Which spacecraft of NASA broke the record for smallest space object ever orbited, after successfully entering into orbit around the asteroid Bennu?

NASA's Anne McClain and Nick Hague took a spacewalk on 22nd March to replace ageing batteries on the International Space Station. Two American astronauts worked for several hours to swap three nickel-hydrogen batteries with more powerful lithium-ion ones. The duo overcame minor struggles in their first task, which involved attaching a tool bag on one of the station's trusses for possible future use. The space station uses solar panels to generate power but the batteries are used when it is in the dark and not getting power from the sun.

Scientists from Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea have developed a system that can produce electricity and hydrogen fuel from carbon dioxide. The Hybrid Na-CO2 system can continuously produce electrical energy and hydrogen through efficient carbon dioxide (CO2) conversion with stable operation for over 1,000 hours. The key to this technology is the easy conversion of chemically stable CO2 molecules to other materials. Much of human CO2 emissions are absorbed by the ocean and turned into acidity. The researchers focused on this phenomenon and came up with the idea of melting CO2 into water to induce an electrochemical reaction.If acidity increases, the number of protons increases, which in turn increases the power to attract electrons. If a battery system is created based on this phenomenon, electricity can be produced by removing CO2. In particular, this system has shown stability to the point of operating for more than 1,000 hours without damage to electrodes. The system can be applied to remove CO2 by inducing voluntary chemical reactions.

Indian Space Research Organization is planning to send a probe to study the sun early next year. ISRO chairman Dr K Sivan currently scientists are exploring possibilities to study more about Sun and the probe named Aditya-L1 will be sent to observe the solar corona, the outer layers of the Sun. The satellite would be ed in a halo orbit around the L1 (Lagrangian point A) of the Sun-Earth system so that it has the advantage of continuously viewing the Sun without any occultation or eclipses. The L1 is 1.5 million kms from t the mission to send Indian astronauts to space by 2022 is well on stream.

The Center for Cell and Molecular Biology (CCMB) scientists have discovered a new enzyme called "Murein EndopeptidiaseK" while studying the cell growth in bacteria. This new discovery has paved the way for a new drug treatment that prevents anti-bacterial resistance by existing antibiotics.It would act on the protein of cell wall in Escherichia coli (E. coli), a bacterium found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms.Pavan Kumar Chodisetti, research student and his mentor Dr. Manjula Reddy were the backbone of this discovery. The finding has been published in the latest issue of Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, USA.

The year 2021 will be a busy year for the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) as it has set itself the target to send astronauts to space. The Gaganyaan project by the space agency will make India the fourth nation to independently send humans into space announced ISRO chief Dr. K Sivan. The Gaganyaan project was announced by PM Modi on Independence Day last year and union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad last month had said that three Indian astronauts will be sent to space for up to seven days by 2022 as part of the Gaganyaan.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United States has approved first vaccine named Dengvaxia for the prevention of dengue disease but with certain conditions that use dengue vaccine only in people who have a previous history of the disease. The vaccine is also known as CYD-TDV and made by company Sanofi Pasteur. The vaccine is a live, attenuated dengue virus. Under the vaccination, 3 doses will be provided to the patient and after 1st dose there will be a difference of 6 months between 1st dose and 2nd dose and also a difference of 6 months between 2nd dose and 3rd dose.

China lifted its broadband communication system by launching a Long March - 3B carrier rocket with 'ChinaSat 6C' into a geostationary orbit in Sichuan province. The'ChinaSat 6C' was launched from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province. It is a 19 story tall rocket which is expected to provide high quality radio and television transmission services. It marked 300th launch of the Long March carrier rocket series which was developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation and will be operated by China Satellite Communications Co. Ltd. The satellite will cover China, Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific Island Countries. Nearly 97% of China's total launch missions was on Long March rocket series.

3 astronauts, Nick Hague and Christina Koch from US and Alexey Ovchinin from Russia arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on Russian Soyuz spacecraft which was launched from Kazakhstan's Baikonur Cosmodrome on 14th March 2019. Soyuz spacecraft carries people and supplies to and from International Space Station and it has become the sole means of transportation after the retirement of Space Shuttle in 2011.

ISRO Chairman Dr. K Sivan has announced that the organization is well prepared to meet the targets of launching Gaganyaan manned mission to outer space by December 2021. Under Gaganyaan project, India is planning to send three astronauts to outer space for seven days and bring them back. 332 launches are planned this year. Important among them are Chandrayaaan -2 mission to the moon in mid-April. GSAT-20 Satellite for high bandwidth connectivity to be launched in September-October.

The Northrop Grumman Antares rocket and its unscrewed Cygnus Spacecraft launched which contains tons of NASA's supplies and 40 live mice to the International Space Station (ISS), from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spacecraft at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on Wallops Island in Virginia. The first stage of rocket was developed by the Ukrainian Yuzhnoye State Design Office. The mission named NG-11, is the 11th cargo flight for NASA by Northrop Grumman, to deliver 7600 lbs. (3,447 kg), the heaviest load for Cygnus till date which contains science gear and supplies to the sex person crew of the ISS. This mission will be the Northrop Grumman's longest one till date.