1. Indian Space Exploration & ISRO Missions
1. Who is considered the ‘Father of the Indian Space Programme’?
(A) Dr. Satish Dhawan
(B) Dr. Homi J. Bhabha
(C) Dr. Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai
(D) Dr. Krishnaswamy Kasturirangan
Answer: (C) Dr. Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai
2. Who was appointed as the ISRO Chief in 2022?
(A) K. Sivan
(B) A. S. Kiran Kumar
(C) K. Radhakrishnan
(D) S. Somanath
Answer: (D) S. Somanath
3. In which year did India celebrate its first National Space Day?
(A) 21st January 2005
(B) 25th April 2008
(C) 23rd August 2024
(D) 26th September 2023
Answer: (C) 23rd August 2024
4. What was the first Indian satellite in space, and when was it put into orbit?
(A) METSAT (October 20, 1978)
(B) KALPANA-1 (November 14, 1978)
(C) Aryabhata (April 19, 1975)
(D) INSAT-3D (January 26, 1979)
Answer: (C) Aryabhata (April 19, 1975)
5. Which was India’s first mission to the Moon, and when was it launched?
(A) Chandraraj-1 (22nd October 2006)
(B) Chandrayaan-1 (22nd October 2008)
(C) Chandramayaan-1 (22nd October 2007)
(D) Chandrakulp-1 (22nd October 2009)
Answer: (B) Chandrayaan-1 (Launched: 22nd October 2008)
6. Chandrayaan-2 was launched in 2019 from which Indian space centre?
(A) ISRO Propulsion Complex
(B) Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota
(C) Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
(D) Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre
Answer: (B) Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota
7. What is the name of the lander of the Chandrayaan-2 mission?
(A) Vikranth
(B) Kranti
(C) Vikram
(D) Pragyan
Answer: (C) Vikram
8. Pragyan, the rover of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, confirmed the presence of which element on the Moon’s surface?
(A) Potassium
(B) Sulphur
(C) Sodium
(D) Chlorine
Answer: (B) Sulphur
9. India’s first Human Space Mission, ‘Gaganyaan’, was originally targeted for launch in:
(A) 2022
(B) 2023
(C) 2024
(D) 2025
Answer: (C) 2024
10. India’s communication satellite GSAT-18 was launched from:
(A) SHAR, Sriharikota
(B) Kourou, French Guiana
(C) Kennedy Space Centre, USA
(D) Woomera Rocket Range, Australia
Answer: (B) Kourou, French Guiana
11. Which space agency helps India in tracking the Solar Mission Aditya-L1?
(A) NASA
(B) ESA
(C) JAXA
(D) ROSCOSMOS
Answer: Both (A) NASA and (B) ESA
Note: Depending on the specific exam question options, both NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) have provided crucial deep-space network tracking support to ISRO for Aditya-L1.
2. Global Space Exploration & Astronomy
12. What was the name of the first artificial satellite sent into space to orbit the Earth (launched by the Soviet Union on 4th October 1957)?
(A) Explorer 1
(B) Sputnik 1
(C) Apollo 1
(D) Skylab
Answer: (B) Sputnik 1 (Also known as Sputnik)
