Space (Physics) Part-III

Total Questions: 50

1. In February, 2004 a blast occurred in India's Space Centre at: [Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Mains) 2002]

Correct Answer: (c) Shriharikota
Solution:

In February, 2004 a blast occurred at a plant making solid propellant at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota

2. Consider the following Assertion (A) and Reason (R) and choose your answer from the given code: [U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2013]

Assertion (A): The upper surface of the wings of an aeroplane is made convex and the lower surface is made concave.

Reason (R): The air current at the top has less velocity and thus less pressure at the bottom than at the top.

Code:

Correct Answer: (d) (A) is true and (R) is false.
Solution:

The upper surface of the wings of an aeroplane is made convex and built concave at lower surface. Such design of the wings makes the air velocity faster at the upper surface than the lower surface, which creates low pressure at the upper side. This pressure difference provides lift to the wings of the plane.

3. The 'Black Box' of an aeroplane is of: [Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2010, U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2009, U.P.P.C.S. (Spl.) (Mains) 2004, U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1996]

Correct Answer: (d) Orange colour
Solution:

The black boxes are actually painted with a heat-resistant bright orange colour in order to make them easier to find in wreckage resulting from the crash. It is a flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder of an aircraft. It is an extremely important tool for investigators in the event of an air crash.

4. The Moon is: [Uttarakhand P.C.S. (Pre) 2010]

Correct Answer: (c) A Satellite
Solution:

The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is fifth largest satellite in our solar system.

5. On which date did Chandrayaan enter the lunar orbit? [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2010]

Correct Answer: (c) 8 November
Solution:

Chandrayaan-1, India's first mission to the Moon was launched successfully on October 22, 2008 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh) and the vehicle was successfully inserted into lunar orbit on November 8, 2008.

This mission was operational till August 29, 2009. Chandrayaan-2 mission was launched on 22 July, 2019 and it reached the lunar orbit on 20 August, 2019. While Chandrayaan-3 mission was launched on 14 July, 2023 and it entered lunar orbit on 5 August, 2023.

6. Name of the spacecraft for India's mission Moon is : [M.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2008]

Correct Answer: (e) Chandrayaan-I & Chandrayaan-II
Solution:

Chandrayaan-1, India's first mission to the Moon was launched successfully on October 22, 2008 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh) and the vehicle was successfully inserted into lunar orbit on November 8, 2008.

This mission was operational till August 29, 2009. Chandrayaan-2 mission was launched on 22 July, 2019 and it reached the lunar orbit on 20 August, 2019. While Chandrayaan-3 mission was launched on 14 July, 2023 and it entered lunar orbit on 5 August, 2023.

7. CHANDRAYAAN-I was launched from: [R.A.S./R.T.S. (Pre) 2008]

Correct Answer: (d) Andhra Pradesh
Solution:

Chandrayaan-1, India's first mission to the Moon was launched successfully on October 22, 2008 from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh) and the vehicle was successfully inserted into lunar orbit on November 8, 2008.

This mission was operational till August 29, 2009. Chandrayaan-2 mission was launched on 22 July, 2019 and it reached the lunar orbit on 20 August, 2019. While Chandrayaan-3 mission was launched on 14 July, 2023 and it entered lunar orbit on 5 August, 2023.

8. The Project Director of Chandrayaan-2 is: [U.P.P.S.C. (GIC) 2010]

Correct Answer: (d) Dr. M. Annadurai
Solution:

Chandrayaan -2 was an ISRO mission aimed at placing an orbiter around the moon and sending a lander and a rover to its surface. Chandrayaan-2 project was initially headed by Dr. M. Annadurai, also known for leading the Chandrayaan-1 project.

Finally, Chandrayaan-2 mission has been headed by two women scientists of ISRO-Muthayya Vanitha as Project Director and Ritu Karidhal as Mission Director. Chandrayaan-2 mission was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre on 22 July, 2019 to the moon by GSLV-MkIII (LVM3) rocket.

9. What is not true about Chandrayaan-2 Mission? [Chhattisgarh P.C.S. (Pre) 2021]

Correct Answer: (c) In this mission Lunar North Pole was targetted for exploration
Solution:

Chandrayaan-2 Mission was originally approved in 2008 in a meeting of the Union Cabinet, chaired by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Rover sent in this mission was named Pragyan while the lander used in this mission was named Vikram.

The lander and rover were scheduled to land on the near side of the Moon, in the south polar region Hence, statement of option (c) is incorrect.

10. In July 2019, the spacecraft Chandrayaan-2 was launched from which Indian State? [65ᵗʰ B.P.S.C. (Pre) 2019]

Correct Answer: (b) Andhra Pradesh
Solution:

Chandrayaan-2 is the second lunar exploration mission developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). This spacecraft was launched on its mission to the moon from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota (Andhra Pradesh) on 22 July, 2019 by GSLV-MK III-MI.

The spacecraft reached the moon's orbit on 20 August, 2019. Its lander Vikram with lunar rover Pragyan were scheduled to land on the moon on 7 September, 2019 but lander deviated from its intended trajectory starting at 2.1 km altitude and had lost communication.

A successful soft landing would have made India fourth country after Russia, USA and China to do so. However, lunar orbiter of Chandrayaan-2 is working well.