India’s first Mars and Moon analog mission at Leh in Ladakh to simulate life in an interplanetary habitat has been inaugurated.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), AAKA Space Studio Pvt. Ltd, the University of Ladakh, IIT Bombay, and the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council have collaborated in this endeavour.

Collaborative effort

ISRO on Friday posted on X (formerly Twitter), “India’s first analog space mission kicks off in Leh! A collaborative effort by Human Spaceflight Centre, ISRO, AAKA Space Studio, University of Ladakh, IIT Bombay, and supported by Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, this mission will simulate life in an interplanetary habitat to tackle the challenges of a base station beyond Earth.”

Aastha Kacha, founder of AAKA Space Studio Pvt. Ltd said this mission is designed to simulate extraterrestrial conditions on Mars and the Moon, enabling India to enhance its human spaceflight capabilities.

“The mission site, located in Ladakh, was chosen for its unique environment that closely resembles Martian and lunar surfaces, offering a natural laboratory for testing habitat sustainability, life support systems, and the human experience of isolation. For the next 21 days, an analog astronaut from AAKA Space Studio will reside within the habitat, conducting essential research to support India’s human spaceflight aspirations,” Ms. Kacha said.

AAKA Space Studio further said that the mission centres on testing a human-centred habitat prototype developed by it.

Designed to support both physical needs and psychological well-being, the habitat integrates a range of innovative technologies like airlock and Extra-Vehicular Activities (EVA zone), Circadian lighting system, hydroponics, environment monitoring system and stand-alone power system.

According to AAKA Space Studio, the Airlock and EVA Zone is a dedicated space for preparing for EVA while maintaining habitat integrity; the Circadian lighting system simulates natural daylight cycles to support astronauts’ sleep-wake patterns, the hydroponics and food preparation area supports sustainability and fresh food production, the stand-alone power system utilises renewable energy to ensure uninterrupted power and the environmental monitoring system tracks habitat conditions to support optimal functioning.

Why Ladakh was chosen

AAKA Space Studio said that Ladakh was chosen for its unique environmental characteristics, which closely mirror those of Mars and the Moon.

“The Diurnal shifts from 15°C to -10°C, which simulate the thermal challenges of extraterrestrial environments, enabling testing of the habitat’s thermal insulation. Situated over 3,500 meters above sea level, Ladakh’s oxygen levels are only 40% of sea level, allowing researchers to test life support systems for low-pressure conditions similar to Mars,” AAKA Space Studio said.

It further said that the region’s sandy, rocky soil resembles Martian and lunar regolith, ideal for research on rover mobility and in-situ resource utilisation.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

India’s top military exports go to U.S., France, and Armenia, boosting domestic production and global presence.

Amid a growing push to increase exports of indigenous defence equipment, the U.S., France and Armenia have emerged as the top three customers for Indian military exports.

“India is presently exporting military equipment to more than 100 nations across the world. The top three countries in the last financial year include the U.S., France and Armenia,” official sources said on Sunday (October 28, 2024).

The Defence Ministry has been pushing defence exports and manufacturing in the country to improve domestic production of these equipment to meet internal and international requirements.

The sources said the exports to the U.S. include a significant number of parts of aircraft and helicopters manufactured by Indian firms for global defence majors like Lockheed Martin and Boeing. The exports to France include a lot of software and electronic equipment, while the exports to Armenia include ATAGS artillery guns, Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher systems, Swathi weapon locating radars and other important systems.

Official sources said that the Defence Industrial Base has been expanding with the presence of 16 Defence public sector units, 430 firms with licenses along 16000 medium and small-scale enterprises. Sources said the value of defence production in the country has gone up significantly since 2014-15.

“There has been a around three-fold increase in the value of production since 2014-15. While the Indian firms produced equipment worth ₹46,429 crores in 2014-15, it has come to ₹1.27,265 crores in the last fiscal,” they said.

The contribution of the private sector in this value of production is 21%. The major defence platforms produced in the country include the LCA Tejas fighter jets, aircraft carriers, warships, submarines, Dhanush artillery gun system, MBT Arjun, advanced towed artillery gun system, high mobility vehicles, weapon-locating vehicles, weapon-locating radar, 3D tactical control radar, software-defined radios, and Akash missile system.