13. What was the first spaceflight to orbit the Moon?
(A) Apollo 8
(B) Apollo 11
(C) Gemini 5
(D) Mercury 2
Answer: (A) Apollo 8
14. Who was the first woman to reach space?
(A) Sally Ride
(B) Kalpana Chawla
(C) Valentina Tereshkova
(D) Eileen Collins
Answer: (C) Valentina Tereshkova
15. What is the main source of electrical energy in an artificial satellite?
(A) Dynamo
(B) Mini nuclear reactor
(C) Thermopile
(D) Solar cells
Answer: (D) Solar cells
16. If an apple is released from an orbiting spaceship, it will:
(A) Fall directly towards Earth
(B) Move along with the spaceship at approximately the same speed
(C) Move at a higher speed
(D) Move at a lower speed
Answer: (B) Move along with the spaceship at approximately the same speed
17. A light-year is a measure of:
(A) Time
(B) Distance
(C) Velocity
(D) Intensity of light
Answer: (B) Distance
18. A black hole does not allow radiation (light) to escape mainly because of its:
(A) Very high density / Extremely strong gravitational field
(B) Very low density
(C) Very small size
(D) Very large size
Answer: (A) Very high density / Extremely strong gravitational field
19. To an astronaut, outer space appears:
(A) White
(B) Black
(C) Blue
(D) Crimson
Answer: (B) Black
20. The colours of stars depend primarily on:
(A) Their temperature
(B) Their distance from Earth
(C) Their size
(D) Atmospheric pressure
Answer: (A) Their temperature
21. Energy is generated in the Sun mainly by:
(A) Fission of uranium
(B) Fission of thorium
(C) Fusion of hydrogen
(D) Fusion of helium
Answer: (C) Fusion of hydrogen
22. Planets are:
(A) Luminous bodies that twinkle
(B) Luminous bodies that do not twinkle
(C) Non-luminous bodies that twinkle
(D) Non-luminous bodies that generally do not twinkle
Answer: (D) Non-luminous bodies that generally do not twinkle
23. A solar eclipse occurs when:
(A) Earth comes between the Sun and Moon
(B) Moon is at a right angle to Earth
(C) Moon comes between the Sun and Earth
(D) Sun comes between Moon and Earth
Answer: (C) Moon comes between the Sun and Earth
24. A lunar eclipse occurs when:
(A) The Sun, Moon and Earth are not in the same line
(B) The Moon comes between the Sun and Earth
(C) The Earth comes between the Sun and Moon
(D) The Sun comes between the Earth and Moon
Answer: (C) The Earth comes between the Sun and Moon
25. What is the third major layer of the atmosphere from the Earth’s surface?
(A) Stratosphere
(B) Troposphere
(C) Mesosphere
(D) Ionosphere
Answer: (C) Mesosphere
3. Defence Technology & Nuclear Science
26. Who is regarded as the Father of the Indian Nuclear Programme?
(A) Dr. Homi J. Bhabha
(B) A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
(C) Satish Dhawan
(D) C. V. Raman
Answer: (A) Dr. Homi J. Bhabha
27. Who is known as the father of Indian missile technology?
(A) Dr. Homi Bhabha
(B) Dr. Chidambaram
(C) Dr. U. R. Rao
(D) Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Answer: (D) Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
28. Dr. Abdul Kalam Island is known for:
(A) Rocket Launching Station
(B) Missile Testing Facility
(C) ISRO Satellite Centre
(D) Nanotechnology Hub
Answer: (B) Missile Testing Facility
29. ‘BrahMos’, a supersonic cruise missile, is a joint venture between:
(A) China and Russia
(B) China and USA
(C) India and Russia
(D) Russia and Germany
Answer: (C) India and Russia
30. What is the name of India’s first indigenously developed nuclear-powered submarine?
(A) INS Vikrant
(B) INS Kalvari
(C) INS Chakra
(D) INS Arihant
Answer: (D) INS Arihant
31. The first nuclear submarine leased/acquired by the Indian Navy was:
(A) INS Nag
(B) INS Arihant
(C) INS Agni
(D) INS Chakra
Answer: (D) INS Chakra
32. Which principal fissile isotope is used as fuel in many nuclear power reactors?
(A) U-234
(B) Uranium-235 (U-235)
(C) U-238
(D) U-239
Answer: (B) Uranium-235 (U-235)
33. Hydrogen bombs are primarily based on:
(A) Nuclear fission
(B) Nuclear fusion
(C) Chemical combustion
(D) Natural radioactivity
Answer: (B) Nuclear fusion
34. Which Indian scientist won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930?
(A) Homi J. Bhabha
(B) Vikram Sarabhai
(C) C. V. Raman
(D) A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Answer: (C) C. V. Raman
4. General Technology, Innovation & Current Affairs
35. Who invented the mobile phone?
(A) Graham Bell
(B) Martin Cooper
(C) Thomas Edison
(D) Larry Page
Answer: (B) Martin Cooper
36. The ‘Hiroshima AI Process’, which was seen in the news, is associated with which bloc?
(A) SAARC
(B) G-20
(C) G-7
(D) ASEAN
Answer: (C) G-7
37. Which country hosted the ‘AI Safety Summit 2023’?
(A) USA
(B) UK
(C) Australia
(D) India
Answer: (B) UK
38. What is the expansion of ‘SET’ planes, which were recently permitted by DGCA?
(A) Single Engine Turbine (SET) planes
(B) Speed Enhanced Turbine (SET) planes
(C) Steel Engineered Turbine (SET) planes
(D) Steel Engine Turbine (SET) planes
Answer: (A) Single Engine Turbine (SET) planes
39. Scientists engineered E. coli bacteria to generate electricity from which material?
(A) Wastewater
(B) Sandpaper
(C) Air
(D) Seawater
Answer: (A) Wastewater
40. The 2023 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded for research involving which of the following?
(A) Electrons in flashes of light
(B) Photons in flashes of light
(C) Neutrons in flashes of light
(D) Phytons in flashes of light
Answer: (A) Electrons in flashes of light
41. India ranked _____ out of 133 countries in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024.
(A) 39th
(B) 125th
(C) 103rd
(D) 99th
Answer: (A) 39th
42. According to a recent WHO report, 188.3 million people in India suffer from which health condition, while only 37% get diagnosed for it?
(A) Diabetes
(B) Hypertension
(C) Arthritis
(D) Asthma
Answer: (B) Hypertension
43. Who is regarded as the Father of the Indian Nuclear Programme?
(A) Dr. Homi Bhabha
(B) A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
(C) Satish Dhawan
(D) C. V. Raman
Answer: (A) Dr. Homi Bhabha