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GS Paper: GS3-17.Awareness in the fields of IT, Space, Computers, Robotics, Nano-technology, Bio-technology and issues relating to Intellectual Property Rights.

  • What is Polar Crown Prominence (PCP)?

    crown

    Central idea: The article talks about an astrophotographer named Andrew McCarthy capturing an image of a plasma waterfall on the sun. The phenomenon is called Polar Crown Prominence (PCP).

    Polar Crown Prominence (PCP)

    • PCP is a solar phenomenon that occurs on the sun’s Polar Regions.
    • It is a type of solar prominence, which is a large, bright, gaseous feature that extends out from the sun’s surface.
    • A solar prominence is a large, bright, gaseous feature that extends out from the sun’s surface.
    • It is made up of ionized gas (plasma) that is held in place by magnetic fields.
    • Prominences are visible during total solar eclipses and can also be observed using specialized telescopes.
    • PCPs are often associated with sunspots, which are dark regions on the sun’s surface that are caused by magnetic activity.

    How are PCPs Formed?

    • PCPs are formed by the interaction of magnetic fields on the sun’s surface.
    • Magnetic fields are created by the movement of charged particles (plasma) in the sun’s interior.
    • When these magnetic fields interact, they can create regions of intense magnetic activity, such as sunspots.
    • PCPs are often associated with these regions of magnetic activity.

    Why are PCPs Important?

    • PCPs are important because they provide clues about the sun’s magnetic activity and how it affects the Earth’s environment.
    • Solar activity, including PCPs, can cause disturbances in the Earth’s magnetic field, which can lead to auroras and disruptions in communication systems.

     

     

  • SpaceX Starship: World’s biggest rocket set for first test flight

    starship

    SpaceX is preparing for the first test flight of Starship, which is the most powerful rocket ever built.

    About SpaceX Starship

    • Starship is a fully reusable spacecraft designed and built by SpaceX with the primary goal of sending humans to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

    Key objectives

    • SpaceX aims to use Starship to establish a self-sustaining human settlement on Mars.
    • The ultimate goal is to enable humans to become a multi-planetary species.
    • It also aims to make Starship reusable, reducing the cost of spaceflight and bringing down the price to a few million dollars per flight.
    • In the long run, the company aims to achieve full and rapid reusability of the spacecraft.

     

    Features

    Details
    Design and configuration
    • Made up of two parts: a 50-meter tall spacecraft and a 70-meter tall Super Heavy rocket booster.
    • Spacecraft has six Raptor engines; Super Heavy Booster has 28 Raptor engines.
    • Payload capacity of up to 100 metric tons and features a large heat shield.
    • Interior can be configured for up to 100 passengers or cargo.
    Manoeuvrability
    • Designed to be fully reusable, with vertical take-off and landing on Earth, Moon, and Mars.
    • Can be refuelled in orbit for deeper space travel and for establishing a human settlement on Mars.
    Construction and materials
    • Built using durable and cost-effective stainless steel material.
    • Stainless steel also provides heat protection during re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere.
    Power and thrust
    • Powered by methane and liquid oxygen fueled Raptor engines.
    • Generates 17 million pounds of thrust more than twice that of the Saturn V rockets used for the Apollo missions.

     

  • Omicron evolved strategies to evade T Cell Immunity

    t cell

    Central idea: The SARS-CoV-2 virus has the ability to evade CD8 T cells, which are important in reducing the viral load and clearing the infection by detecting and killing infected cells.

    What is the news?

    • A recent study has revealed that the SARS-CoV-2 virus has the ability to modulate MHC I expression in host cells.
    • MHC I is crucial in alerting the immune system to virally infected cells.
    • The virus has evolved multiple strategies to inhibit MHC I expression, which is not seen in the case of the influenza virus.

    What is T Cell Immunity?

    • Like B cells, which produce antibodies, T cells are central players in the immune response to viral infection.
    • For your immune system to fight off any kind of invader, such as a virus, you need a kind of white blood cell called a B cell, which makes antibodies, and a similar-looking white blood cell called a T cell.
    • T cells can play different roles altogether.
    • They can act as “killer cells”, attacking cells which have been infected with a virus or another kind of pathogen, or they can act as “helper cells” by supporting B cells to produce antibodies.

