Category: Science & Tech

According to ISRO, a research found evidence for an increased probability of subsurface water ice formation in the Moon’s polar craters. 

Water Ice on the Moon: ISRO’s Findings

• According to the research, the amount of subsurface ice within the first few metres is around 5-8 times more than that observed on the lunar surface.
• Furthermore, the study showed that the Northern Polar zone has double the amount of water ice as the Southern Polar region.
• It emphasises the need of digging to reach this ice for future missions and long-term human presence on the Moon.

Origin of Water Ice:

• The work supports the notion that subsurface water ice in the lunar poles formed as a result of outgassing during volcanic activity in the Imbrian epoch.
• It appears that Lunar Mare Volcanism and preferential impact cratering control the distribution of water ice on the Moon. 

Methodology

• The study team used seven equipment on the NASA spacecraft Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO): radar, laser, optical, neutron spectrometer, ultraviolet spectrometer, and thermal radiometer. LRO glides above the lunar south pole.
• These devices gave critical data for determining the origin and distribution of water ice on the lunar surface.

The significance of the findings

• Accurate information of water ice distribution and depth is critical for selecting appropriate landing and sample locations for future lunar missions.
• The study supports ISRO’s future plans for in-situ volatile exploration on the Moon, which are consistent with the agency’s overall lunar exploration goals. 

Source: https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/studies-suggest-more-ice-on-moon-within-exploitable-depths-isro-5568544#:~:text=The%20recent%20study%20suggests%20that,poles%2C%20an%20ISRO%20statement%20said.&text=The%20study%20also%20suggests%20that,in%20the%20northern%20polar%20region.

• The Indian Navy has added the ‘Ammunition Cum Torpedo Cum Missile Barge, LSAM 20’ (Yard 130) to its fleet.

What is LSAM 20?

• The Indian Navy has inducted LSAM 20 (Yard 130), an Ammunition, Torpedo, and Missile Barge (Storage). (constructed by MSME Shipyard, M/s Suryadipta Projects Pvt Ltd, Thane).
• LSAM 20 permits the transfer, embarkation, and disembarkation of articles/munitions onto IN ships.
• These barges are developed and manufactured in-house in accordance with the Indian Register of Shipping’s Naval Rules and Regulations. 

Objective

• A Torpedo Cum Missile Barge is a specially designed watercraft used by the Indian Navy to transfer various types of ammunition, torpedoes, and missiles to active zones.
• These barges serve an important role in providing logistical support to naval warships by assuring the continuous transit of vital military supplies.  

Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2019109

• NASA has launched the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) spacecraft from New Zealand into orbit, using sunlight as propulsion.

About the Advanced Composite Solar Sail System (ACS3) Project

• The spacecraft is scheduled to circle 1,000 kilometres above Earth and unfurl an 80-square-meter solar sail around 25 minutes after launch.
• It uses sunlight as a renewable propulsion source, which represents a significant improvement in space travel.
• It employs a small CubeSat, similar in size to an oven, that enables propulsion by collecting solar particle energy.
• The initial flying phase lasts two months and includes subsystem checkout and solar sail deployment.
• A sequence of pointing manoeuvres will demonstrate orbit increasing and lowering, proving the effect of solar pressure on the sail. 

The Technology Behind Solar Sailing

• Solar sailing, also known as solar sailing propulsion, is a type of spacecraft propulsion that uses the radiation pressure produced by sunlight to push a spacecraft forward.
• Unlike typical rocket propulsion, which generates thrust by expelling mass (such as fuel), solar sailing uses momentum transfer from photons (light particles) generated by the Sun.
• The notion of solar sailing is based on momentum exchange. 
• Photons from the Sun strike a big, reflecting sail connected to a spaceship, transferring momentum and causing it to accelerate.
• This acceleration progressively accumulates over time, allowing the spaceship to reach high speeds without the need of onboard fuel.
• Solar sails are primarily made of lightweight, reflective fabrics like Mylar or aluminized Kapton and are deployed in space to collect sunlight.
• The sail is frequently designed as a broad, thin membrane with a big surface area to maximise the quantity of sunlight it can capture. 

Solar sailing offers several advantages over traditional propulsion methods, including:

1. Solar sailing does not require onboard fuel, making it a highly efficient and environmentally friendly propulsion technique for long-duration missions.
2. Continuous thrust: Unlike chemical rockets, which produce short bursts of acceleration, solar sails may deliver continuous propulsion for as long as they are exposed to sunlight.
3. Manoeuvrability: Solar sails may alter their trajectory by shifting their orientation in relation to the direction of incoming sunlight. This enables precise navigation and manoeuvring in space.
4. Interstellar travel: Solar sailing has the potential to permit interstellar expeditions by gradually accelerating spacecraft to extremely high speeds over time, allowing them to investigate distant star systems. 

