National Space Day Science Quiz With Answers

India is celebrating its maiden National Space Day today 23  on August 2024. The theme of the first National Space Day is ‘Touching Lives While Touching the Moon: India’s Space Saga’.

Greetings to everyone on the first National Space Day. We recall with great pride our nation’s achievements in the space sector. It is also a day to laud the contributions of our space scientists. Our Government has taken a series of futuristic decisions relating to this sector… pic.twitter.com/E7QcNDSm4u

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 23, 2024

On 23 August 2024, the Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully accomplished a safe and soft landing of the Vikram Lander on the lunar surface. This historic achievement made India the fourth country to land on the Moon and the first to land on the South pole of the Moon. Following the soft landing, the Pragyan Rover was successfully deployed to explore the lunar surface. The landing site was named 'Shiv Shakti Point' (Station Shiv Shakti). To commemorate this achievement, PM Narendra Modi declared 23 August as National Space Day in India.

Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, in a tweet, said, "From transporting rocket components on bullock carts to landing on the Moon's South Pole, India's space program has reached new heights." 

Today, we celebrate ISRO's incredible journey on National Space Day. From transporting rocket components on bullock carts to landing on the Moon's South Pole, India's space program has reached new heights. With Indian Oil’s Cryogenics playing a key role, our space saga continues… pic.twitter.com/5vqlxn7MUv

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) August 23, 2024

To celebrate this significant day, we have created a special quiz to test your knowledge about the space achievements of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Dive into these questions and see how much you know about India's pioneering efforts in space exploration.

National Space Day Science Quiz With Answers

Q1: What was the first satellite launched by ISRO?

a) Bhaskara-I

b) INSAT-1A

c) Aryabhata

d) Rohini

Answer: c) Aryabhata

Explanation: Aryabhata, launched on April 19, 1975, was India's first satellite, marking the beginning of India's space journey.

Q2: Which mission made India the first Asian country to reach Mars?

a) Mangalyaan

b) Chandrayaan-1

c) Gaganyaan

d) Astrosat

Answer: a) Mangalyaan

Explanation: The Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), launched in 2013, made India the first Asian nation to reach Martian orbit and the fourth space agency to do so globally.

Q3: Which Indian satellite is dedicated to studying the Sun?

a) GSAT-30

b) Aditya-L1

c) Astrosat

d) Cartosat-3

Answer: b) Aditya-L1

Explanation: Aditya-L1 is India's first mission dedicated to studying the Sun, particularly focusing on the solar corona.

Q4: What was the primary objective of the Chandrayaan-1 mission?

a) To land on Mars

b) To explore the Moon's surface

c) To study the Sun

d) To launch communication satellites

Answer: b) To explore the Moon's surface

Explanation: Chandrayaan-1, launched in 2008, was India's first lunar mission aimed at mapping the Moon's surface and searching for water.

Q5: What is the name of India's first human spaceflight program?

a) Shakti

b) Mangalyaan

c) Gaganyaan

d) NavIC

Answer: c) Gaganyaan

Explanation: Gaganyaan is India's first human spaceflight program, aiming to send Indian astronauts to space.

Q6: Which satellite system provides regional satellite navigation services over India?

a) INSAT

b) IRNSS

c) GSAT

d) CARTOSAT

Answer: b) IRNSS

Explanation: The Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), also known as NavIC, provides accurate position information over India and the surrounding region.

Q7: What is the primary purpose of the GSAT series of satellites?

a) Weather forecasting

b) Earth observation

c) Communications

d) Space exploration

Answer: c) Communications

Explanation: The GSAT series of satellites are primarily used for communication purposes, supporting telecommunication, broadcasting, and broadband services in India.

Q8: Which ISRO mission was the first to place a satellite into a geostationary orbit?

a) GSAT-1

b) INSAT-1A

c) SLV-3

d) APPLE

Answer: d) APPLE

Explanation: The Ariane Passenger Payload Experiment (APPLE), launched in 1981, was India's first experimental geostationary communication satellite.

Q9: What was the name of the rocket used by ISRO to launch India's first satellite, Aryabhata? 

a) PSLV

b) Kosmos-3M

c) GSLV

d) SLV

Answer: b) Kosmos-3M

Explanation: The Aryabhata spacecraft was launched by a Soviet Kosmos-3M rocket from Kapustin Yar on 19 April 1975.

Q10: Where are ISRO’s launch vehicles primarily developed?

a) Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota

b) U R Rao Satellite Centre, Bengaluru

c) Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram

d) ISRO Propulsion Complex, Tamil Nadu

Answer: c) Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram

Explanation: The Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram is the lead centre for the design and development of launch vehicles for ISRO.

Q11: What was the previous name of the Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3)?

a) GSLV Mk I

b) PSLV

c) GSLV Mk III

d) ASLV

Answer: c) GSLV Mk III

Explanation: The Launch Vehicle Mark-3 (LVM-3), ISRO's heaviest rocket, was previously known as the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle Mark III (GSLV Mk III).

Q12: What is the name of the satellite that provides remote sensing data for disaster management?

a) RISAT

b) GSAT

c) INSAT

d) NavIC

Answer: a) RISAT

Explanation: RISAT (Radar Imaging Satellite) provides all-weather surveillance and is crucial for disaster management and agricultural monitoring.

Q13: Which Indian launch vehicle is known as the “Workhorse of ISRO”?

a) PSLV

b) GSLV

c) SLV

d) ASLV

Answer: a) PSLV

Explanation: The Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) is known as the “Workhorse of ISRO” due to its consistent success in launching satellites into space.

Q14: Which ISRO mission was the first to confirm the presence of water on the Moon?

a) Chandrayaan-1

b) Chandrayaan-2

c) Mangalyaan

d) Astrosat

Answer: a) Chandrayaan-1

Explanation: Chandrayaan-1, through its Moon Impact Probe and onboard instruments, was the first mission to confirm the presence of water molecules on the Moon.

Q15: What is the primary focus of ISRO’s Astrosat mission?

a) Solar studies

b) Mars exploration

c) Multi-wavelength astronomy

d) Weather monitoring

Answer: c) Multi-wavelength astronomy

Explanation: Astrosat is India’s first dedicated multi-wavelength space observatory, aimed at studying celestial sources in different wavelengths.

Also read: India's Journey to Becoming a Space Power Since Independence