Dragon's aggression gone too far? - The Diaoyu Dispute

Can a group of islands, no matter how important, be worth all the trouble China and Japan are getting into? Territorial claims and controversies are nothing new when it comes to China- Be it Philippines, Taiwan, India or Vietnam, the Chinese have always preferred laying claims to trivial pieces of rocks with a pinch of unwarranted aggression added to their taste over the warmth and benefits of cordial relationships with the neighbors. And we all had pretty much gotten used to that now haven’t we? Aggressive patrols, denying visas and releasing intimidating comments were common weapons for Chinese leadership to reinforce their claims on what they consider is theirs by whatever logic that suits them. But the recent move of China, to announce the air defense identification zone over the region encompassing the Diaoyu Islands has packed a new punch in this old game. It’s like a brand new “Warmongering 2.0” with improved aggression promising a far more interesting global response and consequences. It’s important indeed to notice the difference in Chinese stance here.  For example, in Indian context, the Chinese often make inroads into Indian Territory to highlights their claims in regions like daulat beg oldi and aksai chin. But then the Indians launch counter patrols and both sides eventually cool down and go back to the status quo. Same was the story with Japan earlier, the Chinese would sneak peek into the Diaoyu waters when the Japanese were not looking and Japan would do the same, and the same chain of events kept getting repeated with monotonous statements like “China urges Japan to respect China’s sovereignty” etc- without any remarkable escalation.

So what does it tell you? The move tells you about China’s exponentially enhanced confidence in its military capability. A child can tell you that the natural response of Japan will be to reject the restrictions imposed by China through this Air defense zone and they will keep flying their military jets into the controversial airspace. It is very much probable that any military adventure in this region can now quickly escalate into “an act of war”. Let get involved in the hypothetic. If history is any aid, it is quite reasonable to assume that Japan will not be the first one to take any military action. In worst case scenario, the Chinese will shoot down a Japanese surveillance drone or something to which the Japanese will pay back in kind. This is something the Chinese leadership must have already thought about while declaring this air defense zone. Their decision to go ahead with this declaration anyway, shows how confident they are of being able to handle any kind of military aggression in this area. And we have hints in this regard – they displayed their nuclear submarine fleet for the first time in 40 years! The Chinese jets stole the show at Dubai air show. Operating three jets simultaneously from the Air craft carrier Liaoning etc…they have all been subtle hints that the Chinese are confident of their military prowess in the area.

But there’s more to this love story. China is confident of handling Japan alright, but has it considered the presence of Uncle Sam enough? After the World War 2, United States disarmed Japan and prohibited it from keeping its own defense forces, and also signed a document which allowed the United States to maintain military bases all over Japan. After half a century, this treaty has proved to be a boon for the Japan. Japan and United States are closer than ever and external security of Japan is now almost officially the responsibility of Washington itself. Anyway, important point is that, Diaoyu islands are also a part of the region which was vowed to be protected by the Americans under the treaty of 1952. Not only this means that US considers diaoyu islands an integral part of Japan, but it also signifies that any action unilaterally taken by China on diaoyu islands will also be an action directly against the United States. The Eagle has wasted no time in registering firm opposition to this move. Even before the United States policy makers could formally issue statements against the ADIZ set up by China, two B-52 bombers had already flown over the ADIZ without informing Beijing about their presence. South Korean  and Japanese aircrafts followed the act and Japanese coast guard carried on with their usual patrols along the Diaoyu coastline. It will be hard to say if B-52 bombers were flown through the ADIZ merely to send a stern message to the dragon to not cross the line, or if it was done to check any additional deployments and infrastructure put up in place by China to enforce the guidelines of ADIZ.

Conclusion? Perhaps China needs to reconsider its stance. You should play with fire when you know you can handle the heat. Even if China does acquire the islands by force, (well…) it will have to pay the price of upsetting all its neighbours. And ask any five year old boy, is it worth all this trouble? Maybe The Socialists need to see the long term effects of their aggression. They should know that unnecessary quibbling over a small group of rocks is not worth putting the years of hard work in improving the foreign relations into garbage bin. And whoa!...that too when they know that their entire economy is based on trade with the countries they are messing with. I learnt it while playing chess – one wrong move, and the game wraps up even before you know it. 

