CURRENT-AFFAIRS

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• The Indian Navy, in collaboration with DRDO, recently achieved a significant milestone by conducting successful Guided Flight Trials of the inaugural indigenously developed Naval Anti-Ship Missile Short Range (NASM-SR) from a Sea King 42B helicopter.
• About the Naval Anti-Ship Missile Short Range (NASM-SR):
  • The NASM-SR is the first domestically produced air-launched anti-ship cruise missile specifically designed for the Indian Navy.
  • Developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), it represents a major advancement in indigenous defense technology.
  • The missile is intended for launch from attack helicopters.
  • It will replace the existing Sea Eagle missiles currently in use by the Navy.
  • As the Sea King helicopters are gradually retired, the NASM-SR is expected to be integrated with the new MH-60R multi-role helicopters that are being introduced into the Navy.
• Features:
  • The missile boasts a cutting-edge guidance system, including an advanced navigation system and integrated avionics.
  • It incorporates several new technologies, such as an indigenously designed launcher for helicopter deployment.
  • With a strike range of approximately 60 km, the NASM-SR travels at a speed of Mach 0.8, which is subsonic.
  • It is equipped with an imaging infrared seeker to lock onto the heat signatures of its targets.
  • The missile can carry a 100 kg warhead, making it effective against patrol boats and capable of inflicting damage on larger warships.
  • Its sea-skimming capability allows it to fly as low as 5 meters above sea level on approach, minimizing detection and interception by enemy radars and surface-to-air defenses.

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• NASA recently released a stunning photograph taken from the International Space Station, capturing the Earth's airglow tracing the planet's horizon with the Moon positioned above.
• About Airglow:
  • Airglow is the natural luminescence of the Earth’s atmosphere.
  • This phenomenon occurs continuously and globally.
  • Similar to auroras, airglow is caused by the excitation of atmospheric molecules, but unlike auroras, which are influenced by high-energy solar particles, airglow is energized by regular solar radiation.
  • Airglow lacks the distinctive structures seen in auroras, such as arcs, and is emitted uniformly across the entire sky at all latitudes and times.
  • There are three primary types of airglow: dayglow, twilight glow, and nightglow.
  • Each type results from interactions between sunlight and atmospheric molecules, but they form through different processes.
  • Common colors of airglow include green, red, and blue, though other colors can also be observed.
• Dayglow:
  • Dayglow occurs when sunlight interacts with the atmosphere during the day.
  • Molecules in the atmosphere absorb some of this sunlight, becoming excited and then releasing this excess energy as light, which can be at the same or slightly lower frequency (color) as the absorbed light. This light is too faint to be visible to the naked eye during the day.
• Twilight Glow:
  • Twilight glow is similar to dayglow but occurs when only the upper atmosphere is illuminated by the Sun, while the lower atmosphere and ground are in darkness.
  • Unlike dayglow, twilight glow is visible to observers on the ground, making it perceptible to the naked eye.
• Nightglow:
  • Nightglow arises from a different process called chemiluminescence, as there is no direct sunlight during the night.
  • During the day, sunlight energizes the atmosphere, leading to the dissociation of oxygen molecules (O₂) into individual oxygen atoms at altitudes around 100 km.

These atomic oxygen atoms store excess energy until they recombine into molecular oxygen. This recombination releases the stored energy as light, contributing to the nightglow effect

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• Researchers in China have recently identified a new dinosaur species named Qianlong shouhu, alongside numerous unhatched eggs.
• About Qianlong shouhu:
  • Qianlong shouhu is classified within the sauropodomorph group, which includes both sauropods and their early ancestors.
  • This dinosaur roamed what is now China during the Early Jurassic period, approximately 200 to 193 million years ago.
  • The species name translates to "a dragon in Guizhou that guards its embryos."
  • It was a medium-sized sauropodomorph, measuring around 20 feet in length and estimated to weigh about 1 ton.
  • The eggs of Qianlong shouhu were elliptical and relatively small, with a possible leathery texture to their shells, offering significant evidence for the earliest known leathery eggs.
• What are Sauropods?
  • Sauropods were the predominant herbivores of the Jurassic era, known for their long necks, tails, and four-legged stance.
  • These dinosaurs were among the largest land animals ever, with some reaching lengths of 40 to 150 feet or more from head to tail.
  • Sauropods typically weighed between 20 and 70 tons, comparable to 10 to 35 elephants.
  • They featured relatively small skulls and brains, with upright limbs resembling those of elephants.
  • Sauropods were one of the most enduring dinosaur groups, surviving for about 104 million years across diverse global habitats.
  • Fossil remains and footprints of sauropods have been discovered on every continent except Antarctica.
  • While they were most abundant during the Jurassic period, sauropods persisted into the Upper Cretaceous, until many other dinosaur species faced extinction.

