ISRO Missions — Set 2

Correct Answer: C. Vikram

• **Vikram** = The name of the lander used in the Chandrayaan-3 mission, named in honor of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai. • **Dr. Vikram Sarabhai** — The lander was named in honor of this esteemed scientist, widely regarded as the father of the Indian space program. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Pragyan]: This was the name of the rover carried by the Vikram lander; [Pushpak]: This refers to ISRO's Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV-TD) demonstrator; [Vyommitra]: This is the name of the female humanoid robot developed for the Gaganyaan mission.

Correct Answer: A. NISAR

• **NISAR** = A joint ISRO-NASA mission, the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar, designed to study Earth's changing ecosystems and ice sheets. • **Every 12 days** — NISAR is designed to map the entire globe using dual-frequency radar within this period, providing crucial data for climate studies. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [TRISHNA]: This is a joint Indo-French mission for Earth observation, but not specifically with NASA for ecosystem changes; [LUPEX]: This is a proposed joint ISRO-JAXA lunar polar exploration mission; [Megha-Tropiques]: This was a joint Indo-French satellite mission to study the water cycle in the tropical atmosphere.

Correct Answer: D. Ahmedabad

• **Ahmedabad** = The city where ISRO's Space Applications Centre (SAC) is located, responsible for developing payloads for various satellites. • **Payload development** — SAC plays a critical role in this area for communication, navigation, and remote sensing satellites, contributing to societal applications. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Bengaluru]: This city hosts ISRO Headquarters and U R Rao Satellite Centre; [Hyderabad]: This city hosts the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC); [Thiruvananthapuram]: This city hosts the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC), a major rocket development facility.

Correct Answer: C. Rohini RS-1

• **Rohini RS-1** = The first Indian satellite successfully launched into orbit using an indigenous launch vehicle, SLV-3, in 1980. • **1980** — This year marked India's achievement of indigenous launch capability with the successful launch of Rohini RS-1 by SLV-3. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Aryabhata]: This was India's first satellite, but launched by a Soviet rocket in 1975; [Bhaskara-II]: This was an Earth observation satellite launched after Rohini RS-1, but not the first by an indigenous rocket; [INSAT-1A]: This was an early operational communication satellite, but not the first by an indigenous rocket.

Correct Answer: A. Indian National Satellite System

• **Indian National Satellite System** = The full form of INSAT, representing a series of multipurpose geostationary satellites. • **Telecommunications and broadcasting** — INSAT satellites are primarily used for these applications, making it one of the largest domestic communication satellite systems in the Asia-Pacific region. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: [Indian Navigation Satellite]: This is incorrect; NavIC is the navigation system; [Indian Network Satellite]: This is incorrect and does not reflect the official acronym; [Indian Natural Satellite]: This is incorrect; the Moon is Earth's natural satellite.

Correct Answer: D. XPoSat

• **XPoSat** = X-ray Polarimeter Satellite (XPoSat) was launched to study the polarization of intense X-ray sources in space. • **Second country** — India is only the second country globally to launch such a specialized mission for X-ray polarization studies. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: AstroSat: India's first multi-wavelength astronomy satellite, not solely focused on X-ray polarization; Mars Orbiter: Orbiter for studying Mars' surface and atmosphere; ExoWorlds: Not a current ISRO mission, but a general term for exoplanets.

Correct Answer: C. Thiruvananthapuram

• **Thiruvananthapuram** = The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC) is ISRO's primary center for the design and development of launch vehicles. • **Thumba** — VSSC is specifically located at Thumba, a coastal village near Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Sriharikota: Location of Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC SHAR), ISRO's primary spaceport; Bengaluru: Location of ISRO Headquarters and U R Rao Satellite Centre (URSC); Mahendragiri: Location of ISRO Propulsion Complex (IPRC).

Correct Answer: C. Vyommitra

• **Vyommitra** = Vyommitra is a half-humanoid robot developed by ISRO to simulate human functions and test systems for the Gaganyaan mission. • **Female-looking robot** — Vyommitra is designed to resemble a female and will be sent on uncrewed Gaganyaan missions. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: Gagan-Yoddha: Not the official name of the Gaganyaan robot; Akash-Doot: Not the official name, literally 'sky messenger'; Antariksh-Mitra: Not the official name, literally 'space friend'.

Correct Answer: D. SDSC SHAR

• **SDSC SHAR** = The Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC SHAR) in Sriharikota is ISRO's primary spaceport for launching satellites and rockets. • **Sriharikota** — The launch site was chosen due to its proximity to the equator and its coastal location, advantageous for launch trajectories. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: VSSC: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, focuses on rocket design and development; NRSC: National Remote Sensing Centre, responsible for remote sensing data acquisition and processing; ISTRAC: ISRO Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network, provides tracking support for missions.

Correct Answer: C. IRS

• **IRS** = Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellites are a series used by ISRO specifically for remote sensing and Earth observation applications. • **Largest constellations** — India maintains one of the largest operational constellations of remote sensing satellites globally. • 💡 Wrong-option analysis: GSAT: Geostationary Satellites, used for communication services; INSAT: Indian National Satellite System, a series of multipurpose geostationary satellites for communication and broadcasting; EDUSAT: A dedicated satellite for educational services, also known as GSAT-3.