Q1. Consider the following with reference to the India-Sweden Memorandum of Understanding signed for the ISRO Venus Orbiter Mission Shukrayaan:\nAssertion (A): The Swedish National Space Agency will participate in ISRO's Venus Orbiter Mission Shukrayaan under a formal Memorandum of Understanding signed between India and Sweden.\nReason (R): The Shukrayaan mission is being jointly designed, financed and operated by Sweden because India lacks the indigenous capability to build interplanetary spacecraft.\nIn the context of the above, which of the following is correct?
Explanation
Assertion (A) is true: India and Sweden indeed signed an MoU for SNSA's participation in ISRO's Shukrayaan Venus Orbiter Mission, targeting a March 2028 launch and Venus orbit insertion in July 2028. Reason (R) is false: Shukrayaan is an ISRO-led indigenous mission; India already possesses interplanetary capability demonstrated by Mangalyaan, and Sweden is only a partner contributing payloads, not designing, financing or operating the mission. Hence A is true but R is false.