    How do they function?

    • Alongside antibodies, the immune system produces a battalion of T cells that can target viruses.
    • Some of these, known as killer T cells (or CD8+T cells), seek out and destroy cells that are infected with the virus.
    • Others, called helper T cells (or CD4+T cells) are important for various immune functions, including stimulating the production of antibodies and killer T cells.
    • T cells do not prevent infection, because they kick into action only after a virus has infiltrated the body. But they are important for clearing an infection that has already started.
    • In the case of COVID-19, killer T cells could mean the difference between a mild infection and a severe one that requires hospital treatment.

     

     

  • NISAR to map Himalayas’ Seismic Zones

    nisar

    Central idea

    • The ISRO and the NASA have jointly developed a forthcoming satellite called NISAR.
    • It will map the most earthquake-prone regions in the Himalaya.

    What is NISAR?

    • NISAR stands for NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar.
    • The mission aims to provide global measurements of the causes and consequences of land surface changes using advanced radar imaging.
    • The satellite is equipped with two types of synthetic aperture radars (SAR): L-band and S-band, which will allow for high-resolution, all-weather imaging of the Earth’s surface.
    • The NISAR satellite is expected to be launched in January 2024.

    How it will be used for earthquake monitoring?

    • It will generate data that can potentially give advance warning of land subsidence and identify places that are at greatest risk from earthquakes.
    • The geoscience community can use this to determine how strain is building up in various parts of the Himalayas.
    • Strain refers to the deformation that occurs in rocks when it is under pressure from other rocks.
    • Movements of continental plates that are sliding, colliding, or subducting against each other cause strain.
    • With a frequency of 12 days and the ability to provide images even under cloudy conditions, NISAR would be a valuable tool to study deformation patterns, such as in Joshimath.

    Strain Map already in place

    • In 2021, scientists from the Geological Survey of India published a “strain map” of the Himalayas based on data from 1,252 GPS stations along the Himalayas.
    • It identified regions that had the greatest odds of generating earthquakes of magnitude above 8 and their extent.
    • However, these many stations are still too few, and there’s only one satellite (Sentinel) that we rely on.
    • With NISAR, the costliest space mission ever, we can have a game-changer in earth-science observation.

     

    Seismic Zones of India

    nisar

    India is divided by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) into 4 seismic zones based on the level of seismicity and the frequency of earthquakes that occur in that particular region.

    These zones are as follows:

    1.      Zone 2: This is a low seismic zone comprising of areas with the lowest risk of earthquakes. It includes regions like the northeastern states of India, parts of J&K, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.

    2.      Zone 3: This is a moderate seismic zone comprising of areas that are at moderate risk of earthquakes. It includes regions like Gujarat, Haryana, Delhi, parts of UP, Bihar, West Bengal, and parts of Jharkhand.

    3.      Zone 4: This is a high seismic zone comprising of areas that are at high risk of earthquakes. It includes regions like the A&N Islands, parts of Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Uttarakhand, and the entire northeastern region.

    4.      Zone 5: This is a very high seismic zone comprising of areas that are at the highest risk of earthquakes. It includes regions like the entire state of J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, the entire northeastern region, parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, and the A&N Islands.

     

     

     

  • What is Magnetoresistance?

    magnet

     

    Researchers in the UK, led by Nobel laureate Andre Geim, have discovered magnetoresistance in graphene – a single-atom-thick layer of carbon atoms bonded in a honeycomb pattern – that further distinguishes this ‘wonder’ material.

    Graphene’s anomalous Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR)

    • Graphene displayed an anomalous giant magnetoresistance (GMR) at room temperature.
    • GMR is the result of the electrical resistance of a conductor being affected by magnetic fields in adjacent materials.
    • It is used in hard disk drives and magnetoresistive RAM in computers, biosensors, automotive sensors, micro-electromechanical systems, and medical imagers.

    What is GMR?

