It takes approximately 50 minutes to fully reload an S-400 launcher, though highly trained crews can reduce this to 30 minutes. The process requires a specialised 22T6 transloader crane, creating a dangerous vulnerability window during combat.

How long does it take to reload an S-400 launcher?

From Muttiah Muralitharan to Malcolm Marshall, here's a look at top five bowlers fastest to take 300 wickets in Test cricket. This list also includes Ravichandran Ashwin, Dennis Lillee and Richard Hadlee

Meet top 5 bowlers fastest to 300 Test wickets

To intercept an ICBM, an S-400 missile would need to exceed Mach 20 (24,000 km/h) to catch the hypersonic re-entry vehicle. The current 40N6E missile peaks at Mach 14, forcing Russia to build the S-500 Prometheus for true intercontinental defence.

How fast would an S-400 missile need to be to intercept an ICBM?

An ICBM is significantly faster than any S-400 missile. Strategic ICBMs reach staggering velocities of Mach 20 to Mach 25 (30,000 km/h) in space, easily outpacing the S-400's fastest interceptor, the 40N6E, which peaks at Mach 14 (17,000 km/h).

ICBM vs S-400 missile: Which one is actually faster?

The S-400's famous 400-km range only applies to aircraft. Against ballistic missiles, its protection envelope shrinks to a 60-km radius (11,300 sq km) due to the extreme speed of incoming threats, forcing it into a strict point-defence role.

How much territory could an S-400 actually protect from a ballistic missile?

'I'll bleed to death': Ex-ISRO chief who landed India on Moon, opens up on his battle with cancer

Discovery

Importance

Challenges of Chemotherapy

Doctors' Warning Against Travel

Defying Medical Advice

Focus on Work

Perspective on Cancer

Former ISRO chairman Dr S Somanath revealed that he discovered his cancer on the morning of the Aditya-L1 launch. Insisting on an ultrasound scan, he was informed of a potential issue.

'1.9 million kmph': Scientists discover exoplanet travelling 6 times faster than the speed of light

High-Speed Star-Planet System 

Super-Neptune

Microlensing Phenomenon

 A Rogue Planet and Its Moon 

Star’s High Speed 

Future Observations

Upcoming Missions 

NASA researchers have identified a potential exoplanet orbiting a hypervelocity star travelling at 1.2 million miles per hour (1.9 million km/h). If confirmed, this would be the fastest known star-planet system ever observed.

'Speed of 37,074 kmph': NASA confirms Asteroid 2025 BX1 set for close Earth approach tomorrow

Asteroid 2025 BX1

Size, Speed, and Distance

Not Classified as Hazardous

NASA’s Efforts

Potential Impact

No Threat

Planetary Defence Research 

NASA has identified an asteroid, 2025 BX1, approximately 150 feet wide, approaching Earth for a close flyby on 16 February 2025 at 10:38 AM IST. Experts confirm that it poses no immediate threat.

'Real danger': NASA’s James Webb Telescope to study asteroid that might collide with Earth in 7 years

Webb to Examine Asteroid’s Composition

Analysis 

Early Observations 

Webb’s Role

Observation Challenges 

Next Close Approach

2032 Impact Risk

Scientists are monitoring the possibility of an Earth impact in 2032. However, radar observations will only be possible in 2032, just months before a potential impact. Data collected in the coming months will be crucial for refining impact probability assessments.


'Lifting a pencil will become workout': NASA's Sunita Williams to battle gravity upon returning to Earth

Return from Extended Mission 

Readjusting to Gravity 

Effects of Gravity

Muscle and Bone Loss 

Fluid Redistribution

Gradual Adaptation

Scheduled Return 

Astronaut Sunita Williams is set to return to Earth after spending over eight months aboard the International Space Station (ISS).


Climate change is increasing the spread of dengue around the world: Report

Weather's Role

Dengue Cases

Link Between Rainfall and Dengue

Analysing Weather Impact

Temperature and Rainfall

Dry Season

Implications

A study published in Science Advances has confirmed that temperature and rainfall are key factors influencing the spread of dengue fever. Researchers analysed data to understand how climate variations impact mosquito populations and disease transmission.

'Earth depends on you': China starts recruitment for defence against an asteroid that could hit our planet

China Begins Hiring

YR4 Asteroid Collision

Requirements for New Recruits

Public Reaction

Expanding Planetary Defence Efforts

Asteroid Deflection Missions

Global Cooperation

China’s State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) has launched a recruitment drive for a new planetary defence force. 


ISRO to send 'fruit flies' into space along with astronauts on Gaganyaan mission

India’s Human Spaceflight Programme

Role of Fruit Flies

Genetic Similarity to Humans

Research Focus on Kidney Stones

Collaborative Research Effort

Potential Applications 

 Impact

The Gaganyaan mission, led by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), aims to send Indian astronauts into space on an indigenous spacecraft. This mission places India among a select group of nations with human spaceflight capabilities.


'India at risk': UN activates planetary defence protocols against an asteroid that may hit Earth in 7 years

2024 YR4’s Expected Path

Possible Impact Zones

 Size and Classification

Potential Impact Consequences

Possibility of Evacuations

Past Asteroid Threats

Global Response

Scientists have mapped potential impact locations based on its trajectory and velocity. The asteroid could strike regions in northern South America, the Pacific Ocean, southern Asia, the Arabian Sea, and parts of Africa. Countries at risk include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Sudan, Nigeria, Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador.

