Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched?
Spacecraft: Purpose
- 1.Cassini-Huygens: Orbiting the Venus and transmitting data to the Earth
- 2.Messenger: Mapping and investigating the Mercury
- 3.Voyager 1 and 2: Exploring the outer solar system
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer & explanation
Answer: (b) 2 and 3 only
Messenger was a Mercury orbiter and the two Voyagers explored the outer planets, so pairs 2 and 3 are correct. Cassini-Huygens went to Saturn and its moons, not Venus, so pair 1 is wrong.
- ✗ 1. Cassini-Huygens was a Saturn mission. Cassini studied Saturn, its rings and its icy moons such as Titan and Enceladus, and the Huygens probe landed on Titan. It never orbited Venus.
- ✓ 2. NASA's MESSENGER (launched 2004) orbited Mercury for over four years. It mapped the planet and studied its surface composition, geology, magnetic field and polar ice.
- ✓ 3. Voyagers 1 and 2 (launched 1977) made the first in-depth reconnaissance of the outer planets. They are now exploring interstellar space beyond the heliosphere.
Remember · Cassini-Huygens = Saturn and Titan; MESSENGER = Mercury orbiter; Voyager 1 and 2 = outer planets, then interstellar space. Venus orbiters are different missions, such as Magellan and Akatsuki.
Sources
- NASA Science: Cassini-Huygens mission overview ↗ “For more than a decade, NASA’s Cassini spacecraft shared the wonders of Saturn and its family of icy moons.”
- NASA Science: MESSENGER mission ↗ “NASA's MESSENGER spacecraft orbited Mercury for more than four years.”
- NASA Science: Voyager mission ↗ “After completing the first in-depth reconnaissance of the outer planets, the twin Voyagers are on a new mission to chart the edge of interstellar space.”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2014, General Studies Paper I. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·
