Parker Solar Probe
- NASA’s Parker Solar Probe is the mankind’s first mission to ‘touch’ the Sun.
- Parker Solar probe will perform the closest-ever observations of the Sun’s outer atmosphere, called the corona.
- Corona is a region of the Sun only seen from Earth when the Moon blocks out the Sun’s bright face during total solar eclipses.
- This probe will take a seven-year long journey to unlock the mysteries of Sun’s fiery outer atmosphere and its effects on space weather.
SSLV
- A small Indian satellite launch vehicle has been developed by ISRO, it costs looks set to revolutionise the global satellite launch industry.
- The Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) will be an on-demand rocket for small satellites weighing about 500-700 kg, it will act as a quick response space vehicle.
- It will be autonomous and highly intelligent, versatile and capable of adapting to different launch situations and requirements.
PEGylated Streptokinase
- CSIR has developed a Novel Biological Entity (NBE), new Clot buster, PEGylated Streptokinase.
- Novel Biological Entity (NBE) is a thrombolytic protein for ischemic stroke.
- PEGylated Streptokinase would reduce the probability of haemorrhage over current treatment regimens of thrombolytic drugs for acute stroke.
- This technology is all set to revolutionize the treatment of ischemic strokes.
Ischemic Stroke
- Deprived of oxygen and other nutrients, the brain suffers damage as a result of the stroke.
- Ischemic stroke is a condition caused by a dysfunction in the supply of blood to the brain.
- Ischemic stroke can be divided into two main types:
- Thrombotic stroke - It occurs when diseased or damaged cerebral arteries become blocked by the formation of a blood clot within the brain.
- Embolic strokes - It is caused by a blood clot or plaque debris that develops elsewhere in the body and then travels to one of the blood vessels in the brain through the bloodstream.
Caspian Sea
- The Caspian Sea is the largest enclosed inland body of water on Earth by area, variously classed as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea.
- It is an endorheic basin (a basin without outflows) located between Europe and Asia.
- It is bounded by Kazakhstan to the northeast, Russia to the northwest, Azerbaijan to the west, Iran to the south, and Turkmenistan to the southeast..
- Recently the five nations which shares borders with Caspian Sea has signed a deal to share the resource-rich Caspian Sea after more than two decades of dispute.
Source: PIB, the Hindu, Live Mint
