General Awareness · 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

A comet has

  1. one dust tail only

  2. one gas tail only

  3. one gas and one dust tail only

  4. two gas tails and one dust tail only
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

A comet has one gas and one dust tail only.

Multiple choice

What made the Hubble telescope take blurred pictures?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

When the Hubble first went into orbit in 1990, it had a tiny flaw in one of its mirrors. That caused the telescope to take blurry pictures. NASA astronauts spacewalked to repair it. The repairs allowed the Hubble to take pictures better than anyone could have hoped. Mike Massimino was one of the astronauts. Today he serves as the co-curator of the Hubble@25 exhibit. Massimino spacewalked for more than 30 hours. He says the experience is like scuba diving. 

  1. Going into orbit

  2. Spacewalking

  3. Flaw in a mirror

  4. The repairs
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Correct option is (3).

Multiple choice

What is the meaning of the word blurry in this context?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

When the Hubble first went into orbit in 1990, it had a tiny flaw in one of its mirrors. That caused the telescope to take blurry pictures. NASA astronauts spacewalked to repair it. The repairs allowed the Hubble to take pictures better than anyone could have hoped. Mike Massimino was one of the astronauts. Today he serves as the co-curator of the Hubble@25 exhibit. Massimino spacewalked for more than 30 hours. He says the experience is like scuba diving. 

  1. mistake

  2. clear

  3. better

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

Correct option is (4).

Multiple choice

What did Massimino compare spacewalking to?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

When the Hubble first went into orbit in 1990, it had a tiny flaw in one of its mirrors. That caused the telescope to take blurry pictures. NASA astronauts spacewalked to repair it. The repairs allowed the Hubble to take pictures better than anyone could have hoped. Mike Massimino was one of the astronauts. Today he serves as the co-curator of the Hubble@25 exhibit. Massimino spacewalked for more than 30 hours. He says the experience is like scuba diving. 

  1. Scuba diving

  2. Walking

  3. Repairing

  4. Taking pictures with a camera
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Correct option is (1).

Multiple choice

How much time did Massimino spacewalk?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

When the Hubble first went into orbit in 1990, it had a tiny flaw in one of its mirrors. That caused the telescope to take blurry pictures. NASA astronauts spacewalked to repair it. The repairs allowed the Hubble to take pictures better than anyone could have hoped. Mike Massimino was one of the astronauts. Today he serves as the co-curator of the Hubble@25 exhibit. Massimino spacewalked for more than 30 hours. He says the experience is like scuba diving. 

  1. 30 hours

  2. more than 30 hours

  3. less than 30 hours

  4. 25 hours
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Correct option is (2).

Multiple choice

What is Mike Massimino doing now?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

When the Hubble first went into orbit in 1990, it had a tiny flaw in one of its mirrors. That caused the telescope to take blurry pictures. NASA astronauts spacewalked to repair it. The repairs allowed the Hubble to take pictures better than anyone could have hoped. Mike Massimino was one of the astronauts. Today he serves as the co-curator of the Hubble@25 exhibit. Massimino spacewalked for more than 30 hours. He says the experience is like scuba diving. 

  1. Astronaut

  2. Co-curator

  3. Hubble’s inventor

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

Correct option is (2).

Multiple choice

What helped the Hubble take better pictures?

Directions: Read the following passage and answer the question that follows:

When the Hubble first went into orbit in 1990, it had a tiny flaw in one of its mirrors. That caused the telescope to take blurry pictures. NASA astronauts spacewalked to repair it. The repairs allowed the Hubble to take pictures better than anyone could have hoped. Mike Massimino was one of the astronauts. Today he serves as the co-curator of the Hubble@25 exhibit. Massimino spacewalked for more than 30 hours. He says the experience is like scuba diving. 

  1. Spacewalk

  2. The repairs

  3. Mike Massimino

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

Correct option is (2).

Multiple choice

What can be the title for the passage?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

The space age began in 1957 when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world's first man-made satellite. Also in 1957, Sputnik 2 was launched carrying a dog named Laika. Laika was the first animal to orbit the Earth. In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to pilot a spacecraft when he was launched aboard Vostok 1 by the Soviet Union. Later that year, Alan Shepard became the first American to pilot a spacecraft. He was followed by John Glenn, who orbited the Earth three times in 1962.
In 1963, the United States and the Soviet Union started a race to see who could put a man on the moon first. In 1969, the United States won when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the Lunar Module Eagle on the moon's surface.

The United States and the Soviet Union have also put space stations into orbit around the Earth. These space structures serve as both a home and a laboratory for space travellers. The United States created and launched the first reusable manned spacecraft, the Space Shuttle, in 1981. Since then, five different Shuttles have made over one hundred flights into space.

  1. The Beginning of the Space Age

  2. The Milestones Achieved in Space

  3. Space Achievements of USA and Soviet Union

  4. The Journey to Success
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The passage highlights the milestones achieved by different countries in space. It is neither about ‘beginning’ only, nor about USA and Soviet Union alone.

Multiple choice

What is the purpose of putting space stations into orbit?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

The space age began in 1957 when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the world's first man-made satellite. Also in 1957, Sputnik 2 was launched carrying a dog named Laika. Laika was the first animal to orbit the Earth. In 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first human to pilot a spacecraft when he was launched aboard Vostok 1 by the Soviet Union. Later that year, Alan Shepard became the first American to pilot a spacecraft. He was followed by John Glenn, who orbited the Earth three times in 1962.
In 1963, the United States and the Soviet Union started a race to see who could put a man on the moon first. In 1969, the United States won when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the Lunar Module Eagle on the moon's surface.

The United States and the Soviet Union have also put space stations into orbit around the Earth. These space structures serve as both a home and a laboratory for space travellers. The United States created and launched the first reusable manned spacecraft, the Space Shuttle, in 1981. Since then, five different Shuttles have made over one hundred flights into space.

  1. To commence shuttle services

  2. For space travellers to stay and conduct experiments

  3. For the ease of travel

  4. To launch reusable manned spacecraft

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

“These space structures serve as both a home and a laboratory for space travellers.”