Hidden Figures Vocabulary

A-H

100

Aeronautics

The science of flying

200

Atmosphere

The gasses surrounding Earth or other planets

300

Gravity

The force that attracts a body toward the center oof Earth or another large Mass

400

Hypersonic

A speed of exceeding Mach 5, or five times the speed of sound

M-O

100

Mach 1

The speed of sound at sea level with an air temperature of 59 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 761.2 miles per hour. The speed varies slightly at different temperatures because gas molecules move more slowly at colder temperatures. 

200

NACA

National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics- The US agency started in 1915 to supervise and direct the scientific study of the problems of flight; in 1958 NACA ended and NASA was formed.

300

NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration- The independent government agency responsible for the civilian (as opposed to military) space program; NASA was founded in 1958.

400

Orbit

The curved path of an object or spacecraft as it revolves around a star, planet, or moon.

P-S

100

Project Mercury

The first human space flight program in the United States; it ran from 1958 to 1963, with the goal of putting a man in orbit around Earth.

200

Rocket

A high speed streamlined vehicle propelled by burning fuel.

300

Satelllite

A man made object place in orbit around Earth moon, or another planet, to collect information or assist with communications.

400

Sonic Boom

The sound associated with shock waves created by an object moving faster than the speed of sound

500

Space Race

The competition between nations- especially the United States and Soviet Union- regarding space exploration.

S-T

100

Speed of Sound

The distance traveled by a sound wave in a fixed period of time; sound travels most slowly in gasses, faster in water, and fastest in solids

200

Sputnik

A series of satellites launched by the soviet Union. Sputnik 1, launched on October 4, 1957, was the first satellite to orbit Earth.

300

Supersonic

Speed that is faster than the speed of sound.

400

Theoretical engineer

an engineer using mathematics to solve problems, without testing in real-world simulations.

T-W

100

Trajectory

The path of an object as it moves through space

200

Turbulence

The unsteady or irregular movement of air or water.

300

Variable

A factor or value that is likely to change; in a mathematical equation, the variable is the symbol representing the number we don't know yet.

400

Wind Tunnel

a tool used in aeronautics research to study the effect of air moving over an object; tests done in wind tunnels attempt to stimulate how an object would perform in flight so that researchers can improve on aircraft design.