Showing posts with label science news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science news. Show all posts

Sushila Sonar's low cost electric Wheelchair

12:18 PM
Writes Sanjog Chamling

23rd June 2016 Arunachal Pradesh: Sushila Sonar, an Indian Gorkha, who recently won Gold for India in the International Taekwondo Championship held at Bhutan (Read here - Gorkhas Daughter wins Gold and Bronze in International Taekwondo Championship) has given us yet another reason  to be proud. Sushila, a student of BSc Interior Design from  Arunachal Pradesh has designed low cost electric wheelchair which is the hope for the physically challenged and elderly.They will no longer have to be at the mercy of someone to move from one place to another.And they will have no reason to compromise their dignity. she said.

She did her graduation from JD Institute of Fashion Technology Guwahaty. She believes that, her low cost electric wheel chair will be of great help who cannot afford expensive wheelchairs in the market.
Sushila Sonar an Indian Gorkha with her wheelchair
Sushila Sonar an Indian Gorkha with her wheelchair
She was inspired to make such a wheelchair when she saw her friend's mother who is partially paralyzed."I call it a 'magic wheels' since it gives mobility to those who are otherwise dependent on others. I recon it gives more confidence to people." she added.

Sushila Sonar's interview
Ms. Sushila Sonar, a Gorkha resident of Arunachal from Naharlagun came up with a brilliant initiative of making low cost electric wheel chair out of  waste products for the Physically Handicapped people. The 'migic wheels' costs Rs 20,000 which is the cheapest so far available in the market.The avarage cost of the powered wheelchair in the market cost from Rs 60,000 to Rs10,00,000 Sonar said.
Sushila Sonar's low cost electric Wheelchair
Sushila Sonar's low cost electric Wheelchair
" Architecture is not an inspirational business, it's a rational procedure to do sensible and hopefully beautiful things in Life "


India launches record 20 satellites ISRO creates history

9:31 PM
Sriharikota: India successfully put into orbit its own earth observation satellite Cartosat-2 and 19 other satellites, including one belonging to the Google company Terra Bella, USA, on Wednesday morning. With this, India successfully completed yet another multiple satellite launch in a single rocket mission. Exactly at 9.26 am, the PSLV rocket standing 44.4 metres tall and weighing 320 tons tore into the morning skies with fierce orange flames at its tail.

Gathering speed every second, the rocket raced towards the heavens amid loud cheers from ISRO officials and the media at the rocket port here. At the rocket mission control room, Indian space scientists at ISRO were glued to their computer screens watching the rocket escaping the Earth’s gravitational pull.

Soon after the launch, a beaming ISRO Chairman A S Kiran Kumar said the mission was a success and that the new-generation Cartosat was in place. The rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle’s (PSLV) main cargo was India's 725.5 kg Cartosat-2 series satellite for Earth observation with a design life of five years.
ISRO creates history, successfully launches record 20 satellites
ISRO creates history, successfully launches record 20 satellites
This satellite is similar to the earlier Cartosat-2, 2A and 2B. The other 19 satellites weighing around 560 kgs were from US, Canada, Germany and Indonesia as well as one satellite each from Chennai's Sathyabama University and College of Engineering, Pune.

The images sent by Cartosat satellite will be useful for cartographic, urban, rural, coastal land use, water distribution and other applications. According to ISRO, the 110 kg SkySat Gen2-1 belonging to Terra Bella, a Google company, is a small earth imaging satellite capable of capturing sub-metre resolution imagery and high definition video.

The Planet Lab’s Dove Satellites are also Earth imaging satellites. A total of 12 Dove satellites, each weighing 4.7 kg, were carried in this mission inside three QuadPack dispensers, ISRO said. The PSLV rocket also put into orbit the 85 kg M3MSat from Canada. The technology demonstration mission is jointly funded and managed by Defence Research and Development Canada and the Canadian Space Agency.
ISRO record launch 20 satellites
ISRO record launch 20 satellites

The other satellites launched are: 120 kg LAPSN-A3 of Indonesia, the 130 kg BIROS, from German Aerospace Centre, Germany and the 25.5 kg GHGSat-D, Canada. Just over 17 minutes into the flight the PSLV rocket ejected Cartosat at an altitude of around 515 km.

