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Generate QuizSpace – Medium Level – GK Questions
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The SAGA-220 supercomputer at SAC Ahmedabad is primarily used for _______.
- Launch trajectory optimization
- Weather forecasting and climate modeling
- Satellite image processing
- Deep space navigation
Answer: Weather forecasting and climate modeling
SAGA-220 supports meteorological data processing, monsoon prediction, and climate research, enhancing INSAT/INSAT-3D data utilization.
The Lyman-alpha forest in quasar spectra reveals the distribution of neutral hydrogen in the intergalactic medium.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Absorption lines blueward of Lyman-alpha emission trace intervening hydrogen clouds at different redshifts, mapping cosmic web structure.
Which planet has the highest albedo (reflectivity) in the solar system?
- Earth
- Venus
- Jupiter
- Saturn
Answer: Venus
Venus reflects ~75% of incoming sunlight due to thick sulfuric acid clouds, giving it the highest geometric albedo of any planet.
The Canadian Space Agency contributed the Canadarm2 robotic arm to the _______.
- Mir
- International Space Station
- Tiangong
- Skylab
Answer: International Space Station
Canadarm2, launched in 2001, is essential for ISS assembly, maintenance, and spacecraft berthing, showcasing Canada's robotics expertise.
Aerogel is used in space missions primarily for its high thermal insulation properties.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Silica aerogel's nanoporous structure makes it an excellent insulator; used on Mars rovers (Sojourner, Spirit, Opportunity) to protect electronics from extreme cold.
Which country's Chang'e-4 mission achieved the first soft landing on the far side of the Moon?
- USA
- Russia
- China
- India
Answer: China
Chang'e-4 landed in Von Kármán crater on Jan 3, 2019, using Queqiao relay satellite for communication, marking a historic first in lunar exploration.
The transit method detects exoplanets by observing which phenomenon?
- Stellar wobble
- Periodic dimming of starlight
- Direct imaging
- Gravitational lensing
Answer: Periodic dimming of starlight
When a planet passes in front of its host star, it blocks a tiny fraction of light, causing measurable brightness dips that reveal planet size and orbital period.
The Indian Space Association (ISpA) was formed in 2021 as an industry body representing _______ sector interests.
- Government
- Private
- Academic
- Defense
Answer: Private
ISpA represents private space companies in India, advocating for policy reforms and fostering collaboration with ISRO/IN-SPAC.
Which moon is known for having a subsurface ocean and geysers erupting from its south pole?
- Titan
- Enceladus
- Ganymede
- Io
Answer: Enceladus
Saturn's moon Enceladus ejects water vapor and ice grains from 'tiger stripe' fractures, confirming a global subsurface ocean and potential hydrothermal activity.
Aditya-L1's PAPA payload stands for Plasma Analyser Package for _______.
- Aditya
- Astrophysics
- Atmosphere
- Asteroids
Answer: Aditya
PAPA measures solar wind plasma parameters (density, velocity, temperature) to understand coronal heating and space weather drivers.
Quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs) in X-ray binaries help estimate black hole spin.
- True
- False
Answer: True
High-frequency QPOs correlate with inner disk dynamics near ISCO, providing indirect spin measurements complementary to continuum fitting.
The REXUS/BEXUS program provides student teams access to which platforms for experiments?
- ISS only
- Sounding rockets and stratospheric balloons
- CubeSats only
- Ground labs only
Answer: Sounding rockets and stratospheric balloons
REXUS (rockets) and BEXUS (balloons) are ESA/DLR/SNSB programs offering students hands-on experience in microgravity/atmospheric research.
Which space agency developed the Long March family of launch vehicles?
- JAXA
- CNSA
- KARI
- ISA
Answer: CNSA
Long March rockets are China's primary launch vehicles, evolving from DF-5 ICBM technology to support crewed, lunar, and space station missions.
The SPADEX mission scheduled for 2024-25 demonstrates autonomous _______ in Low Earth Orbit.
- Docking
- Landing
- Refueling
- Deorbiting
Answer: Docking
SPADEX (Space Docking Experiment) involves two small satellites performing rendezvous/docking, validating tech for Gaganyaan and future space stations.
Mars has polar ice caps composed of both water ice and dry ice (CO₂).
- True
- False
Answer: True
Martian polar caps contain layered water ice overlain by seasonal CO₂ frost; north cap retains summer water ice, south cap retains perennial CO₂.
Cepheid variables are important because their pulsation period correlates directly with _______.
- Surface temperature
- Luminosity
- Mass
- Age
Answer: Luminosity
Period-luminosity relation allows Cepheids to serve as standard candles for measuring galactic/extragalactic distances, foundational to Hubble's law.
The Regional Remote Sensing Service Centre (RRSC) for South Asia is hosted by India in _______.
- Dehradun
- Hyderabad
- Bengaluru
- New Delhi
Answer: Dehradun
RRSC-South Asia at IIRS Dehradun supports regional countries with remote sensing training/data under UN-ESCAP framework.
The Zarya module was the first component of the International Space Station launched in 1998.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Zarya (Functional Cargo Block) launched Nov 20, 1998, providing initial propulsion/power until Unity node arrived weeks later.
Frozen orbits maintain constant eccentricity and argument of periapsis, minimizing station-keeping for lunar satellites.
- True - used by Chandrayaan orbiter
- False - unstable near Moon
- True - only for Earth satellites
- False - requires continuous propulsion
Answer: True - used by Chandrayaan orbiter
Lunar frozen orbits (inclination ~27°, 50°, 76°, 86°) counteract mascon perturbations, enabling long-term stable orbits for Chandrayaan and LRO.
The Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) serve as a standard ruler for measuring _______.
- Stellar ages
- Cosmic expansion history
- Black hole masses
- Galaxy rotation speeds
Answer: Cosmic expansion history
BAO are frozen sound wave imprints in galaxy distribution (~150 Mpc scale), constraining dark energy and expansion rate across cosmic time.