Space Technology

41. During solar eclipse

During solar eclipse

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the earth comes in between the sun and the moon.
the moon comes in between the sun and the earth.
the moon comes exactly halfway between the earth and the sun.
the sun comes in between the earth and the moon.
This question was previously asked in
UPSC NDA-1 – 2016
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The correct answer is B) the moon comes in between the sun and the earth.
A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between the Sun and Earth, casting a shadow on Earth and blocking the Sun’s light.
The alignment for a solar eclipse is always Sun – Moon – Earth. During a solar eclipse, the Moon covers the Sun either partially or completely (total solar eclipse) for observers on Earth within the shadow cone. This is in contrast to a lunar eclipse, where the Earth comes between the Sun and the Moon.

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42. The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully landed a spacecraft on a

The European Space Agency (ESA) successfully landed a spacecraft on a speeding comet that lies 310 million miles away from Earth. As a result, the scientists may find out

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the age of the Sun
the age of the Universe
new fundamental atomic particles
the role of the comets in bringing organic matter and water to Earth
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UPSC NDA-1 – 2015
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The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Rosetta mission, which included the Philae lander, successfully landed on comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko in November 2014. Comets are believed to be pristine remnants from the formation of the solar system, preserving material from that era. A major scientific objective of studying comets is to understand their composition, including water and organic molecules, and their potential role in delivering these crucial building blocks to early Earth, which could have been significant for the origin of life.
Comet missions like Rosetta aim to study the composition of comets to understand the early solar system and their potential role in delivering water and organic matter to Earth.
The Rosetta mission orbited the comet for over two years, studying it extensively, while Philae provided data from the surface, although its power source was limited due to landing in a shaded location.

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43. Which of the following country/countries successfully inserted a space

Which of the following country/countries successfully inserted a spacecraft into Mars’ orbit by maiden attempt ?

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USA
USA and Russia
India
China
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UPSC NDA-1 – 2015
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India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also known as Mangalyaan, successfully inserted a spacecraft into Mars’ orbit on September 24, 2014. This was India’s first interplanetary mission and it achieved orbit insertion on its very first attempt, a feat not accomplished by any other country or space agency before (USA, Soviet Union/Russia, and Europe had previous attempts, some successful, some not, before achieving orbit insertion).
India is the first country to successfully place a spacecraft into Mars orbit on its maiden attempt.
The Mars Orbiter Mission was a technology demonstrator project but also carried scientific payloads to study the Martian atmosphere and surface. Its success made India the fourth entity (after NASA, Soviet space program, and ESA) to reach Mars and the first in Asia.

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44. In Sun-Earth system, the Sun, the Earth and the Lagrange point L4 form

In Sun-Earth system, the Sun, the Earth and the Lagrange point L4 form :

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an isosceles triangle
an equilateral triangle
a straight line
a scalene triangle
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UPSC CDS-2 – 2024
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In the Sun-Earth system, the Sun, the Earth, and the Lagrange point L4 form an equilateral triangle.
– Lagrange points are positions in space where the gravitational forces of two large bodies, like the Sun and Earth, balance the centrifugal force on a smaller object, allowing the smaller object to remain in a stable position relative to the two large bodies.
– There are five such points (L1, L2, L3, L4, and L5).
– Points L4 and L5 are located 60 degrees ahead of and behind the smaller body (Earth in this case) in its orbit around the larger body (Sun), respectively.
– The distances from L4 (or L5) to the Sun and to the Earth are equal to the distance between the Sun and the Earth.
– This geometric arrangement forms an equilateral triangle with the two large bodies at two vertices and L4 (or L5) at the third vertex.
The L1, L2, and L3 points lie along the line connecting the two large bodies and are points of unstable equilibrium in practice, requiring station-keeping maneuvers. The L4 and L5 points are points of stable equilibrium for small objects orbiting within the system. Asteroids known as Trojans can be found orbiting in the vicinity of the L4 and L5 points of planet-Sun systems.

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45. Which of the following are the major missions of Indian Space Research

Which of the following are the major missions of Indian Space Research Organization in 2023 ?

  • 1. Chandrayaan-3
  • 2. Solar Mission Aditya-L1
  • 3. Liquid fuel powered rockets
  • 4. Solar powered rockets

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1 and 2 only
1, 2 and 3
3 and 4 only
1, 2, 3 and 4
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UPSC CDS-2 – 2024
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Chandrayaan-3 and Solar Mission Aditya-L1 were major missions of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in 2023.
In 2023, ISRO successfully launched and executed two highly significant scientific missions: Chandrayaan-3, India’s third lunar exploration mission which achieved a historic soft landing on the Moon’s south polar region, and Aditya-L1, India’s first space-based observatory dedicated to studying the Sun from a halo orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrangian point L1.
Options 3 (“Liquid fuel powered rockets”) and 4 (“Solar powered rockets”) refer to types of propulsion or non-existent technologies for launch vehicles, not specific missions conducted by ISRO in 2023. ISRO utilizes liquid-fueled rockets (like PSLV stages and GSLV) for its launches, but these are the means of delivery rather than the mission names themselves. Solar power is used by spacecraft in orbit for energy but not for rocket propulsion during launch.