India’s Defence Exports (in Cr.)

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Speaking at the same event, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu reiterated the government’s ambition to design and manufacture commercial aircraft in India, and said that Airbus has a role to play in that endeavour.

European aerospace giant Airbus expects its component and services sourcing from India to nearly double to $2 billion annually over the next couple of years as the company’s engagement with the country is “gaining a new momentum” at a time when the aerospace and defence industry is taking off in India, Airbus India and South Asia President & Managing Director Rémi Maillard said Thursday. Airbus currently sources components and services worth 1 billion euros ($1.08 billion) from India.

India is the world’s third-largest domestic aviation market and also among the fastest-growing major aviation markets globally. With Indian airlines having over 1,200 commercial aircraft on order—a bulk of those with Airbus—the country is slated to emerge as a global aviation hotspot over the coming years. The country is also pushing the allied sectors of domestic aerospace and defence manufacturing.

“In the next couple of years we will further grow our sourcing footprint and touch the $2-billion mark, Airbus direct employment numbers will cross 5,000, we will set up a second pilot training centre in a JV (joint venture) with Air India, we will invest in setting up a 5,000-seater Airbus Campus in Bengaluru, we will deliver the first Make in India aircraft from the private sector—the C295 (and) we will deliver the first Make in India helicopter from the private sector—the H125—both programmes in partnership with Tata,” Maillard said at the inauguration of Airbus’s new India and South Asia headquarters.

Airbus currently sources components and services from dozens of Indian suppliers and service providers. It currently employs around 3,500 people in India, where it also operates an engineering centre. Airbus has also tied up with the Tata group to set up final assembly lines (FALs) for the C-295 military aircraft and the H-125 helicopters in India.

Speaking at the same event, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu reiterated the government’s ambition to design and manufacture commercial aircraft in India, and said that Airbus has a role to play in that endeavour.

“We are actively pursuing the dream (of designing and manufacturing commercial aircraft in India), and we feel that Airbus has a very big role to play. They have already been doing their bit over the years, expanding their footprint in manufacturing the important components that go into manufacturing aircraft,” Naidu said.

Last month, Naidu had said that the government plans to set up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to devise and build a roadmap for development and manufacturing of an indigenous commercial aircraft in India, and is looking to involve multiple stakeholders including large planemakers like Airbus and Boeing.

“We are actively pursuing the dream (of designing and manufacturing commercial aircraft in India), and we feel that Airbus has a very big role to play. They have already been doing their bit over the years, expanding their footprint in manufacturing the important components that go into manufacturing aircraft,” Naidu said.

Last month, Naidu had said that the government plans to set up a special purpose vehicle (SPV) to devise and build a roadmap for development and manufacturing of an indigenous commercial aircraft in India, and is looking to involve multiple stakeholders including large planemakers like Airbus and Boeing.

source/content: indianexpress.com (headline edited)

OpenAI has appointed renowned economist Aaron Chatterji as its first Chief Economist, who is an Indian-American. He aims to ensure that the economic advantages of AI are widespread and that the transition to AI-driven systems is smooth. Here is everything you need to know.

In Short

He aims to ensure that the transition to AI-driven systems is smooth

OpenAI has appointed renowned economist Aaron “Ronnie” Chatterji as its first chief economist

He is an Indian-American, who will be looking at how AI can reshape industries

OpenAI has appointed Aaron “Ronnie” Chatterji, a business and public policy professor from Duke University, as its first-ever Chief Economist. This move comes as the company aims to explore the economic implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on global markets, job creation, and growth across industries. Chatterji brings vast experience from both academia and government, having served under the Obama and Biden administrations.

Chatterji’s role will involve leading research into how AI is reshaping the economy, particularly focusing on its impact on employment and long-term productivity. With his experience, he is expected to guide both businesses and policymakers in navigating the opportunities and challenges posed by AI technology.

