocket between May 28 and June 5.

The Chennai-based company wrote on social media platform X, “NOTAM issued. It is launch time.”

NOTAM issued. 🚀🌏 It is launch time. pic.twitter.com/KfntcDXZBN

— AgniKul Cosmos (@AgnikulCosmos) May 18, 2024

The launch is scheduled from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

This comes after the start-up on April 7 called off the maiden launch of Agnibaan rocket just 92 seconds before lift-off citing some technical issues, PTI reported.

It was the company’s third attempt at the test launch of the Agnibaan Sub-Orbital Technology Demonstrator (SOrTeD) since March 22 – the first scheduled date for the test flight.

“The Agnibaan SOrTeD lift-off was cancelled at T minus 92 seconds,” the IIT Chennai incubated start-up noted.

“Had to call off today’s launch attempt of Agnibaan SOrTeD just a second into Automated Launch Sequence (ALS) initiation (at T-129 seconds), because of a communication issue between 2 of our onboard hardware. Although it is frustrating to see a HOLD this close to lift off, we are glad that our ALS did its job. We’ll get to the root cause and come back for launch after fixing the cause. Thank you for the support as always,” it wrote on X on April 7.

After the launch of the Vikram-S sub-orbital rocket by another start-up Skyroot Aerospace in November 2022, Agnikul is aiming to conduct the country’s second private rocket launch.

As per the company, Agnibaan is a customisable, two-stage launch vehicle, which is capable of carrying a payload of up to 300 kg into orbit of about 700 km.

The Agnibaan rocket is based on a semi-cryogenic engine with a mix of liquid and gas propellants — the technology which is yet to be demonstrated by ISRO in any of its rockets.

Agnikul’s SOrTeD mission is a single-stage launch vehicle demonstration. It is powered by a semi-cryogenic engine, named Agnilet, which is a sub-cooled liquid oxygen-brd propulsion system developed indigenously, reports said.

It is powered by sub-cooled Liquid Oxygen (LOX) and Aviation Turbine Fuel (ATF) and is further equipped with four carbon composite fins to provide passive control.

As per reports, the start-up’s mission will last for just over two minutes from launch to splashdown. After lift-off, it is expected to perform a pitch-over manoeuvre nearly four seconds into flight.

The manoeuvre will involve the controlled rotation of the vehicle to change its orientation from vertical to a predetermined angle concerning the ground or its flight path, PTI reported.

After that, it will go into the wind-biasing manoeuvre at just over 39 seconds. At about 1 minute 29 seconds, the vehicle is expected to reach the apogee — a point it will be farthest from the launch site, before splashing down just over two minutes into the flight which will mark the end of the mission.

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Sun shoots out biggest solar flare in almost 2 decades, but Earth should be out of the way this time

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

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The sun produced its biggest flare in nearly two decades Tuesday, just days after severe solar storms pummeled Earth and created dazzling northern lights in unaccustomed places.

“Not done yet!” the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced in an update.

It’s the biggest flare of this 11-year solar cycle, which is approaching its peak, according to NOAA. The good news is that Earth should be out of the line of fire this time because the flare erupted on a part of the sun rotating away from Earth.

NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory captured the bright flash of the X-ray flare. It was the strongest since 2005, rated on the scale for these flares as X8.7.

Bryan Brasher at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center in Boulder, Colorado said it may turn out to have been even stronger when scientists gather data from other sources.

It follows nearly a week of flares and mass ejections of coronal plasma that threatened to disrupt power and communications on Earth and in orbit. An ejection associated with Tuesday’s flare appeared to have been directed away from our planet, although analysis is ongoing, Brasher noted.

NASA said the weekend geomagnetic storm caused one of its environmental satellites to rotate unexpectedly because of reduced altitude from the space weather, and go into a protective hibernation known as safe mode. And at the International Space Station, the seven astronauts were advised to stay in areas with strong radiation shielding. The crew was never in any danger, according to NASA.

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Astronomers discover cotton candy-like exoplanet larger than Jupiter

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

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Astronomers have identified a planet that’s bigger than Jupiter yet surprisingly as fluffy and light as cotton candy.

The exoplanet has exceedingly low density for its size, an international team reported Tuesday. The gas giants in our solar system — Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune — are much denser.

