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ISRO's next PSLV launch likely in November, to carry Kleos Space’s satellites
Kleos Space, a Luxembourg-based company that provides radio frequency reconnaissance data-as-a-service (DaaS), on Monday said that the four-satellite Kleos Scouting Mission will be launched onboard a PSLV in the first half of November 2020. In a release, the company said the satellites would be launched in Isro’s PSLV-C49 mission from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota. The company is launching the scouting satellites under a rideshare contract with US-based Spaceflight Inc, with the launch managed by NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the commercial arm of Isro. The release further said the four Kleos Scouting Mission satellites have been mission-ready since the middle of 2019. They were shipped to the launch site during February 2020, anticipating the launch during March 2020. But due to the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic situation, there has been a delay in the launch. NSIL via Spaceflight Inc has informed the company that the launch of the four Kleos satellites planned on-board PSLV-C49 mission is being targeted during the first half of November 2020, based on the current status of planning of activities, it said. This schedule is subject to change due to operational circumstances beyond NSIL control. NSIL via Spaceflight Inc will confirm the exact launch date once the activities at the launch base progresses successfully.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/isros-next-pslv-launch-likely-in-november-to-carry-kleos-spaces-satellites/articleshow/78109358.cms

Cusat inks deal with ISRO lab
The department of physics at Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) has inked a deal for research collaboration with the Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS), a key laboratory of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) in Bengaluru. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) — a scientific instrument for planetary surface chemistry — has been developed in recent times at LEOS with the main objective of obtaining precise qualitative and quantitative analytical information from multi-element samples. The LIBS instrument was one of the payloads in India’s moon mission ‘Chandrayaan-2’ and the same instrument will be deployed in the upcoming ‘Chandrayaan-3’ mission too. The applied optic division in the department of physics, Cusat, has been actively engaged in similar research activities at the university. In this collaboration, LEOS will provide the qualitatively analyzed spectra and data sets to Cusat team for abundance estimation of elements using newly evolved approaches. A ‘Letter of Intent’ comprising the responsibilities of both institutions in this regard has been signed on Friday by Cusat registrar Meera V, LEOS-Isro director K V Sriram, physics HoD Titus K Mathew and division head, ILSD, LEOS-Isro Umesh S B. Team lead-LIBS instrument, LEOS-Isro Sridhar R V L N and department of physics assistant professor Anoop K K are also signatories in the Letter of Intent.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kochi/cusat-inks-deal-with-isro-lab/articleshow/78113979.cms

China border tension: Former ISRO Chief pitches for ramping up India's space assets
Amid tension on the border with China, veteran space scientist G Madhavan Nair on Friday said India should ramp up its space assets and enhance coverage of the region to keep pace with the changing times. In an interview to PTI, he said in almost all areas of security-related activities, the space -- earth observation, communication and electronic intelligence, among other things -- plays a very major role.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/defence/china-border-tension-former-isro-chief-pitches-for-ramping-up-indias-space-assets/articleshow/78054774.cms

MOSAiC Arctic expedition reaches North Pole
In September 2019, the German research icebreaker Polarstern set sail from Tromsø, Norway, to spend a year drifting through the Arctic Ocean – trapped in ice. After leaving the ice floe it had been sitting in for the previous ten months, the icebreaker travelled through the Fram Strait and along the northeast coast of Greenland – a region that is usually home to thick, multi-year ice. Using radar satellite imagery and sea-ice data, researchers onboard the vessel determined that the ice conditions this year were ‘lighter than usual’ and were able to complete their journey to the North Pole in just six days.
https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/MOSAiC_Arctic_expedition_reaches_North_Pole

ESA’s polar station marks three decades satellite tracking
In 1986, ESA and Sweden agreed to establish satellite tracking facilities near the top of the world, in the region of Salmijärvi. Here, on a 20-hectare site some 38 kilometres east of Kiruna town and just 10km from the ESRANGE launch site, the Station was sited. In September 1990, His Majesty The King of Sweden accompanied by ESA’s then Director General Reimar Lüst pressed the button that triggered the antennas first track, inaugurating the station and marking the start of its operational life.
https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Operations/ESA_Ground_Stations/ESA_s_polar_station_marks_three_decades_satellite_tracking