Prior to joining OpenAI, Chatterji played a key role in the Biden administration as the CHIPS coordinator, managing the $52 billion CHIPS and Science Act. His background includes serving as Chief Economist for the US Department of Commerce and contributing to economic strategy on President Obama’s Council of Economic Advisers. Given his strong expertise in innovation and economic development, his appointment is seen as critical to OpenAI’s ambitions.

OpenAI’s hiring of Chatterji comes at a time when the company is ramping up efforts to understand how AI can drive sustainable growth across multiple sectors. As AI continues to evolve, concerns about its effect on jobs and industry shifts are growing. A study co-authored by OpenAI suggested that up to 80 per cent of U.S. workers might see AI affect at least 10 per cent of their job tasks, and a significant portion could face more disruptive impacts. Chatterji’s work will be essential in addressing these issues and helping businesses adapt.

In addition to Chatterji, OpenAI has made other prominent appointments recently, including Chris Lehane, a former White House lawyer, as Vice President of Global Affairs, and Paul Nakasone, a retired four-star US Army general, to boost its leadership team.

source/content: indiatoday.in (headline edited)

According to sources, the new nuclear reactors coming up in states like Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana are of 700 MW capacity and will start operating in the next few years.

At least 10 nuclear reactors are being installed in the country while two reactors in Gujarat’s Kakrapar have started generating power commercially, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology was informed on Monday.

According to sources, the new nuclear reactors coming up in states like Gujarat, Rajasthan and Haryana are of 700 MW capacity and will start operating in the next few years.

The details of the new nuclear reactors were provided to the members of the Standing Committee of Parliament on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change during a meeting here.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, who is a member of the committee as well as its former chairman, said members of the panel were informed during the meeting that the Kakrapar-3 and Kakrapar-4 nuclear reactors in Gujarat have been fully synchronised with the grid and are generating power commercially.

This is a major accomplishment since these are indigenously designed 700-megawatt reactors that were approved in 2007. Construction had begun in 2010. More such reactors are being installed at different locations,” he said in a post on X.

“Another example of how much continuity there is in our development – which is never acknowledged by ‘El Supremo’,” Ramesh said, stressing that it was during the Congress regime when the two nuclear reactors in Kakrapar were approved.

In another post on X, Ramesh said the standing committee was also informed that Central Electronics Limited (CEL) has turned around significantly and it has resulted in its becoming eligible for ‘Mini Ratna’ status which will raise its market value.

“This is good news,” he said.

“A public sector company set up in 1974 first stood condemned, and now it gets applauded. This shows how cavalierly public sector companies have been treated since 2014,” the Congress leader said.

He said CEL was at the cutting edge of solar energy systems in the 1980s and early 1990s. In 2017, the government of India decided to sell off CEL.

“CEL was then sold off to some company called Nandal Finance and Leasing. Serious questions were then raised about the bona fides of this company.

“Finally, in response to the controversy that had been generated in Parliament as well, the Union Government terminated the sale in September 2022,” Ramesh added.

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.

source/content: telegraphindia.com (headline edited)

The Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture, part of the Embassy of India in Cairo, is set to host a “Caricature Exhibition on Mahatma Gandhi” in collaboration with the Fayoum Caricature Museum and the Egypt Cartoon Platform. This event, scheduled for October 1, 2024, aims to honour Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary while promoting his message of “Swachhta Hi Seva” (Cleanliness is Service).

The exhibition will feature an impressive collection of 40 caricatures of Gandhi created by artists from 12 different countries, including India, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Romania, Indonesia, Colombia, Cyprus, Poland, Cuba, Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Egypt.

Artist Fawzy Morsy is overseeing the coordination of this exhibition, which showcases the work of several talented Egyptian caricature artists, such as Ahmed Alawi, Farouk Moussa, Adham Lotfy, and many others who have crafted unique interpretations of Gandhi.

The exhibition will be inaugurated by the Indian Ambassador to Cairo, Ajit Gupte, at the MACIC premises in Zamalek, beginning at 5:00 PM on 1 October, and will last a week.

source/content: dailynewsegypt.com (headline edited)