    • GMR is a phenomenon where the electrical resistance of a conductor is affected by magnetic fields in adjacent materials.
    • Say a conductor is sandwiched between two ferromagnetic materials (commonly, metals attracted to magnets, like iron).
    • When the materials are magnetised in the same direction, the electrical resistance in the conductor is low.
    • When the directions are opposite each other, the resistance increases.

    Significance of the finding

    • The magnetoresistance observed in the graphene-based device was almost 100 times higher than that observed in other known semimetals in this magnetic field range.
    • In the study, the magnetoresistance in monolayer graphene at 27º C held between two layers of boron nitride increased by 110% under a field of 0.1 tesla.
    • To compare, the magnetoresistance in these conditions increases by less than 1% in normal metals.
    • The team attributed this to the presence of a ‘neutral’ plasma and the electrons’ mobility.

    Try this MCQ

    Which of the following best describes magnetoresistance?

    (a) The magnetic resistance of a conductor to electrical current flow

    (b) The phenomenon where the electrical resistance of a conductor is affected by magnetic fields in adjacent materials

    (c) The ability of a conductor to produce a magnetic field when an electrical current is passed through it

    (d) The resistance of a magnet to demagnetization by an external magnetic field

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”pez2u7d573″ question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

  • AI Regulation in India: Ensuring Responsible Development and Deployment

    AI

    Central Idea

    • As the deployment of Artificial intelligence (AI) based systems continues to grow, it is important for India to develop and implement regulations that promote responsible development and deployment, while also addressing concerns related to privacy, competition, and job losses.

    The Potential of AI and its Risks

    • Limitless potential: The potential of AI is vast and encompasses a wide range of applications across various fields. AI has the potential to improve productivity, increase efficiency, and provide personalized solutions in many areas such as healthcare, finance, education, manufacturing, transportation, defense, space technology, molecular biology, deep water mining, and exploration.
    • Significant risks: While the potential of AI is immense, it also comes with significant risks that need to be addressed. Some of the risks associated with AI include biased algorithms, misdiagnosis or errors, loss of jobs for professionals, unintended harm or civilian casualties, and cybersecurity threats. It is important to ensure that AI development and deployment are carried out with caution and that potential risks are mitigated.

    AI

    Takeaway keyword Box from civilsdaily: AI applications in various fields, advantages, challenges and associated risks.

    Fields AI Applications Advantages Challenges Risks
    Healthcare Diagnosis and medical imaging, drug discovery, personalized medicine, virtual nursing assistants, remote monitoring of patients, health data analysis Improved accuracy and speed of diagnoses, personalized treatment plans, faster drug discovery, remote patient monitoring Integration with existing healthcare systems, ethical and regulatory concerns, data privacy and security Misdiagnosis or errors, biased algorithms, loss of jobs for healthcare professionals
    Finance Fraud detection, customer service chatbots, personalized financial advice, risk assessment and management, trading algorithms Improved fraud detection and prevention, personalized customer support, optimized risk management, faster trading decisions Integration with existing financial systems, ethical and regulatory concerns, data privacy and security Biased algorithms, systemic risks, cyber attacks
    Education Personalized learning, adaptive learning, intelligent tutoring systems, student engagement analytics, automated grading and feedback Improved student outcomes, personalized learning experiences, increased student engagement, reduced workload for educators Integration with existing education systems, ethical and regulatory concerns, data privacy and security Biased algorithms, loss of jobs for educators, lack of human interaction
    Manufacturing Quality control, predictive maintenance, supply chain optimization, collaborative robots, autonomous vehicles, visual inspection Increased efficiency and productivity, reduced downtime, optimized supply chains, improved worker safety Integration with existing manufacturing systems, ethical and regulatory concerns, data privacy and security Malfunctioning robots or machines, loss of jobs for workers, high implementation costs
    Transportation Autonomous vehicles, predictive maintenance, route optimization, intelligent traffic management, demand forecasting, ride-sharing and on-demand services Reduced accidents and fatalities, reduced congestion and emissions, optimized routing and scheduling, increased accessibility and convenience Integration with existing transportation systems, ethical and regulatory concerns, data privacy and security Malfunctioning autonomous vehicles, job displacement for drivers, cybersecurity threats
    Agriculture Precision agriculture, crop monitoring and analysis, yield optimization, automated irrigation and fertilization, pest management, livestock monitoring Increased crop yields, reduced waste and resource use, optimized crop health, improved livestock management Integration with existing agriculture systems, ethical and regulatory concerns, data privacy and security Malfunctioning drones or sensors, loss of jobs for farm workers, biased algorithms
    Defense Intelligent surveillance and threat detection, unmanned systems, autonomous weapons Improved situational awareness and response, reduced human risk in combat situations Ethical and legal concerns surrounding the use of autonomous weapons, risk of AI being hacked or malfunctioning in combat scenarios Unintended harm or civilian casualties, loss of jobs for military personnel
    Space technology Autonomous navigation, intelligent data analysis, robotics Increased efficiency and productivity in space exploration, improved accuracy in data analysis Risk of AI being hacked or malfunctioning in space missions, ethical and regulatory concerns surrounding the use of autonomous systems in space Damage to equipment or loss of mission due to malfunctioning AI
    Molecular biology Gene editing and analysis, drug discovery and development, personalized medicine Faster and more accurate analysis of genetic data, improved drug discovery and personalized treatment plans Ethical and regulatory concerns surrounding the use of AI in gene editing and personalized medicine Misuse of genetic data or personalized treatment plans, loss of jobs for medical professionals
    Deep water mining and exploration Autonomous underwater vehicles, intelligent data analysis Increased efficiency and productivity in deep sea exploration and mining, improved accuracy in data analysis High costs and technical challenges of developing and deploying AI systems in deep sea environments Malfunctioning AI systems, environmental damage or destruction due to deep sea mining activities

