General Awareness ยท Physics

Space Exploration and Astronomy

3,952 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

What is the name of the asteroid that is the target of the JAXA mission?

  1. Bennu

  2. Ryugu

  3. Itokawa

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

The JAXA mission is a Japanese mission that visited and collected samples from the asteroid Itokawa.

Multiple choice

What is the most famous comet?

  1. Halley's Comet

  2. Hale-Bopp

  3. Shoemaker-Levy 9

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

Halley's Comet is the most famous comet. It is visible from Earth every 76 years.

Multiple choice

What is the Chelyabinsk meteor?

  1. A large meteor that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013

  2. A large comet that passed close to Earth in 2013

  3. A large asteroid that passed close to Earth in 2013

  4. A large meteor shower that occurred in 2013
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Chelyabinsk meteor was a large meteor that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013. The explosion caused widespread damage and injuries.

Multiple choice

Which international organization provides funding for the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) to build and operate the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT)?

  1. International Monetary Fund (IMF)

  2. World Bank

  3. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

  4. European Union (EU)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) received funding from the European Union (EU) to build and operate the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). This funding enabled NCRA to construct and commission the GMRT, which is one of the largest and most sensitive radio telescopes in the world.

Multiple choice

Which international organization provides funding for the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) to build and operate the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT)?

  1. International Monetary Fund (IMF)

  2. World Bank

  3. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

  4. European Union (EU)
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) received funding from the European Union (EU) to build and operate the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT). This funding enabled NCRA to construct and commission the GMRT, which is one of the largest and most sensitive radio telescopes in the world.

Multiple choice

Which country was the first to successfully launch an artificial satellite into orbit?

  1. United States

  2. Soviet Union

  3. China

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

The Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into orbit in 1957, sparking the Space Race.

Multiple choice

Which country was the first to put a man into space?

  1. United States

  2. Soviet Union

  3. China

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

The Soviet Union launched Yuri Gagarin into space in 1961, making him the first human to travel into space.

Multiple choice

Which country was the first to successfully launch a human into space?

  1. United States

  2. Soviet Union

  3. China

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

The Soviet Union launched Yuri Gagarin into space in 1961, making him the first human to travel into space.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the telescope that was launched in 1990 to study the cosmic microwave background radiation?

  1. Hubble Space Telescope

  2. Chandra X-ray Observatory

  3. Spitzer Space Telescope

  4. Cosmic Background Explorer
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) was a NASA satellite launched in 1990 to study the cosmic microwave background radiation.

Multiple choice

When was the Hubble Space Telescope launched into orbit?

  1. 1989

  2. 1990

  3. 1991

  4. 1992
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Hubble Space Telescope was launched into orbit on April 24, 1990, aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery.

Multiple choice

What is the primary mirror of the Hubble Space Telescope made of?

  1. Glass

  2. Gold

  3. Silver

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

The primary mirror of the Hubble Space Telescope is made of beryllium, a lightweight and strong metal.

Multiple choice

What was the name of the first servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope?

  1. STS-31

  2. STS-41

  3. STS-51

  4. STS-61
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The first servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope was STS-31, which took place in December 1993.

Multiple choice

How many times has the Hubble Space Telescope been serviced by astronauts?

  1. 4

  2. 5

  3. 6

  4. 7
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Hubble Space Telescope has been serviced by astronauts on five separate occasions, with the last servicing mission taking place in 2009.

Multiple choice

What is the name of the Hubble Space Telescope's successor?

  1. James Webb Space Telescope

  2. Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

  3. Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope

  4. Vera C. Rubin Observatory
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Hubble Space Telescope's successor is the James Webb Space Telescope, which was launched in December 2021.

Multiple choice

What is the Hubble Space Telescope's current status?

  1. It is still operational and taking images.

  2. It has been decommissioned and is no longer in use.

  3. It is undergoing repairs and will be relaunched.

  4. It has been replaced by the James Webb Space Telescope.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

As of 2023, the Hubble Space Telescope is still operational and continues to take images and collect data.