UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — PARLIAMENT QUESTION: SPACE DEBRIS MANAGEMENT

Q1. With reference to the institutional architecture of India's space-sustainability efforts, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. IS4OM was dedicated to the nation in 2022, whereas the Debris Free Space Mission was announced two years later in 2024.
2. While the Indian Space Situational Assessment Report (ISSAR) is the annual situational-assessment document, IS4OM is the entity that compiles it.
3. Unlike the rest of ISRO's debris-mitigation set-up, IS4OM is headquartered at Sriharikota rather than at Bengaluru.

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

Q2. Which of the following are correctly identified as functions performed by ISRO's IS4OM?

1. Orbit determination and cataloguing of space objects
2. Conjunction (collision) risk assessment and mitigation
3. Negotiating legally binding international treaties on space debris
4. Providing technical support to Indian start-ups for debris-mitigation measures through IN-SPACe

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

Q3. Of the 129 trackable Indian-origin space debris objects reported in March 2026, which single category accounts for the largest number?

• A. Rocket bodies of the PSLV remaining in orbit
• B. Fragmentation debris from the PSLV-C3 upper-stage break-up
• C. Defunct satellites in Geosynchronous Earth Orbit
• D. Defunct satellites in Low Earth Orbit

Q4. The 33 fragmentation debris objects counted among India's trackable orbital debris originated from the in-orbit break-up of which one of the following?

• A. The PSLV-C3 upper stage
• B. The PSLV-C37 upper stage
• C. The GSLV-F10 cryogenic stage
• D. The LVM3-M3 upper stage

Q5. Which one of the following was the first space agency to issue a formal set of space-debris mitigation guidelines, preceding the IADC's first international guidelines?

• A. NASA
• B. ESA
• C. ISRO
• D. JAXA

Q6. Which one of the following has been designated as the nodal implementation point for India's Debris Free Space Mission (DFSM)?

• A. IS4OM
• B. IN-SPACe
• C. NSIL (NewSpace India Limited)
• D. ISTRAC

Q7. Under the Debris Free Space Mission, the target of 'greater than 99%' refers specifically to which one of the following?

• A. The success probability of post-mission disposal of spent stages and spacecraft
• B. The proportion of Indian satellites required to be manoeuvrable by 2030
• C. The targeted reduction in the number of trackable Indian debris objects by 2030
• D. The accuracy of conjunction (collision) predictions generated by IS4OM

Q8. Which of the following are correctly identified as features of the UN COPUOS Space Debris Mitigation Guidelines?

1. Limiting debris released during normal operations
2. Passivation to minimise the potential for on-orbit break-ups
3. Relocation of GEO objects to graveyard orbits at the end of life
4. Legally binding penalties enforced through the Liability Convention

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

Q9. According to the ISSAR 2024, approximately how many close-approach alerts were analysed for Indian satellites during the year?

• A. 53,000+
• B. 5,300
• C. 2,095
• D. 702

Q10. The 'Kessler syndrome', describing a cascading chain of collisions in low Earth orbit, was first proposed in which year?

• A. 1957
• B. 1978
• C. 1993
• D. 2007

Q11. With reference to the March 2026 Lok Sabha disclosure on space debris, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

1. A total of 129 trackable debris objects of Indian origin remain in orbit.
2. The Debris Free Space Mission aims for zero debris creation by all Indian actors—governmental and non-governmental—by 2030.
3. The 129-object figure includes rocket bodies left in orbit from PSLV, GSLV and LVM3 launches.
4. The 129-object figure includes fragmentation debris generated by a Chinese anti-satellite (ASAT) test.

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