This set of Orbital Mechanics Multiple Choice Questions & Answers (MCQs) focuses on “Space Surveillance”.
1. Which of these organizations is responsible for keeping track of space population?
a) Aerospace Force of Aerospace Defense Command
b) Continental Air Force
c) NASA
d) SAGE
View Answer
Explanation: There are millions of objects orbiting the Earth and the task to keep track of the growing space population is given to Aerospace Force of Aerospace Defense Command. They maintain a catalogue of all the objects orbiting.
2. Which of these does not contribute in sending inputs to Spacetrack?
a) Ballistic Missile Early Warning System
b) Navy Space Surveillance System
c) Over the horizon radars
d) Space object recognition system
View Answer
Explanation: Spacetrack was started to maintain observation of the catalogue of objects in space. They use input from various sources such as Ballistic Missile Early Warning System, Navy Space Surveillance System, over the horizon radars, radio and visual.
3. Which of these radars can detect targets at long ranges?
a) Passive radar
b) Over the horizon radar
c) Pulse- Doppler radar
d) Monopulse radar
View Answer
Explanation: Over the horizon radar (OTH) or beyond the horizon (BTH) is a type of radar which is used to detect targets at a longer range. This range can vary from hundreds to thousands of kilometers. They were often used for early warning and now have come into use for long- range tracking.
4. What is the necessity for space surveillance?
a) To keep track of space debris to avoid collision
b) To track unethical deployment of satellites
c) To track military operation of other countries
d) To track extra-terrestrial activity
View Answer
Explanation: Since there are several thousands of space debris in the outer space, posing threat to the current launches or threat of collision of the satellites orbiting, space surveillance is required. This helps in tracking the space debris and whenever there is threat of collision, it issues alert.
5. How many observations are required for the first few initial days for orbital surveillance?
a) 10-20
b) 20-50
c) 100-200
d) 200-300
View Answer
Explanation: In order to obtain a degree of precision for space surveillance for a new object that has been launched and orbits in space, 100-200 observations per day have to be taken for few initial days.
6. How many observations are required to update the already established orbit for surveillance?
a) 10-20
b) 20-50
c) 100-200
d) 200-300
View Answer
Explanation: To obtain a higher degree of precision for space surveillance, once the object is launched in the orbit, more observations have to be taken later to update the precise established orbit. For this purpose, 20-50 observations need to be taken.
7. How many observations are required to confirm and locate reentry of the object for surveillance?
a) 10-20
b) 20-50
c) 100-200
d) 200-300
View Answer
Explanation: To obtain a higher degree of precision for space surveillance, once the object is launched in the orbit, more observations have to be taken during the orbital decay. This helps in confirming and locating the reentry. For this, 200-300 observations are required.
8. Which of these is not a function of Spacetrack?
a) Cataloguing space objects
b) Reconnaissance satellite payload recovery
c) Antisatellite targeting
d) Explode the unwanted debris
View Answer
Explanation: Spacetrack deployed for space surveillance does various task apart from cataloguing the space debris. It helps in recovering reconnaissance satellite payload, antisatellite targeting, spacecraft collision avoidance and interception of midcourse ICBM.
9. Where are all the radars located for the purpose of surveillance?
a) Northern hemisphere
b) Southern hemisphere
c) Equator
d) Between Tropic of Cancer and Capricorn
View Answer
Explanation: Surveillance is nothing but the outgrowth of ballistic trajectory monitoring. For this reason, all the radars are located in the northern hemisphere. Satellite tracking cameras which are present all around the world provide with the data from the southern hemisphere.
10. A hybrid of mechanically steered antenna with phased array configuration is the future of surveillance.
a) True
b) False
View Answer
Explanation: The future of surveillance is agile beam radar which makes use of mechanically steered antenna with phased array configuration. This is a hybrid which will help in surveillance in tracking with better accuracy.
Sanfoundry Global Education & Learning Series – Orbital Mechanics.
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