Space missions are a crucial and dynamic part of the Science & Technology syllabus for competitive exams like the UPSC Prelims. This module will equip you with the foundational knowledge and key details about significant space missions, their objectives, and their impact. We will cover historical milestones, ongoing projects, and future endeavors, focusing on aspects relevant to general studies and CSAT preparation.

A space mission is a journey or operation undertaken by a spacecraft, often with a crew, to explore outer space. These missions can have various objectives, including scientific research, technological development, national security, and commercial applications. Understanding the purpose and achievements of different missions is key to excelling in competitive exams.

India has made significant strides in space exploration through ISRO. Understanding these missions is vital for competitive exams.

The Chandrayaan program aims to explore the Moon. <strong>Chandrayaan-1</strong> (2008) discovered water molecules on the lunar surface. <strong>Chandrayaan-3</strong> (2023) successfully soft-landed a rover and lander near the lunar south pole, making India the first nation to achieve this feat and the fourth nation overall to achieve a lunar soft landing.

Launched in 2013, the Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also known as Mangalyaan, was India's first interplanetary mission. It successfully entered Mars orbit and studied the Martian surface and atmosphere, making India the first Asian nation to reach Mars orbit and the first nation in the world to do so on its maiden attempt.

Aditya-L1, launched in 2023, is India's first dedicated solar observatory. It is positioned at the Sun-Earth Lagrange point 1 (L1) to study the Sun's corona, solar winds, and other solar phenomena without any occultation or eclipses, providing continuous observation.

The Gaganyaan programme is India's ambitious human spaceflight mission, aiming to send Indian astronauts into space. It is a crucial step towards developing indigenous capabilities for human space exploration.

Global space agencies have undertaken numerous groundbreaking missions that have expanded our understanding of the cosmos.

NASA's Voyager 1 and 2, launched in 1977, are the farthest human-made objects from Earth. They have provided unprecedented data from the outer planets and are now exploring interstellar space, offering insights into the heliosphere's boundary.

The JWST, a collaboration between NASA, ESA, and CSA, is the most powerful space telescope ever built. It observes the universe in infrared light, allowing it to see farther back in time than ever before, studying the formation of the first galaxies and exoplanet atmospheres.

NASA's Spirit and Opportunity rovers, landed on Mars in 2004, were designed to search for evidence of past water activity. Their extended missions provided invaluable geological data about the Martian environment.

When studying space missions for competitive exams, focus on:

• Mission Name: (e.g., Chandrayaan-3, Mangalyaan, JWST)
• Agency/Country: (e.g., ISRO, NASA, ESA)
• Launch Date/Year: (approximate is often sufficient)
• Objective(s): What was the mission trying to achieve?
• Key Achievements/Discoveries: What significant findings or milestones were reached?
• Spacecraft Type: (e.g., Orbiter, Lander, Rover, Telescope)
• Launch Vehicle: (if particularly notable, e.g., PSLV, GSLV)
• Future Missions: Upcoming projects and their goals.

Try to answer questions like:

1. Which space telescope is designed to observe the universe in infrared light and study the early universe?
2. What was the primary goal of India's Chandrayaan-3 mission?
3. Name an Indian mission that studied the Sun and explain its significance.