Space Current Affairs September 2015

GSAT-6 Successfully Placed in Geosynchronous Orbit

• India successfully launched its latest communication satellite GSAT-6 on August 27, 2015 by the indigenously built Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)-D6 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
• GSAT-6 is a ‘cuboid’ shaped satellite has a lift-off mass of 2117 kg. The propellants weigh 1132 kg and the dry mass of the satellite is 985 kg. It was carrying S-Band and C-Band transponders meant for public and strategic purposes.

• GSAT-6 is 25th indigenously built geostationary communications satellite and 12th in the GSAT series. It is the second one for the Indian Space Research Organisation scientists in using the indigenously made cryogenic stage after the January 5, 2014 launch of GSLV-D5.
• ISRO is the sixth space agency in the world after those of the USA, Russia, Japan, China and France to have joined the indigenous cryogenic regime, which is crucial for launch of heavier satellites weighing more than 2 tonnes.

Read Also – International Current Affairs October 2015.

China Successfully Tested Power System for Largest Space Rocket

• China successfully tested the power system of a Long March-5 carrier on August 17, 2015. It is stated to be the largest space launch vehicle that will be used in the Chang’e-5 lunar mission around 2017.
• The engines of the rocket uses non-toxic and non-polluting liquefied propellant. The rocket going to be launched in 2016. With a payload capacity of 14 tonnes to geostationary transfer orbit, the largest carrying capacity in China, the rocket will greatly increase China’s ability to enter space.
• Since 1970s, the Long March rocket family of China has completed more than 200missions. China’s first satellite, Dong Fang Hong-1 was successfully put into Barth orbit by Long March-1 on April 24, 1970.

Asia’s Biggest Telescope MAST Inaugurated at Udaipur

• Asia’s biggest telescope, the Multi Application Solar Telescope (MAST) was inaugurated at the Udaipur Solar Observatory, Rajasthan on August 4, 2015.
• It will be use!) for detailed observation of the solar activity.
• MAST comes under the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), an autonomous unit of the Department of Space. The project was under by Union Ministry of Science and Technology and was funded by Department of Space (DoS).
• The Udaipur Solar Observatory is situated on an island like land form in Lake Fatehsagar of Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. The site is ideal for the observatory as it provides 250 days of sunlight in a year.

Three Super-Earths Discovered

• A secret planetary system named HD219134, which has three super-Earths and one outer giant planet is located at a distance of 21 light years has been discovered by the astronomers as on August 2, 2015.
• One of three super-Earths in front of the star and has a density similar to the Earth. It is by far the closest transiting planet. It also has a constellation named Cassiopeia. High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet’ Searcher, HARPS-N, has unveiled this planetary system.
• HARPS-N was designed and built by an international group and installed at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo in Spain. The system is so close that astronomers can take pictures of the new stars and the configuration of the system is similar to our Solar System.
• Transiting planet HD219134b, with the shortest orbit, is 4.5 times more massive and 1.6 times larger than the Earth. Temperature of this planet, HD219134b is approximately 700 degrees. The three inner planets are mostly rocky.

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