It was followed by two other Indian satellites — the 1.5 kg Sathyabamasat from Sathyabama University that would collect data on green house gases and the 1 kg Swayam satellite from College of Engineering, Pune, to provide point-to-point messaging services to the HAM radio community.

The whole mission got over in around 26 minutes. It was the first time that ISRO launched 20 satellites with one single rocket mission. In 2008, the ISRO had launched 10 satellites with the PSLV rocket.

With the success of Wednesday’s rocket mission, India has successfully launched 74 satellites for international customers.

8 Things to Know about the Record Launch of 20 Satellites
  • 1. The total weight of all 20 satellites carried onboard PSLV C-34 was about 1,288 kg.
  • 2. The 727 kg Cartosat-2 series satellite is the primary satellite in this mission.
  • 3. The 320 tonne PSLV C-34 carried 17 foreign small satellites from Canada, Indonesia, Germany and the US.
  • 4. The foreign satellites include LAPAN-A3 from Indonesia; Brios from Germany; M3MSat and GHSSat-D from Canada; SkySat Gen 2-1 and 12 Dove satellites from the United States.
  • 5. The 110 kg SkySat Gen2-1 is a small Earth imaging satellite designed and built by Terra Bella, a Google company.
  • 6. Each of the 12 Dove satellites weighs around 4.7 kg. They are earth imaging satellite developed by US-based Planet Labs.
  • 7. PSLV C-34 also carried two student satellites.
  • 8. The PSLV placed the satellites in the designated polar Sun Synchronous Orbit (SSO) in about 30 minutes after the launch.



Via deccanchronicle


Bikal Rai gets a Laptop and Dongle as gift from Chief Engineer from Mumbai

8:51 PM
Sikkim 2nd April 2016 A person from Mumbai had called Bikal Rai more than four years ago after he saw a first Facebook post about Bikal Rai a self made engineer from Sikkim. After he called Bikal the man from Mumbai had a dream to do something for Bikal Rai. His dream came true when he met Bikal in Gangtok today. He gifted him a brand new Laptop and new Dongle.

His name is Jai Shree Ram he came to Sikkim from Mumbai to meet Bikal Rai. He gifted a Laptop and Dongle to Bikal Rai saying these gift for Bikal bhai is from him along with his two friends from Mumbai and a friend from Singapore. Mr. Shree Ram also gifted Rs. 7500 to Bikal Rai thinking that cash will help him to get his Dongle recharged some time.



Bikal Rai gets a Laptop and Dongle as gift from man from Mumbai
Mr Shree Ram also visited the home of Bikal Rai to greet his mother and to query about her health conditions. He's a Chief Engineer in Mumbai Airport. Shree Ram Sir has more dreams about Bikal Rai. He wants to see Bikal Rai in America someday and to make it possible, Shree Ram shared his views with Bikal Rai. Shree Ram also gifted a rechargeable lamp so that Bikal Rai can study in night, in case if there's no electricity.


Via Sikkim Messenger

All you want yo know about the Zika Virus and its First Vaccine

9:12 PM
About All you want yo know about the Zika Virus
Zika virus is spreading at a rapid pace everywhere. According to WHO (World Health Organisation), it is 'spreading explosively'. Global health officials are saying that the virus that's linked to birth defects in thousands of new-born babies in Brazil is spreading like wildfire towards America and could end up infecting 3 to 4 million people. While people race against time to find a vaccine for the terrible virus, here are some answers to questions you always wanted to ask about Zika virus and the current outbreak.
zika-symptoms
zika symptoms
What is Zika virus?
Zika is a disease caused by the Zika virus and spreads to people from a mosquito bite. Most newborns whose mothers have had the virus are suffering from Microcephaly - a disorder where the baby's head is much smaller and underdeveloped.

How does it spread to people?
Like mentioned before, the virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected female Aedes mosquito, the same kind that spreads dengue, chikungunya and yellow fever. Spreading explosively in the Americas right now, The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is saying that the mosquitoes can be found in all countries in the Americas except for Canada and continental Chile. The virus is likely to reach countries in the region when Aedes mosquitoes are found.

Zika virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected female Aedes mosquito.
Zika virus is transmitted through the bite of an infected female Aedes mosquito.
What are the symptoms of Zika?
People who have Zika virus typically have a mild fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, constant muscle fatigue and joint pain from anywhere between two to seven days. The scariest bit, however, is the fact that as many as 80 percent of people infected never develop a symptom strong enough to suspect anything.