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VOYAGER I CROSSES SOLAR SYSTEM: The little spacecraft that could

Pasadena: The spacecraft's technology was laughable by today's standards: It carried an 8-track tape recorder and computers with 240,000 times less memory than a low-end iPhone. When it left Earth 36 years ago, it was designed as a four-year mission to Saturn, and everything after that was gravy.

But Voyager I has become - unexpectedly - the Little Spacecraft That Could. On Thursday, scientists declared that it had become the first man-made object to exit the solar system, a breathtaking achievement that NASA could only fantasize about back when it was launched in 1977, the same year that "Star Wars" was released.

"I don't know if it's in the same league as landing on the moon, but it's right up there - 'Star Trek' stuff, for sure," said Donald A. Gurnett, a professor of physics at the University of Iowa and the co-author of a paper published Thursday in the journal Science about Voyager's feat. "I mean, consider the distance. It's hard even for scientists to comprehend."

Even among planetary scientists, who tend to dream large, the idea that something they built could travel so far for so long and pierce the sun's reach is an impressive one. Plenty of telescopes gaze at the far parts of the Milky Way, but Voyager 1 can now touch and feel this unexplored region and send back detailed dispatches. Given the distance, it takes about 17 hours for Voyager's signals to reach NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory here.

"This is historic stuff, a bit like the first exploration of Earth, and we had to look at the data very, very carefully," said Edward C. Stone, 77, NASA's top Voyager expert, who has been working on the project since 1972.

Ever the stoic scientist, he does get excited about what comes next.

"It's now the start of a whole new mission," he said.

The lonely probe, which is 11.7 billion miles from Earth and hurtling away at 38,000 mph, has long been on the verge of bursting through the heliosphere, a vast, bullet-shaped bubble of particles blown out by the sun. Scientists have spent this year debating whether it had done so, interpreting the data Voyager sent back in different ways.

But now it is official that Voyager 1 passed into the cold, dark and unknown vastness of interstellar space, a place full of dust, plasma and other matter from exploded stars. The article in Science pinpointed a date: Aug. 25, 2012.

"This is the moment we've all been waiting for," Jia-Rui C. Cook, the media liaison at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said in an email to a reporter. "I can't even sleep it's so exciting!"

Coincidentally, the same month that Voyager 1 left the solar system, Curiosity, NASA's state-of-the-art rover, landed on Mars and started sending home gorgeous snapshots. Soon afterward, Curiosity's exploration team, some 400 strong, dazzled the world by driving the $2.5 billion robot across a patch of Martian terrain, a feat that turned the Red Bull-chugging engineers and scientists of Building 264 of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory campus into rock stars.

A spoof video, "We're NASA and We Know It," recorded to the beat of the song "Sexy And I Know It," generated 2.8 million views on YouTube.

Voyager, meanwhile, stopped sending home pictures in 1990, to conserve energy. In its heyday, it pumped out never-before-seen images of Jupiter and Saturn, but lately there has not been much to see.

Voyager's Golden Record: Will be useful in the event when the spacecraft is ever found by intelligent life-forms from other planetary systems. The discs carry photos of the Earth and its lifeforms, a range of scientific information, spoken greetings from people such the Sec-General of the UN and US President and a medley, "Sounds of Earth", that includes the sounds of whales, a baby crying, waves breaking on a shore, and a collection of music including works by Mozart. 

As the mission lost its sizzle, its 12-person staff was booted from the laboratory's campus and sent to cramped quarters down the street next to a McDonald's. Suzanne R. Dodd, the Voyager project manager, said that when she has attended meetings in Building 264, she has kept a low profile in deference to the Mars team.

"I try to stay out of the elevator and take the stairs," Dodd said. "They're doing important work there, and I'll only slow them down."

