Passage 1
A space agency has said its PSLV-C58/XPoSat mission has practically left zero debris in earth’s orbit. The space agency explained that the last stage of the Polar Satellite Launch vehicle (PSLV) used in the mission was transformed into a kind of orbital station — called the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module— before it was left to re-enter the earth’s atmosphere instead of floating in orbit once its mission was completed.
The agency said that after it completed the primary mission of injecting all satellites into their target orbits, the fourth stage of the PSLV was transformed into this POEM. It was subsequently de-orbited from 650 kilometres to 350 kilometres, rendering it more susceptible to being pulled towards the earth and burning up in the atmosphere. It also said it “passivated the stage,” meaning dumped its fuel, to avoid an explosion that could have flung small pieces of debris into orbit.
Source – https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/isros-zer
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Passage 2
The vetoed a widely backed U.N. resolution on Thursday that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for a state.
The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 12 in favour, it was opposed by one nation and two abstentions.
The resolution would have recommended that the General Assembly, where there are no vetoes, approve a country becoming the member of the United Nations. Some 140 countries have already recognized the state of this country, so its admission would have been approved.
Source- https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/us-vetoes-resolution-backing-full-un-membership-for-palestine/article68081442.ece
