India Becomes Third Largest Ethanol Producer and Consumer

India has recently become the third-largest producer and consumer of ethanol in the world. This change is thanks to important policy changes made by the Indian government to encourage the use of biofuels and improve energy sustainability.

Government Initiatives
The government has launched several programs to increase ethanol production, including financial support for sugarcane farmers and manufacturers. These policies aim to make more ethanol available for blending with fuels, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and support farmers in rural areas.

Industry Conference
In September 2024, the India Sugar & Bio-Energy Conference was held, organized by the Indian Sugar & Bio-Energy Manufacturers Association (ISMA). This event gathered policymakers, industry leaders, and other stakeholders to talk about the future of the sugar and bio-energy sectors.

Conference Theme
This year’s conference theme, “Harmonising Sweet Sustainability: Navigating India’s Path to a Green Economy,” focuses on developing sustainable practices in the sugar and bio-energy industries. It aims to encourage teamwork and innovation in finding eco-friendly solutions.

Growth Opportunities
Through discussions at the conference and government policies, participants hope to find new growth opportunities in ethanol production, improve supply chains, and promote sustainable farming practices that fit with India’s green economy goals.

By focusing on ethanol, India is working to become a leader in the biofuels sector. This effort supports energy security, environmental sustainability, and the agricultural economy.

What is Ethanol?
Ethanol, also known as ethyl alcohol, is a renewable biofuel made from plants. It is used in drinks and as a solvent. Interestingly, ethanol has less energy than gasoline, providing only about 67% of the energy when burned. During fermentation, yeast changes sugars into ethanol and carbon dioxide. Ethanol has been used as fuel since the 19th century and can also be produced from waste materials like agricultural byproducts and organic waste.

Website Link : popularengineer.org

Chandrayaan-3 Detects Historic 250 Seismic Signatures on Moon

India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission has achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first lunar mission to detect over 250 seismic signals from the Moon’s south pole since the Apollo missions. This discovery marks a major advancement in lunar exploration and seismic monitoring techniques.

Significance of Seismic Signals

The Chandrayaan-3 mission identified 250 seismic signals, with 50 of these signals being unique and potentially indicating moonquakes, which are similar to earthquakes on Earth but occur on the Moon. This is the first time that seismic data has been successfully collected from the Moon’s south pole, providing valuable insights into the Moon’s seismic activity.

Instrumentation and Data Collection

The Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA), which was part of the Vikram Lander, operated from August 24 to September 4, 2023. It recorded these seismic events from coordinates 69.37° S and 32.32° E. ILSA is notable for being the first instrument based on MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) technology designed to measure seismic activity on the Moon, using advanced silicon micromachining techniques.

Nature of Detected Signals


Out of the 250 signals detected, around 200 were related to the activities of the mission itself. These included movements of the Pragyan rover and operations of scientific instruments like the ChaSTE thermal probe and the Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS). The remaining 50 signals were classified as “uncorrelated,” meaning they might be related to genuine moonquakes rather than mission-related activities.

Scientific Implications and Future Investigation


The findings from Chandrayaan-3 were published in ICARUS, a leading scientific journal. The study highlights a notable discovery: the longest continuous seismic signal recorded lasted 14 minutes. This opens up opportunities for further research to determine the origin of these uncorrelated signals. LEOS Director Sriram emphasized the importance of further exploration to fully understand these mysterious seismic events.

About Chandrayaan-3


Chandrayaan-3, launched by India on July 14, 2023, is the country’s third lunar mission, designed specifically to achieve a soft landing on the Moon’s surface. It consists of a lander named Vikram and a rover named Pragyan. Unlike its predecessor, Chandrayaan-2, it does not include an orbiter. The primary goal of Chandrayaan-3 is to demonstrate the ability to safely land and move on the Moon’s surface. It successfully landed on August 23, 2023, and is exploring the Moon’s south pole, a region considered crucial for future exploration.


In a series of groundbreaking achievements, India's Chandrayaan-3 mission has identified over 250 seismic signals in the Moon's south polar region. Among these, 50 distinct signals appear unrelated to the rover Pragyan's movement or the operation of other instruments and may be associated with Moonquakes.

This represents the first time seismic data has been collected from the Moon’s southern polar region and the first seismic data from the lunar surface since the Apollo missions. The experiment was carried out by the Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA), a scientific instrument on the Vikram lander, at the landing site located at 69.37° South and 32.32° East. Operating for 190 hours from August 24 to September 4, 2023, the Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) is the first device to measure ground accelerations from the Moon’s south polar region. It is also the first lunar instrument to use sensors manufactured with silicon micromachining technology. The results have been analyzed and published by a team of ISRO researchers in ICARUS, a scientific journal specializing in planetary science.

The paper has been published by J John, V Thamarai, Teena Choudhary, MN Srinivasa, Ashwini Jambhalikar, MS Giridhar, Madan Mohan Mehra, Mayank Garg, KV Shila, Krishna Kummari, SP Karantha, Kalpana Arvind, and KV Sriram, all from ISRO’s Laboratory for Electro-Optics Systems (LEOS) in Peenya, Bengaluru. “Of the more than 250 seismic events recorded, approximately 200 signals correlate to known activities involving Pragyan’s movements or the operation of scientific instruments, the 50 others do not have any explanation. There needs to be further studies to understand what may have caused these activities," said LEOS director Sriram as quoted by Times of India.


Researchers note that the most extended and relatively large amplitude records from ILSA are those associated with Pragyan’s navigation. The longest continuous signal recorded lasted for 14 minutes. Approximately 60 signals cataloged are related to Pragyan’s movement, which was controlled by ground commands. The rover, weighing about 25 kg and equipped with six wheels driven by motors, moved at a typical speed of 1 cm per second. The rover's dynamics and the interaction between its wheels and the lunar soil generated complex ground vibrations that were captured by ILSA.

Researchers also stated that events classified as deep or shallow quakes were beyond the intended objectives and design specifications of ILSA. They acknowledged that the likelihood of such events occurring during the instrument's one lunar day of operation was very low.

However, the data analysed in the paper reveal approximately 50 instances where the amplitude of the instrument's output significantly deviates from the normal background level. “From the mission command history, it was confirmed that any activity that can cause ground vibration was not performed during this timeframe,” the paper reads.

As a result, researchers categorized these occurrences as 'uncorrelated events.' Among the 50 such events, some signals exhibited a peak-to-peak amplitude as high as 700 μg. “The frequency content in the signals is spread over a wide range up to 50 Hz. The signals discussed here lasted only for a few seconds. Although several distinct signals lasting less than a couple of seconds are also observed, they are not included in the count reported in this paper,” the paper.

Website Link : popularengineer.org

#Chandrayaan3
#MoonSeismicData
#LunarMission
#MoonQuakes
#ISRO
#SpaceExploration
#LunarScience
#SeismicDiscovery
#MoonResearch
#SpaceInnovation
#HistoricSeismicDetection
#LunarExploration
#MoonMissionSuccess
#ChandrayaanScience
#LunarGeology