I Think He's Attempting Re-entry Multiple Choice Quiz | History

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. On December 6, 1957, the United States attempted to launch its own satellite into orbit following the launch of Sputnik by the Soviet Union. The rocket exploded two seconds after liftoff. What was the name of the rocket?

Answer: Vanguard

After the Soviet Union launched Sputnik on October 4, 1957, the United States attempted to launch a satellite of their own two months later. The Vanguard three-stage rocket was designed by the Glenn L. Martin Company to launch America's first satellite into orbit.

The rocket lifted off for about two seconds, but lost thrust and fell back to the launchpad and exploded. The satellite still functioned despite the blast, but was too damaged to be used again.

2. On July 21, 1961, Astronaut Gus Grissom became the second American to launch into space. After his spacecraft splashed down, the hatch blew prematurely and the capsule sank after Grissom was recovered. What was the name of his spacecraft?

Answer: Liberty Bell 7

Gus Grissom was the second American to launch into space during Project Mercury. His spacecraft was nicknamed Liberty Bell 7 and to commemorate the actual Liberty Bell the spacecraft had a crack painted on it. When Grissom splashed down after his suborbital flight, the hatch blew by accident and the spacecraft began to take on water. Grissom was recovered, but the spacecraft ended up sinking before the recovery crew could retrieve it. Gus Grissom later perished along with astronauts Ed White and Roger Chaffee in the Apollo 1 disaster. On July 20, 1999 the Liberty Bell 7 was finally recovered and was later placed in a museum.

3. During the Gemini 8 mission, astronauts Neil Armstrong and David Scott attempted the first docking of two spacecraft in orbit. What object did they dock with, which caused the spacecraft to tumble out of control?

Answer: Agena

Gemini 8 launched on March 16, 1966. Astronauts Neil Armstrong and David Scott were tasked with docking with the Agena Target Vehicle. The Agena was launched aboard an Atlas rocket, while the Gemini spacecraft was launched via a Titan II rocket. In orbit, the crew of Gemini 8 attempted to dock with the Agena.

The docking was successful, however, shortly after the spacecraft began to yaw. The astronauts could not stop the spacecraft from yawing and had to disconnect to avoid damage. When the Gemini spacecraft disconnected from the Agena, it began to spin rapidly, nearly causing the astronauts to black out. Neil Armstrong had no choice but to fire the reentry thrusters to bring the spacecraft under control.

They aborted the mission and landed safely.

4. On March 18, 1965, cosmonaut Alexey Leonov became the first man to walk in space. Upon re-entry, his Voskhod 2 spacecraft veered off course. Where did Leonov and his crewmate Pavel Belyayev end up stranded?

Answer: In a forest

Cosmonauts Pavel Belyayev and Alexey Leonov launched aboard Voskhod 2 on March 18, 1965. Leonov would become the first man to walk in space. During Leonov's spacewalk he had to release some air in his suit as the pressure made it difficult to get back into the spacecraft. During re-entry, mechanical issues caused the spacecraft to land a few hundred kilometers from its intended site.

The crew landed in a dense snow-covered forest which delayed their recovery until the next day.

5. On April 11, 1970, the crew of Apollo 13 began their journey to the Moon, which would eventually become a mission of survival. What was astronaut Jack Swigert attempting to do when the service module of the spacecraft exploded?

Answer: Stir the oxygen tanks

Apollo 13 launched on April 11, 1970. Two days into their mission, pilot of the command module Jack Swigert was given instructions to stir the oxygen and hydrogen tanks. The wires near the oxygen tanks short-circuited and triggered an explosion that crippled the service module.

The crew were forced to abort the mission and use the Moon's gravity to return to Earth, using the lunar module as a lifeboat.

6. On June 7, 1971, the crew of Soyuz 11 successfully docked with the world's first space station, Salyut 1. However, the crew later perished on June 30, 1971. What was the cause of their deaths?

Answer: The spacecraft depressurized just before re-entry

Soyuz 11 launched on June 6, 1971. Cosmonauts Georgy Dobrovolsky, Vladislav Volkov and Viktor Patsayev became the first crew to dock with Salyut 1, the Soviet Union's first space station. When the crew attempted re-entry, after the descent module of the spacecraft separated, a valve was damaged which allowed the spacecraft to depressurize, killing the cosmonauts.

The spacecraft touched down as normal, but the recovery team discovered only dead bodies when they opened the hatch.

7. On March 30, 1982, the crew of STS-3 had to change their landing site due to flooding at the original location. Where did the crew end up landing the space shuttle?

Answer: White Sands Space Harbor

STS-3 was the third mission of the Space Shuttle program. It was launched on March 22, 1982 using the space shuttle Columbia. The shuttle was initially supposed to land at Edwards Air Force Base. However, flooding at the base prompted NASA to change the landing site to White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico.

The space shuttle landed at White Sands on March 30, 1982. It was the first and only time the shuttle ever landed at White Sands.

8. There have been numerous probes and landers sent to Mars over the years, with several missions ending in failure. Which of the following spacecraft was successful in reaching Mars?

Answer: Mars Global Surveyor

The Mars Climate Orbiter was lost on September 23, 1999, just prior to orbital insertion. The Mars Polar Lander was destroyed on December 3, 1999, when its descent engine cut off too soon resulting in a crash landing. On August 21, 1993, communication was lost with the Mars Observer three days before it was scheduled to enter orbit.

The Mars Global Surveyor successfully entered Martian orbit on September 12, 1997 and remained operational until November 2, 2006.

9. On February 1, 2003, the crew of space shuttle Columbia were attempting re-entry. Sadly, the shuttle disintegrated and everyone aboard perished. What was found to be the primary reason the shuttle broke up?

Answer: The wing was damaged by debris during launch

The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry on February 1, 2003. Investigators determined that the heat-protecting tiles on one the wings had been damaged by debris that fell off the shuttle during launch. After the accident, the shuttle would remain grounded until July 26, 2005.

The accident prompted NASA to inspect the shuttles for damage after all subsequent launches, as well as have a backup shuttle standing by to retrieve the crew in case of an emergency. The space shuttle program ended in 2011.

10. On October 31, 2014, a Scaled Composites SpaceShipTwo owned by Virgin Galactic crashed in the Mojave Desert during a test flight. What was the name of the spacecraft?

Answer: Enterprise

The VSS Enterprise was the name of the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo that crashed during a test flight on October 31, 2014. Virgin Galactic was launched by billionaire Sir Richard Branson, in the hopes of pioneering space tourism. The Enterprise was named after the famous starship from the "Star Trek" television series.

The crash was determined to have been caused by pilot error. One of the pilots, Michael Alsbury was killed and the other, Peter Siebold, ejected and survived his injuries.

Source: Author RedHook13

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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I Think He's Attempting Re-entry Quiz

This quiz will focus on various incidents and accidents that have occurred throughout the history of space travel.

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