NASA’s Newest Mars Rover Faces a Tricky Landing
The US space agency’s most ambitious and expensive Mars mission yet, and it begins with the red planet arrival on 29 July 2012 of the smartest interplanetary rover ever built. NASA designed for the Curiosity rover is so risky it’s been described as”seven minutes of terror” — the time it takes to go from 13,000 mph (20,920 kph) to a complete stop.The future direction of Mars exploration is hanging on the outcome of this USD 2.5 billion science project to determine whether the environment was once suitable for microbes to live. Previous missions have found ice and signs that water once flowed. Curiosity will drill into rocks and soil in search of carbon and other elements.
The landing, a major victory for a U.S. space agency beleaguered by budget cuts and the recent loss of its space shuttle program, was greeted with raucous applause and tears of joy by jubilant engineers and scientists at mission control.(Reuters)
Pak,US sign MoU over supplies to Afghan
Pakistan and US sign MoU for transporting supplies to Afghan
Pakistan and the US on 31 July 2012 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on transporting supplies for NATO forces in Afghanistan through Pakistani territory after weeks of intense negotiations. The MoU states arms and ammunition for foreign troops in Afghanistan cannot be transported through Pakistan and that all cargo will be scanned in the port city of Karachi and at the border crossing points of Chaman and Torkham. The MOU will replace existing arrangements for transporting NATO supplies through Pakistani territory, which were reportedly based on a “verbal understanding”.
Changes in Union Cabinet
Congress on 31 July 2012 saw as natural the changes in the Union Cabinet that has witnessed P Chidambaram moving to Finance and Sushilkumar Shinde to Home.This is Prime Minister’s prerogative after Pranab Mukherjee’s election as President. Naturally there was a vacancy in the Finance Ministry. Chidambaram was today made the Finance Minister as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh effected a minor reshuffle in portfolios in the Union Cabinet, Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde is the new Home Minister in place of Chidambaram, Corporate Affairs Minister M Veerappa Moily was given the additional charge of Power Ministry
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