    The Need for Regulation

    • Current regulatory system not well equipped: The current regulatory system may not be equipped to deal with the risks posed by AI, especially in areas such as privacy and competition.
    • Develop regulations in collaboration: Governments need to work with tech companies to develop regulations that ensure the responsible development and deployment of AI systems.
    • Balanced regulations: The regulation needs to be adaptive, flexible and balance between the benefits and risks of AI technology. This way, AI technology can be developed while taking into account societal concerns.
    • Privacy Concerns and responsible usage: AI-based systems, such as facial recognition technology, raise concerns related to privacy and surveillance. Governments need to develop regulations that protect citizen privacy and ensure that data is collected and used in a responsible way.
    • Risk assessment: Risk assessment could help in determining the risks of AI-based systems and developing regulations that address those risks.
    • For instance: Europe’s risk assessment approach may serve as a useful model for India to develop such regulations.

    Competition and Monopolization

    • AI powered checks and balance: The dominance of Big Tech in the tech landscape raises concerns of monopolization and the potential for deepening their control over the market. However, the presence of multiple players in the AI field generates checks and balances of its own.
    • Healthy market for AI technology: The development of new players and competitors can promote innovation and ensure a healthy market for AI technology.

    AI

    Conclusion

    • AI technology holds immense potential, but its risks need to be mitigated, and its development and deployment need to be carried out responsibly. Governments must work towards developing regulations that ensure that AI technology benefits society, while addressing concerns related to privacy, competition, and job losses. Responsible development and deployment of AI technology can lead to a brighter future for all.

    Mains Question

    Q. AI has limitless potential in various fields. In this light of this statement enumerate some of its key revolutionary applications in various fields and discuss challenges and associated risks of deploying AI in various fields.

  • What is Large Hadron Collider (LHC)?

    hadron

    Central idea: The article provides an overview of the LHC, its construction, how it works, and what it has discovered. It also discusses the future of the LHC, including plans to upgrade it and build a bigger version.

    Large Hadron Collider (LHC)

    • The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is the world’s largest science experiment built by the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN).
    • It is a collider that smashes two beams of particles in opposite directions and these particles are hadrons.
    • The LHC is on the energy frontier of physics research, conducting experiments with highly energized particles.
    • Currently, the LHC is being warmed up for its third season of operations following upgrades that have made it more sensitive and accurate.

    How does the LHC work?

