UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Second satellite model to be ready by next year

Q1. Aryabhata, which was completely designed and fabricated in India, was built by a project organisation that has since grown into which one of the following centres of the Department of Space?

  • A. National Remote Sensing Centre, Hyderabad
  • B. Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram
  • C. U R Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru
  • D. Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota

Q2. Aryabhata was a spin-stabilised spacecraft. In spacecraft engineering, spin stabilisation refers to which one of the following?

  • A. Holding the satellite body completely motionless at all times while a set of internal reaction wheels rotates continuously to absorb every disturbance
  • B. Rotating the entire spacecraft about an axis, the gyroscopic stiffness of the rotation resisting disturbance torques and holding the orientation
  • C. Locking all three body axes permanently on to the Earth by means of magnetic torquers alone, so that no other actuator is ever required
  • D. Spinning the solar panels about the spacecraft body so that they invariably face the Sun throughout every orbit, irrespective of the body's attitude

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding the two Bhaskara satellites: 1. Bhaskara-I was launched in June 1979 and Bhaskara-II in November 1981. 2. Bhaskara-II was lighter at launch than Bhaskara-I. 3. Both carried television cameras and a three-band microwave radiometer. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Bhaskara-I was launched in June 1979 and Bhaskara-II in November 1981.
  2. Bhaskara-II was lighter at launch than Bhaskara-I.
  3. Both carried television cameras and a three-band microwave radiometer.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q4. Which one of the following correctly states the date, launch vehicle and launch station of Bhaskara-I?

  • A. 19 April 1975, on a C-1 Intercosmos vehicle, from the Volgograd Launch Station
  • B. 7 June 1979, on a Vostok vehicle, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome
  • C. 7 June 1979, on a C-1 Intercosmos vehicle, from the Volgograd Launch Station
  • D. 20 November 1981, on a C-1 Intercosmos vehicle, from the Volgograd Launch Station

Q5. Within the Department of Space, the centre that evolved out of the Indian Scientific Satellite Project is best described as the establishment that —

  • A. acquires, processes and disseminates remote sensing data and derived products for user agencies
  • B. designs and develops launch vehicles, propulsion systems and related aerospace technologies
  • C. operates the launch complexes, range instrumentation and mission control facilities for orbital missions
  • D. builds satellites on an end-to-end basis and develops the associated satellite technologies

Q6. With reference to the U R Rao Satellite Centre, consider the following statements: 1. It traces its formation to the Indian Scientific Satellite Project set up in 1972. 2. It was earlier known as the ISRO Satellite Centre. 3. It is headquartered at Hyderabad, Telangana. 4. It celebrated its golden jubilee in 2022. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. It traces its formation to the Indian Scientific Satellite Project set up in 1972.
  2. It was earlier known as the ISRO Satellite Centre.
  3. It is headquartered at Hyderabad, Telangana.
  4. It celebrated its golden jubilee in 2022.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 3 and 4
  • D. 3 only

Q7. The development of cryogenic technology, initiated by ISRO in 1991 during Prof. U R Rao's tenure as Chairman, relates to which one of the following?

  • A. Cooling of infrared detectors on Earth observation payloads to very low temperatures so as to reduce thermal noise in imagery
  • B. Storage of composite solid propellant grains at low temperature to prevent cracking of the grain before a launch campaign
  • C. Low-temperature testing of assembled satellite structures in thermovacuum chambers to simulate conditions in orbit
  • D. Use of liquefied gases such as liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen as propellants, typically in the upper stage of a launch vehicle

Q8. With reference to Prof. U R Rao, consider the following statements: 1. He served as Chairman, ISRO and Secretary, Department of Space, from 1984 to 1994. 2. He was conferred the Padma Bhushan in 1976 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2017. 3. He was the first Indian space scientist to be inducted into the Satellite Hall of Fame, in 2013. 4. He obtained his doctorate from Banaras Hindu University in 1953. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. He served as Chairman, ISRO and Secretary, Department of Space, from 1984 to 1994.
  2. He was conferred the Padma Bhushan in 1976 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2017.
  3. He was the first Indian space scientist to be inducted into the Satellite Hall of Fame, in 2013.
  4. He obtained his doctorate from Banaras Hindu University in 1953.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q9. Aryabhata and both Bhaskara satellites were placed in orbit by vehicles designated 'C-1 Intercosmos'. In this context, Intercosmos was —

  • A. a United Nations body set up to coordinate the peaceful uses of outer space among its member states
  • B. a joint Indo-Soviet commercial arm created to market data from Indian satellites to users in Europe
  • C. a Soviet-led programme of cooperative space activity under which allied and friendly countries flew payloads and cosmonauts
  • D. the network of Soviet ground stations that provided tracking and telemetry support to early Indian satellite missions

Q10. With reference to IRS-1A, the satellite that opened India's operational remote sensing era, consider the following statements: 1. It was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard a Vostok launch vehicle. 2. It was placed in a polar sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 904 km. 3. Its LISS-I camera provided a finer spatial resolution than its LISS-2A and LISS-2B cameras. 4. It operated for over eight years, completing its mission in 1996. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. It was launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome aboard a Vostok launch vehicle.
  2. It was placed in a polar sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of about 904 km.
  3. Its LISS-I camera provided a finer spatial resolution than its LISS-2A and LISS-2B cameras.
  4. It operated for over eight years, completing its mission in 1996.
  • A. 3 only
  • B. 1 and 2
  • C. 2 and 4
  • D. 1, 2 and 4

Q11. Consider the following pairs of milestone and year in the early history of India's satellite programme: 1. Formation of the Indian Scientific Satellite Project — 1972 2. Launch of Aryabhata — 1975 3. Re-entry of Aryabhata into the Earth's atmosphere — 1981 4. Launch of IRS-1A — 1988 Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?

  1. Formation of the Indian Scientific Satellite Project — 1972
  2. Launch of Aryabhata — 1975
  3. Re-entry of Aryabhata into the Earth's atmosphere — 1981
  4. Launch of IRS-1A — 1988
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 1 and 4 only

Q12. With reference to the NISAR mission launched in July 2025, which one of the following is correct?

  • A. Its L-band radar was provided by ISRO and its S-band radar by NASA, and it was launched by a GSLV from Sriharikota
  • B. Its S-band radar was provided by ISRO and its L-band radar by NASA, and it was launched by a GSLV from Sriharikota
  • C. Its S-band radar was provided by ISRO and its L-band radar by NASA, and it was launched by a PSLV from Sriharikota
  • D. Its S-band radar was provided by ISRO and its L-band radar by NASA, and it was launched by a GSLV from Thiruvananthapuram