<b>India "a step ahead" of China in satellite technology: space chief</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->NEW DELHI (AFP) - India is "a step ahead" of China in satellite technology and can surpass Beijing in space research by tapping the talent of its huge pool of young scientists, India's space research chief said.
G Madhavan Nair said India and China were "on par (with each other) as far as rocket technology is concerned," the Press Trust of India (news - web sites) news agency reported.
Though China was ahead in planning a manned mission to the moon, "We are a step ahead of China in satellite technology," Nair, chief of the Indian Space Research Organisation, told a gathering in the southern city of Coimbatore
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<b>India wins landmark patent battle </b>
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->India has won a 10-year-long battle at the European Patent Office (EPO) against a patent granted on an anti-fungal product, derived from neem.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Denying the patent means upholding the value of 'traditional' for millions of [people] not only in India but throughout the South. The free tree will stay free," said RFSTE director, Dr Vandana Shiva.
"This victory is the result of extremely long solidarity. It is a victory of committed citizens over commercial interests and big powers."
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<b>India Moon Probe May Tote Water-Scouting Radar </b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->A lunar orbiter being built by India may be hauling a U.S. radar experiment designed to help unravel whether the Moonâs poles contain pockets of water ice.
The device is a small, lightweight, low-power imaging radar developed by the U.S. Department of Defense. It would be attached to Chandraayan-1, a lunar probe now being built by the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) and headed for a September 2007 liftoff.
The miniature-synthetic aperture radar â mini-SAR --- would be delivered to ISRO as a flight module by February 2007. The miniature imaging radar instrument has been approved by ISRO for inclusion onboard Chandraayan-1, but awaits a U.S. State Department go-ahead.
A similar, but more high-tech radar unit could be added to NASAâs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter as a technological demonstration, although the outcome of on-going discussion about this prospect is uncertain.
If flown on the NASA lunar orbiter, the radar could work in tandem with Chandraayan-1 in surveying the Moon for evidence of water ice...............
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Europe nod to India's moon mission
Pramod Kumar Singh/ New Delhi
European Space Agency (ESA) Council has given its nod to Europe's historical cooperation with India for lunar exploration mission. On March 17 last, the ESA Council, at its meeting in Paris, unanimously approved a cooperation agreement between ESA and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) clearing the way for India's first moon mission - Chandrayaan-1.  Â
The Pioneer had carried a story in its edition of March,14, titled "India's Moon Mission not Jinxed". Mr Daniel Descoutures, the Research- Director General of the European Commission while talking to this correspondent at Brussels had expressed the keenness of ESA for closer cooperation with ISRO but had not committed ESA on funding the $100 million project. All he said was that the funding of Chandrayaan-I will be considered at a later stage.
A senior Indian diplomat posted with the Indian Embassy at Brussels told The Pioneer that the matter was discussed afresh after the story appeared in this newspaper and the ESA agreed in letter and spirit to provide logistical help to ISRO in realising its cherished dream.
Under the agreement, Europe will coordinate and support the provision of three instruments: CIXS-2, the Chandrayaan-1 Imaging X-Ray Spectrometer; SARA, a Sub- keV Atom Relecting Analyser; and SIR-2, a Near-Infrared Spectrometer. It will also support the hardware for the High-Energy X-Ray Spectrometer (HEX). Direct ESA in-kind contributions are also foreseen under this historical agreement.
In return, all data resulting from the instruments will be made immediately available to ESA Member States through ESA.
The instruments requested are identical to those on ESA's SMART-1. Launched in 2003, SMART-1, having demonstrated a new solar electric propulsion motor and tested other technologies on its way to the moon, has just started its science phase. It will make the first comprehensive inventory of key chemical elements on the lunar surface.
ISRO plans to send a 1050 Kg (523 Kg initial orbit mass and 440 Kg dry mass) remote sensing satellite to help unravel the mysteries about the Europe nod to India's moon mission origin and evolution of the Solar System in general and the Moon in particular. The satellite, which is expected to have an operational life of two years, will be launched by India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle in 2007/2008.
