NASA retires Mars InSight lander mission after 4 years (GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
Why in news?
- Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) retired its Mars InSight lander, 4 years after it arrived on the surface of the red planet.
Details:
- The mission controllers at the agency’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California were unable to contact the lander after two consecutive attempts, leading them to conclude the spacecraft’s solar-powered batteries have run out of energy.
- NASA had previously decided to declare the mission over if the lander missed two communication attempts.
About InSight:
- InSight, short for Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport, is the first outer space robotic explorer and will study the crust, mantle, and core of the fourth planet in our solar system.
- The lander was launched on May 5, 2018, from the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California and took a six-month cruise from Earth to Mars ever since, is NASA’s first spacecraft to land on Mars since Curiosity.
- It touched down on the red planet on November 27, 2018.
Findings:
- Its highly sensitive seismometer, along with daily monitoring performed by the French space agency Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) and the Marsquake Service managed by ETH Zurich, detected 1,319 marsquakes, including quakes caused by meteoroid impacts, the largest of which unearthed boulder-size chunks of ice late last year.
- Such impacts helped scientists to determine the age of the planet’s surface, and data from the seismometer provided scientists a way to study the planet’s crust, mantle and core.
PMO now has 7 IFS officers
(GS Paper 2, Governance)
Why in news?
- Following a series of appointments, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) now includes a total of seven IFS officers, compared to the usual three or four.
- This comes at a time when Prime Minister’s thrust on foreign policy has made the role of diplomats crucial in the system.
Details:
- Recently, the PMO inducted three new IFS officers and extended the tenure of another currently serving in the rank of joint secretary.
- However, the number of IFS officers in the PMO may come down to five as two of the officers, who are on deputation, may go back to the Ministry of External Affairs.
PM’s focus on foreign policy:
- PM’s address at the UNGA and his speech at Madison Square Garden in New York in September 2014 were an indication of his thrust on foreign policy.
- Continuing with this focus, he inducted former foreign secretary S. Jaishankar, who retired from the service in 2018, into his Cabinet as the minister of external affairs in 2019.
- In the past eight years, India has hosted then US president Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The country hosted the BRICS summit in 2021, and has now assumed the G20 presidency this year.
- India holds the presidency of the G20 from 1 December this year to 30 November, 2023. Forty-three heads of delegations, the largest-ever in the G20, will be participating in the New Delhi summit in September next year.
- India will also be hosting the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in 2023.
BF 7 New Covid sub-variant emerging in China
(GS Paper 3, Science and Technology)
Why in news?
- India has so far reported four cases of Omicron subvariant BF.7, the strain driving China's current surge in Covid-19 cases. The four cases have been reported since July 2022. While three have been detected in Gujarat, one case has been traced to Odisha.
- Meanwhile, in view of a sudden spurt in Covid cases in China and some other countries, Union Health Minister chaired a meeting and reviewed the situation in the country.
What is BF.7, the Sub Variant of Omicron?
- The BF.7 is an abbreviated form for BA.5.2.1.7. It is a sub-lineage of the BA.5 Omicron variant.
- The BF.7 variant is reportedly more infectious than the other variants of coronavirus known so far.
- The variant is capable of infecting even those fully vaccinated against the virus.
- The variant is believed to have a reproduction value, which means persons infected with the BF.7 variant are very likely to transmit the virus to others.
- BF.7 accounted for more than 5 per cent of Covid-19 cases in the US and 7.26 per cent in the UK in October.
What are the symptoms of BF.7 Variant?
- Persons infected with the BF.7 variant of Omicron may experience symptoms similar to other sub-variants. Common symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, vomiting, fatigue and diarrhea.
- However, the variant is likely to cause severe illness among those with pre-existing medical conditions and weaker immune systems.
Recommendations by Health Ministry:
- It has asked people to follow Covid-appropriate behaviour, including wearing masks in crowded places, and getting vaccinated.
- It also directed all concerned departments to be alert and strengthen surveillance.
- Noting that only 27-28 per cent of India's eligible population have taken the precautionary dose of Covid-19, it urged people to take the jab.
