CURRENT AFFAIRS

US-based private space company Axiom Space has announced the launch of Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission in May 2025 and Indian astronaut Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will be the pilot of this mission.

Cruise missiles and ballistic missiles are both advanced weapon systems used in military operations, but they differ significantly in terms of design, operation, and application.

A hydrogen fuel cell is a device that generates electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, with water as the only by-product. 

Zinc-air batteries are a type of metal-air battery that uses zinc (Zn) as the anode and atmospheric oxygen (O₂) as the cathode. 

Tribo-Electric Nanogenerators (TENGs) are innovative devices that harness mechanical energy (such as motion or vibration) and convert it into electrical energy using the triboelectric effect. 

Directed Energy Weapons (DEWs) are advanced systems that use concentrated electromagnetic energy or particle beams to disable, destroy, or damage enemy equipment and facilities.

The Integrated Guided Missile Development Program (IGMDP) was launched by India in 1983 with the aim of making the country self-sufficient in the field of missile technology. 

BMD systems are designed to protect against aerial threats, such as drones, fighter jets, and ballistic and cruise missiles, by launching interceptors to neutralize these threats. 

A Sodium-Ion Battery (Na-ion) is a type of rechargeable battery that uses sodium ions (Na⁺) as the charge carriers, instead of the lithium ions used in traditional Lithium-Ion Batteries (Li-ion). 

A Thorium Molten Salt Reactor (TMSR) is a type of nuclear reactor that uses thorium as fuel instead of uranium.