UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India's Space Economy Poised to Reach USD 45 Billion in Next Decade; over 400 Space StartUps driving the next phase of growth: Dr Jitendra Singh

Q1. Which one of the following best describes the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe)?

• A. A commercial public sector undertaking under the Department of Space that markets ISRO's products and provides launch services to foreign customers.
• B. An autonomous single-window nodal agency under the Department of Space for the promotion, authorisation and supervision of space activities of governmental and non-governmental entities.
• C. A statutory regulator established under the Indian Space Policy, 2023 to grant licences for satellite communication and remote-sensing services.
• D. An inter-ministerial advisory body under the Prime Minister's Office that frames national space policy and approves ISRO's flagship missions.

Q2. Under the Indian Space Policy 2023, which one of the following has been designated as the single-window autonomous agency for the promotion, authorisation and supervision of space activities of Non-Government Entities (NGEs)?

• A. NewSpace India Limited (NSIL)
• B. Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe)
• C. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
• D. Antrix Corporation Limited

Q3. With reference to the Indian Space Policy 2023 as compared to the pre-2023 institutional framework for the Indian space sector, consider the following statements: 1. Under the 2023 Policy, ISRO is to transition out of operational and manufacturing activities of mature space systems and focus primarily on research and development of advanced space technologies. 2. NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) was created for the first time by the Indian Space Policy 2023 to serve as the commercial arm of the Department of Space, replacing Antrix Corporation. 3. While IN-SPACe is the single-window authorising agency for Non-Government Entities, strategic space-sector activities are to be carried out by NSIL in a demand-driven mode. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Under the 2023 Policy, ISRO is to transition out of operational and manufacturing activities of mature space systems and focus primarily on research and development of advanced space technologies.
2. NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) was created for the first time by the Indian Space Policy 2023 to serve as the commercial arm of the Department of Space, replacing Antrix Corporation.
3. While IN-SPACe is the single-window authorising agency for Non-Government Entities, strategic space-sector activities are to be carried out by NSIL in a demand-driven mode.

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

Q4. With reference to the amended Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy on the space sector (notified in 2024), consider the following pairings of activity with the maximum permissible foreign investment under the Automatic route: 1. Satellites — Manufacturing and Operation : up to 74% 2. Launch Vehicles and associated systems or subsystems : up to 49% 3. Manufacturing of components and sub-systems for satellites : up to 100% 4. Creation of Spaceports for launching and receiving spacecraft : up to 74% Which of the pairs given above is/are NOT correctly matched?

1. Satellites — Manufacturing and Operation : up to 74%
2. Launch Vehicles and associated systems or subsystems : up to 49%
3. Manufacturing of components and sub-systems for satellites : up to 100%
4. Creation of Spaceports for launching and receiving spacecraft : up to 74%

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

Q5. In the context of recent reforms unlocking India's space sector for private participation, the term 'IN-SPACe' is best described as which one of the following?

• A. An autonomous nodal agency under the Department of Space functioning as the single-window authoriser and regulator for space activities of non-government entities
• B. A wholly-owned public sector commercial arm of ISRO that executes launch service contracts for foreign and domestic customers
• C. A statutory body created by an Act of Parliament to license satellite-based communication and broadcasting services in India
• D. An inter-ministerial committee chaired by the Cabinet Secretary that vets all FDI proposals in the space sector above the automatic route threshold

Q6. With reference to the Antariksh Venture Capital Fund, recently in the news, consider the following statements: 1. It is India's first dedicated venture capital fund for the space sector and is registered with SEBI as a Category II Alternative Investment Fund. 2. The entire corpus of Rs 1,000 crore approved by the Union Cabinet must be fully deployed within three years from the start of the fund's operations. 3. The indicative range of investment per startup is Rs 10 crore to Rs 60 crore, with the fund expected to support about 40 startups. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. It is India's first dedicated venture capital fund for the space sector and is registered with SEBI as a Category II Alternative Investment Fund.
2. The entire corpus of Rs 1,000 crore approved by the Union Cabinet must be fully deployed within three years from the start of the fund's operations.
3. The indicative range of investment per startup is Rs 10 crore to Rs 60 crore, with the fund expected to support about 40 startups.

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

Q7. Which one of the following has been designated as the investment manager of the Antariksh Venture Capital Fund, the Rs 1,000 crore fund anchored by IN-SPACe for India's space startups?

• A. Antrix Corporation Limited
• B. SIDBI Venture Capital Limited
• C. NewSpace India Limited
• D. National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Limited

Q8. How many indigenous scientific payloads were carried on board the Vikram lander of the Chandrayaan-3 mission?

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

Q9. Which of the following Indian Air Force officers is/are correctly identified as among the four astronaut-designates ('Gaganyatris') officially announced for India's Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme?

1. Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair
2. Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla
3. Group Captain Nikhil Rath
4. Group Captain Angad Pratap

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

Q10. As per the Decadal Vision and Strategy for the Indian space economy referenced by the Government, the USD 44 billion target for 2033 includes a targeted export component of approximately how many US dollars (in billions)?

• A. USD 8 billion
• B. USD 11 billion
• C. USD 15 billion
• D. USD 22 billion

Q11. With reference to the Government's Decadal Vision and Strategy for the Indian space economy, consider the following: 1. Current size of India's space economy (2023): approximately USD 8.4 billion. 2. Targeted share of India in the global space economy by 2033: approximately 8 per cent. 3. Targeted size of India's space economy by 2040: approximately USD 100 billion. 4. Targeted export component within the 2033 goal: approximately USD 25 billion. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

1. Current size of India's space economy (2023): approximately USD 8.4 billion.
2. Targeted share of India in the global space economy by 2033: approximately 8 per cent.
3. Targeted size of India's space economy by 2040: approximately USD 100 billion.
4. Targeted export component within the 2033 goal: approximately USD 25 billion.

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

Q12. Which one of the following is the Central Public Sector Enterprise under the administrative control of the Department of Space, incorporated in March 2019, mandated to undertake end-to-end commercial space business on a demand-driven model and function as a full-fledged satellite operator?

• A. Antrix Corporation Limited
• B. Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe)
• C. NewSpace India Limited (NSIL)
• D. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)

Q13. Which of the following are mandates/functions of NewSpace India Limited (NSIL)? 1. Production of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) through Indian industry. 2. Authorisation and regulation of space activities by Non-Government Entities in India. 3. Transfer of technologies developed by ISRO to Indian industries. 4. Building, owning and operating communication satellites on a demand-driven basis for commercial leasing. Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. Production of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) through Indian industry.
2. Authorisation and regulation of space activities by Non-Government Entities in India.
3. Transfer of technologies developed by ISRO to Indian industries.
4. Building, owning and operating communication satellites on a demand-driven basis for commercial leasing.

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