Here are today’s most important updates from the realm of Science and Space.
The ISRO faced a setback as its trusted Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C61) mission failed to deliver the EOS-09 satellite into its intended orbit after launching from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Sunday’s launch involved the XL-version of PSLV which was on its 27th flight. This rocket has four stages. Around six minutes after the lift-off, after the third stage of the rocket took over, the launch trajectory started deviating from the calculated trajectory. The altitude of the vehicle was lower than what it should be. While ISRO has not yet released a detailed technical report, the space agency's chief, V Narayanan, confirmed the issue on the livestream, pointing to a problem with the rocket’s third stage, which was a solid motor system. This critical stage is responsible for propelling the payload closer to its intended orbit after the initial boost phases.
(Credit: NASA)
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features a sparkling cloudscape from one of the Milky Way’s galactic neighbors, a dwarf galaxy called the Large Magellanic Cloud. Located 160,000 light-years away in the constellations Dorado and Mensa, the Large Magellanic Cloud is the largest of the Milky Way’s many small satellite galaxies. The wispy gas clouds in this image resemble brightly colored cotton candy.This dense star field appears as a big, fuzzy patch in the night sky from anywhere in the Southern Hemisphere. Hubble's new view uses five filters to isolate different wavelengths of light, including ultraviolet and infrared light, which the human eye cannot see.
In the forests of Africa, growing evidence suggests that some chimp communities rub insects, leaves, or munched materials on the injuries of others. They also lick each other's wounds and suck each other's cuts. Scientists have interpreted such observations as self-directed medicinal care. By documenting how chimpanzees identify and utilize medicinal plants and provide care to others, scientists gain insight into the cognitive and social foundations of human healthcare behaviour. The study authors concluded: prosocial healthcare is more widespread across chimpanzee populations than previously recognized. Chimpanzees appear to recognize need or suffering in others and take deliberate action to alleviate it, even when there's no direct genetic advantage.
A new study highlighted the key role of glia (non-neuronal cells in the brain and nervous system with different specialized functions) in regulating these vital mechanisms in fruit flies, suggesting that they serve as metabolic homeostats. Homeostasis is the ability of living organisms to maintain stable internal conditions, such as temperature, hydration and blood sugar levels, irrespective of any changes in their surroundings. Homeostatic mechanisms also regulate behaviors that are central to the survival of animal species, such as sleep, rest and eating. The study revealed that the glial cells respond to metabolic signals and these responses influence their calcium activity. Overall, these results link the activity of glial cells to metabolic states and the regulation of sleep.
