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The first interplanetary probe to visit Mercury was _______.
- MESSENGER
- Mariner 10
- BepiColombo
- Pioneer 11
Answer: Mariner 10
Mariner 10 conducted three flybys of Mercury in 1974-75, mapping ~45% of its surface and discovering its magnetic field.
The Space Situational Awareness Control Centre inaugurated in 2022 is located in _______.
- Bengaluru
- New Delhi
- Dehradun
- Leh
Answer: Bengaluru
ISRO SSA Control Centre in Peenya, Bengaluru monitors space debris, tracks objects, and issues collision warnings to safeguard Indian assets.
Aditya-L1 reached Lagrange Point L1 approximately _______ days after launch.
- 30
- 60
- 120
- 180
Answer: 120
Launched Sept 2, 2023, Aditya-L1 entered halo orbit around L1 on Jan 6, 2024 (~126 days later), completing complex trajectory maneuvers.
The NVS series of satellites will augment and eventually replace the existing _______ constellation.
- INSAT
- NavIC (IRNSS)
- GSAT
- Cartosat
Answer: NavIC (IRNSS)
NVS (Navigation with Indian Constellation Second Generation) satellites feature L1 band compatibility and improved atomic clocks, enhancing NavIC service continuity.
The Indian Deep Space Network antenna in Byalalu has a diameter of _______ meters.
- 18 m
- 32 m
- 45 m
- 70 m
Answer: 32 m
IDSN's primary 32-meter steerable parabolic antenna enables communication with deep space missions like Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan at distances beyond GEO.
Chandrayaan-3's landing site was officially named _______ Base Camp by ISRO.
- Shiv Shakti
- Tiranga Point
- Vikram Sarabhai
- Chandra
Answer: Shiv Shakti
Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the landing point (69.37°S, 32.35°E) as 'Shiv Shakti Point' in August 2023, symbolizing determination and spirituality.
The GSAT-N1 (GSAT-20) satellite was launched in 2024 aboard SpaceX's _______ rocket.
- Falcon 9
- Falcon Heavy
- Starship
- Electron
Answer: Falcon Heavy
Due to weight constraints, GSAT-N1 (4,700 kg) was launched via Falcon Heavy in November 2024, marking increased reliance on commercial launchers for heavy Indian satellites.
The first woman to walk on the Moon is planned under NASA's _______ program.
- Apollo
- Artemis
- Constellation
- Orion
Answer: Artemis
Artemis aims to land the first woman and next man on the lunar south pole, building sustainable presence ahead of Mars missions.
The U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC), formerly ISAC, is located in _______.
- Ahmedabad
- Bengaluru
- Hyderabad
- Thiruvananthapuram
Answer: Bengaluru
URSC in Bengaluru is ISRO's lead center for satellite design, development, and testing, named after former ISRO chairman Prof. Udupi Ramachandra Rao.
Aditya-L1's ASPEX payload measures _______ particles in the solar wind.
- Neutral atoms
- Suprathermal and energetic protons/electrons
- Cosmic rays
- Dust grains
Answer: Suprathermal and energetic protons/electrons
ASPEX (Aditya Solar wind Particle EXperiment) analyzes energy spectra and angular distribution of solar wind ions and electrons to understand particle acceleration.
The Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occurred during _______ in 2003.
- Launch
- Orbital operations
- Re-entry
- Landing rollout
Answer: Re-entry
Columbia disintegrated during re-entry on February 1, 2003, due to foam insulation damage to the left wing during ascent, causing aerodynamic failure.
The Department of Space (DoS) oversees ISRO and reports directly to the _______.
- Ministry of Defence
- Prime Minister's Office
- Ministry of Science and Technology
- Parliament
Answer: Prime Minister's Office
The Department of Space functions under the Prime Minister's direct charge, reflecting the strategic importance of space activities in national governance.
XPoSat, India's first polarimetry mission, studies X-ray polarization from _______ sources.
- Planets
- Bright astronomical
- Solar flares only
- Exoplanets
Answer: Bright astronomical
XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite), launched Jan 2024, measures polarization of bright X-ray sources like black holes, neutron stars, and pulsars to understand emission mechanisms.
The EMISAT satellite launched by ISRO in 2019 is primarily used for _______.
- Weather forecasting
- Electronic intelligence (ELINT)
- Communication relay
- Lunar mapping
Answer: Electronic intelligence (ELINT)
EMISAT, developed by ISRO and DRDO, carries Kautilya package for electromagnetic spectrum measurement and ELINT, supporting strategic surveillance.
The Indian Space Science Data Centre (ISSDC) archiving mission data is located in _______.
- Bengaluru
- Hyderabad
- Ahmedabad
- Thiruvananthapuram
Answer: Bengaluru
ISSDC, part of URSC in Bengaluru, serves as the national repository for scientific data from ISRO's space science missions like AstroSat, Chandrayaan, and Mangalyaan.
The Artemis Accords are a set of principles for civil space exploration led by _______.
- UNOOSA
- NASA
- ESA
- Roscosmos
Answer: NASA
Initiated by NASA in 2020, the Artemis Accords establish norms for peaceful, transparent, and interoperable space exploration, signed by over 30 nations.
The SUIT payload on Aditya-L1 observes the Sun in the _______ wavelength range.
- X-ray
- Ultraviolet
- Infrared
- Radio
Answer: Ultraviolet
SUIT (Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope) captures high-resolution images of the solar photosphere and chromosphere in near-ultraviolet wavelengths, studying magnetic structures.
The Semi-Cryogenic Engine test facility for ISRO is located at _______.
- Sriharikota
- Mahendragiri
- Valiamala
- Bengaluru
Answer: Mahendragiri
LPSC's test facility at Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu, conducts hot tests of semi-cryogenic and cryogenic engines, validating performance before flight integration.
The first successful soft landing on Mars was achieved by NASA's _______ mission in 1976.
- Mariner 9
- Viking 1
- Pathfinder
- Curiosity
Answer: Viking 1
Viking 1 landed on Chryse Planitia on July 20, 1976, conducting the first biology experiments on Mars and returning panoramic images for six years.
The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPAC) was established to promote _______ sector participation in space activities.
- Government only
- Private
- Military
- International only
Answer: Private
IN-SPAC, established in 2020, acts as an independent nodal agency to enable, authorize, and supervise private sector entities in space activities, fostering commercialization.