SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 14 September 2025, Shift 1 · General Awareness · Question 13 of 100

We transcribed this text from the pictures on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; the answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 11 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. From 2025 the candidate response sheet prints every question and option as a picture, so the text here is transcribed from those pictures for this shift and checked against them independently; where the layout carries meaning, the picture is shown as well. Each answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. SSC released a tentative key for challenge and later its final one, both only to candidates behind a login, and the sheet does not say which of the two it carries. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

Which of the following accurately reflects the critical technological outcome of ISRO’s RLV-LEX3 mission conducted on June 23, 2024?

(a)In-flight fuel transfer at hypersonic speeds
(b)Autonomous high-speed landing under tough cross-range & wind
(c)Launch abort test for crewed reusable launchers
(d)Orbital deployment via dual-mode scramjet propulsion

Answer

Why

Correct — B. On 23 June 2024, at the Aeronautical Test Range in Chitradurga, an IAF Chinook released Pushpak at 4.5 km with a 500 m cross-range offset, against about 150 m in LEX-02, and in more severe winds.

It corrected its own path and landed autonomously on the runway centreline. ISRO put the landing speed above 320 km/h, against 260 km/h for a commercial aircraft.

Why the others are wrong

(a)
In-flight fuel transfer at hypersonic speeds — Nothing was refuelled in flight. Pushpak was dropped from a helicopter at 4.5 km and landed at over 320 km/h, nowhere near hypersonic speed.
(c)
Launch abort test for crewed reusable launchers — LEX-03 tested landing, not escape. Pulling a crew to safety in a launch emergency is the job of Gaganyaan's crew escape system.
(d)
Orbital deployment via dual-mode scramjet propulsion — LEX-03 began 4.5 km up, beneath a helicopter, and ended on a runway. It reached no orbit and tested no scramjet.

Concept

Pushpak is ISRO's winged Reusable Launch Vehicle technology demonstrator. The Landing Experiment (LEX) series rehearses the end of a return from space: a high-speed, unmanned, autonomous runway landing.

LEX-01 flew on 2 April 2023 and LEX-02 on 22 March 2024. LEX-03, the third, reused LEX-02's winged body and flight systems without modification.

After touchdown a brake parachute cut the speed to about 100 km/h before the landing-gear brakes stopped the vehicle.

Key facts

RLV-LEX-03 was conducted on 23 June 2024 at the Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga, Karnataka.
Pushpak was released from an IAF Chinook at 4.5 km, with a 500 m cross-range offset against about 150 m in LEX-02.
ISRO put the landing speed above 320 km/h, and a brake parachute cut it to about 100 km/h after touchdown.
LEX-03 reused the winged body and flight systems of LEX-02 without modification.

Study next

RLV-TD's hypersonic flight experiment of 23 May 2016Gaganyaan test flights and the crew escape systemISRO's planned orbital re-entry experiment (OREX)

Common traps

Confusing the RLV landing experiments with Gaganyaan's crew-escape tests.
Assuming a reusable-launcher test must involve orbit or a new engine.

Gaganyaan's crew escape system, the idea behind the launch-abort decoy, is asked at 12 Sep 2025, 09:00, GA Q.10.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: General Policy — all 218 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.