Science and Technology

Tech billionaire Elon Musk has sold the social media site X (formerly Twitter) to his AI company, xAI, in a $33 billion deal on 28 March 2025. Musk announced the sale, emphasizing that the merger will unlock significant potential by combining xAI’s advanced AI capabilities with X’s massive reach.

The deal also values xAI at $80 billion, underscoring its growing influence in the AI sector. Musk, who acquired X for $44 billion in 2022, launched xAI a year later to advance artificial intelligence technology. As the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, as well as an advisor to President Donald Trump, Musk continues to make bold moves in the tech industry.

With xAI’s expertise, X is expected to undergo major enhancements, incorporating AI-driven content curation, advanced moderation, and interactive features. While the potential for innovation excites many, concerns over privacy and AI governance remain.

This landmark deal highlights Musk’s ambition to reshape digital communication through AI integration, signaling a transformative shift in the online experience.

On March 27, 2025, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) completed the Rolling experiment. This was part of its Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) mission.

ISRO Chairman V Narayanan confirmed the success of the experiment. He said ISRO will try docking in different conditions as part of the mission.

The Rolling experiment is also called the Rotating experiment. It involved one satellite moving around another. This tested ISRO’s ability to control satellite movement.

The experiment will help ISRO understand how to bring a satellite to a specific spot for docking. It will also check if docking can be done vertically. The data from this test will be useful for future missions like Chandrayaan-4.

Earlier, on March 13, ISRO successfully undocked two satellites in the SpaDeX mission. This was a big step for India’s space program.

Chairman Narayanan said ISRO will conduct more docking experiments under SpaDeX to gain further knowledge and experience.

On 27 March 2025, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy successfully tested the Vertically-Launched Short-Range Surface-to-Air Missile (VLSRSAM). The test was conducted from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) in Chandipur, Odisha.

✅ The missile was launched from a land-based vertical launcher. ✅ It targeted a high-speed aerial object at a low altitude. ✅ The test confirmed the missile’s capability to operate near boundaries at low altitudes.

During the test, the missile demonstrated excellent agility, reliability, and pinpoint accuracy. It used an indigenous Radio Frequency seeker and was supported by a Multi-Function Radar and a Weapon Control System. The entire system worked as expected.

🗣 Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated DRDO, the Indian Navy, and the defence industry for this achievement. He praised the missile as a force multiplier and a testament to India’s strong defence development capabilities.

India has developed its first indigenous Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine. This machine is set to be installed at AIIMS Delhi by October 2025 for clinical trials.

The MRI machine, developed in collaboration with SAMEER (Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering and Research) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, aims to reduce India’s reliance on imported medical equipment, which currently accounts for 80-85% of devices. By producing MRI machines domestically, India is taking a major step toward self-reliance in medical technology and lowering healthcare costs.

The initiative is expected to make MRI scans more affordable and accessible to a larger population, addressing challenges in healthcare affordability and accessibility. This development aligns with India’s broader goals of fostering innovation and achieving self-sufficiency in critical sectors.

After an extended mission of 286 days in space, NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore safely returned to Earth on March 18, 2025. Their journey back marked the conclusion of an extraordinary mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Key Highlights:

• Mission Duration: Originally planned as an eight-day mission starting in June 2024, their stay was extended due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner capsule.
• Return Journey: The astronauts traveled aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, which successfully splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida coast.
• Achievements: During their extended mission, the duo conducted critical scientific experiments, performed equipment repairs, and participated in spacewalks. Sunita Williams set a record for the most career spacewalking time by a female astronaut, logging 62 hours over nine excursions.

ISRO has successfully completed the flight acceptance hot test of the cryogenic engine for the LVM3-M6 mission at the ISRO Propulsion Complex, Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu.

The LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3) is a three-stage medium-lift launch vehicle, and each mission’s cryogenic engine undergoes hot testing before flight.

ISRO stated that an innovative test method has reduced setup time and effort, enabling faster delivery of cryogenic stages.

