Current Affairs - Technology

NASA is responsible for the PUNCH (Polarimeter to Unify the Corona and Heliosphere) mission, which focuses on studying the Sun's corona, an important aspect of solar activity. The mission is part of a broader trend of increasing solar studies due to the Sun's nearing solar maximum. Solar maximum, when solar activity is at its peak, can affect satellite communications and power grids. NASA's PUNCH mission is one of the three major solar missions initiated since 2023 to better understand solar phenomena such as sunspots, solar flares, and coronal mass ejections.

India and the United Kingdom have partnered to advance research on healthy brain ageing through the integration of AI, biomarkers, and diverse population studies. The collaboration involves the Centre for Brain Research (CBR) at IISc and the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI). Their focus is on understanding brain health, preventing cognitive decline, and improving early diagnosis and treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. The partnership also includes cross-institutional collaborations, structured internships, and resource-sharing to enhance global brain health research.

Google has unveiled Gemma 3, the latest addition to its family of lightweight open AI models. Gemma 3 is designed to run efficiently on devices such as smartphones, laptops, and other computing platforms, offering low-latency processing capabilities and multi-modal processing with text-only output. This innovation aims to enhance user experiences and provide developers with a scalable and efficient AI solution.

China has deployed a Large Phased Array Radar (LPAR) system in Yunnan province, enhancing its surveillance capabilities, especially regarding India’s strategic defence operations. The radar, with a detection range exceeding 5,000 kilometres, can monitor vast areas, including significant portions of Indian territory and the Indian Ocean region. This advanced radar system raises concerns for India due to its ability to track missile tests and monitor maritime activities. India has responded by strengthening its own radar capabilities and exploring counter-surveillance strategies.

NASA successfully launched its SPHEREx space telescope on March 11, 2025, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. This mission, valued at $488 million, aims to map the entire sky using infrared technology to study galaxy evolution, the early universe, and interstellar ice. Unlike other telescopes, SPHEREx will focus on the collective cosmic glow from all galaxies, providing unique insights into the universe's formation and expansion. NASA's role in this mission highlights its ongoing efforts to explore and understand the cosmos.