Isro says space has no political designs

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) on Tuesday dismissed talks of a political motive behind the country’s first Mars mission, scheduled for November 5, saying that “there is no such design in space”.

Speaking to PTI just a few days ahead of the launch, Isro chairman K Radhakrishnan said, “critics can always say anything and nobody can stop but there is no such design in space. Space has definite time”.

The launch of the Mars Orbiter spacecraft is scheduled on November 5 at 2:36 pm (IST) onboard PSLV-C25 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota.
“After you conceive a project, it takes time. They are not politically-motivated schedules,” Radhakrishnan added.

Radhakrishnan, also the secretary in the department of space and the Space Commission chairman, was responding to the perception by some critics that the November Mars Orbiter Mission is timed to suit the prospects of the ruling dispensation at the Centre in an election year, as the venture is bound to generate a “feel-good factor” and “self-pride”.

From 1962 when the space programme started, there have been milestones and they are not designed for any of the political regimes, he added.

The countdown for the Mars Orbiter Mission would start on Sunday with the ISRO gearing up for the country’s first inter-planetary venture, hailed as a shining star in India’s space programme.

He said the mission readiness review is slated for November 1, following which the launch authorisation board would give its green signal for the odyssey.

“At that time we will look at the entire performance and the rehearsal and then authorise the countdown,” Radhakrishnan added.

The MOM is a Rs. 450-crore mission -- Rs. 110 crore for building PSLV-C25 that would launch the Rs. 150 crore spacecraft, with the remaining amount spent on augmenting ground segment, including those required for deep space communication.

Once launched, the spacecraft would go around the earth for about 25 days before embarking on November 30 on its 300-day voyage to Martian orbit where it’s planned to reach in September 2014.

The minimum life of the spacecraft around Mars is six months but it would certainly outlive it, as similar satellites orbited by other countries have sometimes lasted six-seven years, Isro officials said.

Radhakrishnan also said that he did not want to be known as the Mars man though his predecessor G Madhavan Nair carried the tag in some quarters as the ‘Moon Man’ after the success of moon mission, Chandrayaan-1

“I would like to be known as Isro Man. It’s the Isro team which is doing it -- PSLV, GSLV, Mars everything. So, I would like to be a part of that Isro team,” he added.

More: http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/isro-says-space-has-no-political-designs/article1-1144851.aspx

Sachin scores half-century as Mumbai eye thrilling win

Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday scored a half-century for Mumbai against Haryana in the Ranji Trophy at the Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium in Rohtak , even as wickets tumbled at the other end with victory in sight.
Mumbai, set a target of 240 to win, were 201/6 at stumps on Day 3, with Sachin batting on 55.

Tendulkar is probably playing his last first class match and received a standing ovation and a guard of honour when he entered the ground on the first day of the match.

More: http://www.hindustantimes.com/sports-news/cricket/tendulkar-55-not-out-keeps-mumbai-s-chances-alive/article1-1144896.aspx

Facebook can predict when you're headed for break up

Scientists have developed a Facebook algorithm which they say can accurately identify who you're dating and when you're in danger of breaking up.

The algorithm developed by a Cornell University professor and a senior Facebook engineer takes advantage of a new metric system called "disperson," which looks at connections between people who have different sets of friends.

Researchers say close friends are likely to share a lot of friends in common, which social scientists call "embeddedness".

The researchers used multiple sets of anonymous data, including a large data set from 1.3 million Facebook users.

They identified with 60 per cent accuracy who was dating whom, much better than the 2 per cent accuracy they'd get from random guessing, 'The Verge' reported.

High dispersion also seems to be correlated with longer relationships, researchers said.

Couples were 50 per cent more likely to break up in the next two months if the dispersion algorithm failed to guess that they were dating, the study found.

Resaerchers also looked at metrics such as how many times a user viewed another person's profile, attendance at the same events, and messages sent.

Dispersion turned out to be the most overall accurate metric for determining romantic relationships.

More: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/facebook-can-predict-when-youre-headed-for-break-up/431214-11.html

US spying: Senate intelligence committee orders review

The US Senate's intelligence committee has announced a major review of the country's surveillance operations.

