CSIR scientists identify Rare-Earth deposits in AP

Scientists at the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) in Hyderabad have discovered the presence of rare-earth elements (REEs) in the Anantapur district, Andhra Pradesh.

What are Rare-Earth Elements?

• Rare-earth elements (REEs) are a group of 17 elements, including lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, yttrium, hafnium, tantalum, niobium, zirconium, and scandium.
• These elements are widely used in modern electronics, such as smartphones, computers, jet aircraft, and other products, due to their unique magnetic, optical, and catalytic properties.
• These elements are crucial components in various electronic devices and have industrial applications in sectors like imaging, aerospace, and defense.

SHORE Project and discovery of REEs

• The discovery was part of a study funded by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) under a project called ‘Shallow subsurface imaging Of India for Resource Exploration’ (SHORE).
• NGRI scientists found enriched quantities of REEs in “whole rock analyses”.
• Drilling for at least a kilometer deep will help ascertain the consistency of the elements’ presence underground.

Significance of the discovery

• The discovery of REEs in the Anantapur district is significant as these elements are in high demand worldwide, and their supply is limited.
• REEs have become a subject of geopolitical concern due to their increasing demand and limited supply.
• China is currently the world’s largest producer and exporter of rare-earth elements (REEs), accounting for more than 80% of global production.
• The country has significant reserves of REEs and has invested heavily in mining and processing infrastructure.

Indigenous Idu Mishmis are protesting

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) chief SP Yadav said that the Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh would soon be notified as a tiger reserve. The announcement has caused disquiet among the area’s Idu Mishmi people, who feel that a tiger reserve would “hinder their access” to the forest.

More about Idu Mishmi, the ‘tiger brothers’

1. The Idu Mishmi is a sub-tribe of the larger Mishmi group (the other two Mishmi groups are Digaru and Miju) in Arunachal Pradesh and neighboring Tibet.
2. Known for their weaving and craftsmanship skills, the Idu Mishmis primarily live in Mishmi Hills, bordering Tibet.
3. Their ancestral homelands are spread over the districts of Dibang Valley and Lower Dibang Valley as well as parts of Upper Siang and Lohit.
4. The tribe is estimated to comprise around 12,000 people (as per the census 2011), and their language (also called Idu Mishmi) is considered endangered by UNESCO.
5. Traditionally animists, the tribe has strong ties with the region’s rich flora and fauna.
6. Animals such as the hoolock gibbons and tigers have deep cultural relations with the Idu Mishmi.
7. Tigers are especially important to the Idu Mishmis — according to Idu mythology, they were born to the same mother, and thus, tigers are their “elder brothers”.
8. While hunting has traditionally been a way of life, the Idu Mishmis also follow a strict belief system of myths and taboos — ‘iyu-ena’ — that restrict them from hunting many animals, including a complete prohibition on killing tigers.
9. Anthropologists and other researchers who have studied the area say that this belief system has led to a unique model of wildlife conservation.

 Ingenuity breaks world records

NASA’s Ingenuity Mars Helicopter has been flying on the red planet’s surface for over two years now, and it has covered a distance of over 11 kilometers in that time. While 11 kilometers in two years may not seem like much in Earth’s terms, Ingenuity is breaking world records on Mars.

What is Ingenuity?

1. Ingenuity is a small solar-powered helicopter that landed on the Martian surface on 18 February 2021, along with the Perseverance Rover.
2. On 19 April, of the same year, it created history by completing the first powered extraterrestrial flight in human history.
3. During that flight, it hovered and landed at the same spot for a flight that lasted 39.1 seconds, creating history.
4. While these distances may seem small for us here living on Earth, do remember that Mars is more than 225 million kilometers away right now.
5. The distance between the two planets means that it takes between 5 to 20 minutes for a signal to travel from one to another.
6. Ingenuity’s 49th flight, which happened on 2 April 2023, broke two different records–that for the highest altitude and the highest speed–achieved by any self-propelled aircraft outside of Earth.
7. During its 49th flight, the little rotorcraft flew up to a height of 16 meters and reached a top speed of 23.4 kilometers per hour.

