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Quiz about Space Shuttle Columbia  A Tribute
Quiz about Space Shuttle Columbia  A Tribute

Space Shuttle Columbia: A Tribute Quiz


On February 1, 2003, the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry, killing its seven-person crew. This quiz is dedicated to Columbia and its distinguished and storied career.

A multiple-choice quiz by cag1970. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
cag1970
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
113,686
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Difficult
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
820
Last 3 plays: Guest 49 (3/10), 1995Tarpon (10/10), mungojerry (6/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Columbia was originally scheduled to make its maiden voyage in what year? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Which astronaut served as the commander of Columbia's maiden voyage, April 12-14, 1981? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Which aviation manufacturer was the primary contractor for Columbia? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. In terms of length and wingspan, Columbia most closely resembled which passenger jet aircraft? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Which of the following feats was Columbia NOT involved in? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Columbia flew the only successful mission of 1986, Mission 61-C, preceding the tragic mission of Challenger. On board that mission was the first active member of the US House of Representative to fly in space. Who was he? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. The crew of STS-80, Columbia's 21st flight in space and the last flight of 1996, featured the oldest American to fly in space at that point.


Question 8 of 10
8. The first satellite launch of the space shuttle series occurred on STS-5 in 1982, Columbia's fifth trip into space. One of those satellites, the Anik C-3, was launched for which country? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. The next mission planned for the space shuttle Columbia after STS-107, STS-118, would have carried America's second Teacher-in-Space.


Question 10 of 10
10. Which early space shuttle astronaut and Columbia pilot ended up succeeding Dr. James C. Fletcher as NASA Administrator in 1989? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Mar 01 2024 : Guest 49: 3/10
Feb 29 2024 : 1995Tarpon: 10/10
Feb 01 2024 : mungojerry: 6/10
Jan 31 2024 : Guest 130: 0/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Columbia was originally scheduled to make its maiden voyage in what year?

Answer: 1979

Various technical problems prevented Columbia from meeting its March, 1979 launch date. Without the shuttle, the Skylab space station, in a decaying orbit at the time, couldn't be boasted to a safer orbit. Skylab reentered the earth's atmosphere and crashed over Western Australia on July 11, 1979.
2. Which astronaut served as the commander of Columbia's maiden voyage, April 12-14, 1981?

Answer: John Young

A veteran of four previous space flights and the ninth American to walk on the moon, John Young flew with rookie astronaut and fellow naval aviator Robert Crippen on Columbia's historic first voyage.
3. Which aviation manufacturer was the primary contractor for Columbia?

Answer: Rockwell International

Boeing bought Rockwell International's space division in 1996. Prior to that, Rockwell served as the primary contractor all five operational shuttles--Atlantis, Challenger, Columbia, Discovery and Endeavour--as well as the glide-test article, Enterprise.
4. In terms of length and wingspan, Columbia most closely resembled which passenger jet aircraft?

Answer: McDonnell Douglas DC-9

Columbia was 122 ft (37 m) long and had a wingspan of 78 ft (24 m). A Series 30 DC-9, a twin-engined T-tailed jet, is 119 ft (36 m) in length and 93 ft (28 m) in wingspan. In contrast, the Boeing 727 measures 153 ft (47 m) in length and 108 ft (33 m) in wingspan. Larger still is the Airbus A300, which is 177 ft (54 m) long and has a wingspan of 147 ft (45 m).

The Lockheed L-1011 is also 177 ft long, but it has a wingspan of 155 ft (47 m). (Thanks to the Boeing and Airbus websites for physical information on the DC-9, 727 and A300. Thanks to the website flytristar.tripod.com on information on the L-1011.)
5. Which of the following feats was Columbia NOT involved in?

Answer: Carrying the Hubble Space Telescope to orbit

Columbia's cousin, Discovery, carried the Hubble Space Telescope to orbit in April 1990. Columbia completed a complicated servicing mission to the telescope in March 2002.
6. Columbia flew the only successful mission of 1986, Mission 61-C, preceding the tragic mission of Challenger. On board that mission was the first active member of the US House of Representative to fly in space. Who was he?

Answer: Bill Nelson

Nelson represented Florida in the US House of Representative, and was on board Mission 61-C in 1986. Jake Garn, a US Senator from Utah, became the first member of either house of Congress to fly in space, flying on board Mission 51-D (Discovery) in 1985, and wrote a novel based on the experience. Neither Alex McMillian, a former US Representative from North Carolina, nor Charles Rangel, currently a US Representative from New York, have been to space.
7. The crew of STS-80, Columbia's 21st flight in space and the last flight of 1996, featured the oldest American to fly in space at that point.

Answer: True

Well-travelled Mission Specialist Story Musgrave not only became America's oldest spacefarer (aged 61 at the time of launch), he also set a record with his sixth shuttle flight overall. That tied him with former shuttle commander John Young, who made two flights on the shuttle and two each during the Gemini and Apollo programs. Musgrave's record fell the next year, when former Mercury astronaut and US Senator John Glenn (at age 77) rode Discovery to orbit.
8. The first satellite launch of the space shuttle series occurred on STS-5 in 1982, Columbia's fifth trip into space. One of those satellites, the Anik C-3, was launched for which country?

Answer: Canada

Telesat Canada's Anik series of communications satellites, first launched in 1972, paved the way for commercial satellites to take advantage of geostationary earth orbits. The word "Anik" means "little brother" in Inuit. (Thanks to Telesat Canada's website for information on the Anik satellite series.)
9. The next mission planned for the space shuttle Columbia after STS-107, STS-118, would have carried America's second Teacher-in-Space.

Answer: True

California native Barbara Morgan finished second to Christa McAuliffe in the original Teacher-In-Space competition in the 1980's. After the explosion of the shuttle Challenger in 1986, Morgan remained under NASA's employ, making public appearances for the agency while still teaching in Idaho. Morgan returned to astronaut training in 1998, and was scheduled to be on board STS-118, what was supposed to be Columbia's 29th mission, in November 2003.
10. Which early space shuttle astronaut and Columbia pilot ended up succeeding Dr. James C. Fletcher as NASA Administrator in 1989?

Answer: Richard Truly

A veteran of two space shuttle missions (STS-2, Columbia, in 1981 and STS-8, Challenger, in 1983), retired Vice Admiral Richard Truly became an associate adminstrator at NASA after the Challenger explosion in 1986. He stayed in that position for three years before becoming the first astronaut to head the agency. Truly stepped down in 1992 and began working in the private sector.
Source: Author cag1970

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