NASA has released more than 11,000 images and videos from its Artemis II mission, offering a closer look at the Moon’s surface. The data includes over 800 gigabytes of material and 8.5 hours of audio recordings. Astronauts observed shades of brown, green, yellow and blue on the lunar surface, which often appears grey from Earth. These colours can provide clues about the Moon’s minerals, rocks and volcanic history. The crew captured the images during its lunar flyby on April 6, 2026. NASA said the data will support scientific research and help prepare for future Moon missions.  

Professor Suneel Kateriya of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) played an important role in the scientific journey behind the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. During his PhD research in Germany in 2001, Kateriya identified 2 genes for light-sensing proteins in the single-celled alga Chlamydomonas. The genes were later named channelrhodopsin-1 and channelrhodopsin-2. His work became part of the foundation for optogenetics, a technique that allows scientists to control selected nerve cells using light. The 2026 Nobel Prize was awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for discoveries involving light-gated ion channels and optogenetics. (PC: India Today)

Light-controlled brain cells are in the spotlight after the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine went to Karl Deisseroth of Stanford, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for optogenetics. The technique began with light-sensitive proteins in a tiny alga and lets researchers switch specific neurons on or off with light. Deisseroth's lab published the seminal paper in 2005. Now an Indian scientist is using the tool to study pain. Dr Arnab Barik of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru works in mice to map the brain circuits behind pain, itch and stress, and to study what happens when those sensations fade. (PC:  X)

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for discoveries that enabled scientists to control cells using light. Their work on light-gated ion channels helped establish optogenetics, a technique now widely used in neuroscience. Hegemann and Nagel discovered channelrhodopsin, a protein that makes cells respond to light. Deisseroth later introduced the protein into nerve cells and showed that blue light could trigger nerve signals. He also demonstrated that the technique could control nerve activity in living mice. The laureates will share a prize of 12 million Swedish crowns. (PC: HT)

The International Space Station has emerged as a contender for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, with experts citing it as a symbol of global cooperation amid weakening multilateralism. Other names mentioned include US President Donald Trump, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, Ukrainian children’s advocate Mykola Kuleba, Save the Children, Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court. The Norwegian Nobel Committee received 287 candidates, with slightly more than a quarter being organisations. Experts stress that predictions are speculative. Trump has openly sought the prize, while critics point to the US-Israel war in Iran. The winner will be announced October 9. (PC: X)

SpaceX’s Starship rocket splashed down in the Pacific Ocean after spending about three hours in orbit, ending its latest test mission earlier than planned. The mission was originally scheduled to last around 10 hours, but the team decided to bring the spacecraft back ahead of schedule. The reason for the early return remains unclear. During the mission, Starship deployed 26 next-generation Starlink V3 satellites to expand the company’s broadband internet network. Earlier, engineers faced an engine issue and had to assess whether the rocket could safely proceed into orbit. SpaceX aims to use Starship for future missions to the Moon and Mars. (PC: BBC)

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman has warned that China could restrict US access to valuable areas near the Moon’s south pole if it arrives first. Speaking at the Off World conference in Houston, Isaacman said China’s delayed Chang’e 7 mission was targeting Shackleton Crater, where permanently shadowed “cold traps” may contain water ice and useful materials. The mission is designed to use an orbiter, lander, rover and mobile hopper. Isaacman said establishing a presence first could allow exclusion zones around landing sites, potentially limiting rivals’ access. China’s delay has created an opportunity for NASA, with Blue Origin’s Blue Moon Mark 1 planned for spring 2027. China aims for crewed lunar missions by 2030. (PC: Reuters)

Indian scientists and collaborators have reconstructed a 250-year history of Antarctica’s Maud Rise Polynya, tracing its activity back to 1774. Led by researchers from the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the study used a 122-metre ice core drilled at Djupranen Ice Rise in East Antarctica. Analysing snow and chemical layers, researchers identified 25 years with evidence of polynya activity, including three major events comparable to the 1974-76 opening, which exceeded 300,000 square kilometres. Findings show that openings occurred in clusters rather than regularly, suggesting atmospheric and ocean conditions combine to trigger them. The study may improve understanding of Antarctica’s climate and ocean circulation. (PC: X)

India’s fusion research has received a boost with a new heating system at the SST-1 tokamak in Gujarat. The Institute for Plasma Research has installed an 82.6 GHz gyrotron with 400 kW power. The system helps scientists heat and control extremely hot plasma. SST-1 is an experimental machine that uses strong magnetic fields to confine plasma. India has previously produced plasma temperatures above 200 million degrees Celsius. The new system will support further experiments on plasma heating and stability. It works with an existing 42 GHz system. SST-1 is not producing electricity and remains a research facility. (PC: Reuters)  

India has taken another step towards its “artificial Sun” project with the installation and commissioning of a new 82.6 GHz, 400 kW gyrotron at the SST-1 tokamak in Gujarat. The device, developed for fusion research, uses high-frequency microwave energy to heat and sustain extremely hot plasma inside the experimental reactor. India’s fusion experiments have already achieved plasma temperatures above 200 million degrees Celsius. The new system is expected to help scientists maintain hotter plasma for longer and study its stability. However, SST-1 is not producing electricity yet. The upgrade is aimed at advancing research needed for future fusion power. (PC: India Today)