Difficulty: Medium
Correct Answer: Soyuz mission
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
The International Space Station (ISS) is a permanently inhabited research laboratory in low Earth orbit. Crews travel to and from the ISS using spacecraft launched by different space agencies. The first long duration crew that took up residence on the ISS flew aboard a specific mission, and this milestone is often asked about in space science and general knowledge examinations, even if the question uses a slightly simplified name for the mission.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Human crews reach the ISS mainly aboard Soyuz spacecraft for Russian launches and, more recently, aboard commercial crew vehicles. The first expedition crew to live on the ISS travelled on a Soyuz spacecraft. In reality, the mission had a specific designation, but exam questions often simplify matters by referring to it generically as a Soyuz mission. The other mission names listed in the options are not names of real ISS crew vehicles, which makes it easier to identify the correct choice if one knows basic spaceflight terminology.
Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Recognise that the ISS is supplied and crewed primarily by spacecraft such as Soyuz and later commercial crew vehicles.
2. Recall that the first long duration crew, known as Expedition 1, travelled to the ISS aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft.
3. Check the options for familiar spacecraft families used for ISS missions.
4. Among Ullas mission, Narayan mission, Soyuz mission and Crati mission, only Soyuz mission refers to a real and widely known type of spacecraft associated with the ISS.
5. Therefore, the correct answer must be Soyuz mission.
Verification / Alternative check:
Space history references show that Expedition 1, the first resident crew for the ISS, was launched aboard the Soyuz TM 31 spacecraft and docked with the station in 2000. Later crews also frequently used Soyuz vehicles. The other mission names listed in the options do not appear in authentic mission lists for ISS crewed flights. Thus, even though the question uses a generic label rather than a precise mission designation, the association of the first manned ISS mission with the Soyuz family is accurate.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Common Pitfalls:
Candidates unfamiliar with space missions may think all options are equally fictional or may hesitate because the question does not include the specific mission number. Others may confuse ISS missions with earlier programmes such as Apollo or Space Shuttle flights. The best way to avoid confusion is to remember that Soyuz is the long running Russian spacecraft family routinely used for ferrying crews to space stations, including the first long duration crew to the ISS. Recognising this name among unfamiliar ones makes such questions straightforward.
Final Answer:
The first manned mission that carried a long duration crew to the International Space Station used a Soyuz mission spacecraft.
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