Science and Technology

 

Science and Technology, Important Development for Competitive Exams. 

NASA Postponed Artemis Moon Missions, which aims to send humans to the moon.

  • NASA has postponed its plans for the Artemis program, which aims to send humans to the moon.
  • The Artemis III mission, intended to land four astronauts near the lunar south pole, will be delayed until September 2026.
  • Artemis II, a 10-day mission to send a crew around the moon to test life support systems, will also be pushed back to September 2025.
  • NASA cited development challenges associated with the program as the reason for the delays.
  • The Artemis III mission aims to have astronauts walking on the lunar surface for the first time in half a century.
  • The postponement was announced shortly after a Pittsburgh company abandoned its attempt to land a spacecraft on the moon due to a mission-ending fuel leak.
  • The Astrobotic Technology’s Peregrine lander, launched as part of NASA’s commercial lunar program, was supposed to serve as a scout for astronauts.

Q: What is the primary goal of NASA’s Artemis program?

a. Sending humans to Mars
b. Sending humans back to the moon
c. Exploring asteroids
d. Establishing a space station on Mars

Ans : b. Sending humans to the moon

ISRO’s Aditya-L1 successfully placed in a halo orbit around L1 point  

  • ISRO successfully placed the Aditya L1 satellite into its final orbit around the Lagrangian point on January 6, 2024.
  • The Halo orbit around the L1 point is considered a challenging task, and ISRO used a meticulous approach, employing the motor and thrusters from the Ground Command Centre, located approximately 1.5 million km away.
  • The propulsion system of Aditya L1 includes a 440 Newton Liquid Apogee Motor, eight 22 Newton thrusters, and four 10 Newton thrusters, which were intermittently fired to position the spacecraft at the L1 point.
  • Aditya L1 is India’s first solar mission designed to observe and study the Sun’s Corona, exploring its extreme heat and its impact on Earth.
  • The Lagrangian Point (L1) is where gravitational forces between the Earth and the Sun achieve equilibrium, allowing observation of the Sun without the hindrance of an eclipse.
  • Aditya L1, launched from Sriharikota, underwent four Earth-bound maneuvers and a Trans Lagrangian Point Insertion maneuver as part of its mission.

Q: What is the Lagrangian Point (L1) ?

a. A point where two spacecraft collide
b. A point where gravitational forces reach equilibrium between Earth and the Moon
c. A point where gravitational forces reach equilibrium between Earth and the Sun
d. A point in space where there is no gravitational force

Ans : c. A point where gravitational forces reach equilibrium between Earth and the Sun

ISRO launched XPOSAT aboard PSLV-C58 from Sriharikota

  • ISRO launched X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) on January 1, 2024, aboard Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C58 from Sriharikota.
  • This marks India’s first dedicated scientific effort to study the polarization of cosmic X-rays from celestial sources.
  • PSLV-C58 also launched ten other scientific payloads along with XPoSat.
  • The launch involved PSLV-DL, placing XPoSat and other payloads in orbit at an altitude of about 650 km.
  • Objectives include measuring polarization of X-rays in a specific energy band, conducting long-term spectral and temporal studies of cosmic X-ray sources, and measuring X-ray emissions from cosmic sources in specific payloads.
  • After orbiting XPoSat at 650 km, the rocket’s fourth stage will be lowered to 350 km through two restarts, creating a 9.6-degree orbit.
  • The leftover propellant in the PS4 will be disposed of through main engines, contributing to the safety of PS4 stage in planned atmosphere re-entry experiments in the future.

Q: What is the primary objective of the X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) launched by ISRO?

a. Studying atmospheric conditions
b. Analyzing polarisation of cosmic X-rays
c. Monitoring space debris
d. Examining lunar surface features

Ans : b. Analyzing polarisation of cosmic X-rays

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