Perseverance rover makes history creates first sample depot on Mars (GS Paper 3, Science and Tech)
Why in news?
“Three Forks” region:
- The samples have been dropped in the carefully arranged depot in the “Three Forks” region of Jezero Crater, which is believed to be the site of an ancient lake.
- The depot samples will serve as a backup set while the other half remain inside Perseverance, which would be the primary means to convey samples to a Sample Retrieval Lander as part of the campaign.
Samples:
- Astrobiologists believe that the igneous and sedimentary rock cores provide an excellent cross-section of the geologic processes that took place in Jezero shortly after the crater’s formation almost 4 billion years ago.
- Apart from these rock samples, the rover has also dropped an atmospheric sample to determine if the samples being collected might be contaminated with materials that traveled with the rover from Earth.
What's next for Perseverance rover on Mars?
- The rover has completed the Delta Front Campaign and is set to begin the Delta Top Campaign.
- One of the first stops the rover will make during the new science campaign is at a location called the “Curvilinear Unit.”
- The unit is made up of sediments that were deposited in a bend in one of Jezero’s inflowing river channels millions of years ago.
Launch of ‘Innovation Bridge’ to connect US, Indian defence startups
(GS Paper 2, International Relation)
Why in news?
- Recently, the United States and India concluded their US-India initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET) meeting and decided to launch a new ‘Innovation Bridge’, which will connect both countries' defence startups, according to the statement released by the White House.
- The iCET meeting was inaugurated by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan.
About iCET:
- iCET was announced in May 2022 by US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to elevate and expand our strategic technology partnership and defence industrial cooperation between the governments, businesses, and academic institutions of our two countries, as per the statement.
Key Highlights:
- Both sides discussed opportunities for greater cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, co-development and coproduction, and ways to deepen connectivity across our innovation ecosystems.
- They noted the value of establishing “innovation bridges” in key sectors, including through expos, hackathons, and pitch sessions.
- They identified the fields of biotechnology, advanced materials, and rare earth processing technology as areas for future cooperation.
New collaborations:
- They signed a new Implementation Arrangement for a Research Agency Partnership between the National Science Foundation and Indian science agencies to expand international collaboration in a range of areas including artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, and advanced wireless, to build a robust innovation ecosystem between our countries.
Way Forward:
- The next iCET meeting will take place in New Delhi in late 2023.
- The National Security Councils of both countries will coordinate with their respective ministries, departments and agencies to work with their counterparts to advance cooperation and to engage with stakeholders to deliver on ambitious objectives ahead of the next meeting.
