Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch the first uncrewed Gaganyaan mission (G1) in December 2025. The mission will carry Vyommitra, a female half-humanoid robot. Vyommitra will monitor the module, issue alerts, and manage life-support operations. ISRO plans five launches in 2025 and four in 2026. Upcoming launches include Oceansat-3A, NVS-03 (Navigation Satellite), TDS-01 (Technology Demonstration Satellite), and BlueBird Block 2. ISRO declared 2025 as “Gaganyaan Year” to highlight its human-spaceflight ambitions. The mission is a key step towards India’s future crewed space missions.

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Matanomadh, a remote village in Kutch district, Gujarat, may serve as a test bed for ISRO’s Mangalyaan-2 mission to Mars. Researchers from Space Applications Centre (SAC) Ahmedabad, Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU), and Birbal Sahni Institute of Palaeosciences, Lucknow dated jarosite mineral in Matanomadh to 55 million years (Paleocene period). Jarosite is a yellow, iron-rich sulphate mineral, similar to those found on Mars, indicating past water activity. The site allows field-analogue studies for Mars, including rover testing, drilling, geochemistry, and astrobiology research. The discovery can help decode Martian geology, past chemical interactions, and organic molecule trapping, aiding future Mars missions.

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Prime Minister of India welcomed the agreement between Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) for the Chandrayaan-5 mission under the Lunar Polar Exploration (LUPEX) programme. LUPEX is jointly developed by ISRO and JAXA to explore the Moon’s southern polar region. The mission aims to investigate the presence of water and other elements, potentially as surface ice, and demonstrate innovative surface exploration technologies. It features a lander developed by ISRO and a rover developed by JAXA. The rover will autonomously search for water-rich areas, drill, sample soil, and analyze it with onboard instruments.

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Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT Hyderabad) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Army Training Command (ATC), Shimla. The partnership establishes a Centre of Excellence (CoE) named VIGRAHA (Virtual, Intelligent, Ground-breaking Research in AR/VR and High-tech Applications for Indian Army). The Simulator Development Division (SDD), Secunderabad represents the Indian Army in this collaboration. The CoE will focus on Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics, unmanned systems, and emerging defense technologies. The initiative strengthens India’s self-reliance (Atmanirbhar Bharat) in defense technologies.

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A viral infection called Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is spreading rapidly among children in Delhi and Haryana, prompting advisories. It is a highly contagious illness caused by a virus. It causes blister-like rashes on hands and feet, painful mouth sores, and sometimes rashes on chest, back, arms, legs, genitals, and buttocks. It mostly affects infants and children under 5 years, spreading quickly in schools and daycare. It is different from foot-and-mouth disease in animals, caused by a different virus. Transmission happens through unwashed hands, saliva, mucus, feces, or blister fluid. No cure or vaccine exists; recovery usually takes 7–10 days with basic care. Complications are rare, but children under 2 may take longer to recover.

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Scientists at the University of Tasmania, Australia, developed a portable ion chromatograph called Aquamonitrix to perform ion separation in the field. The device was tested by undergraduate students who analysed soil pore water for harmful nitrate and nitrite ions immediately after collection. Results were comparable to expensive lab-based chromatographs, proving accuracy with lower cost and time. Aquamonitrix uses sodium chloride solution and a UV absorbance detector, making it simple, eco-friendly, and effective. The portable device costs about $10,000 versus $100,000 for conventional lab instruments. It provides hands-on field experience for students, linking theory with real-world environmental analysis.

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Mosquito-borne diseases like dengue fever are rising due to rapid urbanisation, climate change, and global travel. A new study published on 3 September in Science Translational Medicine shows waning immunity against Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV) can worsen dengue outcomes. Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a viral zoonotic disease caused by the Japanese Encephalitis (B) virus. Transmission occurs through infected Culex mosquitoes of the Vishnui group, not from human to human. It is most common in rural Asia, especially during monsoon seasons. Both viruses belong to the genus Orthoflavivirus and show cross-immune interactions.

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Agnikul Cosmos, a spacetech startup, commissioned India’s first private large-format additive manufacturing facility for aerospace and rocket systems. The facility was launched at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) Research Park in Chennai. It combines design, simulation, 3D printing, post-processing, and testing under one roof to speed up development and cut costs. For the first time in India, aerospace parts up to 1 metre in height can be 3D-printed.

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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has developed a cost-effective, single-stage test vehicle powered by the Vikas engine. The vehicle is designed to validate the Crew Escape System (CES) for astronaut safety. Crew Escape System (CES) is an emergency escape system that pulls the crew module with astronauts to a safe distance in case of launch failure. The Crew Escape System (CES) is of two types based on the method of extracting the crew module. The Puller type CES pulls the crew module away from the launch vehicle and is used in India’s Gaganyaan mission. The Pusher type CES pushes the crew module away from the launch vehicle using compact, high-thrust liquid-fuel engines and is used in vehicles like SpaceX’s Falcon 9.

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Recently, the PUNCH Space Mission, launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), observed solar winds. PUNCH stands for Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere. Its aim is to study the Sun’s corona (outer atmosphere) and solar wind as a unified system. The mission has four small satellites in low Earth orbit. They make 3D global observations of the inner heliosphere and map the transition where the corona becomes solar wind.