UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative for the practice of Mains answer writing. It covers essential topics of static and dynamic parts of the UPSC Civil Services syllabus covered under various GS papers. This answer-writing practice is designed to help you as a value addition to your UPSC CSE Mains. Attempt today’s answer writing on questions related to topics of GS-3 to check your progress.

What is the Square Kilometer Array project? What benefits will joining it bring to the scientific community in India?

What are high-altitude pseudo-satellite vehicles (HAPS)? Discuss the challenges of HAPS.

Introduction

— The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction.

— It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts.

Body

— It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content.

— The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points.

— Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse.

— Underlining keywords gives you an edge over other candidates and enhances presentation of the answer.

— Using flowcharts/tree-diagram in the answers saves much time and boosts your score. However, it should be used logically and only where it is required.

Way forward/ conclusion

— The ending of the answer should be on a positive note and it should have a forward-looking approach. However, if you feel that an important problem must be highlighted, you may add it in your conclusion. Try not to repeat any point from body or introduction.

— You may use the findings of reports or surveys conducted at national and international levels, quotes etc. in your answers.

Self Evaluation

— It is the most important part of our Mains answer writing practice. UPSC Essentials will provide some guiding points or ideas as a thought process that will help you to evaluate your answers.

QUESTION 1: What is the Square Kilometer Array project? What benefits will joining it bring to the scientific community in India?

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

— The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) project is an international effort to build the world’s largest radio telescope, with eventually over a square kilometre (one million square metres) of collecting area.

— The Square Kilometer Array will not be a single large telescope, but a collection of thousands of dish antennas operating as a single unit.

— The antennas, about 200 of them in South Africa and more than 130,000 in Australia, are being installed in sparsely populated locations, chosen to ensure they are as far away from human activities as possible.

— Once operational, SKA would be between 5 to 60 times more powerful than the most advanced existing radio telescopes functioning in comparable frequency ranges.

Benefits for India

— India had decided to formally join the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) project, an international scientific collaboration working to build the world’s largest radio telescope.

— Though none of the SKA facilities would be located in India, there are immense science and technology gains for the country by participating in the project as a full member.

— India had already been contributing to the project for the past several years, but the full member status, which offers greater scientific opportunities to use the upcoming facility, requires countries to sign and ratify an international treaty, and also make a financial commitment.

— SKA offers opportunities similar to the LHC or the ITER, which too are located on foreign soil but have brought rich dividends to the Indian scientific community.

— A full member status would provide India preferential access to the SKA facilities.

— Member countries will get preferential allocation of time on the radio telescope, roughly in proportion to their contribution to the project, and only limited time slots would be available through competitive bidding.

Conclusion:

— India has approved Rs 1,250 crore for the project, which includes its funding contribution for the construction phase.

— India has already decided to build a gravitational wave detector to join the international LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory) network, and is a full member of the ITER project, which is working to harness energy from nuclear fusion reactions.

— India also has a strong participation in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator that is running some of the most exciting experiments in particle physics.

(Source: What is the Square Kilometer Array project, significance of India joining it by Amitabh Sinha)

Points to Ponder

India’s involvement

Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory

ITER project

Related Previous Year Questions

Launched on 25th December, 2021, James Webb Space Telescope has been much in the news since then. What are its unique features which make it superior to its predecessor Space Telescopes? What are the key goals of this mission? What potential benefits does it hold for the human race? (2022)

Discuss the work of ‘Bose-Einstein Statistics’ done by Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose and show how it revolutionized the field of Physics. (2018)

QUESTION 2: What are high-altitude pseudo-satellite vehicles (HAPS)? Discuss the challenges of HAPS.

Introduction:

— High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS) is a high altitude solar-powered unmanned aircraft system capable of maintaining control over an area for an extended period of time, remaining above the troposphere, and carrying mission-specific sensors.

— It can fly at great heights, about 20 km from ground, runs entirely on solar power, and can remain in the air for months.

— The primary utility of HAPS vehicles is in the field of surveillance and monitoring, but there are other situations, like disaster management, wherein it can be very useful.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

— The National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) in Bengaluru has successfully completed the first test of a solar-powered “pseudo satellite”, a new age unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that can significantly increase India’s surveillance and monitoring capabilities in the border areas.

— HAPS is a still-developing technology, and the successful test flight puts India among a very small group of countries currently experimenting with this technology.

Challenges of HAPS

— Developing an autonomous flying machine fuelled entirely by solar power and capable of remaining in the air for months faces major technological hurdles.

— The primary challenge is to generate enough solar power to keep the aircraft flying, the payloads operating, and the batteries charging.

— The batteries need to be enough to continue the operations through the night.

— Design-related challenges

— The aircraft needs to be extremely lightweight to minimise the power requirement, but it also has to be stable.

— The temperatures at that height can drop to -50 degree Celsius or lower. Electronics need to be kept warmer.

Conclusion:

— The normal UAVs, or drones are mostly battery-powered and cannot remain in the air beyond a few hours. They fly at relatively low levels, because of which their vision is restricted to small areas.

— HAPS works like geostationary satellites but with added flexibility. They can be easily redeployed over another location, or can be reequipped with a different payload, something that is not possible with a geostationary satellite.

(Source: Why India wants to develop high-altitude pseudo-satellite vehicles, powered by the Sun by Amitabh Sinha, Meet HAPS: India’s very own UAV that can fly 20 km high and float for months by Amitabh Sinha)

Points to Ponder

What is the need for such UAVs?

India and the HAPS

Related Previous Year Question

What is the main task of India’s third moon mission which could not be achieved in its earlier mission? List the countries that have achieved this task. Introduce the subsystems in the spacecraft launched and explain the role of the Virtual Launch Control Centre’ at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre which contributed to the successful launch from Sriharikota. (2023)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 37)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 38)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 37)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 38)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 37)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 38)

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