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Difficulty: MediumMust Be True / Most Strongly Supported

Astrophysics engineers established the following operational parameters for orbital deep-space observatories:

• Every deep-space observation satellite equipped with a sub-kelvin bolometer array operates a multistage pulse-tube cryocooler.
• Any satellite operating a multistage pulse-tube cryocooler requires active vibration damping unless it maintains a passive magnetic levitation mount.
• No satellite requiring active vibration damping can perform continuous wide-field interferometry.
• Every satellite that maintains a passive magnetic levitation mount consumes auxiliary solar battery reserve power.

During its calibration phase, the Astraea deep-space observation satellite was equipped with a sub-kelvin bolometer array and successfully performed continuous wide-field interferometry.

If the statements above are true, which of the following statements must also be true? (Select all that apply)

  1. During its calibration phase, Astraea maintained a passive magnetic levitation mount.Answer
  2. B
    Any deep-space observation satellite that consumes auxiliary solar battery reserve power is equipped with a sub-kelvin bolometer array.
  3. C
    Astraea did not operate a multistage pulse-tube cryocooler while performing continuous wide-field interferometry.
  4. During its calibration phase, Astraea consumed auxiliary solar battery reserve power.Answer
  5. E
    Every deep-space observation satellite that lacks a passive magnetic levitation mount is unable to perform continuous wide-field interferometry.

Answer

During its calibration phase, Astraea maintained a passive magnetic levitation mount, and Astraea consumed auxiliary solar battery reserve power.
The stimulus establishes that Astraea possessed a sub-kelvin bolometer array (guaranteeing it operated a cryocooler) and performed continuous wide-field interferometry (guaranteeing it did not require active vibration damping). Operating the cryocooler without active damping is possible only if a passive magnetic levitation mount is maintained. Furthermore, maintaining such a mount guarantees the consumption of auxiliary solar battery reserve power. Therefore, both the statement that Astraea maintained a passive magnetic levitation mount and the statement that Astraea consumed auxiliary solar battery reserve power must be true.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Deduce cryocooler operation from bolometer presence
Astraea operated a multistage pulse-tube cryocooler during calibration.
The first premise states that every satellite equipped with a sub-kelvin bolometer array operates a multistage pulse-tube cryocooler.
2
Deduce absence of active vibration damping from interferometry capability
Astraea did not require active vibration damping.
The third premise states that no satellite requiring active vibration damping can perform continuous wide-field interferometry. Since Astraea performed this interferometry, by contraposition it did not require active vibration damping.
3
Synthesize cryocooler operation and damping absence to deduce mounting mechanism
Astraea maintained a passive magnetic levitation mount.
The second premise states that operating a cryocooler requires active vibration damping unless a passive magnetic levitation mount is maintained. Since Astraea operated the cryocooler but did not require active damping, it must have maintained the passive mount.
4
Deduce power consumption from the mounting mechanism
Astraea consumed auxiliary solar battery reserve power.
The fourth premise states that every satellite maintaining a passive magnetic levitation mount consumes auxiliary solar battery reserve power.

Key Concept

Multi-premise conditional chaining and contrapositive deductive inference
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