General Awareness · Science General

ISRO Missions and Satellites

1,961 Questions

ISRO missions and satellites form a vital part of the general awareness syllabus in government exams. This includes historical milestones like Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan, and communication satellites. Attempt these questions to memorize launch dates, objectives, and key figures in Indian space exploration.

Chandrayaan missionsMangalyaan orbitSolar exploration missionsIndian astronautsMeteorological satellites

ISRO Missions and Satellites Questions

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is/are correct in relation to the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)?

  1. The PSLV project was initiated in the year 1982.
  2. It was the first experimental satellite launch vehicle of India.
  3. All its stages use solid propellant.

  1. Only 1 and 2

  2. Only 1

  3. Only 1 and 3

  4. All of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

India's Satellite Launch Vehicle Programme was conceived to develop four generations of launch vehicles.

  1. Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV)
  2. Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (ASLV)
  3. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)
  4. Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) SLV was the first experimental satellite launch vehicle of India. It was launched in 1980. The PSLV project was initiated in the year 1982. PSLV has four stages using solid and liquid propulsion systems alternatively.
Multiple choice

In which of the following orbits are most of the remote sensing satellites launched?

  1. Low Earth Orbit

  2. Medium Earth Orbit

  3. Geostationary Orbit

  4. Sun-synchronous Polar Orbit
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The majority of all satellites as well as Space Shuttles and International Space Stations, operate from Low Earth Orbit. But, when it comes specifically to remote sensing satellites, most of these satellites are deployed in Sun-synchronous Polar Orbit. It is called polar orbit because it passes over both the polar regions of the earth in the north-south direction. It is called Sun-synchronous because the orbit also keeps step with the sun in that it passes over a specific location on the sun-lit side of the earth when sun is at the same height above the eastern horizon. This helps in image interpretation because with the same sun-angle, the shadows cast by different features are then only a function of their heights.

Multiple choice

Arrange the following satellites of India in the correct chronological order of their launch:

A. APPLE B. Bhaskara C. Rohini

  1. A, B, C

  2. B, C, A

  3. B, A, C

  4. A, C, B
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

India's first satellite, Aryabhatta, was launched in 1975. Bhaskara, India's first experimental earth observing satellite, was launched in 1979. Rohini was launched in 1980. APPLE (Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment), that was launched in 1981, was the first step towards the building of communication satellites.

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

  1. INSAT-1 A was India's first indigenously built satellite.
  2. INSAT-2 series consisted of five satellites.
  3. India is one of six countries that launch satellites.

  1. Only 1

  2. Only 1 and 3

  3. Only 1 and 2

  4. Only 2
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Statement 1 is wrong: India's first indigenously built satellite was INSAT-2A; not INSAT-1A. Statement 2 is correct. INSAT-2 series consisted of five satellites, one of which failed. Statement 3 is also incorrect. India is one of seven countries that have the capability (in 2012) to launch satellites. China, Israel, Iran, Japan, India, Russia and USA are these countries.

Multiple choice

Which satellite in used for weather forecasting?

  1. INSAT

  2. GSL V

  3. PSL V

  4. Apple
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

INSAT (Indian National Satellite System) is a series of multipurpose geostationary satellites launched by ISRO. Among their key applications are weather forecasting, meteorological imaging, and cyclone monitoring. INSAT satellites carry dedicated instruments for weather observation and data collection.

Multiple choice

Which is the Indian Space Agency?

  1. NASA

  2. ISRO

  3. ISA

  4. ISARS
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) is India's national space agency, headquartered in Bengaluru. NASA is the American space agency. ISA and ISARS are not real space agencies.

Multiple choice

Rakesh Sharma visited outer space in _________.

  1. March 1965

  2. April 1984

  3. September 1980

  4. July 1975
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Rakesh Sharma flew aboard Soyuz T-11 to the Salyut 7 space station in April 1984, spending 7 days 21 hours 50 minutes in space. He conducted Earth observation and biotechnology experiments.

Multiple choice

Which of the following Space Craft was launched recently to prepare a 3 dimensional Atlas of the lunar surface and also for chemical mapping of entire lunar surface?

  1. PSLV-II

  2. Chandrayan-III

  3. Chandrayan-II

  4. Chandrayan-I

  5. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Chandrayaan-1 was India's first lunar probe launched in October 2008. It carried instruments including the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) which created a 3-dimensional atlas of the lunar surface and performed chemical and mineralogical mapping of the entire lunar surface. It discovered water molecules on the lunar surface.

Multiple choice

Which of the following placed Oceansat-2 in orbit in September 2009?

  1. Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV)

  2. Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)

  3. Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV)

  4. Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)

  5. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Oceansat-2, ISRO's satellite for ocean studies, was successfully placed in orbit on September 23, 2009, by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C14). PSLV is ISRO's workhorse launch vehicle for placing satellites into polar orbits. SLV was an earlier, less powerful vehicle, GSLV is for heavier geostationary payloads, and option B incorrectly states PSLV as 'Augmented' which is redundant.