All 4 Space updates published in April 2026, grouped into 3 subtopics. Each one carries the exam-relevant facts and its GK Bytes; open an update for the complete note with static GK.
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.
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.
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.