India in Space Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dr. Vikram A Sarabhai

Dr. Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai, is the father of the Indian Space Industry, a multi-faceted personality, was a distinguished cosmic-ray and space scientist, an institution builder, industrialist, a management expert, educationist, a connoisseur of arts and above all a great human being.

He founded the Physical Research Laboratory which later served as the cradle of Space Science Research in India. Vikram Sarabhai was born on 12 August 1919 at Ahmedabad.

Answer: HSLV

The ASLV/PSLV/GSLV are all launch vehicles of India. The ASLV is called the Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle which is capable of placing payloads in Lov/Near Space Orbits, whereas PSLV is called the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle. The GSLV is the most important vehicle of ISRO, this booster is capable of placing two-ton communication satellites in Geo Transfer Orbits.

Answer: Remote Sensing

The IRS satellite constellation series targets operational requirements of natural resource management. IRS satellites are believed to be the best in its class. IRS satellites acquire three different types of imagery applicable to diverse applications:
broad-area images at coarse spatial resolutions for regional overviews with frequent coverage;
urban-sized multi-spectral images for land cover mapping at moderate resolutions;
--high-resolution Panchromatic Camera images for detailed feature extraction. The data in the panchromatic region is useful in geological studies for mapping geological and geomorphological features, for urban planning studies, detecting urban fringe growth, updating the urban transporation infrastructure etc. Stereoscopic image pair obtainable by PAN can be used for topographic studies and generation of digital terrain models.
IRS Satellites were designed to meet the need for high-resolution data over broad geographic areas for applications in urban planning and agriculture. Its spectral bandwidth spans the visible to the near infrared, allowing for general land-use classification and one-step integration into a GIS. IRS data can also be collected as stereo imagery. Some of the technology involved is the Linear Imaging Self-Scanner [LISS] and Wide Field Sensor (this sensor is useful for vegetation studies) and the Modular Optoelectronic Scanner (primarily meant for ocean related studies).

Answer: Aryabhatta

India's foray as a space power was initiated with the launch of the Aryabhatta artificial satellite. The objectives of this project was to indigenously design and fabricate a space-worthy satellite system and evaluate its perfromance in orbit and also to evolve the methodology of conducting a series of complex operations on the satellite in its orbital phase.
The main objectives of the mission were:
to set up ground-based receiving, transmitting and tracking systems;
--and to establish infrastructure for the fabrication of spacecraft systems.
The exercise also provided an opportunity to conduct investigations in the area of spcae sciences. The satellite carried three experiments, one each in X-Ray Astronomy, Solar Physics and Aeronomy. The satellite was launched on April 19, 1975, and weighed 360 kg it was placed in an orbit of 619 X 562 km and was launched by a Soviet Intercosmos Rocket.

Answer: Dr. K Kasturirangan

Dr. K Kasturirangan has had the best stint amongst all chairmen of ISRO. He was instrumental in successfully achieving the PSLV and the GSLV programs key objectives.

Answer: True

TES is India's first defense satellite. The defense forces will use the satellite for aerial mapping of its borders with China and Pakistan. India had lacked advanced aerial surveillance capabilities, and TES, which is essentially a low-Earth-orbit satellite, will provide much clearer imagery for intelligence use. TES is packed with sophisticated technology like the orbit control system, high torque reaction wheels, reaction control system with optimised thrusters and a single propellant tank, light weight spacecraft structure, solid state recorder, X-band phased array antenna, improved satellite positioning system, miniaturised TTC and power system and, two-mirror-on-axis camera optics. TES also carries a 1 meter resolution panchromatic camera for remote sensing.

The satellite will be able to pick up movement of troops and even small cars and trucks. ISRO, plans to launch six additional satellites for military use. The $50 million project is expected to be complete around 2005. The TES project was conceived in July 1999, following Pakistani intrusions into the Kargil area of Kashmir State. TES was launched on 22nd October 2001 on a PSLV.

Answer: Ravish Malhotra

Ravish Malhotra was the backup astronaut for Rakesh Sharma during his maiden spaceflight on a Soyuz Rocket.

Answer: Soyuz-T11

The Salyut 7 was launched from the Baikanour Cosmodrome on a Soyuz rocket booster. Soyuz is without question one of the greatest rocket launching systems in the world.

Answer: Geosynchronous Satellite

METSAT is the first exclusive meteorological satellite built by ISRO. METSAT is a geostationary satellite that was launched by an upgraded, four-stage PSLV-C4 rocket from the Satish Dhawan Space Center, SHAR on 12 September 2002. It was for the first time that PSLV launched a satellite into GTO; in all its previous flights, PSLV was used to place Indian Remote Sensing Satelittes and other auxiliary payloads in Polar orbits.

The triaxially-stabilized, 1,060 kgs (including 560 kg of propellant), 550 W METSAT carries a VHRR (Very High Resolution Radiometer) scanning radiometer for three-band images: one in the visible, the second in the thermal infrared and the third in the water vapor infrared bands, each at a spatial resolution of 2-km x 2-km resolution, to obtain atmospheric cloud cover, water vapor and temperature.

It also carries a Data Relay Transponder (DRT) to provide data from unattended fixed/mobile ground level weather platforms. It was maneuvered from the transfer orbit to a geostationary at 37°E longitude on 16 September 2002, and then to the final parking at 74°E longitude on 24 September 2002.

Answer: Stretched Rohini Satellite Series

ISRO developed the SROSS (Stretched Rohini Satellite Series) Magnetosphere spacecraft as follow-ons to the successful Rohini satellite series. The SROSS vehicles were designed to carry small scientific and technology payloads, including astrophysics, earth remote sensing, and upper atmospheric monitoring experiments. SROSS C2 carried a gamma-ray burst (GRB) experiment consisting of two scintillators to study celestial gamma ray bursts and a Retarded Potential Analyser (RPA).

The GRB monitored celestial gamma ray bursts in the energy range 20-3000 keV.

The RPA measured temperature, density and characteristics of electrons in the Earth's ionosphere.