Space – GK Questions

Q: Honeycomb sandwich panels are widely used in spacecraft structures for their high _______ ratio.

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.

Q: Pluto and Neptune are in 3:2 mean-motion resonance preventing collision despite crossing orbits.

True – Pluto completes 2 orbits per 3 Neptune orbits; resonance ensures conjunction occurs when Pluto is near aphelion far from Neptune's orbital plane.

Q: The first successful soft landing on Venus was achieved by which Venera mission?

Venera 7 – Venera 7 landed Dec 15, 1970, transmitting 23 minutes of surface data including temperature (475°C); Venera 4 was atmospheric probe only.

Q: Which space agency developed the Angara family of modular launch vehicles?

Roscosmos – Angara replaces Proton/Zenit with environmentally friendly RP-1/LOX propulsion; modular design covers light-to-heavy lift classes from Plesetsk/Vostochny.

Q: ISRO's Telemetry Tracking Command Network (ISTRAC) headquarters is located in _______.

Bengaluru – ISTRAC HQ in Bengaluru coordinates global network of ground stations supporting LEO/GEO/deep space missions with real-time TT&C services.

Q: White dwarfs cool indefinitely over trillions of years eventually becoming black dwarfs.

True – White dwarfs radiate stored thermal energy without fusion; cooling timescales exceed current universe age, so no black dwarfs exist yet theoretically predicted.

Q: The Hera mission will study the aftermath of DART's impact on Dimorphos to measure _______.

Momentum transfer efficiency – Hera (ESA, launch 2024) will characterize crater morphology and momentum enhancement factor β, calibrating kinetic impact models for planetary defense.

Q: Comet tails always point away from the Sun due to _______.

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.

Q: The Semi-Cryogenic Engine SCE-200 being developed for NGLV uses _______ cycle.

Staged combustion – SCE-200 employs oxygen-rich staged combustion cycle burning kerosene/LOX, delivering 200-ton thrust class performance for future heavy-lift vehicles.

Q: Heat pipes transfer heat efficiently in microgravity using capillary action without moving parts.

True – Heat pipes use phase-change fluid wicking through porous structure to transport heat from hot to cold zones; essential for spacecraft thermal management.