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The first EVA using a self-contained backpack propulsion unit (MMU) was performed during which shuttle mission?
- STS-7
- STS-41-B
- STS-61
- STS-82
Answer: STS-41-B
Bruce McCandless II conducted untethered EVA using MMU on Feb 7, 1984, demonstrating free-flying capability for satellite retrieval/servicing.
Which space agency operates the KOMPSAT series of multipurpose satellites?
- JAXA
- KARI
- CNSA
- ISA
Answer: KARI
KOMPSAT (Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite) series provides EO/weather/tech demo capabilities; KOMPSAT-7 offers 0.5 m panchromatic resolution.
Voyager 2 is the only spacecraft to have visited Uranus and Neptune.
- True - flew by both in 1986/1989
- False - Voyager 1 also visited
- True - but New Horizons visited Neptune
- False - no spacecraft visited Uranus
Answer: True - flew by both in 1986/1989
Voyager 2 conducted Uranus flyby Jan 1986 and Neptune flyby Aug 1989; no subsequent missions have visited ice giants, leaving major knowledge gaps.
Maxwell Montes is the highest mountain range on which planet?
- Mars
- Venus
- Mercury
- Earth
Answer: Venus
Maxwell Montes rises ~11 km above Venusian mean radius on Ishtar Terra; formed by tectonic compression rather than volcanism unlike most Venusian highlands.
NISAR satellite will use dual-frequency SAR (L-band and S-band) to measure surface deformation with _______ accuracy.
- Meter-level
- Centimeter-level
- Millimeter-level
- Kilometer-level
Answer: Centimeter-level
NISAR's interferometric SAR measures crustal deformation, ice flow, and biomass changes at cm-scale resolution every 12 days globally.
Kilonovae are electromagnetic counterparts to neutron star mergers producing heavy elements via _______.
- Silicon burning
- R-process nucleosynthesis
- Proton-proton chain
- Triple-alpha process
Answer: R-process nucleosynthesis
GW170817 kilonova confirmed r-process production of gold/platinum/lanthanides in neutron-rich ejecta, resolving origin of half elements heavier than iron.
The first successful soft landing on Venus was achieved by which Venera mission?
- Venera 4
- Venera 7
- Venera 9
- Venera 13
Answer: Venera 7
Venera 7 landed Dec 15, 1970, transmitting 23 minutes of surface data including temperature (475°C); Venera 4 was atmospheric probe only.
Which space agency developed the Angara family of modular launch vehicles?
- NASA
- ESA
- Roscosmos
- CNSA
Answer: Roscosmos
Angara replaces Proton/Zenit with environmentally friendly RP-1/LOX propulsion; modular design covers light-to-heavy lift classes from Plesetsk/Vostochny.
The Hera mission will study the aftermath of DART's impact on Dimorphos to measure _______.
- Composition change
- Momentum transfer efficiency
- Orbital period shift
- Surface albedo
Answer: Momentum transfer efficiency
Hera (ESA, launch 2024) will characterize crater morphology and momentum enhancement factor β, calibrating kinetic impact models for planetary defense.
Comet tails always point away from the Sun due to _______.
- Orbital motion
- Solar wind and radiation pressure
- Gravitational attraction
- Magnetic fields
Answer: Solar wind and radiation pressure
Ion tail aligns with solar wind magnetic field; dust tail curves due to radiation pressure; both extend anti-sunward regardless of comet's direction of travel.
Hayabusa2's MINERVA-II rovers were the first to successfully hop on an asteroid surface.
- True - on Ryugu in 2018
- False - failed deployment
- True - on Itokawa in 2005
- False - wheeled not hopping
Answer: True - on Ryugu in 2018
MINERVA-II1A/B deployed Sep 2018 hopped across Ryugu's low-gravity surface using internal rotors, returning images and temperature data.
Galaxy rotation curves remain flat at large radii instead of declining Keplerian, providing evidence for _______.
- Modified gravity
- Dark matter halos
- Stellar population gradients
- Gas pressure support
Answer: Dark matter halos
Flat rotation curves imply enclosed mass increases linearly with radius beyond visible disk, requiring extended dark matter halo dominating gravitational potential.
The first modular space station module launched by China was Tiangong-1 in which year?
- 2008
- 2011
- 2016
- 2021
Answer: 2011
Tiangong-1 launched Sep 29, 2011, serving as target for Shenzhou docking tests; deorbited uncontrollably in 2018 after extended mission.
Which space agency operates the Sentinel-6 Michael Freilich ocean altimetry satellite?
- NASA/ESA/EUMETSAT/CNES joint
- NOAA only
- JAXA only
- Roscosmos only
Answer: NASA/ESA/EUMETSAT/CNES joint
Sentinel-6 continues TOPEX/Poseidon/Jason sea-level record since 1992, measuring ocean topography with cm precision for climate monitoring.
Aerocapture uses atmospheric drag to insert spacecraft into orbit around a planet in a single pass, unlike aerobraking which requires multiple passes.
- True - saves significant propellant
- False - synonymous terms
- True - but only for Earth
- False - never successfully demonstrated
Answer: True - saves significant propellant
Aerocapture achieves orbit insertion in one atmospheric pass requiring precise guidance; aerobraking gradually lowers apoapsis over weeks/months. Aerocapture remains unflown but studied for Mars/Venus/Titan.
Tharsis Montes on Mars consists of three large shield volcanoes aligned NE-SW; which is NOT part of this group?
- Ascraeus Mons
- Pavonis Mons
- Arsia Mons
- Olympus Mons
Answer: Olympus Mons
Tharsis Montes includes Ascraeus, Pavonis, and Arsia; Olympus Mons lies northwest of Tharsis bulge as separate volcanic province.
Who was the first Asian woman to travel to space?
- Kalpana Chawla
- Chiaki Mukai
- Yi So-yeon
- Liu Yang
Answer: Chiaki Mukai
Japanese astronaut Chiaki Mukai flew aboard STS-65 in July 1994; Kalpana Chawla (Indian-origin US citizen) flew later in 1997.
Cross-link inter-satellite links in navigation constellations enable autonomous orbit determination without ground stations.
- True - used in GPS III/BeiDou
- False - requires constant ground contact
- True - only for LEO satellites
- False - technologically unfeasible
Answer: True - used in GPS III/BeiDou
Ka-band cross-links allow satellites to range each other, improving ephemeris accuracy and reducing ground segment dependency; implemented in modern GNSS.
Which mission discovered water ice in permanently shadowed craters at lunar south pole using neutron spectroscopy?
- Chandrayaan-1 MIP
- Lunar Prospector
- LCROSS
- All of the above
Answer: All of the above
Lunar Prospector (1998) detected H signature; Chandrayaan-1 MIP/M3 confirmed OH/H₂O; LCROSS impact (2009) directly sampled ice-rich ejecta.
Hot Jupiters are gas giants orbiting very close to host stars; they likely formed beyond snow line and migrated inward via _______.
- Disk migration or tidal interactions
- Core accretion in situ
- Gravitational instability
- Stellar capture
Answer: Disk migration or tidal interactions
Type I/II disk migration or high-eccentricity tidal circularization explains hot Jupiter presence interior to snow line where gas giant formation is unlikely.