‘Maglev’ is a portmanteau of ‘magnetic levitation’. Instead of running on wheels, maglev technology uses strong magnetic fields to lift the train and move it forward. Since the train floats above the track, there is no rolling friction during normal operations, nor are operations affected by inclement weather, like rain or snow. The result: the...
Tag: Science
Science Snapshots: July 26, 2026
First ‘exomoon’ found comes with a challenge Using the radial velocity method, astronomers have found a large body orbiting a brown dwarf, CD-35 2722 B, which orbits a star. It is estimated to be 90% as massive as Jupiter and orbiting the brown dwarf every 170 days on an oval path. The find is a...
How did we identify fossil fuels to be remains of fossils, particularly those of dinosaurs?
— Vivek Keshri, Patna A: Scientists identified fossil fuels to be the remains of ancient life using physical and chemical evidence. Early on, some scientists thought oil was a mineral ‘sweated’ out of the earth’s interior. But in the 16th century, naturalists found imprints of leaves and tree trunks inside coal seams, suggesting that coal...
India’s rice fields now rank among world’s top methane hotspots
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from paddy fields worldwide have doubled since the 1960s, a new study in NatureFood has found. In the most recent decade, 2011-2020, paddy fields around the world produced around 1.1 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2-e) emissions every year — a 90.4% increase from the annual emissions between 1961 and 1980,...
That’s one small step for man…
“I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. U.S. President John F. Kennedy on May 25, 1961 Setting foot on the moon marked the fulfilment of a desire that had probably lasted...
What makes Skyroot’s Vikram-1 launch unique? | Explained
The story so far: The Vikram-1 rocket, built by the Hyderabad firm Skyroot, shot through the sky a little past noon on July 18, 2026. The seven-storey rocket lifted off ISRO’s First Launch Pad at Sriharikota and, a little over fifteen minutes later, placed its payloads in an orbit roughly 450 km above the earth....
Let’s go round and round: the history and science behind carousels
How do you feel when you are on a merry-go-round? Is it exhilarating? Do you feel a sense of boundless joy? Or are you one of those who end up feeling giddy? Each one of us experience it differently and our own experiences too might vary from time to time. Starts with horses Have you,...
Vikram-1, country’s first private orbital-class rocket, successfully places tech payloads, postcards into orbit
India achieved a major milestone in its space journey on Saturday (July 18, 2026) as Vikram-1, the country’s first privately developed orbital rocket, successfully placed multiple technology demonstration payloads and postcards — including from Prime Minister Narendra Modi — into a low earth orbit. Dubbed ‘Mission Aagaman’ (meaning arrival), the mission marks India’s entry into...
Vikram-1, country’s first private orbital rocket, successfully places tech payloads, postcards into orbit
India achieved a major milestone in its space journey on Saturday (July 18, 2026) as Vikram-1, the country’s first privately developed orbital rocket, successfully reached orbit and deployed its payloads into an approximately 450-km orbit. The mission marks India’s entry into an elite group of nations with private orbital launch capability, making it only the...
Vikram-1, India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket lifts off from Sriharikota
Private rocket Vikram-1 carrying tech payloads and special postcards lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota on Saturday (July 18, 2026). Earlier, the launch was put on hold temporarily. A new schedule was announced, and the rocket was launched at 12.05 P.M.. Skyroot’s Vikram-1, India’s first private orbital rocket to be launched...
