NASA (which stands for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) is the main U.S. agency for space exploration. It was started back in 1958, partly because the Soviet Union had just launched Sputnik, the first satellite. NASA is a world leader in exploring space, doing everything from building satellites and sending people into space to exploring other planets and carrying out advanced science. What NASA does helps create new technologies we can all use and encourages countries to work together peacefully in space.

NASA’s STS-51L Challenger targets Earth (orbital flight - planned) with a dedicated mission to investigate its habitability potential, scientific output, and strategic significance.

• STS-51L Challenger was successfully launched by NASA on January 28, 1986, opening the door to unprecedented space insights.  
• This initiatives main objective, to Deploy TDRS-B satellite; Teacher in Space project, was carefully chosen to fill a critical gap in our current knowledge or capabilities, promising to yield valuable new insights.  
• This Crewed satellite deployment and educational flight (planned) served as a key test for new technologies and different ways of operating.  
• This mission was one of the notable flights for the distinguished Space Shuttle (Challenger OV-099). 
• Kennedy Space Center, LC-39B, Florida was the location where the mission was launched. 
• The mission was carried out over a period of 73 seconds (ended in disaster). 
• NASA led the planning and execution of the mission. 
• The operation concluded as Failed (Launch disaster, loss of crew and vehicle). 

NASA’s STS-51L Challenger includes TDRS-B, SPARTAN-Halley, Teacher in Space payload, designed to improve navigation, data collection, and environmental monitoring.

The STS-51L Challenger mission deployed Shuttle systems, enabling next-generation robotic performance in unpredictable space environments. In this article, lets understand more about Objectives, Data Sharing Agreements and Challenges Faced in NASAs STS-51L Challenger which is useful in UPSC Prelims & UPSC Mains Papers.

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NASA STS-51L Challenger Space Mission Overview 

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STS-51L Challenger Space Mission Global Contributions

• Key contributors such as TRW (TDRS) provided essential technologies and services that helped accelerate the mission timeline. 
• Not applicable supported transparent, cross-agency research, enhancing the scientific return from autonomous exploration missions. 
• STS-51L Challenger had a transformative effect on global space policy by Tragedy halted Shuttle program; led to major safety overhauls, shaping future agreements and operational standards for space activities worldwide. 

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Challenges & Risk in STS-51L Challenger Space Mission

A major obstacle during the execution of STS-51L Challenger involved SRB O-ring failure due to cold weather, design flaw, but it was effectively addressed through collaborative team efforts and reconfiguration of mission protocols.

• Despite hurdles such as SRB O-ring failure; extensive Rogers Commission investigation, STS-51L Challenger proceeded as planned with only minor adjustments. 
• The sustainability outcome of STS-51L Challenger is characterized by its Debris scattered over Atlantic Ocean, aligning with modern space stewardship practices. 

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Mission Timeline of STS-51L Challenger NASA Space Mission

• After months of preparation and travel, the spacecraft completed its planned landing/flyby on Not applicable, fulfilling core mission objectives. 
• After months of successful operation, the mission team officially marked Not applicable as the conclusion of the primary mission. 

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UPSC Relevance of STS-51L Challenger

• NASA space missions are frequently covered in the UPSC Prelims, especially under science and technology, due to their importance in current affairs.
• General Studies Paper 3 includes NASA space missions under science and technology, especially focusing on innovations in space exploration and their global impact.
• UPSC IAS Exam GS Paper 4 may explore ethical implications of using autonomous technologies in space, with NASA missions serving as real-world examples to examine boundaries of human-machine decision-making.
• In the UPSC CSE Optional Papers, topics from NASA Space Missions are highly relevant across disciplines, offering insights into global cooperation, technological ethics, and environmental impacts—useful for Geography, PSIR, and Philosophy optionals alike.

Also, Learn about International Space Station (ISS)

Past UPCS Mains PYQs on NASA Space Missions

Q1. Launched on 25th December 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope has been much in the news since then. What are its unique features which make it superior to its predecessor space telescopes? What are the key goals of this mission? What potential benefits does it hold for the human race? (2022, GS Paper 3) 

Q2. How does the Juno Mission of NASA help to understand the origin and evolution of the Earth? (2017, GS Paper 1)

Q3. The safe landing of the ‘Curiosity’ Rover under NASA’s space programme has sparked many possibilities. What are those and how could humankind benefit from them? (2012, GS Paper 2)

Past UPCS Prelims PYQs on NASA Space Missions

Q1 [2022]: Which one of the following statements best reflects the idea behind the “Fractional Orbital Bombardment System” often talked about in the media?

