Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched? Spacecraft

Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?

Spacecraft Purpose
1. Cassini-Huygens Orbiting the Venus and transmitting data to the Earth
2. Messenger Mapping and investigating the Mercury
3. Voyager 1 and 2 Exploring the outer solar system

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2014
The correct answer is B) 2 and 3 only. Let’s examine each pair:
1. Cassini-Huygens: This was a joint NASA/ESA/ASI mission to study Saturn and its moon Titan. It did not orbit Venus. This pair is incorrectly matched.
2. Messenger: This was a NASA mission to study the planet Mercury. The name stands for MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging. This pair is correctly matched.
3. Voyager 1 and 2: These are NASA probes launched in 1977 to explore the outer solar system, specifically Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. This pair is correctly matched.
Space missions are designed with specific target celestial bodies or regions. Correctly identifying the purpose of famous spacecraft is important for general knowledge about space exploration.
Cassini-Huygens arrived at Saturn in 2004 and orbited it until 2017. The Huygens probe landed on Titan in 2005. Messenger orbited Mercury from 2011 until it was deliberately crashed into the surface in 2015. Voyager 1 and 2 are now in interstellar space, continuing to send back data.