Now she and her team seem poised to be back in the spotlight, perhaps for years to come. Stone, vice provost for special projects at the California Institute of Technology and former director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, expects Voyager 1 to keep sending back data - with a 23-watt transmitter, about the equivalent of a refrigerator light bulb - until roughly 2025.

Not that the aging spacecraft has made things easy. An instrument that measures the energy of particles in plasma stopped working in 1980. But scientists still have access to a related sensor, a spindly antenna that records electron oscillations in plasma. The catch is that these oscillations don't occur all the time; they typically happen when stirred up by a solar eruption.

Voyager 1's plasma wave antenna picked up audible vibrations in April and May that allowed Gurnett and his colleagues to calculate the density of the plasma around the spacecraft, which would help them determine whether the craft was still in the solar system.

"It was exactly what we expected for interstellar plasma," Gurnett said.

Moreover, by combing through older oscillation data collected by Voyager 1, the team discovered that the edge of the solar system - the threshold that was crossed in late summer of 2012 - was roughly where Gurnett predicted it would be back in 1993 by using different solar storm calculations.

"Am I bragging here? No," he said. "All right. I admit it. It's bragging a little."

As the solar system's edge grew tantalizingly close, NASA asked Dodd and her team to increase the amount of data collection. The problem: 8-track recorders from 1977 are not exactly bursting with extra space. Could she even find anyone who specialized in that piece of recording technology?

"These younger engineers can write a lot of sloppy code, and it doesn't matter, but here, with very limited capacity," said Dodd, "you have to be extremely precise and have a real strategy."

At 52, Dodd is a relative newcomer to Voyager, first working on the mission in 1984, when Voyager 2 - a companion spacecraft also launched in 1977 and still inside the solar system - was headed toward Uranus. But she was able to find her man: Lawrence J. Zottarelli, 77, a retired NASA engineer. He came up with a solution. But would it work?

Zottarelli waited at Voyager mission control one afternoon last month to find out. The first of the newly programmed data dumps was set to come down. Dodd, Stone and Zottarelli watched two old Sun Microsystems computers like children watching for a chick to peck through an egg.

"Nine, eight, seven," Stone counted down.

"Everything's fine," said Zottarelli, flashing a thumbs up and hiking up his trousers. "You're on your own now."

The relief was written all over Dodd's face, too. "It's not easy flying an old spacecraft," she said.

Her eyes moved to Stone, who was peering at a computer through his trifocals.

"There are lots of old missions," he responded, a sly smile taking over his face. "But not many are doing exciting new things."

© 2013, The New York Times News Service

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Mumbai: City Where Dreams Come True

Mumbai is India's financial capital, but this doesn't even begin to describe it. It is the city where dreams come true - it is a city of opportunities. It doesn't matter what your dream is, Mumbai will have something to offer towards its realization. If you want to be a famous actor, Mumbai is the home of Bollywood, if you want to be an entrepreneur, Mumbai has a wonderful business atmosphere, and if your dream is simply to enjoy life at a pace you like - slow or fast, Mumbai is still the way to go. There are countless stories of people rising up from its slums to become some of the most influential people in their fields. From being home to Asia's largest slum to being world's fastest growing cities, Mumbai can show you every colour. Welcome to my India's beloved city - the city where dreams come true. 

Gateway of India(above): Mumbai's most famous monument, this is the starting point for most tourists who want to explore the city. It was built as a triumphal arch to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary, complete with four turrets and intricate latticework carved into the yellow basalt stone. Ironically, when the Raj ended in 1947, this colonial symbol also became a sort of epitaph: the last of the British ships that set sail for England left from the Gateway. Today this symbol of colonialism has got Indianised, drawing droves of local tourists and citizens. Behind the arch, there are steps leading down to the water. Here, you can get onto one of the bobbing little motor launches, for a short cruise through Mumbai's splendid natural harbour.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus: Shown above is the Historical train station in Mumbai, and also the largest in the city. 

The city's architecture was largely influenced by the British and to an extent, by the Portuguese during the 18th and early 19th centuries and much of it has been preserved even till date. Its not very uncommon to find a beautiful cream coloured building with English architecture amidst a contemporary urban setting. 

