Space Exploration

Question 1

A/An __________is a human-made object that is placed in orbit around a body in space.

Answer 1

ARTIFICIAL SATELLITE

Question 2

________ is a government agency that runs the space program in the United States.

Answer 2

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)

Question 3

A vehicle that is designed to move about and collect data from the surface of a planet is called a ________.

Answer 3

ROVER

Question 4

Identify four ways in which people can directly explore space.

Answer 4

suborbital crewed missions, orbital crewed missions, space shuttles, and space stations

Question 5

What are five ways in which people can explore and study space without physically going there?

Answer 5

space probes, orbiters, landers, rovers, artificial satellites

Question 6

Describe three achievements in space exploration that involved the United States.

Answer 6

In 1961, the first crewed suborbital space flight was made by Alan Shepard; the first human to set foot on the moon was Neil Armstrong in 1969; NASA’s many space shuttle missions, and the construction and
maintenance of the International Space Station.

Question 7

Is this an image of an orbiter or a rover? How do you know? (pg 565)

Answer 7

This is an Orbiter because a rover explores the planet’s surface, and this image has an object in space examining/orbiting a planet.

Question 8

How is preparing for a space mission similar to planning for a camping trip? How is it different?

Answer 8

Astronauts have to think about what they need to meet the basic requirements of life, such as food, water, sleep, a source of heat, and shelter. However, preparing for space also requires bringing oxygen, becoming physically capable of surviving in a weightless environment, and protection from solar radiation.

Question 9

What type of technology would you want to use to study the gas giant planets?

Answer 9

You would want to use space probes to fly by the planet or orbiters to orbit the planet because the gas giant planets have no surfaces on which to land.

Question 10

What is a reusable crewed spacecraft?

Answer 10

a Space Shuttle

Question 11

What is a kind of artificial satellite?

Answer 11

Orbiter

Question 12

What often has mechanical arms to gather rock samples?

Answer 12

a Rover

Question 13

What is more suited to the long-term study of a planet or moon?

Answer 13

an Orbiter

Question 14

What has detachable capsules that contain the crew?

Answer 14

a Rocket

Question 15

Give an example of how weather satellites are used to observe Earth:

Answer 15

Weather satellites are used to track storms.

Question 16

Why is most space exploration accomplished with spacecraft that do not have crews onboard?

Answer 16

Humans experience health problems during prolonged periods in space. Also, there is no current way to store the fuel and supplies needed by humans for long
space journeys.

Question 17

What are four future goals of crewed space travel?

Answer 17

Four future goals of crewed space missions are to explore cis-lunar space, the moon, near-Earth asteroids, and Mars.

Question 18

What is one advantage of using an orbiter to study objects in space?

Answer 18

An orbiter can study a planet or moon for years without having to send humans there.

Question 19

Which spacesuit feature provides oxygen to an astronaut? (pg 581)

Answer 19

the life support pack

Question 20

How is the spacesuit designed to protect the astronaut outside of a spacecraft? (pg 581)

Answer 20

The suit protects the astronaut from cold and the vacuum of space. It provides oxygen and allows for the elimination of carbon dioxide. The outer layers of the suit protect astronauts from micrometeoroids.

Question 21

Why do you think it’s important to map a planet’s surface before a spacecraft, such as a lander, takes astronauts there?

Answer 21

You need to find a safe landing spot for the lander.

Question 22

Why will astronauts need equipment to extract resources at future bases in space if they stay for a long time?

Answer 22

The astronauts will be far from Earth and will need more resources than they can bring
with them.