VOLUME - 9

VOLUME - 09
Current Affairs

SEPTEMBER - 2015
Technology

Business

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Dr S Kishore Kumar
Dr P Raghothama Rao
Dr Satish Chandra
Mrs Chandrika R Krishnan
Mr Hemanth Kumar R
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TECHNOLOGY

CURRENT AFFAIRS

India-France Could
Conclude Rafale Talks in a
Fortnight

RELEASE - 09

Mangalyaan sends home

stunning 3D pictures of
Canyon on Mars

ISRO puts GSAT-6 in orbit

Scripting another new chapter in its space technology,
India moved a step forward by successfully launching
communication satellite GSAT 6 using its heavy rocket
geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle (GSLV D6). The
49.1 metre tall rocket weighing 416 tonnes took off
precisely at 4:52 pm from the second launch pad at the
Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC), in this island in the
Bay of Bengal, about 90 km north of Chennai. This mission
assumes more significance as this successful flight of
GSLV rocket will give the Indian space programme the
much needed booster by getting the cryogenic engine
right, which is vital for its future launches. Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO) scientists, including its
Chairman Mr. A S Kiran Kumar at the mission control
centre, were jubilant and hugged each other when the rocket successfully placed the satellite
into the Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit after about 17 minutes of its launch. As a result of
tremendous amount of hard work by our team, todays performance of the launch vehicle clearly
demonstrates that all the systems were performing very normally, Mr. Kiran Kumar said. The
intricacies of cryogenic engine have been understood, he added. This would be the first GSLV
mission for Isro in 19 months, the last one being the successful GSLV D5 mission in January last
year. Recently, the Isro had successfully ground tested the indigenously developed High Thrust
Cryogenic Rocket Engine for a duration for 800 seconds on July 20 at the Liquid Propulsions
Centre at Mahendragiri in Tamil Nadu. This is the third time the indigenously developed Cryogenic
Upper Stage (CUS) was being carried on board a GSLV flight. The GSLV is a three stage engine
rocket has a total carrying capacity of around 2.2 tonne. The first stage is fired with solid fuel, the
second with liquid fuel and the third is the cryogenic engine. The satellite provides communication
through five spot beams in S band and a national beam in C band for strategic users. The cuboid
shaped GSAT 6 has a lift off mass of 2,117 kg. Of this, propellants weigh 1,132 kg and the dry
mass of the satellite is 985 kg. One of the advanced features of GSAT 6 satellite is its S Band
Unfurlable Antenna of six metre diameter. This is the largest satellite antenna realised by Isro.
This antenna is utilised for five spot beams over the Indian main land. The spot beams exploit
the frequency reuse scheme to increase frequency spectrum utilisation efficiency. After its injection
into the GTO, ISROs Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan takes control of GSAT 6 and
performs the initial orbit raising manoeuvres by repeatedly firing the Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM)
on board the satellite, finally placing it in the circular Geostationary Orbit. After this, s, deployment
of the antenna and three axis stabilisation of the satellite will be performed and the GSAT 6 will
be positioned at 83 degree East longitude. The satellites life span is nine years.
Source: www.deccanherald.com

The editorial team invites your views, suggestions, to the News about Members Column and contributions to the e-news.

CURRENT AFFAIRS
Hitch for e-tailers: Govt may restrict drone usage to line of sight services
In what would prove to be a hitch for e-tailers planning delivery services using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs),
Centre is ready to notify norms for commercial operation of drones that are likely to restrict it to only line-of-sight
services. Sources in the know informed a meeting to deliberate on regulations for commercial operation of drones
was chaired by secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) last month. Comments have in come in from defence
ministry and Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has been asked to
submit their recommendations in the next two to three weeks. The norms are broadly being framed to allow line-ofsight operations of UAVs, said a government official. A policy outlining guidelines is likely to be notified shortly. With
this India will become one of the five countries worldwide to have notified regulations for commercial use of drones.
Apart from the US, Australia, New Zealand and Spain have defined norms for operation of drones. However, the
proposed guidelines may put a spanner in plans of e-tailers such as Amazon which in he had said it is looking at
launching delivery of goods using drones first in India, if they are allowed for commercial use. Amazon had showcased
in the US its Prime Air drone, an octocopter in December 2013. India had banned private organisations and individuals
from launching UAVs in October 2014. Once the DGCAs norms are in place, UAV should open up a host of applications
for civilians. The useful aspects of civilian drones are well known agriculture, wildlife conservation, search and
rescue, aerial photography, etc, said Mr. Amber Dubey, partner and India head (Aerospace and Defence), KPMG.
However, drones also hold potential risks. Besides debates about their use for intrusive surveillance, battery failure
or loss of navigational control could cause accidents. Apart from DGCA nod, the operator will require clearance from
the air navigation service provider, the defence ministry and home affairs and other concerned agencies. The draft
rules have been framed based on proposals which have been announced by the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) in the United States and by the Civil Aviation and Safety Authority (CASA) in Australia. FAAs proposed rules
permit certified operators to fly UAVs weighing up to 55 pounds during day time. Commercial drones will be permitted
to fly at a speed of up to 100 miles per hour and at heights of up to 500 feet. Operators will have to renew their permit
every two years. Soon, 5th nation with drone norms With this move, India will become one of the five countries
worldwide to have notified regulations for commercial use of drones soon Apart from the US, Australia, New
Zealand and Spain have norms for operation of drones.
Source : www.indianexpress.com
Strength respects strength
Behind the genial personality, the late Dr A P J Kalam had a pretty tough as nails brain. In early 90s when India was
going through a tough time sourcing Cryogenic engine technology from Russia, Dr Kalam advocated the need of inhouse development of technology to make India selfreliant in space technology. We reproduce one of those rare
interviews he gave on the subject to any Indian reporter. This interview was originally published magazine. One
person is confident that irrespective of whether India gets the Cryogenic Technology or not, it will have to stand up
for itself because strength respects strength. The man is Dr Avil Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, better known as
Abdul Kalam, the brain behind the Indian Space Research Organisations (ISRO) space development programme.
He is the chairman of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme and the director of the Defence
Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). However, no longer with ISRO, Dr Abdul Kalams heart still lies
with the organization. A father figure to ISRO scientists, Dr Kalam is not exactly upset over Russias reneging on the
deal. Confident of himself and his scientists at ISRO, Dr Kalam says that its time Indians started respecting
themselves and became selfdependent. Talking in his South Block office, Dr ABDUL KALAM refused to discuss in
detail Indias missile development programme. He, however, agreed to talk at length on the cryogenic engine deal.
Excerpts from the interview: Is the Cryogenic engine deal on or off? There are conflicting signals coming from
various quarters. Dr Abdul Kalam: According to all the information reaching me, it is still on. There is no official
information that the deal is off. Irrespective of whether we get the technology or not, as far as I can see, India,
especially the ISRO, should become self-sufficient. Q: Why in the first place, did India choose to depend on Soviet
technology in a crucial area like the countrys space programme? A: Good question. There are two reasons. Cryogenic
engine technology would have coasted us Rs 400-500 crore. Secondly, it (that money) would have cost us at least
a five-year setback. So, ISRO decided to go faster, schedule wise, and have a cost advantage. Anybody would do
it. If there is available technology which given me cost and schedule advantages, then I would go for it. There is
nothing wrong in it. But today, technology is used as a tool for commercial purposes and we have to break such

strangleholds. We have to be self-sufficient. If you take any country or any space system, the fact remains that even
in developed countries; 30-40 percent of the space technology comes from other countries. You cannot make
everything indigenously. For example, India is one of the leading countries in the solid propulsion system. ISRO is
developing the third largest booster fir its Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) system. You have to be selective
about what you want. Q: Why is cryogenic technology important to India? A: cryogenic engine has the highest
energy level. It uses liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. Cryogenic engines help in increasing the satellite payload.
Each kilogram of satellite payload has an advantage of a lakh of rupees. Normally you do not have to use a booster
when you use cryogenic engine. Since cryogenic engines facilitate a high payload, it is useful at the upper stages.
This, in turn, means cutting down costs. Missile boosters are normally solid boosters. Therefore, you do not use
cryogenic engines for missile launches. Q: Isnt our dependence on foreign technology at variance with our aim of
become selfsufficient? A: Let me explain what has actually happened in rocketry, there is solid propulsion and liquid
propulsion. Initially, ISRO started concentrative on the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Naturally, it should be
the highest priority. The decision was taken to go in for a XXX synchronous launch. At that time, a decision taken to
go in for the cryogenic technology. The cryogenic technology was available not only in Russia but also in France and
USA, The Russians were offering the technology at the lower cost and therefore we opted for the Russian technology.
Q: In spite of Indias intensions of using cryogenic technology for peaceful purpose USA? is not convinced? A: World
politics is a strange thing. When politics and commercial interest combine, logic fails. Q: As a compromise, Russia
has offered India as many cryogenic engines as it wants without transfer of the actual technology. A: I do not think
ISRO will accept such a solution. It may not help ISRO. We cannot and should not make compromises. Technology
has to be our mission. That is the only way India can be great. Q: Do you really think that the ISRO scientists can
overcome these difficulties in two years? A: Developing cryogenic technology has become a national commitment,
a National programme. ISRO will gear up because it will become the single most important programme. If you ask
me, I think it will take four years. But I have seen in the past that any programme or project, if given the highest
priority, can be done faster and the time period for developing the technology can be reduced. So, one need not get
tremendously worried. We will take it as a challenge. How to meet that challenge rather than this problem should be
our concern now.
Source : www.freepressjournal.com
INDIA-ISRAEL TO DEVELOP SHIELD TO COUNTER MISSILE, AIRCRAFT, DRONE ATTACKS
India and Israel are likely to test fire this month the long-range surface-to-air Barak 8 missile, jointly developed by
the two countries, which can act as a potent shield against incoming missiles, aircraft and drones, Times of India
disclosed. If the test to be done in Israel is successful, another would be conducted on board an Indian ship before
September. This, according to defence sources, will pave the way for installation of Barak 8 missiles, an upgraded
version of Barak systems both the countries use, on board Indian warships. Though initially the missile was to
be fired on board an Indian ship, defence sources said it would now be done on board an Israeli ship first. Following
the last test, the Indian Navy had recommended certain changes which have been incorporated. The coming test
will check whether the changes are successful. Following this, a test would be done on board an Indian ship, the
sources said. The Indian ship likely to be used for testing is INS Kolkata. The launchers and radars to track the
missile are already in place. The test will be conducted against an incoming missile by the Navy. The missile is being
jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries, Indias DRDO, Israels Administration for the Development of
Weapons and Technological Infrastructure, Elta Systems, Rafael and other companies. The state-run Bharat Dynamics
Limited (BDL) will series-produce the 70 km-range Barak-8, with 32 missiles to be initially fitted onto INS Kolkata.
Barak 8 is being considered to be a major asset for Indian Navy because it would add a potent system designed
to destroy any anti-ship missile launched by Pakistani or Chinese navy. Key to Barak 8s ability to intercept incoming
missiles is Israel-made MF-STAR radar system which is capable of simultaneously tracking hundreds of airborne
targets to a range of more than 250 kilometers. INP
Source : www.pakobserver.com
DGCA to regulate aircraft on takeoff weight
Aviation companies operating smaller aircraft like Beechkraft 200 and Cessna-170 would stand to gain more Aviation
regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has proposed to regulate operations of smaller aircraft on the
basis of their take-off weight, setting standards in line with global practices. In case the proposed rules are finally

