UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Artemis II: what is at stake for U.S.?

Q1. With reference to the crew of the Artemis II mission (2026), consider the following statements: Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

1. Reid Wiseman served as the commander of Artemis II.
2. Victor Glover became the first person of colour to travel to the Moon.
3. Christina Koch became the first woman to travel to the Moon.
4. Jeremy Hansen became the first person to walk on the surface of the Moon during Artemis II.

• A. 4 only
• B. 1 and 2
• C. 2 and 3
• D. 3 and 4

Q2. The service module of the Orion capsule flown on the Artemis II mission was provided by which one of the following agencies?

• A. European Space Agency (ESA)
• B. Lockheed Martin
• C. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• D. Canadian Space Agency (CSA)

Q3. With reference to Apollo 17 (1972), consider the following statements: Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

1. It lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
2. It was launched atop a Saturn V rocket.
3. It was the last crewed mission to land on the Moon.
4. Its lunar module landed in the Sea of Tranquillity.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 1, 2 and 3
• C. 3 and 4 only
• D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q4. Apollo 17 (the last crewed lunar landing) and the ongoing Artemis programme are both flagship human-spaceflight efforts operationalised by which one of the following agencies?

• A. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• B. European Space Agency (ESA)
• C. Roscosmos
• D. Canadian Space Agency (CSA)

Q5. With reference to the architecture of NASA's Artemis programme, consider the following statements: Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

1. The Space Launch System (SLS) is the most powerful rocket ever to carry humans.
2. The SLS generates exactly twice the maximum thrust of the Saturn V.
3. The crew module of the Orion capsule is built by Lockheed Martin.
4. The Artemis programme was formally begun in 2017.

• A. 1, 3 and 4
• B. 1 and 2 only
• C. 2, 3 and 4
• D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q6. The following statements compare NASA's Artemis programme with the earlier Apollo programme: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. The SLS generates more than double the maximum thrust of the Saturn V used in the Apollo programme.
2. Artemis is named after the twin sister of Apollo in Greek mythology.
3. Unlike the Apollo command module, Orion's service module is provided by the European Space Agency.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 2 and 3 only
• C. 1 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. China's planned first crewed Moon landing by 2030 is to be carried out using which one of the following new launch vehicles?

• A. Long March 10
• B. Long March 5B
• C. Long March 2F
• D. Space Launch System

Q8. For its targeted 2030 crewed lunar landing, China is developing how many of the following new systems — the Long March 10 rocket, the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft, the Lanyue lunar lander, and dedicated lunar spacesuits?

• A. One
• B. Two
• C. Three
• D. Four

Q9. On signing the Artemis Accords in 2023, India became which numbered signatory of the framework?

• A. 21st
• B. 24th
• C. 27th
• D. 30th

Q10. Which one of the following best describes the Kennedy Space Center?

• A. NASA's primary launch centre for human spaceflight, located on Merritt Island, Florida
• B. NASA's mission control centre for crewed flights, located in Houston, Texas
• C. NASA's principal rocket-propulsion development centre, located in Huntsville, Alabama
• D. NASA's deep-space communications and planetary-probe hub, located in Pasadena, California

Q11. According to NASA's revised Artemis schedule announced in 2026, in which year are astronauts now planned to return to the surface of the Moon?

• A. 2026
• B. 2027
• C. 2028
• D. 2030

Q12. The NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission, jointly developed by ISRO and NASA, was launched aboard the GSLV-F16 in which year?

• A. 2023
• B. 2024
• C. 2025
• D. 2026