11. Which country is set to launch a spacecraft to study the metal-rich asteroid ’16 Psyche’?
[A] India
[B] USA
[C] Russia
[D] China
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [USA]
Notes:
NASA is preparing to launch a cutting-edge spacecraft named Psyche on a groundbreaking mission to study the asteroid named ‘16 Psyche’.
This first-of-its-kind endeavour will explore a metal-rich asteroid, providing valuable insights into the formation of rocky objects in our solar system.
12. हर साल विश्व क्षुद्रग्रह दिवस (World Asteroid Day) कब मनाया जाता है?
[A] 15 जून
[B] 30 जून
[C] 15 जुलाई
[D] 30 जुलाई
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [30 जून]
Notes:
‘विश्व क्षुद्रग्रह दिवस’ एक वार्षिक वैश्विक कार्यक्रम है जो 30 जून को मनाया जाता है। यह 1908 में तुंगुस्का घटना की सालगिरह है जब एक उल्का विस्फोट ने रूस के मध्य साइबेरिया में लगभग 2,000 वर्ग किमी (500,000 एकड़) देवदार के जंगल को नष्ट कर दिया था।
13. When is the ‘World Asteroid Day’ observed every year?
[A] June 15
[B] June 30
[C] July 15
[D] July 30
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [June 30]
Notes:
‘World Asteroid Day’ is an annual global event which is observed on June 30. It is the anniversary of the Tunguska event in 1908 when a meteor air burst decimated about 2,000 square km (500,000 acres) of pine forest in central Siberia, Russia.
The Tunguska asteroid event was the Earth’s largest asteroid impact in recorded history.
14. The Asteroid Belt is situated between which planets?
[A] Mars and Jupiter
[B] Jupiter and Saturn
[C] Saturn and Neptune
[D] Mercury and Venus
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Mars and Jupiter]
Notes:
Comet Read is the main belt comet that is found in the main asteroid belt but has a halo or coma and a tail like a comet. It is one of the three comets used to establish the category of main belt comets.
James Webb Space Telescope’s finding is intriguing because this is the first-time water has been found in the main asteroid belt, which is located between Mars and Jupiter.
15. Which asteroid produces the annual Geminid meteor shower?
[A] Asteroid Phaethon
[B] Asteroid Ceres
[C] Asteroid Pallas
[D] Asteroid Vesta
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Asteroid Phaethon]
Notes:
Asteroid Phaethon, which was discovered in 1983, produces the annual Geminid meteor shower.
New research has found that its close encounter with the Sun causes the vaporization of the sodium within the asteroid, resulting in comet-like activity.
16. Researchers have found building blocks of RNA in materials from which asteroid?
[A] Asteroid Bennu
[B] Asteroid Chariklo
[C] Asteroid Eros
[D] Asteroid Ryugu
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Asteroid Ryugu]
Notes:
Researchers have found building blocks of RNA in just 10 milligrams of materials from asteroid Ryugu.
This discovery confirms the hypothesis of life on Earth originating from outer space. Ryugu is a near-Earth object and a potentially hazardous asteroid of the Apollo group.
17. Which of the following space missions has/have been launched targeting asteroids?
- DART
- Hera
- Didymos
- TESS
Choose the correct answer using the codes given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 3
[C] Only 1 & 2
[D] 1, 2, 3 & 4
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Only 1 & 2]
Notes:- Double Asteroid Redirection Test is a NASA space mission aimed at testing a method of planetary defense against near-Earth objects. It was designed to assess how much a spacecraft impact deflects an asteroid through its transfer of momentum when hitting the asteroid head-on.
- Hera is the European contribution to an international double-spacecraft collaboration. It was launched by European Space Agency.
- Hera would travel to a binary asteroid system – the Didymos pair of near-Earth asteroids, Didymos is a binary asteroid.
- The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) is a NASA mission that will look for planets orbiting the brightest stars in Earth’s sky.
18. With respect to the Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator, consider the following statements:
- It is a technique used to alter the orbit of an asteroid.
- It is made up of Kevlar fabric – synthetic fibre resistant to withstand atmospheric changes and temperature changes.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Both 1 & 2
[D] Neither 1 nor 2
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Only 2]
Notes:- In September 2022, ISRO tested a new technology with IAD (Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator). It is a technique used for an atmospheric entry payload. It is made up of Kevlar fabric – synthetic fibre resistant to withstand atmospheric changes and temperature changes. Over it is a coating of polychloroprene – an oil and wax-resistant rubber which can withstand extreme temperatures.
- This technique could aid the cost-effective recovery of spent rocket stages and safely land payloads on other planets.
- ISRO’s IAD has been designed and developed at Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSS).
- IAD technology can be used in ISRO’s missions to Venus and Mars (interplanetary missions).
19. With reference to various space flights or missions in news in recent times, consider the following statements:
- Inspiration4 is an all-civilian, non-governmental spaceflight.
- Expedition 61 is a space mission to an asteroid.
- The Artemis Program is a European Space Agency-led international human spaceflight program.
- The Vostok program was a Soviet-era spaceflight program that put the first human in the space.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
[A] Only 4
[B] Only 1 and 3
[C] Only 2 and 4
[D] Only 1 and 4
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Only 1 and 4]
Notes:
Inspiration4 is the first all-civilian spaceflight using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, carrying four private citizens. Expedition 61 included the first all-women spacewalk in 2019 at the International Space Station. The Artemis Program is a US-led initiative aiming to land the first woman on the Moon. The Vostok program was a Soviet-era initiative that launched the first human into space.
20. Which of the following space probes has/have been launched for the study of asteroids?- Rosetta
- Lucy
- OSIRIS REx
- Hayabusa 2
Choose the correct answer using the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 & 2
[B] Only 1, 3 & 4
[C] Only 2, 3 & 4
[D] 1, 2, 3 & 4
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [1, 2, 3 & 4]
Notes:
The Rosetta space probe, launched by the European Space Agency in 2004, studied asteroids 21 Lutetia and 2867 Steins and conducted flybys of Mars and Earth. NASA’s Lucy probe is designed to explore the Jupiter Trojans and a main belt asteroid, marking a significant multi-asteroid mission. OSIRIS-REx, also from NASA, focuses on the Bennu asteroid as a sample return mission. JAXA’s Hayabusa 2 succeeded the original Hayabusa mission and studied the Ryugu asteroid.