notified, non-scheduled aviation companies operating smaller aircraft like Beechkraft 200 and Cessna- 170 would
stand to gain more from the liberal regulation. The proposed categorisation delegates more responsibility on operators.
It is going to be in conformity with international standards, said Mr. Brigadier MK Idnani of SRC Aviation. Chief flight
operations inspector (CFOI) Mr. Ajay Singh in the DGCA, who headed the committee on classification of air transport,
has suggested grouping of general aviation aircraft into two categories airplanes with take-off weight of 5,700 kg
and above with the other falling into 5,700 kg and below category for safety and operations regulation. The committee
has proposed similar classes for commercial air transportation, which would include all aircraft above 5,700 kg and
turbojet aircraft. The commercial operations with bigger aircraft would include both domestic and international flights.
Commercial air transport operations with smaller aircraft would cover all domestic air operations with non-turbojet
aircraft below 5,700 kg. The certification regulations based on above classification would have no distinction between
planes and helicopters although operating regulations would address the specific requirements of both categories of
aircraft, said the DGCA proposal inviting stakeholder comments on the issue. Business and general aviation trade
body welcomed the DGCA proposal on recategorisation of air transport operations. This is in right direction, Business
Aircraft Operators Association (BAOA) said in a statement. The trade body had been demanding a proportionate
policy/rule making for small operators based on the aircraft specifications.
Source : www.mydigitalfc.com
Tejas Mk-II: India may avail consultancy from European manufacturers who bid for MMRCA deal
India could avail consultancy from some of European aircraft manufacturers who had bid for the multi crore tender
for fighter jets, won by Rafale, for the development of the Mark II version of Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, timeline for
which has been extended. In a written reply in Rajya Sabha, Defence Minister Mr. Manohar Parrikar said the project
for design and development of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas Mk II was sanctioned in November 2009 at a cost
of Rs Rs 2431.55 crore with Probable Date of Completion (PDC) of December 2018. However, because of delay in
finalisation of Engine Contract, the project could start only in December 2013. As a result, maiden flight of first
Prototype and Operational Clearance are likely to be completed by December 2019 and December 2022, respectively.
There after induction, he said. Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), Bengaluru is the Nodal Agency for design
and development of LCA Tejas Mk II. Making it clear that ADA has not entered into any collaboration with European
aircraft manufacturers, who had bid for the Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tenders for development
of Tejas Mk II, he said, However, ADA may like to avail consultancy from some of them. Defence sources said
Sweden has offered to collaborate with India on production of Light Combat Aircraft in the country as part of the
Make in India initiative. Swedish company Saab had offered JAS39 Gripen E light fighter to India when the MMRCA
tender was announced. The bid was finally won by French firm Dassault Aviation. DRDO had a few years ago had
sought Saabs help in the Mark II version of Tejas, which will eventually be inducted into the Air Force. Saab is likely
to insist on a government to government (G2G) deal if they step in to assist India in developing and manufacturing
a light fighter. Tejas Mk II would be an improved version of LCA Mk I. Some of the new systems and technologies,
like Active Electrically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar, Unified Electronic Warfare (EW) Suite, On Board Oxygen
Generation System (OBOGS), Upgraded Avionics are to be included in LCA Tejas Mk II to make the aircraft more
contemporary. Technologies, systems engineering and experience gained during development of LCA Tejas Mk II
would benefit the development of Fifth Generation Aircraft indigenously, Mr. Parrikar said.
Source : www.economictimes.indiantimes.com
CSIR-IICT to set up Science Park at Hyderabad Digital classroom, Science Park for kids soon
The schoolchildren visiting the Indian Institute of Chemical Technologys Science Park in the city will soon be able to
discuss science and mathematics with top experts. The institute is setting up a digital classroom that can help as
many as 300 students interact with scientists from the across the country in one session. The Science Park is
coming up at an estimated cost of Rs. 3 crore which the Department of Science and Technology recently granted to
the institute. The institute conducted an initiation ceremony where the park is set to come up in Vitalwadi, near

Narayanguda. The digital learning classroom is expected to become operational in six to eight months to provide
scientific education to students from government schools in both urban and rural areas. Scientists informed that the
science park would also give a glimpse of technologies from 37 Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
institutes across the country. Some of IICTs technologies too will be put on display the park. Dr. U.S.N. Murthy,
head of the Biology Department at IICT, said that IICT would display its membrane technology to purify water
affected by fluorosis, among other projects such as energy generation from kitchen waste and poultry litter. Our
pesticide technologies will also be made available. If any farmer wishes to implement them, he simply has to visit
the science park, Dr. Murthy. Hyderabad district Collector Mrs. K. Nirmala flagged off a Swachh Bharat Bus during
the inauguration event. IICT Director Dr. S. Chandrasekhar and other senior scientists from the organisation were
present at the event. Swachh Bharat Bus was flagged off by Collector Mrs. K. Nirmala, at CSIR-IICT Science Park in
Narayanguda in the city.
Source : www.thehindu.com
30 countries to show their products at MAKS 2015 aerospace show
More than 700 Russian and foreign companies from 30 countries will put their products on display at the MAKS2015 aerospace show which will be held in the Moscow regions town of Zhukovsky in late August, the organizers of
the aerospace show said. The exhibition grounds are almost fully booked. Some 584 Russian and 156 foreign
corporations and companies from 30 countries have applied for it [the aerospace show], Russian Deputy Minister
of Industry and Trade Andrei Boginsky was quoted as saying in a statement released at a news conference on
MAKS-2015. The organizers said that the first three days have been declared as business days. The flight
demonstration program will be curtailed this time. More than 110 aircraft of domestic and foreign producers will be
shown at the static grounds. The organizers of the aerospace show said that 81 aircraft, including the jets of eight
aerobatic groups, had applied for flights under the demonstration program. The Russian aerobatic team Russian
Knights will conduct demonstration flights using Sukhoi Su 30 and Su 27 fighters, the Swifts team using MiG 29
fighters, Falcons of Russia using Su 30 fighters.
Source : www.asia.rbth.com
Indias First Hypersonic Cruise Missile To Be Named After APJ Abdul Kalam
Indias first hypersonic cruise missile, BrahMos-II will be named after late president Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. Dr Kalam
is the reason we are standing on the threshold of a new era of hypersonic weapons. Thats why BrahMos-II is being
named after him, BrahMos CEO & MD Mr. Sudhir Kumar Mishra was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. The
current BrahMos missile is capable of taking out hardened targets such as underground bunkers and weapon
storage facilities at seven times the speed of sound (Mach 7), BrahMos-II (K) is being developed by the IndoRussian joint venture BrahMos Aerospace. The K in it is for Kalam, the man who fired Indias missile and nuclear
program, the news daily reported. Dr Kalam, during his last visit to BrahMos Aerospace headquarters in Delhi last
month had asked BrahMos Aerospace to speed up the development on hypersonic weapons technology and help
the nation field an operational missile in three to five years. The existing BrahMos missile provides India the capability
to hit targets 290 km away at nearly three times the speed of sound. Its the worlds fastest supersonic cruise
missile. We have a two-pronged approach to exploit the hypersonic realm - upgrading the existing BrahMos engine
to achieve Mach 5+ speed in three to five years and simultaneously working on a pure hypersonic engine to breach
Mach 7 in five-seven years, Mr. Mishra told HT.
Source : www.defenseworld.net
ISROs titanium sponge plant in Kerala fully commissioned
The indigenous Titanium Sponge Plant at Chavara in Kerala has been fully commissioned and has started commercial
production required for space applications, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). ISRO took the initiative to
set up a Titanium Sponge Plant (TSP) in the country to meet the requirements in strategic areas, says the space
research bodys website.The annual requirement of titanium sponge for space programme is approximately 200300 metric tonnes. ISROs Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre has established a dedicated 500 MT per annum plant at
M/s Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd (KMML), Chavara, Kollam district, it added. The plant is set up to enhance the

production capacity to 1,000 tonnes per annum in future, it said, adding that this is the only integrated plant in the
world that undertakes all activities right from mining of Ti minerals to manufacturing of aerospace grade Ti sponge
under one roof. The plant has started commercial production of Titanium sponge required for space and defence
applications, ISRO said. With this, India has become the seventh country in the world producing Titanium sponge
commercially. Approximately 350 MT Ti sponge has been realised till date with nearly 70 per cent yield of aerospace
grade (>99.7 per cent purity). Analysis of the results shows that the sponge produced is of superior quality, ISRO
said. Titanium (Ti) alloy products find extensive applications in aerospace and defence areas. Properties like high
strength to weight ratio and excellent corrosion resistance make Titanium alloys (like Ti6Al4V) useful for liquid propellant
tanks for launch vehicles and satellites, gas bottle/liners, inter tank structures and interface rings for satellites.
Pointing out that realisation of Titanium alloy wrought products and fabrication of hardware are carried indigenously,
ISRO said, however, the raw material for aerospace grade Titanium alloys with high purity Titanium sponge was
being imported from countries like Russia, Japan and China despite the fact that India is endowed with the third
largest reserve of Titanium bearing minerals.
Source : www.economictimes.com
DRDO to conduct joint research in defence with IIT-Kharagpur
To achieve self-reliance in select defence technologies through joint research, Defence Research and Development
Organisation (DRDO) signed a memorandum of collaboration with IIT-Kharagpur. DRDO director general Dr S
Christopher, who was honoured with the Distinguished Alumnus Award at the IIT campus in West Bengal, signed the
memorandum to facilitate research and training in areas of mutual interest by supplementing the resources of both
the institutions. The collaboration proposes a collaborative research and academic programme to meet the futuristic
defence technological requirements of the country in select areas of relevance to national defence, a release said. It
also aims at enhancing the quality of human resource by virtue of advanced training and exchange of
knowledge. Tentative areas of collaborative research were cyber physical systems, information security, life science,
energy storage devices and materials and underwater vehicles. The directed basic and applied research initiatives
would be aimed to achieve self-reliance in select defence technologies, the release said. The agreement would also
facilitate the bilateral mobility of faculty, researchers and students and resource sharing between both institutions, it
added.
Source : www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/
ISRO to launch GSAT-6 communication satellite on August 27
The launch of Geo-synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) D6 carrying Indias latest communication satellite
GSAT-6 is scheduled for August 27, Indian Space Research Organisation said. The launch of GSLV-D6 carrying
GSAT-6 is scheduled at 1652 hours from Mr. Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, ISRO
said. ISRO chairman Mr. A S Kiran Kumar had earlier said that the satellite would be for strategic application. It will
give you a capability with very small hand held device to communicate, so like a small mobile you can communicate
directly through the satellite to any other part, because the antenna size is very large, so it has got a signal grasping
power much larger, he had said. Mr. K Sivan, Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, had
said that cost of the 2.5 tonne vehicle would be around Rs 250 crore, adding that the launch of GSAT 6 is expected
to give a huge impetus in the field of communication sector in the country.
Source : www.defencenews.in
Aerospace Gallery opened
To realise this dream, he used to travel across the country for at least 25 days a month to interact with students and
youth, Mr. Saleem added.Social activist Mr. Abdul Ghani said Dr Kalam hardly spent time for leisure. To give a real
tribute to the leader we should work towards fulfilling his dream of Vision 2020, than admiring his achievements, the
activist said. Coimbatore corporation commissioner K. Park Group of Institutions opened the Dr. Kalam Aerospace
Gallery and launched a sapling planting drive to pay tributes to former President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam as part of