How can space promote green growth?
Europe’s politicians have set out bold plans to kick-start the economy following the coronavirus-induced recession with the biggest green stimulus package in history. Commissioners have proposed a substantial recovery package that puts fighting climate change at the heart of the EU’s recovery from the pandemic. Simultaneously European and national public authorities are increasing standards for energy efficiency and raising the market share to come from renewable sources. The landscape of the market is being changed through the setting of climate targets, the establishment of low-emission zones, increased emission monitoring and the setting of prices for carbon emissions.
https://www.esa.int/About_Us/Corporate_news/How_can_space_promote_green_growth

Western U.S. Smoke From Fires Stretching Across the Country
NOAA/NASA's Suomi NPP satellite captured two recent images of the United States and both images show that the winds have changed yet again, blowing the smoke from western fires back to the East and crossing the continental U.S. Along with the smoke, small particles suspended in the air (aerosols) are also moved along the jet stream and bring hazardous air quality across the country. The image on the left shows the entire United States and the shroud of smoke that hangs over the majority of it. The image to the right shows the aerosols that accompany that smoke. Aerosols are a mixture of small particles and chemicals produced by the incomplete burning of carbon-containing materials such as trees, grasses, peat, brush, etc. All smoke contains carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and particulate matter (PM or soot). The smaller the particles, the easier they are to be inhaled and absorbed into the lungs. From the EPA website: "The biggest health threat from smoke is from fine particles. These microscopic particles can penetrate deep into your lungs. They can cause a range of health problems, from burning eyes and a runny nose to aggravated chronic heart and lung diseases. Exposure to particle pollution is even linked to premature death."
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/western-us-smoke-from-fires-stretching-across-the-country

Planets Take Virtual Shape on Earth with NASA Knowledge and Imagery
In a time of quarantines and online learning, guided strolls along the surface of Mars are especially appealing. These tours are possible with Access Mars, a free virtual reality experience of the Red Planet, with interactive landmarks and narration by a NASA scientist, using the Planetary Data System (PDS). PDS is a long-term archive of digital data products returned from NASA's planetary missions, actively managed by its scientists for the worldwide planetary science community. While all archived products are free and available on-line, PDS also provides a variety of tools useful in producing, obtaining and using archived data.
https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/spinoff/Planets_Take_Virtual_Shape_on_Earth_with_NASA_Knowledge_and_Imagery/

Winds of Change Move Western Smoke Into the Pacific
NOAA/NASA's Suomi NPP satellite captured these series of images (made into an animated GIF) showing the winds changing direction on Sep. 06, 2020 when choking clouds of brown smoke began to billow and cascade into the Pacific Ocean. (Dates displayed in lower left hand corner.) By Sep. 10, the smoke cloud had traveled over 1,300 miles. The square miles of smoke in the image below totals 963,269. That estimate has been computed using the measurement tool within the NASA Worldview application.
https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2020/winds-of-change-move-western-smoke-into-the-pacific

Strange chemical in clouds of Venus defies explanation. Could it be a sign of life?
Discovering life beyond Earth may well start with a sniff, a whiff of some chemical that scientists struggle to explain without invoking a strange, shadowy microbe. That first step has happened on Mars and on a few distant moons, and now, scientists suggest, on Venus. A team of astronomers announced today (Sept. 14) that it has spotted the chemical fingerprint of phosphine, which scientists have suggested may be tied to life, in the clouds of the second rock from the sun. The finding is no guarantee that life exists on Venus, but researchers say it's a tantalizing find that emphasizes the need for more missions to the hot, gassy planet next door.
https://www.space.com/venus-clouds-possible-life-chemical-discovery.html

