NASA TO ENCOUNTER BENNU DURING ITS ENCOUNTER TO EARTH

A near-earth asteroid named Bennu is likely coming towards the earth due to Gravitational pull and It can indeed hit the Earth causing massive destruction. According to experts, it has 1 in 2700  chances of hitting and such an event will not take place for 150 years.

People living in 2135 would know if Bennu posed actual threat to Earth.

OSIRIS-Rex Mission:

It is headed by NASA and University of Arizona, plans to send an unmanned spacecraft on Sept to reach Bennu in Aug 2018

OSIRIS-Rex will launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida on an Atlas V411 rocket.

According to their plans, OSIRIS-Rex’s approach to Bennu will begun by 2021.Its speed is matched to the speed of Bennu by array of small rocket thrusters. It touches Bennu for about 5 seconds, during which it will release burst of nitrogen gas. This will cause rocks and surface materials stirred up and it collects the sample.

By 2021, OSIRIS-Rex return will begun and it will reach earth by 2023.

What are asteroids?

Asteroids:

These are small objects revolving around sun and they are too small to consider as planets.

Comet:

A relatively small active object , whose ice can vaporize in sunlight forming atmosphere(coma ) of dust and gas / a tail of dust and gas

Meteoroid:

A small part of asteroid/comet orbiting sun

Meteor:

The light phenomena when a Meteoroid enters the earth’s atmosphere and vaporizes; a shooting star

Meteorite:

Meteor surviving the earth’s atmosphere and lands on earth’s surface.

Where are Asteroids located?

Most of the asteroids lie in a vast ring between Mars and Jupiter.

Not all the objects in the main belt are asteroids; For instance, comets have recently been discovered. Even Ceres, which is an asteroid is considered as Dwarf Planet.

Many asteroids lie outside the main belt. For instance, a group of asteroids called trojans, lie along the Jupitorial orbit path

Three groups- Atens, Armors, Apollos known as near-earth Asteroid groups, sometimes cross the path of Earth and Mars

Human Exploration:

The first spacecraft to take close up images of asteroid is NASA’s Galileoin NASA in 1991, which also discovered first moon to orbit an asteroid in 1994

In 2001, NEAR spacecraft sets the record of touching first asteroid by landing on Eros, a near-earth asteroid

In 2007, Japan’s Hayabusa become the first spacecraft to land and take off from an Asteroid.

NASA’s Dawn Mission launched in 2007, began exploring Vesta (second large object, after Ceres) in 2011. After a year, it left the asteroid and left to Ceres with planning arrival on 2015. Dawn is the first spacecraft to explore Vesta and will also be first to explore Ceres

In 2011, a private company called Planetary Resources Inc, has released a mission to extract water and mine the asteroid for precious metals. Since then, NASA has begun to work on plans for its own Asteroid-capture Mission.

Why Maldives is important to India

Indian Ocean Region:

Major oil exports/trades in the Indian Ocean region is carried in between the Gulf of Aden and Strait of Malacca.
The Maldives are located in the center of these 2 regions.
A considerable amount of trade/cargo passes through Maldives.
So, to maintain control over supply lines and in other words, to have control over the Indian Ocean region; India needs Maldives.

Over China:

Recently Maldives has approved a law passed by the Parliament, which allows foreigners to own the land for the first time.
As per the law, foreigners can invest more than 1 billion$ to own a land and 70% of the land is from the Indian Ocean region.
This move could enable China to set up military bases in Maldives.
As there is a cold war between India and China, which has improved technology in construction, this will be a huge advantage for China.

But Maldives Govt. Had denied that this law primarily aims for foreign investment on a commercial basis

> To counter the operation of STRING OF PEARLS, of China

String of Pearls:

It is a term coined by US officials, referring to the geopolitical strategies rather setups implemented by China along blue waters.
It is about the military, commercial facilities and relationship along seaside communications of China.

China's is highly dependent on sea routes for its oil needs. Major of it comes through the Strait of Balacca where 40% of World Trade and 70% of China exports happens.
China wants to seek more options for its trade routes.

It is aiming for Pakistan's Gwadar as the hub for energy resources and other important resources, especially from Africa

> To ensure not to let happen Indian ocean as a Chinese Lake.

Over Pakistan:

>It can serve as potential launchpad for terrorists targeting India
>Post 26/11 attacks, India has enforced full security in Mumbai Ports and other areas. So, terrorists can easily transport men and material via Maldives
>Lashker-e-toiba is planning to have its base in Maldives. If this happens, terrorists can enter into India through Kerala

So, to not let happen all these things, India needs Maldives as a Strategic partner especially in the Indian Ocean Region