“The planet is basically super fluffy” because it’s made mostly of light gases rather than solids, lead author Khalid Barkaoui of Massachusetts Institute of Technology said in a statement

Scientists say an outlier like WASP-193b is ideal for studying unconventional planetary formation and evolution. The planet was confirmed last year, but it took extra time and work to determine its consistency based on observations by ground telescopes. It’s thought to consist mostly of hydrogen and helium, according to the study published in Nature Astronomy.

The planet is located some 1,200 light-years away. A light-year is 5.8 trillion miles. It’s the second-lightest exoplanet found so far based on its dimensions and mass, according to the researchers.

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Musk sees fourth flight of SpaceX’s Starship in 3-5 weeks

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

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SpaceX’s Starship rocket, a futuristic vehicle designed to eventually carry astronauts to the moon and beyond, will probably have its fourth flight in 3-5 weeks, the company’s Chief Executive Elon Musk said in a post on social media platform X on Saturday.

“The objective is for the ship to get past max heating or at least further than last time,” Musk said in response to a question about Starship.

Earlier this year, SpaceX’s Starship rocket completed nearly an entire test flight through space on its third try getting farther than ever before, but disintegrated on its return to Earth.

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What is a solar storm? Know its impact

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

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A powerful solar storm in nearly 20 years hit Earth on Friday, sparking magnificent auroras visible from Tasmania to Britain and other parts of the world. Apart from painting the night sky in its surreal hues on Friday, the solar event is likely to continue over the weekend as well.

“This is an unusual and potentially historic event,” Clinton Wallace, Director of the Space Weather Prediction Center of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said.

What is a solar storm?

A solar storm stems from a specific activity on the Sun. According to a report on ABC, large ‘clouds’ containing billions of tonnes of plasma embedded within an ejected magnetic field erupt from the Sun’s outer atmosphere or corona. This process is called coronal mass ejections (CMEs), and they cause the solar storm, according to NOAA. Unlike solar flares, which reach Earth in minutes, CMEs travel slower, with the current average speed at 800 kilometres (500 miles) per second.

The storm can disrupt satellites and power grids. Authorities have advised satellite operators, airlines, and the power grid to take precautions against potential disruptions caused by changes in Earth’s magnetic field.

Impact of solar storm

It majorly interferes with several services, including GPS navigation, weather forecasting, communication, and other satellite-dependent services. Besides that, it also has a significant impact on satellite networks and communication. They can create geomagnetically induced currents (GICs), which can overload electrical systems and cause damage to transformers, issues with voltage regulation, and widespread power outages.

Furthermore, because solar storms increase the amount of solar and cosmic radiation that reaches the top regions of Earth’s atmosphere, they also pose health concerns to people, especially aircraft crew and passengers, especially on flights at high latitudes.

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NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center has issued a Geomagnetic Storm Warning for Friday, May 10, with the possibility of additional solar eruptions leading to continued geomagnetic storm conditions over the weekend.

These storms have the potential to disrupt infrastructure in near-Earth orbit and on Earth’s surface, affecting communications, the electric power grid, navigation, radio, and satellite operations. Operators of these systems have been notified by SWPC to take protective measures.

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Severe solar storm hits Earth, may scramble communications systems, generate northern lights in US

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

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A severe solar storm has made landfall on Earth, which could potentially risk power and communications system, could cause northern lights across the US on May 11-12. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued an uncommon severe geomagnetic storm warning as a solar outburst hit Earth on Friday (May 11), earlier than expected. The impacts are expected to persist throughout the weekend and possibly extend into next week.

There are risks to high-voltage transmission lines and not the electrical lines commonly found in households, experts said. Satellites could also be impacted, potentially disrupting navigation and communication services on Earth.

NOAA cautioned operators of power plants and satellites in orbit to take preventive measures, along with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“For most individuals here on Earth, no action will be required,” said Rob Steenburgh, a scientist at NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center, according to AP.

The storm could generate northern lights visible from Alabama and Northern California. However, predicting its intensity is challenging, and experts stressed that it might not generate the vivid displays of Northern lights, but splashes of greenish hues could be visible in the US.

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“The aurora is truly the celestial gift from space weather,” Steenburgh added. His team suggested that the best views of the aurora might be captured through phone cameras.

“If you snap a picture of the sky, there might actually be a delightful surprise waiting for you,” said Mike Bettwy, operations chief for the prediction center.

