Science & Technology Current Affairs - 2026-08-10

Background: India's human spaceflight program, Gaganyaan, aims to send astronauts to space. The first mission, Gaganyaan-1, is scheduled for a later date. Current Context: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has announced the preliminary timeline for the Gaganyaan-2 mission, targeting a launch in late 2027. This mission will focus on longer duration spaceflight and advanced life support systems. Impact: The announcement signifies ISRO's commitment to sustained human presence in space and further development of indigenous space capabilities, crucial for future interplanetary missions and scientific research.

Background: Accurate and timely prediction of drought is crucial for agricultural planning and disaster management in India. Traditional methods often face limitations in precision and lead time. Current Context: Researchers have developed a novel Artificial Intelligence (AI) based system that leverages satellite imagery, meteorological data, and historical climate patterns to predict drought conditions with significantly higher accuracy and an extended forecast horizon of up to six months. Impact: This advanced AI system is expected to provide farmers and policymakers with critical early warnings, enabling better resource management, crop planning, and mitigation strategies to reduce the socio-economic impact of droughts.

Background: India is developing its own satellite-based navigation system, NavIC, to reduce reliance on foreign systems. Augmentation systems are crucial for enhancing the accuracy and integrity of satellite navigation signals. Current Context: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has successfully completed initial trials of a new indigenous Satellite-Based Augmentation System (SBAS) designed to improve the precision of NavIC for aviation purposes. The system integrates ground-based reference stations with satellite communication. Impact: This development is a significant step towards achieving full self-reliance in satellite navigation for critical applications like aviation, potentially leading to enhanced safety, efficiency, and reduced operational costs for Indian airlines.