ISRO, founded in 1969 had launched its first satellite "Aryabhatta" in 1975. Since then it has developed a number of launch vehicles as well as satellites for Earth observation, remote sensing, telecommunications and weather forecasting. India has its own launch site at Sriharikota but has also used Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana to launch its satellites. Chandrayaan-1 marks its first venture into planetary space science
ESA will give ISRO the benefit of its experience with SMART-1 and will further assist in operations facilitation as well as providing the science instruments.
ESA's SMART-1 put Europe in the lead in the new race back to the Moon. As well as India and Japan, China and the USA also intend to launch lunar missions in the coming years. The cooperation with India will keep European scientists in the forefront.
ESA Director of Science David Southwood said, "One should also see the cooperation in a wider context. Space science is a natural area for space agencies to learn to work together in technical matters. Such cooperation remains a strategic element in the Director General's wider agenda for the Agency." <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>India launches two new satellites </b>
The satellites were launched on an Indian-made rocket
India has launched its first satellites to be used for helping mapmakers and amateur radio operators.
The Cartosat, weighing 1.5 tonnes, will supply date that will enable maps precise enough to detail every house in the country.
The Hamsat, weighing about 42.5kg will help expand bandwidth to help amateur radio operators around the world.
India hopes Thursday's launch will help the country break into the lucrative commercial satellite launch market.
The satellites were sent into space on a locally-made rocket from Sriharikota island in southern Andhra Pradesh state.
"The launch took place exactly on schedule," S Krishnamurthy, a spokesman for the state-run Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) said, the AFP news agency reports.
Stiff resistance
The launch was attended by Indian President APJ Kalam, a keen scientist himself who was once involved with India's satellite programmes..
Amateur radio operators have greeted the Hamsat as it will provide very high radio frequencies to expand ham operators.
The satellite is "India's contribution" to Ham radio operators all over the world for the services after the tsunami in December, Mr Krishnamurthy told the BBC.
Amateur radio operators in India have been active since 1950s but face stiff government restrictions.
Until last year, they were banned from functioning in India's Andaman and Nicobar islands by the defence ministry.
The government lifted the restrictions after December's tsunami, which hit the islands badly.
Within days, two Indian operators landed in the islands and played a major role in getting relief across to the affected people in the islands.
Ham operators helped in getting relief to Andaman islands after the tsunami
The bigger Cartosat satellite is expected to supply high resolution pictures for making precise maps which would be used in planning towns and disaster assessment, among other things.
Last September, India launched a satellite to be used for expanding the country's educational network.
In September 2002, India successfully launched its first weather satellite to help the country predict cyclones and storms more accurately.
In 2001, it successfully tested its first geostationary launch vehicle, which is capable of launching bigger satellites into a higher orbit.
India also plans to send a spacecraft to the moon by 2008. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
A correspondent in New York | June 16, 2005 04:21 IST
<b>An office tower in Mauritius designed by an architectural and engineering firm in Chennai has won the 2005 Intelligent Building of the Year international award given out by the Intelligent Community Forum, a New York-based think tank.</b>
The 12-story building, Ebene Cyber Tower, designed by C R Narayana Rao Architects and Engineers, is considered one of the most advanced technology buildings in the region and is indicative, according to ICF, of the relationship between commercial real estate and the development of an intelligent community. <b>The building is the only one in Mauritius with fiber optic connectivity directly available to tenants within their offices.</b>
Further, the 38,610 square-foot building caught the eye of the selection committee because it is an integral part of a broader and integrated intelligent community project, known as the Ebene Cyber City, ICF said.
Ebene Cyber Tower reported to ICF that in 2005 tenants included Infosys Technologies (India), Teleforma (USA), Cendris (UK), Theo Finance (Switzerland) and Accenture (France). Business Parks of Mauritius Ltd is the developer of the tower and Cyber Properties Investment Limited of Mauritius, its owner.
The Chennai firm that designed it was established by the late C R Narayana Rao, and it is run by Dr C N Srinivasan and C N Raghavendran, both of whom received their undergraduate degrees from IIT, Kharagpur and graduate degrees from American universities. They are assisted by six associates, all of whom also earned advanced degrees from American universities. The firm, one of the leading ones in southern India, holds a range of projects from industrial and institutional to technology park projects.