'Rogue AI' warning issued as machines begin self-replication in China

AI Self-Replication

Self-Cloning

Real-World Conditions

AI Models

Unexpected Behaviour

Peer-Reviewed

Calls for Regulation

A new study by scientists from Fudan University suggests that artificial intelligence (AI) models have successfully replicated themselves without human intervention


‘1 month more’: NASA moves up Sunita Williams’ return to Earth by a week

Return Date

Extended Stay

SpaceX Crew Dragon

Crew 10 Launch

SpaceX Capsule

Political Controversy

Good Health Despite Concerns

NASA has announced that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams will return to Earth in March 2025 after an extended stay on the International Space Station (ISS).

‘78.5 times Earth’s mass’: Indian scientists discover giant exoplanet with a 6-day year

Ahmedabad-Based Scientists

Planet’s Size and Mass

Orbit and Host Star

 Part of a Binary System

Indian-Made Spectrograph

Planet’s Composition and Structure

Potential for Further Studies

A team from the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) in Ahmedabad has identified a new exoplanet, TOI-6038A b, located outside the Solar System. 

'Runs on radiation': This tiny cosmic object will travel through interstellar space at astonishing speeds

Radiation Pressure

Laser-Powered Lightsails

Force of Light

Interferometer

Heat-Resistant Lightsails

Self-Correcting Lightsails

Interstellar Exploration

Lightsails operate by harnessing radiation pressure from a light source, such as the Sun or lasers, to propel a spacecraft. Though photons have no mass, they transfer momentum upon impact with a surface.

'13,000 times bigger than Milky Way': Astronomers discover the largest known object in the universe

Cosmic Superstructure

Incan Measuring System

Comparison

Network of Superclusters

Galactic Motion

Cosmic Formation

 Implications for Cosmology

Astronomers have discovered a vast cosmic formation named "Quipu," spanning 1.3 billion light-years. The structure is significantly larger than previously known galaxy clusters.

Want to win $1 million? Decipher this 5,000-year-old mystery from India

Indus Script Deciphering

5,000-Year-Old Mystery

Deciphering Effort

The Challenges

Expert Theories

Risk of Political Bias

Breakthrough Continues

The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M.K. Stalin, has offered a $1 million reward to anyone who can successfully decipher the script of the ancient Indus Valley civilisation. 

Sanskrit wasn’t born in India? Scientists discover a different country as the language’s origin

Language Origins

Common Ancestor

Ancient DNA

Yamnaya Culture

Migration Waves 

 Cultural Adaptation

Aryan Migration Hypothesis

Two research papers published in Nature by scientists from Russia and Ukraine provide new evidence supporting the theory that the Indo-European language family, including Sanskrit, Hindi, and Urdu, originated outside India. 

'600 million light-years away': ESA's Euclid Telescope discovers nearest known Einstein ring 

Einstein Ring Identified

Predicted by Einstein in 1936

NGC 6505

Discovered by Euclid Telescope 

Exceptionally Bright

General Relativity

Possible Dark Matter

Astronomers have discovered the nearest known Einstein ring, a gravitational lensing phenomenon where light from a distant galaxy is bent by the gravity of a closer galaxy. 

'600 million light-years away': ESA's Euclid Telescope discovers nearest known Einstein ring

World's fastest computer 'El Capitan' begins operation for nuclear and defence research

Supercomputer

Nuclear Testing

Focus Areas

Performance and Benchmark

Orbital Characteristics

CORAL-2 Programme

The world’s fastest supercomputer, El Capitan, has been officially launched at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California. 

'2,600 Kelvin': NASA successfully tests nuclear fuel for future space missions

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion

 Fuel Endurance

High Temperatures

First-of-Its-Kind

Faster Space Travel

NASA and DARPA

Deep Space Exploration

NASA and General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) have successfully tested a new nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) fuel at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama. 

‘Balloons and flying robots’: NASA’s brand new strategy to explore Venus could be a game changer

Exploration Strategies

Upcoming Missions

Understanding Venus

Advanced Technologies

Aerial Exploration

Lander Longevity

Future Challenges

The Venus Exploration Analysis Group (VExAG) is working with NASA and international scientists to refine strategies for studying Venus. 

'20 light-years away': Scientists discover a new Earth-like world in the habitable zone

Super-Earth

 Initial Uncertainty

Long-Term Data Analysis

Future Space Missions

Scientific Significance

Next Steps in Research

HD 20794 d, a planet with six times Earth's mass, orbits a sun-like star 20 light years away. Its position within the habitable zone suggests conditions that could allow liquid water to exist.

‘Cinematic voyage of space’: Why Interstellar in IMAX is a must-watch

Nolan's Interstellar

Filmed for IMAX

Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar has returned to IMAX in India, offering audiences an opportunity to experience the film as it was originally intended. Designed for large-format screens with immersive sound, the film’s visual and auditory elements are significantly enhanced in an IMAX setting. 

science technology

Photos

How long does it take to reload an S-400 launcher?

Meet top 5 bowlers fastest to 300 Test wickets

How fast would an S-400 missile need to be to intercept an ICBM?

ICBM vs S-400 missile: Which one is actually faster?

How much territory could an S-400 actually protect from a ballistic missile?