Current Affairs - Technology

Skyroot Aerospace signed a multi-launch agreement with Kerala-based HEX20 on August 10, 2026, for three dedicated Vikram-series space missions. The missions are scheduled to begin in Q4 of 2027 and will support HEX20’s Earth-observation constellation, in-orbit payload demonstrations, and rideshare services for third-party spacecraft. The agreement follows Skyroot’s successful July 18, 2026, launch of Vikram-1, described as India’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket. Headquartered in Hyderabad, Skyroot Aerospace aims to increase its launch capacity to 12 missions annually. Vikram-1 uses in-house propulsion and composite structures designed for small-satellite launches.

Bengaluru was the location where Astrobase Space Technologies unveiled India’s first privately-built 800kN Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) liquid oxygen-methane rocket engine, named Everest, on August 7, 2026. The engine produces 800 kN of thrust and has a specific impulse of 340 seconds. It is designed for reusable medium-lift launch vehicles and features a throttle range of 50% to 110%. Astrobase plans to manufacture 50 engines annually and aims to support launch-on-demand missions. The company, headquartered in Bengaluru, was established in 2024 and specialises in propulsion systems, test infrastructure, and reusable space technologies.

DigiLocker was used as part of the technology framework for the AAERI Verify platform, launched through a partnership between the National e-Governance Division (NeGD) and the Association of Australian Education Representatives in India (AAERI). The platform enables secure, paperless, and consent-based verification of academic, identity, and financial documents for Indian students applying to Australian universities. DigiLocker provides direct access to digitally signed records from issuing authorities. It is a flagship Digital Public Infrastructure initiative under the Digital India programme and currently serves more than 72 crore registered users, offering secure storage and real-time verification of digital documents.

HAL Airport in Bengaluru became the first airport in India to operationalise a satellite-guided helicopter approach procedure on August 7, 2026. The procedure uses Required Navigation Performance Category H (RNP CAT H), a specialised satellite-based navigation system designed specifically for helicopters. Developed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), it was validated by HAL test pilots and approved by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The system reduces helicopter approach time from around 12 minutes to approximately 4 minutes and enables accurate flight paths around terrain and urban obstacles. It is particularly useful for air ambulance and search-and-rescue operations.

China became the first country to complete a full life-cycle, or seed-to-seed, harvest of rice in a microgravity environment aboard the Tiangong Space Station. The achievement was completed by astronauts of the Shenzhou-23 mission on August 5, 2026, at an orbital altitude of about 400 kilometres above Earth. The experiment used specialised plant growth chambers to regulate light, temperature, humidity and nutrient delivery. The research aims to support sustainable food production during future long-duration human missions to the Moon and Mars, while also studying the genetic stability and regeneration capabilities of crops grown in microgravity.