Can people die because of it?
Not that we know of right now. The PAHO said there is no evidence that Zika can cause deaths but there have been some serious complications reported in patients who are already suffering from a medical condition.

There's also microcephaly, and Guillain-Barre syndrome, a rare disorder in which the body's immune system attacks part of the nervous system. Scientists are studying whether there is a causal link between Zika and these two disorders.

What's the connection with microcephaly?
To tell you more in detail, microcephaly is a condition marked by an abnormally small head and brains that haven't developed properly in a newborn. Although scientists haven't really found a direct relationship between Zika and birth defects, it is strongly suspected. Brazil has reported around 3,700 cases of possible microcephaly that might be linked with Zika. Research in Brazil shows that the risk of microcephaly is the highest during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Is India at risk?
Not yet, but we'd be foolish to ignore it considering what's at stake here. Since the mosquito is found in abundance in the country, and dengue is a problem India faces every year, we fall in the most dangerous zone for Zika virus to spread.

How do you treat Zika? 
Unfortunately, there is no treatment or vaccine available for Zika. Companies and scientists are racing against time to develop a safe and effective vaccine, but it's not expected to be ready for months or years.

Can it be contained?
Efforts are being made to control the spread of the virus. Authorities are focusing on eliminating the breeding grounds of the mosquito and taking precautions against mosquito bites by using insect repellent and mosquito nets. Expecting mothers have been advised to avoid visiting Latin American and Caribbean countries where they might be exposed to Zika.

Which countries are fighting the Zika outbreak?
According to WHO, Zika has been reported in 23 countries in the Americas. While Brazil remains the most affected nation, other countries, and territories include Barbados, Bolivia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Suriname, Venezuela and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the PAHO.

Can it be contained?
Efforts are being made to control the spread of the virus. Authorities are focusing on eliminating the breeding grounds of the mosquito and taking precautions against mosquito bites by using insect repellent and mosquito nets. Expecting mothers have been advised to avoid visiting Latin American and Caribbean countries where they might be exposed to Zika.

Which countries are fighting the Zika outbreak?
According to WHO, Zika has been reported in 23 countries in the Americas. While Brazil remains the most affected nation, other countries, and territories include Barbados, Bolivia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Suriname, Venezuela and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the PAHO.

India Has Developed The World's First Vaccine For Zika
Bharat Biotech, a city-based vaccines and bio-therapeutic manufacturer, on Wednesday claimed to have achieved a breakthrough in developing a vaccine to fight the dreaded mosquito-borne Zika virus, which allegedly causes serious birth defects in children.

Bharat Biotech is home to some of the most brilliant minds in the world and began work on the Zika virus a year ago, Krishna Ella, CMD Bharat Biotech, said.

"We believe we have an early mover advantage in developing the Zikavac and we are probably the first in the world to file for global patent for Zika vaccine candidates"
India Has Developed The World's First Vaccine For Zika, The Deadly Virus Terrifying The World!.
India develops First Vaccine For Zika, The Deadly Virus Terrifying The World!
"We have two candidate vaccines in development. One of them is an inactivated vaccine that has reached the stage of pre-clinical testing in animals," Ella said. Quoting a WHO report, he said Zika is now present in 23 countries and Brazil, the hardest-hit country, has reported around 3,530 cases of the devastating birth defect, called microcephaly, in 2015 that are strongly suspected to be related to Zika.

"We hope to announce the arrival of Zikavac to the world as early as possible," he said.
Zika virus is spread by mosquitoes of the Aedes genus, which can breed in a pool of water as small as a bottle cap and usually bite during the day. The mosquito-transmitted infection is related to Dengue, Yellow Fever and West Nile virus. "Considering that women of child-bearing age and pregnant women are the prime target group for Zika virus vaccine, we consider safety as the overriding factor in the development of a new vaccine for this virus.

The vaccine methods developed early on, before the devastating consequences of the epidemics in Brazil came to light, provided us a push to accelerate vaccine development," Dr Sumathy, Director, R&D, Bharat Biotech said.
Currently, the vaccine maker is focusing towards scale up and characterization of the vaccine product, Ella further said.

