UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Science and Technology MCQs on Spadex mission, Jetson Orin and more (Week 90) | UPSC Current Affairs News

1. It will see two satellites — SDX01 or Chaser and SDX02 or Target — align in the same orbit.

2. India’s workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-C60 will launch this mission.

3. This mission will use the docking mechanism.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— The Indian Space Research Organisation will end it with its key Spadex mission — the launch of two small satellites to demonstrate docking in space — at 9:58 pm on December 30 from the first launch pad at the country’s only spaceport at Sriharikota. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— The Spadex mission will involve two satellites, SDX01 or Chaser and SDX02 or Target, aligning in the same orbit, reducing distance between them, joining and transferring electrical power, and finally separating. After they separate, payloads on both satellites will continue to function for two years. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— India’s workhorse Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C60) will launch the two 220 kg satellites into a 470 km circular orbit, with the launch vehicle providing a slight relative velocity between the two. Within a day, the two satellites will have a distance of approximately 10 to 20 kilometres between them. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The target satellite’s propulsion system will then be used to keep the satellites from drifting apart. This means that both spacecraft will continue to move at the same velocity at a 20-kilometer separation — this is known as the ‘far rendezvous’. The Chaser satellite will then continue to approach the Target satellite, gradually reducing the distance between them to 5km, 1.5km, 500m, 225m, 15m, and 3m before docking together.

— Once the satellites dock, electrical power transfer between them will be demonstrated. They will also display control of both spacecraft simultaneously. The satellites will then separate and begin to operate their own payloads.

— The Chaser or SDX01 satellite is equipped with a high-resolution camera, which is essentially a small surveillance camera. The Target or SDX02 satellite will carry a multispectral payload for monitoring natural resources and flora, as well as a radiation monitor to investigate space radiation and compile a database. Docking is more difficult due to the satellites’ small size and bulk, which necessitates better precision than larger spacecraft.

— Docking is the act of aligning two satellites and then joining them in space, which is required for missions that the space agency hopes to complete in the future, such as Chandrayaan-4 or the establishment of the Bharatiya Antariksh Station.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

With reference to the natural neurons and artificial neurons, consider the following statements:

1. The natural neurons made up of cells can send signals to each other through the synapses while the artificial neural networks are built from nodes that are coded with a value.

2. The natural neural networks are large collections of nodes connected by “synapses”.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— The Nobel Prize in Physics was given to John J Hopfield and Geoffrey E Hinton “for foundational discoveries and inventions that enable machine learning with artificial neural networks.”

— The brain’s neural network is made up of living cells called neurones, which have advanced internal machinery. They can communicate via synapses. When we learn anything, the connections between certain neurones strengthen while others weaken. Artificial neural networks are composed of nodes that are coded with a value. The nodes are linked together, and when the network is trained, the connections between active nodes become stronger, while those between inactive nodes become weaker. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— An artificial neural network is intended to replicate the brain. Inspired by biological neurones in the brain, artificial neural networks are enormous collections of “neurones,” or nodes, connected by “synapses,” or weighted couplings, and trained to execute certain tasks. An artificial neural network processes information throughout its network structure. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

The “Jetson Orin” was in the news. It is a:

(a) AI supercomputer

(b) Asteroid

(c) Saturn’s moon

(d) Galaxy

Explanation

— Nvidia, a leading manufacturer of graphics processing units (GPUs), unveiled its new small generative AI supercomputer. Jetson Orin Nano Super has a cheaper price, improved performance, and a software upgrade.

— According to Nvidia, the Jetson Orin Nano Super Developer Kit can fit in the palm of your hand. From commercial AI developers to academics, the Jetson Orin Nano Super provides generative AI features and performance to let them create their own AI tools.

— Nvidia describes its latest product as a “compact, yet powerful computer” that reimagines generative AI for small edge devices. When it comes to performance, the Justin Orin Nano Super can produce up to 67 TOPS of AI, which is a 1.7 times improvement over its predecessor.

— The supercomputer can execute a variety of common generative AI models, including vision transformers, big language models, vision-language models, and so on.

— It has a memory bandwidth of 102 GB/s and a CPU frequency of 1.7 GHz. The computer does not have built-in storage, therefore a user may need to download the operating system to a microSD card to boot it, comparable to a Raspberry Pi.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

The annual Ursid meteor shower takes place in the month of:

(a) January

(b) December

(c) March

(d) November

Explanation

— The Ursid (URS) meteor shower will light up the sky from December 17 to December 24. This year, the Ursids will also be the last big meteor shower, with a peak around December 23.

— The annual Ursid meteor shower occurs between December 13 and December 24. It always reaches its climax around the winter solstice in December.

— This makes it the optimum day to see this natural phenomenon, which occurs once a year and was discovered in the early twentieth century by British astronomer William F Denning.

— For those in North America, nighttime and early dawn may be the greatest periods to observe the Ursid shower. During this period, with diligent study, you can see up to 10 meteors every hour.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

South Pole-Aitken basin is a:

(a) region in Antarctica

(b) largest impact basin on the Venus surface

(c) region at South pole of Mars

(d) largest and oldest impact basin on the moon’s surface

Explanation

— According to a paper published by PRL Ahmedabad scientists titled ‘Chandrayaan-3 landing site evolution by South Pole-Aitken basin and other impact craters’, the Chandrayaan-3 mission landed within a buried impact crater that is much older than the SPA basin. The SPA basin is located around 350 km from the South Pole-Aitken basin rim.

— The South Pole-Aitken basin (SPA) is the Moon’s greatest impact structure, stretching from the small Aitken crater to the south pole, or roughly a quarter of its surface.

— It’s on the Moon’s far side, so from Earth it’s only visible as a mountain chain on the southern border.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 89)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 90)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 89)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 89)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 89)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 89)

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