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"No Go" for Launch! Trivia Quiz

It is common for a Space Shuttle launch to be delayed due to technical reasons or non-ideal weather. Here are some of the more unusual reasons Shuttle launches have been delayed.

A multiple-choice quiz by mcdubb. Estimated time: 7 mins.

Author
mcdubb

Time
7 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
255,346

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
881

Awards
Top 10% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The maiden launch of Space Shuttle Discovery on mission STS-41D was originally delayed over a month in order to replace a malfunctioning main engine. When finally back on the launch pad, the launch was delayed another six minutes and 50 seconds for what reason? Hint

The Astrovan had broken down on the way to the launch pad.

A private aircraft had flown into the Shuttle's airspace.

The new engine wasn't working properly.

One of the astronauts left his boarding pass at home.

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Question 2 of 10

2. The launch of Shuttle mission STS-36 was delayed for four days due to an illness of the crew's commander. This was the first time since Apollo 13 that a launch was affected by a crewmember's illness. Who was the commander for STS-36? Hint

John Creighton

Charlie Duke

Ken Mattingly

John Young

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Question 3 of 10

3. The launch of Shuttle mission STS-44 was first delayed for five days due to equipment malfunctions, but while set to go the second time, it had to be delayed another 13 minutes in part for what reason? Hint

The astronaut's luggage had been loaded onto the wrong Shuttle.

The Launch Director had slept in that day.

An unknown spacecraft had entered the Shuttle's targeted orbital plane.

The Shuttle was being circled by vultures, which if struck during launch, could break a window.

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Question 4 of 10

4. A Pad Abort is a very risky scenario, in which a launch attempt has to be scrubbed after the main engines have already been ignited, but prior to igniting the Solid Rocket Boosters. How close to launch was Shuttle mission STS-68 when the Shuttle's General Purpose Computers initiated the launch abort sequence due to a main engine turbopump failure? Hint

T-19 hours

T-19 seconds

T-1.9 seconds

T-19 minutes

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Question 5 of 10

5. The Space Shuttle launch pads in Cape Canaveral, Florida are vulnerable to hurricane and tropical storm threats due to location. If a Shuttle is sitting on the launch pad when a hurricane threat develops, the Shuttle is rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for protection. One instance of a Shuttle delay due to a hurricane was the 1996 mission STS-79. What was unusual about this delay? Hint

Roll back began too late. Hurricane Bertha destroyed Space Shuttle Atlantis.

Shuttle Atlantis was in the process of rolling back when the weather cleared up and they reversed course.

Roll back was too late. Hurricane Fran destroyed Space Shuttle Atlantis.

Space Shuttle Atlantis had to be rolled back twice, due to threats by two separate hurricanes, Hurricane Bertha, and Hurricane Fran.

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Question 6 of 10

6. In 2006, Hurricane Ernesto continued to develop while a Shuttle was sitting on the launch pad. As with other hurricane threats, NASA decided to roll the Shuttle back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for protection. While the Shuttle was in transit, the weather situation changed and the Shuttle turned around and headed back. This was the first time a rollback was cancelled while the Shuttle was in transit. Which Shuttle flight was this? Hint

STS-114

STS-116

STS-121

STS-115

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Question 7 of 10

7. A little over two minutes into a Shuttle launch, the Solid Rocket Boosters are depleted of fuel and are jettisoned, and parachute down into the water. When an 800 foot long ship entered the restricted waters where the SRBs were set to land, Shuttle Mission STS-61 had to be delayed by 24 hours. A similar occurence delayed STS-51D by 55 mintues, and STS-51I by three minutes. Which body of water do the SRBs land in? Hint

Lake Michigan

The Gulf of Mexico

The Atlantic Ocean

The Indian Ocean

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Question 8 of 10

8. The launch of Shuttle Mission STS-115 was delayed by 24 hours in order to assess any potential damage incurred when the launch pad was struck by the largest lightning strike ever recorded at the Kennedy Space Center, in August 2006. Which orbiter was on the pad when this occurred? Hint

Challenger

Discovery

Atlantis

Endeavour

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Question 9 of 10

9. Hurricanes and lightning are not the only causes of Shuttle damage while sitting at the pad. What weather phenomenon caused damage to the External Tank and caused Shuttle mission STS-96 to be rolled back to the Vehicle Assembly Building for repairs? Hint

A tornado

Hail

Snow

Excessive sunshine

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Question 10 of 10

10. Now for the most bizarre incident causing a Shuttle launch to be delayed. While sitting on the launch pad, the External Tank for STS-70 was damaged with 71 holes ranging in size from four inches to a half inch. What caused these holes? Hint

Hail

Woodpeckers

Golf Balls

A disgruntled employee with a drill

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: A private aircraft had flown into the Shuttle's airspace.

