Current Affairs - Technology

The milestone of successfully landing a reused New Glenn booster marks a significant advancement in reusable rocket technology. This achievement demonstrates progress toward reducing the cost of space missions by enabling booster recovery and reuse. The mission was launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and showcased the booster named “Never Tell Me the Odds,” which landed safely after liftoff. Despite this success, the mission had a setback as the onboard BlueBird 7 satellite failed to reach its intended orbit. Overall, the accomplishment strengthens the company’s position in the competitive space industry alongside other reusable launch system developers.

IIT Kharagpur established the Vikram Sodhi Centre of Excellence for AI-Enabled Geological and Mining Systems to advance artificial intelligence applications in India’s mining sector. The centre focuses on areas such as mineral exploration, mine planning, predictive maintenance, and ESG analytics. Supported by a funding commitment of ₹15 crore over five years, it integrates academic research with real-world mining data through its Grand Challenges Programme. As the first Indian Institute of Technology, IIT Kharagpur continues to play a leading role in innovation, and this initiative aligns with its vision of contributing to industrial and technological advancement.

The development of the hafnium-oxide memristor was announced on April 17, 2026, by researchers from the University of Cambridge. This innovative device mimics brain-like synaptic behaviour by combining memory storage and processing into a single component, reducing energy consumption in AI systems by over 70%. Its efficient design replaces traditional architectures that rely on heavy data transfer between memory and processors. The use of hafnium oxide also ensures compatibility with existing semiconductor manufacturing, making the technology both practical and scalable for future applications.

Razorpay partnered with OpenAI to integrate payment capabilities directly into the Codex AI coding platform, enabling developers to embed payment gateways into applications in under five minutes. This innovation simplifies the process of monetisation by removing complex infrastructure requirements. The collaboration also supports AI-driven financial operations through ChatGPT, including tracking settlements and managing refunds. Additionally, Razorpay worked with NPCI to develop agentic payment systems, allowing AI to complete transactions on behalf of users, leveraging India’s robust digital payment ecosystem, handling billions of UPI transactions monthly.

The Second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) conducted by ISRO on April 10, 2026, involved a simulated Crew Module designed for the Gaganyaan mission. The module weighed approximately 5.7 tonnes, which closely matches the mass of the G1 uncrewed mission module. This test was crucial for validating the parachute-based deceleration system, ensuring safe landing during future missions. The module was lifted to an altitude of 3 km using an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter before being dropped. The successful test confirmed the readiness of critical systems required for India’s first human spaceflight mission.