Beyond the Headlines: Deep Dives into Current Affairs

 

NASA capsule returns with asteroid sample after 7 years

• The US space agency NASA's spacecraft brought the collected sample from the asteroid Bennu to Earth after 7 years today, 24 September 2023. The sample can provide information about how the sun and planets formed 4.5 billion years ago.

• The name of this mission is OSIRIS-REx, which was launched on 8 September 2016. The most important thing about the mission was that the spacecraft delivered the sample without landing on Earth. At 4.12 pm, about one lakh km above the Earth, the spacecraft released the sample capsule. The capsule landed via parachute in the Utah desert at 8:23 p.m.

At the same time, the spacecraft fired engines 20 minutes after releasing the sample capsule above the Earth and set out on a new journey of 'Apophis Asteroid'. This spacecraft will reach Apophis Asteroid in the year 2029. The OSIRIS-REx mission is also now named OSIRIS-APEC.

Entered the Earth's atmosphere at a speed of 27,000 km

The sample capsule entered the Earth's atmosphere at a speed of 27,000 kilometers per hour. OSIRIS-REx and the military recovery team were waiting near the landing area with four helicopters and two backup ground vehicles to recover the capsule in the Utah Desert.

The sample will arrive in Houston in a sealed container on Monday.

The NASA team wrapped the 45-kg capsule in several sheets of Teflon. Then a 100-foot cable hanging from the helicopter carried it to the temporary clean room. On Monday, the sample will be airlifted to Houston in a sealed container.

According to NASA, the capsule contains 250 grams of sample. At least 75% of the sample will be preserved at NASA's Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston for future research. The rest of the sample will be analyzed by 2025.

Asteroids

• These are rocky objects that orbit the Sun, much smaller than planets. They are also called minor planets.

• According to NASA, 9,94,383 is the count of known asteroids, the remnants from the formation of the solar system over 4.6 billion years ago.

Asteroids are divided into three classes:

• First, those found in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, which is estimated to contain somewhere between 1.1-1.9 million asteroids.

• The second group is that of trojans, which are asteroids that share an orbit with a larger planet.

• The third classification is Near-Earth Asteroids (NEA), which have orbits that pass close to the Earth. Those that cross the Earth's orbit are called Earth-crossers.

Russia's Advanced Fuel Option for KKNPP Russia Offer to India

Update to KKNPP Reactors:

• Rosatom's nuclear fuel division, TVEL Fuel Company, is the current supplier of TVS-2 M fuel for the two VVER 1,000 MWe reactors, generating power in the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP).

• This fuel has an 18-month fuel cycle, meaning that the reactor has to be stopped for fresh fuel loading every one-and-a-half years.

• TVEL has now offered the more modern Advanced Technology Fuel (ATF), whose fuel cycle is 24 months.

Benefits of the Update:

It will ensure more efficiency, additional power generation due to the prolonged operation of the reactor, and sizable savings of the foreign exchange needed to buy fresh fuel assemblies from Russia.

Nuclear Energy

About:

• Nuclear energy comes from splitting atoms in a reactor to heat water into steam, turn a turbine, and generate electricity.

• Inside nuclear power plants, nuclear reactors and their equipment contain and control the chain reactions, most commonly fueled by Uranium-235, to produce heat through fission.

Emissions from Nuclear Power Generation:

• Nuclear power is zero-emission. It has no greenhouse gases or air pollutants.

Land Usage:

• According to US government data, a 1,000-megawatt nuclear plant requires 360 times less land than a similar-capacity wind farm and 75 times less land than solar plants.

Significance for India:

Availability of Thorium:

• India is the leader in the new resource of nuclear fuel called Thorium, which is considered to be the nuclear fuel of the future.

• With the availability of Thorium, India has the potential to be the first nation to realize the dream of a fossil fuel-free nation.

Availability of Thorium Reserves:

• Thorium availability makes nuclear energy a promising solution for India's energy needs. It is considered the fuel of the future, and India is a leading country in Thorium resources. This could help India achieve its goal of being a fossil fuel-free nation.

Note: 

• According to the UN nuclear agency IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), there are many benefits with Thorium compared to Uranium, which is currently used in nuclear reactors.