Source: https://www.nasa.gov/smallspacecraft/what-is-acs3/

• After several rounds of screening, researchers discovered an antibody, 95Mat5, that had promising results in producing a strong antidote to several snake venoms.

What is 95Mat5?

• 95Mat5 is a global antivenom designed to neutralise the poisons found in snake venoms.
• Development Process:

1. The scientists began by synthesising versions of a toxin known as long-chain 3FTxs (3FTx-L), which may be found in the venoms of a variety of snakes, including cobras, kraits, mambas, and monocled cobra.
2. They next tested billions of human antibodies produced on yeast cell surfaces to discover those that bind better to the synthesised poisons.
3. After many rounds of screening, they narrowed down a list of antibodies that widely responded with the majority of the 3FTx variations employed in the study.
4. The chosen antibodies were then tested in vitro in human cells to see which ones could best neutralise the poisons.

Mechanism of Action

• 95Mat5 targets α-neurotoxins, a kind of 3FTx that block nerve and muscle cells from reacting to acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is a neurotransmitter that transports messages from neurons to muscles.
• 95Mat5 binds to toxins and stops them from engaging with receptors in human nerve and muscle cells, limiting their potential to cause paralysis and other lethal consequences.
• In animal studies, 95Mat5 was shown to be effective at neutralising poisons found in the venoms of numerous snake species, saving the animals’ lives.

Source: https://www.lstmed.ac.uk/news-events/news/groundbreaking-research-paves-the-way-for-more-effective-snakebite-treatment

• ISRO satellite photographs reveal a rise in the size of Gepang Gath Lake, despite growing worries about climate change.
• Gepang Gath Lake (one of the largest glacial lakes in the Chandra basin) is located in the Western Indian Himalaya near the Gepan Gath glacier’s terminal.

What are Glacial Lakes?

• Glacial lakes are pools of water that originate in depressions on glaciers’ surfaces or moraines left behind by retreating glaciers. Glacial lakes were divided into four basic types depending on how they formed:  
  • Moraine-dammed, 
  • Ice-dammed, 
  • Erosion, and 
  • Other glacial lakes.
  • The bulk of the increasing lakes are moraine-dammed (307), followed by Erosion (265), other (96), and ice-dammed (8) glacial lakes.
  • Glacial lakes emerge as meltwater accumulates from melting glacier ice. As glaciers travel, they create depressions in the terrain, which can fill with water to produce lakes.
    • When glaciers recede, they leave behind moraines that can function as natural dams, trapping meltwater and creating lakes.
• Characteristics:
  • Sizes vary according to the glacier’s size and activity.
  • Found in alpine and arctic places where glaciers exist.
  • Melting glacial ice, precipitation, and runoff serve as the principal sources of water. 
• Significance of Glacial Lakes:

• Glacial lakes have an important role in controlling water flow in glacier-fed rivers, especially during the dry season.
• Provides home for unusual aquatic animals that have evolved to cold, high-altitude conditions.
• Contributes to landscape evolution by forming landforms such as cirques and tarns.
• Present Ecological Challenges:
  • Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) are the abrupt discharge of water from glacial lakes that can pose substantial risks to downstream towns and infrastructure. Take the Chamoli disaster, for example.
  • Glacial lakes may rapidly develop as glaciers melt, increasing the danger of flooding and landslides in nearby regions.

Source: https://www.businesstoday.in/visualstories/news/size-doubled-in-four-decades-isro-expresses-concern-over-himalayan-glacial-lakes-expansion-131122-24-04-2024

• The Union government has adopted a programme to promote India as a manufacturing hub for electric vehicles.

Features of the Electric Vehicle Policy:

• Import Duty Reduction: For the next five years, import duty on electric vehicles (EVs) imported as Completely Built Units (CBUs) with a minimum CIF value of $35,000 will be decreased from 70%-100% to 15%.
• Waive of Duty: To import 40,000 electric vehicles in five years with a tax waiver of ₹6,484 crore or proportionate to investment (whichever is lower), a minimum investment of $800 million is required.
• Localization Targets: Manufacturers must establish manufacturing facilities in India within three years. They must accomplish 25% localization by the third year, and 50% by the fifth year of incentivized operation.
• Incentives for Establishing Manufacturing Facilities: The programme encourages enterprises to develop manufacturing facilities in India by granting lower import levies and exemptions if they satisfy specific investment and localization criteria.
• Encouragement of Global EV producers: The strategy intends to attract global EV producers such as Tesla and Chinese EV maker BYD to enter the Indian market by offering favourable terms for establishing manufacturing facilities and importing EVs.

Present issues highlighted by private market players:

• Impact on indigenous sector: Tata Motors opposed the cut in import taxes, saying that it would harm the indigenous sector. They said that cutting tariffs would hurt the investment climate.
• Domestic firms are worried that the regulation primarily advantages higher-end Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), potentially putting them at a competitive disadvantage in segments under ₹29 lakh.
• Favouring Global Players: The strategy looks to favour global EV players and Indian joint ventures with them, potentially making it more difficult for domestic players to compete successfully.

