Space Exploration Vocab 1

Question 1

Word

Answer 1

Definition

Question 2

Astronomy

Answer 2

The study of stars, planets, and all other objects in the universe.

Question 3

Astronaut

Answer 3

A person who travels into space.

Question 4

Satellite

Answer 4

An object that orbits around a planet. Can be natural, like a moon, or man-made.

Question 5

Telescope

Answer 5

A tool used to observe distant objects in space.

Question 6

Galaxy

Answer 6

A large group of stars, gas, and dust bound together by gravity.

Question 7

Gravity

Answer 7

The force that attracts objects towards each other; it keeps planets in orbit around stars.

Question 8

Orbit

Answer 8

The path an object takes as it moves around another object in space.

Question 9

Space Shuttle

Answer 9

A reusable spacecraft that transports astronauts and cargo to and from Earth’s orbit.

Question 10

Rocket

Answer 10

A vehicle designed to propel itself by ejecting exhaust gas from one end.

Question 11

Space Station

Answer 11

A large spacecraft in orbit where astronauts can live and work for long periods.

Question 12

Comet

Answer 12

A small, icy body that heats up and releases gas and dust as it nears the sun.

Question 13

Meteor

Answer 13

A small rock from space that enters Earth’s atmosphere and burns up, often seen as a shooting star.

Question 14

Asteroid

Answer 14

A small rocky body orbiting the sun, mainly found in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter.

Question 15

Black Hole

Answer 15

A region in space where gravity is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape from it.

Question 16

Nebula

Answer 16

A large cloud of gas and dust in space, often the birthplace of stars.

Question 17

Universe

Answer 17

Everything that exists, including all space, time, matter, energy, planets, stars, and galaxies.

Question 18

Space Probe

Answer 18

An unmanned spacecraft sent to explore distant places in space.

Question 19

Lunar

Answer 19

Relating to the moon.

Question 20

Solar System

Answer 20

Our sun and all the objects that orbit around it, including planets, moons, asteroids, and comets.

Question 21

Mars Rover

Answer 21

A motor vehicle that travels across the surface of the planet Mars to gather data.

Question 22

International Space Station (ISS)

Answer 22

A space station, or a habitable artificial satellite, in low Earth orbit.

Question 23

Cosmos

Answer 23

Another word for the universe, encompassing all things in space.

Question 24

Hubble Space Telescope

Answer 24

A large telescope sent into space to take pictures and collect data about the universe.

Question 25

Zero Gravity

Answer 25

A condition of weightlessness experienced in space.

Question 26

Exoplanet

Answer 26

A planet that orbits a star outside our solar system.

Question 27

Spacecraft

Answer 27

A vehicle designed for travel or operation in outer space.

Question 28

Space Suit

Answer 28

A special suit that astronauts wear to keep them safe and comfortable in space.

Question 29

Alien

Answer 29

A life form that is believed to exist outside of Earth, but not yet proven.

Question 30

Big Bang Theory

Answer 30

A scientific theory about how the universe started with a massive explosion.

Question 31

Light-Year

Answer 31

The distance light travels in one year; used to measure vast distances in space.

Question 32

Space Race

Answer 32

The competition between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War to achieve significant milestones in space exploration.

Question 33

Sputnik

Answer 33

The first artificial Earth satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

Question 34

Apollo Program

Answer 34

A series of space missions conducted by the United States with the goal of landing a man on the moon.

Question 35

Moon Landing

Answer 35

The event of a spacecraft reaching the moon's surface, most famously achieved by Apollo 11 in 1969.

Question 36

Neil Armstrong

Answer 36

An American astronaut who was the first person to walk on the moon.

Question 37

Yuri Gagarin

Answer 37

A Soviet astronaut who became the first human to travel into space.

Question 38

Vostok 1

Answer 38

The spacecraft that carried Yuri Gagarin, making him the first human in space.

Question 39

Space Shuttle Challenger

Answer 39

A space shuttle that tragically broke apart soon after launch in 1986.

Question 40

Mir Space Station

Answer 40

A space station operated by the Soviet Union and later by Russia, from 1986 to 2001.

Question 41

Voyager Probes

Answer 41

Unmanned space probes launched by NASA to study the outer Solar System and beyond.

Question 42

Skylab

Answer 42

The first space station operated by the United States in the 1970s.

Question 43

Gemini Program

Answer 43

A NASA spaceflight program that paved the way for the Apollo missions.

Question 44

Saturn V Rocket

Answer 44

The powerful rocket used by NASA for the Apollo moon missions.

Question 45

Valentina Tereshkova

Answer 45

The first woman to fly in space aboard the Soviet Vostok 6 mission.

Question 46

John Glenn

Answer 46

The first American to orbit the Earth aboard the Friendship 7 mission.

Question 47

Spacewalk

Answer 47

An activity where an astronaut moves outside of a spacecraft while in space.

Question 48

Project Mercury

Answer 48

The first human spaceflight program of the United States.

Question 49

Laika

Answer 49

A dog sent into space by the Soviet Union and the first animal to orbit the Earth.