If you are a pilot and you find yourself in Shuttle airspace prior to a launch, you will soon be accompanied by military jet fighters to kindly escort you away. Space Shuttle Discovery launched successfully on August 30, 1984 on mission STS-41D. The crew consisted of Commander Henry Hartsfield, Pilot Michael Coats, Mission Specialists Judy Resnik, Steven Hawley, and Richard Mullane, and Payload Specialist Charles Walker. Coats later became the Director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Resnik perished in the Challenger accident less than a year and a half later.

Answer: John Creighton

Space Shuttle Atlantis launched successfully on February 28, 1990 for mission STS-36. The remaining crew consisted of Pilot John Casper, and Mission Specialists Richard Mullane, David Hilmers, and Pierre Thuot. It was a mission for the Department of Defense, so much about it is still classified.

Answer: An unknown spacecraft had entered the Shuttle's targeted orbital plane.

Space Shuttle Atlantis launched successfully on November 24, 1991. The crew consisted of Commander Frederick Gregory, Pilot Terence Henricks, Mission Specialists Story Musgrave, Mario Runco, and Jim Voss, and Payload Specialist Thomas Hennen. It was a Department of Defense sponsored flight, so much about it is still classified.

Much speculation still exists about the nature of the unknown spacecraft.

Answer: T-1.9 seconds

A Pad Abort is a highly risky way to delay a Shuttle launch, but can be necessary due to appropriate failures. The Pad Abort computer sequence shuts down the main engines, and if the engines are not lit the Solid Rocket Boosters should not ignite, but there is still that risk.

A pad abort was issued at T-6 seconds on STS-41D, and T-3 seconds for STS-51F, STS-51, and STS-55. Originally scheduled for launch August 18, 1994, Space Shuttle Atlantis launched successfully on September 30 that same year on mission STS-68.

The crew consisted of Commander Michael Baker, Pilot Terry Wilcutt, Mission Specialists Steven Smith, Daniel Bursch and Peter Wisoff, and Payload Commander Tom Jones.

Answer: Space Shuttle Atlantis had to be rolled back twice, due to threats by two separate hurricanes, Hurricane Bertha, and Hurricane Fran.

Talk about bad luck! Space Shuttle Atlantis was launched successfully on September 16, 1996 for mission STS-79. The crew consisted of Commander William Readdy, Pilot Terry Wilcutt, and Mission Specialists Thomas Akers, John Blaha, Jay Apt, and Carl Walz.

Answer: STS-115

Space Shuttle Atlantis launched successfully on September 9, 2006 after a series of unusual delays, which included the hurricane threat and a lightning strike. STS-115 was a flight to the International Space Station to deliver a set of solar arrays that would double the Station's power generation capability.

It was the first Station assembly mission since STS-113, which was prior to the Columbia Accident. The crew consisted of Commander Brent Jett, Pilot Chris Ferguson, and Mission Specialists Joe Tanner, Dan Burbank, Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper, and Steve MacLean.

Answer: The Atlantic Ocean

Space Shuttle Endeavour launched successfully on December 2, 1993 for mission STS-61. The crew consisted of Commander Dick Covey, Pilot Ken Bowersox, Payload Commander Story Musgrave, and Mission Specialists Kathryn Thornton, Claude Nicollier, Jeff Hoffman, and Tom Akers.

Space Shuttle Discovery launched successfully on April 12, 1985 for mission STS-51D. The crew consited of Commander Karol Bobko, Pilot Don Williams, Mission Specialists Rhea Seddon, Jeff Hoffman, David Griggs, and Payload Specialists Charles Walker, and Senator Jake Garn.

Space Shuttle Discovery launched August 27, 1985 for mission STS-51I. The crew consisted of Commander Joe Engle, Pilot Dick Covey, and Mission Specialists James van Hoften, John Lounge, and William Fisher. It was Discovery's fourth flight in 1985.

Answer: Atlantis

There was no serious damage to the Orbiter, but it doesn't hurt to check and make sure. Primarily due to the Columbia accident, there was a four year gap between the time the crew was selected and the actual flight. All of the delays of STS-115 earned Shuttle Atlantis the nickname "The Penguin" because it was a flightless bird.

Answer: Hail

Space Shuttle Discovery launched successfully on May 27, 1999 for mission STS-96. The crew included Commander Kent Rominger, Pilot Rick Husband, and Mission Specialists Ellen Ochoa, Tamara Jernigan, Daniel Barry, Julie Payette, and Valery Tokarev. Rick Husband later perished as the commander for Space Shuttle Columbia's STS-107 mission when the Shuttle broke apart in the Earth's upper atmosphere upon re-entry.

Answer: Woodpeckers

Ironically, Woody the Woodpecker was used as a promotional tool for the Apollo program years earlier. Woody would explain technical issues to the public in layman's terms. Space Shuttle Discovery was launched successfully on July 13, 1995 for mission STS-70.

The crew consisted of Commander Terence Henricks, Pilot Kevin Kregel, and Mission Specialists Nancy Currie, Donald Thomas, and Mary Weber.

Source: Author mcdubb

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