13 September Current Affairs

1. DAILY CURRENT AFFAIRS 13 September 2024 Mains - General Studies III - Science and Technology Polaris Dawn Mission Context Recently, the first flight of Polaris Dawn Mission was launched from Florida in the USA. Mains Question 1. What is ‘Space Walking’? How is it done? What are the Objectives of Space Walking? Approach 1.Introduce spacewalking in brief with historical reference to the first space walk. 2.Discuss in detail the objectives and process of spacewalking. 3.Conclude with spacewalking at the highest altitude in the Van Allen Radiation Belt. Mains Question 2. Discuss the objectives of the Polaris Program. Critically analyze the possibility of ‘Space Tourism’ and ‘Human Settlements on Mars’. Approach 1.Introduce the Polaris Program and its objectives. 2.Discuss the possibility of ‘Space Tourism’ and prospects of human settlements as envisaged by companies such as ‘SpaceX’. 3.Conclude with India’s manned space program and the possibility of development in this field.

2. About ●The first flight under the Polaris Dawn Mission under the Polaris Program was launched onboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida. ●World’s First Private Spacewalk: The flight carried American billionaire Jared Isaacman and three others into orbit. If completed, it will be the world’s first private spacewalk. ●Apart from Issacman, other members of the crew are Scott Poteet, a retired US Air Force lieutenant colonel, Anna Menon, a lead space operations engineer, and Sarah Gillis, an engineer working with SpaceX. ●The spacewalking will be done by Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis on the third day of the mission. ●Earth-Mars Transportation System: The Polaris Dawn Mission is the first among the three development programs under the Polaris Dawn Mission which aims to develop new technologies that could be used to send people to Mars. Space Walking: History, Utility and Present Status ●The Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov was the first man to carry out a spacewalk on March 18, 1965. His spacewalk lasted after 10 minutes. ●In the Modern era, spacewalks are usually done by the astronauts around the International Space Station or around the spacecraft. ●Spacewalking is done in two different ways. These are: With the help of Safety Tethers ●It is done by attaching themselves with rope-like safety tethers to one end. These tethers are also attached to spacecraft or the International Space Stations. ●These safety tethers are helpful in keeping the astronauts safe from floating away into space. By Wearing SAFER ●SAFER or Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue is a device put on like a backpack. It consists of small jet thrusters which help an astronaut move around in space. ●This device is controlled by astronauts with a small joystick.

3. Utility of the Space Walk Spacewalk is done for the following reasons:

4. Objectives of the Mission The mission aims to conduct 40 scientific experiments which will be aimed to mission Mars under Project Polaris. Maximum Distance in the Space ●The mission aims to dive deep into space for up to 1400 Km away from the Earth. ●The farthest distance (with a crew onboard and not headed to the moon) which has been travelled into space till now is 1,372 km altitude. This altitude was travelled to NASA’s Gemini XI mission in 1966. Experiencing Van Allen Radiation Belts ●The Van Allen radiation belt is a zone of energetic charged particles and radio-active particles most of which originate from the solar wind. ●These particles are captured and held around a planet by that planet's magnetosphere. Our Earth has two such radiation belts. ●The Van Allen radiation belt starts at an altitude of about 1000 km from the earth’s surface. ●The mission is projected to go beyond 1400 km meaning the crew is going to encounter the radiation belt. ●It will help in understanding the effects of spaceflight and space radiation on human health. Fig. Van Allen Radiation Belt

5. Testing the EVA Spacesuits ●As the main aim of the ‘Polaris Project’ is to ensure human flights to Mars, the ‘Polaris Dawn Mission’ aims to test the spacesuits to be worn by the astronauts. ●EVA Spacesuits which are to be tested during the flight have been designed by SpaceX and are equipped with cameras and heads-up displays. ●These displays display to the astronauts information about the status of their suits outside their vehicle. These suits feature ‘Improved Thermal Management’. Conclusion The Polaris program is a revolutionary step in the history of mankind which can culminate in human settlements on Mars and ‘Space Tourism’ in future. The current mission which is aimed to test newly developed space suits, one among the 40 experiments which are being conducted by the onboard crew will revolutionize the space sector growth in coming years. India has also leapt forward into Space missions with an ambitious ‘Gaganyaan’ program and with the capabilities of ISRO, the country can reign in the newly developed adventure of ‘Space Tourism’. Polaris Program ●The Polaris Program has been named after Polaris, a constellation of three stars, commonly known as the North Star. ●This constellation has been a guiding light throughout human history to help navigate the world around us and the sky above. ●Similarly, the Polaris Program seeks to promote human exploration to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. ●The program will conduct three human spaceflight missions to demonstrate new technologies and conduct extensive research. ●This research will help in conducting the first flight of SpaceX’s Starship with humans on board. ●The Polaris Dawn Mission is the first among the three human space flight missions. Sources: SpaceX, NASA, The Indian Express

