Space Race Begins
What two countries “competed” in the Space Race?
US and Soviet Union
How many astronauts were selected as the first Americans to go to space?
7
What happened to Apollo I?
It caught on fire. Three astronauts died.
What was the name of the first American space station?
Skylab
What is the maximum number of astronauts the space shuttle could carry?
7
When did the Cold War begin?
Immediately after WWII
Who was the first American astronaut to go to space?
Alan Shepard
What was the main goal of the Apollo program?
To go to the moon
How did the Americans communicate with the Russians in space?
Americans spoke Russian, and the Russians spoke English.
What were the four main parts of the space transport system?
One orbiter, two solid rocket boosters and one external tank
What was the name of the Russian satellite that caused American feat?
Sputnik
Which project first tested the ability for astronauts to remain in space for long-duration missions?
Project Gemini
What caused the Apollo 13 accident?
The No. 2 oxygen tank blew and caused the No. 1 tank to fail also.
What was a major accomplishment of Skylab?
Skylab laid the groundwork for future long duration missions.
What innovation came from the space shuttle program?
Ability to reuse a spacecraft, improved avionics, or carry large payloads.
What was NASA’s first priority after it was formed?
To make the US number 1 in space
Why were women hired by NASA as human computers?
Smart, able to do calculations quickly and saved engineers time to do research.
Why did the United States end the Apollo program?
Achieved the goal of going to the Moon. Americans lost interest.
What did the Apollo-Soyuz Project demonstrate?
Two dissimilar spacecraft could successfully dock in space.
What was a risk with using foam for the external tanks?
Pieces might break off during launch and damage the orbiter
What did President Eisenhower mean when he said he “wanted a good Redstone rather than a man on the Moon”?
He wanted to focus funds on defense mechanisms rather than in going to the Moon.
How did the First Lady Astronaut Trainees compare with the Mercury 13 astronauts in physical tests?
They passed the same three phases of testing as men.
For what purpose did we go to the Moon?
To catch up with the Russians in the Space Race and to push innovation
How did the Apollo-Soyuz Project help set the tone for the future of collaboration in space?
It demonstrated that a successful collaboration was possible between the Americans and Russians.
What were space shuttle flights used for?
Repair missions, experiments and military missions