SSC GD 2021 PYQ — Question 27

SSC GD Constable (English) - 26th November 2021 Shift 3 • General Awareness • Q27

 Which of the following countries performed its first robotic docking in lunar orbit?

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B

Explanation

The correct answer is option 2 i.e. China.

  • A Chinese probe carrying samples from the lunar surface successfully docked 6 December 2020 with a spacecraft orbiting the moon, in another space first for the nation.
  • The manoeuvre was part of the ambitious Chang'e-5 mission -- named after a mythical Chinese Moon goddess -- to bring back the first lunar samples in four decades.
  • The cargo capsule carrying lunar rocks and soil lifted off from the surface on 3 December 2020, and docked with the orbiter on 6 December 2020 morning, as per the China National Space Administration (CNSA).