Science and Technology
India Successfully Test Fired N-capable Agni-IV Missile
India on 2 December successfully test fired its 4,000 km Nuclear Capable Agni-IV missile from a defence base in Odisha.The missile is a two-stage, weighing 17 tonne and 20-metre tall.This test was the fourth trial of Agni-IV missile. The first was in November 2011, the second in September 2012 and the third in January 2014. Agni-IV has already been inducted into the army.
Japan Successfully Launched ‘Asteroid Explorer’ Hayabusa 2
Japan has successfully launched its second-generation asteroid explorer ‘Hayabusa 2’ from Tanegashima Space Center on 3 December in Japan’s southwestern Kagoshima prefecture. The Hayabusa 2 was launched aboard the H-2A Launch Vehicle No.26 (H-2A F26) and it is the second mission of Japan after Hayabusa (MUSES-C) launched in 2003 to collect asteroid samples. Hayabusa 2 will explore one of the C-type asteroids called 1999 JU3 in space, retrieve materials and bring them to Earth.
ISRO’s Communication Satellite GSAT-16 Launched Successfully
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) communication satellite GSAT-16 was successfully launched on 7 December by the Ariane-5 launch vehicle VA221 of Arianespace from Kourou, French Guiana. India satellite’s co-passenger DIRECTV-14, built by SSL (Space Systems/Loral) for operator DIRECTV to provide direct-to-home television broadcasts across the US, was also launched by Ariane 5 VA221, marking 63rd successful mission in a row for the rocket. Ariane 5 delivers DIRECTV-14 and GSAT-16 to orbit on Arianespace’s latest mission success.
China Successfully Launched Yaogan Weixing-25 Mission
China on 10 December successfully launched the Yaogan Weixing-25 mission – consisting of three satellites – from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The launch took place from the 603 launch pad of the LC43 launch complex utilizing a Long March-4C (Chang Zheng-4C) launch vehicle.The Yaogan Weixing-25 mission is composed of three satellites, with Chinese media referring to the new satellite as “a new remote sensing bird that will be used for scientific experiments, land survey, crop yield assessment, and disaster monitoring.
ISRO successfully Launched GSLV Mark-III
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully launched India’s heaviest rocket GSLV Mark-III-X carrying Crew module Atmospheric Reentry Experiment (CARE) from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on 18 December 2014. It weighs 630 tonnes. Objective behind the test of the 155 crore rupees mission was to check the atmospheric stability around four tonne luggage and study the re-entry characteristics of the crew module.The GSLV Mark-III-X lifted off from the second launch pad of the Satish Dhawan Space Centre carrying the human crew module CARE and separated the crew module at an altitude of 126 km for re-entry into the earth’s atmosphere. The module controlled by 3 parachutes safely splashed down into the Bay of Bengal off Andaman and Nicobar Islands and was recovered by coast guards near Indira Point, the southernmost point of India.