ISRO 2023 Rewind - To the Moon and back, in preparation for Chandrayaan-4

By making India the fourth nation to soft-land a craft on the moon and the first to do so near the unexplored Lunar south pole, the Indian Space Agency ISRO showcased its capability and determination in remarkably rising from the setback of Chandrayaan-2 (2018). For India, Chandrayaan-3 is almost like a gift that keeps on giving and it has already set the ball rolling for Chandrayaan-4. From the flawless launch on July 14 to the autonomous landing sequence that lasted 19 minutes (on August 23), the mission progressed in textbook fashion. The icing on the Lunar cake was the "India, we are on the Moon" quote from the ISRO Chief, in his post-landing address. In addition to swelling Indian hearts with pride, it also left an indelible mark on cyberspace, as the Chandrayaan-3 live stream by ISRO continues to be the most-viewed on YouTube. On the face of it, Chandrayaan-3 was all about soft-landing safely, deploying the rover there and leaving India's imprint on the moon. While the science data from Chandrayaan-3 continues to be scrutinised and processed, some of the achievements and findings of the mission are worth re-emphasising. Lunar hop Chandrayaan-3 landed vertically like a helicopter. In the words of ISRO, VSSC Director Dr. S.Unnikrishnan Nair, "It was a feather-like soft-landing". Let's imagine that the Chandrayaan-3 lander wants to take off again and come back. In that case, it would have to fire its engines and almost launch itself like a rocket and reach Lunar orbit. Related video: Year Ender 2023: A look back at this year's space exploration and what lies ahead in 2024 (India Today) As a minor step or hop towards that ambitious future goal, the Vikram lander of Chandrayaan-3 was commanded to perform a hop test, which it successfully performed. Think of the hop as an exercise move - jumping up from a point and landing a few centimetres beside where you started from. By performing this manoeuvre, ISRO has re-fired the engines of the Vikram lander and gathered valuable data on engine firings on the Lunar surface. WATCH | Moon landings, giant leap on Mars, & more... NASA reveals its 2024 plans Notably, the liquid-fuelled engines of the lander module were fired almost 10 days after they last fired (during the landing on August 23). Propulsion Module returns! All talk about Chandrayaan-3 had come to an end by October, as it became evident that the craft had completed its planned 14-day mission life (One Lunar day) and did not show signs of waking up (which ISRO had partially hoped for, as a bonus). While there was no response from the lander and rover on the moon, the craft that continued to circle the moon, the Propulsion Module had more tricks up its sleeve. The Propulsion module is the vehicle that carried the Chandrayaan-3 craft from the earth orbit to the Lunar orbit. Therefore, it has its own set of engines and fuel tank. Watch: NASA's Curiosity rover records 'dawn to dusk' video on Mars While the Propulsion module was not a full-fledged orbiter like that of the Chandrayaan-2 orbiter, ISRO carried out a significant feat with the Propulsion module. Realising that the Propulsion module had at least 100 kilograms of fuel in its tank, after one month of circling the moon, ISRO chose to not waste a drop of fuel and wanted to derive the proverbial maximum mileage from the mission. The craft that was circling the moon was gradually steered out of the moon's sphere of influence and brought closer to the earth. The moon is around 3.84 lakh kilometres away from the Earth. From the Lunar orbit, the Propulsion Module traveled a distance of 2.34 lakh kilometres to reach an orbit very high above the earth. According to ISRO, the module was brought to an orbit that is almost 1.15-1.54 lakh kilometres above the Earth. This is a very safe orbit with hardly any satellites operating in the region and it means that the Propulsion module can remain there till the end of its life and beyond, without any risk of collision. Watch | Report: Tesla to set up manufacturing plant in Gujarat, India × Just like the hop test, this return flight of the propulsion module helps ISRO's future Lunar exploration plans. It would prove crucial in future missions such as Chandrayaan-4 that involve bringing samples back from the moon. It also validates ISRO's spacecraft mission operations planning, which involved the sophisticated and meticulous calculations required to return a craft from one celestial body's orbit to another. Simply put, ISRO has derived much more value out of Chandrayaan-3, than what was initially expected and publicly known.

