Northrop Grumman names spacecraft in honour of Indian astronaut Kalpana Chawla
• Northrop Grumman has named its next space station resupply ship after Dr Kalpana Chawla, astronaut of Indian descent.
• The S.S. Kalpana Chawla spacecraft will be Northrop Grumman's next Cygnus spacecraft to launch to the International Space Station. It has been named in the honor of the astronaut who was one of the seven crew members who died in the Columbia space shuttle disaster.
• Northrop Grumman issued a statement saying that it is proud to name the NG-14 Cygnus spacecraft after former astronaut Kalpana Chawla. It is the company's tradition to name each Cygnus spacecraft after an individual who has played a pivotal role in human spaceflight.
• Chawla was selected to honor her prominent position as the first woman of Indian descent to go to space.
The S.S. Kalpana Chawla will be launched into orbit from Virginia Space's Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) at Virginia, carrying critical cargo to the International Space Station.
• Kalpana Chawla’s first spaceflight was STS-87, the fourth U.S Microgravity Payload flight, on Space Shuttle Columbia from November 19 to December 5, 1997. She returned to space aboard Columbia on January 16, 2003 for a 16-day research flight and conducted more than 80 experiments along with other 6 crew members.
• The Colombia Space Shuttle disintegrated during its re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere near the end of its 28th mission on February 1, 2003, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members.
Health Ministry releases SOP for a partial reopening of schools for Class 9th to 12th students
• The Health Ministry on September 8, 2020 issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for a partial reopening of schools for Class 9th to 12th students for taking guidance from their teachers on a voluntary basis.
• The guidelines have been issued following Unlock 4 guidelines of the Home Ministry, which came into effect from September 1.
• The Home Ministry said that the states and Union Territories may allow up to 50 percent of teaching and non-teaching staff to be called to schools at one time for tele-counselling, online teaching or any other related work from September 21.
• Under the guidelines, Class 9 and 12 students may be permitted to visit their schools, in areas outside the containment zones on a voluntary basis only for taking guidance from their teachers with written consent of their parents or guardians.
• However, the Health Ministry stated that the sharing of items such as pens, pencils, notebook, eraser, water bottle amongst students should not be allowed. The guidelines also suggest staggering of guidance activities with separate timing slots to allow for adequate social distancing and disinfection of classroom premises. Use of face masks will also be mandatory and all students, teachers and employees will have to observe physical distance of at least 6 feat wherever feasible at all times.
French Defence Minister to attend Rafale induction ceremony tomorrow
• French Defence Minister Florence Parly will be on an official visit to India on September 10, 2020 to attend the official induction ceremony of the first batch of the Rafale fighter aircraft by the Indian Air Force at the Air Force Station, Ambala.
• This will mark French Defence Minister Parly’s third official visit to India since 2017. Parly would also be meeting her Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.
• During the meeting, both sides will discuss operational defense cooperation, particularly maritime security in the Indo-Pacific and counter-terrorism cooperation.
• The Indian Air Force will formally induct Rafale fighter jets on September 10. The aircraft will be part of the 17 Squadron, the Golden Arrows. The first five Rafales arrived in India from France on July 27, 2020.
First India-France-Australia Trilateral virtual dialogue held
• The first India-France-Australia Trilateral Dialogue was held virtually on September 9, 2020. The meeting was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs Secretary-General François Delattre, and Australian Foreign Secretary Frances Adamson.
• The trilateral dialogue was help with the aim of enhancing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. The meeting was held with the objective of furthering the strong bilateral relations that the three countries already share. The three nations agreed to hold the dialogue on an annual basis.
• During the dialogue, the three sides discussed various issues and challenges including economic and geostrategic challenges and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and domestic responses to it.
• The three nations also held exchanges on the priorities, challenges and trends in regional and global multilateral institutions, including the best ways to strengthen and reform multilateralism.
Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence inaugurated at NIT Trichy
• The Centre of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence was inaugurated at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Trichy on September 9, 2020 by its Director Dr Mini Shaji Thomas.
• The centre equipped with various cutting edge technical facilities was set up at a cost of Rs 1.18 crore, which was provided by the Higher Education Funding Agency - HEFA.
• The centre already has received projects worth Rs 1.27 crores from various central institutes including ISRO, DRDO and the Naval Research Board.
Comments
All Comments (0)
Join the conversation