3rd JULY CURRENT AFFAIRS

1Mission Aagaman Gets Boost As Vikram-1 Readies For Historic Liftoff

Skyroot Aerospace has opened the launch window for Vikram-1, India's first privately developed orbital-class rocket.

The maiden orbital mission is scheduled no earlier than July 12, subject to regulatory and operational clearances.

Mission Aagaman follows the successful Vikram-S suborbital launch conducted in November 2022.

The mission will collect critical flight data to support Skyroot's commercial launch ambitions.

Mission Aagaman, meaning 'the arrival', marks Skyroot's second mission following the successful suborbital flight of Vikram-S, the first private rocket to reach space from Indian soil, on November 18, 2022.O

This will be a partially commercial mission, with the company planning to begin fully commercial launches after one or two successful demonstration flights to orbit.

Vikram-1 is a seven storey-tall, multi-stage orbital launch vehicle built with an allcarbon composite structure and powered by in-housedeveloped propulsion systems, including 3D-printed engines and high-thrust solid-fuel rocket boosters.

Designed to carry small satellites weighing up to 350 kilograms to lowEarth orbit, Vikram-1's maiden mission will target an orbit at an altitude of 450 kilometre with a 60-degree orbital inclination.

2Himachal Pradesh Secures 8 New GI Tags; Total GI Products Rised to 17

The newly registered products include

1Spiti Seabuckthorn (Chharma): Highly nutritious, vitamin-rich berries found in the harsh, cold desert of the Spiti Valley.

2Kinnauri Apple: A premium, flavorful variety of apples native to the Kinnaur district, celebrated for its taste and texture.

3Kinnauri Topi: A traditional, culturally significant woolen cap worn by locals in Kinnaur, known for its distinctive patterned handwoven velvet band.

4Chamba Metal Art: Intricate, ancient metal craftsmanship hailing from the Chamba region, used to create decorative and religious items.

5Sirmauri Loiya: A traditional handspun woolen textile/blanket from the Sirmaur district.

6Salooni Safed Makka: native white maize variety specially cultivated in the Salooni area of Chamba.

7Sepuvadi (Mandi): A traditional, highly popular culinary delicacy and pulse preparation local to the Mandi district.

8Kinnauri Jewellery: Distinctive, historically rich indigenous ornaments crafted by artisans in the Kinnaur region

3Eminent Tamil Poet and Sahitya Akademi Award Winner Puviyarasu Passed Away at 96

Born as S. Jagannathan in 1931 near Udumalpet, Puviyarasu authored over 120 books.

He was celebrated for shaping modern Tamil verse and was a foundational member of the Vanambadi poetry movement.

His notable literary contributions include:

Sahitya Akademi Award (Translation - 2006): Awarded for Puratchikaran, his Tamil translation of the revolutionary poems of Kazi Nazrul Islam.

Sahitya Akademi Award (Poetry - 2009): Won for his poetry collection Kaiyoppam.

Global Translations: He famously translated works by William Shakespeare, Khalil Gibran, and Fyodor Dostoevsky into Tamil, bridging global literature with local readers.

Mukkoodal: Won the Tamil Nadu Government's Best Modern Poetry Book Award.