Space Tussle Between Elon Musk And China:
Chinese citizens have recently expressed their displeasure with Elon Musk`s space programme, claiming that China`s space station had to take evasive action in order to avoid colliding with satellites launched by Musk`s Starlink programme.
Highlights:
- According to China, satellites from Starlink Internet Services had two close encounters with the Chinese Space Station on July 1 and October 21.
- To avoid collisions and for safety reasons, China`s Space Station implemented collision avoidance control.
- 30,000 satellites and other debris are thought to orbit the planet. As a result, scientists have urged governments to share data in order to reduce the likelihood of space collisions.
- SpaceX has deployed approximately 1,900 satellites for its Starlink broadband network and plans to launch more.
Starlink
- Starlink is a satellite network that provides internet access. It is managed by SpaceX. The satellite connects the majority of the world`s population to the Internet.
- The constellation had grown to around 1900 satellites by 2021. It will eventually be made up of a greater number of mass-produced small satellites orbiting in low Earth orbit (LEO).
- As of November 2021, the beta service offering is available in 21 countries.
- SpaceX`s communication satellite network was announced publicly in January 2015, with bandwidth capable of carrying up to 50% of all backhaul communications traffic.
- SpaceX is an aerospace and space transportation company based in California. The company`s headquarters are in Hawthorne, California.
- Elon Musk founded SpaceX in 2002 with the goal of lowering the cost of space travel.
IHU: New Covid-19 Variant
The SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes covid-19 disease, has been identified as a new and more mutated strain by French scientists.
Highlights:
- At a time when the world is still dealing with Omicron, a highly mutated coronavirus, a new virus has been discovered.
- Omicron has already caused an increase in covid-19 cases worldwide. The first case involving the new variant was discovered in December 2021.
- IHU, or the B.1.640.2 coronavirus variant, is a new coronavirus variant. It was discovered by researchers at the IHU Mediterranee Infection Institute.
- Because it has 46 mutations, it is more vaccine-resistant and infectious than Omicron.
Cases
- So far, 12 cases of the new variant have been reported near Marseilles. The cases are linked to travel to the African country of Cameroon.
- The Omicron variant has always been the dominant strain in most countries. The threat of an IHU variant, on the other hand, is rapidly increasing.
- The new variant has yet to be discovered in other countries, and the World Health Organization (WHO) has not designated it as an investigational variant.
- Two of the 14 alternative splicings in the new variant are N501Y and E484K. Aside from that, there are 9 deletions in the spike protein.
- The B.1.640 Pangolin lineage was created as a result of this genotype pattern. 2. It is related to the B.1.640 lineage phylogenetically.
Starlink India:
Starlink, Elon Musk`s satellite internet company, is having difficulties in the Indian market, as Sanjay Bhargava, the CEO of Starlink India, has also announced his departure.
Highlights:
- Starlink quietly launched internet services in India in early 2021. However, due to government intervention, it was forced to discontinue services.
- In November 2021, the Department of Telecommunications of India issued a warning to Indians, advising them to avoid purchasing Elon Musk`s Starlink Internet Services because it had not yet been licenced in the country.
- The telecom department also informed Elon Musk`s company that it needed to "obtain a licence before providing satellite-based internet services."
- The government also demanded that the company return all pre-orders until it was granted an operating licence in India.
- Starlink has already received over 5,000 pre-orders for its products in India. However, it is having difficulty obtaining commercial licences.
- It cannot provide any services in this area unless it obtains a licence. Satellite internet service is technically feasible in nearly every part of the world.
- Practical service, however, can only be provided in countries where SpaceX has been granted a licence. The beta service is currently available in 21 countries.
Newly Identified Tree Species: Uvariopsis Dicaprio:
Uvariopsis dicaprio, a new tree species, has been discovered. This is the first new tree species to be described in 2022. It was discovered in Cameroon`s tropical Ebo forest and is a local native.
Highlights:
- The tree has been added to the list of Strange and Spectacular plant species. The tree is listed as critically endangered.
- The yellow-green blossoms of the tree grow directly on its trunk. Flowers are typically created by modifying shoots or leaves.
- They frequently resemble branchlets.
- The tree was named after Leonardo DiCaprio, who played Jack Dawson in the film Titanic. The actor-turned-environmentalist has taken several steps to protect the Ebo forest.
- The tree was named after the actor to support his anti-forest-cutting crusade.
Uvariopsis Dicaprio
- The tree towers four metres above the ground. It is very similar to the Ylang – Ylang tree. The Ylang – Ylang tree can be found in India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Australia.
- The researchers have only seen fifty U.dicaprio trees in the Ebo woodland. They were all discovered in an unprotected area of the forest.
- The Ebo forest can be found in Cameroon. It is home to chimps from Nigeria and Cameroon, as well as western gorillas, a threatened species.
- The forest is home to endangered drills, endangered elephants, and threatened red colobus monkey species, in addition to endangered drills, endangered elephants, and threatened red colobus monkey species.
- Following multiple protests by environmentalists and Mr. Dicaprio, Cameroon authorities halted the logging concession.
- The government announced in 2020 that 68,385 hectares of forest would be open to logging. Cameroon is located in the Gulf of Guinea.