Unit 3 Practice Questions

Question 1

In addition to the obvious improvement by New Horizons in resolving fine details on Pluto’s surface, what was the most surprising observation made by the spacecraft during its 2015 encounter?

Answer 1

The indications of active surface phenomena such as cryovolcanism, moving glaciers, etc.

Question 2

When considering options for altering a potential asteroid on a collision course with Earth, what would be the most important piece of information?

Answer 2

How much time before impact.

Question 3

In the early years of the Space Age, which satellite stands out for its ability to operate in Earth orbit for a prolonged period of time?

Answer 3

Alouette 1

Question 4

The only scientist to have flown to the Moon was a:

Answer 4

Geologist

Question 5

In the 1960s, what was not known about the Moon?

Answer 5

How it formed.

Question 6

What spacecraft was the first to soft land on the Moon and transmit data?

Answer 6

Luna 9.

Question 7

Arguably the most important result from the DART mission was

Answer 7

that a kinetic impact could alter the trajectory of a solar system object.

Question 8

The abbreviation LEO means

Answer 8

Low Earth Orbit.

Question 9

Considering the breadth of exploration that has occurred thus far in the Space Age, which of the following statements is false?

Answer 9

No human spacecraft has reached solar system escape velocity and travelled into interstellar space.

Question 10

The space shuttle is known for many space-related activities. Which of the following did it not participant in?

Answer 10

Landing humans on the Moon.

Question 11

The first successful flyby of Mars was performed by which spacecraft?

Answer 11

Mariner 4.

Question 12

During the 1960s, which countries were the dominant nations in terms of their ability to launch payloads into space?

Answer 12

The United States and the Soviet Union.

Question 13

How did Yuri Gagarin return to Earth?

Answer 13

By parachute after jumping out of his capsule

Question 14

What was arguably the most important “spin off” resulting from the Space Race in the 1960s?

Answer 14

The significant reduction in mass/size of electronic components, including computers.

Question 15

The only known space travellers to date who have died at an altitude higher than the Karman Line were the crew of

Answer 15

Soyuz 11.

Question 16

The first human to step onto the Moon’s surface was

Answer 16

Neil Armstrong.

Question 17

The first satellite in orbit carried

Answer 17

a radio transmitter.

Question 18

Lunokhod was

Answer 18

a Soviet rover program on the Moon.

Question 19

The first satellite to attain orbit was

Answer 19

Sputnik 1, Soviet Union.

Question 20

When examining another world, many different spacecrafts can be involved. Which is the order of increasing mission difficulty?

Answer 20

Flyby, orbiter, lander, rover.

Question 21

In 1959 the first human spacecraft impacted upon the Moon. Its name was

Answer 21

Luna 2.

Question 22

The Black Brant rockets were the result of research at Canadian Armament Research and Development Establishment (CARDE). Their primary mission was to

Answer 22

probe the upper atmosphere.

Question 23

While the space race moved along very quickly throughout the 1960’s, which major milestone in human spaceflight was not accomplished until the following decade?

Answer 23

building a space station visited by multiple crew

Question 24

Who was the first woman to orbit the Earth?

Answer 24

Valentina Tereshkova.

Question 25

What is not a part of the 7 minutes of terror?

Answer 25

Spacecraft mission launch.

Question 26

One of the most fundamental changes in understanding about our solar system over the past 40 years is the existence of liquid water in unexpected locations. Which of the following solar system locations is believed to have more liquid water than our Earth?

Answer 26

Europa

Question 27

One of the main goals of the ESA Hera mission is

Answer 27

examine carefully from close range the results of the NASA DART mission.

Question 28

The Space Age is widely considered to have commenced on

Answer 28

October 4, 1957.

Question 29

42. The official name of the Space Shuttle program was

Answer 29

Space Transportation System.

Question 30

38. The first successful spacecraft to successfully transmit data from the surface of Venus was

Answer 30

Venera 7.

Question 31

Who was the first person to walk in space (perform an EVA)?

Answer 31

Alexei Leonov.

Question 32

United State President John Kennedy committed his country to landing a man upon the Moon before the end of the (1960s) decade. After which NASA astronaut’s sub-orbital flight did this speech get made?

Answer 32

Alan Shepard.

Question 33

The James Webb Space Telescope is a partnership between which 3 space agencies.

Answer 33

NASA/ESA/CSA.

Question 34

35. The first soil/rock sample return mission from an object in space was performed by

Answer 34

Luna 16.

Question 35

9. Explorer 1’s science payload identified

Answer 35

the Van Allen Radiation Belts.