Current Affairs - Technology

China achieved a historic milestone by successfully retrieving samples from the far side of the moon through its Chang’e 6 spacecraft mission. This accomplishment marks China as the first nation to achieve a sample return from this rarely explored lunar region, positioning itself prominently in the global competition for space exploration and lunar research. The samples retrieved from the moon’s South Pole-Aitken Basin are expected to provide valuable insights into lunar geology and history, advancing our understanding of the moon's evolution and potential for future exploration missions.

The James Webb Telescope, launched in December 2021, recently captured gas jets from newborn stars for the first time. This telescope's advanced infrared capabilities enabled it to penetrate dense dust in the Serpens Nebula, located 1,300 light-years away, revealing intricate details of star formation processes that were previously inaccessible to other telescopes.

Manav Rachna University (MRU) partnered with ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) and NARL (National Atmospheric Research Laboratory) to install Delhi NCR's first Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver. This collaboration aims to boost research in atmospheric and space sciences at MRU, providing students from engineering and science departments with practical experience in satellite navigation technology.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has partnered with IIIT Delhi to utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve road sign availability and safety on National Highways. This collaboration involves leveraging AI technologies to survey, classify, and assess the condition of road signs across approximately 25,000 kilometres of National Highways, aiming to enhance safety standards through data-driven interventions.

Dhruva Space's Thybolt-1 and Thybolt-2 satellites were launched by ISRO's PSLV C54 in November 2022. These satellites completed 15,000 orbits around Earth as part of their mission, marking a significant achievement for the Hyderabad-based space tech startup in satellite technology and deployment.