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Which instrument on Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander measured the thermal conductivity of the lunar surface?
- RAMBHA
- ChASTE
- ILSA
- LRA
Answer: ChASTE
ChASTE (Chandra's Surface Thermophysical Experiment) measured the thermal conductivity and temperature profile of the lunar topsoil near the south pole, providing critical data for future landing missions.
Which European Space Agency mission studied comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko?
- Giotto
- Rosetta
- Stardust
- Deep Impact
Answer: Rosetta
ESA's Rosetta orbited comet 67P from 2014-2016, deploying the Philae lander. It provided unprecedented data on cometary composition and activity.
Gravitational waves were first directly detected by LIGO in which year?
- 2013
- 2015
- 2017
- 2019
Answer: 2015
LIGO made the first direct detection of gravitational waves (GW150914) on September 14, 2015, from merging black holes, confirming Einstein's prediction.
Which mission collected samples from asteroid Bennu and returned them to Earth in 2023?
- Hayabusa2
- OSIRIS-REx
- Lucy
- Psyche
Answer: OSIRIS-REx
NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission returned a capsule containing asteroid Bennu samples to Utah on September 24, 2023, for laboratory analysis.
Which space telescope discovered the TRAPPIST-1 system with seven Earth-sized planets?
- Kepler
- TESS
- Spitzer
- James Webb
Answer: Spitzer
While initial discoveries came from ground-based TRAPPIST telescopes, NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope confirmed and characterized the seven-planet system in 2017.
The Perseverance rover landed in which crater on Mars in February 2021?
- Gale Crater
- Jezero Crater
- Endeavour Crater
- Victoria Crater
Answer: Jezero Crater
Perseverance landed in Jezero Crater, an ancient river delta site chosen for its potential to preserve biosignatures and organic molecules.
Which mission successfully landed on Titan, Saturn's moon, in 2005?
- Cassini
- Huygens
- Galileo
- Juno
Answer: Huygens
The Huygens probe, part of the Cassini-Huygens mission, landed on Titan on January 14, 2005, providing the first direct data from the outer solar system's surface.
The Event Horizon Telescope captured the first-ever image of a black hole (M87*) in 2019.
- True
- False
Answer: True
On April 10, 2019, the EHT collaboration released the first direct image of a black hole's shadow and photon ring, located in the galaxy Messier 87.
What is the approximate altitude of the International Space Station (ISS) above Earth?
- 200 km
- 400 km
- 800 km
- 36,000 km
Answer: 400 km
The ISS orbits at an average altitude of approximately 400 km in Low Earth Orbit, traveling at about 7.66 km/s.
Which country became the first to land a spacecraft on the far side of the Moon?
- USA
- India
- China
- Russia
Answer: China
China's Chang'e 4 mission successfully landed on the far side of the Moon in January 2019, a first in history.
Which mission returned samples from an asteroid named Ryugu to Earth?
- OSIRIS-REx
- Hayabusa2
- Chang'e 5
- Stardust
Answer: Hayabusa2
JAXA's Hayabusa2 mission successfully collected samples from the asteroid Ryugu and returned them to Earth in December 2020.
Which mission was the first to land a spacecraft on a comet?
- Rosetta
- Philae
- Hayabusa
- OSIRIS-REx
Answer: Philae
The Philae lander, part of the ESA's Rosetta mission, became the first spacecraft to soft-land on a comet (67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko) in November 2014.
What was the name of the rover deployed by Chandrayaan-3?
- Pragyan
- Vikram
- Gaganyaan
- Aditya
Answer: Pragyan
The Chandrayaan-3 mission consisted of the Vikram lander and the Pragyan rover. Pragyan means 'wisdom' in Sanskrit.
What is the name of the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy?
- Cygnus X-1
- Sagittarius A*
- M87*
- Andromeda Black Hole
Answer: Sagittarius A*
Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*) is the supermassive black hole at the Galactic Center of the Milky Way. The first image of Sgr A* was released by the Event Horizon Telescope in 2022.
Which spacecraft is the farthest human-made object from Earth?
- Pioneer 10
- Voyager 1
- Voyager 2
- New Horizons
Answer: Voyager 1
Voyager 1, launched in 1977, is the farthest human-made object from Earth. It entered interstellar space in 2012 and continues to transmit data.
Aditya-L1, India's first solar mission, was placed in which orbit?
- Low Earth Orbit
- Geostationary Orbit
- Halo Orbit around Lagrange Point L1
- Lunar Orbit
Answer: Halo Orbit around Lagrange Point L1
Aditya-L1 was placed in a halo orbit around the Lagrange Point 1 (L1) of the Sun-Earth system, about 1.5 million km from Earth. This position allows continuous viewing of the Sun without any occultation/eclipses.
The heaviest launch vehicle developed by ISRO, capable of lifting heavy payloads to geostationary transfer orbit, is _______.
- PSLV
- GSLV Mk III (LVM3)
- SSLV
- ASLV
Answer: GSLV Mk III (LVM3)
GSLV Mk III, now renamed LVM3 (Launch Vehicle Mark-3), is ISRO's heaviest operational launch vehicle, used for launching heavy satellites like Chandrayaan-2, Chandrayaan-3, and OneWeb satellites.
Which space telescope, launched in December 2021, is considered the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope?
- Chandra X-ray Observatory
- James Webb Space Telescope
- Spitzer Space Telescope
- Kepler Space Telescope
Answer: James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched in December 2021. It observes primarily in the infrared spectrum and is designed to succeed Hubble, offering deeper insights into the early universe.
Chandrayaan-3 successfully landed on the Moon's surface on which date?
- August 22, 2023
- August 23, 2023
- July 24, 2023
- September 2, 2023
Answer: August 23, 2023
Chandrayaan-3's Vikram lander successfully soft-landed near the lunar south pole on August 23, 2023, making India the fourth country to land on the Moon and the first to land near the south pole.
Which fund under UNFCCC specifically supports developing countries in meeting the costs of climate change adaptation?
- Green Climate Fund
- Adaptation Fund
- Least Developed Countries Fund
- Special Climate Change Fund
Answer: Adaptation Fund
Adaptation Fund (established under Kyoto Protocol) finances concrete adaptation projects in vulnerable developing countries. Funded by 2% share of CDM proceeds and donations. India has accessed funds for community-based adaptation. [[MoEFCC, UNFCCC Reports]]