• NASA has successfully launched the A “next generation” US advanced weather satellites GOES-R from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, US on November 20, 2016.
• The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Geostationary Next Generation Weather Satellite GOES-R launched by NASAOperational Environmental Satellite-R (GOES-R) will reach its final designated orbit in the next two weeks, where it will be renamed GOES-16.
• GOES-R will provide more accurate and timely forecasts, watches and warnings about hurricanes and storms.
• Improved space weather sensors on GOES-R will monitor the sun and transmit important information to forecasters so they can take necessary space weather alerts and warnings.
• Data received from GOES-R will result in 34 new or improved meteorological, solar and space weather products.

1. Founded      :        July 29, 1958
2. Headquaters :        Washington, D.C.
3. Administrator:       Frederick D. Gregory

• A successful test firing of two nuclear capable Prithvi-IImedium-range ballistic missiles, was conducted by the Indian Armed Forces on November 21, 2016, back-to-back in quick succession, as part of training exercise, from a defence testcenter Chandipur in Odisha.
• The two surface-to-surface missiles were mounted on two Mobile Tatra Transporter-erector Launchers (MTL) and launched from the launching complex-III (LC-III) of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur.
• The first missile was fired at about 9.37 AM and the second one at 9.38 AM.Both the medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) have a strike range of around 350 km and a tendency to carry about 500 kg to 1,000 kg of weapons.
• The missiles have been randomly chosen from the production stock and the launch activities were carried out by the specially formed strategic force command (SFC) and monitored by the scientists of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) as part of training exercise.

• Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar commissioned ‘INS Chennai’, the third indigenously built guided missile destroyer in Kolkata class on November 21, 2016.
• ‘INS Chennai’ was built at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd in Mumbai; the ship’s construction brings an end to the crucial Project 15A of Indian Navy.
• INS CHenna. ‘INS Chennai’ is one of the largest destroyers in the Indian Navy’s fleet and also the final destroyer ship in this class.
• The overall length of the ship is 164 meters and displacement of over 7,500 tons,
• The ship is armed with supersonic surface-to-surface BrahMos missiles and Barak-8 long range surface-to-air missiles.
• ‘INS Kolkata’, was first ship in this class that was commissioned on August 16, 2014 while the second was ‘INS Kochi’ which was commissioned on September 30, 2015.
• INS Chennai will be under the operational and administrative control of Flag Officer
• Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command.
• Before being assigned to the Western Fleet the INS Chennai will undergo certain additional sea trials of the systems deployed on it. 

• Scientists from the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC) and the University of La Laguna (ULL) have discovered a new ‘super Earth’ planet GJ 536 b with a mass around 5.4 times that of the Earth.
• It is a very bright star near to our Sun. Its short orbital period of 8.7 days 
• A cycle of magnetic activity similar to that of the Sun has been observed, but with a shorter period of three years.

• Researchers from University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston,Texas in collaboration with Southwest University in Chongqing, China, and the University of Leuven in Belgium created a tool for studying the Zika virus.
• The tool named “Zika Replicon System” creates a versions of the Zika virus that are stripped of genes (Simpler form of Zika virus) that make them less infectious from the original virus, so that researchers can work safely. Replicons are those part of genes that can replicate on their own. The new Zika replicon system has deleted some of the genes that give the virus its structure. Hence making it less dangerous.
• The Replicon System has been described by the team in the journal named EBioMedicine and it will be useful for vaccine development of Zika virus.
• Zika virus (ZIKV) is a member of the virus family Flaviviridae and the Flavivirus genus. The virus gets its name from Zika Forest of Uganda where the virus was first isolated in 1947.

