SSC
India's first artificial satellite, launched into space in 1975, was:
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Answer: Option A — Aryabhata
Detailed Solution
Aryabhata was India's first artificial satellite. It was launched on 19 April 1975 by the Soviet Union, using a Kosmos-3M rocket from Kapustin Yar, a launch site in the USSR. It was built by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and named after the great 5th-century Indian mathematician and astronomer Aryabhata, who wrote the "Aryabhatiya" and explained that the Earth rotates on its axis.
About the satellite:
- It weighed about 360 kg.
- It was designed to carry out experiments in X-ray astronomy, solar physics and studies of the upper atmosphere (aeronomy).
A power failure ended its experiments after about four days in orbit, but the satellite continued to send signals for some time. It re-entered the Earth's atmosphere in 1992.
The satellite was built under the leadership of Professor U. R. Rao, at a temporary facility in Peenya, Bengaluru.
The launch of Aryabhata was a historic step for India's space programme. The image of the satellite appeared on the Rs 2 banknote from 1976 to 1997.
Important milestones of India's space programme:
- 1962: The Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) is formed under Dr Vikram Sarabhai, the father of India's space programme.
- 1963: The first rocket is launched from Thumba, near Thiruvananthapuram (21 November 1963).
- 1969: ISRO is founded (15 August 1969).
- 1979: Bhaskara-I, India's first experimental remote-sensing satellite, is launched.
- 1980: Rohini (RS-1) becomes the first satellite launched by an Indian rocket (SLV-3) from Sriharikota, on 18 July 1980.
- 1981: APPLE, India's first experimental communication satellite, is launched.
- 2008: Chandrayaan-1; 2013: Mangalyaan; 2023: Chandrayaan-3 lands near the Moon's south pole and Aditya-L1 launches.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Bhaskara was India's first experimental Earth observation satellite (1979).
- ✗Rohini was the first satellite launched by an Indian rocket, SLV-3 (1980).
- ✗APPLE was India's first experimental communication satellite (1981).
Quick tip
Remember: Aryabhata = first Indian satellite (19 April 1975, launched by USSR); Bhaskara = 1979; Rohini = first on Indian rocket SLV-3 (1980); APPLE = 1981.
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Firsts in India & World — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Firsts in India & World, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the first persons and events in India and the world: the first Indian to win a Nobel Prize, the first woman to hold major offices, the first to climb Everest or reach space, and India's first institutions, newspapers, railways and satellites. It also covers the largest, longest, highest and smallest records in India and the world. These are pure memory questions, so revise them as short lists by theme: first women, first in sports, first in science and space, and first in governance. Be careful with the exact wording, such as 'first Indian' versus 'first person of Indian origin', or 'first woman President' versus 'first woman Prime Minister', since options are often designed to exploit this. Practise the firsts in India and the world questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.