1. lightning
   high wind
2. hail

Less than a minute after takeoff, two lightning strikes damaged onboard components.

1. He nearly drifted away.
   His suit was punctured.
2. He spun out of control.

He was lucky that the puncture was tiny, otherwise his life could have been in danger.

1. 1988 Atlantis mission
   1986 Challenger mission
2. 1983 Columbia mission

The ill-fated mission is one of NASA's most public tragedies.

1. 1964
   1967
2. 1969

As it stood on the launch pad, the craft caught fire and killed all three crew members.

1. stray sparks from repair work
   an engineer's cigarette
2. electrical wiring

In the pure oxygen environment, a spark quickly led to catastrophe.

1. suffocation
   burns
2. head trauma

With their space suits damaged, they were unable to survive the toxic fumes in the cabin.

1. 1971
   1975
2. 1978

Oxygen masks saved their lives, but they were all sickened by exposure to nitrogen tetroxide gas.

1. car accident on the way to base
   training crash
2. accident on the Space Station

He ejected from his crashing jet, but the parachute failed to open.

1. space shuttle Discovery
   space shuttle Atlantis
2. space shuttle Challenger

The explosive devices were intended to release a satellite, but only one set was meant to go off; instead, the backups exploded, too.

1. one
   two
2. three

If a second had failed, the craft might well have been destroyed on impact.

1. autopilot controls
   engine controllers
2. fire suppression systems

Backup controllers immediately engaged, a perfect example of why NASA uses lots of redundancy in its systems.

1. four
   seven
2. eight

This included a school teacher (Christa McAuliffe) who was selected especially for the mission.

1. true
2. false

Evidence shows that they were alive and perhaps conscious as Challenger plunged.

1. flaws on the body panels
   pilot error
2. failed O-rings

O-ring failure led to a disaster seen live on televisions around the world.

1. Florida
   Texas
2. Missouri

Foul weather caused them to crash right into a nearby aircraft manufacturing facility.

1. Apollo 13
   Gemini 8
2. Apollo 12

But Neil Armstrong, ever the hero, managed to regain control before disaster struck.

1. space shuttle Columbia
   space shuttle Challenger
2. space shuttle Atlantis

She was one of seven people to perish on the ill-fated mission.

1. English
   Israeli
2. French

Ilan Ramon was teamed with the six Americans who died during the Columbia disaster.

1. space shuttle Columbia
   space shuttle Challenger
2. Apollo 15

Volunteers from all over the country arrived to help NASA recover its fallen shuttle.

1. 2002
   2003
2. 2004

The shuttle was returning from a successful mission when it was destroyed in 2003.

1. Texas and Louisiana
   Gulf of Mexico
2. Florida and Alabama

Debris from the craft was found in more than 2,000 different locations.

1. warped bolts
   cracked windows
2. damaged heat shields

The damage occurred during takeoff; the problem was one already recognized by engineers.

1. It shut down early.
   It nearly broke apart.
2. It ruptured and leaked fuel.

This was just the beginning of a troubling series of events on the Apollo 13 mission.

1. 2013
   2012
2. 2011

Engineers have yet to even identify tens of thousands of other pieces already in their possession.

1. The hatch opened at the wrong time.
   The parachute failed.
2. It was crushed on impact.

The hatch let in ocean water, and astronaut Gus Grissom barely escaped drowning.

1. hydraulic system failure
   electrical fire
2. oxygen tank failure

Although the mission technically failed, it became a testament to the ingenuity and resolve of astronauts and their ground support systems.

1. true
2. false

Fortunately, cabin depressurization meant they were not awake to witness their fall towards the ground.

1. zero
   one
2. three

Nobody was hurt, but the damage occurred during the shuttle's landing approach and could have caused a catastrophe.

1. food container
   oxygen canister
2. video camera

This accident happened during splashdown, meaning Bean had immediate access to medical care.

1. He was too close to the ground.
   His parachute failed.
2. The ejection system failed.

The crash happened because a goose was sucked into the engine, causing both engines to fail.