The honor was one of the four international awards sponsored by the ICF. The other awards are Intelligent Community of the Year, Intelligent Community Technology of the Year and Intelligent Community Visionary of the Year
The ICF (www.intelligentcommunity.org) is a special project of World Teleport Association (www.worldteleport.org) that focuses on the uses of broadband and information technology for economic development by communities large and small. ICF conducts research, creates conference content and publishes newsletters, among other things. WTA is a nonprofit association of teleports, Intelligent Communities and their trading partners in 20 nations around the world.
The awards have been established to create awareness for the role that broadband communication and information technology play in economic development, social cohesion and global growth.
The winners were selected from 16 finalists from 15 nations. The awards were presented June 14 at a luncheon ceremony at Polytechnic University of New York in Brooklyn, at the close of ICF's two-day annual conference, called "Building the Broadband Economy."
The conference was produced in association with the Institute for Technology and Enterprise at Polytechnic University and the American Society for Public Administration. At least 18 nations were represented. Keynote speakers included Alok Aggarwal, chairman of Evalueserve, an Indian outsourcing firm.
Executive Chairman C Bhadain accepted the award on behalf of Ebene Cyber Tower. He was accompanied by the architectural team that designed it.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Pradeep Haldar, a professor at the University at Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, holds a chip wafer containing about 1,000 chips in one of the college labs in Albany, N.Y. Friday, May 19, 2006. Haldar, working with industry and the U.S. Navy, is developing cryogenically cooled electronics that could greatly reduce the size of the power generators needed aboard the Navy's warships. (AP Photo/Tim Roske)<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<b>Digital mapping of India on fast track</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->"We hope to complete mapping of 60-70 percent of India within a year. The ministry of defence has cleared most areas barring (a stretch of) 50 km along the international borders on the land surface in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast region," said Brigadier R. Siva Kumar, director of NSDI.
The digital mapping would allow the user to click on any geographical location to get details like longitude and latitude, altitude, forest mapping and other vital up-to-date inputs that are critical to any investment decision<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Google earth is way ahead.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Malaysia to work with India on space technology
   Â
Malaysia is expected to formalize several agreements with India on the use of satellite applications and space technologies, local media reported Tuesday.
"We are looking at initiating a formal cooperation with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in various areas," said Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.
Najib made the remarks Monday when winding his week-long visit to India in Bangalore, the information technology hub.
Malaysia is set to use satellite technology in education, agriculture, fisheries and telemedicine, to further improve incomes and the quality of life of the Malaysian people, especially those in rural areas, said Najib, who is also defense minister.
The government will also consider cooperating with Bharat Electronics Limited, an Indian state-run company, to make use of India's missile technology, radar systems, defense communication systems and support hardware, said Najib.
"The (Malaysian) Defense Ministry will consider suitability of its (Bharat) systems for our armed forces," Najib told Malaysian reporters.
Najib earlier visited the company's headquarters, where they were shown state-of-art electronic warfare systems.
The deputy prime minister kicked off his visit to India last Tuesday, which also took him to New Delhi, the capital city, and Mumbai, India's commercial capital.
<b>Advanced Countries to Benefit Most from Technological Progress</b>
An examination of 29 countries' science and technology capacity indicates that the global technology revolution will continue unabated over the next 15 years, but some countries will be in a better position than others to take full advantage of it
<b>Space setback: INSAT 4C follows Agni III into sea</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->After the failure of Agni III missile, India's space programme received a major setback on Monday when the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F02) carrying the INSAT 4C communication satellite veered from its projected path and came crashing down.
ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair, admitting the failure of the mission, said, "things have gone wrong in the stage of separation (of the booster from the launch vehicle). We have to analyse the data why it went wrong".
The launch vehicle, carrying the 2168kg satellite to boost to Direct-to-Home television service and digital news gathering, deviated from its chartered path soon after the lift-off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre at 1738 hours and disintegrated into a ball of fire.
Soon after the failure of the mission, ISRO officials put the entire system on "emergency condition".
The jubilation among the scientists at the control station of the Space Centre immediately after the launch soon turned into despair as the launch vehicle hurtled down into the Bay of Bengal.
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What is going on? Two failures in three days ?????????
<b>India conducts first cryogenic rocket test</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->BANGALORE: In a major breakthrough in its space programme, India on <b>Saturday successfully conducted the first test of its indigenously developed cryogenic rocket engine at a facility at Mahindragiri in Tamil Nadu</b>.