The committee's chair, Diane Feinstein, said eavesdropping on leaders of friendly nations was wrong.

She said the White House had told her such surveillance would stop, but a senior administration official told the BBC there was no policy change so far.

Senior US intelligence agency officials are to testify before the House of Representatives later on Tuesday.

Correspondents say pressure is growing on the White House to explain why President Barack Obama apparently did not know about the extent of the intelligence gathering operations.

Mr Obama has spoken publicly of his intent to probe spying activities amid claims of eavesdropping on US allies.

It is my understanding that President Obama was not aware Chancellor Merkel's communications were being collected since 2002. That is a big problem”Dianne FeinsteinSenate Intelligence Committee chair

In a US TV interview, the US president said that national security operations were being reassessed to make sure the National Security Agency's (NSA) growing technical spying capability was kept under control.

"We give them policy direction," he told ABC's Fusion network.

"But what we've seen over the last several years is their capacities continue to develop and expand, and that's why I'm initiating now, a review to make sure that what they're able to do, doesn't necessarily mean what they should be doing."

An EU delegate in Washington has described the row over intelligence gathering as "a breakdown of trust".

German media has reported that the US bugged German Chancellor Angela Merkel's phone for more than a decade - and that the surveillance only ended a few months ago.'Totally opposed'

Ms Feinstein, who chairs the Senate intelligence panel, called for a "total review" of US intelligence programmes in light of the Merkel revelations.


Jay Carney: "There has been extraordinary change... in the way we transmit and gather information"

"With respect to NSA collection of intelligence on leaders of US allies - including France, Spain, Mexico and Germany - let me state unequivocally: I am totally opposed," she said in a statement.

"It is my understanding that President Obama was not aware Chancellor Merkel's communications were being collected since 2002. That is a big problem."

Senator Feinstein said the White House had told her that all surveillance of leaders of countries friendly to the US would stop.

However, the BBC's North America editor Mark Mardell says a senior administration official has told the BBC this is not accurate - and that while there have been individual changes - there have not been policy changes, such as terminating intelligence gathering aimed at allies.

Earlier, White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters that the administration "recognise[s] there needs to be additional constraints on how we gather and use intelligence".

Neither Mr Carney nor Mr Obama have commented on specific allegations that the US eavesdropped on international allies, including tapping the phones of foreign officials.

An across-the-board review of US intelligence resources is currently under way.

The head of the NSA, Gen Keith Alexander, and other experts are due to testify before the House of Representatives intelligence committee at 13:30 local time (17:30 GMT) on Tuesday.

The BBC's Jonny Dymond in Washington says tough questions can be expected from Congress as politicians of all stripes have been angered by the revelations of large scale intelligence gathering on both Americans and US allies.

The Associated Press quoted an unnamed administration official saying the Obama government was considering ending spying on allied heads of state.

The official said a final decision had still to be made, as the internal review was under way.Spying pact

Earlier on Monday, representatives from the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs spoke to members of the US Congress about the alleged US spying on European leaders and citizens.


What do people in Spain make of news 60 million calls were tracked?

The European delegation was reportedly unhappy with the "stock" responses from US officials on the issue.

Their visit coincided with reports that the US had monitored 60 million Spanish telephone calls in a month and asked the Japanese government to help it monitor fibre-optic cables carrying personal data through Japan, to the Asia-Pacific region.

According to Spain's El Mundo newspaper, the NSA tracked tens of millions of phone calls, texts and emails of Spanish citizens in December 2012 and January 2013.

The Japanese news agency Kyodo said Japan refused the NSA's request, citing legal restriction and staff shortages.

Mrs Merkel is also sending German intelligence officials to Washington.

The allegations of US surveillance on international allies stem from documents leaked by fugitive ex-US intelligence contractor Edward Snowden, now living in Russia.

The US has had a "no spying pact", known as Five Eyes, with Britain since just after World War II, with Australia, New Zealand and Canada later joining.

More: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-24722636