SpaceX gearing up for 12-mile-high test flight with Starship SN8 prototype
The next big leap for SpaceX's Mars-colonizing Starship spacecraft appears to be right around the corner. Two full-size Starship prototypes, known as SN5 and SN6, recently performed 500-foot-high (150 meters) test hops at SpaceX's South Texas facilities, near the village of Boca Chica. And the next vehicle in line is nearly ready to soar much higher, company founder and CEO Elon Musk said. "SN8 Starship with flaps & nosecone should be done in about a week. Then static fire, checkouts, static fire, fly to 60,000 ft [18,300 m] & back," Musk said via Twitter on Saturday (Sept. 12).
https://www.space.com/spacex-starship-sn8-prototype-test-flight-soon.html

How to see Uranus in the night sky (without a telescope) this week
how many planets are visible without a telescope? Not including our own planet, most people will answer "five" (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn). Those are the five brightest planets, but in reality, there is a sixth planet that can be glimpsed without the aid of either a telescope or binoculars. That sixth planet is the planet Uranus. This week will be a fine time to try and seek it out, especially since it is now favorably placed for viewing in our late-evening sky and the bright moon is out of the way.
https://www.space.com/uranus-neptune-skywatching-september-2020.html

Japan is Going to Send an 8K Camera to Mars
The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has teamed up with national broadcaster NHK on a new project that is literally out of this world. As part of its Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission, the agency is planning to equip a space probe with an 8K camera, giving humanity a more detailed view of the Red Planet and its moons than we’ve ever seen before. The goal of the MMX mission is to clarify the origin of the martian moons (Phobos and Deimos) and the evolutionary process of the Martian system. It will do this by orbiting the red planet and observing both moons, before ultimately landing on Phobos and collecting sand, which will be sent back to Earth.
https://petapixel.com/2020/09/14/japan-is-going-to-send-an-8k-camera-to-capture-mars-and-its-moons/

Elon Musk Wants To Send People To Mars In 2024
Our planet consists of a finite number of resources that will eventually run out. This is why many are starting to turn towards creating alternative, more sustainable technology, like relying on solar or kinetic energy, and so on. However, it is possible that maybe one day, we would need to seek out living arrangements on a completely different planet. So far, Mars seems to be the favorite choice, and it seems that that future could be close at hand, at least if Elon Musk has his way. According to Musk who was speaking at the ExploreMars.org Twitch stream last month, he revealed his plans to send people onto Mars in 2024, ahead of his plans of building a self-sustaining city by 2050.
https://www.ubergizmo.com/2020/09/elon-musk-send-people-to-mars-2024/

Something Strange Happens on Mars During a Solar Eclipse
The moons of Mars are not quite like our Earth's Moon. Phobos, the larger of the two, is much closer to its planet; compared to the Moon's 27-day orbit, Phobos swings around Mars in line with the planet's equator thrice every Martian day (sol). Solar eclipses, therefore, are much more frequent than those here on Earth. Phobos passes in front of - but never entirely covers - the Sun for an annular or partial eclipse somewhere on Mars most sols. Because Phobos is moving so fast, it never transits for more than 30 seconds.
https://www.sciencealert.com/something-strange-happens-on-mars-during-a-solar-eclipse

China’s Remote-Sensing Optical Satellite Fails To Reach Orbit: State Media
China's optical remote-sensing satellite Jilin-1 Gaofen 02C failed to enter the pre-set orbit on Saturday, official media reported in Beijing. The satellite was launched aboard the Kuaizhou-1A carrier rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 1:02 pm (local time). The launch centre said the mission failed because of abnormal performance, state-run Global Times reported. Specific reasons for the failure are under investigation, it said.
https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/chinas-remote-sensing-optical-satellite-fails-to-reach-orbit-state-media-2294508

Remote Sensing of Algal Blooms Can Improve Health and Save Money
Explosions of cyanobacteria in both freshwater and brackish environments can lead to dangerous conditions for humans because of the accumulation of toxins produced by the microbes. Such blooms, known as cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs), may increase in frequency, extent, and magnitude as water temperatures around the world rise and as waterways receive more nutrient-rich runoff. Because of the health risks and negative economic effects associated with cyanoHABs, researchers and decision-makers are looking for new ways to detect them. In a new study, Stroming et al. describe a framework for quantifying socioeconomic benefits of monitoring cyanoHABs with satellites. By looking at a series of case studies, the researchers consider how decision-makers change approaches when satellite data are available and whether the data lead to decisions that reduce harm and save money.
https://eos.org/research-spotlights/remote-sensing-of-algal-blooms-can-improve-health-and-save-money