6. Prelims - General Studies I - History & Art and Culture Sakthan Thampuran Context Recently, a state transport bus in Kerala knocked down the statue of Sakthan Thampuran causing political debates on the replacement of the statue. About ●Raja Rama Varma Kunjipillai or Rama Varma IX is popularly known as Sakthan Thampuran in Kerala. He ruled over the Cochin kingdom from 1790 to 1805. ●Raja Rama Varma Kunjipillai was born in 1751 to Ambika Thampuran and Chendose Aniyan Namboodiri of the Cochin royal family. ●He got his nickname from an aunt who called him Sakthan, meaning ‘powerful’ and the word Thampuran is equivalent to the Sanskrit word ‘Samrat’ meaning emperor. Cochin Kingdom ●The Cochin kingdom was part of the Late Chera Empire. It covered the regions between Ponnani in Malappuram and Thottappally in Alappuzha in today’s Kerala. ●Brilliant Diplomatic Strategist: Sakthan Thampuran became heir apparent in 1769 when he was only 18 years old. He was a brilliant strategist who advised his king to maintain friendly relations with both the Dutch and the English. Both these powers were vying for a larger share of trade in the region. ●Powney Treaty: Sakthan is said to have orchestrated Mysore’s attempt to invade the Travancore kingdom. Later had established relations with the English East India Company. ●The invasion resulted in the Powney treaty which freed the Cochin kingdom from its allegiance to Mysore and helped formalise its relations with the British.

7. Abolished the Institution of the Yogiatirippads Sakthan ●Thampuran is credited with putting an end to the institution of the Yogiatirippads. They were the erstwhile spiritual heads of the Vadakkumnathan and Perumanam temples. ●They had conspired against the previous Cochin king in his wars against the Zamorins of Calicut. ●Further, he entrusted the management of the Vadakkumnathan and Perumanam temples to the government. Development of Thrissur and Pooram ●He transferred the seat of the Cochin kingdom from Thrippunithura to modern-day Thrissur. ●The Thekkinkadu Maidanam and the surrounding Swaraj Round became the basis for the city’s elaborate road system and infrastructure. ●He encouraged merchants of all religions and British officials to relocate to the city and also overhauled the kingdom’s finances by personally overseeing revenue management. Thrissur Pooram Festival ●Sakthan Thampuran has been credited to start the Thrissur Pooram Festival in 1797 as an alternative to the Arattupuzha Pooram which was the largest temple festival in the state at that time. ●The festivities were conceived as an opportunity for the major temples in Thrissur to come to pay their respects to Lord Shiva, the presiding deity at the Vadakkumnathan Temple. Sources: The Indian Express

8. Prelims - General Studies I - Geography ‘Mission Mausam’ Context Recently, the Union Cabinet approved ‘Mission Mausam, Mains Question 3. Discuss in detail the objectives and elements of Mission Mausam. Discuss the significance in detail. Approach 1)Introduce with aim and objectives of the Mission Mausam. 2)Discuss the key elements of the Mission Mausam and its significance. 3)Conclude with its role in India’s Disaster Management Preparedness. About ●The Union Cabinet finally approved ‘Mission Mausam’ with an outlay of ₹2,000 crore over two years. ●It aims to boost India’s weather and climate-related science, research, and services. ●Nodal Ministry: The Ministry of Earth Sciences is the nodal body to implement the mission. ●Aim and Objectives: The following are the aims and objectives of the program. ●Elements of Mission Mausam: Critical elements of Mission Mausam include the deployment of next- generation radars and satellite systems with advanced sensors and high-performance supercomputers, the development of improved Earth system models and a GIS-based automated Decision Support System for real-time data dissemination.

9. Significance of the Mission Mausam Mitigating the Risk of Extreme Weather Events ●It will help to better equip stakeholders, including citizens and last-mile users, in tackling extreme weather events and the impacts of climate change. Research and Development in Atmospheric Sciences ●The mission will help India to foster research and development, and capacity in atmospheric sciences, especially weather surveillance, modelling, forecasting, and management. ●The mission will integrate advanced observation systems, high-performance computing, and cutting- edge technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning to achieve its objectives. ●Overall, it aims to set a new benchmark for predicting weather with high precision. Multi-Sectoral Benefits ●Mission Mausam aims to benefit numerous sectors, such as agriculture, disaster management, defence, environment, aviation, water resources, power, tourism, shipping, transport, energy, and health. ●Further, it aims to enhance data-driven decision-making in areas such as urban planning, road and rail transport, offshore operations, and environmental monitoring. Conclusion India is a diverse country in terms of climatic regions and relief features. It includes diversities in types of mountains, plateaus and plains. The country is surrounded by three sides with oceans and obtains its maximum rainfall from erratic It , making it vulnerable to natural disasters. Mission Mausam will help India to mitigate these problems. It will further include India into an array of nations with an advanced ‘Weather Forecasting System’.