Resources › CA MCQ Practice
18 Jul 2026SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY3 questions

Fifteen Minutes to Orbit: India Becomes the Third Country With a Private Orbital Rocket

UPSC-standard MCQs with explanations, trap analysis, and approach guide. Answer after the test — not before.

1

Easy

1

Medium

1

Hard

Practice this set

3 questions · full analysis after submission · no sign-up required

Start test →Read the article first

Article summary

Skyroot Aerospace's Vikram-1 lifted off from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota at 12:05 pm IST on 18 July 2026 and injected its payloads into a roughly 450 km orbit about fifteen minutes later, in a mission named Aagaman. It carried a technology demonstration from the German firm DCUBED, the Solaras S3 nanosatellite pathfinder from Indian startup Grahaa Space, a debris-capture robotic arm called Embrace from Cosmoserve Space, and Skyroot's own SCOPE payload monitoring vehicle performance. The flight makes India the third country, after the United States and China, in which a private company has independently placed payloads in orbit. It follows the suborbital Vikram-S demonstration of 2022 and validates the sector opening of 2020, under which IN-SPACe authorises private activity and the Indian Space Policy, 2023 defines institutional roles. The commercial test now begins.

What this tests

recallTests whether you read the article and retained key facts.
1Q
applicationTests whether you can apply the concept to a new scenario.
1Q
analysisTests whether you can reason across multiple related facts.
1Q

Sample questions — answers revealed after test

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYRecallEasy

Q1. With reference to the propulsion configuration of Vikram-1, which one of the following statements is correct?

AAll four stages are liquid-propellant, which is what permits precise orbital insertion.
BIt is a single-stage-to-orbit vehicle, dispensing with staging through the use of carbon composites.
CThe first three stages are solid-propellant and the fourth is liquid, using 3D-printed Raman engines for insertion and fine manoeuvre.
DIt uses cryogenic propulsion throughout, in the manner of the GSLV upper stage.
Answer revealed after you submit the test
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYApplicationMedium

Q2. A private company established in country X launches a satellite that later causes damage in orbit. Under the Outer Space Treaty, 1967, which one of the following correctly states the position?

ALiability rests solely with the private company, states bearing no responsibility for non-governmental activity.
BArticle VI makes State X internationally responsible for national activities in space including those of non-governmental entities, requiring authorisation and continuing supervision of such activity.
CLiability is determined by the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, which adjudicates claims between operators.
DThe Treaty applies only to state-operated missions, private launches being governed exclusively by domestic law.
Answer revealed after you submit the test
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGYAnalysisHard

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding the commercial position of dedicated small-satellite launchers: 1. The global small-satellite launch market is dominated by rideshare, in which small payloads fly as secondary cargo on much larger vehicles. 2. A dedicated small launcher competes principally on schedule control and orbit precision rather than on lowest price per kilogram. 3. Because India's domestic satellite manufacturing base already exceeds the launch capacity being created, Indian launchers face no need to win international customers. Which of the statements given above are correct?

A1 only
B2 and 3 only
C1 and 2 only
D1, 2 and 3
Answer revealed after you submit the test
Practice all 3 questions →All CA MCQ sets