UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Contact lost with Drishti, world’s first OptoSAR satellite

Q1. With reference to Mission Drishti, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. It is the world's first OptoSAR satellite, fusing electro-optical and synthetic aperture radar sensors on a single platform.
  2. It was placed in orbit aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in the United States.
  3. It is India's largest privately developed Earth observation satellite.
  4. It was launched exclusively using an indigenous ISRO launch vehicle without any foreign launch service.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q2. Mission Drishti is envisaged as the first node of a planned GalaxEye Earth-observation constellation of approximately how many satellites?

  • A. 8 to 12 satellites
  • B. about 24 satellites
  • C. about 48 satellites
  • D. about 60 satellites

Q3. In the context of Mission Drishti, the term 'OptoSAR' most precisely refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A single satellite platform integrating electro-optical and synthetic aperture radar sensors so both observe the same scene
  • B. An optical telescope that uses laser (LiDAR) pulses instead of radar to map terrain
  • C. A ground station technique for fusing images from two separate optical and radar satellites after downlink
  • D. A hyperspectral optical sensor that reconstructs radar-like imagery purely from visible-light bands

Q4. The proprietary technology used on Mission Drishti to co-locate its electro-optical and SAR sensors so that they capture aligned data in a single pass is known as:

  • A. SyncFused
  • B. FusionSat
  • C. CoRadOpt
  • D. DualView

Q5. The intense geomagnetic storms that expand Earth's upper atmosphere and increase drag on low-Earth-orbit satellites are primarily triggered by which one of the following solar phenomena?

  • A. Coronal mass ejections
  • B. The steady background solar wind
  • C. Sunspot penumbral darkening
  • D. Solar granulation cells

Q6. Consider the following term-and-meaning pairs relating to the Mission Drishti anomaly. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. LEOP — the Launch and Early Orbit Phase, during which a newly launched satellite's systems are commissioned.
  2. Geomagnetic storm — a disturbance of Earth's magnetosphere caused by energy transfer from the solar wind / a coronal mass ejection.
  3. Single event upset — a change of state in onboard electronics caused by the strike of an energetic charged particle.
  4. Synthetic Aperture Radar — a passive sensor that forms images solely from reflected sunlight.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q7. IN-SPACe, the single-window body that authorises private space activities in India, functions as an autonomous agency under which one of the following?

  • A. Department of Space
  • B. Department of Science and Technology
  • C. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
  • D. Ministry of Defence

Q8. Under the Indian Space Policy 2023, the term 'Non-Government Entities (NGEs)' is best understood as referring to which one of the following?

  • A. Private, non-government players permitted to participate across the entire value chain of space activities in an end-to-end manner
  • B. Foreign national space agencies partnering with ISRO on joint missions
  • C. Central public-sector undertakings such as the commercial arm marketing ISRO's products
  • D. United Nations-registered satellite operators leasing Indian orbital slots

Q9. As a privately built Indian satellite, Mission Drishti's activities had to be authorised by which one of the following agencies?

  • A. IN-SPACe
  • B. NewSpace India Limited (NSIL)
  • C. Antrix Corporation
  • D. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

Q10. Consider the following statements about GalaxEye Space. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. It was founded in 2021 by alumni of IIT Madras.
  2. Its founding team had earlier worked together on the Avishkar Hyperloop project.
  3. It is headquartered in Bengaluru.
  4. Mission Drishti was launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 4 only

Q11. In India's government space programme, all-weather radar-imaging (SAR) Earth-observation satellites such as EOS-04 are developed by which one of the following organisations?

  • A. ISRO
  • B. National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC)
  • C. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
  • D. NewSpace India Limited (NSIL)

Q12. Which one of the following holds the distinction of being India's largest privately developed Earth observation satellite?

  • A. Mission Drishti (GalaxEye)
  • B. Firefly (Pixxel)
  • C. Thybolt (Dhruva Space)
  • D. Anand (Pixxel)