Space – GK Questions

GEO disposal requires raising perigee ≥300 km above GEO belt (~150 m/s ΔV) to prevent collision risk; mandated by IADC guidelines.

Transition-edge sensor bolometers operate at cryogenic temps for far-IR/submm astronomy; used in Herschel/SOFIA/CMB experiments.

HEX-01 reached Mach ~5 during re-entry from 65 km altitude, testing aero-thermodynamics/navigation/control for reusable launch vehicle concept.

Io's extreme volcanism continuously replenishes SO₂ atmosphere against loss to Jupiter's magnetosphere; plumes reach 500 km altitude depositing fresh frost.

Human Space Flight Centre (HSFC) Bengaluru manages astronaut selection/training, crew systems, and mission integration for Gaganyaan.

ClearSpace-1 (ESA, launch 2026) will demonstrate four-arm capture of Vespa adapter; commercial ADR services emerging to mitigate Kessler syndrome risk.

Lucy launched Oct 2021 will visit eight Trojans over 12-year tour, probing diversity and origins of these primordial remnants.

p-mode/g-mode frequencies constrain internal sound speed profile, revealing tachocline location and differential rotation; validated solar models.

Canadarm3 provides autonomous external robotics for Gateway assembly/maintenance; features AI-enhanced dexterity for uncrewed operations in cislunar space.

CAIs in chondrites define solar system age via U-Pb dating; formed at high temperatures near proto-Sun before accretion into planetesimals.

Bruce McCandless II conducted untethered EVA using MMU on Feb 7, 1984, demonstrating free-flying capability for satellite retrieval/servicing.

KOMPSAT (Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite) series provides EO/weather/tech demo capabilities; KOMPSAT-7 offers 0.5 m panchromatic resolution.

Deployable/inflatable heat shields enable delivery of massive payloads to Mars/Venus where rigid aeroshells are volume/mass constrained; tested in LOFTID/IRVE missions.

Λ in Einstein's equations corresponds to constant energy density of empty space; observational evidence favors ΛCDM model with Ω_Λ≈0.7.

Voyager 2 conducted Uranus flyby Jan 1986 and Neptune flyby Aug 1989; no subsequent missions have visited ice giants, leaving major knowledge gaps.

Maxwell Montes rises ~11 km above Venusian mean radius on Ishtar Terra; formed by tectonic compression rather than volcanism unlike most Venusian highlands.

SPL at VSSC Thiruvananthapuram studies ionosphere/thermosphere using ground-based instruments and satellite data, supporting space weather forecasting.

Onboard processing allows direct user-to-user routing, reducing latency and ground dependency; featured in advanced military/commercial satellites.

NISAR's interferometric SAR measures crustal deformation, ice flow, and biomass changes at cm-scale resolution every 12 days globally.

GW170817 kilonova confirmed r-process production of gold/platinum/lanthanides in neutron-rich ejecta, resolving origin of half elements heavier than iron.