Keeping the Dreams Alive programme. Students from schools and colleges took part in the programme on the
premises of Tamil Nadu College of Engineering.
Source : www.nyoooz.com
India-France Could Conclude Rafale Talks in a Fortnight
Indian and French teams discussing the Dassault Rafale fighter jet purchase could wrap up their discussions within
the next fortnight. According to informed sources, the talks are progressing and a draft agreement could be hammered
out as early as the first week of September. Meanwhile, a Reuters report quoted French sources as stating that an
agreement is possible within the next 10 days. No further details were available. A spokesperson of the Indian Air
Force (IAF) told defenseworld.net correspondent earlier this week that that the contract negotiations were on. Last
week, there had been reports that the proposal to purchase 36 fighters could be delayed due to differences over
offsets and price of the twin-engine fighter. India is planning to buy 36 fighters off-the-shelf to meet the urgent
requirements of the IAF.
Source : www.defenseworld.net
ISRO-NASA mission to use GSLV-D6 rocket
Successful launch of the GSAT-6 satellite by GSLV-D6, earning the launcher the operational rocket tag, will signal
joint collaboration between Indias ISRO and NASA of the United States. NASA ISRO SAR Mission (NISAR) is
expected to be launched on board GSLV-D6 in 2020-21, ISRO Chairman Mr. A.S. Kiran Kumar said, adding NISAR
would be optimised for studying hazards and global environment change. Answering a query, a senior ISRO scientist
said that using Indias GSLV and not going for space agencies abroad for launching satellites weighing up to 2 tonne
would help save on foreign exchange. GSLV will cost just one third of the cost we have to spend on foreign
agencies, he said. Mr. Kumar said that GSLV cannot be compared to PSLV for commercial purposes as both have
been assigned intended payload capabilities. GSLV is also a good candidate for commercial payloads, he said. A
senior official said that there were about 10 Indian satellites which were lined up to be launched on board GSLV -D6.
Source : www.thehindu.com
First orbit raising operation of GSAT-6 completes successfully
After successful launch of GSAT-6, the countrys latest communication satellite into a Geosynchronous Transfer
Orbit, Indian Space Research Organisation said it has performed the first orbit raising of the satellite. First orbit
raising operation of GSAT-6 was successfully completed by firing the Apogee Motor for 3385 seconds at 08:35 hrs
IST on August 28, ISRO said. Realised orbit is 8,408 km (perigee height) by 35,708 km (apogee height) with an
inclination of 7.5 degree and an orbital period of 13 hours, 15 minutes and 24 sec, it said. ISRO had successfully
launched GSAT-6, having an indigenous cryogenic engine, on-board the GSLV-D6 rocket from the spaceport at
Sriharikota. Soon after its injection into GTO, the two solar arrays of GSAT-6 were automatically deployed and the
Master Control Facility (MCF) at Hassan in Karnataka took control of GSAT-6, ISRO had said after the launch. In the
coming days, GSAT-6s orbit will be raised from its present GTO to the final circular Geostationary Orbit (GSO) by
firing the satellites Liquid Apogee Motor (LAM) in stages, it had said. The satellite will be commissioned into service
after the completion of orbit raising operations, deployment of its 6 m wide sieve shaped unfurlable antenna, the
satellites positioning in its designated orbital slot of 83 degree East longitude in the GSO and in-orbit testing of its
communication payloads. GSAT-6 is the 25th geostationary communication satellite of India built by ISRO and 12th
in the GSAT series. It provides communication through five spot beams in S-band and a national beam in C-band for
strategic users. The cuboid shaped GSAT-6 had a lift-off mass of 2117 kg. Of this, propellants weighed 1132 kg and
the dry mass of the satellite was 985 kg at the time of launch.
Source : www.ibnlive.com

TECHNOLOGY
IISc all set to launch supercomputing mission
The National Supercomputing Mission (NSM), to have supercomputers networked between academic and R&D
institutions across the country has kicked off with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) ready to roll out the first project
under the mega programme. IITs, the Centres for Development of Advanced Computing (CDACs) and the Indian
Institutes of Scientific Education and Research (IISERs) will be networked through supercomputers in order to
conduct collaborative research. IISc researchers will look into applications of supercomputing ranging from materials
research to life sciences issues like drug discovery. IISc officials said the team has identified research areas and is
now only awaiting the first instalment of the overall budget. IISc is expecting around Rs 150-250 crore as the initial
grant. The sanction has been given, its only a matter of release of funds, IISc officials said. The entire project costs
around Rs 4,500 crore which will be utilised to connect national academic and R&D institutions with a grid of 73 highperformance computing facilities. Of the total funds, Rs 2,800 crore will come from the Ministry of Science and
Technology and the remaining Rs 1,700 crore from the IT department. As far as supercomputing is concerned, India
is ranked at 74, while China holds the first place. The mission has been conceptualised and is being evolved keeping
in view the increasing computing demand of the scientific and academic community in the country, international
technology trends and roadmaps, strategic importance and emergence of supercomputing as a benchmark for
scientific and technological advancements. These supercomputers will also be networked on the national
supercomputing grid over the National Knowledge Network (NKN), a programme of the government which connects
academic institutions and R&D labs over a high speed network. The computers will be located mostly in academic
institutions, universities and research organisations. The National Supercomputing Mission was proposed in 2011 by
a group of scientists and the planning commission which saw the need to supplement Indias supercomputing
capabilities. But over the years, Indias supercomputing powers have lagged behind other nations. Currently, China,
United States, Japan, Switzerland and Germany figure prominently in the list of countries with most supercomputing
powers. Tianhe-2, a Chinese supercomputer, is the fastest in the world with a performance of 33.86 peta-flops per
second (quadrillions of calculations per second) according to the November list of Top500, a ranking of supercomputers
across the world. Bengaluru will also focus on skill development and lay the groundwork for future supercomputing
initiatives, IISc researchers said. In the next seven years, supercomputer performance is expected to touch ExaFLOPS
(1000 peta flops) level and India will not be behind. The supercomputer grid will be connected on a high speed
network that will enable researchers to collaborate easily. The supercomputing initiative is looking at geo-exploration,
finding reserves of oil and gas, astrophysics, disaster management and flood forecasting among other focus areas
like drug discovery. The network will comprise three large scale computers, 20 mid-sized supercomputers and 50
lower-end computers. The project is jointly being implemented by the CDAC and the Indian Institute of Science
(IISc).
Source : www.deccanherald.com

NASA to Hire ISRO for Next Assignment

In what could be the strongest endorsement for the capability of India in space technology, the Indian Space Research
Organisation (ISRO) will soon launch a satellite for NASA from its launch pad at Sriharikota. Speaking to Express on
the sidelines of the fifth convocation of AMET University here, ISRO chairman Mr. AS Kiran Kumar said that the US
would be the 20th country to sign up with India to launch its satellite from Sriharikota. Mr. AS Kiran Kumar To a query
on why the US was keen on launching its satellite from India, Mr. Kumar said that it was due to the cost-effective
technology. He said the US would be using Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle one of the most efficient space vessel
around that has launched all foreign satellites, especially for Low Earth Orbit satellites. The space agency has lined
up 28 foreign satellites launches from Sriharikota. We have till now launched 45 foreign satellites; the need of the
hour is to increase our capacity, said the ISRO chairman. Expanding its capabilities to heavier payloads, the agency
is all ready to launch the GSLV-Mark-II by the end of this month. We will be launching the 2.2 tonne satellite which
is undergoing final tests at Sriharikota. We plan to make the next launch in August, said Mr. Kumar. The launch of
GSLV-Mark-II is significant, as this will put to test Indias indigenously developed cryogenic engine CE-7.5 with a
capacity of 2.2 tonnes. The GSLV Mark I used cryogenic engine developed by Russians. The success will also pave
way for GSLV Mark III, which is likely to be tested by the end of next year. He also said that by March 2016, the ISRO
would be launching seven new satellites. After having tasted success with its Moon and Mars Missions, Mr. Kumar

said that India was now considering a mission to Venus. It is in the initial discussion stage. We are considering a
mission to Venus, the scientist said.
Source : www.indianexpress.com
Government allocated Rs 470 cr for GSLV Mk III launch
An amount of Rs 470 crore has been allocated for the development of GSLV Mk III launch vehicle in the Twelfth Five
Year Plan, said a senior Union Minister. Indias first indigenously designed and developed high thrust cryogenic
engine meant for next generation GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle is under advanced stage of development. The engine
will be used for powering the Indias heaviest rocket under development-geosynchronous satellite launch vehicle
(GSLV) Mk-III with a capacity to put into orbit satellites weighing four tonnes. The endurance hot test of high thrust
indigenous cryogenic engine of GSLV Mk III has been successfully conducted for duration of 800 seconds on July
16, 2015. Further tests are planned under high altitude conditions and stage configuration, prior to the realisation of
flight stage. The developmental flights of GSLV Mk-III are targeted for completion by 2017 timeframe and the
production of the cryogenic engine would commence thereafter, said Union Minister of State (Independent Charge)
Development of NorthEastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic
Energy and Space, Mr. Jitendra Singh said in a reply to unstarred question in Lok Sabha. The high performance
cryogenic engine was designed and developed at its Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) in Kerala. The
LPSC has also developed a smaller cryogenic engine (12.5 ton propellant) and successfully flight tested it in GSLV
Mk-II vehicle on January 5, 2014. The bigger cryogenic engine has higher fuel capacity of 27 tonne as compared to
12.5 tonne that powers GSLV Mk-II. The indigenous cryogenic engine will be used for powering the cryogenic stage
(C25), the upper stage of GSLV Mk-III launch vehicle of ISRO, which can put satellites of up to 4 tonnes in
Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit (GTO). GSLV Mk III is conceived and designed to make ISRO fully self reliant in
launching heavier communication satellites of INSAT-4 class, which weigh 4500 to 5000 kg. It would also enhance
the capability of the country to be a competitive player in the multimillion dollar commercial launch market. The
vehicle envisages multimission launch capability for GTO, LEO, Polar and intermediate circular orbits GSLV-Mk III
is designed to be a three stage vehicle, with 42.4 m tall with a lift off weight of 630 tonnes. First stage comprises two
identical S200 Large Solid Booster (LSB) with 200 tonne solid propellant, that are strapped on to the second stage,
the L110 re-startable liquid stage. The third stage is the C25 LOX/LH2 cryo stage. The large payload fairing measures
5 m in diameter and can accommodate a payload volume of 100 cu m. Realisation of GSLV Mk-III will help ISRO to
put heavier satellites into orbit.
Source : www.business-standard.com
ISS astronauts to dine on lettuce from space farm
Astronauts onboard the International Space Station (ISS) will for the first time eat food that was grown on the orbiting
laboratory after harvesting a crop of Outredgeous red romaine lettuce. Expedition 44 crew members, including
NASA astronaut Scott Kelly, are ready to sample the fruits of their labour after harvesting the crop of red romaine
lettuce from the Veggie plant growth system on the nations orbiting laboratory, the US space agency said. The
astronauts will clean the leafy vegetables with citric acid-based, food safe sanitising wipes before consuming
them. They will eat half of the space bounty, setting aside the other half to be packaged and frozen on the station
until it can be returned to Earth for scientific analysis. NASAs plant experiment, called Veg-01, is being used to
study the in-orbit function and performance of the plant growth facility and its rooting pillows, which contain the
seeds. NASA is maturing Veggie technology aboard the space station to provide future pioneers with a sustainable
food supplement a critical part of NASAs journey to Mars. As NASA moves toward long-duration exploration
missions farther into the solar system, Veggie will be a resource for crew food growth and consumption. It also could
be used by astronauts for recreational gardening activities during deep space missions. The first pillows were
activated, watered and cared for by Expedition 39 flight engineer Steve Swanson. The Veggie system was developed
by Orbital Technologies Corp (ORBITEC) in Madison, Wisconsin, and tested at Kennedy before flight.
Source : www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

