General Awareness

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY - September 2024

Sep 2024

Dec 22, 2025

Michaela Benthaus Becomes First Wheelchair User in Space

A German paraplegic engineer, Michaela Benthaus, became the first wheelchair user to travel to space. She joined five other passengers on a Blue Origin flight from west Texas. Benthaus, who was severely injured in a mountain bike accident seven years earlier, joined with Hans Koenigsmann, a former SpaceX executive who helped organize the mission and sponsor Benthaus’s trip. The historic flight highlighted inclusive space exploration and demonstrated how adaptive technologies enable people with disabilities to participate in high-profile science missions.

Benthaus first wheelchair user in space
Blue Origin flight from West Texas
Hans Koenigsmann helped organize and sponsor
Demonstrates inclusive space exploration

Starbucks Names Anand Varadarajan as Chief Technology Officer

Starbucks has named Anand Varadarajan, an Indian-origin technology executive, as its next Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. Varadarajan will assume the role on January 19 and join Starbucks' Executive Leadership Team, reporting directly to Chief Executive Officer Brian Niccol. He succeeds Deb Hall Lefevre, who retired in September. A nearly two-decade veteran of Amazon, Varadarajan most recently led technology and supply chain for Amazon’s Worldwide Grocery Stores. Earlier stints include software engineering at Oracle and work with several startups. His appointment underscores the global reach of Indian-origin tech leaders in multinational firms. The move signals continued emphasis on digital platforms, data analytics, and customer experience.

Anand Varadarajan appointed EVP & CTO of Starbucks
Takes charge January 19; reports to CEO Brian Niccol
Succeeds Deb Hall Lefevre (retired Sept)
Former Amazon tech leader with ~19 years in the company
Prior roles include Oracle software engineer and startup work

James Webb Telescope Detects Lemon-Shaped Exoplanet PSR J2322-2650b

The James Webb Space Telescope has detected a lemon-shaped exoplanet, PSR J2322-2650b, located about 2,000 light-years from Earth. The planet orbits a millisecond pulsar and completes an orbit every 7.8 hours at nearly one million miles from its host. Its extreme environment challenges current models of planetary formation and survival, offering a rare glimpse into planetary diversity in distant systems.

JWST detects lemon-shaped exoplanet PSR J2322-2650b
Located ~2,000 light-years away
Orbits a millisecond pulsar
Orbit period = 7.8 hours

Dec 21, 2025

BlueBird Satellite Launch

Space PSU NewSpace India Limited (Nsil), which has a contract to put into orbit US' commercial satellite "BlueBird Block-2" or "BlueBird-6" through Isro's LVM-3, will implement the launch on December 24.
As per AST SpaceMobile, its next-generation BlueBird satellites are designed to deliver 24/7 high-speed cellular broadband to everyday smartphones worldwide.
"These advanced satellites feature nearly 2,400 square feet arrays, which will make them the largest commercial phased arrays ever deployed in low Earth orbit, surpassing the previous record held by our first-generation BlueBirds at 693 square feet," the firm said, describing the latest satellite.

Dec 19, 2025

NASA Space Apps Challenge 2025: Indian team wins Most Inspirational Award

An Indian team, Photonics Odyssey from Chennai, won NASA’s 2025 International Space Apps Challenge with a sovereign, phased‑array satellite internet concept aimed at expanding broadband in remote regions. The project envisions connecting over 700 million people currently without reliable internet and reduces ground dependency. NASA reported participation from over 1,14,000 people in 551 local events across 167 countries. The win showcases India’s talent in space and communications technology and could influence future public‑private partnerships in rural connectivity.

Winners: Photonics Odyssey (Chennai)
Project: phased‑array satellite internet for remote regions
India impact: aims to connect 700+ million people
NASA participation: 1,14,000+ people, 167 countries
Significance: strengthens India’s space and telecom innovation

Truecaller launches AI-powered voicemail with multilingual transcription

Truecaller launched an AI-powered voicemail feature for Android users in December 2025, offering instant transcription and robust spam protection. Voicemails are stored on the user’s device and categorized with smart filtering. The transcription supports 12 Indian languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati, Nepali, Punjabi, Sanskrit, and Urdu, with adjustable playback speed. The service aims to improve accessibility and message management for mobile users while preserving device privacy by keeping data locally.