Even after the storm subsides, signals between GPS satellites and ground receivers might be scrambled or lost, according to NOAA. However, since there are numerous navigation satellites, any disruptions should be brief.

The sun has been emitting strong solar flares since Wednesday, resulting in at least seven plasma outbursts. Each eruption, known as a coronal mass ejection, can carry billions of tons of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun’s outer atmosphere.

The flares appear to be associated with a sunspot roughly 16 times the diameter of Earth, according to NOAA. This activity is part of the solar cycle ramping up towards its peak every 11 years.

NASA assured that the storm posed no serious threat to the seven astronauts aboard the International Space Station. However, increased radiation levels remain a concern, and the crew could relocate to a better-shielded area of the station if needed.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Sunita Williams’ third mission aborted hours before lift-off due to technical glitch

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

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The launch of the first crewed Boeing Starliner spacecraft flight was aborted just hours before lift-off on Tuesday due to a technical glitch. Astronaut Butch Wilmore was scheduled to accompany Sunita Williams on her third space mission aboard the spacecraft. The delay was revealed during a live NASA webcast and was ascribed to a problem with a valve in the rocket’s second stage. There has been no announcement of a revised launch date yet.

“NASA, Boeing, and United Launch Alliance scrubbed the launch opportunity on Monday, May 6 for the agency’s Boeing Crew Flight Test to the International Space Station due to a faulty oxygen relief valve observation on the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket Centaur second stage,” the space agency said in a statement.

Today’s #Starliner launch is scrubbed as teams evaluate an oxygen relief valve on the Centaur Stage on the Atlas V. Our astronauts have exited Starliner and will return to crew quarters. For updates, watch our live coverage: https://t.co/plfuHQtv4l

— NASA (@NASA) May 7, 2024

Astronauts were strapped into their seats, ready for lift-off, when the request for a ‘scrub’ arrived, giving engineers time to check anomalous readings from an oxygen relief valve.

The Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida, was scheduled to launch the Boeing Starliner at 8:04 am India time.

However, the Atlas V rocket launch was cancelled just 90 minutes before lift-off.

This is Williams’ third space mission; she previously spent 322 days in space and held the record for the most hours of spacewalk by a woman until being surpassed by Peggy Whitson.

Sunita Williams revealed that she plans to carry a special ‘lucky charm’ with her on her third space journey — an idol of Lord Ganesha. She confirmed her intention of bringing the Ganesh idol on her third space mission, according to a report in indiatimes.com

Williams said that Ganesh is her ‘good luck charm,’ and she planned to bring the statue on the commercial crew flight.  In her previous two space missions, she took the Bhagavad Gita along.

This time, she was going to be the first woman to travel on a new space shuttle’s inaugural crewed flight.

It occurs two years after the capsule in the shape of a gumdrop completed its maiden test journey to the orbiting laboratory without any humans onboard.

The Starliner’s maiden uncrewed journey to the ISS in 2019 failed.

Though no decision was made on the timing of a second lift-off attempt, the mission’s next possible launch window is Tuesday evening.

The mission gets underway at a difficult moment for Boeing, as the century-old company’s commercial aircraft segment is engulfed in a safety crisis and has already seen years of delays.

NASA is depending on Starliner’s test being successful to approve a second commercial vehicle that will transport astronauts to the ISS.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX accomplished the feat in 2020 with its Dragon capsule, breaking a nearly decade-long reliance on Russian rockets following the termination of the Space Shuttle programme.

Starliner will be launched into orbit by an Atlas V rocket manufactured by United Launch Alliance, a joint venture between Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

To test the craft’s capabilities, the crew will then assume control and drive it manually. The capsule will next arrive at the ISS and spend a week there.

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

NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight test ready for lift-off amid favourable weather forecast; when and where to watch

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

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US space agency NASA’s Boeing Crew Flight Test is set to launch two astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Launch weather officers predict a 95% chance of favourable conditions at the scheduled lift-off time of 10:34 pm EDT. Two NASA astronauts, Butch Wilmore as commander and Suni Williams as pilot, are all set to make their way to space.

According to NASA, the spacecraft, on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket, is scheduled to launch from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 10:34 pm EDT.

The Starliner spacecraft Calypso is capable of autonomous or manual control and is expected to dock with the space station on Wednesday, May 8.

