Inside a Jet Engine
Air enters here before moving through the rest of a jet engine.
What is the intake?
The earliest jet engines were developed for this type of aviation before becoming common on passenger aircraft.
What is military aviation?
This Soviet satellite’s 1957 launch raised American concerns about Soviet technology and possible spying.
What is Sputnik?
He reached space before any other American astronaut.
Who is Alan Shepard?
In the shuttle launch assembly, this winged vehicle carried the crew and looked most like an airplane.
What is the orbiter?
This part squeezes incoming air before it reaches the combustion chamber.
What is the compressor?
Compared with propeller aircraft, jets allowed passengers to cover the same distance in less time because of this improvement.
What is greater speed?
Congress created this agency in 1958 to lead American space exploration and strengthen the country’s effort in the Space Race.
What is NASA?
All seven astronauts chosen for the original Mercury group had experience in this demanding military flying job.
What is a military test pilot?
This shuttle became the first operational orbiter to travel into space.
What is Columbia?
Put these three remaining engine parts in order after the compressor: exhaust, turbine, combustor.
What are combustor, turbine, and exhaust?
As aircraft approached the speed of sound, these disturbances could cause strong vibrations and control problems.
What are shock waves?
The United States and the Soviet Union competed for leadership in spaceflight. This competition became known by this two-word name.
What is the Space Race?
These two NASA programs helped develop the experience and skills needed before astronauts could travel to the Moon.
What are Mercury and Gemini?
Unlike a spacecraft used for only one mission, the shuttle could return and fly again. This word describes that ability.
What is reusable?
Engineers needed materials that could survive these two extreme conditions inside a running jet engine.
What are high temperatures and high pressure?
Engineers angled wings backward to delay shock-wave formation and improve high-speed flight. Name this wing design.
What are swept wings, or wings in a swept-wing design?
Before electronic computers became common, these NACA workers performed complex calculations so engineers could concentrate on research.
Who were the human computers? Accept: Who were the women who worked as human computers?
This early NASA program tested whether astronauts could function in space, orbit Earth, and return safely.
What is Mercury?
During this joint mission, American and Soviet crews practiced cooperation, learned to communicate, and connected different spacecraft using a special docking module.
What is Apollo-Soyuz?
A jet pushes exhaust backward and moves forward. This illustrates a law named for this scientist.
Who is Isaac Newton? Accept: What is Newton’s third law of motion?
This successful Boeing passenger jet connected countries through faster travel and trade and helped launch the commercial jet age.
What is the Boeing 707?
This astronaut’s first steps on the Moon in July 1969 marked the major American achievement associated with winning the race to the Moon.
Who is Neil Armstrong?
Astronauts aboard this first American space station carried out medical studies and observed Earth.
What is Skylab?
Across 135 missions, this NASA program carried crews and cargo, supported repairs and experiments, and advanced flight controls, navigation, and heat protection.
What is the Space Shuttle program, or Space Transportation System?