The CE20 engine performed as expected, meeting all test objectives. It will now be integrated into the Cryogenic Upper Stage of the LVM3-M6 mission, set for the second half of 2025.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully completes the undocking experiment under the Space Docking Experiment (SpaDEx) mission. This marks a significant milestone in developing autonomous docking and undocking technologies, essential for future space stations, deep-space missions, and satellite servicing.

Key Highlights of SpaDEx Mission:

✅ Satellites Involved: SDX-01 (Chaser) & SDX-02 (Target)
✅ Undocking Date: March 13, 2025
✅ Orbit Altitude: 460 km with 45° inclination
✅ Successful power transfer between satellites before undocking – a crucial step for long-term space operations

This accomplishment places India alongside global space leaders like the United States, Russia, and China, proving ISRO’s technical excellence in orbital docking and separation.

Future Missions Boosted by SpaDEx

Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh congratulated ISRO, emphasizing that this achievement will pave the way for major upcoming missions, including:
🚀 Bharatiya Antriksh Station (India’s future space station)
🌕 Chandrayaan-4 (Next lunar mission)
👨‍🚀 Gaganyaan (India’s first human spaceflight program)

SpaceX and NASA have launched the Crew-10 mission to bring back US astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) for nine months.

🔹 Launch Date: 14 March 2025
🔹 Rocket: Falcon 9
🔹 Spacecraft: Dragon
🔹 Mission: Crew-10

This mission not only aims to rescue Williams and Wilmore but also delivers four new astronauts to the ISS:
✅ Anne McClain & Nichole Ayers (NASA)
✅ Takuya Onishi (JAXA – Japan)
✅ Kirill Peskov (Roscosmos – Russia)

Why Were Williams & Wilmore Stranded?

🛰️ They arrived at the ISS in June 2024 aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which was meant to be a short test flight.
⚠️ However, helium leaks & thruster failures led to months of investigation, delaying their return.

NASA & Boeing’s Efforts

After extensive analysis, NASA and Boeing, along with SpaceX, devised a solution to safely return the astronauts. The Crew-10 mission is a significant step in ensuring the success of future space operations.

India is rapidly emerging as a global leader in Web3, with a report (March 2025) predicting it will become the largest hub for Web3 developers by 2028.

The ‘India Web3 Landscape’ report by Hashed Emergent highlights that in 2024, 4.7 million Indian developers joined GitHub, accounting for 17% of all new Web3 developers globally, making India the second-largest base for crypto developers.

Key development areas include gaming, NFTs, DeFi, and RWAs. Over half of Indian Web3 developers joined in the past two years, and most are under 27 years old.

Hackathons and university partnerships in Odisha, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, and Kerala are helping introduce blockchain technology to students.

India ranks third globally in Web3 startup founders, with over 1,200 startups. Investor confidence has surged, with a 109% increase in funding in 2024, totaling $564 million.

The report highlights AI, RWAs, and staking solutions as major investment drivers, with both global and local venture capital firms heavily investing in Layer 1 and Layer 2 blockchain projects.

Reliance Jio, a leading telecommunications company in India, announced on March 12, 2025, that it has entered into a significant agreement with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to bring Starlink’s satellite-based internet services to the country. This partnership aims to enhance internet connectivity across India, particularly in rural and remote areas where traditional broadband infrastructure is lacking.

Under the agreement, Jio will make Starlink equipment available through its retail outlets and online platforms, providing installation support to customers. This collaboration is expected to complement Jio’s existing broadband services, such as JioFiber and JioAirFiber, by extending high-speed internet access to even the most challenging locations.

The deal, however, is contingent upon SpaceX receiving the necessary regulatory approvals from the Indian government. Once approved, this partnership could revolutionize India’s internet landscape, offering reliable and affordable broadband services to millions of people.

This move comes shortly after Jio’s rival, Bharti Airtel, signed a similar agreement with SpaceX, signaling a competitive push towards satellite-based internet services in India. Both telecom giants are now poised to leverage Starlink’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology to bridge the digital divide and ensure seamless connectivity across the nation.