    • Hadrons are subatomic particles made up of smaller particles, and the LHC typically uses protons.
    • Protons are energized by accelerating them through a narrow circular pipe that is 27 km long.
    • The pipe encircles two D-shaped magnetic fields created by almost 9,600 magnets.
    • Protons are accelerated through the beam pipe by rapidly switching the direction of the magnetic field.
    • Eventually, protons move at 99.999999% of the speed of light, according to the special theory of relativity.

    What happens when particles are smashed?

    • When two antiparallel beams of energized protons collide head-on, the energy at the point of collision is equal to the sum of the energy carried by the two beams.
    • The highest centre-of-mass collision energy the LHC has achieved so far is 13.6 TeV.
    • At the moment of collision, there is chaos, and energy coalesces into different subatomic particles under the guidance of the fundamental forces of nature.
    • Different particles take shape depending on the amount and flavour of energy available.

    What has the LHC found so far?

    • The LHC consists of nine detectors, and they study particle interactions in different ways.
    • The ATLAS and CMS detectors discovered the Higgs boson in 2012 and confirmed their findings in 2013.
    • Using the data from collisions, scientists have tested the predictions of the Standard Model of particle physics, observed exotic particles, and pieced together information about extreme natural conditions.

    What is the LHC’s future?

    • The LHC has not been able to find ‘new physics’ that can explain the nature of dark matter or why gravity is such a weak force.
    • One way forward is to improve the LHC’s luminosity by 10x by 2027 through upgrades.
    • Another idea is to build a bigger and more powerful version of the LHC, based on the hypothesis that it can find ‘new physics’ at even higher energies.
    • Physicists are divided on whether to invest in building a bigger machine or less expensive experiments with guaranteed results.

    B2BASICS

    What is Hadron?

    • Hadron is any member of a class of subatomic particles that are built from quarks and thus react through the agency of the strong force. The hadrons embrace mesons, baryons (e.g., protons, neutrons, and sigma particles), and their many resonances.

    CERN

    • European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) is the world’s largest nuclear and particle physics laboratory.
    • CERN is based in Geneva on the French-Swiss border. It has 23 member states.
    • India in 2016 became an associate member of the CERN. Indian scientists have played a significant role in the ALICE experiment, which is a dedicated experiment for search and study of Quark Gluon Plasma (QGP).

    Try this MCQ

    Which of the following is a subatomic particle made up of smaller particles and is commonly used in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)?

    (a) Protons

    (b) Electrons

    (c) Neutrons

    (d) Photons

     

    [wpdiscuz-feedback id=”uv5cuojqwi” question=”Please leave a feedback on this” opened=”1″]Post your answers here.[/wpdiscuz-feedback]

     

  • ESA to launch Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) Mission

    juice

    The European Space Agency (ESA) is all set to launch the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, or Juice, mission from its spaceport in French Guiana on an Ariane 5 launcher.

    What is the Juice Mission?

    • Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) mission is a project by the European Space Agency (ESA) to explore the Solar System’s largest planet Jupiter and its three largest moons, Ganymede, Callisto, and Europa.
    • Juice is constructed by an industrial consortium led by Airbus Defence and Space and is planned to reach Jupiter in 2031 using remote sensing, geophysical, and in situ instruments.

    Goals of the Juice mission

    • Juice aims to create a detailed map of the surfaces of Jupiter’s moons and to look beneath them to probe their potential habitability by creating a comprehensive picture of Jupiter.
    • One of the primary goals of the Juice mission is to gain insight into how planetary systems form and evolve over time and how possibly habitable environments can arise in Jupiter-like systems around other stars.
    • Juice will also analyze the chemistry, structure, dynamics, weather, and climate of Jupiter and its ever-changing atmosphere.

    Ganymede: Focus of the Juice mission

    • Ganymede is the largest moon in the Solar System and the only one to generate its magnetic field.
    • Juice will move into Ganymede’s orbit after approximately four of arriving at Jupiter.
    • Juice will use its suite of ten sophisticated instruments to measure how Ganymede rotates, its gravity, its shape and interior structure, its magnetic field, its composition, and to penetrate its icy crust using radar down to a depth of about nine km.

    Can Juice detect life?

