Economic Freedom of the World Report

Context: Recently, The Fraser Institute published the Economic Freedom of the World 2024 Annual Report 

About the Report

• The report  measures the degree to which people in 165 jurisdictions around the globe are allowed to make their own economic choices.
• Cornerstones of Economic Freedom: Personal choice, Voluntary exchange, Freedom to enter markets and compete, and Security of the person and Privately-owned property. 
• Ranking: The most-economically free jurisdictions were:
  • Hong Kong (1st), 
  • Singapore (2nd), Switzerland (3rd), New Zealand (4th), the United States (5th), Denmark and Ireland (tied for 6th), Canada (8th), and Australia and Luxembourg (tied for 9th).
  • India is ranked 84th.
  • India is closely followed by Nepal in 86th place and Bhutan at 98th.
  • China ranks 104th, while Sri Lanka is positioned at 123rd. 
  • Bangladesh occupies 127th, and Pakistan is ranked 134th

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About Fraser Institute

It is a non-partisan, independent think tank and research organisation based in Canada that studies and promotes economic freedom, prosperity and human well-being worldwide.

SPADEX

Context: Ananth Technologies, a private aerospace company, successfully completed the satellite integration project for ISRO.

This is the first time a private company has handled the complete assembly, integration and testing of satellites for ISRO.

What is SPADEX?

• SPADEX (Space Docking Experiment) is a mission by ISRO to develop autonomous docking technology.
• Importance of Docking
  • Docking is crucial for managing space stations and undertaking complex space projects.
  • Astronauts travelling to a space station depend on docking to connect their spacecraft safely.
    • It also enables the construction of larger space structures.
• SPADEX is key to India’s long-term space exploration goals, including manned spaceflight and satellite maintenance.
• History of Docking
  • The Soviet Union achieved the first successful docking in space in 1967.
  • The United States followed with the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project in 1975.
  • Docking technology has evolved significantly since then, becoming more automated and reliable.

How Does SPADEX Work?

• The mission involves two vehicles—‘Chaser’ and the ‘Target’—coming together and connecting in space.
• It will test how well the combined spacecraft maintains stability and control after docking.
• The two spacecraft will later separate to perform additional tasks.
• SPADEX Mission Details
  • ISRO has acquired two satellites, each weighing 400 kg, for the SPADEX mission.
  • A single rocket will launch both satellites into space, placing them in slightly different orbits.
  • The satellites will carefully align with each other to perform a ‘space handshake’ and connect.
• Significance of SPADEX
  • SPADEX is unique because it focuses on developing indigenous, scalable, and cost-effective docking technology.
  • It is crucial for India’s future space missions, including Gaganyaan, India’s first manned mission.

Brown Dwarf Stars

Context: Recently, researchers took a closer look at the first brown dwarf discovered and found that it’s actually two brown dwarfs orbiting astonishingly close to each other while also circling a small star. The research papers were published in the Astrophysical Journal Letters.

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About Brown Dwarf

• Brown Dwarfs are often referred to as “failed stars” because they are lighter than stars but heavier than gas giant planets. 
• They share some characteristics with stars, but due to their insufficient mass, they cannot sustain nuclear fusion in their core like regular stars.

Key Characteristics of Brown Dwarfs

• Formation and Fusion:
  • Brown dwarfs form like stars but do not reach the critical mass required to ignite nuclear fusion of hydrogen at their core.
  • They can, however, fuse deuterium (a heavy isotope of hydrogen) during their early stages, unlike gas giant planets.
  • Over time, this fusion ceases as the deuterium is depleted, and the brown dwarf cools and fades.
• Definition:
  • Brown dwarfs are defined as objects that can burn deuterium but not the most common form of hydrogen.
  • They have a mass range between the heaviest gas giant planets (like Jupiter) and the lightest stars, typically between 13 and 80 times the mass of Jupiter.
• Atmosphere:
  • Brown dwarfs have atmospheres with clouds, but unlike Earth’s water clouds, their clouds are composed of much hotter materials, like silicate particles or molten metals. These clouds can form at extreme temperatures.
• Energy Production:
  • In the first few million years, both stars and brown dwarfs produce energy by fusing deuterium. 
  • As brown dwarfs lack sufficient mass for sustained fusion, they eventually cool and dim over time, distinguishing them from stars.