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About This Quiz
Astronauts have a reputation for being the brave and skilled few willing to risk their lives by strapping themselves aboard a rocket and blasting into outer space. How much do you know about this dangerous job?
Which of the following terms did NASA originally want to use in reference to astronauts?
Mercury
The term astronaut was not, in fact, NASA's first choice to refer to men aboard U.S. spacecraft. Program officials preferred Mercury, the messenger of the Roman gods, but the name had already been adopted for the first American manned spaceflight program. They eventually settled on astronaut, which means "sailor among the stars."
Venus
Aeronaut
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Soviet astronauts were called:
taikonauts
aeronauts
cosmonauts
Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev wanted a name that was inspirational and descriptive, and the Russians eventually chose the term cosmonaut to refer to their space travelers. Cosmonaut means "sailor of the universe."
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On NASA's first list of qualifications for astronaut candidates for the Mercury program, each man had to be under:
6 feet, 3 inches tall
5 feet, 11 inches tall
In addition to being under 5 feet, 11 inches tall, astronaut candidates also had to be in a branch of the military, be under the age of 40, hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent in engineering, be a graduate of a test pilot school, and have at least 1,500 hours of flying time logged.
5 feet, 7 inches tall
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Which of the following "Original Seven" astronauts was the only one from the U.S. Marines?
Alan Shepard
Gus Grissom
John Glenn
Of the seven men chosen for the Mercury project, only John Glenn came from the U.S. Marines. The other six were divided between the Navy and Air Force, respectively.
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The two types of astronauts in NASA today are:
engineering astronauts and biology astronauts
pilot astronauts and mission specialist astronauts
Today's NASA astronauts are known as either pilots or mission specialists. Pilots command and pilot shuttles while mission specialists work with pilots to maintain spacecraft and equipment and conduct experiments.
human astronauts and animal astronauts
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Which of the following agencies does not have an agreement with NASA to provide international astronauts?
European Space Agency
Brazilian Space Agency
Chinese Space Agency
International astronauts come from four agencies that have an agreement with NASA: the European Space Agency (ESA), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
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What former U.S. president is NASA's Houston space center named for?
Lyndon B. Johnson
When NASA's Houston, Texas facility opened in 1961, it was deemed the Manned Spacecraft Center. The name was changed in 1973 to honor former president and Texas native Lyndon B. Johnson, who died that January.
John F. Kennedy
Dwight D. Eisenhower
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How long are astronaut candidates required to tread water continuously while wearing a flight suit?
5 minutes
10 minutes
In addition to swimming three lengths of a 25-meter pool without stopping, and swimming three lengths of the pool in a flight suit and tennis shoes with no time limit, astronaut candidates at the Johnson Space center must also tread water continuously for 10 minutes while wearing a flight suit as part of their basic training. Basic training lasts two years.
20 minutes
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Who was the first woman in space?
Sally Ride
Valentina Tereshkova
The first woman in space was cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova. She flew aboard Vostok 6, which launched on June 14, 1964. Jerrie Cobb was a First Lady Astronaut Trainee with the Mercury program, and Sally Ride was an American woman astronaut who first traveled in space in 1983.
Jerrie Cobb
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An official countdown for a shuttle launch begins at:
T minus 43 hours
The official countdown for a shuttle launch begins at the Kennedy Space Center at T-43 hours, three days before liftoff. The extra time is built in to ensure all launch preparations can be completed.
T minus 24 hours
T minus 8 hours
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You Got:
/10
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