UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — NASA astronaut Anil Menon embarks on 8-month stint to International Space Station

Q1. The Roscosmos Soyuz spacecraft used to ferry crew to the International Space Station, such as the Soyuz MS-29 that carried Anil Menon, has a maximum designed crew capacity of how many persons?

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

Q2. In the context of human spaceflight, the term 'cosmodrome', as applied to Baikonur, most precisely refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A ground complex equipped for launching crewed and uncrewed space vehicles
  • B. The pressurised capsule in which a crew returns to Earth
  • C. An orbiting laboratory where microgravity experiments are conducted
  • D. A ground network of antennas that tracks spacecraft in orbit

Q3. With reference to the early assembly of the International Space Station, consider the following statements: 1. Zarya, the first ISS module placed in orbit in November 1998, was a Russian-built control module. 2. Unity, the connecting node linked to Zarya, was built by the United States. 3. Zvezda, the habitat-and-control module, was the very first element of the station to be launched. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Zarya, the first ISS module placed in orbit in November 1998, was a Russian-built control module.
  2. Unity, the connecting node linked to Zarya, was built by the United States.
  3. Zvezda, the habitat-and-control module, was the very first element of the station to be launched.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q4. Which one of the following was the very first module of the International Space Station to be launched, marking the start of its on-orbit assembly?

  • A. Unity
  • B. Zvezda
  • C. Zarya
  • D. Harmony

Q5. Consider the following statements regarding Indian-origin persons who have travelled to space: 1. Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian citizen in space, flew aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in 1984. 2. Kalpana Chawla was the first woman of Indian origin to travel to space. 3. Sunita Williams was the first US astronaut of Indian heritage to reach space. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian citizen in space, flew aboard a Soviet Soyuz spacecraft in 1984.
  2. Kalpana Chawla was the first woman of Indian origin to travel to space.
  3. Sunita Williams was the first US astronaut of Indian heritage to reach space.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. The 1984 spaceflight of Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian in space, was carried out as a joint programme between the Indian space effort and the space programme of which one of the following?

  • A. The United States (NASA)
  • B. The Soviet Union
  • C. France (CNES)
  • D. Japan (JAXA)

Q7. Consider the following statements about NASA astronaut Anil Menon: 1. He served as a NASA flight surgeon before becoming SpaceX's first flight surgeon. 2. He was selected as a NASA astronaut in December 2021. 3. Soyuz MS-29, his maiden spaceflight, was launched from the Kennedy Space Center. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. He served as a NASA flight surgeon before becoming SpaceX's first flight surgeon.
  2. He was selected as a NASA astronaut in December 2021.
  3. Soyuz MS-29, his maiden spaceflight, was launched from the Kennedy Space Center.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q8. With reference to NASA astronaut Anil Menon and his Soyuz MS-29 mission, which of the following are correctly identified? 1. He holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force. 2. His maiden spaceflight was aboard a Roscosmos Soyuz spacecraft. 3. He is of Indian and Ukrainian parentage. 4. He was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2014. Which of the above are correctly identified?

  1. He holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force.
  2. His maiden spaceflight was aboard a Roscosmos Soyuz spacecraft.
  3. He is of Indian and Ukrainian parentage.
  4. He was selected as a NASA astronaut in 2014.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 3 and 4

Q9. Who among the following became the first Indian astronaut to travel to the International Space Station?

  • A. Rakesh Sharma
  • B. Shubhanshu Shukla
  • C. Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair
  • D. Ajit Krishnan

Q10. Which of the following are among the four astronaut-designates announced for India's Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme? 1. Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair 2. Ajit Krishnan 3. Angad Pratap 4. Rakesh Sharma Which of the above are correctly identified?

  1. Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair
  2. Ajit Krishnan
  3. Angad Pratap
  4. Rakesh Sharma
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1, 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 2 and 4
  • D. 1 and 4

Q11. With reference to Sir C. Sankaran Nair, which of the following are correctly identified? 1. He presided over the Indian National Congress session held at Amraoti in 1897. 2. He was knighted in 1912. 3. He resigned from the Viceroy's Council in 1919 in protest against the use of martial law in the Punjab. 4. He consistently opposed the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms during his tenure on the Viceroy's Council. Which of the above are correctly identified?

  1. He presided over the Indian National Congress session held at Amraoti in 1897.
  2. He was knighted in 1912.
  3. He resigned from the Viceroy's Council in 1919 in protest against the use of martial law in the Punjab.
  4. He consistently opposed the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms during his tenure on the Viceroy's Council.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q12. Which one of the following launch sites is credited with the world's first crewed orbital spaceflight, that of Yuri Gagarin in 1961?

  • A. Kennedy Space Center
  • B. Baikonur Cosmodrome
  • C. Plesetsk Cosmodrome
  • D. Satish Dhawan Space Centre