Daily News Analysis

Ingenuity helicopter on Mars- USA

stylish_lining

NASA has re-established contact with its Ingenuity helicopter on Mars, the US space agency said recently.

Ingenuity Mars Helicopter

  • It is a small, autonomous aircraft. that flew to Mars aboard NASA’s Perseverance rover.
  • It was sent to Mars to perform experimental flight tests to determine if powered, controlled flight at the Red Planet was possible.
  • Ingenuity’s mission is experimental in nature and completely independent of the rover’s science mission.
  • Ingenuity was deployed to the surface on April 4, 2021.

On April 19, it became the first aircraft in history to make a powered, controlled flight on another planet. 

    • It rose to a height of 10 feet, hovered for 30 seconds, and then descended back to the ground.
    • The flight lasted 39.1 seconds. 
    • It managed to fly in Mars’ thin atmosphere, which isn’t conducive for flying.

It’s piloted by onboard guidance, navigation, and control systems running algorithms.Perseverance acts as a relay between the chopper and the earth.

Perseverance Rover

  • It is a robotic explorer to land on Mars as part of NASA’s ongoing Mars 2020 Mission.
  • Main Job: Seek signs of ancient life and collect samples of rock and regolith (broken rock and soil) for possible return to Earth.
  • The rover will collect samples of rock and soil, encase them in tubes, and leave them on the planet's surface to be returned to Earth at a future date.
  • Launch: It was launched on July 30, 2020, from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
  • Landing: Successfully landed on the surface of Mar's Jezero Crater on February 18, 2021.
  • Features:
    • It is about 3 metres long, 2.7 metres wide, and 2.2 metres tall.
    • It is about the size of a car but weighs only about 1,025 kilograms with all instruments on board.
    • Power source: Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG). 

Converts heat from the radioactive decay of plutonium into electricity.

Understanding the Auditing of Local Bodies

Why is it in the News? The International Centre for Audit of Local Governance (iCAL) was recently inaugurated in Rajkot, Gujarat. This marks a significant step towards setting global standards for
Share It

Bavikonda Monastery: A Historical and Cultural Gem

Current Status Maintenance Issues: Due to recent budget constraints, maintenance and repairs at Bavikonda Monastery have been less than optimal. Tourism Circuit: Bavikonda is part of the '
Share It

CITES Report on Rosewood: “CITES Rosewoods: The Global Picture”

The recently released CITES report titled “CITES Rosewoods: The Global Picture” provides a comprehensive analysis of rosewood species listed under the Convention on International Trade in
Share It

Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC)

Recent Developments  India recently took part in the 86th session of the Executive Committee (CCEXEC) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) held in Rome. India’s Support: Sp
Share It

Naturally Existing DNA Editing Tool: Bridge Recombinase Mechanism (BRM)

The Bridge Recombinase Mechanism (BRM) is a newly discovered naturally occurring DNA editing tool. It utilizes mobile genetic elements, commonly known as "jumping genes," to perform DNA mani
Share It

The Delhi Urban Land and Immovable Property Records Bill, 2024

The Delhi Urban Land and Immovable Property Records Bill, 2024, aims to create a unified system for managing urban land and immovable property records in Delhi. This system will be overseen by the Del
Share It

Gig Economy and Recent Developments in Karnataka

Why in the News? The Karnataka government recently published the draft Karnataka Platform-based Gig Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, which aims to address the welfare and rights of gig w
Share It

India-Japan Joint Carbon Crediting Mechanism

India and Japan are set to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to establish a Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) under the framework of Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement. This mechanism will facilita
Share It

Green Revolution in maize

Context: India has seen significant success with the green revolution in maize production. This success has been primarily driven by the private sector. Over the past 20 years, maize production in Ind
Share It

Captain Supreetha C.T. – First Woman Officer from Corps of Army Air Defence at Siachen Glacier

Name: Captain Supreetha C.T. Hometown: Mysuru, Karnataka Achievement: Captain Supreetha C.T. has become the first woman officer from the Corps of Army Air Defence to be operationally deployed a
Share It

Newsletter Subscription


ACQ IAS
ACQ IAS