Current Affairs - Technology

SpaceX is leading the Polaris Dawn mission, which aims to achieve an orbital altitude of 870 miles, marking the highest since the 1970s. This mission is notable for including the first commercial spacewalk and conducting experiments on the effects of space travel on human health. Scheduled to launch from Florida using a Falcon 9 rocket, the mission represents a significant advancement in commercial space exploration capabilities, pushing boundaries and expanding possibilities in modern spaceflight.

The AI Audit Tool collaboration between ICAI and MeitY aims primarily to monitor corporate performance and detect fraud in corporate India. Additionally, as part of this initiative, over 9 lakh CA students will benefit from an AI-based GPT tool for exam preparation. This tool will provide access to questions spanning 75 years of accounting standards, facilitating comprehensive research and efficient preparation for examinations while advancing technological integration in professional education within the accounting domain.

India ranks fifth in Generative AI (GenAI) innovations, having accumulated 1,350 patents from 2014 to 2023. Despite being behind China, the US, the Republic of Korea, and Japan, India exhibits the highest annual growth rate in GenAI patent publications, indicating significant potential for future advancements in artificial intelligence technologies.

ISRO, the Indian Space Research Organisation, has shortlisted two of its four trained Gaganyaan astronauts to participate in the Axiom-4 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). This private spaceflight mission, operated by Axiom Space in collaboration with NASA, aims to advance commercial activities in space and conduct various scientific experiments in microgravity. The mission is scheduled for 2024 and will utilize a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket, highlighting ISRO's involvement in international space collaborations.

India has been designated as a partner country by the U.S.-based Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) for its human spaceflight program in collaboration with Blue Origin. This collaboration involves six citizen astronauts, including an Indian, who will undertake an 11-minute journey aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard suborbital rocket after undergoing training in West Texas.