General Awareness ยท Physics

Space Exploration and Astronomy

4,144 Questions

Review significant milestones in space exploration, including artificial satellites, reusable space shuttles, and historic lunar landings. This topic also covers astronomical phenomena and telescopic observations. Such scientific general knowledge is commonly tested in SSC, railways, and banking examinations.

Space shuttle missionsArtificial satellitesLunar and planetary landingsSpace telescopes and observatories

Space Exploration and Astronomy Questions

Multiple choice

Which space agency was the first to successfully demonstrate 3D printing in space?

  1. NASA

  2. ESA

  3. JAXA

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

NASA was the first space agency to successfully demonstrate 3D printing in space in 2014, using a 3D printer on the International Space Station to create a variety of objects, including tools, spare parts, and even food.

Multiple choice

Which spacecraft was the first to successfully land on the surface of Mars?

  1. Viking 1

  2. Mariner 4

  3. Spirit

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

Viking 1 was the first spacecraft to successfully land on the surface of Mars in 1976.

Multiple choice

Which spacecraft was the first to orbit Jupiter?

  1. Pioneer 10

  2. Pioneer 11

  3. Voyager 1

  4. Voyager 2
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Pioneer 10 was the first spacecraft to orbit Jupiter in 1973.

Multiple choice

Which spacecraft was the first to visit all four of the giant planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune)?

  1. Voyager 1

  2. Voyager 2

  3. Cassini-Huygens

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

Voyager 2 was the first spacecraft to visit all four of the giant planets between 1979 and 1989.

Multiple choice

Which spacecraft was the first to land on a comet?

  1. Giotto

  2. Vega 1

  3. Vega 2

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

Giotto was the first spacecraft to land on a comet, Comet Halley, in 1986.

Multiple choice

Which spacecraft was the first to land on an asteroid?

  1. NEAR Shoemaker

  2. Hayabusa

  3. Dawn

  4. OSIRIS-REx
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

NEAR Shoemaker was the first spacecraft to land on an asteroid, Eros, in 2001.

Multiple choice

Which spacecraft was the first to successfully enter orbit around the Sun?

  1. Parker Solar Probe

  2. Helios 1

  3. Helios 2

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

Parker Solar Probe was the first spacecraft to successfully enter orbit around the Sun in 2018.

Multiple choice

Which spacecraft was the first to successfully land on the surface of Venus?

  1. Venera 3

  2. Venera 4

  3. Venera 7

  4. Venera 8
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Venera 7 was the first spacecraft to successfully land on the surface of Venus in 1970.

Multiple choice

Which spacecraft was the first to successfully land on the surface of Mercury?

  1. Mariner 10

  2. MESSENGER

  3. BepiColombo

  4. Parker Solar Probe
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

MESSENGER was the first spacecraft to successfully land on the surface of Mercury in 2011.

Multiple choice

Which spacecraft was the first to successfully land on the surface of Saturn's moon Titan?

  1. Cassini-Huygens

  2. Voyager 1

  3. Voyager 2

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

Cassini-Huygens was the first spacecraft to successfully land on the surface of Saturn's moon Titan in 2005.

Multiple choice

Which spacecraft was the first to successfully land on the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa?

  1. Galileo

  2. Voyager 1

  3. Voyager 2

  4. New Horizons
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
Correct answer
Explanation

No spacecraft has yet successfully landed on the surface of Jupiter's moon Europa.

Multiple choice

Which spacecraft was the first to successfully land on the surface of Pluto?

  1. New Horizons

  2. Voyager 1

  3. Voyager 2

  4. Cassini-Huygens
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

New Horizons was the first spacecraft to successfully land on the surface of Pluto in 2015.

Multiple choice

Which spacecraft was the first to successfully land on the surface of a comet?

  1. Rosetta

  2. Giotto

  3. Vega 1

  4. Vega 2
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Rosetta was the first spacecraft to successfully land on the surface of a comet, Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko, in 2014.

Multiple choice

Which spacecraft was the first to successfully land on the surface of an asteroid?

  1. Hayabusa

  2. NEAR Shoemaker

  3. Dawn

  4. OSIRIS-REx
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Hayabusa was the first spacecraft to successfully land on the surface of an asteroid, Itokawa, in 2005.

Multiple choice

Which spacecraft was the first to successfully land on the surface of Mars?

  1. Viking 1

  2. Mariner 4

  3. Spirit

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

Viking 1 was the first spacecraft to successfully land on the surface of Mars in 1976.