Earth may temporarily pass dangerous 1.5 C warming limit by 2024, major new report says
The Paris climate agreement seeks to limit global warming to 1.5℃ this century. A new report by the World Meteorological Organization warns this limit may be exceeded by 2024—and the risk is growing.This first overshoot beyond 1.5℃ would be temporary, likely aided by a major climate anomaly such as an El Niño weather pattern. However, it casts new doubt on whether Earth's climate can be permanently stabilized at 1.5 C warming.
https://phys.org/news/2020-09-earth-temporarily-dangerous-limit-major.html

Global warming threatens soil phosphorus, says a soil scientist
A soil scientist from RUDN University found out that the resources of organic phosphorus in the soils of the Tibetan Plateau could be depleted because of global warming. To do so, he compared phosphorus content in the soils from the Tibetan Plateau that has a cold climate and from the warmer Loess Plateau. The results of the study were published in the Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment journal.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-09/ru-gwt091120.php

Global Warming Could Cause Viruses to Evolve, Making Them Harder to Kill
Enteroviruses and other pathogenic viruses that make their way into surface waters can be inactivated by heat, sunshine and other microbes, thereby reducing their ability to spread disease. But researchers report in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology that global warming could cause viruses to evolve, rendering them less susceptible to these and other disinfectants, such as chlorine.
https://scitechdaily.com/global-warming-could-cause-viruses-to-evolve-making-them-harder-to-kill/

Changing what we eat could offset years of climate-warming emissions, new analysis finds
Plant protein foods—like lentils, beans, and nuts—can provide vital nutrients using a small fraction of the land required to produce meat and dairy. By shifting to these foods, much of the remaining land could support ecosystems that absorb CO2, according to a new study appearing in the journal Nature Sustainability.
https://phys.org/news/2020-09-offset-years-climate-warming-emissions-analysis.html

The Arctic is burning like never before — and that’s bad news for climate change
Fires are releasing record levels of carbon dioxide, partly because they are burning ancient peatlands that have been a carbon sink. Wildfires blazed along the Arctic Circle this summer, incinerating tundra, blanketing Siberian cities in smoke and capping the second extraordinary fire season in a row. By the time the fire season waned at the end of last month, the blazes had emitted a record 244 megatonnes of carbon dioxide — that’s 35% more than last year, which also set records. One culprit, scientists say, could be peatlands that are burning as the top of the world melts.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02568-y

Why clouds are the missing piece in the climate change puzzle
How much our world will warm this century depends on the actions we take in coming decades. In order to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C and avoid dangerous levels of warming, governments need to know how much carbon they can emit, and over what timeframe.But current climate models don’t agree on where that threshold lies. In new research, we discovered one of the reasons why there is such a large range of estimates for how much carbon can be safely emitted: the uncertain behaviour of clouds. In some climate models, clouds strongly amplify warming.
https://theconversation.com/why-clouds-are-the-missing-piece-in-the-climate-change-puzzle-140812

EESL's EVs reduce air pollution, mitigate 5,604 tonne of CO2 emissions
New Delhi: Energy Efficiency Service Ltd (EESL) on Wednesday said the electric vehicles deployed by the company have helped reduce air pollution and mitigate 5,604 tonne of CO2 emissions. EESL is combating air pollution in the nation by driving India's e-mobility transition.In line with the #iCommit initiative launched by Power and New & Renewable Energy Minister R K Singh, EESL is celebrating the World EV Day by continuing its commitment to transform India's mobility landscape, it said in a statement.
https://auto.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/eesls-evs-reduce-air-pollution-mitigate-5604-tonne-of-co2-emissions/78030807