(a) A hypersonic missile is launched into space to counter the asteroid approaching the Earth and explode it in space.

(b) A spacecraft lands on another planet after making several orbital motions.

(c) A missile is put into a stable orbit around the Earth and deorbits over a target on the Earth.

(d) A spacecraft moves along a comet with the same speed and places a probe on its surface.

Answer: (c) A missile is put into a stable orbit around the Earth and deorbits over a target on the Earth.

Explanation: While this question pertains to a military concept, NASAs research into orbital mechanics and space trajectories contributes to the broader understanding of such technologies.

Q2 [2020]: “The experiment will employ a trio of spacecraft flying in formation in the shape of an equilateral triangle that has sides one million kilometres long, with lasers shining between the craft.” The experiment in question refers to:

(a) Voyager-2

(b) New Horizons

(c) Lisa Pathfinder

(d) Evolved LISA

Answer: (d) Evolved LISA

Explanation: Evolved LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna) is a space-based gravitational wave observatory developed by ESA with contributions from NASA.

Q3 [2017]: What is the purpose of ‘evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA)’ project?

(a) To detect neutrinos

(b) To detect gravitational waves

(c) To detect the effectiveness of missile defence system

(d) To study the effect of solar flares on our communication systems

Answer: (b) To detect gravitational waves

Explanation: Evolved Laser Space Interferometer Space Antenna (ELISA) project was widely in the news due to the discovery of gravitational waves by the LIGO detector and the subsequent success of the LISA pathfinder project. The European Space Agency is leading the ELISA mission. The project is initiated to detect and accurately measure gravitational waves.

Q4 [2016]: What is ‘Greased Lightning-10 (GL-10)’, recently in the news?

(a) Electric plane tested by NASA

(b) Solar-powered two-seater aircraft designed by Japan

(c) Space observatory launched by China

(d) Reusable rocket designed by ISRO

Answer: (a) Electric plane tested by NASA
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Explanation: GL-10 is a remotely piloted plane similar to an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). It is designed and developed in such a way that it can take off like a helicopter and fly like an airplane. It is a battery-powered 10-engine with a wingspan of 3.05 meters. Eight electric motors are mounted on the wings. 2 electric motors are mounted on the tail. It weighs a maximum of 28.1 kilograms at takeoff. Due to its versatile vertical takeoff and landing ability, it produces less noise. It can be used as a UAV for small package delivery or vertical takeoff and landing, as well as long-endurance surveillance for agriculture, mapping, and other applications. Its modified scaled-up version can be used as a persons air vehicle.

Q5 [2015]: The term ‘Goldilocks Zone’ is often seen in the news in the context of:

(a) The limits of habitable zone above the surface of the Earth

(b) Regions inside the Earth where shale gas is available

(c) Search for the Earth-like planets in outer space

(d) Search for meteorites containing precious metals

Answer: (c) Search for the Earth-like planets in outer space

Explanation: The Goldilocks Zone is the livable zone around a star where the temperature is not too hot and not too cold for liquid water to exist on a planet. It is a metaphor for the childrens story Goldilocks and the Three Bears, in which a young girl selects from sets of three objects, eschewing the extremes (such as those that are enormous or small, hot or cold) and fixing on the one that is just right in the middle. The Goldilocks zone of the Sun surrounds the Earth. All of Earths water would freeze if it were found where the dwarf planet Pluto is; however, all of Earths water would boil out if it were found where Mercury is.

Also, Get to Know What was NASA's Parker Solar Probe Mission

UPSC Practice Questions on NASA Space Missions

Q1. Whose rover Perseverance to begin dropping samples of rock on the surface of the Planet
1. Roscosmos, Jupiter
2. ISRO, Mars
3. NASA, Mars
4. JAXA, Earth
Answer: 3
Solution: NASA's Mars rover Perseverance to begin dropping samples of rock on the surface of the Red Planet Mars. The materials have been packaged in small titanium tubes with the expectation they can be picked up by a future mission and brought home. It is a major milestone in the try to find out whether there is life on Mars. Perseverance will place 10 cylinders on the ground at its exploration site in Jezero Crater. They contain a mix of volcanic and sedimentary rocks that the robot has drilled over the past 15 months. The location for the drop is a flat piece of terrain that has been nicknamed Three Forks.

