SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
NASA successfully Flight Tested Prandtld Aircraft
NASA announced that it successfully flight tested Prandtl-d aircraft. It was a prototype of Prandtl-d aircraft which will be the first airplane to be launched on Mars between 2020 & 2024. ICGS ‘Rani Durgavati’ Commissioned The Third Inshore Patrol Vessel (IPV) of the Indian Coast Guard ICGS ‘Rani Durgavati’ was commissioned at Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) on 6 July. The vessel, built by HSL, has a maximum speed of 34 knots and at an econo-mical 14 knots has an endurance of 150 nautical miles.
‘GAGAN’ Satellite Based Navigation System Launched
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju on 13 July launched the GPS-Aided Geo Augmented Navigation (GAGAN) system,which would make airline operations more efficient and reduce costs. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) developed the system, at a cost of Rs. 774 crore, over 15 years. India is the fourth country to offer space-based satellite navigation services to the aviation sector.
India Ranks 12th In World In Nuclear Power Generation
India has been ranked at 12th place in terms of power generation from nuclear source, as per the report published by the Power Reactor Information System (PRIS) of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). India also holds 6th position in terms of the number of reactors in operation in the country.
China Successfully Tests 5th Generation Long March Carrier Rocket
Chinese scientists have successfully tested the power system of a Long March-5 carrier rocket scheduled for flight in 2016. The fifth-generation launch vehicle of the Long March family, has entered a run off phase. The rocket will have a payload capacity of 25 tonnes to low Earth orbits, or 14 tonnes to geostationary transfer orbit, about twice the current capacity.