"We had a very successful first cryogenic stage test at Mahindragiri at 6.20 pm. <b>It is a major milestone in the development of rocket systems in the country</b>," Indian Space Research Organisation Chairman G Madhavan Nair said.
The test at ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Centre at Mahindragiri lasted 50 seconds, he said.
"Only developed countries have this stage. We have also qualified now," Nair said.
<b>"We will go for one more long duration test in the next three or four days which will make it ready for flight." </b>
The cryogenic rocket engine that ISRO successfully tested on Saturday was equivalent to the "Russian stage" supplied earlier, Nair said.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--emo&:cool--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/specool.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='specool.gif' /><!--endemo-->
PARIS: An idea that germinated on the dusty streets of Ougadougou, the Capital of Burkina Faso, in the mind of a prominent Indian scientist will finally see fruition this Wednesday when President APJ Abdul Kalam becomes the first global citizen to acquire two refrigerator-cum-vaccine coolers, totally powered by the sun.
The SolarChill uses a breakthrough technology aimed at making the process of refrigeration accessible even to the remotest parts of the world and hence help several social causes like the vaccination projects of the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Rajendra Shende, the head of the OzonAction Unit of the United Nations Environment Programme and the brain behind the idea, remembers clearly the moment when the idea struck him, during a bus ride in the western African nation of Burkina Faso in 2000.
"Looking out of our bus window at the children of the rural poor and thinking about their fragile health, it occurred to me that plenty of sunshine does not mean plenty of health. Some children, carrying their sick younger brothers and sisters, were looking at us as if we were from other planets.
"I thought that if we could develop a vaccine cooler that uses the solar energy so abundant in Burkina Faso and other developing countries, and if we develop a vaccine cooler that uses the solar energy so abundantly available there, and non-CFC (ozone-friendly), non-HFC (climate-friendly) refrigerants, it will be an environmentally perfect product," Shende said in Paris, just before leaving for New Delhi for the high-profile acquisition by the President who has been keeping a close tab on the breakthrough development.
Shende says that the President has been keenly following the progress of the project ever since he heard about it over a year ago.
"When I informed him about the project, he was very keen and requested me to keep him informed on the progress. The president could see the huge importance of SolarChill for the developing countries, particularly in saving the lives of the rural children and women who do not have access to electricity and effective vaccines," recalls Shende.
And when the project was finally complete and the team was looking for high-profile platforms for the launch of the project, Kalam was the unanimous choice.
"It was found to be important to get SolarChill known to the world community. I recalled my discussions with the president in 2005 and wrote to his office. I was immediately informed that the president is not only keen to install and operate two units in the clinic of the presidential complex (around Rashtrapati Bhavan) but was very keen to buy these units and not to get them free," says Shende.
The first use of the SolarChill is for facilitating the preservation of vaccines in far-flung and remote areas that don't have access to not only electricity but also other fuels like kerosene.
The vaccine coolers so far being used in immunization programmes work inefficiently due to non-availability or inadequate supply of grid electricity.
Even when kerosene is used for the vaccine cooler, supply of kerosene is not certain in many areas and moreover kerosene is also a contributor to global warming and pollution.
<b>Why they donât line up for DRDO job interviews</b>
<i>Lack of original work, sarkari salary, promotion structure, miles of red tape: 1,400 have left last decade. Meanwhile, DRDOâs staff incentive wishlist gathers dust </i>
Location: United Kingdom.
