Space – True/False – GK Questions

Eris, discovered in 2005, is slightly more massive than Pluto, prompting the IAU to redefine 'planet' and create the 'dwarf planet' category.

After 15 years in orbit, Mir was deliberately deorbited in March 2001, with debris falling into the South Pacific Ocean.

SSLV is designed for small satellites (up to 500 kg to LEO), whereas PSLV can carry up to ~1,750 kg to Sun-Synchronous Orbit or ~1,400 kg to LEO. SSLV complements PSLV for smaller payloads.

The Orion Nebula (M42) is a diffuse emission nebula and active star-forming region. Planetary nebulae are shells of gas ejected by dying low-mass stars.

Electric propulsion (ion thrusters) achieves much higher fuel efficiency (specific impulse) than chemical rockets, enabling longer missions with less propellant, though acceleration is very gradual.

Phobos ('fear') and Deimos ('terror') are Mars' two small, irregularly shaped moons, likely captured asteroids.

SpaceX is a private aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company founded by Elon Musk. NASA is the U.S. government agency.

Observations of distant supernovae in the late 1990s revealed that cosmic expansion is accelerating, attributed to dark energy. This discovery won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Unlike Saturn's bright rings, Jupiter's faint ring system was unknown until Voyager 1 imaged them in 1979. They consist mainly of dust particles.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was formed on August 15, 1969, superseding the Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) established in 1962.

After exhausting nuclear fuel, stars like the Sun shed their outer layers as planetary nebulae, leaving behind a dense core called a white dwarf.

By recovering and reusing major components (like boosters), launch costs can be significantly reduced compared to expendable rockets. SpaceX's Falcon 9 is a prominent example.

Since Pluto's reclassification as a dwarf planet in 2006, Neptune remains the eighth and farthest known major planet from the Sun.

Laika died during the flight aboard Sputnik 2 due to overheating and stress. There was no technology at the time to return the spacecraft safely to Earth.

On April 10, 2019, the EHT collaboration released the first direct image of a black hole's shadow and photon ring, located in the galaxy Messier 87.

Scientific evidence strongly suggests Europa harbors a global saltwater ocean beneath its ice shell, making it a prime target in the search for extraterrestrial life.

In stellar classification, blue stars are the hottest (surface temperatures > 30,000 K), while red stars are the coolest (surface temperatures < 3,500 K). Color indicates temperature via Wien's displacement law.

Saturn's rings are composed predominantly of water ice particles, ranging in size from tiny grains to large boulders, along with some rocky material and dust.

A supernova is a powerful and luminous stellar explosion that occurs during the last evolutionary stages of a massive star or when a white dwarf is triggered into runaway nuclear fusion.

JAXA stands for Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. It is responsible for research, technology development, and launch of satellites into orbit.