Daily Quiz: On ISRO’s PSLV rocket
Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle | Photo credits: ISRO
1 / 6 |
The liquid-fuelled second stage of the PSLV rocket uses the Vikas engine, which is based on the French Viking engine. In 1974, rather than pay cash, ISRO acquired this technology from France in exchange for 100 man-years of engineering work, helping produce parts for the European ______ rocket, and thousands of pressure transducers. Fill in the blank.
2 / 6 |
To steer the massive first stage, the PSLV doesn’t gimbal, or tilt, the main engine nozzle. Instead, it injects a chemical solution of X into one side of the nozzle’s exhaust flow to create an asymmetric thrust that pushes the rocket in the desired direction. This is its Secondary Injection Thrust Vector Control. Name X.
3 / 6 |
In February 2017, the PSLV-C37 mission set a world record by launching 104 satellites in a single flight. This required a complex deployment sequence where satellites were deployed in pairs at precise angles to keep them from colliding. Which SpaceX mission broke this record in 2021?
4 / 6 |
Instead of discarding the PSLV’s fourth stage (PS4) as debris, ISRO often repurposes it as a stabilised orbital platform called POEM. It remains active in orbit for months, hosting student payloads and scientific experiments, thus serving as a temporary satellite. What does POEM stand for?
5 / 6 |
The PSLV rocket’s first stage solid motor is encased in ________ steel, an ultra-high-strength alloy whose name is a portmanteau of ‘martensitic’ and ‘ageing’. Because international export controls restricted access to this material, ISRO had to develop the ability to make this steel indigenously. Fill in the blank.
6 / 6 |
Between the SLV and the PSLV programmes, ISRO ran the Y programme for seven years. Name Y (in its full form).
