Current Affairs - Technology

Japan launched the Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) mission in October 2026 to collect soil samples from Phobos, the larger and innermost moon of Mars. The spacecraft was launched aboard Japan’s H3 rocket from the Tanegashima Space Centre. The mission aims to collect at least 10 grams of material from Phobos to investigate its origin and determine whether Mars’s moons formed from a giant impact or were captured asteroids. The mission also includes the Idefix rover, developed by France and Germany, to survey the surface. The spacecraft is expected to return its samples to Earth in 2031.

Karmayogi Bharat signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with OpenAI to strengthen artificial intelligence training and capacity building across India’s civil services. Under this partnership, educational resources from OpenAI Academy will be made available to eligible government employees through the iGOT Karmayogi learning platform. Karmayogi Bharat is a 100% government-owned, not-for-profit Special Purpose Vehicle established by the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT). The platform has more than 1.7 crore registered government employees across the Centre, States and Union Territories. The initiative aims to develop practical AI skills, promote responsible AI adoption and improve technology-enabled public administration and citizen-centric services.

October 2030 is the proposed deadline for making Advanced Emergency Braking Systems (AEBS) mandatory in new car models in India. The proposal is being considered by the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways as part of a broader initiative to improve road safety. AEBS uses cameras, radar or other sensors to detect potential collisions and automatically apply the brakes when the driver does not respond adequately. Existing car models would reportedly have until October 2032 to comply. However, these deadlines remain proposals and are subject to official government notification. The system is intended to reduce accidents and minimise the severity of collisions.

IBM signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MeitY Startup Hub (MSH) in October 2026 to accelerate the development and commercialisation of deep-tech startups in India. The partnership focuses on high-growth sectors such as Enterprise AI, Hybrid Cloud, and Quantum Computing. Participating startups will gain access to IBM's technology platforms, including watsonx for enterprise AI and data, IBM Bob for AI-driven coding, and IBM Sovereign Core for digital sovereignty. The initiative also aims to identify and support innovators from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Additional support includes technical guidance, mentorship, skilling programmes, and enterprise proof-of-concept projects in sectors such as banking, finance, and government services.

Gaganyaan is India’s human spaceflight programme developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Its primary objective is to demonstrate India’s capability to send Indian astronauts into low Earth orbit and return them safely to Earth. The programme focuses on human-rated launch vehicles, crew safety, life support systems, spacecraft navigation and recovery operations. The first uncrewed G1 mission is intended to test critical systems before human spaceflight. On October 16, 2026, ISRO successfully completed Crew Module–Service Module separation tests at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Kerala. These tests help verify the reliability of spacecraft mechanisms and support the safe return of the Crew Module.