Comments: Dear Sushmaji, I really love your website. It is awe inspiring and motivating. There was a story in the Ramayana that when Sita decides to accompany Rama Kaushalya gives her specials clothes that would not require cleaning. Recently I read about a similar invention done by scientists. After reading information on the Yantra and Vimana techology of those times, I feel inclined to believe that during Ramayana times they had a lot more wonderful things. Attached is the news. Thank You. Self-cleaning underwear needs no washing for weeks Front page / Science / Technologies and discoveries. Self-cleaning fabrics could revolutionize the sport apparel industry. The technology, created by scientists working for the U.S. Air Force, has already been used to create t-shirts and underwear that can be worn hygenically for weeks without washing. Self-cleaning underwear needs no washing for weeks - The new technology attaches nanoparticles to clothing fibers using microwaves. Then, chemicals that can repel water, oil and bacteria are directly bound to the nanoparticles. These two elements combine to create a protective coating on the fibers of the material. This coating both kills bacteria, and forces liquids to bead and run off. The U.S. military spent more than $20 million to develop the fabric, deriving from research originally intended to protect soldiers from biological weapons. Jeff Owens, one of the scientists who worked to develop the process, said, "During Desert Storm, most casualties were from bacterial infections-not accidents or friendly fire. We treated underwear for soldiers who tested them for several weeks and found they remained hygienic. They also helped clear up some skin complaints." Science fiction writer Neal Stephenson wrote specifically about nanotech fabrics that stayed clean; he referred to "fabricules" in his 1995 novel The Diamond Age: ...with a quick brush, John and Gwendolyn were able to transfer most of the dirt onto their white gloves. From there it went straight into the air. Most gentlemen's and ladies' gloves nowadays were constructed of infinitesimal fabricules that knew how to eject dirt...British news organizations pointed out that an earlier reference to the general idea of clothes that never got dirty can be found in the 1951 film "The Man in the White Suit." Sci-fi fans can console themselves with the fact that the lead role was played by Alec Guiness, who of course played Obiwan Kenobi in the original Star Wars films.
HYDERABAD: The International Astronautical Congress (IAC), one of the world's largest and authoritative forum of the Global Space Community, will be held in the city from September 24-28.
The Congress is hosted by Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Astronautical Society of India (ASI), in conjunction with powerful global organisation like IAF, IAA and IISL, National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA) Director K Radhakrishnan said on Thursday.
The 58th edition will bring together agency heads, scientific fraternity, policy-makers, regulators from India and across the World, he said.
<b>About 2500 space professionals, journalists and students engaged in space activities all over the world will participate in the week-long Congress, 200 organisations will be exhibiting from across the globe and the event expects over 10,000 business visitors.
</b>
"IAC 2007 has special significance since year 2007 is the 50th year of the launch of Sputnik signifying the beginning of Space Age. The 50th Anniversary of the International Geophysical Year and also the 40th year of the United Nations Outer Space Treaty," he said.
IAC will be hosted for the second time in India after the 39th IAC at Bangalore in 1988.
The theme of this Congress is `Touching Humanity: Space For Improving Quality of Life,' he said.
New Delhi - Seeking to groom experts to help grow the country's satellite and rocket programmes, India will set up its first space university in the southern state of Kerala, reports said Sunday.
G Madhavan Nair, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which will set up the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (IIST) to meet high technology requirements of ISRO, said the agency had set a 'target' of mid-August.
Nair told the news agency PTI that ISRO came up with the idea of the institute as it was faced with a 'very alarming situation' in terms of attracting the right talent for India's space programmes.
'Students will be taught in propulsion, aerodynamics, navigation, guidance, sub-systems, avionics, control systems and so on,' Nair said. 'So, that way, as soon as they come out of the Institute, they will be usable by us.'
IIST will initially operate from the campus of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre at Thiruvananthapuram, a lead centre of ISRO, and venue for launches. ISRO will later create full-fledged infrastructure for IIST on a site near the Kerala capital in about two years.
For its first batch the institute has already had a good response. Around 150 students are expected to be enrolled in aeronautical and avionics engineering and integrated MSc (Master of Science) in space sciences in the first academic year.
'For the starting batch there are a large number of applicants from (Indian Institute of Technology) IITs,' said Nair.
Many students coming out of India's premier technology institutes like IIT and Indian Institute of Science (IISc) are choosing management or information technology studies, or go abroad for work - thus are not available to the Indian scientific community.
The Bangalore-based ISRO gets more than 70,000 applications annually from students of other institutions. But after the final selection process, only about 200 make the grade, whereas ISRO requires more than 300 scientists for its various space programmes.
Nair said this 'difficult process' actually becomes a real hunt for talent at the country-wide level.
'So we thought we need to plan something unique, catch the students at a young age,' said Nair.
India, on June 21, inducted the Indo-Russian supersonic BrahMos missile into its defence forces. It has also developed, indigenously, all-terrain, short- and long-range ballistic missiles.
ISRO manufactures and launches Indian satellites. Through its commercial arm Antrix Corporation, ISRO undertakes commercial satellite launches for other countries as well.
ISRO plans to send an unmanned mission to the moon in 2008.
