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The first interplanetary probe to visit Mercury was _______.
- MESSENGER
- Mariner 10
- BepiColombo
- Pioneer 11
Answer: Mariner 10
Mariner 10 conducted three flybys of Mercury in 1974-75, mapping ~45% of its surface and discovering its magnetic field.
Aerobraking uses atmospheric drag to reduce spacecraft velocity and adjust orbit without propellant.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Aerobraking gradually lowers apoapsis by skimming upper atmosphere, saving fuel for orbit insertion (used by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Mangalyaan).
T Tauri stars are pre-main-sequence stars still contracting toward hydrogen fusion.
- True - they are young stellar objects
- False - they are evolved red giants
- False - they are white dwarfs
- True - but only in binary systems
Answer: True - they are young stellar objects
T Tauri stars (<10 Myr) are variable, accreting protostars en route to main sequence, often surrounded by protoplanetary disks.
Which mission studied Pluto and its moons up close in 2015?
- Voyager 1
- New Horizons
- Cassini
- Juno
Answer: New Horizons
NASA's New Horizons conducted the first Pluto flyby on July 14, 2015, revealing glaciers, mountains, and atmospheric haze on the dwarf planet.
The Space Situational Awareness Control Centre inaugurated in 2022 is located in _______.
- Bengaluru
- New Delhi
- Dehradun
- Leh
Answer: Bengaluru
ISRO SSA Control Centre in Peenya, Bengaluru monitors space debris, tracks objects, and issues collision warnings to safeguard Indian assets.
Miranda, a moon of Uranus, shows evidence of extreme geological resurfacing with coronae features.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Miranda's surface displays ovoid coronae, fault canyons, and varied terrains suggesting past tidal heating or catastrophic disruption/reassembly.
Which atomic clock technology is indigenously developed for NavIC satellites?
- Cesium beam
- Rubidium fountain
- Hydrogen maser
- Optical lattice
Answer: Rubidium fountain
ISRO/SAC developed indigenous Rubidium atomic clocks for NavIC after import restrictions, achieving stability comparable to international standards.
The Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy is considered the closest satellite galaxy to the Milky Way.
- True - it is closer than Sagittarius Dwarf
- False - Sagittarius Dwarf is closer
- False - Large Magellanic Cloud is closer
- True - but it is merging with Milky Way
Answer: True - it is closer than Sagittarius Dwarf
Discovered in 2003, Canis Major Dwarf (~25,000 ly from Galactic Center) is closer than Sagittarius Dwarf (~50,000 ly), though its status as distinct galaxy is debated.
Aditya-L1 reached Lagrange Point L1 approximately _______ days after launch.
- 30
- 60
- 120
- 180
Answer: 120
Launched Sept 2, 2023, Aditya-L1 entered halo orbit around L1 on Jan 6, 2024 (~126 days later), completing complex trajectory maneuvers.
The photon sphere is a region around a black hole where gravity bends light into circular orbits.
- True
- False
Answer: True
At 1.5 Schwarzschild radii, photons can theoretically orbit a non-rotating black hole, forming the boundary visible in EHT images as the bright ring.
The Next Generation Launch Vehicle (NGLV) planned by ISRO will use which propellant combination in its core stage?
- Solid + Liquid
- Semi-Cryogenic (Kerosene/LOX)
- Cryogenic (LH2/LOX)
- Hypergolic
Answer: Semi-Cryogenic (Kerosene/LOX)
NGLV (Soorya) will use clustered semi-cryogenic engines in core and boosters for higher thrust and density, targeting reusable heavy-lift capabilities post-2030.
Which space agency operates the Tianwen Mars exploration program?
- JAXA
- CNSA
- KARI
- ISA
Answer: CNSA
Tianwen ('Questions to Heaven') is China's planetary exploration program; Tianwen-1 successfully orbited, landed, and deployed Zhurong rover on Mars in 2021.
The NVS series of satellites will augment and eventually replace the existing _______ constellation.
- INSAT
- NavIC (IRNSS)
- GSAT
- Cartosat
Answer: NavIC (IRNSS)
NVS (Navigation with Indian Constellation Second Generation) satellites feature L1 band compatibility and improved atomic clocks, enhancing NavIC service continuity.
Mercury has ice deposits in permanently shadowed craters at its poles.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Despite proximity to the Sun, Mercury's zero axial tilt keeps polar craters in permanent shadow, allowing water ice to persist, confirmed by MESSENGER mission.
Type Ia supernovae are used as standard candles because they result from thermonuclear explosion of _______.
- Massive stars >8 solar masses
- White dwarfs reaching Chandrasekhar limit
- Neutron star mergers
- Red supergiants
Answer: White dwarfs reaching Chandrasekhar limit
Type Ia supernovae occur when carbon-oxygen white dwarfs accrete mass to ~1.4 solar masses, triggering uniform explosions useful for measuring cosmic distances.
Which mission returned the first samples from the Moon since Luna 24 in 1976?
- Chang'e 5
- Artemis I
- Hayabusa2
- OSIRIS-REx
Answer: Chang'e 5
China's Chang'e 5 returned 1.7 kg of lunar regolith in December 2020, the first lunar sample return in 44 years, from Oceanus Procellarum.
The Indian Deep Space Network antenna in Byalalu has a diameter of _______ meters.
- 18 m
- 32 m
- 45 m
- 70 m
Answer: 32 m
IDSN's primary 32-meter steerable parabolic antenna enables communication with deep space missions like Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan at distances beyond GEO.
Skylab was the first U.S. space station, launched in 1973.
- True
- False
Answer: True
Skylab operated from 1973-1979, hosting three crews and conducting solar/astronomical research before re-entering Earth's atmosphere in 1979.
Tundra orbits are a type of highly elliptical orbit with inclination of approximately _______ degrees.
- 45°
- 63.4°
- 90°
- 0°
Answer: 63.4°
Tundra orbits (inclination 63.4°, period 24 hours) dwell over high-latitude regions, used for communications where GEO coverage is poor, similar to Molniya but longer dwell time.
The Hubble Constant measures which property of the universe?
- Age
- Expansion rate
- Temperature
- Density
Answer: Expansion rate
The Hubble Constant (H₀ ≈ 70 km/s/Mpc) quantifies the current expansion rate of the universe, relating galaxy recession velocity to distance.