ISS Photos Help Scientists Measure Light Pollution on Earth

Photos taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have helped scientists reliably measure
the amount of light pollution worldwide. The study not only has the well-known signatures of cities and streets but
also the effects of faint indirectly scattered light, which up to now had not been measured quantitatively. The new
results confirm that this diffuse glow, which is seen from space, is scattered light from streetlights and buildings. This
is the component responsible for the brightening of the night skies in and around cities, which drastically limits the
visibility of faint stars and the Milky Way. Until the advent of new satellites, astronaut photography was our only
colour and high-resolution window on the Earth, said lead scientist Mr. Alejandro Sanchez de Miguel from the
Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain. The team that had researchers from Quebec-based Cegep de Sherbrooke
college in Canada found that European countries and cities with a higher public debt also have higher energy
consumption for street lighting per inhabitant. The total cost of the energy consumption for street lights is 6,300
million euros per year in the European Union, said the researchers in a project called Cities at Night. Starting in
July 2014, this huge project required the cataloguing of over 130,000 images the ISSs entire high-resolution archive
and geo-referencing them to place them on a map. The images were also calibrated using the stars in the background
sky over the ISS, as well as ground-based measurements of the night sky brightness. The aim is to produce a global
colour map of the Earth at night from pictures taken by the ISS astronauts using a standard digital camera. The next
phase of the project aims to gather funding to keep the project running, so it can extend its colour map of the
nightside of the Earth, the scientists noted.
Source : www.ndtv.com
BrahMos supersonic cruise missile to be fired from Sukhoi by year end
The air version of BrahMos supersonic cruise missile will be test-fired from a modified Sukhoi (Su-30 MKI) fighter
during the end of this year. Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) officials had earlier told OneIndia that the test will be
held during March 2015. Speaking to OneIndia recently, BrahMos Aerospace CEO Mr. Sudhir Kumar Mishra said
that post electrical and mechanical integration of the launcher, it is now being put through a series of quality tests.
We have received the first modified Sukhoi from HAL in February and the aircraft undertook some flights fitted with
the launcher. It has to carry the missile weighing around 2.5 tonnes. Currently, the launcher is undergoing stringent
QTs (quality tests), Mr. Sudhir Kumar said. HAL had handed over the first BrahMos missile-integrated Sukhoi to the
Indian Air Force (IAF) during Aero India 2015. HAL Chairman Mr. T Suvarna Raju had termed the event as a proud
moment for the Company. The successful completion of the first Su 30 aircraft integrated with BrahMos missile
shows the synergy between DRDO, HAL and IAF. We are hopeful of rolling out the second aircraft in a record time,
Mr. Raju had told OneIndia during Aero India. Integrating the missile was a challenging task for HAL Nasik Division.
Right from the project inception in 2010, HAL had to overcome several difficulties due to limited design data of Su30 MkI available with them. The avionics standards are so different for such a complex programme. We dont have
the luxury to test too many missiles. I am confident the missile will be ready for test by the end of this year, Mr. Mishra
said. BrahMos air variant will be ready for induction into the IAF possibly after one or two test-firings. Second Sukhoi
too getting ready We want to complete all simulation tests as planned ahead of test-firing the missile. Second
aircraft is also getting ready, Mr. Mishra said. As per the contract, both Sukhois will have to be kept ready ahead of
test-firing the BrahMos missile. The IAF will have the choice of picking one aircraft ahead of the mission or the
maiden test-firing. The crucial part during the forthcoming mission is the home-grown launcher. Designed by BrahMos
Aerospace, it is being manufactured by BrahMos Aerospace Thiruvananthapuram Limited (BATL). Meanwhile, as
reported by OneIndia, BrahMos Aerospace decided to name the next-generation hypersonic version of BrahMos
supersonic cruise missile after former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam.
Source : www.ibcnews.com
Scientists stumbled upon salt deposits on Mars point towards planets last habitable surface water
In a new research, scientists have stumbled upon salt deposits on Mars, pointing towards what could have been the
last habitable surface water on the Red Plant before it went cold and dry. Researchers at the University of Colorado
Boulder have discovered evidence of an ancient lake that likely represents some of the last potentially habitable

surface water ever to exist on the Mars. The study examined an 18-square-mile chloride salt deposit in the planets
Meridiani region near the Mars Opportunity rovers landing site. Digital terrain mapping and mineralogical analysis of the
features surrounding the deposit indicate that this one-time lakebed is no older than 3.6 billion years old, well after the
time period when Mars is thought to have been warm enough to sustain large amounts of surface water planet-wide.
Planetary scientists believe that the solar system formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago. Lead author Mr. Brian
Hynek said that it was a long-lived lake, and they were able to put a very good time boundary on its maximum age,
adding that they can be pretty certain that this is one of the last instances of a sizeable lake on Mars. The researchers
estimated that the lake was only about eight percent as salty as the Earths oceans and therefore may have been
hospitable to microbial life. Mr. Hynek said that by salinity alone, it certainly seems as though this lake would have been
habitable throughout much of its existence.
Source : www.ibcnews.com

Mangalyaan sends home stunning 3D pictures of Canyon on Mars

Mangalyaan, which is Indias first interplanetary mission has recently sent home stunning three-dimensional images of
the Valles Marineris, a 5,000 kilometers long canyon on the Red Planet. The 3-D images, released on the ocassion of
Independence Day, were captured with the Mars Colour Camera (MCC) on July 19 when Mangalyaan was at an altitude
of 1857 km from the surface of Mars. The package of images also includes the pictures of the Opir Chasma, a valley 62
km wide and bordered by high cliffs. Earlier this year, Indias Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) has also beamed back high
resolution pictures of prominent Martian landmarks including the Aurorae Chaos, a part of chaos terrain which comprises
irregular flat topped blocks several kilometres across. Indias Mars Orbiter Mission, which costs around Rs 450 crores
and is less than the budget of Hollywood space movie Gravity, was launched on 5 November 2013 by the Indian Space
Research Organisation (ISRO) from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. On September 24, 2014, the MOM spacecraft was
successfully inserted into the Martian orbitafter a 298-day transit to Mars. Thus, India became the first Asian country to
reach Mars and the first in the world to enter Martian orbit in its first attempt. The mission is a technology demonstrator
project to develop the technologies for design, planning, management, and operations of an interplanetary mission.
Source : www.zeenews.india.com
NASA spacecraft finds glowing neon gas on moon
NASAs Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) spacecraft has confirmed for the first time the
existence of neon gas in moons atmosphere. Neon gas is commonly used in electric signs on Earth because of its
intense glow. Scientists have speculated on the presence of neon in the lunar atmosphere for decades. The presence
of neon in the exosphere of the moon has been a subject of speculation since the Apollo missions, but no credible
detections were made, said Mr. Mehdi Benna of NASAs Goddard Space Flight Centre in Greenbelt, Maryland. We
were very pleased to not only finally confirm its presence but to show that it is relatively abundant, added Benna, also
from University of Maryland, Baltimore County. There is not enough neon to make the moon visibly glow because the
moons atmosphere is extremely tenuous, about 100 trillion times less dense than Earths atmosphere at sea level. A
dense atmosphere like Earths is relatively rare in our solar system because an object has to be sufficiently massive to
have enough gravity to hold onto it. It is critical to learn about the lunar exosphere before sustained human exploration
substantially alters it, Mr. Benna noted. Since the moons atmosphere is so thin, rocket exhaust and outgassing from
spacecraft could easily change its composition. The LADEE confirms that the moons exosphere is made up of mostly
helium, argon and neon. Their relative abundance is dependent on the time of day on the moon - argon peaks at
sunrise, with neon at 4 a.m. and helium at 1 a.m. The spacecraft conducted systematic measurements of these gases
for seven months, which allowed the team to understand how these gases are supplied to the exosphere, and how they
are ultimately lost. It also revealed an unexpected source of some of the helium in the lunar exosphere. This helium is
being produced at a rate equivalent to about seven litres per second at standard atmospheric pressure. These discoveries
highlight the limitations of current exospheric models, and the need for more sophisticated ones in the future, Mr.
Benna concluded in a paper published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters
Source : www.zeenews.india.com

