UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — The DAILY QUIZ

Q1. The International Day of Human Space Flight, observed annually on 12 April, was formally proclaimed exclusively by which one of the following?

  • A. A resolution of the UN General Assembly
  • B. A resolution of the UN Security Council
  • C. A declaration of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS)
  • D. A convention adopted by UNESCO

Q2. Within the United Nations system, the annual observance of the International Day of Human Space Flight is coordinated principally by which one of the following?

  • A. UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)
  • B. UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
  • C. International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
  • D. UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR)

Q3. During the first human spaceflight, how many complete orbits of the Earth did Yuri Gagarin's Vostok 1 make?

  • A. One
  • B. Three
  • C. Sixteen
  • D. Forty-eight

Q4. The Russian exclamation 'Poyekhali!', famously uttered by Yuri Gagarin at the launch of Vostok 1, is best translated as:

  • A. "Let's go!" / "Off we go!"
  • B. "Glory to the Motherland!"
  • C. "The Earth is blue!"
  • D. "The mission is accomplished!"

Q5. With reference to the first spacewalk in history, consider the following statements: 1. Alexei Leonov was the cosmonaut who performed the first spacewalk. 2. Pavel Belyayev was the commander of the mission during which the first spacewalk occurred. 3. The first spacewalk was carried out during the Vostok 6 mission. 4. The first spacewalk took place in the year 1965. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Alexei Leonov was the cosmonaut who performed the first spacewalk.
  2. Pavel Belyayev was the commander of the mission during which the first spacewalk occurred.
  3. The first spacewalk was carried out during the Vostok 6 mission.
  4. The first spacewalk took place in the year 1965.
  • A. 1, 2 and 4
  • B. 1 and 3
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q6. Comparing Yuri Gagarin's Vostok 1 flight with Alexei Leonov's first spacewalk mission, consider the following statements: 1. Gagarin's Vostok 1 carried a single cosmonaut, whereas Leonov's Voskhod 2 carried two crew members. 2. Both Gagarin's flight and Leonov's mission were launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome. 3. Leonov's spacewalk took place in the same decade as, but earlier than, Gagarin's orbital flight. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Gagarin's Vostok 1 carried a single cosmonaut, whereas Leonov's Voskhod 2 carried two crew members.
  2. Both Gagarin's flight and Leonov's mission were launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome.
  3. Leonov's spacewalk took place in the same decade as, but earlier than, Gagarin's orbital flight.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. Which one of the following international bodies is the recognised authority that formally defines the Kármán line as the boundary between the atmosphere and outer space?

  • A. Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI)
  • B. International Astronautical Federation (IAF)
  • C. International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)
  • D. Committee on Space Research (COSPAR)

Q8. At what altitude above mean sea level does the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale set the Kármán line?

  • A. 100 km
  • B. 80 km
  • C. 120 km
  • D. 50 km

Q9. Valeri Polyakov holds the record for the longest single continuous human spaceflight (about 438 days), a mission that concluded in which year?

  • A. 1995
  • B. 1988
  • C. 1971
  • D. 2000

Q10. With reference to China's Tiangong space station, consider the following statements: 1. Its core module, Tianhe, was launched in 2021. 2. Tiangong consists of three modules and is larger than the International Space Station. 3. The first crewed mission to dock with Tianhe was Shenzhou 12. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Its core module, Tianhe, was launched in 2021.
  2. Tiangong consists of three modules and is larger than the International Space Station.
  3. The first crewed mission to dock with Tianhe was Shenzhou 12.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q11. Which one of the following is the lead agency solely responsible for executing India's Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme?

  • A. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
  • B. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
  • C. Defence Space Agency (DSA)
  • D. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)

Q12. The Apollo 11 mission, which first landed humans on the Moon in 1969, was carried out by which one of the following agencies?

  • A. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
  • B. The Soviet space programme
  • C. European Space Agency (ESA)
  • D. Roscosmos