Space Current Affairs 2026 for Government Exams

On 4 September 2026, ISRO launched the 2,367 kg EOS-05 Earth observation satellite aboard the 51.7-metre GSLV-F17 from the Second Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh). EOS-05 is India's first-ever imaging satellite in geosynchronous orbit, capable of continuous large-area monitoring using visible, infrared, multispectral and hyperspectral imaging for agriculture and disaster management. The three-stage GSLV-F17, with a 420.5-tonne lift-off mass and an indigenous cryogenic upper stage, placed it in a Sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit with a perigee of 171 km, apogee of 31,260 km and inclination of 19.28 degrees, to be raised to about 36,000 km.

China scheduled its Chang'e-7 lunar mission for launch on 24 August 2026 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan aboard a Long March 5 Y14 rocket. The China National Space Administration describes the spacecraft as a "four-in-one" system combining an orbiter, lander, rover and a hopping probe, all aimed at the lunar south pole. The lander will attempt a touchdown near the edge of Shackleton Crater to hunt for water ice, while the hopping probe uses active shock-absorption to leap into permanently shadowed craters and analyse water molecules. Six payloads from six countries ride along, relayed by the Queqiao-2 satellite launched in March 2024.

The Republic of Turkiye became the 71st signatory of the Artemis Accords on 31 August 2026 at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir signed for Turkiye, with Turkish Space Agency President Yusuf Kirac present and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman hosting. Turkiye is the seventh Middle Eastern signatory after the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Jordan and Israel. NASA cited Turkiye's recent milestones, including astronaut Alper Gezeravci's Axiom Mission 3 flight to the ISS in 2024. Turkiye is preparing AYAP-1, its first lunar mission, targeting a hybrid-propelled spacecraft to the Moon in early 2027.

European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot became the first French woman to perform a spacewalk on 18 August 2026, carrying out US Spacewalk 97 outside the International Space Station with NASA's Anil Menon over 6 hours and 23 minutes. The pair set out to replace a failed Space-to-Ground Antenna (SGANT) on the ISS Z1 truss, which carries high-speed data between the station and Mission Control in Houston. Stuck bolts and electrical cabling forced them to secure the failed unit with a tie-down instead. It was the 282nd spacewalk in ISS history; EVA-98 is scheduled for 25 August 2026 to finish the installation.

Astronomers confirmed GJ 523b, a roughly 170-million-year-old exoplanet so dense it has been classed as a new planetary type — a 'mega-Earth'. Weighing about 23 times Earth's mass yet only 2.55 times its radius, it has a bulk density near 7.8 g/cm³, implying an almost entirely rocky body with a surprisingly thin atmosphere that standard planet-formation models struggle to explain. First flagged by NASA's TESS, it was confirmed using the WIYN 3.5-metre Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory, Arizona. It circles an orange K-dwarf star about 87 light years away every 17.75 days on a steeply tilted, likely polar orbit.

Beijing-based private space startup LandSpace launched its 66-metre Zhuque-3 Y2 rocket on 19 August 2026 and successfully landed its first-stage booster vertically — China's first land recovery of an orbital-class rocket booster. The mission also placed the Honghu-3 commercial internet satellite into its designated orbit. Zhuque-3 is a stainless-steel, liquid-oxygen-and-methane launch vehicle designed to carry up to 14.2 tonnes to low Earth orbit and to be reused up to 20 times. It lifted off at 7:35 a.m. Beijing time from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone in northwest China, with the booster landing about 390 km away in Minqin County, Gansu province, using landing legs. This was China's second orbital booster recovery overall — the first, by state-owned CASC on 10 July 2026, used a sea-based net-capture system for a Long March 10B booster. LandSpace becomes the fourth entity globally to recover an orbital-class booster, after SpaceX and Blue Origin (private) and now CASC (state-owned) domestically. The company is separately seeking to raise 7.5 billion yuan via an IPO on Shanghai's STAR Market.

ISRO successfully carried out the flight-acceptance hot test of the CE20 cryogenic engine earmarked for the LVM3-M7 mission on 6 July 2026 at the Main Engine & Stage Test facility, ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri (Tamil Nadu). For the first time, the test used a newly developed Nozzle Protection System (NPS) to test the full area-ratio-100 nozzle under sea-level conditions at a thrust of 22 tonnes. The indigenously developed CE20 powers the upper stage of the LVM3 and has flown eight successive LVM3 missions (including Chandrayaan-2 and Chandrayaan-3); it is human-rated for the Gaganyaan mission. The CE20 is developed by ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC).

