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What was the name of the space capsule Gus Grissom used for his suborbital flight during the Mercury space program?
Liberty Bell 7
Who became NASA's top administrator in 2005?
Michael Griffin
Who was the Capcom for the first space shuttle launch into space?
Dan Brandenstein
Who were the astronauts on the first Gemini flight?
Gus Grissom and John Young
Who orbited the Earth in the Friendship 7 Mercury capsule?
John Glenn
Who completed fourteen hours of spacewalks during the STS-110 mission to help install the first major section of the International Space Station's exterior frame?
Lee Morin
Who lent his experience in cockpit design to the design of the Orion cockpit as the deputy manager of the Astronaut Office's Orion Cockpit Task Group?
Lee Morin
How many astronauts were killed in the Challenger explosion and the Columbia accident?
14
In what year did the space shuttle flights begin?
1981
What percentage of thrust do the main engines on the space shuttle supply in order to reach orbit?
20%
Who was the first American to orbit in space?
Alan Shepard
Of the Apollo 11 crew, who were veterans of the Gemini space program?
All three astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Michael Collins, were veterans of the Gemini space program.
When did the maiden voyage of Columbia occur?
April 12, 1981
What did the Gemini program prove?
Astronauts could pilot spacecraft, change orbit, rendezvous with other spacecraft, and dock with other spacecraft.
What company built the space shuttle orbiter?
Boeing
Why did antinuclear activists protest against the launch of the Cassini space probe?
Cassini used plutonium to generate power for its space mission to Saturn.
Why was the Apollo space program cancelled?
Cuts in the space program's budget led to the cancellation of the Apollo Project.
Who was NASA's first female pilot and shuttle commander?
Eileen Collins
Who was the first female shuttle commander?
Eileen Collins
What was the name of the space shuttle that functioned as a test vehicle and never orbited in space?
Enterprise
Who was the first African American in space?
Guy Bluford
Why is Dr. John Gibbons critical of Project Constellation and the plan to send manned spacecraft to the Moon and Mars?
He believes unmanned spacecraft can do a better job of conducting astrological experiments and observations at significantly less cost and risk to human life.
What criticism did then U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Robert Seamans level against the NASA and U.S. Air Force partnership?
He did not see the reason to risk astronauts' lives to launch satellites that unmanned rockets could launch.
Why did President Richard Nixon resign from the office of President of the United States?
He was implicated in the Watergate scandal.
Why did Bob Crippen fail to look outside the space shuttle's windows until the main engines cut off?
He was monitoring the gauges and warning lights inside the cockpit for any indications of problems during the launch.
For what purpose did John Glenn go back into space on the space shuttle in 1998?
He went to conduct experiments comparing the effects of age to the effects of weightlessness on the human body.
Why do astronauts consider the use of solid fuel rocket boosters risky in manned space flight?
If there is a problem after the solid fuel rockets ignite, there is no way to abort the launch until the rocket's fuel runs out.
To what does the phrase used to describe the fame of astronauts as something to "put on and take off" refer?
It refers to the public recognition of astronauts when they wear their blue flight suits versus their obscurity from public recognition when they wear street clothes.
What was the purpose of the Gemini space program?
It was a program to conduct rendezvous and docking maneuvers in space in preparation for a program to land a spacecraft on the Moon. It also allowed astronauts to practice spacewalks.
15. Why did Canadian astronaut Marc Garneau change into a blue flight suit before his interview with CNN?
It was a televised interview and Marc Garneau wanted to make sure the audience knew he was the first Canadian to go to space.
Who made the first test flight of the space shuttle?
John Young and Bob Crippen
Why did astronaut John Young insist that the engineers design a heads up display for pilots in the space shuttle cockpit?
John Young insisted that to make a safe landing at the speed and angle of descent during a shuttle landing required a heads-up display.
When did the Pentagon cancel the MOL program?
June 10, 1969
Who was the first American woman to make a spacewalk?
Kathy Sullivan
What was the name of the first dog sent into space?
Laika
What educational degrees should mission specialists have in order to qualify for the NASA astronaut corps?
Most mission specialists hold advanced degrees (masters and/or doctorate degrees) in science and technology.
