Orbital Mechanics
What shape are most planetary orbits in our solar system?
What is Elliptical
What force opposes the motion of an aircraft through the air?
What is Drag
What is the name for the part of a satellite that carries the mission payload?
What is Satellite Bus
Who was the first human to walk on the Moon?
Who is Neil Armstrong
What is the term for the speed of sound in a given medium?
What is Mach 1
What is the term for the point in an orbit closest to Earth?
What is Perigee
What is the name of the curve that describes airflow over a wing?
What is an Airfoil
What global navigation system is operated by the United States?
What is GPS
What year did the Wright brothers achieve powered flight?
What is 1903
What aerodynamic phenomenon occurs when airflow transitions from subsonic to supersonic speeds?
What is Shock Wave Formation
Which law states that the square of a planet’s orbital period is proportional to the cube of its semi-major axis?
What is Kepler’s Third Law
What is the angle between the chord line of the wing and the direction of the airflow?
What is Angle of Attack
What is the term for a group of satellites working together to provide coverage?
What is a Constellation
What was the name of the first artificial satellite launched into space?
What is Sputnik 1
What is the name of the cone-shaped region trailing a supersonic object where pressure disturbances are confined?
What is a Mach Cone
What is the name of the maneuver used to transfer between two circular orbits of different radii?
Hohmann Transfer
What is the term for the boundary layer phenomenon where airflow separates from the surface?
What is Flow Separation
What frequency band is commonly used for satellite communications and radar imaging?
What is X-band
Who was the first American woman in space?
Who is Sally Ride
What is the term for the drag increase experienced near Mach 1 due to compressibility effects?
What is Wave Drag
What perturbation effect causes the rotation of an orbit’s line of apsides due to Earth's oblateness?
J2 Effect
What is the name of the equation that relates pressure and velocity in a fluid flow?
What is Bernoulli’s Equation
What satellite subsystem controls orientation and pointing accuracy?
What is Attitude Determination and Control System (ADCS)
What aerospace engineer developed the V-2 rocket and later helped launch Apollo missions?
Who is Wernher Von Braun
What equation relates Mach number, pressure, and temperature across a normal shock wave?
What is Rankine-Hugoniot Relations