NASA has invited the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to join its Moon Base programme under the framework of the Artemis Accords. The discussions focus on lunar cooperation and open scientific data sharing, deepening India-US space collaboration. India signed the Artemis Accords in 2023, and ISRO-NASA ties have grown through joint projects such as the NISAR Earth-observation satellite. India's roadmap includes the Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme and a planned space station.

Astrobase Space Technologies Pvt Ltd unveiled 'EVEREST', India's first privately developed 800 kilonewton (kN) Full-Flow Staged Combustion (FFSC) rocket engine, in Bengaluru, Karnataka. It is designed for reusable medium-lift launch vehicles and advanced orbital missions. EVEREST is a Liquid Oxygen (LOX)-Methane engine delivering 800 kN thrust, 50%-110% throttle, roughly 340 seconds specific impulse, and supports multiple restarts. Astrobase completed sub-scale and turbopump tests in 2025-26, plans around 20 engines, and targets full-scale hot-fire testing in 2026, with its first launch targeted for December 2028. Founded in 2024 and led by CEO Neeraj Khandelwal, the startup was selected under the Technology Adoption Fund (TAF) in June 2026.

ISRO completed three major qualification tests for the Gaganyaan crew module, advancing key human-rating milestones. The tests qualified the flotation (up-righting) system that turns the capsule upright after a sea landing, the clean separation of the crew and service modules, and the structure''s load-bearing capacity when the parachute cover is jettisoned. Development of all propulsion stages of the Human-Rated LVM3 (HLVM3), the ECLSS engineering model, deceleration system, Thermal Protection System and end-to-end avionics is complete. The first uncrewed test flight carrying the half-humanoid robot ''Vyommitra'' is targeted for Q4 2026, ahead of India''s first crewed spaceflight.

NASA researchers proposed an AI-powered mission concept named PRAXIS (Planetary Rings Autonomous EXploration with In-situ Sampling) under Phase I of the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) 2026 program. PRAXIS aims to enable the first-ever direct collection and analysis of particles from Saturn's rings, targeting millimetre- to centimetre-sized ring particles. The project is led by Dr. B. Marco Quadrelli of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California. Direct study of raw ring particles will provide insights into the age, origin and evolution of planetary ring systems, and could enable future exploration of fainter rings around Uranus and Neptune and minor bodies such as Chariklo and Chiron.

Skyroot Aerospace, a Hyderabad-based private space start-up, successfully launched India's first privately built orbital-class rocket, Vikram-1, on 18 July 2026 from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh). The maiden flight was named Mission Aagaman (Sanskrit for 'Arrival'). With this launch India became only the third country — after the United States and China — to achieve private orbital launch capability, a milestone enabled by the Indian Space Policy 2023. Mission details: The four-stage, seven-storey-tall Vikram-1 injected all payloads into a 450 km Low Earth Orbit (LEO) at an inclination of 60 degrees, about 15 minutes after lift-off. The vehicle can carry roughly 350 kg to LEO. Payloads: Skyroot's in-house SCOPE payload; Grahaa Space's SOLARAS S3 technology-demonstration satellite; Cosmoserve Space's 'Embrace' robotic arm for future space-debris removal; and Germany's DCUBED technology-demonstration payloads (uD3PP and mD3RN). The flight also carried symbolic cargo — Cosmic Bloom, a lotus artwork made of lab-grown diamonds; an 18-karat gold micro-rocket containing microscopic sculptures of Sir C.V. Raman, Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam; and a handwritten postcard from PM Narendra Modi bearing the message 'Vande Mataram'.

Kerala-based spacetech startup HEX20 successfully launched its second satellite KOYO (Kinetic Optical Yaw Observer) aboard SpaceX's Transporter-17 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Carrying 81 payloads, KOYO is a multi-payload test platform for in-orbit technology validation, with payloads from partners in Taiwan (Aegiverse, National Central University), the USA (Amplified Space) and ET Space Power. Designed to operate 18-24 months, it validated HEX20 technologies including a new solar-panel deployment mechanism. It builds on NILA (2025), India's first private-sector rideshare satellite and Kerala's first privately built satellite.

Kerala-based spacetech startup HEX20 successfully launched its second satellite KOYO (Kinetic Optical Yaw Observer) aboard SpaceX's Transporter-17 mission from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Carrying 81 payloads, KOYO entered orbit as a multi-payload test platform for in-orbit technology validation. KOYO carries payloads from international partners (Aegiverse and National Central University of Taiwan, Amplified Space of USA, and ET Space Power) and validated HEX20's AX CubeSat platform. It builds on NILA (2025), India's first private-sector rideshare satellite and Kerala's first privately built satellite.