The city's skyline is changing fast. Shown here is the Arabian sea coastline of Mumbai with upcoming skyscrapers in the background. Many super tall structures like the Palais Royale and World One are in advanced phases of construction. Many of these buildings when complete, will set new records.

Four Seasons Hotel with under construction 'Palais Royale' in the background.

Something unique to Mumbai is the co-existence of slums and skyscrapers together. On one hand it amazes me to think how two economically opposite sections of society exist in such proximity to each other with no egos hurt, and on the other hand its equally tragic to see how uneven the distribution of wealth here is. 

      

  

Promising downtown and business center of Mumbai.

Mahalaxmi Race Course



The Imperial Towers (above) which were until recently India's tallest buildings with 240 meters from ground to antennae. 

Palais Royale (above): Currently the tallest building in Mumbai and in India running 320 meters vertically.

Ah! A view from India's...oops, Asia's largest slum - Dharavi. I take pride in introducing it because people here might be poor, but they are a hard working class. They are not beggars, they are people running small businesses many of which have become crucial to this city's growth. Goods made here are exported all over the world with the total turn over expected at 500 million dollars.

   

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ET Xploration Guide: Five easy steps to find Aliens

Finding aliens is not really all that difficult, you just have to know exactly what should you be on a lookout for in the space. You see, if I were to ask you to find my lost needle somewhere on a football ground, you might...oh well, you sure wont be able to find it. But if i told you that it is within a 1 meter radius from a certain corner of the field, is shiny and is coloured Golden, then of course, your chances increase many fold. Same for the aliens. You have to know exactly which part of the Universe is most suitable for ET exploration, and what must you be looking for in that region. Of course I collected this information from varied sources and if you want to know more, just scroll down to the end of the post and click on the sources. Here you go...I hope after reading this you'll be able to catch a few aliens on your own. Happy Reading!

Universe is Huge. Billions of galaxies and Each galaxy consisting of billions of stars with many of them having planets.

1. Where should I go about finding the small green things with antennae on their head? 

Ah! lets see...Universe is unimaginably vast. It has billions of galaxies and that it is a good thing because the bigger the Universe, bigger will be the probability of existence of planets which can harbour life! But too many galaxies also makes the task of finding aliens tougher as you do not know which places to look first. A new research gives some idea about where should we be looking but in a very indirect way. Scientists suspect that the laws of Physics might not be same throughout the Universe! In astrophysics, there is a constant called "alpha" which measures the strength of electromagnetism. Since it is a constant, its value should be same on Earth, on Alpha Centauri, on Sun, other galaxies - everywhere. But there are suspicions that it might actually be true. After measuring alpha in distant galaxies,it was found out that alpha is not same everywhere! and seems to vary continuously along a preferred axis through the Universe which passes through the Earth,” said Webb, how is researching this phenomenon at the University of South Wales, Australia and is a well known Researcher. If true, imagine what it can mean! It will mean that laws of physics are simply local by-laws! It is like saying Newton's laws might be correct on Earth but not Mars! So, it seems like the Earth, and its cosmic surroundings are "fine tuned" for the existence of life! If it is true that laws of physics vary, then it means that these laws have moulded themselves in just the right way for Earth to support life. So, here is your answer. If you want to find aliens, look at places near Earth, don't do too far away where the laws of physics become unfavourable to support life. Now of course when I say "near Earth" on cosmic scale it can mean a few hundred light years. But hey!...you're looking for aliens, gonna have to work hard of course, they don't grow in backyards. 

Lasers can be powerful tools of communication as well as tools of research. They can travel long distances with little loss of energy. 

