Space – Medium Level – GK Questions

Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov conducted the first EVA on March 18, 1965, spending 12 minutes outside Voskhod 2, tethered to the spacecraft.

EMISAT, developed by ISRO and DRDO, carries Kautilya package for electromagnetic spectrum measurement and ELINT, supporting strategic surveillance.

Pulsars are highly magnetized neutron stars rotating at precise intervals, emitting lighthouse-like beams detectable as regular pulses when aligned with Earth.

ISRO collaborated with Roscosmos/Glazkosmos for ECLSS technology transfer, critical for maintaining breathable air, temperature, and humidity in the crew module.

Dawn orbited protoplanet Vesta (2011-2012) and dwarf planet Ceres (2015-2018), studying early solar system differentiation and water-rich bodies.

ISSDC, part of URSC in Bengaluru, serves as the national repository for scientific data from ISRO's space science missions like AstroSat, Chandrayaan, and Mangalyaan.

Hall thrusters ionize propellant (usually xenon) using electric fields, providing efficient low-thrust propulsion for station-keeping and orbit raising in modern satellites.

Dark energy constitutes ~68% of the universe's energy content and drives the observed acceleration in cosmic expansion, opposing gravitational attraction.

Initiated by NASA in 2020, the Artemis Accords establish norms for peaceful, transparent, and interoperable space exploration, signed by over 30 nations.

NavIC transmits navigation signals in L5 and S-bands; the S-band also supports messaging/alert dissemination for disaster management and maritime safety.

Irregular galaxies have chaotic shapes without defined structure, often resulting from gravitational interactions or mergers with other galaxies.

SUIT (Solar Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope) captures high-resolution images of the solar photosphere and chromosphere in near-ultraviolet wavelengths, studying magnetic structures.

ASTP was the first international crewed spaceflight, symbolizing détente during the Cold War, with American and Soviet spacecraft docking in orbit.

LVM3 uses two large S200 solid rocket boosters for initial thrust. The core L110 stage uses liquid UDMH/N2O4, and the C25 upper stage uses cryogenic LH2/LOX.

The Kuiper Belt contains remnants from solar system formation, including icy bodies, comets, and dwarf planets like Pluto, Haumea, and Makemake.

LPSC's test facility at Mahendragiri, Tamil Nadu, conducts hot tests of semi-cryogenic and cryogenic engines, validating performance before flight integration.

The Methane Sensor for Mars (MSM) aimed to measure atmospheric methane, a potential biosignature or indicator of geological activity, though results were inconclusive.

Viking 1 landed on Chryse Planitia on July 20, 1976, conducting the first biology experiments on Mars and returning panoramic images for six years.

Callisto shows no signs of geological resurfacing, preserving impact craters dating back over 4 billion years, making it one of the most ancient surfaces known.

The Guiana Space Centre in Kourou is operated by CNES (France) and used primarily by ESA for Ariane and Vega launches due to its proximity to the equator, enhancing payload capacity.