Space – Fill in the Blank – GK Questions

VSSC in Thiruvananthapuram is ISRO's lead center for launch vehicle development, honoring Dr. Vikram Sarabhai who established TERLS there in 1963.

Ingenuity exceeded its planned 5 flights, completing 72 sorties over 3 years, proving powered flight feasibility in thin Martian atmosphere.

SAGA-220 supports meteorological data processing, monsoon prediction, and climate research, enhancing INSAT/INSAT-3D data utilization.

Canadarm2, launched in 2001, is essential for ISS assembly, maintenance, and spacecraft berthing, showcasing Canada's robotics expertise.

ISpA represents private space companies in India, advocating for policy reforms and fostering collaboration with ISRO/IN-SPAC.

PAPA measures solar wind plasma parameters (density, velocity, temperature) to understand coronal heating and space weather drivers.

SPADEX (Space Docking Experiment) involves two small satellites performing rendezvous/docking, validating tech for Gaganyaan and future space stations.

RRSC-South Asia at IIRS Dehradun supports regional countries with remote sensing training/data under UN-ESCAP framework.

Pragyan traversed ~100 m and operated for one lunar day (~14 Earth days) before entering sleep mode at lunar sunset; wake-up attempts failed.

Jugnu, a 3 kg student satellite for agriculture/disaster monitoring, launched aboard PSLV-C18 in Oct 2011, pioneering academic space research in India.

Mariner 10 conducted three flybys of Mercury in 1974-75, mapping ~45% of its surface and discovering its magnetic field.

ISRO SSA Control Centre in Peenya, Bengaluru monitors space debris, tracks objects, and issues collision warnings to safeguard Indian assets.

Launched Sept 2, 2023, Aditya-L1 entered halo orbit around L1 on Jan 6, 2024 (~126 days later), completing complex trajectory maneuvers.

NVS (Navigation with Indian Constellation Second Generation) satellites feature L1 band compatibility and improved atomic clocks, enhancing NavIC service continuity.

IDSN's primary 32-meter steerable parabolic antenna enables communication with deep space missions like Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan at distances beyond GEO.

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.

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.

Artemis aims to land the first woman and next man on the lunar south pole, building sustainable presence ahead of Mars missions.

URSC in Bengaluru is ISRO's lead center for satellite design, development, and testing, named after former ISRO chairman Prof. Udupi Ramachandra Rao.

ASPEX (Aditya Solar wind Particle EXperiment) analyzes energy spectra and angular distribution of solar wind ions and electrons to understand particle acceleration.