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Generate QuizSpace – Medium Level – GK Questions
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The Space Physics Laboratory (SPL) conducting upper atmospheric research is located in _______.
- Thiruvananthapuram
- Tirupati
- Gadanki
- Bengaluru
Answer: Thiruvananthapuram
SPL at VSSC Thiruvananthapuram studies ionosphere/thermosphere using ground-based instruments and satellite data, supporting space weather forecasting.
Regenerative payloads demodulate/remodulate signals onboard enabling inter-user links without ground relay.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Onboard processing allows direct user-to-user routing, reducing latency and ground dependency; featured in advanced military/commercial satellites.
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.
Honeycomb sandwich panels are widely used in spacecraft structures for their high _______ ratio.
- thermal conductivity
- stiffness-to-weight
- electrical conductivity
- radiation shielding
Answer: stiffness-to-weight
Aluminum/Nomex honeycomb cores bonded to face sheets provide exceptional bending stiffness at minimal mass, ideal for satellite bus and payload panels.
Pluto and Neptune are in 3:2 mean-motion resonance preventing collision despite crossing orbits.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Pluto completes 2 orbits per 3 Neptune orbits; resonance ensures conjunction occurs when Pluto is near aphelion far from Neptune's orbital plane.
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.
ISRO's Telemetry Tracking Command Network (ISTRAC) headquarters is located in _______.
- Sriharikota
- Bengaluru
- Thiruvananthapuram
- Lucknow
Answer: Bengaluru
ISTRAC HQ in Bengaluru coordinates global network of ground stations supporting LEO/GEO/deep space missions with real-time TT&C services.
White dwarfs cool indefinitely over trillions of years eventually becoming black dwarfs.
- True
- False
Answer: True
White dwarfs radiate stored thermal energy without fusion; cooling timescales exceed current universe age, so no black dwarfs exist yet theoretically predicted.
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.
The Semi-Cryogenic Engine SCE-200 being developed for NGLV uses _______ cycle.
- Gas generator
- Staged combustion
- Expander
- Pressure-fed
Answer: Staged combustion
SCE-200 employs oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle burning kerosene/LOX, delivering 200-ton thrust class performance for future heavy-lift vehicles.
Heat pipes transfer heat efficiently in microgravity using capillary action without moving parts.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Heat pipes use phase-change fluid wicking through porous structure to transport heat from hot to cold zones; essential for spacecraft thermal management.
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.
Friction stir welding is preferred for aluminum-lithium alloy rocket tanks because it produces _______ joints than fusion welding.
- weaker
- stronger and defect-free
- heavier
- more porous
Answer: stronger and defect-free
FSW solid-state process avoids melting/solidification defects, yielding superior mechanical properties for cryogenic tank structures in PSLV/GSLV/LVM3.
Mercury has a global intrinsic magnetic field despite its small size and slow rotation.
- True
- False
Answer: True
MESSENGER confirmed Mercury's dipole field (~300 nT at equator), generated by dynamo in partially molten outer core; unexpected given slow 59-day rotation.
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.
India's upcoming National Large Solar Telescope (NLST) will be built at _______ in Ladakh.
- Leh
- Hanle
- Kargil
- Drass
Answer: Hanle
NLST at Hanle (4500 m altitude) will be world's largest off-axis solar telescope (2 m aperture), studying solar magnetic fields and transient phenomena.
Sun sensors provide coarse attitude knowledge typically accurate to ~0.1° for safe-mode operations.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Digital/analog sun sensors determine sun vector relative to spacecraft body, enabling initial acquisition and safe-mode stabilization before fine pointing with star trackers.
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.