India Culture, Business, Sports and Food. Get all the buzz in India now

Milestone ISRO scientists achieved another milestone on Wednesday when they successfully entered India’s maiden moon craft Chandrayaan-1 into the operational lunar orbit which is 102 km above the moon’s surface and it will be its intended orbital home for next two years. It is a big success as compared to the other world lunar mission as only 50 percent of them have been successful but Indian scientists have achieved this milestone with their first attempt. The satellite’s onboard engine was fired for almost a minute as a final orbit reduction manoeuvre. ISRO spokesperson S Satish said that the final circular orbit of Chandrayaan-1 will be 100 km.

Orbit-Insertion Earlier, Chandrayaan-1, which was launched from Sriharikota on October 22, was successfully entered into lunar orbit Saturday, October 9. Lunar orbit insertion of Chandrayaan-1 was the most challenging task because gravity of moon and that of earth cancel each other out at that stage. Spacecraft’s liquid engine was fired for 817 seconds and then its speed was reduced to 366 metres per second when is flew into the moon’s orbit. At that stage nearest point of orbit from the moon’s surface was at the distance of 504km while the farthest point was 7,502 km. At that orbit it was taking 11 hours to go around the moon.

Orbit Reduction On October 10 scientist had reduced its periselene (nearest point from the moon) to 200 km while aposelene continues at 7,502 km. To put Chandrayaan-1 into this orbit engines were fired for almost one minute. In their next major step ISRO scientists had fired Chandrayaan-1 engine for 866 seconds to reduce its aposelene from 7,502 km to 255 km and its periselene (nearest distance to the Moon) from 200 km to 187 km. At that orbit Chandrayaan-1 was taking 2 hours and 16 minutes to go around the moon. On November 11 its periselene was reduced from 187 km to 101 km by firing the engines for 31 seconds. ISRO spokesperson has said that it will Moon Impact Probe, with the Indian flag painted on its sides, will crash-land on the moon on 14 or 15 November. And all the remaining 10 scientific instruments will be switched one after another.

HC Decision Battle for the control of BCCI, between Jagmohan Dalmiya and Sharad Pawar has reached its highest point. Earlier Sharad Pawar and his ‘supporters’ had suspended Dalmiya from the BCCI on the basis of an amendment that had not been registered. Dalmiya, the former BCCI president had moved a case of perjury against Pawar and some Board officials and had requested the court to initiate criminal proceedings against all of them for allegedly producing forged documents in the court. Board had forged some documents related to an amendment on the basis of which Dalmiya had been suspended from the BCCI. Calcutta High Court has ordered criminal proceedings against Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sashank Manohar, former Board President Sharad Pawar, Chief Administrative Officer Ratnakar Shetty, former secretary Niranjan Shah, Secretary N Srinivasan and junior Cricket Committee Chairman Chirayu Amin.

Return Board had suspended him on December 16, 2006 accusing him of financial irregularities and had later on forced him to resign from the post of Bengal Cricket Association President. In July 2007 High Court had declared that Dalmiya’s suspension from the Board was illegal and the same day he had filed the case of perjury against the Board officials. In July 2008 he had re-entered the Bengal Cricket Administration with a bang when he had registered a thumping 24-vote victory in the presidential elections. His return was not a surprise for the cricket lovers but was a big jolt to the Sharad Pawar camp. But Calcutta High Court’s direction of initiating criminal proceedings against the ‘Dalmiya rivals’ has ‘cleared the way’ for him and has ‘totally defeated’ them.

Contribution Though accusations of financial irregularities have been made against him but his contribution for infrastructure development of the game at national and International level is undisputable. He had joined BCCI in 1979 and had won ICC presidential elections in 1996 despite initial rejection from some cricket playing nations. In 1997 he was unanimously elected the International Cricket Council President for the period of three years. He had played an important role to win the right to stage the 1987 and 1996 World Cup in South Asia. He also played an important role in ending South Africa’s cricket isolation. He also had played an important role in the success of 1996 world cup when Australia and West Indies had refused to play in Sri Lanka.