How did NASA justify the cost of the space shuttle program?
NASA claimed the shuttle was a way to make space flight routine, accessible, and cheap.
Without Congressional approval for the funds to build a space station, how did NASA justify the cost of the shuttle program
NASA enlisted the support of the military, who could use the shuttles to launch spy satellites. NASA also tasked the space shuttle for commercial satellite launches and the advancement of America's expertise in space.
How did NASA test the flight capability of the space shuttle without launching it into space?
NASA mounted the space shuttle piggyback on a Boeing 747, flew it to high altitude on the back of the plane, and then released it to glide down to earth.
Who crewed the first space mission to land on the Moon?
Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Mike Collins
Why were astronauts required to make a series of spacewalks to repair the Hubble Space Telescope?
Spacewalkers had to install corrective lenses in the telescope to repair a misshapen main mirror.
What was the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth?
Sputnik I
Did Dr. Coverstone, a professor in aeronautical engineering at the University of Illinois and a former employee of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, become an astronaut?
No, she did not make the cut.
Who was the first American astronaut to fly on board a Soyuz rocket and work for an extended time on the Mir space station?
Norman Thagard
What company built the Apollo lunar modules?
Northrop Grumman
What is a disadvantage of using a solid-fuel rocket versus a liquid-fuel rocket?
Once ignited, astronauts cannot shut off solid fuel rockets if there is a problem; astronauts can throttle back or shut down liquid-fuel rockets.
What part left over from the STS-114 mission did NASA use for the test launch of the Ares-1 rocket?
One of the solid rocket boosters, which was loaded with a ballasted fifth segment to mimic the payload of the Orion crew capsule
What is the official name for the CEV crew capsule?
Orion
Why did NASA stop painting the space shuttle's external fuel tanks?
The paint added about 700 pounds of weight to the shuttle's launch configuration. By eliminating the paint, the shuttle could carry more cargo in its payload.
1. What effect does Project Constellation have on the space shuttle program?
Project Constellation calls for the end of the space shuttle program, the mothballing of the remaining space shuttles, and the use of the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) for future manned space missions.
Who was the first man in space?
Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin
What spacecraft served as the workhorse of the Russian space program and replaced the space shuttle as the supply ship for the International Space Station after 2003?
Soyuz
What is the official name of the space shuttle program?
Space Transportation System (STS)
Who piloted the first docking mission between the space shuttle and the Mir space station?
Robert "Hoot" Gibson
Who was the first American woman in space?
Sally Ride
Who worked as an engineer on the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs, and was the head engineer on the space shuttle program?
Sam Beddingfield
What does the pencil test show astronauts?
The pencil test shows when the spacecraft has passed from the weightlessness of space into the gravity of Earth.
What demands did the Air Force make during the space shuttle's development?
The Air Force required a large cargo bay, the ability to steer the shuttle during its glide downrange from its orbital path, and wanted to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California to establish a north-south orbit.
How does the landing of the CEV differ from the space shuttle's landing?
The CEV will return to Earth with the deployment of parachutes, while the space shuttle glided down to Earth like an airplane.
How did the MOL program differ from the Gemini and Apollo space programs?
The MOL program was a clandestine military operation, flew in an orbit circling the North and South poles, used a space station for conducting its operations, and launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Why will the seats on the Orion space capsule have to be permanently installed instead of removable?
The Orion capsule will double as the emergency escape vehicle for the International Space Station.
What criticism did the Rogers Commission levy against NASA in the final report on the Challenger accident?
The Rogers Commission criticized NASA for the lack of communication between different levels of the organization, and the practice of signing waivers for unresolved problems with the space shuttles in order to keep the missions flying.
What happened during the first manned mission of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft?
The electronics in the capsule failed, the parachute lines snarled, and the ensuing crash killed the cosmonaut on board.
Why was the first space shuttle not man-rated before its first manned mission?
The engineers did not build the space shuttle Columbia with an autopilot system due to budget and time constraints, making it impossible to land without the aid of a pilot.
What mishap occurred when Gus Grissom's space capsule splashed down in the Caribbean Ocean?
The main hatch blew early and the space capsule sank before rescue crews could recover it.
What did the Gemini modules use to maneuver in space?