Household air pollution: Empowering women could boost LPG adoption
Household air pollution caused mainly by the burning of solid fuels, including biomass—firewood, charcoal, coal, dung, and agricultural waste—and ambient air pollution are among the leading risk factors contributing to disease burden in India. Consequently, promoting a shift towards cleaner cooking fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has been a key focus of numerous initiatives.
https://india.mongabay.com/2020/09/household-air-pollution-empowering-women-could-boost-lpg-adoption/

This moth may outsmart smog by learning to like pollution-altered aromas
Pollution can play havoc with pollinators’ favorite flower smells. But one kind of moth can learn how to take to an unfamiliar new scent like, well, a moth to a flame.Floral aromas help pollinators locate their favorite plants. Scientists have established that air pollutants scramble those fragrances, throwing off the tracking abilities of such beneficial insects as honeybees (SN: 4/24/08). But new lab experiments demonstrate that one pollinator, the tobacco hawkmoth (Manducasexta), can quickly learn that a pollution-altered scent comes from the jasmine tobacco flower (Nicotianaalata) that the insect likes
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/moth-learn-pollution-smog-altered-aromas-flower-smells

Climate change is making our food less safe: FAO
The impact of climate change on food security and production are well documented. Global heating’s link to food safety is an area that has received less attention. With this in mind, the UN's FAO set out to discover whether there is a connection between climate change and food safety. In its recently published document, Climate change: Unpacking the burden on food safety, the organisation found climate change may increase consumer exposure to some contaminants through food.
https://www.foodnavigator.com/Article/2020/09/11/Climate-change-is-making-our-food-less-safe-FAO

Odisha's Agriculture Push To Boost Entrepreneurship Among Youth
As agriculture plays a vital role in the economy and livelihood of the majority of people,the Odisha government is according priority to the farm and allied sector to provide opportunities to young entrepreneurs,a senior official said.Adequate measures should be taken to encourage young entrepreneurs to make use of the opportunities of the schemes of the Centre and the state government for agricultural growth of the state, and investment in the sector, said Agriculture Secretary SaurabhGarg.
https://www.ndtv.com/jobs/odishas-agriculture-push-to-boost-entrepreneurship-among-youth-2294664

Government to align agriculture with changing climate and rainfall patterns
New Delhi: The government plans to review crop planting across the country to align agricultural planning with changes in climate and rainfall patterns.The focus of this exercise is to move towards precision agriculture with optimum water and nutrient use through drip, fertigation, conservation agriculture, mechanization.“Climate changes are happening across the globe. We need to realign our crop planning as per the changes in climate and monsoon pattern. This will increase our productivity and help select right crop to plant,” said agriculture commisioner S K Malhotra.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/agriculture/government-to-align-agriculture-with-changing-climate-and-rainfall-patterns/articleshow/77977409.cms

El Niño Weather Events Are Looking Increasingly Dangerous as The Climate Changes
If El Niños were dangerous before, they are looking to become especially destructive in the near future. Already severe and unpredictable, recent research indicates these natural weather events are now swinging to even greater extremes. Since humans started burning fossil fuels on an industrial scale, coral records from the past 7,000 years indicate that heat waves, wildfires, droughts, flooding and violent storms associated with El Niño have grown markedly worse. It's still unclear whether this is due to climate change directly, but from the limited history we have, the pattern of both looks suspicious. "What we're seeing in the last 50 years is outside any natural variability," says earth and atmospheric scientist Kim Cobb from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
https://www.sciencealert.com/el-nino-and-la-nina-weather-events-look-increasingly-dangerous-with-climate-changes

Growth in agriculture is not remunerative to Indian farmers
In recent times, agriculture made headlines for all the wrong reasons: Farmers quitting cultivation; the sector turning into a perennial loss-making enterprise; and the country’s official policy to downsize the dependence on agriculture to reduce overall economic hardship among the poorest of the population.Agriculture’s fast-declining economic importance reached such an extent that economists suggested India had already turned into a non-agrarian economy and the more people quit farming, the better the fortune of remaining farmers would be.
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/blog/agriculture/growth-in-agriculture-is-not-remunerative-to-indian-farmers-73252