UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — The DAILY QUIZ

Q1. With reference to landmark firsts in the history of lunar and space exploration, consider the following mission-achievement pairings. Which of the above is/are NOT correctly matched?

  1. Sputnik 1 (USSR) — first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth
  2. Luna 10 (USSR) — first spacecraft to orbit the Moon
  3. Apollo 11 (USA) — first crewed landing on the Moon
  4. Luna 1 (USSR) — first spacecraft to soft-land on the Moon
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 4 only

Q2. In the context of lunar exploration, the term 'soft landing' is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A controlled descent in which the spacecraft is decelerated so that it touches down intact and remains functional
  • B. A deliberate high-velocity impact designed to eject and study sub-surface material
  • C. Insertion of a spacecraft into a stable orbit around the Moon without any descent to the surface
  • D. A close flyby passing within a few hundred kilometres of the lunar surface without touching down

Q3. With reference to ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. It comprised a propulsion module, a lander module and a rover, but carried no orbiter of its own
  2. It was launched aboard the LVM3 (GSLV Mk III) from Sriharikota
  3. Its lander touched down in the north-polar region of the Moon
  4. With this mission India became the fourth country in the world to achieve a soft landing on the Moon
  • A. 1, 2 and 4
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 1 and 3
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q4. With the successful landing of Chandrayaan-3, India achieved which one of the following distinctions?

  • A. The first country to soft-land a spacecraft near the lunar south pole
  • B. The first country ever to soft-land a spacecraft anywhere on the Moon
  • C. The first country to return physical samples from the lunar surface
  • D. The first country to place a spacecraft in orbit around the Moon

Q5. With reference to NASA's Artemis II mission, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Reid Wiseman served as the commander of the mission
  2. Christina Koch became the first woman to travel to the Moon
  3. Jeremy Hansen became the first Canadian to travel to the Moon
  4. The Artemis II astronauts landed on and walked upon the lunar surface
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 1 and 4

Q6. The service module of the Orion spacecraft used in NASA's Artemis II mission was supplied by which one of the following agencies?

  • A. European Space Agency (ESA)
  • B. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
  • C. Canadian Space Agency (CSA)
  • D. Roscosmos

Q7. With reference to China's Chang'e-6 mission, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. It was the first mission to return samples from the far side of the Moon
  2. It landed within the South Pole–Aitken basin on the lunar far side
  3. It returned lunar material to Earth in 2024
  4. It was a crewed sample-return mission
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q8. With reference to China's Chang'e series of lunar missions, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Chang'e-4 achieved the first-ever soft landing on the far side of the Moon
  2. Chang'e-6 returned roughly 1,935 grams of lunar material to Earth
  3. Chang'e-7 and Chang'e-8 are planned as part of a lunar south pole research station
  4. Analysis of Chang'e-6 samples showed no evidence of any volcanic activity on the lunar far side
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 4 only
  • C. 2 and 3
  • D. 1 and 4

Q9. Among the nations that have successfully soft-landed a spacecraft on the Moon, which one was the most recent to join this group (becoming the fifth country to do so)?

  • A. Japan
  • B. India
  • C. China
  • D. Israel

Q10. As of 2026, exactly how many countries have successfully carried out a soft landing on the Moon?

  • A. Three
  • B. Four
  • C. Five
  • D. Six

Q11. Under the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, the principle that outer space including the Moon is 'not subject to national appropriation' means which one of the following?

  • A. No nation may claim sovereignty over the Moon or other celestial bodies by any means
  • B. No nation may launch a spacecraft to the Moon without prior approval of the United Nations
  • C. All lunar missions must be jointly financed by every party to the treaty
  • D. Private companies are wholly prohibited from using any resources found in space

Q12. The lunar south pole, targeted by recent and upcoming missions, differs from the equatorial regions explored during the Apollo era. In this context, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Unlike the equatorial regions explored by Apollo, the south pole hosts permanently shadowed regions capable of preserving water ice
  2. This water ice is valued as a potential source of hydrogen and oxygen for fuel and life-support
  3. Permanently shadowed regions receive continuous direct sunlight, which keeps their temperatures high
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3