Indian researchers Vikash Kumar and Sarthak Mittal won the 2025 Ig Nobel Prize in engineering design for studying how smelly shoes affect shoe rack usage. Their study with 149 first-year Shiv Nadar University students found shoe odor is a common problem in India, worsened by heat, humidity, and poor ventilation. The research originated from Mittal's observations at youth hostels where guests left shoes outside rooms as courtesy. Kumar, 42, assistant professor at Shiv Nadar University, taught Mittal during undergraduate years. They developed a prototype shoe rack with UVC tube light to kill odor-causing bacteria. The Ig Nobel celebrates quirky but legitimate scientific research that makes people laugh then think. (PC: BBC & India Today)

NASA’s Artemis II mission, a pivotal step in the Artemis program, aims to send astronauts on a 10-day journey around the Moon by February 2026. While the crew won’t land, the mission will mark the first human travel beyond low Earth orbit since 1972. The launch window could open as early as February 5, with safety as the top priority. Serving as a precursor to Artemis III, slated for 2027, the mission includes NASA astronauts Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen aboard the Orion capsule atop the Space Launch System rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.  

The Maharashtra government’s Vidyarthi Vigyan Vari scheme, unveiled in June 2025, aims to send 51 state-level science project finalists annually to NASA, pending final funding approval. Designed to recognize students who show scientific creativity beyond competition winners, the initiative also includes visits to ISRO and local science centres for district and tehsil-level achievers. The NASA leg alone costs ₹3 crore and awaits state clearance. Minister Pankaj Bhoyar emphasized the scheme’s goal to inspire deeper scientific research among students. Prize money for state-level winners has also increased from ₹5,000 to ₹51,000. If implemented, this could become a model for other states to nurture young scientific minds. (PC: Space)

Residents across Delhi-NCR witnessed fiery streaks in the sky around 1:20 AM on Saturday, sparking awe and confusion. Videos of the phenomenon flooded social media, with users speculating whether it was a meteor shower or rocket debris. The streaks were visible from areas like Gurgaon and Bhikaji Cama Place. An AI bot, Grok, suggested it was likely debris from a Chinese CZ-3B rocket, citing slow speed and fragmentation. Some experts called it a “bolide” a bright meteor that explodes in the atmosphere. No official confirmation has been issued by ISRO or other space agencies, leaving the nature of the spectacle open to interpretation.

NASA’s Perseverance rover has found rocks in a dry river channel on Mars that may show signs of ancient life. The samples, taken from Neretva Vallis, contained iron phosphate and iron sulfide, chemicals often linked to microbial activity on Earth. Scientists said it is the strongest evidence yet but warned that non-biological processes could also explain the results. The rover has collected 30 samples so far, with more planned. NASA hopes one day to return them to Earth, though delays have pushed the mission into the 2040s. Researchers called the find “exciting” but not final proof of life. (PC: X)

NASA's Mars rover Perseverance discovered rocks in Neretva Vallis, a dry river channel flowing into Jezero Crater, containing potential signs of ancient microscopic life. The sample, collected last summer from reddish clay-rich mudstones, contains organic carbon alongside minuscule "poppy seeds" and "leopard spots" enriched with iron phosphate and iron sulfide. These compounds are commonly produced by microorganisms consuming organic matter on Earth. Lead researcher Joel Hurowitz from Stony Brook University emphasizes that while microbial life is one explanation, non-biological processes could also create these features. Published in Nature journal, this represents the strongest evidence yet for ancient Martian life, though definitive conclusions require sample analysis in Earth laboratories through NASA's delayed Mars sample return mission. (PC: CNET)  

A total lunar eclipse, also called Chandra Grahan, lit up the skies on September 7-8, 2025. The eclipse was seen in India, Australia, the Far East, the Middle East, Europe and parts of Africa. The Moon turned coppery red at 11:01 pm, creating the rare ‘Blood Moon’. People across cities like Delhi, Lucknow and Chennai gathered to watch the event, though cloudy skies spoiled views in some places. Many astronomy groups live-streamed the eclipse. Experts explained the red color comes from sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere. The next total lunar eclipse visible in India will occur on December 31, 2028. (PC: X)

SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, docked at the International Space Station (ISS), performed a groundbreaking five-minute trunk burn using newly added Draco engines, successfully raising the station’s altitude by roughly one mile (1.6 kilometers). This mission, part of the CRS-33 resupply flight launched on August 24, 2025, includes a purpose-built “boost kit”—complete with independent propellant tanks and thrusters—to assist in regular orbital maintenance through the fall. The boost kit's first in-orbit operation marks its transition from test to operational use, helping ease reliance on traditional Russian or Cygnus reboosts. (PC: Space X)

SpaceX successfully launched the Starlink 10-22 mission, deploying 28 satellites into low Earth orbit from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on September 3, 2025. The mission marked the company's 113th launch of the year and the second of five Starlink launches scheduled that week. The Falcon 9 first-stage booster B1083—on its 14th flight—landed safely on the Autonomous Spaceport Drone Ship A Shortfall of Gravitas (ASOG) in the Atlantic Ocean.   

India's first indigenously developed Vikram-32 bit processor chip was presented to Prime Minister Modi at Semicon India 2025 by Electronics Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Developed by ISRO's Semiconductor Laboratory in Mohali, Punjab, the chip represents a milestone in semiconductor self-reliance. The Vikram 3201 device successfully underwent space validation during the PSLV-C60 mission, proving its reliability for extreme space environments. This 32-bit floating-point processor can handle substantial memory and execute complex satellite launch instructions. Beyond space applications, it shows potential for defense, aerospace, automotive, and energy sectors. The achievement marks India's transition from semiconductor consumer to creator within three-and-half years, supported by five new semiconductor units under construction and Rs 1.60 lakh crore investments.