Context:
Prime Minister has “directed” the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to set up an indigenous space station (Bharatiya Antariksha Station) by 2035 and land an Indian on the moon by 2040.
About International Space Station (ISS):
- A low-earth orbit space station, launched in 1998
- 5 participating space agencies – NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe) and CSA (Canada).
- It helps in carrying long-term research on human health under microgravity along with physical, material and space science.
- Establishment of ownership and use of the space station by intergovernmental treaties and agreements.
- It orbits in Low Earth Orbit at an average altitude of 227 nautical miles/420 kilometers above Earth.
- ISS orbits the Earth every 90 minutes.
Related News:
- Tiangong, a space station that Chinese Manned Space Agency (CMSA) is building in low Earth orbit.
- China launched Shenzhou-12 spacecraft carrying 3 astronauts to dock with the Tiangong space station.
- Nauka (meaning science in Russian) a space module, is launched by Russia to replace its existing module at ISS to serve as a research facility.
Source: The Hindu
Previous Year Question
What is the purpose of ‘evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA)’ project?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2017 Prelims]
(a) To detect neutrinos
(b) To detect gravitational waves
(c) To detect the effectiveness of missile defence system
(d) To study the effect of solar flares on our communication systems
Answer: (b)