    • Juice is not equipped to detect life on Jupiter or its moons.
    • It is, however, capable of finding out whether there could be places around Jupiter, inside the icy moons, where the necessary conditions, such as water, biological essential elements, energy, and stability, to sustain life are present.
    • Scientists believe that there is a possibility that life is present on Jupiter’s moons, in the form of microbes or more advanced species, such as those found in deep-sea trenches and at hydrothermal vents on Earth.

     

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Legislative Procedures

    AI

    Central Idea

    • Artificial Intelligence (AI) has gained worldwide attention, and many mature democracies are using it for better legislative procedures. In India, AI can be used to assist parliamentarians in preparing responses for legislators, enhancing research quality, and obtaining information about any Bill, legislative drafting, amendments, interventions, and more. However, before AI can work in India, there is a need to codify the country’s laws, which are opaque, complex, and face a huge translation gap between law-making, law-implementing, and law-interpreting organizations.

    What is Artificial Intelligence?

    • AI is a constellation of technologies that enable machines to act with higher levels of intelligence and emulate the human capabilities of sense, comprehend and act.
    • The natural language processing and inference engines can enable AI systems to analyze and understand the information collected.
    • An AI system can also take action through technologies such as expert systems and inference engines or undertake actions in the physical world.
    • These human-like capabilities are augmented by the ability to learn from experience and keep adapting over time.
    • AI systems are finding ever-wider application to supplement these capabilities across various sectors

    Need to Codify Laws

    • Current laws are complex and opaque: Current laws in India pose many challenges, such as their complexity, opaqueness, and lack of a single source of truth.
    • The India Code portal does not provide complete information: The India Code portal is not enough to provide complete information about parent Acts, subordinate legislation, and amendment notifications.
    • AI can be used to provide comprehensive information: There is a need to make laws machine-consumable with a central law engine, which can be a single source of truth for all acts, subordinate pieces of legislation, gazettes, compliances, and regulations. AI can use this engine to provide information on applicable acts and compliances for entrepreneurs or recommend eligible welfare schemes for citizens.

    Assisting Legislators

    • Potential of AI for legislators: AI can help Indian parliamentarians manage constituencies with a huge population by analysing citizens’ grievances and social media responses, flagging issues that need immediate attention and assisting in seeking citizen inputs for public consultation of laws and preparing a manifesto.
    • AI-powered assistance: Many Parliaments worldwide are now experimenting with AI-powered assistants.
    • For instance:
    • Netherlands’s Speech2Write system: The Speech2Write system in the Netherlands House of Representatives, which converts voice to text and translates voice into written reports.
    • AI tools Japan: Japan’s AI tool assists in preparing responses for its legislature and helps in selecting relevant highlights in parliamentary debates.
    • Brazil: Brazil has developed an AI system called Ulysses, which supports transparency and citizen participation.
    • NeVA portal India: India is also innovating and working towards making parliamentary activities digital through the ‘One Nation, One Application’ and the National e-Vidhan (NeVA) portal.

    Simulating Potential Effects of Laws

    • Dataset modelling: AI can simulate the potential effects of laws by modelling various datasets such as the Census, data on household consumption, taxpayers, beneficiaries from various schemes, and public infrastructure.
    • Flag outdated laws: In that case, AI can uncover potential outcomes of a policy and flag outdated laws that require amendment.
    • For example: During the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘The Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897’ failed to address the situation when the virus overwhelmed the country. Several provisions in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) are controversial and redundant, such as Article 309 (attempted suicide) of the IPC continues to be a criminal offense. Many criminal legislation pieces enacted more than 100 years ago are of hardly any use today.

    Conclusion

    • The COVID-19 pandemic has given a strong thrust to the Digital India initiative, and a digitization of services needs to be kept up in the field of law, policy-making, and parliamentary activities, harnessing the power of AI. However, the use of AI must be encouraged in an open, transparent, and citizen-friendly manner, as AI is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Therefore, it is necessary to address the current challenges faced by India’s laws before AI can be effectively used to assist parliamentarians in their legislative duties.

    Mains Question

    Q. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has gained worldwide attention, and many mature democracies are using it for better legislative procedures. In this light evaluate the potential of AI in assisting Indian parliamentarians.

