Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

Notes:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Vepdegestrant for Estrogen Receptor 1 (ESR1)-mutated, ER-positive, Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-negative advanced breast cancer. It is the world’s first FDA-approved therapy based on PROTAC (Proteolysis-Targeting Chimera) technology. PROTACs are designed to degrade harmful proteins rather than merely block them. A PROTAC molecule binds the target protein and an E3 ligase, triggering targeted protein degradation via the cell’s protein disposal system. Unlike conventional drugs, PROTACs act catalytically, allowing one molecule to degrade multiple target proteins.

Notes:
SpaceX successfully launched BOHR (Betavoltaic Orbital High-Reliability), described as the world’s first commercially built nuclear-powered satellite. The satellite was developed by City Labs, a Florida-based company, and launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket during the Transporter-17 rideshare mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. BOHR uses NanoTritium betavoltaic technology, which generates electricity from the radioactive decay of tritium (radioactive hydrogen) using a semiconductor device. Unlike conventional satellites, BOHR demonstrates the potential of nuclear micropower systems for missions where sunlight is limited, although it still relies on solar panels for primary operations.

Notes:
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in collaboration with the Drone Federation India (DFI), launched NIDAR 2.0 (2026–27) under the SwaYaan initiative in New Delhi. The challenge promotes autonomous drone systems, indigenous avionics, and drone component innovation. Track 1 focuses on autonomous swarm drones for disaster management and GPS-denied navigation, while Track 2 focuses on indigenous flight controllers and autopilots using the VEGA processor. The SwaYaan initiative, approved in 2022 with an outlay of ₹89.87 crore, has trained over 51,000 people to strengthen India’s drone ecosystem.

Notes:
In July 2026, Russia successfully launched the Soyuz MS-29 crewed mission to the International Space Station (ISS) from the Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. The mission used the Soyuz-2.1a launch vehicle. The crew includes NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. The crew will spend about eight months aboard the ISS as part of Expedition 75, conducting scientific research, technology demonstrations, and microgravity experiments.

Notes:
World Sjögren’s Day is observed annually on 23 July. It has been observed since 2010 to raise awareness about Sjögren’s syndrome. Sjögren’s syndrome is a chronic autoimmune disease. It mainly affects the moisture-producing glands, causing dry eyes (xerophthalmia) and dry mouth (xerostomia). The disease may also affect the lungs, kidneys, joints, muscles, and nervous system. It is more common in women and may occur with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis. There is no cure, but the condition can be managed with treatment.

Notes:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has selected the PRAXIS Mission for NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) 2026 Phase I funding. PRAXIS stands for Planetary Rings Autonomous EXploration with In-situ Sampling. The mission aims to collect and analyse particles directly from planetary rings. It will study the ring systems of Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and ringed minor bodies like Chariklo and Chiron. The mission will use an AI-powered bio-inspired robotic explorer for autonomous navigation, particle sampling and on-site analysis. It plans to graze the ring plane to capture free-floating particles without deep entry.

Notes:
Sooty bark disease has been detected in British Columbia, Canada, affecting maple trees. The disease is caused by the fungus Cryptostroma corticale and was first reported in the region in 2022. It has spread from ornamental maple species to the native bigleaf maple, an important component of Canada’s West Coast ecosystem. The fungus can remain dormant for years and becomes active under hot and dry conditions, leading to tree death within about three years. Researchers are using genetic screening, tree testing, and field surveys to monitor the disease and assess risks to other maple species, including the sugar maple.

Notes:
eROSITA is a space-based X-ray telescope that maps the Universe by detecting X-ray emissions from high-energy celestial objects. Its second public data release contains nearly two million X-ray sources, making it one of the largest X-ray sky maps ever created. A team from the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, discovered the first known X-ray binary system in the Magellanic Bridge. The Magellanic Bridge is a stream of stars and gas connecting the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. The newly discovered system consists of a white dwarf accreting gas from a giant star, producing bright X-rays.

Notes:
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is NASA’s upcoming infrared space observatory, scheduled for launch on August 30, 2026, from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida. It is named after Nancy Grace Roman, an astronomer known as the “Mother of Hubble” for her role in establishing NASA’s space astronomy programme. Roman has a 2.4-metre primary mirror and can survey an area of the sky about 100 times larger than Hubble, while surveying the sky much faster. It will operate near the Sun–Earth Lagrange Point 2 (L2), about 1.5 million km from Earth. Its major objectives include studying dark energy, dark matter, exoplanets and galaxy evolution.

Notes:
China’s private aerospace company LandSpace successfully recovered the first stage of its Zhuque-3 orbital rocket on land, marking a major breakthrough in reusable rocket technology. The 66-metre Zhuque-3 launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre and placed a Honghu-3 internet satellite into orbit. Its nine-engine first stage returned and landed vertically at a recovery site in Minqin County, Gansu Province. Zhuque-3 uses liquid methane and liquid oxygen as propellants and employs landing legs for vertical recovery. China has now demonstrated two recovery methods: an offshore net-based recovery for Long March-10B and vertical land recovery for Zhuque-3.