2. What should I be looking for? 

I
nternet. Yeah, that's your answer. Sadly AT&T people do not offer inter planetary internet services so they won't help you, but I mean looking for "internet" in a different way. Imagine Earth 300 years from now. Your Grandma lives on Mars, you live on Earth and your sister in law is on Pandora. How will you invite them for your birthday party? Yes, you will use electromagnetic radiations of strong strengths to transmit messages. So if there are aliens, they might also be using some sort of concentrated signals to send messages across the space. That is what you should be looking for. Concentrated electromagnetic signals which are of unusual - artificial origin. Geoffery Marcy, discoverer of the first system of exo-planets can come to your rescue here. After all, all of this "concentrated signal" stuff is his brain child.  Marcy believes that there may be other civilizations in the universe that are years ahead of human society and might currently be communicating with radio signals in a network he calls a “galactic Internet.” Marcy uses advanced telescopes to detect concentrated signals in space. He believes these signals may indicate the existence of another advanced civilization, because nothing in the universe is known to emit such signals. The Templeton Foundation recently granted him $200,000 for his proposal!...How bad it must feel to have 200,000 dollars and not being able to spend it on things you like. Anyway, As more and more Earthlike planets are being discovered, some scientists feel that there is no longer anything “particularly special about Earth” that makes it uniquely conducive to life, according to Andrew Siemion, a project scientist in the UC Berkeley SETI group.

Every year, the program gathers approximately $1 million in funding, which is spread over 10 unique projects, according to Dan Werthimer, director of the UC Berkeley group. Distinct categories each concern a certain range of the electromagnetic wave spectrum, because the researchers cannot be sure at which wavelength other civilizations may be emitting their signals.

Okay so now you know what to look for and where to look for. I have a lot more to share on this topic but I have to go and have dinner. So, some other time. But this should give you a good start! All you need now are some of the biggest telescopes on Earth, super expensive radiation detectors and some clearances to use these equipments. And chips. It can be draining. Al right then, gotta eat!...Godspeed and may the force be with you in your alien hunting.         

Sources : Galactic Internet, Fine tuning of Universe; 

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Russian Intervention: Role of Russia in war of 1971

India and Russia have had such warm and extremely friendly relations that it often surprises me as to why this political and strategic warmth  in relations hasn't been able to instil a greater interaction between the Indian and Russian people in general. I mean we make everything from guns to supersonic fighter jets with the Russians but I barely come across an Indian who wants to go to Russia for higher education or who has a Russian girlfriend for that matter! But then, Britain and United States share good relations as far as military is concerned and how often do you see an American praising England? So, I guess it is nothing abnormal between us and the Russians.

Indian jets bombing Karachi Harbour during the war of '71

The world in 1960-70s was very different from what it is now. It was extremely bipolar - There were Pro US countries, and there were Pro Soviet countries. India was of course the founding member of the non aligned group, but then the rest of the world judged India to be inclined more or less towards the Soviet side. On the other hand, Pakistan was a close ally of USA, already a member of the American lead military pacts - CENTO and SEATO. So, India's declaration of war with Pakistan, put the entire pro-US section as unease.  During the first week of the war, US had restricted itself to supplying arms and ammunition to Pakistan and putting diplomatic pressure on India by sending numerous letters and calls to Indira Gandhi. Their view, however, was challenged when Indian forces restricted the Pakistan's Navy to the ports of Karachi and carried out totally successful air raids and land attacks deep Inside East Pakistan. It was then, that Nixon was forced to think that diplomacy was not going to be enough to stop India, and military force was considered. The plan was to move all possible military forces towards India and generate fear in Indian political command to force them into negotiations. One of the most potent forces in the United States, the Task Force 74 led by the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise sailed into the bay of Bengal. And why will the Britain, strong supporter  of United States, get left behind? A carrier battle group lead by carrier HMS Eagle was moved towards the bay of Bengal. The Turks were asked to fly jets over Indian soil. Jordan, Iran, Saudi Arabia too had either agreed, or were in process of surrounding India with whatever they had - ships, jets, anything. Nixon had been counting strongly on China. Many letters were addressed to the Chinese political top notch to intervene in the situation. United States wanted some sort of Chinese involvement in the war to build pressure on India. Desperation was clear in what he shared with Kissinger "All they've got to do is move something. Move a division. You know, move some trucks. Fly some planes. You know, some symbolic act. We're not doing a goddamn thing, Henry, you know that." But the Chinese didn't even warn the Indians. They decided it was not in their interest to be nosy. 