Via: indiatimes

India launched Astrosat first space observatory, joins select group

11:19 AM
India launched its first space observatory, Astrosat, from the country’s main space centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on Monday, becoming a member of the select group of space organisations to have a lookout in orbit after the US, Japan, Russia and Europe.

The satellite was zoomed into space by a PSLV C-30 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 10am. Six customer satellites, one (micro) each from Canada and Indonesia, and four nano satellites from the US also rode along.

“The mission envisages an earth-orbiting scientific satellite with payloads capable of simultaneously observing the universe in the visible, ultraviolet and x-ray regions of the electromagnetic spectrum,” said an Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) official.

The satellite launch comes just a year after Isro’s first interplanetary mission, Mangalyaan, entered the orbit of Mars and on the day Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to meet President Barack Obama during his US trip. The mission will also be the first time the country will launch US satellites.
India launched Astrosat first space observatory, joins select group
India launched its first space observatory, Astrosat, on Monday, making it only the fifth space
organisation to do so. (ANI Photo)
The successful launch of India’s Mars orbiter last year came just days before Modi travelled to the US on his first trip after a landslide electoral victory.
The multi-wavelength mini Hubble-type space observatory, with an estimated cost of about Rs 180 crore and weighing 1,513 kg, will study distant stars, white dwarfs and pulsars. In particular, it will train its instruments at the massive black hole believed to exist at the centre of our Milky Way galaxy.

The Hubble launched by the US in 1990 is 10 times heavier than the Astrosat and is said to cost $2.5 billion. While the Hubble space telescope is still operational, India’s space observatory’s life span is five years.

Astrosat was launched into a 650km orbit carrying four X-ray payloads, one UV telescope and a charge particle monitor. Two of the payloads are in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency and University of Leicester, UK.

The 44.4 metre-tall polar satellite launch vehicle (PSLV-XL) version is a four-stage rocket with six strap-on motors for additional thrust during the initial phase of the flight. The first and third stages are powered by solid fuel while the second and fourth stages are powered by liquid fuel which will be filled during the countdown.

The rocket with seven satellites cumulatively weighing 1,631 kg blasted off from the first launch pad of the rocket port.

This is the third time that an Indian rocket launched seven satellites in a single mission. In 2008, Isro had launched 10 satellites in one go, including India’s Cartosate-2A satellite.

Just over 22 minutes into the flight, the rocket will eject Astrosat. Soon after, six other satellites will be put into orbit and the whole mission will come to an end in just over 25 minutes.

The Indonesian 76 kg Lapan-A2 is a micro-satellite from the National Institute of Aeronautics and Space, meant for providing maritime surveillance using automatic identification system (AIS), supporting Indonesian radio amateur communities for disaster mitigation and carrying out earth surveillance using video and digital camera.

The 14 kg NLS-14 (Ev9) of Space Flight Laboratory, University of Toronto Institute for Advanced Studies, is also a maritime monitoring Canadian nano satellite using the next generation AIS.

The remaining four LEMUR nano satellites from Spire Global Inc, San Francisco, US, are non-visual remote sensing satellites, focusing primarily on global maritime intelligence through vessel tracking via AIS and high-fidelity weather forecasting using GPS radio occultation technology, the ISRO said.

Apart from Isro, four other Indian institutions - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics and Raman Research Institute - were involved in the payload development.

Source hindustantimes

Bikal Rai, Self Made Engineer, launched his Semi Eco Friendly Car

8:55 PM
19 years old class X passed from government school Bikal Rai, Sikkim's Self Made Engineer, launched his Semi Eco Friendly Car today. He demonstrated his car today on the National Highway at 32 Mile between Singtam and Gangtok. He started his work on this project in January 2015. He finished his project at the cost of Rs. 40000 which he earned himself through grass cutting in field and repairing mechanical equipments in his area. He was unable to make a new engine because of fewer resources and brought a dead engine and gave a life to dead engine to make this project successful.
Bikal Rai with his Semi Eco Friendly Car
Bikal Rai with his Semi Eco Friendly Car
The details of his project : There are two engines in Car

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE
Displacement : 149 CC. Maximum Power : 14.9 BHP at 9000RPM. Maximum Torque : 12.5NM at 6500 RPM. Gear Box : 5 Speed. Top Speed : More than 60 KMs. Engine Description : 149 CC, 4 Stroke. Fan air cooled, Single Cylinder. Transmission : Gearbox 5 Speed, Clutch wef Multiple Clutch. Brakes : Rear – 240 MM Disc [Middle in Axal], front – drum. Battery : Capacity : 9 Ah. Voltage : 12 V. Watt : 108 W. Fuel Tank Capacity : 12.5 Ltrs. Light – Front : two 60 W diplay. Rear Light : 60 W, Single display. Spark Ignition : [SI] Engine.