• The Strategic Forces of Command (SFC) of the armed force successfully test-fired Agni-I missile. The missile was test fired at at 10.08 a.m. on 22 November 2016 from launch pad-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Abdul Kalam Island (Wheeler Island) Odisha coast. The missile took 10 minutes to reach its targeted destination in Bay of Bengal.
• Agni-I is a surface-to-surface medium-range ballistic missile [MRBM] . The strike range of Agni-I is 700-750 km. The 12 tonne and 15 meter long missile is capable of carrying payload of about 1000 kg.
• Its weapon system is powered by both solid and liquid propellant, and can travel at a speed of 2.5 km per second. Agni-I was first test-fired in 1991 while the last test was conducted on 14 March 2016.
• Agni-I has been developed by Advanced Systems Laboratory [ASL], a missile development lab of the DRDO in collaboration with the Defence Research Development Laboratory [DRDL], Research Centre Imarat [RCI] and integrated by Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad. 

• China has successfully launched its 4th data satellite, Tianlian I-04, on November 22, 2016.
• Aim: To provide a global network that will provide data relay, measurement and control services for Chinas manned spacecraft, space labs and space stations as well as nation’s Earth-orbiting resources satellites.
• The satellite was launched at 11:24 pm Beijing time, on a Long March-3C carrier rocket from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre in southwest Sichuan province.
• The satellite is developed by the China Academy of Space Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
• Tianlian I-04 data satellite’s launch was the 241st mission of China’s Long March series of rockets.
• The first data relay satellite launched by China was, the Tianlian I-01, in April 2008.The second satellite Tianlian I-02 was launched in July 2011, and the third Tianlian I-03 was launched in July 2012.
• According to the Xichang Satellite Launch centre, 10 or more satellites will be launched by next year.

1. President: Xi Jinping
2. Currency: Renminbi
3. Capital: Beijing

• Indian Navy launched the seventh ship of the LCU MK IV project, LCU-L57 on 24 November 2016 at a ceremony at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE), Kolkata.
• Chairman & Managing Director of GRSE Ltd, Rear Admiral AK Verma (Retd), commenced the welcome of the ceremony, which was followed by inaugural of the ship by the Chief Guest Dr. Subhash Ramarao Bhamre , Hon’ble Raksha Rajya Mantri.Seventh Landing Craft Utility Ship Launched at GRSE
• This is the largest ship of this kind built anywhere in the world. The ship is cost effective, fuel efficient and best suited for protection of island territories of Andaman and Nicobar in the Bay of Bengal as well as Lakshadweep islands in the Arabian Sea.
• The ship will be extremely useful for joint operations carried out by the Indian Navy and Indian Army for ensuring maritime security and protection of remote islands
• It also has a capability to transport two tanks or four special vehicles and 160 Army troops for landing in remote areas.
• LCU-L57 is the seventh vessel in the series of eight Landing Craft Utility Ships being designed and built by M/s GRSE for the Indian Navy.
• The ship can be deployed for multirole activities like beaching operations, humanitarian and disaster relief operations and evacuation from distant islands.

• NASA Scientists are developing a variety of food bars for the astronauts in  the Orion spacecraft so that they can eat breakfast during their travel beyond the Moon to explore deep space destinations.
• When astronauts explore deep space destinations, they require a robust diet to keep them healthy and sharp.
• Orion has limited room inside it to accommodate the supplies and food that the astronauts require during their missions and cannot rely on resupply to deliver what astronauts need, so the Orion crew needs to take everything they need with them.
• The aim of food bars is to save some space in the spacecraft by reducing the packaging and storing of food and developing a single calorically dense breakfast substitution for Orion astronauts.
• A number of food bars in the spacecraft will help astronauts to select a variety of flavors like orange, cranberry or barbeque nut for their breakfast. For lunch and dinner also Orion astronauts will be able to select from similar items and have a food warmer to help them prepare their meals.
• The food bars being developed by NASA’s Human Research Programme have been tested by crew members inside HERA, the agency’s three-story habitat designed to give similar condition as in exploration scenarios.

1. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for the civilian space program as well as aeronautics and aerospace research
2. Headquarter: Washington, D.C.
3. Founded: July 29, 1958
4. Administrator: Charles Bolden 

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