Out To Launch Trivia Quiz

Answer: Scott Carpenter

The "Aurora 7", piloted by Scott Carpenter, made three orbits around the Earth. A re-entry error took the capsule 250 miles off the splashdown point which delayed the capsule's recovery. Carpenter was the sixth American in space.

Answer: Gordon Cooper

The "Faith 7', piloted by Gordon Cooper, was the last of the Mercury Program flights. Cooper orbited the Earth 22 times before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.

Answer: Gus Grissom

The "Liberty Bell 7" flight was the second of the non-orbital manned Mercury missions. The flight lasted 15 min. 30 sec. Upon splashdown, the capsule's explosive emergency hatch bolts accidentally blew the escape hatch off. Grissom was rescued but the capsule sank to the bottom of the ocean. In 1999 the capsule was found and recovered.

Answer: Gordon Cooper and Pete Conrad

The Gemini V was the third of the two man voyages in the Gemini Program. It was the first week long mission, launching on August 21st and ending on an August 29th splashdown. The flight also broke the space flight duration record held by the Russians.

Answer: John Glenn

John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. He made three orbits in 4 hrs. 55 min. 23 sec. On October 29th, 1998, at the age of 77, Glenn became the oldest person to fly on a Space Shuttle Program mission.

Answer: Gus Grissom and John Young

Gemini III was the first of the manned Gemini flights. The primary goal of the flight was to test the maneuverability of the craft in orbit. Grissom and Young performed the first manual orbital maneuvers of any manned spacecraft.

Answer: Walter Schirra

"Sigma 7" was the 5th manned flight in the Mercury Program and lasted 9 hrs. 13 min. 15 sec. The flight focused on technical evaluation and durability of the craft.

Answer: John Young and Michael Collins

The "Gemini X" was the 8th manned Gemini flight and made 43 orbits around the Earth. Collins and Young rendezvoused with the aborted Agena booster from the Gemini VIII flight. Collins left his spacecraft and spacewalked to the abandoned booster making him the first person to meet another spacecraft while in orbit.

Answer: Alan Shepard

Alan Shepard became the first American to be launched into outer space. The flight lasted 15 min. 22 sec. Shepard named his craft "Freedom 7" in honor of the first seven Mercury astronauts. In turn, all the other astronauts added the number seven at the end of their craft's names.

Answer: Jim Lovell and Buzz Aldrin

"Gemini XII" was the last of the Gemini Program's flights. Lovell and Aldrin made 59 orbits around the earth, and Aldrin set a new EVA record for a 5 hr. 30 min. spacewalk.