Conclusion: 

The government should engage in communication with stakeholders, especially local players like Tata Motors, to address their concerns and solicit their advice on policy formulation. Domestic players must be supported through measures such as incentives and assistance for technological development, innovation, and capacity building. 

Source: https://www.livemint.com/news/india/ev-industry-in-india-how-india-accelerates-towards-becoming-next-powerhouse-in-ev-production-11688005217114.html

• Understanding and regulating the Glycemic Index (GI) in meals is critical for improving long-term health and lowering the risk of chronic illnesses.

What is the Glycemic Index?

• Professor David Jenkins of the University of Toronto invented the Glycemic Index (GI) in 1981.
• The GI of a food determines how rapidly it elevates blood glucose levels in comparison to a reference food, usually glucose or white bread, which is assigned a value of 100. 

GI Classification and Glycemic Load (GL):

• Multiplying GI by the amount of carbohydrate consumed gives the Glycemic Load (GL).
• Accordingly, foods are classified as:

1. Low GI (below 55) foods include brown rice, steel-cut oats, legumes (such as lentils and chickpeas), most fruits (such as apples, berries, and oranges), vegetables, nuts, and seeds.
2. Whole wheat goods, such as whole wheat bread and pasta, some rice varieties (such as basmati rice), and certain fruits, such as pineapple and mango, have a medium GI (56-69).
3. Refined carbs and sugary foods with a high GI (70 or above) include white rice, white bread, refined flour products, potatoes, sweetened beverages (such as soda), sweets, cookies, and sugary snacks.

Debate and Perspectives:

• The PURE research, conducted in 20 countries including India, found a relationship between high GI meals and cardiovascular events and death.
• The evidence supports the link between high GI diets and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and death.

Relevance for India

• In South Asia, where diets are high in GI items such as white rice, attempts to minimise GI and GL are critical.
• Lowering GI and GL can help prevent not just diabetes but also early cardiovascular disease, which is common in India.

Source: https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/glycemic-index-of-diets-importance-beyond-diabetes-control/article68084055.ece#:~:text=If%20diets%20with%20high%20GI,premature%20cardiovascular%20disease%20in%20India.

• DRDO inaugurated a cutting-edge SPACE testing and evaluation facility for sonar systems, built specifically for the Indian Navy.

About the Submersible Platform for Acoustic Characterization and Evaluation (SPACE)

• The SPACE is based in the Underwater Acoustic Research Facility at Kulamavu, Idukki, Kerala.
• DRDO’s Naval Physical & Oceanographic Laboratory is responsible for its development.
• It is expected to become a renowned testing and evaluation facility for sonar systems used on various Indian Navy platforms such as ships, submarines, and helicopters.

Key Features of SPACE:

• SPACE has two components: a floating platform on the water surface and a submersible platform that can descend to depths of up to 100 metres via winch systems.
• After operations are completed, the submersible platform can be winched up and docked with the floating platform, allowing for more efficient resource utilisation. 

Functions and Capabilities:

• SPACE evaluates full sonar systems, enabling quick deployment and retrieval of research packages such sensors and transducers.
• It will be used to survey, sample, and gather data on air, surface, mid-water, and reservoir floor parameters with contemporary scientific instrumentation.
• It will meet data processing and sample analysis needs, ushering in a new era of anti-submarine warfare research capabilities.

Source: https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2018127

• The recent meeting of major financiers and supporters of the carbon offsets market in London prompted worries about the Science Based Targets initiative’s (SBTi) role in constraining market growth.
• SBTi’s severe standards for net-zero plans have made it the gold standard in emissions accountability, but some say that they limit the effectiveness of carbon offsets in fighting climate change. 

What is the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)?

• The SBTi is a collaborative project led by four international organisations.

1. Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP),
2. United Nations Global Compact (UNGC),
3. World Resources Institute (WRI), and
4. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

• The SBTi aims to assist businesses in setting ambitious and scientifically sound greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets.

	Details
Purpose	To motivate aggressive business action on climate change by offering a framework for establishing science-based targets that are consistent with the Paris Agreement goals.
Launch Year	2015
Founding Organizations	Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP),United Nations Global Compact (UNGC),World Resources Institute (WRI), andWorld Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).
Methodologies	SBTi provides principles and methodology for businesses to set targets that are compatible with the most recent climate research and help to minimise global warming.
Global Reach	Engages with businesses worldwide, partnering with partners from many sectors, regions, and industries to encourage the adoption of science-based goals.
Recognition	Recognised as a major forum for corporate climate action, companies commit to setting science-based targets and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.Updates and refines its techniques and verification processes to match improvements in climate science and best practices for reducing emissions.

Source: https://sciencebasedtargets.org/