US Naval Research Lab Tests Amphibious Drone Successfully

The US Naval Research Lab (NRL) recently tested a drone that can land on water and travel under water. The new
drone, named Flimmer is designed to carry sensors into places difficult for regular vehicles. The amphibian UAV is
inspired by a bird that can find hostile submarines, detect chemicals and inspect oil spills. Although the NRL was
able to successfully test Flimmer earlier this month, according to NRL magazine, Spectra, combining these two
diametrically opposed vehicles to design a flying submarine comes down to a balancing act between buoyancy,
weight, and structural elements. There are challenges aplenty as aerodynamics and hydrodynamics require different
designs. Officials quoted by Spectra found that controlling the vehicle in forward motion underwater was identical to
flying the aircraft. The configuration of an aircraft shape and traditional aircraft control surfaces of rudder, elevator,
and ailerons functions exactly the same whether in air or water. A test sub that merged basic submarine and aircraft
designs was recently dropped from 1,000 feet and hit speeds of 50 knots as it was manually guided to a target in the
water. Once submerged, two inflatable bladders provided pitch and heave control as the vessel hit speeds of 10
knots.
Source : www.defenseworld.net
Kochi airport becomes worlds first to operate on solar power
Scripting a new chapter, the Cochin International Airport here today became the first in the world to operate completely
on solar power. Kerala Chief Minister Mr. Oommen Chandy inaugurated the 12 MWp solar power plant, comprising
46,150 solar panels laid across 45 acres near the cargo complex, at a function at the airport this morning. With this,
the airport will have 50000 to 60000 units of electricity per day to be consumed for all its operational functions, which
technically makes the airport absolutely power neutral, Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) said in a release,
adding, it is the first airport in the world to operate completely on solar power. CIAL had ventured into the Solar PV
sector during March 2013, by installing a 100 kWp solar PV Plant on the roof top of the Arrival Terminal Block. This
was a trendsetter in the field of grid-connected solar PV in Kerala. The plant was installed by the Kolkata-based
Vikram Solar Pvt. Ltd. A total of 400 polycrystalline modules of 250Wp with five numbers of 20kW capacity Refu-sol
make string inverters were used in this plant. It is a grid connected system without any battery storage. After the
successful commissioning of this plant, CIAL installed a 1 MWp solar PV power plant partly on the roof top and partly
on the ground in the Aircraft Maintenance Hangar facility within the airport premises. This plant was installed by
Emvee Photovoltaic Power Pvt. Ltd. 4000 monocrystalline modules of 250Wp with 33 numbers of 30kW capacity
Delta make string inverters were used in this plant, which is the first Megawatt scale installation of solar PV system
in Kerala, the release said. Both these plants are equipped with a SCADA system, through which remote monitoring
is carried out. After commissioning, these plants have so far saved more than 550MT of CO2 emission contributing
to the efforts of CIAL towards minimising environmental degradation, CIAL said.
Source : www.deccanherald.com
Russia to Build New Medium-Class Carrier Rocket by 2022
The first flying prototype of the new Soyuz-5 carrier rocket could be built by 2022, Mr. Alexander Kirilin, general
director of Samara-based Progress rocket and space company, said. The Soyuz-5.1 is a medium-class carrier
rocket with a launch weight of about 270 tonnes, Mr. Kirilin said in an interview with RIA Novosti published. It could
replace the Soyuz-2 carrier rockets in the future, he added. According to Mr. Kirilin, the draft design of the Soyuz-5
is expected to be ready by the end of 2015. A scale mock-up model of the Soyuz-5 will be displayed at the MAKS2015 air show outside Moscow on August 25-30. Russias future Soyuz-5 carrier rocket will be equipped with advanced
new engines using ecology-friendly fuel, according to Mr. Alexander Kirilin. One of the distinguishing features of the
Soyuz-5 is the use of liquefied natural gas as fuel, Mr. Kirilin said in an interview with RIA Novosti published. The
engines will be developed from scratch, which would allow us to apply a variety of advanced technological and
economic characteristics that would make Soyuz-5 competitive on global markets, Mr. Kirilin said. The design of
Soyuz-5 allows the addition of extra side blocks to make it a heavy-class rocket, but we are focusing now on a
prototype with operational payload of 9 metric tons, he added. At the same time, Mr. Kirillin stressed that the Soyuz5 will not compete with the ongoing development of the Angara family of carrier rockets. The first launch of a Soyuz2.1a carrier rocket with a Progress space freighter since the April mission failure has been scheduled for the end of

this year, Mr. Alexander Kirilin said. The failure of the Soyuz-2.1a launch on April 28 led to the loss of the Progress M27M cargo spacecraft carrying supplies for the International Space Station. Launches of the Soyuz-2.1a-Progress
tandem have been suspended since then. We are taking steps to identify the causes of the failure and to fix the
problems. The next launch of a Soyuz-2.1a with a Progress cargo spacecraft is planned for the end of 2015, The
Progress rocket and space company is the developer of the Soyuz-2 family of carrier rockets.
Source : www.defenseworld.net
Russia Test Fires 10,000 Km Ballistic Missile
Russias Strategic Missile Force (SMF) test-launched a Topol intercontinental ballistic missile with a 10,000 km range.
The single warhead missile can carry a nuclear weapon with a 550 kiloton yield. The surprise launch has major
implications on the Russia-US START treaty which limits the number of nuclear weapons and their delivery mechanisms
each country can have. Russian media reported today quoting a press release from the SMF that the launch of the
RS-12M Topol missile was carried out from the Kapustin Yar testing range in southern Russias Astrakhan Region.
The simulated warhead hit a designated target at the Sary-Shagan test range with pre-programmed precision, the
release said. The missile was developed 30 years ago and was intended to hit targets in America. It has a length is
22.7 meters and the first stage has a body diameter of 1.9 meters. The mass at launch is 47,200 kilograms, including
the 1,200-kilogram payload. China recently tested a ballistic missile capable of reaching American shores.
Source : www.defenseworld.net
70-year-old solar mystery solved
Solar physicists have captured the first direct observational signatures of a solar phenomenon that has eluded the
world of science for over 70 years. This new information can explain how the solar corona reaches temperatures of
1,000,000 degrees Celsius the so called coronal heating problem. Resonant absorption is a process where two
different types of magnetically driven waves resonate, strengthening one of them. Researchers looked at a type of
magnetic waves which can propagate through a prominence a filamentary structure of cool, dense gas floating in the
corona. The team found that magnetically driven resonance helps heat the Suns atmosphere. The solar corona, the
outer layer of the Suns atmosphere, is composed of extremely high temperature gas, known as plasma, with
temperatures reaching millions of degrees Celsius. As the outer layer of the Sun, the part farthest from the core where
the nuclear reactions powering the sun occur, it would logically be expected to be the coolest part of the Sun. But it is
200 times hotter than the photosphere, the layer beneath it, the authors said. This contradiction, dubbed as the
coronal heating problem, has puzzled astrophysicists ever since the temperature of the corona was first measured
over 70 years ago. For this, a research team from Japan, the US and Europe led by Drs Joten Okamoto and Mr.
Patrick Antolin combined high-resolution observations from JAXAs Hinode mission and NASAs IRIS (Interface Region
Imaging Spectrograph) mission. They were able to detect and identify the observational signatures of resonant
absorption. The work shows how the power of multiple satellites can be combined to investigate long-standing
astrophysical problems and will serve as an example for other research looking for similar heating in other solar
observations, the team said.
Source : www.deccanherald.com
IISc scientists plan fly-sized surveillance plane
The team of scientists at IISc is deciphering insect flight to mimic the same in a mechanical process. However, the
team says that understanding insect flight is a challenging task. Insects can not only flap and rotate their wings but also
deform them momentarily. Such stunts help them perform enviable acrobatics. They can also change their speed and
direction very quickly and land on a flower dancing in a gale. Using sophisticated visualising techniques and computational
tools, researchers at the Nonlinear Multi-functional Composites - Analysis and Design Laboratory (NMCAD Lab) at
IISc, headed by Prof Dineshkumar Harursampath, say that insect flight is much more than what meets the unaided
eye. Earlier, the flight of a fly seemed to defy the aerodynamic principles on which aircrafts were single satellite
supplies a new image every few days. The University of Michigan is directing the CYGNSS mission for NASA, including
satellite design and production and science data processing.
Source : www.ibnlive.com

First-ever remote-controlled NASA aircraft to track hurricanes

In a first, a unique remotely piloted aircraft from NASA is set to take off this week to improve track and intensity
forecasts of hurricanes as part of the new generation weather forecast observations tools. From now until the end of
September, the aircraft called Global Hawk will fly over the Atlantic Ocean basin to collect data on temperature,
moisture, wind speed and direction. The Global Hawk is equipped with instruments to profile the inner workings of
storms. We are flying the Global Hawk above hurricanes and other severe storms to refine it as a new, powerful tool
to better forecast where hurricanes go and how intense they are, said Mr. Robbie Hood, director of unmanned
aircraft system programme at the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Scientists will also
test whether the data from the Global Hawk can help replace data collected by satellites in the unlikely event that a
satellite goes down. The mission is part of NOAAs work to improve our nations preparedness and resilience to
hurricanes and other severe storms, he said in a statement. The real-time data will go into National Weather
Service forecast models at the National Hurricane Center. Operating from the aircraft ground control station located
at NASAs Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia, NOAA will work with NASA scientists on the mission
called Sensing Hazards with Operational Unmanned Technology (SHOUT). The mission builds on earlier collaborative
storm research led by NASA and will move the Global Hawk closer to being put into operational use as a weather
forecast observations tool. The Global Hawk allows us to stay over these weather patterns a greater amount of time
than manned aircraft, added Mr. Gary Wick, NOAAs lead scientist for the mission. Global Hawk flies higher and
longer than any manned aircraft. It allows data collection from 60,000 feet, an altitude nearly twice as high as
manned aircraft, to the ocean surface. It can gather weather data continuously for up to 24 hours. It provides us with
an observing tool that has the endurance of a satellite but provides finer resolution data and precision of an aircraft,
he noted.

Source :www.ibnlive.com
NASAs new micro-satellites to improve hurricane forecasting
NASA engineers have started working on the first of eight micro-satellites under the Cyclone Global Navigation
Satellite System (CYGNSS) project. The system, being built at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio,
Texas, will improve hurricane forecasting by making measurements of ocean surface winds in and near the eye wall
of tropical cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes throughout their life cycle. Communication antennas, attitude control,
GPS receiver, and other instrumentation will be installed on the satellite frame in the coming weeks. We are now in
the last phase of the beginning of a new era in hurricane observations, said Mr. Chris Ruf, CYGNSS principal
investigator at the University of Michigan, Mr. Ann Arbor. CYGNSS mission - a constellation of eight micro-satellites
- will allow scientists to probe the inner core of hurricanes from space frequently for the first time, using both direct
and reflected signals from existing GPS satellites to obtain estimates of surface wind speeds over the ocean. These
measurements will advance forecasting methods by providing data that can lead to better predictions of hurricane
tracks, intensities and storm surges. The CYGNSS constellation will be deployed into low-Earth orbit with successive
satellites passing over the same region approximately every 12 minutes. As the CYGNSS and GPS satellites circle
Earth, their interaction will provide a new image of wind speeds over the entire tropics every few hours, whereas a
single satellite supplies a new image every few days. The University of Michigan is directing the CYGNSS mission
for NASA, including satellite design and production and science data processing.
Source :www.ibnlive.com
NASA Drones to Explore Moon and Mars
NASA engineers are developing drones that can fly to areas which are inaccessible to rovers - such as the shaded
region of a crater - on Mars, asteroids and Moon to gather samples. The flying robotic vehicles - similar to quadcopters but designed for the thin atmosphere of Mars and the airless voids of asteroids and the Moon - would use a
lander as a base to replenish batteries and propellants between flights. This is a prospecting robot, said Mr. Rob
Mueller, senior technologist for advanced projects at Swamp Works at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The first step in being able to use resources on Mars or an asteroid is to find out where the resources are. They are
most likely in hard-to-access areas where there is permanent shadow. Some of the crater walls are angled 30
degrees or more, and thats far too steep for a traditional rover to navigate and climb, he said. The machines being