ELECTRIC ENGINE
Displacement - Maximum power : 0.6 KW or 0.8042895442 [BHP] at 800 RPM. Maximum torque : 0.6747395505033 at 620 RPM. Gearbox – 5 Speed Forward Backward. Top speed : 30 KMPH. Engine description : 0.6 KW Duel Electric motor, air cooled. Transmission – Gearbox 5 speed. Clutch wet multiple clutch. Battery – 30 AH. Voltage : 12 V. Watt : 360 W.

The above project is completed by Bikal Rai who is a dropout student after class X from government school in Sikkim because of family problems. He dreams to study in science related institutions/ schools. People around his residence at 32 Mile in East Sikkim are proud of him, be it rich or poor. He invented this car on his own from assembling, wielding to finishing. No one has ever done it in Sikkim or entire India given a background of Bikal Rai. It has been 8 months since he bought a t-shirt for himself. All those money which he earned invested on this project after his families important requirements. Anyone can talk to him on his contact number 9593179038.

Via - Sikkim Messenger 

NASA named the Pluto's mountain chain as "Norgay Montes" after Tenzing Norgay Sherpa

11:02 AM
Sanjog Chamling for IG

Scientists at NASA have named the Pluto's mountain chain as "Norgay Montes" after Tenzing Norgay Sherpa an Indian Gorkha Sherpa mountaineer.When Indian government have failed to confer Bharat Ratna to Tenzing, NASA have bestowed him with this prestigious honor.

NASA's New Horizons historic flyby of Pluto have found icy mountains ( "Norgay Montes") when the first zoomed-in image of Pluto was released on Wednesday. They think mountains, which was often referred to as just an icy orb before,  are made of water ice, but they still aren't sure what's causing them to form.

Pluto's mountain chain as "Norgay Montes"
Pluto's mountain chain "Norgay Montes"
People at home have been trying to recognize Tenzing  Sherpa's achievement by asking the Government to confer him with the Bharat Ratna which is the highest civilian award of the Republic of India. He was one of the first two individuals known to reach the summit of Mount Everest, which he accomplished with Edmund Hillary on 29 May 1953.

At the time when people have been trying to get some attention of the government regarding Sherpa's due right by placing the demand to rename Bagdogra airport after him and a request to confer Bharat Ratna to Tenzing, prestigious honor from NASA might play some role to reach the voice to the deaf ears of the concerned Indian authorities.


India 1st country in the world to succeed in its maiden attempt to reach Mars

12:26 PM
India became the first country in the world to succeed in its maiden attempt to reach Mars with its low-cost space technology when it entered the Mars orbit around  12:30pm AEST today. India's low-cost mission to Mars has successfully entered the red planet's orbit in its first attempt.This is indeed a historic day for Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and India as a nation.

1st country in the world to succeed in its maiden attempt to reach Mars
1st country in the world to succeed in its maiden attempt to reach Mars
India's mission to Mars, informally named Mangalayaan, just cost $US74 million, less than the estimated $US100 million budget of the sci-fi blockbuster Gravity. The mission cost just a fraction of NASA's MAVEN spacecraft which successfully began orbiting the fourth planet from the sun on Sunday.

With the mission's success  with , India now joins an elite club - the United States, Russia and Europe - that have successfully sent probes to orbit or land on Mars.The success of the mission showcase India’s low-budget space technology and hopefully snatch a bigger share of the $324 billion global space market.

India’s unnamed probe plans to study the planet’s surface and scan its atmosphere for methane, which could provide evidence of some sort of life form. The probe will circle Mars for six months, about 500 kilometres collect data and send it back to Earth.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi has joined the scientists at ISRO in Bangalore for the spacecraft’s orbit entry.

Critics of the program argue that a country where  21.9% (2013, the Indian government ) citizens liver under poverty line and where roughly half have no toilets should not be splurging on space travel.


 
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