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• The Ministry of Education (MoE) recently announced plans to reach out to all States, urging aspirants to make use of the newly launched portal for exam preparation — SATHEE (Self Assessment Test and Help for Entrance Exams).
• About SATHEE (Self Assessment Test and Help for Entrance Exams) Portal:
  • SATHEE is a new initiative by the Ministry of Education designed to offer a free learning and assessment platform for students.
  • The portal aims to provide students with access to training and coaching for competitive exams at no cost.
  • Its goal is to address the disparity faced by students who cannot afford expensive entrance exam preparation and coaching services.
  • The platform will offer preparation materials in English, Hindi, and various regional languages, catering to exams such as JEE and NEET.
  • SATHEE will be beneficial for those preparing for exams like CAT, GATE, and UPSC, and will also simulate experiences similar to those in coaching centres.
  • The portal features instructional videos created by faculty members from IITs and IISc, which will assist students in understanding concepts and revising weaker areas.
  • SATHEE utilizes an AI program named Prutor, developed by IIT-Kanpur, to enhance the learning experience.
• SATHEE Features:
  • Comprehensive preparation materials for exams like JEE and NEET
  • Video solutions available in regional languages for various entrance exams
  • Webinars offering preparation strategies for JEE and NEET
  • Personal stories of student challenges and successes
  • Interactive "Solve with Me" sessions
  • Motivational sessions to encourage and inspire students

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• The 77th Meeting of the Standing Committee (SC77) of CITES, held recently in Geneva, addressed several key issues including the trade of precious timber and sharks, as well as the conservation of elephants and large cats.
• About the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES):
• CITES is an international treaty aimed at ensuring that global trade in wild animals and plants does not jeopardize their survival.
• Established in 1973 and effective from 1975, CITES now has 184 member parties and regulates trade in over 38,000 species.
• While CITES imposes legally binding obligations on its members, it does not replace national laws but works alongside them.
• The CITES Secretariat, overseen by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
• Representatives from CITES member countries convene every two to three years at the Conference of the Parties (COP) to evaluate progress and revise the lists of protected species, which are categorized into three appendices with varying levels of protection:
• Appendix I: Includes species at risk of extinction and offers the highest level of protection, including a ban on commercial trade.
• Appendix II: Covers species not currently endangered but potentially at risk without trade restrictions. Controlled trade is permitted if an export permit is issued, confirming that the specimens were legally obtained and that the trade will not harm the species' survival or ecological role.
• Appendix III: Lists species for which a country has sought assistance from other CITES parties to manage international trade. Trade is regulated through CITES export permits from the listing country and certificates of origin from other countries. Nations can add species to Appendix III anytime based on their domestic regulations.
• CITES also facilitates cooperation among law enforcement officials from wildlife agencies, national parks, customs, and police forces to address wildlife crime, focusing on species such as elephants and rhinos.

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• NASA is preparing to launch the Atmospheric Waves Experiment (AWE), a pioneering mission designed to study ‘airglow’ and its impact on space weather.
• This innovative NASA experiment, part of the Heliophysics Explorers Program, aims to explore how interactions between terrestrial and space weather influence each other. The mission will be mounted on the exterior of the Earth-orbiting International Space Station (ISS) and will observe airglow from this vantage point.
• What the AWE Mission Will Do:
  • The AWE mission will focus on studying the connections between waves in the lower atmosphere and their effects on the upper atmosphere, which directly impacts space weather.
  • Positioned on the ISS, AWE will capture and analyze the colorful light bands known as airglow as it views the Earth.
  • The experiment will investigate the complex forces driving space weather in the upper atmosphere by measuring airglow at the mesopause, approximately 85 to 87 kilometers above the Earth’s surface, where temperatures plummet to around -100 degrees Celsius.
  • At this altitude, AWE will detect the faint airglow in the infrared spectrum, where it is brightest and most detectable.
  • The mission will offer unprecedented resolution of atmospheric waves at finer horizontal scales than typically possible with satellites, providing unique insights into atmospheric and space weather phenomena.
• Key Instruments and Goals:
  • AWE will utilize an Advanced Mesospheric Temperature Mapper (ATMT) equipped with four identical telescopes forming an imaging radiometer. This setup will map the mesopause region, situated between the mesosphere and thermosphere.
  • The ATMT will measure the brightness of light at specific wavelengths, converting this data into a temperature map of the mesopause. This map will help scientists track airglow movement and better understand its role in the upper atmosphere and space weather.
  • By mapping these airglows, AWE will contribute valuable information on the health of the ionosphere, which is crucial for ensuring reliable communication systems.