built fall under the name Extreme Access Flyers, and their designers intend to create vehicles that can travel into the
shaded regions of a crater and pull out small amounts of soil to see whether it holds the water-ice promised by
readings from orbiting spacecraft. Running on propellants made from resources on the distant worlds, the machines
would be small enough for a lander to bring several of them to the surface at once, so if one fails, the mission is not
lost. Cold-gas jets using oxygen or steam water vapour will take on the lifting and manoeuvring duties performed by
the rotors on Earth. For navigation, the team is programming the flyer to recognise terrain and landmarks and guide
itself to areas controllers on Earth send it to or even scout on its own the best places to take samples from. It would
have enough propellant to fly for a number of minutes on Mars or on the Moon, hours on an asteroid, said Mr. Mike
DuPuis, co-investigator of the Extreme Access Flyer project. For the sampling itself, designers currently envision a
modular approach that would let the flyer take one tool at a time to a sample area to gather about seven grammes of
material at a time. Thats enough for instruments to analyse and, throughout the course of many flights, is enough to
gather samples that would show Earth-bound scientists a complete geological picture of an area. In the Swamp
Works laboratory, the team has assembled several models designed to test aspects of the final machine. A large
quad-copter about five feet across that uses ducted fans is about the size of the prototype the team has in mind for an
operational mission in space. The uses for the sampling vehicle may not be solely extra-terrestrial, Mueller said. On
Earth, an aerial vehicle that can pull a few grams of dirt from an area potentially brimming with toxins would be very
valuable for first responders or those researching a new area who does not want to risk humans.
Source : www.ndtv.com
NASA camera reveals dark side of moon
From nearly a million miles away, a NASA camera has captured a stunning view of the far side of the moon as it moved
in front of the sun-lit side of Earth last month. The images show the fully illuminated dark side of the moon that is
never visible from Earth. The lunar far side lacks the large and dark basaltic plains (called maria) that are so prominent
on the Earth-facing side. A thin sliver of shadowed area of moon is visible on its right side. It is surprising how much
brighter Earth is than the moon. Our planet is a truly brilliant object in dark space compared to the lunar surface, said
Mr. Adam Szabo, project scientist at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The images were
captured by NASAs Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC), a four megapixel CCD camera and telescope
aboard the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) satellite orbiting a million miles from Earth. EPIC maintains
a constant view of the fully-illuminated Earth as it rotates, providing scientific observations of ozone, vegetation, cloud
height and aerosols in the atmosphere. The far side of the moon was not seen until 1959 when the Soviet Luna 3
spacecraft returned the first images. Since then, several NASA missions have imaged the lunar far side in great detail.
The same side of the moon always faces an earthbound observer because the moon is tidally locked to Earth. That
means its orbital period is the same as its rotation around its axis. Once EPIC begins regular observations next month,
NASA will post daily colour images of Earth to a dedicated public website. About twice a year, the camera will capture
the moon and Earth together as the orbit of DSCOVR crosses the orbital plane of the moon.
Source : www.thehindu.com

BUSINESS
Reliance Group plans $1bn Aerospace Park

The Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Group has selected Mihan near Nagpur in Maharashtra for developing Indias first
smart city for the defence sector. Known as Dhirubhai Ambani Aerospace Park (DAAP), the smart city will be developed at a cost of $1 billion to manufacture helicopters for both commercial and military applications. The project
would be the first integrated facility in aerospace structure, engine design and manufacture, fabrication and platform
integration in the country. The move is part of the Reliance Groups aggressive play in defence, seeking to capture a
slice of the $100 billion worth of opportunities that the sector would soon throw up as part of the NDA governments
Make in India programme to focus on indigenous manufacturing of defence equipment. Confirming the move,
Reliance Group chairman Mr. Anil Ambani said, The group plans to develop DAAP as a centre of excellence in the

aerospace segment on the lines of the global centre of ship building at Pipavav in Gujarat. Earlier this year, the
Reliance Group added heft in its defence manufacturing by buying out Nikhil Gandhi-promoted Pipavav Defence
and Offshore Engineering (PDOE), which houses Indias largest dry dock facility to build warships. It subsequently
committed investments of Rs 5,000 crore towards indigenization efforts. Company officials told TOI that Mihan
was selected after negotiating with the governments of Maharashtra, UP, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan for land
for the project. DAAP may draw some influences from Aerospace Valley in France, a cluster of aerospace companies and research centres concentrated around Toulouse. About 500 companies - including Airbus, EADS, Air France
Industries and Dassault Aviation - operate in the cluster, creating jobs for around 1.2 lakh people. The aerospace
park, comprising a cluster of manufacturers, will indigenously produce and deliver major aircraft components and
spares and cater to the avionics requirements of the aerospace industry and will generate direct employment for
over 2,000 people in the skilled category. Besides, it would also provide for 10,000 indirect jobs. Reliance Defence
& Aerospace (RDA), a Reliance Group company, has shown interest for the tenders of providing 387 Army reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters and 100 Naval utility helicopters, estimated to be valued at Rs 25,000 crore.
It is also in talks with a few potential partners for a tie-up. Sikorsky, Eurocopter and Kamov are some of the top
helicopter manufacturers said to be in talks for a tie-up but Reliance officials refused to comment on potential
technology partners, citing non-disclosure agreements signed with them. DAAP will not only create indigenous
capabilities but will also add to skill development in the core aviation industry as it is pursuing opportunities to
meet home-grown solutions for the defence sector as the company plans to include fully integrated solutions
starting from sub-assemblies to completed platforms with an ability for maintenance, repairs and overhaul (MRO)
for the life cycle of platforms, said sources in the know, adding that the group is in discussion with various OEMs for
supporting its growth strategy. The Narendra Modi government has redesigned its military procurement programme
under the Make in India initiative and has also allowed a 49% FDI in defence to promote local manufacturing as
well as to aid the much needed technology transfer. The buy and make (India) scheme, under which these tenders
will be issued, requires an Indian company to bid after tying up with a technology provider. It seeks to establish the
required defence industrial base in the country to gradually move away from being the worlds largest importer of
defence hardware.
Source : www.timesofindia.indiantimes.com
India Exported Helicopters, Aircraft Spares, Military Hardware In 2014--15
India has exported defense equipment worth INR 670 crore (US $104 million) that include helicopters, bullet proof
jackets, aircraft spares and military hardware to 22 countries in 2014- 15. India has exported forging equipment,
electronic assemblies, flight control panels to the US, transmitting tubes to UK and MIG, Sukhoi Su- 30 aircraft is
designed to counter a variety of aerial threats including fast moving aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles
up to a range of 25 km and an altitude of 20 km. The mobile area defence system can engage multiple targets
simultaneously and is configured to adapt to future requirements as well.
Source : www.ibcnews.com
ISROs Commercial Arm Antrix Made Profits Worth $140 Million In Last 5 Years
Antrix, the commercial and marketing entity of ISRO, responsible for commercial exploitation of space products,
technical consultancy services and transfer of technologies developed by ISRO, has made profits worth -896 crores
($140 Million) in last 5 years. The information was made public by Mr. Jeetendra Singh, Union Minister for Science
and Technology, in response to a question raised in RajyaSabha. According to the details, in 2010-2011, Antrix
earned a total profit of -138.86 crore, -170.98 crore in 2011-12, -177.07 in 2012-13, -200.50 in 2013-14 and -205.10
until now in 2014-15. This can be majorly credited to the various launches of foreign satellites successfully completed
by ISRO in last five years (45 foreign satellites till date). Some of the major satellites launched by ISRO in recent
times include the latest 5 UK satellites launch by PSLV-C28 which was the heaviest satellite launch undertaken by
ISRO and another launch of 5 satellites including French SPOT-7 by PSLV-C23 last year and satellites of Canada,
Germany and Singapore. While ISRO is certainly making its presence felt in space industry all over the world with its
highly successful Mars Orbitor Mission and successful testing of indigenous cryogenic engine, it is still way behind
its international counterparts. For instance, as opposed to the $100 million made by ISRO (and not profit) in last 8

years, Arianespace, a French company and the most dominant player in the commercial space launch market
reported revenues of 1.399 and a 3 million profit just last year. However, more and more nations are getting to
ISRO, for lighter satellite launches, most recently the US, for the commercial space launch of their satellites. Again,
this is largely due to PSLVs massive success in the past decade or so. A major reason behind this wide gap is the
fact, that most of the foreign satellites launched by ISRO are light satellites (less than 1600 Kg) and as per the
industry reports, 80% of revenues from satellite launches come from heavy satellites. The success of PSLVs in
launching satellites less than 1500 Kgs have made them an international choice for a wide range of telecommunication
and scientific space missions. To successfully launch heavy satellites, ISRO relies on Geostationary Satellite Launch
Vehicles (GSLV) on which it has been working for past two decades. After 3 failures, the space organisation gained
success for the first time last year, since the first launch in 2001. This was even more significant due to the fact that
it was achieved using Indias first indigenous cryogenic engine. So, it may still be a long road before GSLVs become
commercially acceptable choice for foreign heavy satellites and taste success like PSLVs, but given the recent
achievements of ISRO and Indias focused efforts on developing satellite and space technology, only sky is the limit
(or not..!) for India to become a major force in satellite launches and space exploration.
Source : www.thetechportal.in

Indian Navys Sikorsky Chopper Procurement Rebooted

Indian navys procurement of the 16 multi-role naval helicopters from Sikorsky could be delayed following a restart
of negotiations with the US company. The negotiations have restarted after the American company demanded for a
price escalation to which the Indian MOD had refused, Defence Minister Mr. Manohar Parrikar told Indian parliamen.
In a written reply to Lok Sabha, Defence Minister Mr. Manohar Parrikar said the procurement proposal for the
helicopters is being processed in accordance with the Defence Procurement procedure. Further, the request for
price escalation was not found acceptable by the Contract Negotiation Committee (CNC). The vendor has been
informed accordingly, he said.Defence officials said that fresh rounds of negotiations have started and it has been
made clear that the price cannot be escalated.
Source :www.defenseworld.net

India Bought $20 Billion Defense Equipment From 18 Foreign Vendors During 2014-2015
The Indian Defense Ministry has signed 18 international contracts worth INR 29,222 Crore (US $20.1 billion) between
May 2014 and February 2015. The contracts were signed with armaments manufacturers from the USA, Russia, the
UK, Israel, Germany and France. Defense Procurement Procedure (DPP) details direct dealing with the Original
Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) or Authorized Vendors or Government Sponsored Export Agencies (applicable in
case of countries where domestic laws do not permit direct export by OEM), Defense Minister Mr. Manohar Parrikar
said in an answer in parliament. It also provides that vendor is required to give full details of any agents / technical
consultants / authorised vendors that may have been appointed by them for marketing of this equipment in India.
These details should include the scope of work and responsibilities that have been entrusted with the said party in
India, Mr. Parrikar said. Mr. Parrikars reply shows a possibility of changing mindset in the MoD about the employment
of middlemen in potential defense deals on the basis of full disclosure. Observers believe that this can also be
included in the DPP as a policy statement as a laid down procedure.
Source :www.defenseworld.net

