Three Indian Startups To Send Earth Observation Satellites This Fiscal
- IN-SPACe, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre, has announced that three companies are planning to send their earth observation satellites this fiscal.
- These three start-ups include Chennai’s GalaxEye Space Solutions Pvt Ltd, Hyderabad’s Dhruva Space, and Bengaluru’s Pixxel.
- GalaxEye’s first satellite, Dhrishti, is planned for launch in the last quarter of 2023.
- GalaxEye’s project involves a high-resolution multi-payload microsatellite constellation, focusing on environmental monitoring, vessel tracking, insurance applications, and more.
- Dhruva Space’s hyperspectral mission is slated for the first quarter of 2024.
- Satsure’s subsidiary, KaleidEO, has a planned constellation of four satellites capable of providing 1-meter spatial resolution images.
- Pixxel intends to launch its first commercial phase satellites in 2023, comprising six satellites that can cover any point on Earth every 48 hours.
- IN-SPACe did not specify the launch time for all satellites.
- IN-SPACe also mentioned the upcoming earth observation satellite missions from the Indian Space Research Organisation, including Resourcesat-Sampler 3S/3SA, Resourcesat-3 and 3A, RISAT-1B, TRISHNA (Joint ISRO-CNES, France Programme), NISAR (Joint NASA ISRO Programme), GISAT-1R and Oceansat-3A.
Indian National Space Promotion And Authorization Center (IN-SPACe)
- The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) is a new independent agency under the Department of Space (DOS).
- Its creation is part of reforms to open up the Space sector to private players.
- IN-SPACe’s role is to enable and oversee the space activities of non-governmental entities which includes building launch vehicles, satellites and providing space-based services.
- The agency also shares the space infrastructure and premises under the control of DOS/ISRO, and helps set up new space infrastructure and facilities.
- It acts as a bridge between ISRO and Non-Governmental Entities (NGEs), helping to better utilize India’s space resources and increase space-based activities.
- IN-SPACe also assesses the needs of private players, including educational and research institutions, and works with ISRO to meet these needs.
Related Reading for UPSC Prelims And Mains: Read More about Earth Observation Satellite; Earth Observation Satellites launched by ISRO so far. These satellite’s objectives.
India’s Ambitious Samudrayaan Mission: A Dive into The Deep Ocean
- Following the success of the Chandrayaan mission, India is gearing up for a new venture named the Samudrayaan project, targeting deep-sea exploration and resource investigation.
- This ambitious project involves sending a team of three individuals 6,000 meters beneath the sea aboard a submersible.
- Kiren Rijiju, the Union Minister of Earth Sciences, disclosed details about the Samudrayaan mission in a written response to a question in the Rajya Sabha on August 3.
- The Samudrayaan Mission marks India’s inaugural manned venture into deep-sea exploration.
- The mission’s objectives encompass the study of deep-sea resources, along with assessments of marine biodiversity.
- The use of the submersible project is strictly for biodiversity exploration, thus ensuring the preservation of the marine ecosystem.
- The submersible for the mission, Matsya 6000, has been designed and manufactured by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), Chennai.
- Matsya 6000 has the capability to operate in deep-sea conditions for a continuous 12 hours, and in case of an emergency, it can extend its operation up to 96 hours with all necessary human safety measures in place.
- The mission is slated for implementation by 2026, with the estimated cost of the Deep Sea Mission, including the Samudrayaan Project, being Rs 4,077 crore. This cost will be incurred over a period of five years and the mission will be executed in phases.
- This mission holds significant importance for India as it will facilitate direct observation and understanding of the unexplored parts of the deep ocean.
National Institute Of Ocean Technology (NIOT)
- The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) is an organization established in November 1993.
- It operates autonomously under the supervision of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India.
- The governance of NIOT lies under a Governing Council, with the Director acting as the head of the Institute.
- The primary objective of NIOT’s establishment was to develop indigenous and reliable technologies.
- These technologies aim to mitigate various engineering challenges associated with the extraction of non-living and living resources within the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
- The Indian EEZ, under focus by NIOT, covers an area about two-thirds the size of India’s land area.
Related Reading for UPSC Prelims And Mains: Read more about Deep Ocean Mission, Deep Sea Mining, National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT)
Venice’s Struggle With Climate Change And Tourism
- Venice, a historic city in Italy, is facing the threat of being added to UNESCO’s world heritage sites in danger list because of issues like mass tourism, development projects, and climate change.
- The UNESCO committee reports that these issues are causing damage to buildings and urban areas, degrading the city’s cultural and social identity, and threatening the integrity of its environmental and landscape values.
- In 2023, Venice experienced a severe drought that dried up Italian lakes and rivers. Also, in November 2019, the city’s historical treasures faced threats from flooding.
- UNESCO had considered adding Venice to the danger list two years ago. However, this was avoided due to emergency measures taken by the Italian government.
- One such measure was banning large ships, such as cruise ships, from the San Marco Basin-Giudecca Canal. This ban is still in place.
- The UNESCO panel suggests looking into alternatives for docking large ships outside of the lagoon.
- The Venetian authorities plan to review the recommendation and discuss it with the Italian government, which is the official party that corresponds with UNESCO.
UNESCO Heritage Danger List
- The UNESCO Heritage Danger List enumerates various World Heritage Sites at risk due to factors such as war and armed conflict, natural calamities like earthquakes, pollution, illegal hunting, unregulated urban expansion, and uncontrolled tourist development.
- Under the 1972 World Heritage Convention, UNESCO has established guidelines and criteria to determine if a site is unequivocally facing imminent danger or threats.
Forest Cover In India
- The Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey recently shared valuable insights on the initiatives aimed at enhancing forest cover in India during a written replyin the Lok Sabha.
- The Ministry has approved 270 projects under the Nagar Van Yojana, aimed at enhancing the quality of life for city residents. The cost totals Rs.238.64 Crore.
- The Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAMPA fund) is being used by States/UTs for compensatory afforestation. This compensates for the loss of forest and tree cover due to developmental projects, as outlined in the Compensatory
- Afforestation Fund Act, 2016 and CAF Rules, 2018. In the past five years, Rs. 55,394.16 Crore has been released under CAMPA funds.
- Afforestation activities are also conducted under various other programmes and schemes such as the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, National Bamboo Mission, Sub-Mission on Agroforestry, and others.
- These efforts involve different departments, Non-Government Organizations, Civil Society, Corporate bodies, etc. and have been successful in preserving and enhancing forest cover in the country.
- A draft National Forest Policy has been formulated after consultations with various stakeholders and was made publicly available in 2018. The draft Policy proposes to include measures for mitigating and adapting to climate change in forest management, and building climate change resilience among forest-dependent communities.
Related Reading for UPSC Prelims And Mains: Read more about forest cover in India, threat to India’s forest cover, India’s forest policy, forest conservation intiatives in India, compensatory afforestation fund.