Q2. The MAVEN Mission, which was launched in 2013 is related to which of the following?
1. Study the asteroids
2. To know about Venus
3. Study the Martian upper atmosphere
4. Study the southern part of the Moon
Answer: 3
Solution: The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution MAVEN mission were launched in 2013. It is the first mission devoted to understanding the Martian upper atmosphere. Hence, option 3 is correct. The goal of this spacecraft is to determine the role that loss of atmospheric gas to space played in changing the Martian climate through time. Solitary waves are distinct electric field fluctuations that follow constant amplitude-phase relations. Their shape and size are less affected during their propagation. The magnitude and duration of these pulses are found to be 1-25 millivolts/meter and 0.2-1.7 milliseconds, respectively. These pulses are dominantly seen in the dawn and afternoon dusk sectors at an altitude of 1000-3500 km around Mars. Through simulations, it is found that the spatial extent of these structures is very small 30-330 meters. As these waves are known to be responsible for the plasma energization and its transport in Earth's magnetosphere.

Q3. Consider the following statements regarding Multi-Angle Imager for Aerosols Mission MAIA:
1. It is a joint mission between NASA and the Italian Space Agency.
2. It aims to investigate the health impact of air pollution.
3. The duration of the mission is three years.
Which of the above statements are correct?
1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3
Answer: 4
Solution: The Indian Express Recently, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA announced on Wednesday that it is partnering with the Italian Space Agency ASI to build and launch the MAIA mission. It is a joint mission between NASA and the Italian Space Agency ASI. Hence statement 1 is correct. This will investigate the health impacts of air pollution in the world's most populated cities. Hence statement 2 is correct. Its primary goal is to benefit societal health. Epidemiologists and public health researchers will be directly working on the development of a satellite mission. It will consist of the PLATiNO-2 satellite, which will be provided by ASI, and a science instrument that will be built at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL. The MAIA mission will collect and analyze data from the observatory, sensors on the ground, and atmospheric models. The JPL hosts a pointable spectropolarimetric camera that captures images from multiple angles in the ultraviolet, visible, near-infrared, and shortwave infrared portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. During the course of the three-year mission. Hence statement 3 is correct. MAIA will focus on 11 primary target areas that include major urban centres across the world: Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, Rome, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Barcelona, Spain, Beijing, Johannesburg, New Delhi, Taipei, Taiwan; and Tel Aviv. The MAIA observatory is set to launch before the end of 2024.

Q4. What is the name of the NASA mission that was relaunched to intercept the God of Chaos asteroid?
1. OSIRIS-APEX
2. GEMINI
3. LCROSS-LPRP
4. VERITAS
Answer: 1
Solution: NASA relaunched a mission named OSIRIS-APEX to intercept God of Chaos asteroid. The mission is tasked to study an asteroid known as the God of Chaos. This asteroid, called Apophis, is coming closer to the Earth's orbit, potentially posing a collision threat. The mission tasked with studying this asteroid involves a spacecraft that had been deployed to deep space and has recently returned to Earth. The intended aim of this mission is to prevent the potential collision and understand the possible impact of such an event. The name of the mission is OSIRIS-REx, which has now been renamed as OSIRIS-APEX. The asteroid Apophis might scratch the earth by 2029. It measures around 370 yards across, approaches the Earth every 7500 years. Because of this situation, the gravity of the Earth will affect the space rock as it comes close to the orbit and OSIRIS-APEX will soon understand the aftermath, to witness how it will further change the surface of the Earth.

Q5. Which telescope is currently considered to be the most powerful in its reach?
1. Spitzer Space Telescope
2. Hubble Space Telescope
3. James Webb Space Telescope
4. Keck Observatory
Answer: 3
Solution: The James Webb Space Telescope JWST is a space telescope developed by NASA with contributions from the European Space Agency ESA, and the Canadian Space Agency CSA. The telescope is named after James E. Webb, who was the administrator of NASA from 1961 to 1968 and played an integral role in the Apollo program. Initially, the mission was aimed at the 2015 launch then it was changed to 2018. In March 2018, NASA delayed JWST's launch an additional year to May 2020. In June 2018, NASA delayed the launch by an additional 10 months to March 2021. JWST was launched on 25 December 2021 on Ariane flight VA256. JWST is a successor to Hubble Space Telescope.

