India’s Indigenous CRISPR Gene Therapy for Sickle Cell Disease

Introduction

• India has launched BIRSA 101, a CRISPR-based gene therapy targeting Sickle Cell Disease.
• It is developed by the CSIR–Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (IGIB).
• Subtopic: Why in news?
• The gene therapy BIRSA 101 is dedicated to Bhagwan Birsa Munda, a great tribal freedom fighter.
• It is the first indigenous CRISPR-based gene therapy for Sickle Cell Disease in India.
• An agreement was exchanged between CSIR-IGIB and the Serum Institute of India Pvt. Ltd. to translate enFnCas9 into scalable, affordable therapies for genetic disorders.

Background

• Gene therapy uses a gene or genes to treat, prevent, or cure a disease or medical disorder.
• Working mechanism includes adding new copies of a broken gene, or replacing a defective or missing gene in a patient’s cells with a healthy therapeutic gene.
• Sickle-cell disease is a genetic disorder affecting haemoglobin, causing red blood cells to become rigid and sickle-shaped, leading to blockages in blood flow.
• It particularly affects India’s tribal population, with 1 in 86 births among Scheduled Tribes having Sickle Cell Disease.

Significance

• Addresses Sickle Cell Disease, a condition that particularly affects India’s tribal population.
• The agreement on enFnCas9 aims to enable scalable, affordable therapies for genetic disorders.
• Subtopic: Facts/General knowledge
• CRISPR stands for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats and is a genome-editing tool enabling precise DNA modifications.
• Guide RNA is designed to find and bind to specific parts of the target genome.
• Cas9 (CRISPR-associated protein 9) acts as molecular scissors to cut both strands of DNA.
• enFnCas9 is an engineered high-fidelity CRISPR-Cas9 platform developed by IGIB, based on Francisella novicida Cas9 (FnCas9).

GSAT-7R (CMS-03) Launch and LVM3-M5

Introduction

• ISRO successfully launched GSAT-7R (also known as CMS-03), India’s heaviest indigenously built advanced communication satellite, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
• The mission delivers a major boost to national space capabilities and strengthens naval communications.

Why in news?

• CMS-03 was launched on the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM3) during its fifth operational flight (LVM3-M5).
• Weighing about 4,400 kg, it is the heaviest communication satellite launched to Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit from India.

Background

• CMS-03 is a multi-band communication satellite providing services over a wide oceanic region, including the Indian landmass.
• It has been placed in a Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit and will reach its final Geostationary Orbit using onboard propulsion.
• Designed for a 15-year mission life, it carries advanced multiband transponders to transmit voice, data, and video.
• It ensures secure, high-capacity communication for the Indian Navy across the Indian Ocean Region.

Significance

• GSAT-7R replaces the decade-old GSAT-7 (Rukmini), launched in 2013, which has reached the end of its operational life.
• The satellite is fully indigenously developed, reflecting progress under Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
• LVM3-M5 enhances strategic autonomy by reducing dependence on foreign heavy-lift launch vehicles such as the European Ariane-5.
• The mission supports Gaganyaan preparations by demonstrating LVM3’s heavy-lift capability and cryogenic engine re-ignition test for future missions.
• Subtopic: Facts/General knowledge
• LVM-3, earlier referred to as GSLV Mk 3, uses solid, liquid, and cryogenic engines.
• Payload capacity: up to 8,000 kg in Low Earth Orbit and up to 4,000 kg in geosynchronous orbit.
• Major achievements: Successfully launched Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3 lunar missions.

• Carried India’s first crew module (2014) for a re-entry test under the Gaganyaan programme.
• Launched 72 OneWeb satellites to Low Earth Orbit in 2022 amid a global shortage of launch options.
• These missions led ISRO to rebrand it from “GSLV Mk-3” to “LVM-3.”
• Upgrades and future enhancements: ISRO plans to replace the liquid stage with a semi-cryogenic engine using refined kerosene and liquid oxygen, potentially increasing payload to 10,000 kg in LEO.

• Development of the next-generation Lunar Module Launch Vehicle (LMLV) to carry up to 80,000 kg, positioning LVM-3 as the “Bahubali rocket” for deep-space and human spaceflight ambitions.

NISAR Earth-Observation Satellite

Introduction

• NASA–ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) is a joint Earth-observation satellite mission by ISRO and NASA.
• Designed to provide high-resolution radar imagery of Earth’s surface.
• Aims to monitor changes in land, vegetation, ice, and water resources with exceptional precision.
• Represents one of the most significant international collaborations in space science.

Why in news?

• Launched aboard the GSLV-F16 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
• Marks another milestone in Indo–U.S. space cooperation.

Background

• Conceived to combine the technological expertise of India and the United States in remote sensing and radar imaging.
• Primary objectives include: Monitoring earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic activity by detecting subtle ground movements.

• Measuring glacier and ice-sheet dynamics to assess the impact of climate change on sea-level rise.
• Mapping ecosystem changes, deforestation, and agricultural productivity through radar-based biomass estimation.
• Tracking soil moisture and land subsidence caused by groundwater extraction or urbanisation.
• Observing Earth’s surface at high temporal and spatial resolution to enhance early warning and long-term environmental management.

Significance

• For India: Enhances national capability in remote sensing and environmental monitoring.

• Provides data for resource management, disaster mitigation, and agricultural planning.
• For NASA: Advances global climate science and strengthens data-sharing partnerships.

• Globally: Supports climate research with consistent, high-quality radar data for Earth system models.

• Aids sustainable development through applications in agriculture, forestry, and land-use management.
• Enables improved disaster risk reduction via more accurate forecasting and post-disaster assessments.

Facts/General knowledge

• First satellite mission to use dual-frequency SAR technology, operating simultaneously in:
• L-band provided by NASA.
• S-band provided by ISRO.
• Dual-band configuration enables study of features above and below the surface with high accuracy.
• Technical specifications: Deployable 12-metre radar reflector (one of the largest on an Earth-observation satellite).

• Near-polar, sun-synchronous orbit at approximately 743 kilometres altitude for consistent lighting and regular global coverage.
• Revisit the same location roughly every 12 days for continuous monitoring of surface changes.
• Initial operational life of three years, with potential extensions based on performance.
• Roles and contributions: NASA: L-band radar system, high-rate data transmission electronics, mission operations software.

• ISRO: S-band radar, satellite bus, and the launch vehicle.

India’s first commercially built PSLV and the Oceansat launch

Introduction

• India is entering a new phase in its space journey with the maiden mission of its first commercially built PSLV planned for early next year.
• The mission will place the Oceansat satellite in orbit.
• This marks a shift towards industry-led rocket production.

Why in news?

• The HAL–L&T consortium has independently manufactured the entire PSLV for the first time.
• The first commercial PSLV is slated to launch Oceansat early next year, with multiple PSLV missions anticipated soon after.

Background

• ISRO is transitioning the production of proven launch vehicles to the private sector while focusing on advanced research and upcoming missions.
• The HAL–L&T consortium faced technical challenges in certain components, with ISRO providing crucial support to ensure progress.
• The consortium is supplying hardware and preparing for future missions under a contract to build five PSLV-XL rockets, with scope for additional orders.

Significance

• Strengthens private sector capability in mainstream space operations.
• Allows ISRO to concentrate on advanced research and future missions.
• Builds a competitive commercial launch ecosystem in India.
• Supports rising global and domestic satellite demand with an increased launch pipeline.
• Subtopic: Facts/General knowledge
• First commercial PSLV to carry: Oceansat.
• Launch timeline: early next year.
• Manufacturers: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and Larsen & Toubro.
• Expected PSLV launches next year: two to three.
• Current contract: five PSLV-XL rockets, with potential for more orders.
• ISRO provided assistance to address component-level technical challenges.

Sentinel-6B Ocean-Tracking Satellite

Introduction

• Sentinel-6B is an ocean-tracking satellite designed to measure rising sea levels and their impacts on the planet.
• It is operated jointly by the United States’ NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the European Space Agency.

Why in news?

• Sentinel-6B was launched recently from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Background

• The mission is part of Copernicus Sentinel-6, also known as the Jason-CS mission (for Continuity of Service).
• It is the latest in a series of satellites launched since the 1990s.
• Sentinel-6B is the twin of the first satellite, Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich (originally Sentinel-6A), which launched in November 2020.
• Subtopic: Significance
• Sharper weather forecasting, including storms and floods, enabling administrators to make better real-time decisions.
• Supports safeguarding of public property and protection of coastal infrastructure.

Facts/General knowledge

• Orbiting speed: 7.2 km per second, completing one revolution every 112 minutes.
• Coverage: Maps more than 90% of the world's ice-free oceans every 10 days.
• Ocean dynamics: Measures significant wave height and wind speed over the oceans to support operational oceanography and forecasting.
• Atmospheric data: Collects high-resolution vertical profiles of temperature and humidity using the GNSS Radio Occultation instrument, improving weather prediction models and climate assessment.
• Inland water: Altimetry data can be used to monitor the height of major rivers and lakes.