After Chandrayaan 3, Japan eyes lunar landing as SLIM lander enters Moon orbit

Japan's space probe entered the Moon's orbit on Monday, as the island nation strives to become the fifth country in the world to achieve a successful lunar landing. “Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is pleased to announce that the Smart Lander for Investigating Moon (SLIM) was successfully inserted into lunar orbit at 16:51 (Japan Standard Time, JST) on December 25,” an official statement said. The lander's descent towards the Moon is anticipated to commence on January 20, with its scheduled landing , said JAXA. Launched on H-IIA rocket, it lifted off in September from the southern island of Tanegashima. If successful, the touchdown would make Japan only the fifth country to have successfully landed a probe on the Moon. The other countries are United States, Russia, China and India. Continue reading What is the aim of SLIM lander? The SLIM lander, equipped with compact lunar probes, aims to achieve precise landing, referred to as 'Moon Snipper' in Japanese. With lightweight equipment for advanced observations and adaptable landings on resource-scarce planets, it represents a significant leap in exploration strategies. The Japanese space agency, JAXA, says the crucial objective of demonstrating landing accuracy within 100m, notably in the 4 km x 2.4 km landing area designated for Chandrayaan 3. JAXA says that the creation of the SLIM lander marks a qualitative shift, enabling humans to land precisely where intended, challenging the previous norm of choosing easy landing spots. What next for SLIM lander? The SLIM spacecraft's lunar orbit insertion involves transitioning into an elliptical path connecting the Moon's north and south poles. The orbit, with a 6.4-hour period, ranges from approximately 600km at perilune (closest to the Moon) to 4,000km at apolune (farthest). The planned orbit adjustment aims to create a circular orbit at about 600km altitude by mid-January 2024. Subsequently, preparations for landing will commence, with the perilune point lowering to 15km on January 19. The descent towards the Moon is set to begin around 0:00 am (JST) on January 20 (8:30pm on January 19 as per Indian time) with a scheduled landing on the lunar surface around 0:20 am (JST) on the same day.

NASA shares image of ‘Christmas Tree Cluster’ clicked by its Chandra X-ray Observatory

 A

s Christmas draws closer, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) shared an image of a swarm of stars and gas also known as “Christmas Tree Cluster”.

The photo was captured by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. “It’s beginning to look a lot like cosmos. Our @ChandraXray Observatory recently spotted the blue-and-white lights that decorate the “Christmas Tree Cluster,” a swarm of stars and gas some 2,500 light-years from Earth,” says the caption of the photo shared on X.

“The Christmas Tree Cluster, a collection of stars set against a gaseous green nebula. The nebula is triangular-shaped with spiky projections, resembling a Christmas tree, and dotted with blue and white stars that look like Christmas ornaments. Stars and other cosmic objects shine across the rest of the image,” NASA described the image. “The cluster’s resemblance to a Christmas tree has been enhanced through image rotation and color choices,” the space agency further said.

'Chandrayaan Brings Laurels': ISRO Honoured With Leif Erikson Lunar Prize

In a momentous recognition of India's space prowess, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has been feted with the prestigious Leif Erikson Lunar Prize by the Husavik Museum. The award acknowledges ISRO's unwavering dedication and indomitable spirit in propelling lunar exploration forward and contributing significantly to unravelling celestial mysteries, particularly through the successful Chandrayaan-3 mission. "Leif Erikson Lunar Prize has been awarded by Husavik Museum for @ISRO's indomitable spirit in advancing lunar exploration & contributing to understanding celestial mysteries #Chandrayaan3," the Indian Embassy in Iceland posted on X. Indian Ambassador Balasubramanian Shyam received the prestigious prize on behalf of ISRO. Continue reading "ISRO Chairman Mr S Somanath sent a message; Amb Mr Shyam received the prize on ISRO's behalf," the embassy's post added.