Q6. Which company conducted the fourth test mission of the Starship rocket that survived reentry and achieved a demo landing?
1. Blue Origin
2. SpaceX
3. NASA
4. Boeing
Answer: 2
Solution: SpaceX's Starship rocket successfully survived reentry through Earth's atmosphere and splashed down in the Indian Ocean during its fourth test mission after launching from south Texas. The two-stage spacecraft consists of the Starship cruise vessel mounted atop its Super Heavy rocket booster. The rocket system's first stage, called Super Heavy, detached three minutes into the flight, allowing the Starship upper stage to continue toward space. The rocket's previous attempts saw it breaking apart during reentry in March and exploding minutes after liftoff in April 2023. In its most recent flight before this successful one, the Starship broke apart in Earth's atmosphere. The test mission, part of SpaceX's test-to-failure rocket development campaign, aims to improve the Starship's reentry and landing capabilities. Despite losing many tiles and a damaged flap, the Starship managed a soft landing in the ocean. The rocket is designed to be cheaper and more powerful than SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and stands nearly 400 feet tall, representing the future of the company's satellite launch and astronaut business. The Starship is expected to be used by NASA to land astronauts on the moon, with a target mission date set for 2026. This development is part of a competitive race with China, which aims to send astronauts to the moon by 2030. Each Starship rocket has made it farther in its testing objectives than previous tests before failing, either by blowing up or disintegrating in the atmosphere.

Q7. What is the name of the SpaceX mission that aims to test new space technologies and involve a spacewalk by non-government astronauts?
1. Polaris Dawn
2. Inspiration4
3. Starship Alpha
4. Artemis 4
Answer: 1
Solution: SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission, launching August 26, 2024, will send a private crew, including Jared Isaacman, to altitudes of 870 miles, entering Earth's radiation belts. The mission name is Polaris Dawn. It is a SpaceX mission that aims to test new space technologies. The mission will involve a spacewalk by non-government astronauts. The Polaris Dawn mission will reach altitudes of up to 870 miles 1400 kilometers, higher than any human has traveled since the Apollo program. The mission will involve a unique pre-breathe process to prepare the crew for the spacewalk. SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule will be used for this mission.

Q8. What is the primary goal of the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar NISAR mission?
1. Climate action
2. Defense satellites
3. Space tourism
4. Trade monitoring
Answer: 1
Solution: NISAR is a joint Earth-observing mission between NASA and the Indian Space Research Organisation ISRO. The primary goal of NISAR is to monitor and measure changes in the Earth's surface, including ice sheets, forests, and agricultural lands, in order to understand climate change impacts. It aims to provide crucial data for managing natural resources and hazards such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. The NISAR satellite will use advanced radar imaging to observe Earth's land and ice masses in unprecedented detail, with a focus on the dynamics of the planet's surface. This mission is expected to significantly contribute to our understanding of Earth's carbon cycle and ecosystem changes, which are vital for climate action.

Q9. What is the name of NASA's new space telescope set to launch in February 2025, which aims to survey the entire sky in 102 infrared colors?
1. SPHEREx
2. James Webb Space Telescope 2.0
3. Hubble Space Telescope 2.0
4. Chandra-CRISP X-ray Observatory
Answer: 1
Solution: NASA's SPHEREx mission, scheduled for launch in February 2025, aims to map the entire sky in 102 infrared colors. SPHEREx stands for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization, and Ices Explorer. Unlike targeted telescopes like JWST, SPHEREx will conduct an all-sky infrared survey. It is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory JPL and built by BAE Systems. The mission is budgeted at 488 million, significantly lower than the 10 billion JWST.

Q10. The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer IXPE, recently seen in the news, is:
1. A Mars orbiter developed jointly by ISRO and NASA to study Martian dust storms
2. The world's first telescope designed to study X-ray polarization of cosmic phenomena
3. A space-based observatory to detect gravitational waves from neutron stars
4. A radio telescope that maps dark matter in the early universe
Answer: 2
Solution: IXPE stands for Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer, launched jointly by NASA and the Italian Space Agency on December 9, 2021. It is the first satellite dedicated to measuring X-ray polarisation, a crucial metric to study high-energy phenomena like black hole jets and blazars. It observed weak X-ray polarisation only 7.6% and highly polarised optical light up to 47.5% in BL Lac, confirming that X-rays are generated by electron-photon interactions, not protons. The mechanism identified is Compton Scattering, where relativistic electrons up-scatter low-energy photons into the X-ray range. IXPE's success helps refine astrophysical models of active galactic nuclei AGN and enhances our understanding of extreme cosmic environments.

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