How Infinitesimal We Are Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1950s

Sputnik 1 was the world's first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth, which it did every 96 minutes. It was launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, 1957, and re-entered the atmosphere exactly 3 months later. Sputnik 1 inaugurated the space race. NASA opened in the U.S. in 1958. Sputnik 1 was a spherical shaped metal ball. It burned up on re-entry, but it was a stunning success.

Answer: 1950s

Explorer 1 was launched by the U.S. on February 1, 1958. It was the U.S.'s answer to Sputnik 1 & 2. It remained in orbit until March 1970. The success of Explorer 1 helped insure the creation of NASA. Explorer 1 carried instruments that discovered the Earth's radiation belts and helped scientists understand the Earth's magnetic field.

Answer: 1960s

Vostok I was launched by the Soviet Union on April 12, 1961. It was the first spaceflight to orbit the Earth containing a human cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin. As the first human in space, he became an instant international celebrity. Vostok 1 was only in orbit just over an hour and a half, and Gagarin had no control over the spacecraft, he was merely a passenger. He parachuted safely to the ground in the Soviet Union.

Answer: 1960s

Telstar 1 launched international communications. It was the world's first active communications satellite. It was launched by the U.S. on July 10, 1962. Telstar 1 was funded by AT&T in partnership with NASA. It transmitted TV, FAX, phone calls, and data transmissions.

Answer: 1960s

The Soviet Union launched the first woman into space aboard Vostok 6 on June 16, 1963. Her name was Valentina Tereshkova. She had complete control of the spacecraft, allowing her to communicate with Vostok 5, a first in space. She had recently retired from the Russian Air Force with the rank of Major General. She has been named a Hero of the Soviet Union.

Answer: 1960s

Apollo 11 was launched on July 16, 1969. No one will ever forget Neil Armstrong's words, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind", as he set foot on the moon on July 20. That event is believed to have been watched by over 600 million people worldwide. Obviously, Apollo 11 was a smashing success.

The first crewed spacecraft to land safely on the moon. He and his crew mates landed safely and were picked up by the USS Hornet.

Answer: 1970s

Launched by the Soviet Union on April 19, 1971, Salyut I was the world's first space station. It introduced space suits that combated muscle atrophy and instruments to simulate Earth's gravity. It pioneered the future for Soviet space stations. Salyut means "salute" in Russian.

Answer: 1970s

Viking I made the first successful soft landing on Mars on July 20, 1976, exactly eleven months after its launch on August 20, 1975. Its landing was exactly seven years from Appollo 11's moon landing. Its mission ended on November 11, 1982.

Answer: 1990s

The Hubble Space Telescope was built in the 1970s and was originally to be launched in 1983, but was beset by technical and budget issues until its actual launch on April 24, 1990. The telescope was named after Edwin Hubble, an astronomer who confirmed that the universe is indeed expanding. The Hubble Space Telescope will hopefully continue to perform until its projected demise in 2030.

Answer: 1990s

The International Space Station's (ISS) first module was launched on November 20, 1998. The ISS has been continuously occupied since November 2000. The ISS is a partnership of five different space agencies and fifteen countries. The crew consists of 7 people traveling at a speed of 5 miles (8 km) per second.