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Exploration of Space > Exam #1 > Flashcards

Exam #1 Flashcards

1
Q

Which special place in the Earth’s orbit is the Sun located?

A

occupied force

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2
Q

In an elliptical orbit around the Earth, you will have the maximum energy of position when you’re at…

A

apogee

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3
Q

Earth’s seasons are caused by…

A

the tilt of the Earth’s rotation axis

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4
Q

During most of the MESSENGER probe’s journey from Earth to Mercury, it was…

A

speeding up with respect to the Sun

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5
Q

You are orbiting the Sun and fire your engines at perihelion to SPEED UP. As a result

A

aphelion increase, perihelion stays the same

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6
Q

During a launch, the energy in your fuel is being converted into…

A

energy of motion

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7
Q

For the first few seconds after liftoff, which forces are important?

A

thrust

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8
Q

You’re orbiting the Earth every 2 hours, and then you make a maneuver that increases your orbital speed. Your NEW orbit will have a period that is…

A

more than 2 hours

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9
Q

You’re orbiting the Earth at 7.8 km/sec in a circular orbit. If you slow down to 7.7 km/sec, your new orbit will be circular but will be a bit closer to the Earth. True or false?

A

False. You would fall to the ground.

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10
Q

You’re in an elliptical orbit around the Earth. At perigee you increase your speed from 11 km/sec to 12 km/sec. The new orbit will be an elliptical orbit with a higher apogee. True or false?

A

False

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11
Q

Your spacecraft is heading east in an orbit around the Earth. You want to get to a higher orbit. To make this maneuver you must first make sure that your nozzle is facing…

A

west

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12
Q

When do experience maximum acceleration during a launch?

A

just before burnout.

you have burned off fuel, decreasing your mass.

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13
Q

The period of the Earth-Mars Hohmann transfer orbit is 16 months. It is therefore possible to get to Mars by a Hohmann transfer orbit in…

A

8 months

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14
Q

For most of the journey from Earth to Jupiter, you’ll measure your velocity with respect to…

A

the center of the Sun

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15
Q

Russia fuels its rockets with kerosene because…

A

its cheap

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16
Q

Your rocket is moving eastward around the Earth with the nozzle pointing west. If you want to drop to a lower orbit, you first need to…

A

pitch 180 degrees

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17
Q

Which type if propellant does not require an ignition system?

A

hydrazene (hypergolic)

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18
Q

A launch vehicle weighing 300,000 pounds ignites its engines, which produces 250,000 pounds of thrust. Then the rocket will…

A

just sit on the launch pad, not moving

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19
Q

The Space-X Falcon Heavy rocket launched earlier this year…

A

was built by a private company, successfully returned multiple stages to earth for re-use, and could lift as much weight to orbit as any rocket since the Apollo program

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20
Q

There is currently an electric car in orbit around the Sun True or false?

A

True, Space-X Falcon Heavy’s payload was a Tesla roadster.

21
Q

A planet which is very cold for 90% of its year but is very hot for the remaining 10% must have a large orbital

A

major axis and eccentricity

22
Q

If you travel one Astronomical Unit (AU) from the Earth, you might run into

A

the Sun or Mars

23
Q

A probe travels from Earth to Mars. When it arrives the CHEAPEST thing it can do is

A

fly by

24
Q

A gravity assist maneuver can be used to

A

speed up, slow down, or steer in a new direction

25
Q

Earth takes about 365 days to orbit the Sun, while Mercury takes 88 days. Which of the following could be the period of a Hohmann transfer orbit that takes you from Earth to Mercury?

A

200 days

26
Q

You leave an eastward-moving Earth orbit, bound for Venus. What time should it be down on Earth below you when you make the maneuver to break out of Earth orbit and head for Venus?

A

Noon

27
Q

Which type of attitude change maneuver will always leave a spacecraft’s nozzle pointing in the same direction?

A

roll

28
Q

The purpose of the nozzle on a spacecraft is to maximize the exhaust velocity. True or false.

A

true

29
Q

If you

re going from Earth to Mars, you should leave Earth when Mars is at its closest approach to Earth. True or false?

A

false

30
Q

We generally launch vertically from Earth in order to overcome gravity as quickly as possible. True or false

A

false

31
Q

Which has generally been the more expensive way to get payloads to orbit?

A

Reusable rockets

32
Q

The Space Shuttle was unique because it was the only spacecraft so far to

A

take people to orbit with reusable engines

33
Q

The vehicle advantage of multiple-staged launch vehicles it that

A

They can reach orbit with conventional fuel

34
Q

Nearly 90% of the mass of a launch is taken up by the

A

propellant

35
Q

The Pegasus launch vehicle reduces problems due to drag and weight by

A

launching horizontally from an airplane

36
Q

Generally, the largest rockets are needed when you’re traveling the greatest distance through space. True or false?

A

false

37
Q

When Sea Launch is used to put a communications satellites in orbit, what advantages does it offer?

A

It is easier to reach geostationary orbit when you launch from the equator.

38
Q

Which companies/agencies are looking to launch flights for space tourists soon?

A

Blue Origin

39
Q

The advantage of taking images with radar satellites instead of photoreconnaissance satellites is that

A

Radar satellites can launch to the east, radar can penetrate clouds, you can get radar images at night

40
Q

Which type of satellites is most likely to be in a retrograde orbit?

A

Photoreconnaissance

41
Q

The Earth’s rotation period is..

A

23 hours, 56 minutes

42
Q

Communications satellites are often placed in the Clarke (geostationary) band because

A

they appear stationary as seen from Earth.

43
Q

If a satellite appears to be moving across the sky from east to west, it must be in a retrograde orbit. True or false?

A

False

44
Q

which country always launches its satellites into retrograde orbits?

A

Israel

45
Q

Satellite communications in the Arctic is often achieved by…

A

Molniya satellites

46
Q

You can see a geostationary satellite if you are…

A

at the Equator.

47
Q

Taking satellite images from Low Earth Orbit gives you very high resolution pictures, but…

A

only allows you to photograph a small part of the planet’s surface.

48
Q

The advantage of returning re-usable rocket stages to Earth by landing them vertically is that…

A

they don’t need wings to land and they can land on the ground or on drone ships

Exploration of Space (1 decks)

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