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The Chandrayaan-4 lunar sample return mission is currently planned for launch in _______ timeframe.
- 2025-26
- 2027-28
- 2030-31
- 2035+
Answer: 2027-28
Chandrayaan-4 aims to collect ~2-3 kg lunar regolith from south pole region and return to Earth; complex multi-module mission targeting late 2020s window.
Sabatier reaction converts CO₂ and H₂ into methane and water for closed-loop life support systems.
- True
- False
Answer: True
CO₂ + 4H₂ → CH₄ + 2H₂O recovers water from crew-exhaled CO₂; implemented on ISS and planned for Mars ISRU propellant production.
CubeSat standard defines unit size as 10 cm cube (~1 kg); 6U CubeSat volume is approximately _______ liters.
- 1
- 3
- 6
- 12
Answer: 6
6U = 6 × (10 cm)³ = 6000 cm³ = 6 liters; standardized form factor enables rapid development/access to space for universities/startups/agencies.
Shapiro delay measures general relativistic time dilation of signals passing near massive bodies.
- True - confirmed by Cassini/radar ranging
- False - Newtonian effect
- True - only for light not radio
- False - disproven by LIGO
Answer: True - confirmed by Cassini/radar ranging
Signals traversing curved spacetime experience extra delay proportional to gravitational potential; Cassini solar conjunction test verified GR to 10⁻⁵ precision.
Rotovators are rotating tethers that exchange momentum with payloads to enable propellantless _______ transfer.
- Interplanetary
- Orbit-to-surface/orbit
- Interstellar
- Lunar-Earth
Answer: Orbit-to-surface/orbit
Rotating tether catches/releases payloads at periapsis/apoapsis transferring orbital energy; enables access to LEO/GEO/lunar surface without rockets.
Enstatite chondrites have isotopic compositions most similar to Earth-Moon system among meteorite classes.
- True
- False
Answer: True
ECs match terrestrial O/Ti/Cr/Ni isotopes suggesting formation in same inner solar system reservoir; supports enstatite chondrite model for Earth's building blocks.
The first woman to conduct a spacewalk was Svetlana Savitskaya in which year?
- 1963
- 1978
- 1984
- 1990
Answer: 1984
Savitskaya performed EVA outside Salyut 7 on Jul 25, 1984, conducting metal cutting/welding experiments; preceded Kathryn Sullivan's US EVA by months.
Which space agency operates the COSMO-SkyMed radar satellite constellation?
- CNES
- ASI
- DLR
- UKSA
Answer: ASI
COSMO-SkyMed (Italian Space Agency) provides dual-use X-band SAR imagery for civilian/security applications; second generation enhances revisit/capability.
Deep Space Network (DSN) complexes are spaced approximately _______ degrees longitude apart for continuous coverage.
- 60
- 90
- 120
- 180
Answer: 120
Three DSN sites (Goldstone/Madrid/Canberra) at ~120° spacing ensure at least one complex maintains link with deep space probes as Earth rotates.
Coronagraphs block direct starlight to enable imaging of faint circumstellar disks and exoplanets.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Internal/external occulters suppress stellar glare by factors >10⁶; essential for direct exoplanet imaging (JWST NIRCam/MIRI, future HabEx/LUVOIR).
Solar sails propel spacecraft using momentum transfer from reflected photons, achieving continuous acceleration without propellant.
- True - demonstrated by IKAROS/LightSail
- False - theoretical only
- True - but requires laser beaming
- False - violates conservation laws
Answer: True - demonstrated by IKAROS/LightSail
IKAROS (2010) and LightSail-2 (2019) validated photon pressure propulsion; enables indefinite missions limited only by sail degradation/orbital mechanics.
Aeolian landforms (dunes/ripples) observed on Mars indicate present-day wind activity despite thin atmosphere.
- True - active dune migration documented
- False - all features ancient
- True - but only at poles
- False - liquid erosion dominant
Answer: True - active dune migration documented
HiRISE time-series shows meter-scale dune movement; winds reshape surface despite 1% Earth pressure, modifying landing sites and rover traverses.
The Space Kidz India student experiment flew aboard PSLV-C53 POEM platform studying _______ in microgravity.
- Plant growth
- Crystal formation
- Fluid dynamics
- Combustion
Answer: Crystal formation
Student payloads on POEM leverage spent PS4 stage for affordable microgravity research; crystal growth experiments inform pharmaceutical/materials science.
Quantum key distribution (QKD) satellites enable unhackable encryption via quantum entanglement principles.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Micius (China) demonstrated satellite-ground QKD in 2017; quantum no-cloning theorem ensures eavesdropping detection enabling secure key exchange.
GRACE-FO mission measures temporal gravity field variations to track groundwater depletion and ice mass loss.
- True - twin satellites ranging via microwave/laser
- False - measures magnetic field
- True - single satellite radar
- False - optical imaging only
Answer: True - twin satellites ranging via microwave/laser
GRACE Follow-On (2018-) detects mass redistribution via intersatellite distance changes; laser ranging interferometer enhances precision over original GRACE.
Pair-instability supernovae occur in very massive stars (140-260 solar masses) where gamma rays create electron-positron pairs reducing _______.
- Opacity
- Radiation pressure support
- Nuclear fuel
- Rotation rate
Answer: Radiation pressure support
Pair production reduces photon pressure triggering catastrophic core contraction/explosion completely disrupting star; leaves no remnant unlike core-collapse SN.
Green monopropellants like AF-M315E replace hydrazine offering higher performance and reduced _______.
- density
- toxicity/handling hazards
- specific impulse
- storage temperature
Answer: toxicity/handling hazards
Hydroxylammonium nitrate-based propellants eliminate carcinogenic hydrazine handling risks while delivering ~10% higher Isp; adopted in GPIM/ESCAPADE missions.
Roche limit defines distance within which tidal forces prevent satellite accretion or disrupt existing bodies.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Inside Roche limit (~2.44 planetary radii for fluid bodies), self-gravity cannot overcome tidal stress; explains ring locations inside this boundary.
The first commercial communications satellite Telstar 1 was launched in which year?
- 1958
- 1962
- 1965
- 1970
Answer: 1962
Telstar 1 (July 10, 1962) relayed first live transatlantic TV signals; AT&T/Bell Labs project demonstrated commercial viability of satellite communications.
Which space agency operates the MetOp series of polar-orbiting meteorological satellites?
- NOAA
- EUMETSAT
- JMA
- BOM
Answer: EUMETSAT
MetOp-A/B/C provide operational weather/environmental data for European/global forecasting; successor MetOp-SG launches mid-2020s.