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46. How much percentage of carbon dioxide is present in the atmosphere of

How much percentage of carbon dioxide is present in the atmosphere of Venus and Mars ?

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45 - 47%
52 - 55%
74 - 77%
95 - 97%
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UPSC CDS-2 – 2023
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The atmospheres of both Venus and Mars are predominantly composed of carbon dioxide. Venus’s atmosphere is about 96.5% CO2, and Mars’s atmosphere is about 95% CO2. Option D, 95 – 97%, is the range that accurately represents the high percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmospheres of both planets.
The thick CO2 atmosphere of Venus creates an extreme greenhouse effect, resulting in very high surface temperatures. The thin CO2 atmosphere of Mars contributes to its cold and arid conditions.
In contrast, Earth’s atmosphere is composed primarily of nitrogen (about 78%) and oxygen (about 21%), with carbon dioxide being only a trace gas (around 0.04%), although its concentration is increasing due to human activities. The composition of planetary atmospheres is a key factor determining their climate and potential for life.

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47. Recently India commissioned its first liquid mirror telescope at

Recently India commissioned its first liquid mirror telescope at

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Himachal Pradesh
Uttarakhand
Ladakh
Arunachal Pradesh
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UPSC CDS-2 – 2022
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India’s first liquid mirror telescope, the International Liquid Mirror Telescope (ILMT), was commissioned at the Devasthal Observatory campus of Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) in Uttarakhand.
– The telescope uses a 4-meter diameter rotating mirror made of liquid mercury.
– It is designed to survey the strip of the sky visible overhead every night.
– It is located at an altitude of 2450 meters in Devasthal, Uttarakhand.
The ILMT is a collaborative effort involving India, Belgium, and Canada. Unlike traditional telescopes that track specific objects, a liquid mirror telescope observes a large area of the sky as the Earth rotates, capturing transient objects like supernovae and space debris.

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48. Consider the following statements about James Webb Space Telescope (JW

Consider the following statements about James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) :

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  • 1. It is the largest observatory ever launched into space.
  • 2. It has been developed by NASA in partnership with the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

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1 only
2 only
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
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UPSC CDS-2 – 2022
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Statement 1: James Webb Space Telescope is indeed the largest and most powerful space telescope ever launched, making it the largest observatory launched into space to date.
Statement 2: JWST is a significant international collaboration led by NASA with contributions from the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
Both statements are correct.
– JWST is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, designed to observe in the infrared spectrum.
– Its large mirror and advanced instruments enable it to look back in time to the formation of the first galaxies.
JWST was launched on December 25, 2021, and is located at the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrangian point. It is a key mission for understanding the universe’s origins, galaxy evolution, star and planet formation, and the search for exoplanets.

49. Chronologically arrange the following Indian-origin astronauts on the

Chronologically arrange the following Indian-origin astronauts on the basis of their flying into space starting with the first :
1. Sunita Williams
2. Rakesh Sharma
3. Sirisha Bandla
4. Kalpana Chawla
Select the correct answer using the code given below :

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4-3-2-1
2-4-1-3
2-1-4-3
1-4-3-2
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UPSC CDS-2 – 2021
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The correct answer is B. The chronological order of these Indian-origin astronauts flying into space is: Rakesh Sharma, Kalpana Chawla, Sunita Williams, and Sirisha Bandla.
1. Rakesh Sharma flew in 1984 (Soyuz T-11).
2. Kalpana Chawla first flew in 1997 (STS-87).
3. Sunita Williams first flew in 2006 (STS-116).
4. Sirisha Bandla flew in 2021 (Virgin Galactic Unity 22).
Rakesh Sharma is the only Indian citizen to have gone to space. Kalpana Chawla, Sunita Williams, and Sirisha Bandla are of Indian origin but were US citizens when they flew. Kalpana Chawla tragically died in the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2003. Sunita Williams has held records for total spacewalk time for a woman and most spacewalks by a woman. Sirisha Bandla’s flight was a suborbital spaceflight.

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50. The Pragyan rover installed in Chandrayaan-2 mission had how many

The Pragyan rover installed in Chandrayaan-2 mission had how many wheels?

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2
3
4
6
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UPSC CDS-2 – 2020
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The Pragyan rover of the Chandrayaan-2 mission was designed with six wheels.
– The 6-wheeled design provided enhanced stability and mobility on the rough lunar terrain.
– Each wheel had independent motors for movement.
– The rover carried scientific instruments to study the lunar surface composition.
– The Chandrayaan-2 mission consisted of an Orbiter, a Lander (Vikram), and a Rover (Pragyan).
– While the Orbiter was successfully placed in lunar orbit, the Vikram lander hard-landed, resulting in the loss of the rover.
– The name ‘Pragyan’ means ‘wisdom’ in Sanskrit.

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