  • India’s Space Industry: Enormous Potential

    Central Idea

    • India needs an enabling policy and regulatory environment to tap into the potential of the Second Space Age and its rapidly growing space economy.

    What is mean by the Second Space Age?

    • Commercialization: The Second Space Age refers to the recent era of increased commercialization and private sector involvement in space exploration, which began in the early 2000s.
    • Emergence of private space companies: This period has been marked by the emergence of private space companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic, who are investing heavily in space technology and infrastructure.
    • Today’s space domain has many more actors once dominated by US and USSR: Compared to the First Space Age dominated by the US and the USSR, today’s space domain has many more actors, with a majority being private companies. Private companies account for 90% of global space launches since 2020, and India is no exception
    • Increasing involvement of non-spacefaring nations: The Second Space Age is also characterized by the increasing involvement of non-spacefaring nations in space exploration and the development of technologies that enable greater access to space for both commercial and scientific purposes.
    • Exploration: The hope is that this new era will lead to breakthroughs in areas like space tourism, asteroid mining, and Mars colonization, among others.

    India’s Space Journey

    • India’s journey in space began modestly in the 1960s.
    • Societal objectives: Over the decades, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) prioritized societal objectives and benefits, such as developing satellite technology for mass communication, remote sensing for weather forecasting, resource mapping of forests, agricultural yields, groundwater and watersheds, fisheries and urban management, and satellite-aided navigation.
    • Enhanced launch capabilities: ISRO also developed satellite launch capabilities, beginning with the SLV-1 in the 1980s, followed by the PSLV series, which has become its workhorse with over 50 successful launches.

    Facts for prelims

    Steps taken to promote the space industry in India

    Resulting Outcome
    Creation of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1969 Establishment of a strong foundation for space research and exploration in India
    Launch of Aryabhata satellite in 1975 First satellite successfully launched by India
    Establishment of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) in 1972 Development of technologies for rocket and satellite launch
    Launch of Rohini satellite in 1983 First satellite launched using an Indian-made launch vehicle
    Launch of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in 1993 Capability to launch smaller satellites into orbit
    Launch of Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) in 2001 Capability to launch larger and heavier satellites into orbit
    Successful Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) in 2014 India became the first country to successfully launch a spacecraft to Mars in its first attempt
    Formation of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) in 2019 Increased involvement of private sector in space activities and commercialization of space technologies
    Announcement of Gaganyaan mission in 2018 Development of human spaceflight capabilities in India

    India’s Space Potential

    • Economy and employment: India’s space economy, estimated at $9.6 billion in 2020, is expected to be $13 billion by 2025. However, with an enabling policy and regulatory environment, the Indian space industry could exceed $60 billion by 2030, directly creating more than two lakh jobs.
    • Downstream activities: Downstream activities such as satellite services and associated ground segment are dominant, accounting for over 70% of India’s space economy.
    • Media and entertainment segment: Media and entertainment account for 26% of India’s space economy, with consumer and retail services accounting for another 21%.

    The Growing Role of the Private Sector

    • Increasing space start ups: The Indian private sector is responding to the demands of the Second Space Age, with over 100 space start-ups today. From less than $3 million in 2018, investment in the sector has doubled in 2019 and crossed $65 million in 2021.
    • Potential of multiplier effect on economy: The sector is poised for take-off, as a transformative growth multiplier like the IT industry did for the national economy in the 1990s.

    Way ahead: Creating an Enabling Environment

    • ISRO needs to focus on research and collaborate with the Indian private sector, which has different needs and demands.
    • To create an enabling environment for the private sector, India needs a space activity act that provides legal grounding, sets up a regulatory authority, and enables venture capital funding into the Indian space start-up industry.
    • Although a series of policy papers have been circulated in recent years, legislation is needed to provide legal backing and create an enabling environment for private sector growth.

    Conclusion

    • India’s space industry has enormous potential, but realizing it requires an enabling policy and regulatory environment that encourages private sector growth. With a space activity act that provides legal backing, sets up a regulatory authority, and enables venture capital funding, India can take advantage of the Second Space Age and become a major player in the global space economy.

    Mains Question

    Q. What do you understand by mean Second Space Age? Highlight potential of India’s space industry and growing role of private sector