What Is Artificial Intelligence? Definition, Uses, and Types

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to computer systems capable of performing complex tasks that historically only a human could do, such as reasoning, making decisions, or solving problems. Today, the term “AI” describes a wide range of technologies that power many of the services and goods we use every day – from apps that recommend tv shows to chatbots that provide customer support in real time. But do all of these really constitute artificial intelligence as most of us envision it? And if not, then why do we use the term so often? In this article, you’ll learn more about artificial intelligence, what it actually does, and different types of it. In the end, you’ll also learn about some of its benefits and dangers and explore flexible courses that can help you expand your knowledge of AI even further. What is artificial intelligence? Artificial intelligence (AI) is the theory and development of computer systems capable of performing tasks that historically required human intelligence, such as recognizing speech, making decisions, and identifying patterns. AI is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide variety of technologies, including machine learning, deep learning, and natural language processing (NLP). Although the term is commonly used to describe a range of different technologies in use today, many disagree on whether these actually constitute artificial intelligence. Instead, some argue that much of the technology used in the real world today actually constitutes highly advanced machine learning that is simply a first step towards true artificial intelligence, or “general artificial intelligence” (GAI). Yet, despite the many philosophical disagreements over whether “true” intelligent machines actually exist, when most people use the term AI today, they’re referring to a suite of machine learning-powered technologies, such as Chat GPT or computer vision, that enable machines to perform tasks that previously only humans can do like generating written content, steering a car, or analyzing data. Artificial intelligence examples Though the humanoid robots often associated with AI (think Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Data or Terminator’s T-800) don’t exist yet, you’ve likely interacted with machine learning-powered services or devices many times before. At the simplest level, machine learning uses algorithms trained on data sets to create machine learning models that allow computer systems to perform tasks like making song recommendations, identifying the fastest way to travel to a destination, or translating text from one language to another. Some of the most common examples of AI in use today include: ChatGPT: Uses large language models (LLMs) to generate text in response to questions or comments posed to it. Google Translate: Uses deep learning algorithms to translate text from one language to another. Netflix: Uses machine learning algorithms to create personalized recommendation engines for users based on their previous viewing history. Tesla: Uses computer vision to power self-driving features on their cars. AI in the workforce Artificial intelligence is prevalent across many industries. Automating tasks that don't require human intervention saves money and time, and can reduce the risk of human error. Here are a couple of ways AI could be employed in different industries: Finance industry. Fraud detection is a notable use case for AI in the finance industry. AI's capability to analyze large amounts of data enables it to detect anomalies or patterns that signal fraudulent behavior. Health care industry. AI-powered robotics could support surgeries close to highly delicate organs or tissue to mitigate blood loss or risk of infection. What is artificial general intelligence (AGI)? Artificial general intelligence (AGI) refers to a theoretical state in which computer systems will be able to achieve or exceed human intelligence. In other words, AGI is “true” artificial intelligence as depicted in countless science fiction novels, television shows, movies, and comics. As for the precise meaning of “AI” itself, researchers don’t quite agree on how we would recognize “true” artificial general intelligence when it appears. However, the most famous approach to identifying whether a machine is intelligent or not is known as the Turing Test or Imitation Game, an experiment that was first outlined by influential mathematician, computer scientist, and cryptanalyst Alan Turing in a 1950 paper on computer intelligence. There, Turing described a three-player game in which a human “interrogator” is asked to communicate via text with another human and a machine and judge who composed each response. If the interrogator cannot reliably identify the human, then Turing says the machine can be said to be intelligent [1]. To complicate matters, researchers and philosophers also can’t quite agree whether we’re beginning to achieve AGI, if it’s still far off, or just totally impossible. For example, while a recent paper from Microsoft Research and OpenAI argues that Chat GPT-4 is an early form of AGI, many other researchers are skeptical of these claims and argue that they were just made for publicity [2, 3]. Regardless of how far we are from achieving AGI, you can assume that when someone uses the term artificial general intelligence, they’re referring to the kind of sentient computer programs and machines that are commonly found in popular science fiction. The 4 Types of AI As researchers attempt to build more advanced forms of artificial intelligence, they must also begin to formulate more nuanced understandings of what intelligence or even consciousness precisely mean. In their attempt to clarify these concepts, researchers have outlined four types of artificial intelligence. Here’s a summary of each AI type, according to Professor Arend Hintze of the University of Michigan [4]: 1. Reactive machines Reactive machines are the most basic type of artificial intelligence. Machines built in this way don’t possess any knowledge of previous events but instead only “react” to what is before them in a given moment. As a result, they can only perform certain advanced tasks within a very narrow scope, such as playing chess, and are incapable of performing tasks outside of their limited context. 2. Limited memory machines Machines with limited memory possess a limited understanding of past events. They can interact more with the world around them than reactive machines can. For example, self-driving cars use a form of limited memory to make turns, observe approaching vehicles, and adjust their speed. However, machines with only limited memory cannot form a complete understanding of the world because their recall of past events is limited and only used in a narrow band of time. 3. Theory of mind machines Machines that possess a “theory of mind” represent an early form of artificial general intelligence. In addition to being able to create representations of the world, machines of this type would also have an understanding of other entities that exist within the world. As of this moment, this reality has still not materialized. 4. Self-aware machines Machines with self-awareness are the theoretically most advanced type of AI and would possess an understanding of the world, others, and itself. This is what most people mean when they talk about achieving AGI. Currently, this is a far-off reality.

Badminton Rules 2024

Badminton Playing Field for Kids

The standard badminton court measurement is 20 feet wide and 44 feet long. You may need to modify the size of the badminton court for kids and small children.

As a rule, you should make it fit the space you have available, particularly if you set up the net in a backyard.

The net is 5 feet high in adult games. You might decide to lower it or remove it completely. But, you should still divide the court into two halves even for children’s games.

Try to divide each half to form two more halves in each side. This is important for serving the shuttlecock.

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Serving and Hitting the Shuttlecock

You should get familiar with the official rules for serving in badminton. Children need to learn that the serve ends when the shuttlecock touches any part of the ground. This rule applies whether it lands in bounds or out-of-bounds.

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Scoring Badminton for Children

One point gets awarded for winning a rally and when your opponent commits a fault, as a rule. Typically, a match consists of three games playing to 21 points in each game.

But you should have a two point margin to avoid playing on to 29 and 30 for sudden death deciders. As a rule, badminton games for kids should follow the same scoring rules as competitive tournaments.

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Badminton Faults and Lets

There are 5 badminton fouls which players should try to avoid making:

1. Contact Fault
2. Over the Net Fault
3. Service Fault
4. Receiver Fault
5. Double Hit

In the rules of badminton for kids a ‘let‘ may get called for a:

• Shuttlecock getting stuck in the net.
• Server serving out of turn.
• Situation where one player was not ready.
• Decision that is too close to call.