Brazilian satellite to be orbited by Indian rocket reaches Chennai

Brazilian satellite Amazonia-1, slated to be put into orbit by Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), has landed here on an Emirates SkyCargo flight, it was announced on Wednesday. In a statement, Emirates said its freight division Emirates SkyCargo flew the Amazonia-1 satellie from Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil to Chennai.

This is the first time that Emirates SkyCargo has transported a space satellite from South America.

Amazonia-1 is the first satellite to have been developed completely in Brazil by the National Institute for Space Research (INPE), Brazil's apex body dedicated for space research and exploration.

The satellite took eight years to be developed and once launched into space, will help monitor the ecosystem of the Amazon rainforest, the world's largest tropical rainforest, the statement said.

The satellite is due to be sent to space in February 2021 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre located in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota.

Emirates SkyCargo, together with the INPE, the airport and local partners, conducted two comprehensive simulation sessions ahead of the transport date to be able to transport the sensitive cargo safely.

During the transportation process, the Amazonia-1 satellite was dismantled into multiple components to facilitate easy loading and unloading from the aircraft.

The satellite components were packed inside large containers to avoid any damage during the transport.

ISRO Chairman K.Sivan had told IANS: "End of February or early March 2021, we will be sending our rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C51 (PSLV-C51). The primary payload will be the Brazilian satellite called Amazonia, an earth observation satellite."

"The PSLV-C51 mission will be a very special mission not only for ISRO but also for India as the rocket will be carrying the earth observation satellite Anand made by an Indian startup called Pixxel (incorporated as Syzygy Space Technologies Pvt Ltd)," he had added.

The PSLV-C51 will also carry a communication satellite built by the students of city-based Space Kidz India and another satellite built by a consortium of three Indian universities. (IANS), Source: https://southasiamonitor.org

Read More........→December 31, 2020

Interactive LED facade installed on 30-storey hotel

The 30-storey Hotel WZ Jardins in Sao Paulo, Brazil, has been fitted with an LED facade called 'The Light Creature' which directly responds to its surroundings. The display responds to air quality, sound and interaction from the general public, via an app. The edifice is covered with pixellated blocks of blue, grey, and gold, and is part of a project called 'Hacked Cities' that explores how technology can bring positive change to cities. 

The display was created with Grasshopper parametric software that recorded and analysed on-site ambient noise over a 24-hour period. Brazilian design company Estudio Guto Requena created the display to represent morning, afternoon, evening, and night using the recorded data. Peak levels are represented by gold, quieter levels by navy blue, almost silent is light blue. A complete lack of noise is shown in muted grey. Around 200 strips of low-energy LED lights are embedded in the metal skin and create an interactive dynamic between the city, its inhabitants, and the hotel. Behaving autonomously, the system reacts in real time to external forces. Ambient noise picked up through on-site microphones directly affects the form and motion of the fluid facade. The on-site sensors helps the facade change colours minute-by-minute to reflect local air quality. Red and orange colours depict pollutants, otherwise, blue and green shades appear. The public can also interact with the display with just a mobile app. Using touch and voice, the screen and microphone can transmit data onto the facade. Source: InAVate,

Read More........→August 13, 2015