Week in tech: Aditya L1 set to reach Lagrange point on 6 January
The Lagrange point 1 will give Isro's Aditya L1 spacecraft an uninterrupted view of the Sun and allow it to study the Sun's corona and chromosphere
Here’s a look at what made news in the world of science and technology this week.
Aditya L1 set to reach Lagrange point on 6 January
India's maiden solar mission, Aditya L1, is all set to reach the Lagrange point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system on 6 January, the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) said this week. The L1 point affords an uninterrupted view of the sun and will allow the Aditya L1 spacecraft to function without any obstruction. "Aditya L1 is almost there now. Aditya L1 will reach Lagrange point on January 6 at 4 pm. We will have a very controlled burn of the engine of Aditya L1 so that it enters an orbit called the halo orbit," Isro chief S Somanath said at Techfest 2023, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay's annual science and technology event, according to a Press Trust of India report. Aditya L1 was launched in September this year and will study the Sun's corona, chromosphere and photosphere, using a host of scientific payloads.
Apple gets Watch ban reprieve in the US
The Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 went back on sale in the US after a federal court temporarily lifted a sales halt ordered by the International Trade Commission (ITC) over a patent dispute. According to an Associated Press report, the ITC had ordered the halt in October to block Apple from using specific technologies underpinning a blood-oxygen measurement system in its Series 9 and Ultra 2 watches. Apple has been embroiled in an intellectual property dispute with the medical technology company Masimo over those technologies, the AP report says. Apple cut off online sales of the two models in the US last week. The court's recent action will allow sales of the two Apple Watch models pending its decision on whether to also permit sales as it weighs Apple's appeal, the AP report added.
Xiaomi throws its hat into the EV ring
Smartphone maker Xiaomi unveiled its first electric vehicle on 30 December -- the SU7, which stands for Speed Ultra. Xiaomi’s co-founder and CEO Lei Jun, speaking at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, said Xiaomi’s goal was to make a dream car that is as good as Porsche and Tesla. According to a Bloomberg report, Lei spent hours detailing the car’s features, which include a range of up to 800 kilometers on a single charge, adjustable spoilers, unique colors and a top speed of 265 kilometers an hour. The five-seat sedan will be powered by batteries from Chinese market leaders Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. and BYD Co., depending on whether it has a single or dual motor configuration, the report added. Read more here.
(Compiled by Nitin Sreedhar with inputs from agencies).
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First Published:31 Dec 2023, 06:00 PM IST
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