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.
Correct Answer: Option B
Explanation
1. Pair 1 is incorrectly matched. The Cassini-Huygens mission was a joint NASA/ESA/ASI mission to study Saturn and its system, including its rings and moons (particularly Titan, where the Huygens probe landed). It did not orbit Venus.
2. Pair 2 is correctly matched. NASA's MESSENGER (MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry, and Ranging) spacecraft was designed specifically for mapping and investigating Mercury. It orbited Mercury from 2011 to 2015.
3. Pair 3 is correctly matched. NASA's Voyager 1 and 2 probes were launched in 1977 with the primary purpose of exploring the outer solar system, specifically Jupiter and Saturn (Voyager 1 and 2) and Uranus and Neptune (Voyager 2). They have since continued their journey into interstellar space.
Therefore, only pairs 2 and 3 are correctly matched.
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