Important Dates in Manned Spaceflight Quiz

Answer: Alan Shepard, first American in space

Orbit: Altitude: 116.5 statute miles Orbits: 0 Duration: 0 Days, 0 hours, 15 min, 28 seconds Distance: 303 statute miles Velocity: 5,134 mph Max Q: 580 psf Max G: 11

Answer: Apollo 1 fire

January 27, 1967. Tragedy struck on the launch pad during a preflight test for Apollo 204 (AS-204), which was scheduled to be the first Apollo manned mission, and would have been launched on February 21, 1967. Astronauts Virgil Grissom, Edward White, and Roger Chaffee lost their lives when a fire swept through the Command Module (CM).

Answer: Armstrong and Aldrin walk on the moon

July 20 1969 - First manned lunar landing mission and lunar surface EVA. 'HOUSTON, TRANQUILITY BASE HERE.THE EAGLE HAS LANDED.' July 21, Sea of Tranquility. 1 EVA of 02 hours, 31 minutes. Flag and instruments deployed; unveiled plaque on the LM descent stage with inscription: 'Here Men From Planet Earth First Set Foot Upon the Moon. July 1969 A.D. We Came In Peace For All Mankind.' Lunar surface stay time 21.6 hours; 59.5 hours in lunar orbit, with 30 orbits. LM ascent stage left in lunar orbit. 20kg (44 lbs) of material gathered. Orbit

Answer: Splashdown of the Apollo 17 spacecraft in the Pacific Ocean

12-19-72 signified the end of the Apollo space program.

Answer: Launch date of the Apollo-Soyuz mission

Apollo Soyuz was the first international manned spaceflight. It was designed to test the compatibility of rendezvous and docking systems for American and Soviet spacecraft, to open the way for international space rescue as well as future joint manned flights.

The Soyuz was launched just over seven hours prior to the launch of the Apollo CSM. Apollo then maneuvered to rendezvous and docking 52 hours after the Soyuz launch. The Apollo and Soyuz crews conducted a variety of experiments over a two-day period.

After separation, Apollo remained in space an additional 06 days. Soyuz returned to Earth approximately 43 hours after separation.

Answer: First Space Shuttle mission

Columbia (OV-102), the first of NASA's orbiter fleet, was delivered to Kennedy Space Center in March 1979. Columbia initiated the Space Shuttle flight program when it lifted off Pad A in the Launch Complex 39 area at KSC on April 12, 1981. It proved the operational concept of a winged, reusable spaceship by successfully completing the Orbital Flight Test Program - missions STS-1 through 4.

Other, more recent achievements for Columbia include the recovery of the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) satellite from orbit during mission STS-32 in January 1990 and the STS-40 Spacelab Life Sciences mission in June 1991 - the first manned Spacelab mission totally dedicated to human medical research. Columbia is named after a small sailing vessel that operated out of Boston in 1792 and explored the mouth of the Columbia River. One of the first ships of the U.S. Navy to circumnavigate the globe was named Columbia.

The command module for the Apollo 11 lunar mission was also named Columbia.

Answer: First flight for Space Shuttle Endeavour

Authorization to construct the fifth Space Shuttle orbiter as a replacement for Challenger was granted by Congress on August 1, 1987. Endeavour (OV-105) first arrived at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility May 7,1991, atop NASA's new Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (NASA 911).

The space agency's newest orbiter will begin flight operations in 1992. Endeavour is named after the first ship commanded by 18th century British explorer James Cook. On its maiden voyage in 1788, Cook sailed into the South Pacific and around Tahiti to observe the passage of Venus between the Earth and the Sun. During another leg of the journey, Cook discovered New Zealand, surveyed Australia and navigated the Great Barrier Reef.

Answer: 100th Space Shuttle mission

Flown by Discovery it is a milestone in manned spaceflight history.

Answer: International Space Station construction begins

Zarya Control Module (Functional Cargo Block - FGB) was launched on a Russian Proton Rocket and became the first peice of the International Space Station to enter space.

Answer: Contract awarded to NASA to begin construction of the first space shuttle

Columbia was born, it took 9 years of hard work to construct and launch the first Space Shuttle.