Aspirant Academy

Science and Technology

Predicted Questions with Model Answers

Space & Defence: Indian Space Programme, Satellites, Launch Vehicles, Remote Sensing, Missiles, Drone Technology, Chemical/Biological Weapons

Paper II · Unit 2 Section 10 of 12 0 PYQs 32 min
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Predicted Questions with Model Answers

Q1 (5 marks — 50 words): Describe India's achievements in the Chandrayaan-3 mission. Why is landing at the lunar south pole significant?

Model Answer:

India's Chandrayaan-3 mission achieved the world's first soft landing at the lunar south pole on 23 August 2023 (Vikram lander at 69.37° S). India became the 4th nation to land on the Moon and the 1st at the south pole. Pragyan rover confirmed sulphur, iron, and other elements in-situ for the first time in the south pole region. Significance: The lunar south pole's permanently shadowed craters contain water ice — a crucial resource for future crewed Moon bases, rocket fuel production, and life support.

Q2 (5 marks — 50 words): What is PSLV? State its key configuration and two significant missions.

Model Answer:

PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle) is ISRO's most reliable 4-stage alternating solid-liquid launch vehicle. Configuration: PS1 (solid) + 6 strap-on motors → PS2 (liquid, Vikas engine) → PS3 (solid) → PS4 (liquid). Payload: ~3.8 t to LEO, ~1.75 t to SSO. Has completed 60+ successful missions. Notable missions: (1) PSLV-C37 (February 15, 2017) — world record of 104 satellites in a single launch; (2) PSLV-C25 (November 2013) — launched the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan).

Q3 (5 marks — 50 words): What is BrahMos missile? State its key features and recent development.

Model Answer:

BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile developed jointly by India (DRDO/BDL) and Russia (NPOM) — name combines Brahmaputra + Moskva rivers. JV established 1998. Speed: Mach 2.8 — world's fastest operationally deployed supersonic cruise missile. Range: 290–450 km (extended versions up to 800 km). Variants: ground-launched, ship-launched, air-launched (from Su-30MKI), submarine-launched. First export: Philippines signed $374 million deal in January 2022 for shore-based BrahMos — India's first ever missile export.

Q4 (5 marks — 50 words): What is the Chemical Weapons Convention? State India's role and the significance of the OPCW.

Model Answer:

CWC (Chemical Weapons Convention, 1993) is the first multilateral disarmament treaty to outlaw the production, stockpiling, and use of an entire category of WMDs. Enforced by the OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, The Hague) — awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013. 193 states parties. India ratified CWC in 1996 and declared/destroyed its chemical weapons stockpile by 1997. The USA completed destruction of all its declared chemical weapons on 7 July 2023 — a major global milestone. CWC is contrasted with BWC (biological weapons) — stronger because of OPCW's intrusive verification mechanism.

Q5 (5 marks — 50 words): What is Gaganyaan? Name India's four astronaut candidates and the status of the mission.

Model Answer:

Gaganyaan is India's first human spaceflight programme — a 3-day mission carrying 3 astronauts to a 400 km Low Earth Orbit, returning via ocean splashdown. Launch vehicle: LVM3 with Crew Escape System. Four selected Indian Air Force test pilots: Prashanth Balakrishnan Nair, Angad Pratap, Ajit Krishnan, and Shubhanshu Shukla (trained at Gagarin Centre, Russia). Current status: TV-D1 (Crew Escape System test) conducted successfully on 21 October 2023. Target: First crewed flight 2025; India plans own space station (BAS) by 2035.

Q6 (5 marks — 50 words): What are the key applications of remote sensing satellites in India? Name two satellites with their specifications.

Model Answer:

Remote sensing collects Earth data without physical contact, using satellite sensors. India's RESOURCESAT-2A (LISS-4 sensor, 5.8 m resolution, 2016) maps agricultural land use, forest cover, and disaster assessment across India's entire land area. CARTOSAT-3 (2019, 0.25 m resolution — India's sharpest) provides high-definition imagery for urban planning and defence mapping. RISAT-2BR1 (2019, SAR radar, 0.35 m) provides all-weather, day-and-night surveillance — operational after cloud cover over coastline. Applications: crop insurance (PM Fasal Bima), flood relief coordination, border monitoring.