AI-powered voicemail for Android
Instant transcription in 12 Indian languages
Voicemails stored on device; on-device processing
Smart call categorization and spam filtering
Playback speed adjustment feature

Dec 18, 2025

India-Argentina Work Plan 2025–27 on agricultural research

India and Argentina signed a Work Plan for 2025–27 to deepen bilateral cooperation in agricultural research and technology exchange between ICAR and INTA. The agreement covers natural resource management, sustainable agronomy, crop and animal biotechnology, livestock improvement, digital agriculture, and value chain development. It also includes germplasm exchange for crops such as soybean, sunflower, maize, blueberry, citrus, and vegetables, plus joint research projects, germplasm sharing, and study visits. The collaboration will be implemented through joint projects and training initiatives, with high-level officials overseeing the agreement’s rollout to advance agricultural innovation in both countries.

Work Plan 2025–27 between ICAR (India) and INTA (Argentina).
Focus on natural resource management, digital agriculture, biotech.
Germplasm exchange includes soybean, blueberry, citrus, and more.
Joint research projects and training to be conducted.

IIT-Bombay, Vertiv to enhance AI data-centre cooling

IIT Bombay has partnered with digital infrastructure provider Vertiv to develop advanced cooling solutions for AI-powered data centres. With 54 percent of Indian businesses using AI and GPU power consumption rising from 700 W in 2022 to an expected 1,200 W in 2025, efficient cooling is critical. The collaboration aims to address evolving thermal demands, while creating a pipeline of industry-ready engineering talent through joint training and research initiatives. The effort seeks scalable, energy-efficient cooling strategies to support expanding AI workloads across India’s digital economy.

IIT Bombay collaborates with Vertiv on AI data-centre cooling.
GPU loads rising; cooling critical for efficiency.
Joint training and research to build talent pipeline.
Aims for scalable, energy-efficient cooling solutions.

Dec 17, 2025

India plans Maitri II: Antarctic research station to be completed by 2032

India plans to establish Maitri II, a next-generation research station in East Antarctica, with a target completion year of 2032. Maitri II will replace Maitri I (operational since 1989) and feature an all-weather facility with modern laboratories and enhanced logistics. The new station aims to support climate studies, glaciology, and environmental monitoring with advanced data collection capabilities. The project reflects India’s long-term commitment to polar science, international collaboration, and sustainable operations in extreme conditions, while expanding the country’s capacity for year-round scientific research in the Antarctic region.

Maitri II targeted for 2032 completion.
East Antarctica location; Maitri I (1989) being replaced.
All-weather facility with modern labs and logistics.
Focus on climate science, glaciology, and environmental monitoring.
Strengthens India’s long-term polar research presence.

IIT Kanpur partners with Unicorn Incubator for UpStart 2025 in Korea

IIT Kanpur’s Entrepreneurship Cell partnered with Unicorn Incubator, a South Korean firm, to bring UpStart 2025, its flagship business model pitching competition, to the Korean Peninsula. The event was held in Seoul at KITA Startup Space, COEX, and hosted 12 start-ups, with participation from Indian Startup India delegates and investors. Evify, a regional winner, joined the Indian delegation at the international venue. The collaboration aims to provide mentorship, resources, and global market exposure to early-stage founders, strengthening cross-border innovation ecosystems and supporting Indian tech entrepreneurship on a global stage.

IIT Kanpur partners with Unicorn Incubator for UpStart 2025.
Event held in Seoul, South Korea (KITA Startup Space, COEX).
12 start-ups participated; Evify among winners.
Strengthens cross-border mentorship and investment links.
Supports global exposure for Indian tech entrepreneurs.

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