Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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SpaceX successfully launched the COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation–Flight Model 3 (CSG-FM3) Earth Observation Satellite for the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and the Italian Ministry of Defence using a Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. This mission marked the third satellite in the COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation series, the first SpaceX launch of 2026, and the first orbital rocket launch globally in 2026. CSG-FM3 is part of Italy’s advanced COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation constellation, developed to strengthen global radar imaging and Earth observation capabilities.

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NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope discovered a new astronomical object named Cloud-9. Cloud-9 is a starless, gas-rich, dark-matter-dominated cloud, classified as a Reionization-Limited H I Cloud (RELHIC). It is located 14 million light-years from Earth, near the spiral galaxy Messier 94 (M94). The cloud is made of neutral hydrogen (H I) spanning about 4,900 light-years, with a mass approx 1 million times the Sun. Cloud-9’s dark matter mass is estimated at 5 billion solar masses. It is a relic of early galaxy formation, a “failed galaxy” that did not form stars.

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India’s largest oilseed crop, mustard, is under threat from the parasitic weed Orobanche aegyptiaca in Rajasthan and Haryana. Orobanche aegyptiaca, locally called Margoja, is a root-parasitic flowering weed that extracts water, carbon, and nutrients from crops, causing severe yield loss. It is native to the Mediterranean–West Asian region and has spread to South Asia, North Africa, and parts of Europe. The weed thrives in north-western India and its seeds remain viable in soil for up to 20 years. It spreads via wind, irrigation, farm tools, and contaminated soil.

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Odisha plans to launch India’s first state-wide Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) registry by 31 March, marking a national first. The registry will help the government assess CKD prevalence and design targeted action plans and health programmes. A state task force and a technical working group with experts from health institutes, research bodies, and departments have been formed. All health facilities, from Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to medical colleges, will report Chronic Kidney Disease cases. The National Informatics Centre (NIC) is developing the registry software.

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Recently, lunar regolith brought by China’s Chang’e-6 mission revealed that the Moon formed from the remains of an ancient collision with Earth. Chang’e-6 is China’s first human sampling and return mission from the Moon’s far side, part of the Chang’e lunar exploration program. It was launched on 3 May 2024 via Long March-5 rocket from Wenchang Space Launch Center, Hainan. The mission includes an orbiter, returner, lander, and ascender. The lander used sensors (microwave, laser, optical) and collected samples via drilling and a robotic arm. It is China’s second successful mission to the Moon’s far side after Chang’e-4 in 2019.

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A 29-year-old man in Karnataka died after contracting Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD), also called monkey fever. Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) is a tick-borne viral haemorrhagic disease mostly found in southern India, first reported in 1957 from Kyasanur Forest, Karnataka. The virus belongs to the family Flaviviridae, genus Flavivirus, part of the tick-borne encephalitis complex. It is called monkey fever due to its association with monkey deaths.

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The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) will launch three new ocean services: Jellyfish Artificial Intelligence Information Platform (JellyAIIP), SAMUDRA 2.0 Mobile Application, and Seamless Information Visualization and Analysis System (SIVAS) along with a new logo. It was established as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) and is located in Hyderabad, Telangana. It provides ocean information and advisory services through continuous ocean observations and focused research. It runs the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC), issuing tsunami alerts within 10 minutes for India and 28 Indian Ocean countries.

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India’s first government-supported National Biobank for Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSDs) was launched in February 2026 at the Foundation for Research in Genetics and Endocrinology (FRIGE) in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It is funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT). This facility stores biological samples and data from 530 patients across 15 states to advance research, develop affordable diagnostic tools, and improve treatment for rare metabolic disorders.

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A new meat-eating dinosaur named Spinosaurus mirabilis was discovered in the Sahara Desert. Its fossils were found in Jengueb area of Niger in the central Sahara. It lived about 95 million years ago in a forested inland region with rivers. It is the second known species of Spinosaurus. The first species, Spinosaurus aegyptiacus, was discovered in 1915 in Egypt.

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On the 40th Foundation Day of the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Union Minister Jitendra Singh launched “SUJVIKA”, an AI-driven Biotech Product Data Portal. It has been developed by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) in collaboration with Association of Biotechnology Led Enterprises (ABLE). SUJVIKA is a Trade Statistics Digital Intelligence Platform that provides authenticated and structured data on biotechnology product imports, offering sector-wise insights into biochemical products, industrial enzymes and other biotech imports.