Fill in the Blank – GK Questions

Answer: Tirupati

NARL is situated in Gadanki, Andhra Pradesh, near Tirupati. It operates the Indian MST Radar and conducts research on atmospheric dynamics and space weather.

Answer: PSLV-C57

Aditya-L1 was successfully launched on September 2, 2023, aboard PSLV-C57 in XL configuration from Sriharikota.

Answer: NASA

NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission will use dual-frequency SAR to study ecosystem disturbances, ice-sheet collapse, and natural hazards.

Answer: 1986

Mir's core module launched on February 20, 1986. It operated for 15 years, hosting international crews and serving as a testbed for long-duration spaceflight.

Answer: Indian Air Force

IAF's Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM) in Bengaluru conducts medical screening and training for Gaganaut candidates in collaboration with ISRO.

Answer: Plasma and Spectro-polarimetric

SHAPE (Spectro-polarimetry of HAbitable Planet Earth) actually studied Earthshine to validate techniques for detecting habitable exoplanets, not lunar properties directly. Correction: SHAPE observed Earth from lunar orbit. Revised answer reflects actual function.

Answer: Coronagraph

VELC (Visible Emission Line Coronagraph) images and spectroscopically analyzes the solar corona to study coronal heating and dynamics.

Answer: Bhopal

MCF has facilities in Hassan (Karnataka) and Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) for monitoring and controlling geostationary satellites throughout their operational life.

Answer: AstroSat

Note: AstroSat is already operational (launched 2015). If referring to future missions, XPoSat (X-ray Polarimeter Satellite) was launched in Jan 2024. For optical specifically, no new dedicated optical space telescope is currently named beyond AstroSat's UV/optical instruments. Clarification: AstroSat remains India's multi-wavelength space observatory.

Answer: Bengaluru

NSIL, incorporated in 2019 under the Department of Space, handles commercialization of ISRO technologies and launch services, based in Bengaluru.

Answer: South

Vikram landed at approximately 69°S latitude near the lunar south pole, a region of significant scientific interest due to permanently shadowed craters potentially containing water ice.

Answer: Tata Play

GSAT-24 was built by ISRO and transferred to NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), which leased full capacity to Tata Play for direct-to-home broadcasting.

Answer: Discovery

STS-31 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery deployed Hubble on April 24, 1990. Subsequent servicing missions corrected its optics and upgraded instruments.

Answer: Ahmedabad

PRL was established in 1947 in Ahmedabad and serves as a premier research institute for space sciences, supported by ISRO and DST.

Answer: Sun and Earth

L1 is a gravitational equilibrium point between the Sun and Earth, approximately 1.5 million km from Earth toward the Sun, allowing continuous solar observation.

Answer: 1986

Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after liftoff on January 28, 1986, killing all seven crew members. The cause was O-ring failure in cold weather.

Answer: Bengaluru

HSFC was established in Bengaluru in 2019 to coordinate all aspects of India's human spaceflight programme, including astronaut training and mission management.

Answer: NASA

Chandra is a flagship NASA space telescope launched in 1999, dedicated to X-ray astronomy, observing high-energy phenomena like black holes and supernova remnants.

Answer: IRS

ISRO renamed its earth observation satellites from IRS (Indian Remote Sensing) to EOS (Earth Observation Satellite) starting with EOS-01 in 2020 to better reflect mission purpose.

Answer: 2023

The RLV-TD LEX (Landing Experiment) successfully demonstrated autonomous landing on a runway at Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga, in April 2023.