• Thorium is four times more abundant in nature than Uranium and is widely distributed throughout the Earth's crust.

Cuts Import Bills:

• Nuclear energy will also relieve the nation of about $100 billion annually which we spend on importing petroleum and coal.

• Thorium fuel generates less harmful waste compared to natural Uranium and most importantly, no new weapon-grade material is present in the waste profile; the waste consists of the radioisotope Uranium-233, or U233, which is virtually impossible to weaponize.

Stable and Reliable Source:

• The greenest sources of power are solar and wind. But solar and wind power, despite all their advantages, are not stable and are dependent excessively on weather and sunshine conditions.

• Nuclear power, on the other hand, provides a relatively clean, high-density source of reliable energy with an international presence.

Nuclear Energy

• India has consciously proceeded to explore the possibility of tapping nuclear energy for power generation.

• In this direction, a three-stage nuclear power program was formulated by Homi Bhabha in the 1950s.

• The Atomic Energy Act, of 1962 was framed and implemented with the set objectives of using two naturally occurring elements Uranium and Thorium as nuclear fuel in Indian Nuclear Power Reactors.

• In December 2021, the Government of India informed Parliament about building ten indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) to be set up in a fleet mode and granted "in-principle approval" for 28 additional reactors, including 24 to be imported from France, the U.S., and Russia.

• In December 2021, the Centre gave in-principle (first step) approval for the setting up of six nuclear power reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra.

Leprosy

Context: 

The Odisha government recently declared leprosy a reportable disease in the state.

About: 

• Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease, is a chronic infectious disease caused by a type of bacteria, Mycobacterium leprae.

• The disease predominantly affects the skin, the peripheral nerves, the mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract, and the eyes.

• Left untreated, the disease may cause progressive and permanent disabilities.

• It is more common in tropical and subtropical areas.

Symptoms.

• It usually takes about 3 to 5 years for symptoms to appear after you come into contact with the bacteria that cause leprosy.

• The main symptom of leprosy is disfiguring skin sores, lumps, or bumps that don't go away after several weeks or months.

Nerve damage can lead to:

• Loss of feeling in the arms and legs Muscle weakness

• People may also have a stuffy nose or nosebleeds if the disease affects the mucous membranes in their nose.

• It is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that still occurs in more than 120 countries.

• It is known to occur at all ages, ranging from early childhood to old age.

Transmission:

• The disease is transmitted through droplets from the nose and mouth.

• Prolonged, close contact over months with someone with untreated leprosy is needed to catch the disease.

• The disease is not spread through casual contact with a person who has leprosy, like shaking hands or hugging, sharing meals, or sitting next to each other.

Treatment:

• It is curable with multidrug therapy (MDT), and treatment during the early stages can prevent disability.

• Moreover, the patient stops transmitting the disease when they begin treatment.

National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP):

• It is a centrally sponsored Health Scheme under the National Health Mission of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India.

• The Programme is headed by the Deputy Director of Health Services (Leprosy) under the administrative control of the Directorate General Health Services, Govt. of India.

 

Reindeer

 

Context: 

Researchers have discovered that the more time reindeer spend ruminating, the less time they spend in non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep.

About: 

• These are one of the largest species of deer.

• Reindeers are classified as mammals that belong to the family of Cevidae.

• These are the only mammals known to see ultraviolet light which allows them to spot predators whose white fur is more visible in UV light.

• A reindeer can use their nose to warm the air they breathe in before it enters its lungs.

• Both male and female reindeer grow antlers. However, male reindeer antlers tend to be twice as big.

• Habitat: These are found in polar and Arctic climates.

• Distribution: They have been spotted in Europe, Asia, and North America.

• Diet: Classified as herbivores, reindeer live on diets of plants and vegetation.

• Conservation status:

• IUCN: Vulnerable

Key findings of the research

• The researchers speculate that this multitasking might help reindeer get enough sleep during the summer months when food is abundant and reindeer feed almost 24/7.

• They found that reindeer slept approximately the same amount during winter, summer, and autumn, despite the fact that they were much more active during the summer.