General Science/Everyday Science MCQs
Topic Notes: General Science/Everyday Science
MCQs and preparation resources for competitive exams, covering important concepts, past papers, and detailed explanations.
Plato
- Biography: Ancient Greek philosopher (427–347 BCE), student of Socrates and teacher of Aristotle, founder of the Academy in Athens.
- Important Ideas:
- Theory of Forms
- Philosopher-King
- Ideal State
11
Which spacecraft was the first to enter the atmosphere of a gas giant (Jupiter)?
Answer:
Galileo Probe
The Galileo spacecraft carried a small atmospheric probe that was released into Jupiter's atmosphere in 1995, surviving for 58 minutes and transmitting data before being crushed by pressure.
12
What is the purpose of the 'Gaia' mission launched by the ESA?
Answer:
Creating a precise 3D map of the Milky Way
Gaia is a space observatory launched by the ESA to perform astrometry: measuring the positions, distances, and motions of stars with unprecedented precision.
13
Which mission was the first to land on the far side of the Moon?
Answer:
Chang'e 4
China's Chang'e 4 mission became the first to successfully perform a soft landing on the far side of the Moon in January 2019, using a relay satellite to communicate with Earth.
14
The 'Juno' mission is currently orbiting which planet?
Answer:
Jupiter
Juno is a NASA space probe orbiting the planet Jupiter. It was launched in 2011 and entered Jupiter's orbit in 2016 to study the planet's composition, gravity field, and magnetic field.
15
Which astronaut holds the record for the most total time spent in space (as of 2024)?
Answer:
Oleg Kononenko
Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko set a new world record in 2024 for the most cumulative time spent in space, surpassing the previous record of 878 days held by Gennady Padalka.
16
What is the primary function of 'Landsat' satellites?
Answer:
Providing Earth observation images for land management
The Landsat program is the longest-running enterprise for acquisition of satellite imagery of Earth. It provides data for agriculture, geology, forestry, regional planning, and education.
17
The 'Mir' space station was operated by which entity?
Answer:
Soviet Union and later Russia
Mir was a space station that operated in low Earth orbit from 1986 to 2001, first by the Soviet Union and then by the Russian Federal Space Agency. It was the first modular space station.
18
Which mission performed the first impact into a comet core (Tempel 1)?
Answer:
Deep Impact
NASA's Deep Impact mission launched an 'impactor' into comet Tempel 1 in 2005 to study the interior composition of the comet's nucleus.
19
What happened to the Mars 'Opportunity' rover in 2018?
Answer:
It was disabled by a massive dust storm
Opportunity exceeded its 90-day mission life by 14 years, but its mission finally ended in 2018 when a planet-wide dust storm blocked sunlight from reaching its solar panels.
20
Which space agency is responsible for the 'Chandrayaan' lunar missions?
Answer:
ISRO (India)
The Chandrayaan program is a series of lunar exploration missions by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). Chandrayaan-1 famously confirmed the presence of water molecules on the lunar surface.