India May Take the Rafale Route to Purchase Russian T-50 fifth generation Stealth Fighters
India may opt for off-the-shelf purchase of three squadrons of the Russian T-50 fifth generation stealth fighters,
instead of taking the earlier Joint R & D route to manufacture 127 fighters in India. Just as the Indian MoD abandoned
discussions for licence-manufacture of the Rafale in India and went in for direct procurement of three squadrons, it
may do the same in case of the T-50 for speedier procurement. The T-50 aircraft, also called the PAK-FA (Prospective
Airborne Complex of Frontline Aviation) is currently in advanced development in Russia with five prototypes undergoing
tests. The Russian air force plans to induct 12 aircraft from 2016 onwards. Russian Deputy Defence Minister in

charge of Armaments, Mr. Yuri Borisov, has said in May this year after visiting the Sukhoi T-50 production plant, the
company is ready to start mass production of the fifth generation fighter starting in 2016. The Tribune newspaper
reported quoting unnamed sources that the Indian Air Force (IAF) has scaled down its needs in view of budgetary
constraints and may now buy three squadrons (around 18 planes in each), besides a few more for pilot training.
Another reason could be long gestation period; it will take about 8 years for the first aircraft to be delivered to the IAF
in case India opts for the R&D contract route. India is faced with a severe shortage of aircraft and with China
developing its own stealth fighter, India need to come up with its own sooner than later. Indian Defence Minister Mr.
Manohar Parrikar had told parliament last week that the preliminary design stage of the fifth generation fighter
aircraft programme completed in June 2013 incurring an expenditure of Rs 1,483.15 crore (US$240 million).
Source :www.ibcnews.com

Defence ministry to clear Rs 5,000 crore procurement of Made in India Akash missile systems
The defence ministry is set to clear a Rs 5,000 crore procurement of Made in India Akash missile systems for the air
force in a contract that will involve significant private sector participation, with companies like Tata Power SED and
Larsen & Toubro likely to get major work portions. An air force plan to induct seven squadrons of the Akash anti-air
missile systems has been cleared at several levels and is likely to get a final approval from the high-powered
defence acquisition committee shortly, sources told ET. Fourteen firing units of the missile will be bought for the
seven squadrons. While state-run Bharat Electronics Ltd will be given the main contract under a repeat order the air
force has already contracted for eight squadrons of the missile systems out of which two have been inducted the
major system providers include Electronics Corporation of India, Hindustan Aeronautics, Tata Power SED and L&T.
Induction of the system, which has an indigenous content of 96% will also benefit a number of small and medium
scale industries that have been participating in the programme. The Akash programme, which was approved for
procurement first in 2010, is a major Make in India initiative with the air force cleared to progressively induct 45 firing
units over the next few years. The army has inducted its first Akash Weapon System which was ceremonially
handed over to it by BEL in May. The indigenously developed supersonic short range surface-to-air missile system
is designed to counter a variety of aerial threats including fast moving aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial
vehicles up to a range of 25 km and an altitude of 20 km. The mobile area defence system can engage multiple
targets simultaneously and is configured to adapt to future requirements as well.
Source :www.ibcnews.com

Boeing sees Indias plane demand soaring

Boeing estimates that India will require 1,740 new aircraft worth around $240 billion over the next 20 years, Mr.
Dinesh Keskar, Senior Vice-President, Asia-Pacific and India, Boeing Aeroplanes, said. We feel that about 170 of
these 1,740 aircraft will be as replacements for existing aircraft, Mr. Keskar said, adding that the largest demand
from airlines in India will come for single aisle aircraft such as the Boeing 737. The American aircraft maker estimates
that over 1,400 of the 1,700 deliveries will be for single aisle aircraft over the next 20 years during the period. The
rationale Explaining the rationale behind Boeings estimation of the country needing over 1,700 aircraft, Mr. Keskar
said that the increase in disposable income, ability of Indians to travel not only within but also outside the country and
the growing commercial relations between India and the rest of the world will see the need for many aircraft to be
inducted. Later answering questions on the reported decision of SpiceJet to acquire another 100 aircraft, Mr. Keskar
declined to get into the number of aircraft that the airline planned to acquire. We have spoken to them. They will
probably stick with us. But it is too early to take a call on SpiceJet. The airline is interested in looking out at what the
long term fleet strategy should be. We will continue to discuss with them and at an appropriate time they will make
the decision, Mr. Keskar said. The airline has been operating the Boeing 737 as a jet aircraft since it took to the
skies. It has currently leased some Airbus A321s for a short period. Ambitious plan Conceding that the fleet plan is
ambitious, Mr. Keskar said that they could easily take 100 aircraft. He pointed out that the good thing about the
aviation business was that 100 aircraft cannot be delivered in a year. They take 10 or more years to deliver. We do
not build aeroplanes more than 12 months in advance. There are plenty of checks and balances in our system that
if we see things deteriorating we can take corrective action, Mr. Keskar said.
Source :www.thehindu.com

India May Allow Offsets in Non-Defense Areas Under Proposed Defense Policy

India is likely to allow defense offsets obligations to be fulfilled in non-defence areas under the new Defense
Procurement Procedure (DPP) expected to be released in mid-October. There is speculation amongst nongovernmental sectors that a draft Defense Procurement Procedure (DPP) circulating in the Ministry of Defense
(MoD) for examinations. However, there is immense consternation about how the Make in India mantra is going to
be incorporated in the DPP. Most veterans of the defense-industrial sector believe that all the six categories of
manufacturing and procuring defense material have an element of Make in India in the DPP, how this should be
provisioned is being awaited eagerly. Mr. Amit Cowshish, a former additional secretary looking after procurement, is
one of those skeptics. According to him the 2006 DPP had incorporated the Make category that had provisions like
80 per cent of the total design and development cost of indigenous item to be borne by the company. The rest 20 per
cent was to be spent by the private manufacturer. But despite this generous offer by the government, the Indian
private sector majors did not come forward because there was an element of competition. The provision had stated
that the ministry will choose two corporates for undergoing the design and development process and choose to
procure developed item from one of them based on laid down criterion. Apparently, this kind of competition was a
dampener because the big private sector corporate stayed away. Will this provision go now? Retired Commodore
Anil Jai Singh, now working with the private sector says, There will be a technology development fund worth Rs 100
crores for the medium and small scale enterprises. On defense offsets, both Cowshish and Singh believe that the
government will allow the offset obligations will be allowed to be met by developing infrastructure projects defense
areas, besides bringing in second hand equipment etc.
Source :www.defenseworld.com

India set to turn a big buyer of airplanes

With four new airlines starting operations recently, a few more waiting in the wings and incumbent carriers expanding
their fleet to cater to the growing demand for air travel in India (domestic passengers increased 21 per cent in the
first-half of 2015), American airplane manufacturer Boeing has projected that airlines in India will buy 1,740 new
airplanes in the next 20 years from different manufacturers. Over the next 20 years, Boeing forecasts that India will
need 1,740 new airplanes worth $240 billion. Indias economy and the countrys potential for air travel growth, both
for leisure and business, continue to be strong and we remain confident in the Indian commercial aerospace market,
said Mr. Dinesh Keskar, Senior VicePresident, Asia Pacific & India Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. As per
Boeings annual India Current Market Outlook (CMO), which was released in Mumbai, the largest demand from
airlines in India will be for single-aisle airplanes numbering 1,460 with estimated value of $160 billion. Similarly,
demand for twin-aisle airplanes will also grow and airlines will buy 260 widebody planes with an estimated value of
$80 billion. Boeing said that 20 regional jets were expected to be purchased by airlines in the next 20 years with an
estimated value of $1 billion. The Indian market is highly competitive and airlines are adopting moderate pricing
discipline and new business models, such as the growing number of low-cost carriers. We continue to believe that
Boeings comprehensive airplane family meets our customers needs, Mr. Keskar said. Boeing has projected a
worldwide demand for 38,050 new airplanes over the next 20 years with Indian carriers needing more than 4.5 per
cent of the total global demand during the forecast period. In India, airlines such as Air India, Air India Express, Jet
Airways and SpiceJet have Boeing aircraft in their fleet, while other airlines such as IndiGo, GoAir, Vistara, AirAsia
India have all Airbus A320 fleet.
Source :www.thehindu.com

Boeing sees demand for 1,740 new commercial aircraft in India

Boeing is forecasting demand for 1,740 new commercial aircraft in India over the next 20 years, with the majority of
the requirements in the narrowbody market segment. In its 20-year forecast, the airframer expects the Indian market
to require 1,460 new single-aisle jets, 260 widebodies and 20 regional jets. This represents 4.6% of the forecast
deliveries worldwide, amounting to some $240 billion in value. Boeing projects worldwide demand for 38,050 new
aircraft over the next 20 years, about 38% of which will come from Asia. Indias economy and the countrys potential
for air travel growth both for leisure and business continues to be strong and we remain confident in the Indian

commercial aerospace market, says Mr. Dinesh Keskar, senior vice president of Asia Pacific and India sales at
Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The number of low-cost carrier in the country is also expected to grow to cover more
than 30% of the Indian market, adds Boeing.
Source :www.flightglobal.com

