Cryogenicist

  The failure of the PSLV-C62 mission is not merely a setback for a launch vehicle or for the Indian Space Research Organisation. It is a warning signal about deeper, structural weaknesses in India’s space ecosystem at a time when space has become central not just to economic growth, but to military power and strategic autonomy. As space increasingly shapes outcomes across land, sea, air, cyber and information domains, India’s relative slippage carries consequences far beyond prestige. Five failures in seven years — but the real concern lies elsewhere This is the fifth ISRO failure in the past seven years. While launch failures occur even in the most advanced space programmes, what distinguishes India’s case is the broader stagnation visible across the space value chain. Despite being the world’s fourth-largest economy, India is losing ground to established space powers — the US, China, Russia, the EU and Japan — across all three segments of space activity: upstream (satellite cons...

  AstraZeneca Pharma India and Sun Pharmaceutical Industries have formed a new partnership to expand access to Sodium Zirconium Cyclosilicate (SZC), a key therapy for managing hyperkalaemia in patients with chronic kidney disease and heart failure. The collaboration aims to increase nationwide availability through dual-brand marketing. Dual-Brand Strategy to Expand Market Reach Under the agreement, both companies will promote and distribute SZC independently. AstraZeneca will market the drug under the brand Lokelma, while Sun Pharma will introduce it as Gimliand. This dual-brand model is expected to strengthen penetration across diverse healthcare settings without altering AstraZeneca’s ownership of the molecule. Intellectual Property and Regulatory Control Retained AstraZeneca will continue to hold intellectual property rights, marketing authorisation and the import licence for SZC in India. The company emphasised that the partnership would help scale up access to an essential the...

  Millions of tiny natural and human-made objects continuously orbit the Earth at extraordinary speeds, turning near-Earth space into a hazardous environment for satellites and astronauts alike. The danger came into sharp focus recently when orbital debris struck China’s crewed spacecraft “Shenzhou-20”, cracking the window of its return capsule and rendering it unusable for crew travel. Though no lives were lost, the incident underscored how even minuscule objects can threaten modern space missions. What exactly is MMOD and why is it so dangerous? MMOD refers collectively to “Micrometeoroids and Orbital Debris”. While grouped together for risk assessment, the two have very different origins. Micrometeoroids are naturally occurring particles, often no larger than grains of dust or sand, originating largely from collisions in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter , with some contribution from comets. Despite their tiny size, they travel at staggering velocities — up to 72 km pe...

  The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed one of the most extreme and unusual worlds ever detected beyond the Solar System. Located about 2,000 light-years from Earth, the exoplanet PSR J2322-2650b displays a striking lemon-like shape, challenging long-held assumptions about planetary structure and survival in hostile cosmic environments. An extreme planet in a hostile orbit PSR J2322-2650b orbits a millisecond pulsar, the ultra-dense remnant of a collapsed star. Unlike typical planets that circle luminous stars, this world revolves around an object roughly the mass of the Sun but compressed to the size of a city. The planet completes one orbit in just 7.8 hours at a distance of nearly one million miles, exposing it to intense gravity and relentless radiation. Record-breaking temperatures and tidal stress The close orbit subjects the Jupiter -sized planet to extreme heating. Observations indicate temperatures of about 3,700°F on the side facing the pulsar, while the far side re...

  NASA has lost contact with the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) spacecraft, which has been orbiting the Red Planet for over a decade. The space agency confirmed that the spacecraft abruptly stopped communicating with Earth after passing behind Mars, raising concerns about the status of one of its most important Martian science missions. Sudden Communication Blackout According to NASA, MAVEN was functioning normally before it moved behind Mars relative to Earth, a routine phase during its orbit when communication is temporarily unavailable. However, when the spacecraft re-emerged, ground stations received no signals. Engineers have since been attempting to re-establish contact, but the spacecraft has remained silent. NASA has initiated detailed engineering investigations to determine whether the issue is linked to onboard systems, power supply, or external factors. Mission Launched to Study Martian Atmosphere Launched in 2013, MAVEN entered Mars orbit in 2014 with th...

  Interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS has entered a highly active phase as it travels through the inner solar system, drawing scientific attention with its rapid brightening and unusual green glow. Recent observations show that the comet, originating beyond our solar system, is undergoing chemical and physical changes as it responds to solar heating, offering rare insights into material formed around distant stars. Green Glow Signals Chemical Activity Astronomers observed a distinct greenish hue emerging from the comet’s coma after its close solar approach in late October. This colour is produced by diatomic carbon (C₂) molecules released when frozen gases sublimate from the comet’s surface. When exposed to sunlight, these molecules emit green light, a common phenomenon in solar system comets but unexpected for 3I/ATLAS, which earlier appeared predominantly red. Solar Heating Drives Brightening and Tail Formation As 3I/ATLAS warmed, ice and dust trapped within its nucleus vaporised, formin...