In July 2026, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully conducted three critical tests of the Gaganyaan Crew Module (CM) systems. The tests were: the Float inflation test for the Crew Module Up-Righting System (CMUS); Umbilical Separation Testing of the Connect-Disconnect System (CS-CDS); and the crew module structure qualification test for Apex Cover separation loads. Together they validate splashdown recovery, module separation and parachute deployment ahead of India first crewed orbital mission.

India''s first human spaceflight mission, Gaganyaan, completed major development and validation milestones for its human-rating systems, announced by the Union Minister of State for Science & Technology on 6 August 2026. Human-rating certifies launch vehicles and spacecraft as safe to carry humans; the programme has included uncrewed test flights and Crew Escape System trials, aiming to send Indian gaganyatris to low-Earth orbit aboard the human-rated LVM3 (HLVM3).

In July 2026, NASA researchers proposed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) mission concept called PRAXIS (Planetary Rings Autonomous EXploration with In-situ Sampling) under Phase I of the NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts (NIAC) 2026 program. PRAXIS aims to enable the first-ever direct collection and analysis of particles from Saturn's rings. The project will be led by Dr B. Marco Quadrelli of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), California. It is designed to deliver the first direct observations of millimetre- to centimetre-scale ring particles, offering insights into the age, origin and evolution of planetary ring systems, with potential applications to the fainter rings of Uranus, Neptune and bodies such as Chariklo and Chiron.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) successfully conducted the first lift-off and landing test of its RV-X reusable rocket prototype at the Noshiro Testing Center, Akita Prefecture. The rocket rose to about 10 metres, flew for around 40 seconds and landed safely, demonstrating vertical take-off and vertical landing (VTVL) technology. Jointly developed with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, the RV-X supports reusable successors to the single-use H3 launch vehicle.

On 18 July 2026, Hyderabad-based startup Skyroot Aerospace successfully launched Vikram-1, India's first privately developed orbital-class rocket, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-SHAR), Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. The debut flight was named "Aagaman" (Sanskrit for "Arrival"). With this, India becomes the third nation — after the United States and China — with private-sector orbital launch capability. The rocket placed its payload into a ~450 km orbit about 15 minutes after lift-off. Vikram-1 is a four-stage, seven-storey-tall small-satellite launch vehicle carrying about 350 kg to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), using three solid-fuel stages plus a liquid-fuel orbital adjustment module powered by a 3D-printed engine. Skyroot, founded in 2018, earlier in 2026 became India's first space-sector company to reach a $1 billion valuation.

India conducted its first satellite-based GAGAN landing approach on a commercial jet (an IndiGo Airbus A320) at Udaipur Airport. GAGAN is the indigenous Satellite-Based Augmentation System jointly developed by ISRO and the Airports Authority of India.

Data from the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite showed parts of Mexico City sinking about 2 cm per month, attributed to groundwater over-extraction. NISAR became fully operational in January 2026.

Rocket Lab's Electron deployed Celeste IOD-1 and IOD-2, the first pair of satellites for ESA's next-generation LEO-PNT (positioning-navigation-timing) constellation - the first Electron launch conducted for ESA.

IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla launched his debut book 'The Second Orbit: Belief of a Man… Dreams of 1.4 Billion Hearts' in Bengaluru, published by Penguin Random House India, with former ISRO chiefs A.S. Kiran Kumar and S. Somanath present. The book chronicles his Axiom Mission 4 experience — 18 days aboard the ISS — and pays tribute to Rakesh Sharma, India's first astronaut (1984).

NASA scheduled a spacewalk for 30 June 2026 to replace a wrist joint on the ISS's Canadarm2 robotic arm, with the EVA beginning around 8:35 a.m. EDT.

NASA prepared the first-of-its-kind Swift Boost mission to raise the orbit of the ageing Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory, using a robotic servicer named LINK (by Katalyst Space) for the roughly $30 million orbit-raising rescue.

NASA announced the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is now targeted for launch on 30 August 2026 - about eight months ahead of schedule. It will fly on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy to the Sun-Earth L2 point to study dark energy and exoplanets.

The European Space Agency and the Chinese Academy of Sciences jointly launched the SMILE mission to study the interaction between the solar wind and Earth's magnetosphere.

SpaceX launched its CRS-34 cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station, carrying scientific experiments and supplies for the crew.

NASA's Psyche spacecraft flew about 4,500 km above Mars in a gravity-assist manoeuvre, en route to the metal-rich asteroid 16 Psyche.

