CURRENT AFFAIRS

Detailed explanation-1: -The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has secured a patent for its method of producing highland lunar soil simulant or “moon soil". It is made using similar rock samples found at the Sittampundi Anorthosite Complex, located 67 km from Salem in Tamil Nadu.

Detailed explanation-2: -On May 18, the Indian Patent Office granted patent to ISRO for an invention as to the method of manufacturing highland lunar soil simulant. The patent is valid for 20 years from the date of filing the application, i.e., May 15, 2014. The inventors are: I. Venugopal, S.A. Kannan, Shamrao, V.

Detailed explanation-3: -Chandrayaan-1 (chandrayaan is Hindi for “moon craft”) was the first lunar space probe of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and found water on the Moon. It mapped the Moon in infrared, visible, and X-ray light from lunar orbit and used reflected radiation to prospect for various elements, minerals, and ice.

Detailed explanation-4: -Chandrayaan-1, India’s first mission to Moon, was launched successfully on October 22, 2008 from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota. The spacecraft was orbiting around the Moon at a height of 100 km from the lunar surface for chemical, mineralogical and photo-geologic mapping of the Moon.

Detailed explanation-5: -G. Madhavan Nair – chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation.