First Mars Plane prototype Prandtl-d successfully flight tested by NASA
A prototype of the Preliminary Research Aerodynamic Design to Land on Mars, or Prandtl-m, which is a flying wing aircraft with a twist, is planned to be ready for launch from a high altitude balloon later this year.
The tests could validate how the aircraft works, leading to modifications that will allow it to fold and deploy from a 3U CubeSat in the aeroshell of a future Mars rover. A CubeSat is a miniature satellite used for space research that is usually about four inches in each dimension, a 3U is three of those stacked together.
SBI launched Project Tatkal to speed up home loan business
The country’s largest bank State Bank of India launched an initiative to provide doorstep services and expedite home loan application process.
The initiative known as ‘Project Tatkal’ will help get the loan within 10 days after receipt of application form and relevant supporting documents, the bank said in a release.
The implementation will be done at large centres with sizeable home loan business.
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed of Bangladesh won 2015 World Food Prize
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, the founder of Brac (Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee), the largest non-governmental organisation on the planet, has been awarded the 2015 World Food prize for his “unparalleled” work on reducing poverty in Bangladesh and 10 other countries Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Liberia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Haiti.
Abed, who was knighted by the Queen in 2010, described the award as a “tremendous honour”, adding: “I’m sure this will be a great joy for our staff and energise them even more. It’s a great satisfaction for us to receive recognition of the work we’ve done for the last 43 years.”
Army launched Operation Shiva to Amarnath Yatra
The Army has launched ‘Operation Shiva’ for a smooth conduct of 59-day-long annual Amarnath Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir, beginning July 2.
The Indian Army has deployed 7,500 soldiers under ‘Operation Shiva’ to ensure the terrorists do not strike pilgrims during the 59-day yatra.
Microsoft to set up Digital Villages, cyber-security centres in Maharashtra
Software major Microsoft has agreed to support ‘digital villages’ in Maharashtra and develop a ‘smart MIDC’ apart from setting up a cyber-security centre in Pune.
The location of the smart MIDC would be selected shortly.
The software major also agreed to adopt a village in Melghat, a tribal area, for providing ‘tertiary health services’.