The modules used two self-igniting chemicals to produce thrust and change altitude, position, or orbit.
What is man-rating?
The process in which unmanned spacecraft are launched to make certain everything works, in order to ensure safety when a crew mans the spacecraft.
What didi te proponents use a justification for the space shuttle program?
The space shuttle could be used for moving people and materials to and from orbit at low cost, an aid in the construction of the International Space Station.
What caused STS-1 to reach a different orbit from the intended orbit of the mission?
The wings on the space shuttle created extra lift, putting the spacecraft into a different orbit than planned.
What was the original design of the space shuttle that Northrop Corporation built, but which crashed during its test flight?
They built a wedge-shaped, smaller shuttle called the M2-F2.
How did the designers of the space shuttle maximize the space inside the crew cabin?
They made all the seats except for those on the flight deck removable.
What happened to the economy of Brevard County, Florida, after the cancellation of the Apollo space program?
Thousands of contract workers associated with the Apollo program lost their jobs or were forced to move away from the Kennedy Space Center to work on other projects.
Who said, "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard"?
U.S. President John F. Kennedy (5)
What was the name of the spacecraft that carried the first astronaut into space?
Vostok-1
What did the Economic Development Authority and the state of Florida offer as an incentive to help Lockheed win the contract to construct the new CEV spacecraft?
a $45 million financial incentive package (12-13)
What is a RTLS abort?
a Return to Landing Site abort, in which the space shuttle returns to the place from where it launched if an abort after launch occurs
What were some of the Air Force requirements for the space shuttle?
a cargo bay large enough to hold spy satellites, the ability to launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base, the ability to make one orbit around the earth and then land, and the ability to glide off its orbital path in order to land after completing a polar orbit
For what design feature for the new Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) did the astronaut corps rally in the design process?
a crew escape system
What does the crew of each space mission design before the mission launch?
a mission patch to commemorate the launch
What part of the space shuttle protected the astronauts from the extreme heat generated during the ship's reentry into the earth's atmosphere?
light ceramic tiles that function as a heat shield (51)
12. Who was the first person to reach space?
cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin
What physical effects did astronauts experience during prolonged time in space?
disorientation, loss of bone density, and loss of muscle mass
What was included in Columbia's crew cabin as a safety feature for the crew in case of an emergency during launch and landing?
ejector seats
What was the clandestine U.S. Air Force space station program?
the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL)
What branch of the military did NASA partner with in order to build the space shuttle and for what purpose?
the U.S. Air Force, to launch its spy satellites into low earth orbit
How many test flights did pilots make with the space shuttle before the vehicle was cleared as operational?
four
What does the shuttle use to adjust its position once it attains orbit?
jet thrusters fueled by two self-igniting chemicals
17. For what position did Dr. Victoria Coverstone apply when she submitted her application to NASA's astronaut corps?
mission specialist
Where did STS-1 land? on runway 23 at Edwards Air Force Base in California
on runway 23 at Edwards Air Force Base in California
Engineers designed the high altitude protection suits astronauts wore on the space shuttle to...
protect astronauts in the event of a bail-out shortly after liftoff and just before landing.
What is the nickname for the orbital maneuvering system's thrusters?
the "big boomers"
What program featured the first docking of a U.S. spaceship with a Soviet Union spaceship?
the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project
Prior to the launch of STS-1, what was the last flight of an American spacecraft into orbit?
the Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975
What part of the Apollo spacecraft was designed to take astronauts to the surface of the moon?
the lunar module
What part of the space shuttle did the space shuttle crew use for living quarters?
the middeck area
What part of the shuttle produced 70% of the thrust required to send the shuttle into orbit?
the two solid fuel boosters bolted to the sides of the external fuel tank
How many main engines did the space shuttle have mounted beneath the tail rudder?
three
Why did the astronauts work with a mock-up of the window configuration for the Orion spacecraft before approving the design?
to determine what field of vision the window configuration allowed
For what purpose was the U.S. Air Force space station designed?
to eavesdrop on enemy countries, such as the Soviet Union
For what do the astronauts use the orbital maneuvering system?
to slow the shuttle's speed in order to drop it out of orbit around the Earth