And what happened? India liberated Bangladesh, defeated Pakistan badly and established her regional supremacy. With 'almost' every nation criticizing India's decision to go on the war, United States and Britain moving their forces into Indian Ocean, hostile neighbour on the north eastern border and an ongoing war to deal with, how was India able to turn the table to its advantage? Because, we had a good friend. A really valuable friend who understood and shared the cause for which we had gone to war. Who said she'll take care of things and she did. Things could have been very different if China had entered the war. But Soviet Union had assured Indira Gandhi that if Chinese decided in favour of any misadventure, they'll intervene and contain China from the North. On December 10, Nixon instructed Kissinger to ask the Chinese to move some troops toward the Indian frontier. 'Threaten to move forces or move them, Henry, that's what they must do now.' China feared any action on India might attract Soviet aggression. At this, US assured China that any action taken by Soviet Union will be countered by US to protect China. Pakistani army had somehow maintained their position and resisted Indian advancement. They believed China is preparing to open the Northern front which will slow down or completely stop the Indian advancement. In fact, the myth of Chinese activity was also communicated to Pakistan's army to boost their moral, to keep their will to fight and hope alive. Lieutenant General A A K Niazi, the Pakistani army commander in Dhaka, was informed: "NEFA front has been activated by Chinese, although the Indians, for obvious reasons, have not announced it." But Beijing never did. Chinese could not risk a war with Russians. 

India's aircraft carrier 'INS Vikrant' in operation during the 1971 war. It effectively kept Pakistani Navy holed up in Karachi Harbour.

Russia had been with India all the way. In fact they were a step ahead of the Americans and the English. Remember HMS Eagle was moving towards the Indian coasts? Well the Russians had been tracking their movement already. Tee Hee. Confidential - The Commander of the Military Intelligence Service Gen. Pyotr Ivashutin. "The Soviet Intelligence has reported that the English operative connection has come nearer to territorial India, water led by an aircraft carrier “Eagle” [On December 10]. For helping friendly India, Soviet government has directed a group of ships under the command of contr-admiral V. Kruglyakov."

Vladimir Kruglyakov, the former (1970-1975) Commander of the 10th Operative Battle Group (Pacific Fleet) remembers:

"I was ordered by the Chief Commander to track the British Navy's advancement, I positioned our battleships in the Bay of Bengal and watched for the British carrier "Eagle".

But Soviet Union didn't have enough force to resist if they encountered the British Carrier. Therefore, to support the existing Soviet fleet in the Bay of Bengal, Soviet cruisers, destroyers and nuclear submarines, equipped with anti ship missiles, were sent from Vladivostok.

In reaction English Navy retreated and went South to Madagascar.

Soon the news of American carrier Enterprise and USS Tripoli's advancement towards Indian water came.

USS Enterprise

V. Kruglyakov “ I had obtained the order from the commander-in-chief not to allow the advancement of the American fleet to the military bases of India”

"We encircled them and aimed the missiles at the 'Enterprise'. We had blocked their way and didn't allow them to head anywhere, neither to Karachi, nor to Chittagong or Dhaka".

The Soviet ships had small range rockets (only upto 300 KM). Therefore, to hold the opponent under the range, commanders ran risks of going as near to the enemy as possible.

"The Chief Commander had ordered me to lift the submarines and bring them to the surface so that it can be pictured by the American spy satellites or can be seen by the American Navy!' It was done to demonstrate, that we had all the needed things in Indian Ocean, including the nuclear submarines. I had lifted them, and they recognized it. Then, we intercepted the American communication. The commander of the Carrier Battle Group was then the counter-admiral Dimon Gordon. He sent the report to the 7th American Fleet Commander: 'Sir, we are too late. There are Russian nuclear submarines here, and a big collection of battleships'.

