Current Affairs - Technology

Muse Spark is the latest artificial intelligence model launched by Meta as part of its new Superintelligence Labs initiative. It is designed to power the Meta AI assistant and assist users with a variety of everyday tasks, such as estimating calories from food images, visualising objects in different settings, and answering questions across multiple subjects. Despite being a compact and fast model, it demonstrates the ability to handle complex queries. While it has received mixed feedback from experts regarding performance benchmarks, Meta continues to improve its capabilities and plans to expand its usage across platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook.

NASA conducted the Artemis II mission, which set a new record for the farthest distance travelled by humans from Earth, surpassing the Apollo 13 mission’s record from 1970. The mission used the Orion spacecraft and carried a four-member crew on a lunar flyby, reaching a peak distance of 252,752 miles. This achievement marks a significant milestone in space exploration and is part of the broader Artemis program, which aims to establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon and eventually enable missions to Mars.

Dhruva Space, a Hyderabad-based aerospace company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) to collaborate on space-grade solar panels. This partnership focuses on the design, manufacturing, testing, and supply of solar panels for satellite applications. Dhruva Space will benefit from NSIL’s expertise in program management and quality assurance, which are crucial for global space missions. The collaboration aims to strengthen India’s position in the international space market, especially as global demand for satellite components continues to grow, and to support the expansion of India’s space technology capabilities.

Meghalaya has signed a Letter of Intent with Starlink India to introduce satellite-based internet services aimed at improving connectivity in remote and hilly regions. The initiative uses Low-Earth Orbit satellites to overcome the challenges posed by difficult terrain, where traditional infrastructure is hard to establish. Initially, a pilot phase will assess the performance and reliability of the technology before wider implementation. The project is expected to benefit sectors such as education, healthcare, disaster management, and economic development, while also enhancing communication in border and underserved areas.

Mappls App will be used to map and locate authorised Aadhaar centres through a collaboration between the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) and MapmyIndia. The integration ensures accurate and official listings of Aadhaar service points across the country. Users will be able to search for centres based on specific services such as new enrollment, child enrollment, and updates to address or mobile numbers. This initiative enhances accessibility and convenience for citizens by providing reliable, service-specific location data and is expected to become fully operational in the coming months.