Butch and Suni will spend about a week at the station before returning to Earth with a parachute and airbag-assisted landing in the southwestern United States.

Following the flight test, NASA will move forward with certifying Starliner and its systems for crewed rotation missions to the space station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program.

Where to watch

The agency said that the coverage of the mission will begin at 6:30 pm ET on NASA+, NASA Television, the NASA app, YouTube, and the agency’s website.

Wilmore and Williams will be the first to fly aboard Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft to the International Space Station.

The event has been delayed for a decade because of the spacecraft’s development setbacks.

“The Starliner spacecraft, with a diameter of 15 feet (4.56 meters), can carry up to four astronauts, or a mix of crew and cargo, for NASA missions to low Earth orbit for the agency’s Commercial Crew Program,” NASA said.

More about mission

This mission is the agency’s first crewed flight of the Starliner spacecraft, as part of the Commercial Crew Program. The mission will test the Starliner system’s end-to-end capabilities in the western United States, including launch, docking, and return to Earth.

In 2019, Williams gave the crew capsule the name Calypso to pay tribute to Jacques Cousteau, the explorer who travelled the planet on a ship of the same name.

His goal was to learn about the ocean and share the wonders of the sea with people, and Williams believes that Starliner can accomplish the same for space.

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

Xenotransplantation — here’s how a gene-edited pig cures humans

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

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The early success of the transplant of a pig kidney into a human being marks a major milestone in the quest to lessen the critical shortages of human kidneys for patients with kidney failure. This has raised hopes for the researchers that large clinical trials involving pig organs could be a reality. It could also bring the process of xenotransplantation which involves use of animal organs into the clinic.

The need for transplantation of organs is growing. While some scientists feel that animal organs can help in reducing the demand, there is a critical component which  discusses on how this could lead to dangerous infections.

Transplanting a whole organ from a pig has been difficult because of genetic differences that causes the human body to reject them. There are also concerns on being infected by a latent virus inside the pig. This virus could then spread to other humans. 

These kind of efforts will soon lead to a surge in small clinical trials of animal for human transplantation in extremely sick people. If successful, this could help many who have been waiting for organ transplants. 

What is Xenotransplantation  

Xenotransplantation is a process that involves the transplantation, implantation or infusion into a human recipient from a non-human animal source.  Despite several potential benefits, there is a risk of an infection of the recipients. This process called as cross species organ transplantation is still in a nascent stage. There are no human clinical trials that have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. 

Transplants from animals have a higher risk because animals have a different genetic code. To lower this risk, researchers make small changes to the animal’s DNA to match better with the human genes. It is very important to find the right genetic code  cells. The genes are edited so that the cells do not  produce a particular sugar that is foreign to the human body and triggers immediate organ rejection. The immune systems of humans were reacting mainly to one sugar molecule on the surfaces of pig cells, called α-Gal.

Xenotransplantation can just be a short-term solution that will reduce the organ shortage in the next five to seven years.

The Risks

There are ethical issues and many animal supportive groups strongly feel that the animals should not be genetically modified. A spokesperson for Animal Aid, a UK-based animal rights group, had told the BBC it was opposed to modifying animal genes in any circumstances. “Animals have a right to live their lives, without being genetically manipulated with all the pain and trauma this entails, only to be killed and their organs harvested,” the organisation said.   The other potential risks are that of organ rejection and virus infection which could be fatal.

The Trajectory 

Lisa Pisano, a 54-year-old woman from New Jersey last month became the second living person to receive a transplant of a gene-edited pig kidney. Doctors also implanted a mechanical heart pump, making Pisano the first person to receive both a heart pump and an organ transplant, according to a statement from NYU Langone Health, where the surgery was performed.

In March this year, a patient at the Massachusetts General Hospital received the first pig kidney transplant. 

The NYU team has earlier experimented with transplanting gene edited pig organs into brain dead patients. They have also twice transplanted pig hearts into deceased human patients. 

In 1984, the heart of a young baboon was transplanted into an infant born with a fatal heart defect. The infant lived for three weeks but died because of heart failure that was caused by the organ rejection. Before this there were other experimental non human heart transplants, the earliest in 1964 using a chimpanzee heart.

The animal to human transplant needs a lot more collaboration, scientific  and clinical trials before they can actually be categorised as a medical success.

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