Americans returned and couldn't do anything. Soviet Union had also threatened China that, if they ever opened a front against India on its border, they will receive a tough response from North. Russia made sure nothing distracted India from its goal. There were there for us when war started, and they were there until the wreckage of the war had been cleaned. Wreckage...well that wreckage was no ordinary wreckage it was wreckage made of 'gold', literally. But let me leave that story for some other day, some other post. 

Russia's contributions to India's security: FGFA, Sukhoi Su 30MKI, Brahmos, T90, INS Chakra, INS Vikramaditya.

Its 2013 now, things have changed. Countries once determined to destroy us are eager to do business with India, sign nuclear pacts and look at us to take care of things in the region. It is so funny. Americans once wanted the Chinese to contain India, now they want us to contain China. Iran readied its jets to hit India in favour of Americans, now Iran looks to India to keep its economy going amid sanctions imposed by United States. Selfishness drives the globe. But one thing has not changed. The friendship India and Russia share. Never once in so many decades Russia and India shared a bitter moment. So if 'others' ever wonder why we favour Russian equipment over theirs, they should understand that probably it is because Indians mean more than business. We look for people we can trust, count on. 

All I hope is that if someday Russia needs India the way we needed them back in '71, India should be able to do that just fine.      

           

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India's Date with Mars: Mangalyaan

Curiosity might be in for a little discomfort and jealousy as Mangalyaan, India's Mars probe, will try to woo the 'hot' red planet in this coming October-November. It is nothing as complicated or even as robust as the Curiosity of course, it is a basically a technology demonstration project which will see a satellite being placed into Mars's orbit. But when it comes to probing Mars, which is full of mysteries and possibilities, every achievement is a big achievement. Bringing you some information about this mission, happy reading!  

PSLV 

What is Mangalyaan? 

The Mangalyaan mission,  which will translate to "Mars Craft mission" in English, is a planned Mars orbiter to be launched in November 2013 by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).The mission is a "technology demonstrator" project aiming to develop the technologies required for design, planning, management and operations of an interplanetary mission. The Mangalyaan Mars probe will lift off using a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) rocket and will be India's first mission to Mars.  If successful, ISRO would become the fourth space agency to reach Mars, after ROSCOSMOS, NASA, and ESA

How will it reach Mars? 

The launch will place Mangalyaan first into Earth orbit, then six engine firings will raise that orbit to one with an apogee of 215,000 km and a perigee of 600 km. A final firing will send Mangalyaan onto an interplanetary trajectory. The craft will finally reach the Mars Orbit in September 2014 and would allow the spacecraft to enter a highly elliptical orbit of 500 km x 80,000 km around Mars. The spacecraft's dry mass is planned to be 500 kg, and it will carry 850 kg of propellant and oxidizer. The main engine uses the bipropellant combination monomethylhydrazine and dinitrogen tetroxide for orbit insertion and other maneuvers.

What is it supposed to do after reaching there? 

Well I could sure tell you some over the top things like it will use Mars Exospheric Neutral Composition Analyzer to study the atmosphere etc but then that feels boring even to me while writing this, so let me explain it in non-nerd language. It will carry with it five major probing components. One of these will help in recording the temperature variations on and near the surface of Mars, then it has a sensor will will study the composition of its atmosphere, a third sensor to study the radiations taking place off the surface, some device to map the surface, and finally my favourite of them all, a fancy color camera to click some good pictures and relay them back to Earth. 

Some quick facts about the mission:

• The launch mass of the spacecraft will be 1350 kilo grams. 
• The probe will be powered by solar energy, with its panels producing 750W of power while orbiting Mars.
• The journey from Earth to Mars will take about 300 days.

  

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An Arrow from my quiver of dumb-but-popular-these-days stuff!

   Guess what do Star Wars and Indiana Jones have in                  common?

   Eating Noodles? May the force be with you. 

   These are some precision robots!

    

   True...

   America needs oil!...hide yours! 

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Some Inspiring Quotes I Came Across On Internet

We all need some inspiration in our lives sometime or the other, after all, life is full of ups and downs. These quotes do not belong to me, but what better way can there be than to learn from each other? I read these and I felt better, so here're the same for you. Happy Reading!  

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