UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Prime Minister congratulates GalaxEye on the successful launch of Mission Drishti

Q1. GalaxEye's 'Mission Drishti', launched in 2026, is most accurately described as which one of the following?

• A. The world's first satellite to fuse Electro-Optical (optical) and Synthetic Aperture Radar imaging on a single platform
• B. India's first indigenously built hyperspectral imaging satellite
• C. The first geostationary communications satellite built by an Indian private company
• D. India's first privately-developed reusable launch vehicle

Q2. In the context of spaceborne remote sensing, the term 'Synthetic Aperture' in 'Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)' refers to which one of the following?

• A. A large physical parabolic antenna deployed in orbit to receive reflected solar radiation from the Earth's surface
• B. An effectively long antenna aperture simulated by combining radar echoes received along the satellite's flight path
• C. A passive multispectral sensor array that synthesises images from several optical bands using onboard processing
• D. An interferometric optical telescope whose effective aperture is enlarged by combining light from multiple mirrors

Q3. India's indigenous Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Earth-observation satellites such as RISAT-1 and EOS-04 are designed and operated by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), which functions under which one of the following?

• A. Department of Space, under the direct charge of the Prime Minister of India
• B. Defence Research and Development Organisation, under the Ministry of Defence
• C. Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India
• D. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India

Q4. Under the Indian Space Policy 2023, consider the following with reference to the role of the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe): 1. It authorises the space activities of Non-Government Entities (NGEs) as a single-window agency. 2. It hand-holds the private sector through schemes such as the Seed Fund Scheme and a Pricing Support Policy. 3. It builds operational launch vehicles and provides commercial launch services on behalf of the Government of India. 4. It facilitates the use of ISRO facilities by Non-Government Entities and enables technology transfers to them. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

1. It authorises the space activities of Non-Government Entities (NGEs) as a single-window agency.
2. It hand-holds the private sector through schemes such as the Seed Fund Scheme and a Pricing Support Policy.
3. It builds operational launch vehicles and provides commercial launch services on behalf of the Government of India.
4. It facilitates the use of ISRO facilities by Non-Government Entities and enables technology transfers to them.

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

Q5. In the context of India's space sector reforms, which one of the following best describes the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe)?

• A. An autonomous single-window agency under the Department of Space for promotion and authorisation of space activities by non-government entities
• B. A Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Department of Space that commercially markets ISRO's launch services and satellite products
• C. A statutory regulator created under the Indian Space Policy Act, 2023 to license private satellite operators
• D. An expert advisory body under NITI Aayog that formulates India's long-term space economy roadmap

Q6. As per the amendment to the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy on the space sector approved by the Union Cabinet in February 2024, into how many distinct sub-sectors (activities) with separately defined entry-route limits has the space sector been divided?

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

Q7. With reference to the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy on the space sector as amended in 2024, consider the following statements regarding the limits permitted under the automatic route: 1. Manufacturing of components and sub-systems for satellites, ground segment and user segment is permitted up to 100%. 2. Launch vehicles and associated systems or sub-systems are permitted up to 49%. 3. Satellites — manufacturing and operation, satellite data products and ground & user segment are permitted up to 74%. 4. Creation of spaceports for launching and receiving spacecraft is permitted up to 74%. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Manufacturing of components and sub-systems for satellites, ground segment and user segment is permitted up to 100%.
2. Launch vehicles and associated systems or sub-systems are permitted up to 49%.
3. Satellites — manufacturing and operation, satellite data products and ground & user segment are permitted up to 74%.
4. Creation of spaceports for launching and receiving spacecraft is permitted up to 74%.

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

Q8. With reference to the early privately-built launch vehicles in India developed by Skyroot Aerospace and Agnikul Cosmos, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Vikram-S, India's first privately built launch vehicle, was a single-stage, solid-fuelled, sub-orbital rocket launched from Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota in November 2022.
2. Agnikul Cosmos, incubated at IIT Madras, demonstrated the world's first single-piece, fully 3D-printed semi-cryogenic rocket engine.
3. Both Skyroot's Vikram-S and Agnikul's maiden vehicle achieved their first flights from privately-owned spaceports authorised under the Indian Space Policy 2023.

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

Q9. With reference to India's Earth observation satellite series, consider the following pairings of satellite series with its primary application domain: 1. Cartosat — high-resolution cartographic mapping 2. Resourcesat — land and water resource monitoring through multispectral imaging 3. RISAT — all-weather microwave (radar) imaging 4. Oceansat — meteorology and weather forecasting Which of the above is/are correctly matched?

1. Cartosat — high-resolution cartographic mapping
2. Resourcesat — land and water resource monitoring through multispectral imaging
3. RISAT — all-weather microwave (radar) imaging
4. Oceansat — meteorology and weather forecasting

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

Q10. With reference to a comparison between India's RISAT and Cartosat series of Earth observation satellites, consider the following statements: 1. Unlike Cartosat satellites, which rely on optical imaging, RISAT satellites carry Synthetic Aperture Radar payloads enabling all-weather, day-and-night imaging. 2. Cartosat-1, unlike the RISAT series, was the first Indian remote sensing satellite capable of providing in-orbit stereo images. 3. The Synthetic Aperture Radar payload on RISAT-1 operates in the X-band frequency range, while Cartosat satellites use the C-band. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Unlike Cartosat satellites, which rely on optical imaging, RISAT satellites carry Synthetic Aperture Radar payloads enabling all-weather, day-and-night imaging.
2. Cartosat-1, unlike the RISAT series, was the first Indian remote sensing satellite capable of providing in-orbit stereo images.
3. The Synthetic Aperture Radar payload on RISAT-1 operates in the X-band frequency range, while Cartosat satellites use the C-band.

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

Q11. With reference to India's institutional architecture for dual-use space capabilities, consider the following statements: 1. Mission DefSpace, launched at DefExpo 2022, threw open 75 Defence Space Challenges to Indian industry under the iDEX framework. 2. 'Antariksha Abhyas-2024' was the maiden space exercise hosted by the Defence Space Agency to wargame threats to space-based assets and services. 3. Unlike the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe), the Defence Space Agency functions under the Department of Space. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Mission DefSpace, launched at DefExpo 2022, threw open 75 Defence Space Challenges to Indian industry under the iDEX framework.
2. 'Antariksha Abhyas-2024' was the maiden space exercise hosted by the Defence Space Agency to wargame threats to space-based assets and services.
3. Unlike the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe), the Defence Space Agency functions under the Department of Space.

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

Q12. With reference to the Indian Space Policy 2023 and the dual-use Earth observation ecosystem, which of the following are correctly identified? 1. IN-SPACe — single-window authorisation and regulation of space activities undertaken by Non-Government Entities. 2. NSIL — commercial arm of the Department of Space responsible for productionising and marketing space-based services. 3. ISRO — focuses on research and development of advanced space technologies and exploratory missions. 4. Defence Space Agency — the nodal regulator that authorises private Earth-observation satellite operations in India. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

1. IN-SPACe — single-window authorisation and regulation of space activities undertaken by Non-Government Entities.
2. NSIL — commercial arm of the Department of Space responsible for productionising and marketing space-based services.
3. ISRO — focuses on research and development of advanced space technologies and exploratory missions.
4. Defence Space Agency — the nodal regulator that authorises private Earth-observation satellite operations in India.

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