Q1. Consider the following statements regarding India’s GSLV and EOS-05 mission:
- The cryogenic stage of GSLV enables the vehicle to place relatively heavy payloads into higher-energy orbits.
- A Sub-Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit can serve as an intermediate orbit from which a satellite is subsequently manoeuvred towards its operational geosynchronous orbit.
- The use of a geosynchronous orbit for an Earth-observation satellite necessarily prevents it from providing useful imagery for disaster-management applications because of its greater distance from Earth.
- GSLV employs a combination of solid, liquid and cryogenic propulsion stages.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 2 and 4 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: (b)
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct: GSLV’s cryogenic upper stage provides high efficiency and is important for placing heavier payloads into higher-energy orbits.
- Statement 2 is correct: A transfer orbit can function as an intermediate trajectory, after which the satellite’s orbit is raised to the required operational orbit.
- Statement 3 is incorrect: Geosynchronous orbit can be advantageous for applications requiring frequent or near-continuous observation of a broad region, including disaster monitoring. Greater altitude does impose resolution-related trade-offs, but does not make such applications impossible.
- Statement 4 is correct: GSLV uses solid, liquid and cryogenic propulsion across its stages.
