What is a space probe, and which of the following are examples of probes used to study planets?

What is a space probe, and which of the following are examples of probes used to study planets?

• A. A telescope in space; examples Hubble and Chandra.
• B. An unmanned spacecraft; examples Voyager 1 and Mars rovers.
• C. A space station.
• D. A manned spacecraft.

Answer: (B)

A space probe is an unmanned spacecraft sent to explore space or other planets, carrying instruments to collect data and send it back to Earth. That makes the second option the best fit, because Voyager 1 is an unmanned probe that traveled to and studied planets along its route, and Mars rovers are unmanned vehicles designed to land on Mars, move around, and perform experiments on the surface. In contrast, space telescopes like Hubble and Chandra stay far away to observe from a distance rather than visit and work directly on a target; a space station is a crewed platform for astronauts, and a manned spacecraft carries people, not primarily scientific instruments operating autonomously.

A space probe is an unmanned spacecraft sent to explore space or other planets, carrying instruments to collect data and send it back to Earth. That makes the second option the best fit, because Voyager 1 is an unmanned probe that traveled to and studied planets along its route, and Mars rovers are unmanned vehicles designed to land on Mars, move around, and perform experiments on the surface. In contrast, space telescopes like Hubble and Chandra stay far away to observe from a distance rather than visit and work directly on a target; a space station is a crewed platform for astronauts, and a manned spacecraft carries people, not primarily scientific instruments operating autonomously.