Archive For November, 2013
Martian clouds float on Earth! MIT scientists have created Mars‐like conditions within a three‐storey‐tall chamber in Germany to form Martian clouds on Earth. Researchers adjusted the chamber’s temperature and relative humidity to match conditions on Mars. While the researchers were able to create clouds at the frigid temperatures typically found on Mars, they discovered that […]
India once again test‐fired the Prithvi II missile, from the Interim Test Range (ITR) located at Chandipur in north Odisha’s Balasore district. This was the nuclear‐capable missile’s second successful test launch in two days and the third successful launch in under three months. The surface‐to‐surface ballistic missile was test‐fired earlier from a missile testing centre […]
Even as the coasts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha brace for cyclone Phailin, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is geared up to provide necessary support to agencies on ground. Speaking at the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Bangalore Management Association, ISRO Chairman, Dr K Radhakrishnan said the ISRO, through its Disaster Management Support (DMS) […]
U.S. Navy helicopter avionics experts needed forward‐looking infrared (FLIR) sensor pods for CH‐53K heavy‐lift helicopters and for HH‐60 special operations helicopter. They found their solution from the Raytheon Co. Space and Airborne Systems segment in El Segundo, Calif. Officials of the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md., awarded $20 […]
Three U.S. defense contractors are developing synthetic vision helicopter avionics that capitalizes on data from existing onboard sensors to help U.S. Special Operations helicopter pilots deal with brownout conditions and other degraded visual environments (DVE) during challenging missions. Engineers from Rockwell Collins, Boeing, and Sierra Nevada will develop the DVE System for Special Operations Command. […]
In a first, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft has detected propylene, a chemical essential for creation of plastic, on Saturn’s moon Titan. This is the first definitive detection of the chemical ‐ used to make food‐storage containers, car bumpers and other consumer products ‐ on any moon or planet, other than Earth. A small amount of propylene […]
Chinese and other submarines are fast stepping up their forays into the Indian Ocean region (IOR) but India continues to drag its feet in acquiring advanced helicopters that operate from warships to detect, track and kill such underwater predators. The irony is that while the Navy is on track to induct four‐five major warships every […]
The F‐16 is familiar to airplane enthusiasts as the nimble American jet fighter, in service since the 1970s, with a nose like a heron with a severe under bite. Last week saw the maiden flight of the QF‐16, which is just an F‐16 with one modification: no pilot inside. Drones are everywhere these days, from […]
Scientist P Srikumar has been appointed director of Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bangalore. He succeeds Mr P S Krishnan who superannuated on Sept 30, 2013. Mr Srikumar joined DRDO as a scientist in ADE, Bangalore, after a brief stint in HAL aircraft design bureau, according to a press release. Source: Deccan Herald
India scripted a new chapter in its space programme when the nation launched its maiden unmanned mission to Mars, propelling the country to an exclusive league of nations. With only the United States, Russia and the European Space Agency successfully sending robots to Mars before, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) became the fourth space agency […]