Science & Technology Current Affairs MCQs

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Indian astronomers recently photographed interstellar comet C/2025 N1 (ATLAS), also called 3I/ATLAS, using the Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT) in Hanle, Ladakh. The telescope is part of the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), also known as Hanle Observatory. Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO) is located in the Hanle Valley, Ladakh, at 4500 metres above sea level. It was inaugurated in 2001 and is managed by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bengaluru. The observatory is situated in a dry, cold desert with minimal human interference and clear skies.

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Recently, the European Space Agency (ESA) launched the INVICTUS research programme. The INVICTUS research program is an initiative of the European Space Agency (ESA), in collaboration with the UK-based Frazer-Nash Consultancy. The goal is to develop hypersonic technologies for future reusable vehicles with horizontal launch capability. It is funded by ESA’s General Support Technology Programme (GSTP) and Technology Development Element (TDE). It will test key technologies for sustained hypersonic flight in Earth’s atmosphere.

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In July 2025, Kerala’s rubber plantations faced a major threat from a beetle-fungus alliance causing severe leaf fall, tree drying, and reduced latex output. Researchers at the Kerala Forest Research Institute, Thrissur, identified the parasite as the ambrosia beetle (Euplatypus parallelus). It hosts two fungi — Fusarium ambrosia and Fusarium solani, marking the first report of F. solani with adult ambrosia beetles. The beetles bore tunnels in trees, farm fungi, and feed on fungal mycelia, while fungi weaken the tree’s structure with enzymes. These beetles were first reported in India in 2012 from cashew trees in Goa.

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Recently, India and the United States marked their first space collaboration with the successful launch of NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) by ISRO’s GSLV-F16 rocket. GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) injected NISAR into the Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit (SSPO) at around 745 km altitude in a 19-minute flight. The NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) is the world’s first Earth observation satellite mission between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It will study land deformation, ice movement, ecosystems, and oceanic regions with high precision.

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Recently, Bengaluru-based space company Protoplanet launched the Human Outer Planetary Exploration (HOPE) station in Ladakh’s Tso Kar region. HOPE is a moon and Mars simulation research station mimicking off-Earth terrain and environment. It is located in the high-altitude cold desert of Tso Kar basin, Ladakh. The project is developed by Protoplanet with technical and financial support from Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It aims to study human psychological, physiological, and epigenetic responses in extreme isolation. It supports India’s long-term space goals including a crewed lunar mission by 2040 and a space station by 2035.

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Indian space-tech startup Dhruva Space is set to launch its first commercial satellite mission named LEAP-1. LEAP-1 will carry payloads for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Earth observation. It uses the indigenously developed P-30 satellite platform, which was space-qualified on ISRO’s PSLV-C58 in January 2024 during the LEAP-TD mission. The mission is jointly developed by Dhruva Space, Akula Tech (Australia), and Esper Satellites (Australia).

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The World Health Organization (WHO) and International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have classified Hepatitis D virus (HDV) as carcinogenic to humans, alongside Hepatitis B (HBV) and Hepatitis C (HCV). HBV, HCV, and HDV infect over 300 million people globally, causing 1.3 million deaths annually from liver cirrhosis and cancer. HDV affects about 5% of chronic HBV patients, mainly in Asia, Africa, Amazon Basin, and high-risk groups like drug users and haemodialysis patients. Co-infection with HBV raises liver cancer risk 2–6 times; 75% may develop cirrhosis within 15 years. No separate HDV vaccine exists; prevention relies on universal HBV vaccination and testing.

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Union Minister of State for Science & Technology Jitendra Singh inaugurated India’s first ‘Animal Stem Cell Biobank’ at National Institute of Animal Biotechnology (NIAB), Hyderabad. NIAB is under Department of Biotechnology’s Biotechnology Research Innovation Council (BRIC). The Biobank will store high-quality stem cells from various animal species and supply cost-effective culture media to veterinary clinics, research bodies, and industry.

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On 15 August 2025, Chinese commercial aerospace company Geespace successfully completed the fourth orbital deployment of GEESATCOM (Geely Constellation) by launching 11 satellites from waters off Rizhao, Shandong Province aboard a single rocket. All satellites entered their planned 600 km orbits and are operating normally. GEESATCOM, independently developed and operated by Geespace, supports satellite Internet of Things (IoT) testing and inter-satellite communications. It also provides Earth observation for ecological and environmental monitoring.

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Russia announced plans to launch the Venera-D mission to revisit Venus before 2036. Preliminary design work will begin in January 2026 under the new national space programme. The mission is being developed in collaboration with the Lavochkin Association. It will include a lander, a balloon probe, and an orbital spacecraft for comprehensive study of Venus. The design phase will take two years to complete. The launch is expected between 2034 and 2036, with the exact date decided after the design phase.