IndiGo confirms record 250 aircraft order with Airbus Group

IndiGo, Indias biggest airline, confirmed an order to buy as many as 250 Airbus Group SE A320 neo singleaisle jets
worth $26.6 billion at list prices, giving the plane maker its biggest order by volume. The agreement between the two
was signed and confirms an earlier provisional order by IndiGo in October last year. In its recent pre-IPO prospectus,
the airline had clarified that the terms of agreement had lapsed, but it remained in talks with Airbus for a significant
order. The order by IndiGo, which flies one in three of Indias air travellers, comes at a time when Prime Minister Mr.
Narendra Modi government is coming out with a new aviation policy with an aim to fly middle class at least once a
year in a market which is seeing increasing competition. This new order further reaffirms IndiGos commitment to
the long-term development of affordable air transportation in India and overseas. The additional fuel-efficient A320
neo aircraft will enable us to continue to bring our low fares and courteous, and hassle-free service to more customers
and markets and will create more job opportunities and growth, IndiGos President Mr. Aditya Ghosh, said in a
statement. With this order, Airbus has a backlog for more than 4,100 A320 neo planes, Airbus said in a statement.
Launched in 2010, A 320 neo features new engines, and has become one the fastest selling aircraft in history. IndiGo
has now ordered 530 A 320 family planes, Airbus and IndiGo said in two separate statements. However, both of them
did not give the timeline for the current order. The value of the order, $26.6 billion at list prices, could be lower as
airlines gets discounts on bulk-purchase aircraft orders. IndiGo, with a 38 per cent share in the domestic market, has
set its sights to have a fleet of 1,000 aircraft without a time-frame. Known for big orders In 2011, IndiGo ordered 180
planes worth $15 billion from Airbus, which was the biggest order in commercial aviation history at that time. Founded
by travel entrepreneur Mr. Rahul Bhatia and Mr. Rakesh Gangwal, a former chief executive of U.S. Airways, IndiGo
launched its service in 2006, a year after it launched $6 billion order for 100 Airbus A320 planes. One of the successes
of IndiGo has been its sale and-leaseback model of buying aircraft, in which it sells newly bought aircraft to leasing
companies and in a parallel transaction leases the same aircraft. InterGlobe Aviation Ltd., the owner of IndiGo, is
planning for an initial public offering, which could raise about $500 million valuing it at $4 billion, six-and-a-half times
more than its nearest competitor Jet Airways and 18 times that of SpiceJet.
Source :www.thehindu.com
Price, Tech specs, Offsets Threaten To Delay Indian Dassault Rafale Purchase
Differences over price, technical specifications and offsets are threatening to derail or substantially delay negotiations
to purchase 36 Dassault Rafale aircraft by India. While India is going by the price arrived at during the previous
negotiations to purchase 126 aircraft, Dassault is reportedly asking for a new price since this a completely new
negotiation. Reuters reported today quoting unknown Indian defence sector sources that the two parties disagree on
the unit price. India is insisting on a price below US$ 200 million price per aircraft, a figure under the previous
negotiations to purchase 126 aircraft since there is no transfer of technology. The French side is reportedly insisting
on the frozen price since the aircraft to be delivered to India should be of the same configuration as agreed to under
the previous negotiations. While there was a provision for offsets of 50% of the value of the contract under the
previous contract, the French want the offsets to be capped at 30% and sufficient time be given to implement them
which would eventually increase the cost of contract. A French news website, Usinenouvelle reported that the Indian
Air Force (IAF) wants the Rafale aircraft to be equipped with the latest weapons, while under the Indo-French
agreement for the new contract, the configuration should be the same as under the previous contract negotiations.
According to a French source close to the discussions quoted by Usinenouvelle, differences of priorities in India are
delaying the process, the air force focusing on arms and the Ministry of Defence on offsets. From the beginning, the
IAF wants more weapons than they have already selected, while the Indian government requires offsets, summarizes
the website.
Source :www.defenseworld.net

DRDO ties up with Ramdev to market supplements, food products

Indias premier defence research organisation DRDO has now roped in yoga guru Ramdevs Patanjali Ayurveda
Limited to manufacture and market in the country and abroad some herbal supplements and food products developed
by it. DRDO entered into licensing agreements with Ramdevs company for transfer of Seabuckthorn technology
based products developed by Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR). The technology has been
transferred under the DRDO FICCI ATAC (Accelerated Technology Assessment & Commercialisation) programme
that has been established to identify spin-off technologies for commercial markets within India and abroad, with a
special focus on social benefit technologies, an official statement said. DIHAR, a frontier laboratory of DRDO which
is located in Leh with detachments in the strategic Siachen sector has pioneered cold arid-agro animal technologies
for augmenting local availability of fresh food in the region. The laboratory, through its translational laboratory to land
approach, develops technologies for fresh food cultivation, poultry, goat and dairy farming and green house cultivation
which are disseminated to the local farmers. Speaking on the occasion, Defence Minister Mr. Manohar Parrikar said
seabuckthorn is a unique product. Apart from what has been commercialised, there are many more applications
which Patanjali Ayurveda could explore to exploit the full potential of Seabuckthorn, he said.Mr. Parrikar wanted
Patanjali Ayurveda to bring many more health products to exploit the full potential of the technologies beyond what
DIHAR has found out. He added that DRDO in collaboration with FICCI under DRDO FICCI ATAC programme is
striving to commercialise more and more spin off technologies for the benefit of society at large. DRDO Chief Dr. S
Cristopher mentioned that DIHAR has been relentlessly working for development of products which in addition to
their usefulness for Armed Forces has tremendous commercial potential in India and abroad. The benefits of the
research done by DIHAR will help the local population to derive the economic benefits, he said. While giving an
overview, Mr. Bhuvnesh Kumar, Director, DIHAR said that the farmers adopt the technologies developed by his
scientists and sell their produce to the army. This unique approach not only results in local availability of fresh food
but also results in socioeconomic development of Ladakh and stronger civil-military cooperation in this strategically
important region, the statement quoted him as saying.

Source :www.thehindu.com

AWARDS
ISRO Expert Valarmathi 1st Recipient of Kalam Award
They are not very different, Mrs. N Valarmathi, senior scientist at ISRO, and late president late APJ Abdul Kalam, in
whose name the State Government recently instituted an award, the first of which she received from Chief Minister
Ms. J Jayalalithaa during the Independence Day celebrations here. Mrs. N Valarmathi showing the medal and the
citation | P Jawahar Like the late president who came from humble beginnings, Mrs. Valarmathi, too, hails from the
backward Ariyalur district, where she was born to a retired block development officer, Mr. Natarajan, and his wife,
Mrs. Ramaseetha. She had her schooling at Nirmala Girls Higher secondary school in Tamil medium. Later, she
completed her Pre-University Course at the Government Arts College, Ariyalur and then moved to Government
College of Technology, Coimbatore. She received her ME from Anna University. Now, a veteran with over three
decades at Indias space agency, Mrs. Valarmathi was the project director of RISAT-1 mission, the first of its kind and
heaviest satellitte that the country launched from its spaceport at Sriharikota in 2012. I am very happy to receive this
award. It is an honour for the ISRO and I dedicate this award to the organisation. Instituting such awards would
encourage the youth to achieve more, and I thank the Chief Minister for this measure, an unassuming Mrs. Valarmathi
told mediapersons after receiving the award. The Dr APJ Abdul Kalam award was instituted by the Chief Minister on
July 31 in honour of the former president. It carries `5 lakh, a gold medal and a certificate of appreciation. Mrs.
Valarmathi has been working with the ISRO for the past 32 years. After being part of missions including Insat 2A, IRS
IC, IRS ID, TES etc, she became involved in the indigenously made remote sensing satellite, RISAT - I, in 2002. The
remote sensing satellite, an all-weather microwave satellite that is the countrys unblinking eye in the sky, was a
crucial and prestigious project for the space agency, as there are only a few among the elite club of countries with
space capabilities who have the technology. The project took about a decade to complete, by which time Mrs.
Valarmathi grew in the ranks from deputy project director and associate project director, before she was promoted to
the post of Project Director for RISAT-I. When the PSLV carrying the heaviest satellite ever made lifted off early
morning on April 26, 2012, veterans of Indian science, including professor Yashpal and Mr. UR Rao, took special
care to highlight to the nation that it was a woman who headed the project, only the second time in ISROs history. As
she collected the prestigious award instituted in honour of one of the most loved names in recent Indian history, Mrs.

Valarmathi remained as unassuming as Kalam himself, preferring to credit everything to the organisation she belonged.
Source:
Source :www.newindianexpress.com
ISRO chairman among those felicitated by IISc.
The Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, a senior police official of the Karnataka Lokayukta and a
watchmaker were among those who received the Distinguished Alumnus Award 2015 at the Indian institute of
Science (IISc). Mr. A.S. Kiran Kumar, Chairman of ISRO, said his experiences at the premier science institute
moulded his career in the space organisation. Mr. Kumar had done his Masters in Physical Engineering with distinction
in 1975, before heading out to ISRO where he played crucial roles in the Chandrayaan-1 and the Mars Orbiter
missions. My exposure to interdisciplinary work (in IISc) helped me especially in my early years. This process of
innovative work helped me bring together different people from different disciplines in order to forge a team, Mr.
Kiran Kumar said. The other four being honoured are: Mr. K.S.R. Charan Reddy, Inspector General of Police,
Special Investigation Team of the Karnataka Lokayukta, who graduated with a Masters in Management Studies in
1990; Mr. Mitter Vedu, a graduate in 1996, who was part of the team that designed the first-ever quartz watch; Mr.
Sunil Kumar, from the 1992 IISc batch who is now a professor in operations management; and, Mr. Subhash C.
Singhal from the 1965 batch who then went on to become a prominent researcher in solid oxide fuel cell technology.
The award is jointly constituted by the IISc and the IISc Alumni Association. Director of IISc Mr. Anurag Kumar hoped
that the alumni would re-engage with the institute in its various activities.
Source :www.thehindu.com

ACHIEVEMENTS
IISc prof in Royal Society
Prof Ajay Sood, a professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), has joined the ranks of ISAAC Newton, James
Maxwell, Albert Einstein, Srinivasa Ramanujan, Niels Bohr and Max Planck to name a few, by becoming a member
of the prestigious Royal Society. Prof Sood is Indias leading experimental physicist working in the field of condensed
matter in a career spanning over 35 years. He is presently a faculty at the Department of Physics, IISc. I feel happy
to be recognised for our work, honoured to be elected and humbled when I realise that I have been placed in the
company of so many geniuses, he said, on being elected as a fellow of the Royal Society. He was awarded the
Padmashri by the Government of India in 2013 and was formerly the president of the Indian Academy of Sciences,
the vice-president of the Indian National Science Academy. He is now the secretary general of the World Academy
of Sciences.
Source : www.deccanherald.com

DRDO labs CABS, GTRE get new chiefs

In elevations to the top posts at two city-based defence labs, Mr. M.S. Easwaran, Outstanding Scientist, has been
appointed director of DRDOs Centre for Air Borne Systems (CABS), Bengaluru. Mr. M.Z. Siddique, Outstanding
Scientist and Project Director (Kaveri), takes over as director, Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), according
to an official announcement. Mr. Easwaran, an M.Sc. in Physics and Electronics from the University of Delhi and
M.Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT-Delhi, had been officiating in the post after former Director Mr. Christopher
was elevated as Secretary, Defence R&D, and Director General, DRDO. He has been involved in developing radars
for the Akash missile, the Light Combat Aircraft, maritime patrol, and was associate programme director for the
Airborne Early Warning and Control programme. Mr. Siddique, a mechanical engineer, succeeds Mr. C.P.
Ramanarayanan who was elevated last month as DRDOs Chief Controller R&D in New Delhi.
Source : www.thehindu.com

Chandigarh scientist selected new CSIR DG

Director of city-based Institute of Microbial Technology (Imtech) Dr Girish Sahni, 59, has been selected as the
director general (DG) of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), a premier research and development
organisation that has 37 laboratories under it. The post was vacant since December 2014 when Prof Samir
Brahmachari retired. Not finding any appropriate candidate, Prime Mr. Minister Narendra Modi, the CSIR president,
had directed for re-advertising open nominations last year. After reconstitution of the selection committee three
times, the Prime Ministers Office finally cleared the name of Dr Sahni, who had joined Imtech in 1991 and became
its director in January 2005. Dr Sahni has been a pioneer and renowned for developing indigenous streptokinase, a
clot-buster, which is a drug that dissolves blockages in blood vessels. If administered within six hours of the onset
of symptoms, it can work as life-saver. He developed the fourth generation of clot-specific variant of streptokinase.
It is estimated that the new drug will cost Rs 2,000 per dose, while at present the worldwide used tissue plasminogen
activator, a clot-specific drug, is priced at Rs 50,000 per dose.
Source : www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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