The Nordic Summit welcomed a Framework Agreement between ISRO and the Norwegian Space Agency on space cooperation, expanding India's international space partnerships.

On 6 April, Artemis II surpassed the Apollo 13 distance record, with the crew reaching about 252,756 miles from Earth. The Orion capsule 'Integrity' splashed down in the Pacific on 11 April.

NASA launched Artemis II aboard the Space Launch System, sending astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch and Canada's Jeremy Hansen on a ~10-day lunar flyby aboard Orion - its first crewed mission beyond low-Earth orbit in over 50 years.

NASA's targeted March 2026 launch window for Artemis II (the first crewed Moon flyby of the Artemis programme) was scrubbed after engineers found a helium-flow problem in the SLS upper stage; the mission launched on 1 April 2026.

NASA rolled the SLS rocket back into the Vehicle Assembly Building on 25 February after an upper-stage anomaly, to preserve an April launch date; Artemis II eventually launched on 1 April 2026.

The European Space Agency's PROBA-3 coronagraph/heliophysics mission suffered an anomaly causing loss of contact with one of its two formation-flying spacecraft (contact was re-established in March).

NASA launched the Pandora small space telescope aboard a Falcon 9 to study exoplanet atmospheres; the same flight carried NASA's SPARCS and BlackCAT CubeSat telescopes.

The interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1) passed closest to Earth at about 270 million km, posing no threat; NASA's JWST and ESA's XMM-Newton studied its coma.

Using James Webb Space Telescope data, Indian astronomers discovered 'Alaknanda', a fully formed spiral galaxy that existed only about 1.5 billion years after the Big Bang, challenging galaxy-formation models.

ISRO successfully hot-tested its indigenous semi-cryogenic engine power head at 175 tonnes of thrust at the Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri (Tamil Nadu), validating about 90% of designed capacity for next-generation heavy-lift launch vehicles.

China launched three astronauts aboard Shenzhou-23 to its Tiangong space station; the crew included Lai Ka-ying, the first astronaut from Hong Kong to fly to space.

ISRO successfully conducted the second Integrated Air Drop Test of the Gaganyaan-1 crew module, validating parachute-based recovery. Gaganyaan-1, the first uncrewed test flight carrying the robot Vyommitra, is planned for later in 2026.

ISRO and DRDO conducted the final qualification-level load test for the Gaganyaan crew module at the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh, evaluating high-speed aerodynamic loads and re-entry trajectory changes.

ISRO's PSLV-C62 (64th PSLV flight) lifted off from Sriharikota but failed to reach orbit after a deviation in roll rates near the end of third-stage operation. The primary payload was the DRDO-built EOS-N1 satellite; it was the second consecutive PSLV failure.

ISRO released the Indian Space Situational Awareness Report 2025 (ISSAR-2025) at the SMOPS-2026 conference in Bengaluru, reinforcing India's commitment to debris-free missions and space surveillance.

ISRO and DRDO qualified the crew module's drogue parachutes at the Rail Track Rocket Sled facility, Chandigarh, deploying them at over 600 kmph - a step toward the first uncrewed Gaganyaan-G1 flight.

ISRO began work on a Third Launch Pad at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre to support heavy-lift missions, including the Next Generation Launch Vehicle and the Gaganyaan programme.

SpaceX carried out a partially successful suborbital Starship Flight 12, during which the vehicle deployed 20 dummy Starlink satellites and made a water landing in the Indian Ocean.

On a Starlink mission, Falcon 9 booster B1067 became the first booster to launch on 34 missions, a new reusability milestone.

A Falcon 9 flew the Transporter-16 SmallSat rideshare (60+ payloads) to sun-synchronous orbit, including a quantum-key-distribution demonstrator (SPOQC), a Danish climate CubeSat and NASA Ames' TechEdSat-23.

CAS Space launched the maiden flight of the Kinetica 2 rocket from Jiuquan, which also carried the first flight of the Qingzhou cargo spacecraft prototype.

Japan's Space One KAIROS (F3) rocket failed on launch from Spaceport Kii, destroying all five payloads - a setback for Japan's private launch sector.

Arianespace launched 32 Amazon Leo (Project Kuiper) satellites on the first-ever flight of the Ariane 64 heavy-lift configuration - the most powerful version of Europe's Ariane 6.

ISRO launched AST SpaceMobile's US-built BlueBird Block-2 communication satellite (~6,100 kg) from Sriharikota - the heaviest payload ever placed in LEO by an LVM3 and the heaviest foreign satellite launched from Indian soil.