ISRO to prepare environmental database

The Central Pollution Control Board Wednesday asked the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to help in preparing an integrated environmental database using the Geographical Information System (GIS).

'We will ask ISRO to help us in preparing environment impact statement (EIS) using GIS, which will be of great help to policy makers,' said CPCB chairperson S.P. Gautam.

The central pollution monitoring agency released a compendium 'Studies on Pollution Mitigation', comprising of 133 research papers on various facets of pollution related matter.

Former ISRO chief G. Madhavan Nair, who was present at the function, said he will take up the matter with ISRO chief K. Radhakrishnan.

'India has not paid much attention on pollution monitoring. Monitoring environment is necessary as forest cover, level of ground water, status of water bodies, land cover is key input for national planning,' said Nair. The compendium incorporates the research papers of scientists and engineers from various institutions in the country.

Homemade Spacecraft

An ingenious father-and-son duo in New York launched a HD video camera tied to a weather balloon 30 kms above the earth into the stratosphere and share footage that their camera captured in its incredible 100-minute journey. To get back the camera intact, they also attached an iPhone as a GPS device to send its coordinates upon landing to a cell phone tower. The video reveals that the camera, tied to a parachute that auto-inflated when the balloon burst due to atmospheric pressure, landed safely just 30 miles away from where it was launched.

Video from a camera attached to a weather balloon that rose into the upper stratosphere and recorded the blackness of space.

Homemade Spacecraft from Luke Geissbuhler on Vimeo.
 

Mysteries of the Cosmos- TheWorld Space Week at Gujarat Science City

In celebration of 'Space Week', the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has put up an exhibition of innovative gadgets, armed with latest features. The theme for this year's exhibition is 'Mysteries of the cosmos'. "We have put some innovative devices on display, besides ground photographs of Antarctica and ice formations.

The interesting products on display include an Automatic Weather monitoring Station (AWS), with new features. Speaking about these new features, scientist-engineer AM Saifee said, "The earlier weather monitoring devices required human interaction and conventional power.

Looking to the stars has always inspired children to wonder and learn. Today around the world, it is a valuable tool in education. Teachers and educators successful use the excitement of to motivate students. This educational tool has been applied not just in science and mathematics but in history, language arts, and virtually every subject.

The Gujarat Science City is celebrating “World Space Week” during 4th to 10th October 2010 by organizing a series of activities for students and the visitors on the theme ‘Mysteries of the Cosmos’. On 4th October 1957, the first artificial satellite, Sputnik I, was launched by the Soviet Union, and on 10th October 1967 a landmark international treaty governing space exploration and the peaceful use of resources in space was signed. The United Nations celebrates the World Space Week to commemorate two important events in the history of Space Exploration.