Finland joins NATO

Finland joined the NATO military alliance, dealing a major blow to Russia with a historic realignment of the continent triggered by Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. With the handing over of documents, the Nordic nation officially entered the world’s biggest security alliance, doubling its border with Russia.

More about the news:

• The US-led North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), the small Nordic country, which shares a 1,340-km border with Russia, has ended more than 70 years of military non-alignment.
•  In the Cold War years, a policy of neutrality between the Soviet Union and the West known as ‘Finlandisation’, had been one of the options discussed for Ukraine before Russia invaded it.
•  Finland’s membership represents a major change in Europe’s security landscape: The country adopted neutrality after its defeat by the Soviets in World War II.
• The move is a strategic and political blow to Russia, which has long complained about NATO’s expansion toward Russia and partly used that as a justification for the invasion.

Significance of Finland Joining NATO

• For Finland, while the country is in a better position in terms of security, it is losing out on the significant trade and tourism revenue it was making from Russia.
• Russia has said that Finland has committed “a dangerous historical mistake that would fray relations with Moscow and undo its status as a confidence-building presence in the Baltic Sea and Europe at large”.
• For NATO, the addition of Finland brings in a military trained to repel an attack from Russia, and, by doubling its border with the country, brings it in a better position to station weapons, including missile launch pads, closer to Russia.
• For Russia, Finland’s move has brought NATO closer to its doors, the very thing it most strenuously opposes, and the prevention of which it had cited as one of the reasons to invade Ukraine.

Russia reaction:

• It warned that it would be forced to take “retaliatory measures” to address what it called security threats created by Finland’s membership.
• It has also warned, it will bolster forces near Finland if NATO sends any additional troops or equipment to what will be its 31st member country.

Flashback:

NATO:

• NATO was set up after World War II with the express purpose of containing the Soviet Union.
• The members of the alliance include: since 1949, the 12 founding countries of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• Greece and Türkey joined in 1952; Germany in 1955; Spain in 1982; Czechia, Hungary, and Poland in 1999; Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia joined in 2004; Albania and Croatia in 2009; Montenegro in 2017; North Macedonia in 2020; and finally, Finland.

 ISRO completes crucial tests for Gaganyaan

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has completed two key tests for Gaganyaan, the Human Space Flight Programme. The space agency said that the final long-duration, hot test of the human-rated L110-G Vikas engine was accomplished for the planned qualification duration of 240 seconds on April 6 at ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC), Mahendragiri.

More about the news:

• According to the space agency, the successful completion of this test marks a major milestone in the human space flight program, Gaganyaan, of ISRO.
• The air-lit liquid core stage of the human-rated launch vehicle (LVM3-G) uses two L110-G Vikas engines in a clustered configuration. With this test, all the planned qualification tests of the engine have been completed successfully.
• The Vikas engine uses storable propellants in a pump-fed gas generator cycle. Human-rated Vikas engine has higher structural margins for sub-systems, improved assembly process, and additional measurements for health monitoring.
• ISRO added that it could complete the human-rated L110-G Vikas engine qualification within a relatively short span of three years.

Crew module propulsion system test:

• Gaganyaan has got a bipropellant-based propulsion system for providing 3-axis control (Pitch, Yaw & Roll) to the crew module following service module separation during re-entry.
• It also provides altitude control in the ascent phase abort, if any, from 3 km to 70 km.
• Completing this test is a major step in qualifying the Crew Module Propulsion System for the Gaganyaan program.

Flashback:

Gaganyaan Mission:

• Gaganyaan project envisages a demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of 3 members to an orbit of 400 km for a 3 days mission and bringing them back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters.
• The project is accomplished through an optimal strategy by considering in-house expertise, the experience of Indian industry, the intellectual capabilities of Indian academia & research institutions along with cutting-edge technologies available with international agencies.
• The pre-requisites for the Gaganyaan mission include the development of many critical technologies including a human-rated launch vehicle for carrying the crew safely to space, a Life Support System to provide an earth-like environment to the crew in space, crew emergency escape provision, and evolving crew management aspects for training, recovery, and rehabilitation of crew.