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Skylab Space Stations Trivia Quiz

America's first active space station is the subject of this quiz. In this quiz, the manned missions to the station are denoted by their official mission patches (ie, Skylab 1, Skylab 2, Skylab 3).

A multiple-choice quiz by cag1970. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
cag1970

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
101,884

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
752

Last 3 plays: Roger_Dwarf (3/10), Guest 97 (7/10), Guest 47 (8/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. On what date was the Skylab station launched into earth orbit? Hint

December 17, 1972

November 6, 1972

January 11, 1973

May 14, 1973

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Question 2 of 10

2. True or False: Skylab was created by modifying the first stage of a Saturn I-B rocket.

True

False

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Question 3 of 10

3. Which moonwalking astronaut commanded Skylab 1, the first manned mission to the station? Hint

David Scott

Edgar Mitchell

Charles Conrad

John Young

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Question 4 of 10

4. Which transient astronomical body was the subject of intense observation by Skylab's final crew, Skylab 3? Hint

Comet West

Comet Barnhardt

Comet Swift-Tuttle

Comet Kohoutek

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Question 5 of 10

5. How long did the crew of Skylab 2 stay in space? Hint

62 days

59 days

56 days

65 days

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Question 6 of 10

6. What unusual distinction did the crew of Skylab 3 hold? Hint

It was an all-rookie crew.

It was the first to feature a foreign astronaut on an American mission.

It was an all-Marine Corps crew.

It was the only spacecraft crew to win an Emmy for the TV specials beamed down from the station.

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Question 7 of 10

7. True or False: One of the more unusual experiments of the Skylab program focused on the behavior of spiders in a zero-gravity environment.

True

False

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Question 8 of 10

8. What physical phenomenon is typically blamed for the demise of Skylab? Hint

Sunspots

Tidal forces

Aurora borealis

Magnetic fields

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Question 9 of 10

9. When did Skylab re-enter the earth's atmosphere? Hint

July 4, 1979

June 20, 1979

June 27, 1979

July 11, 1979

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Question 10 of 10

10. Which future space shuttle commander served as the backup commander for both the Skylab 2 and Skylab 3 missions? Hint

Vance Brand

Daniel Brandenstein

Robert Crippen

Charles Bolden

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Most Recent Scores

Oct 20 2024 : Roger_Dwarf: 3/10
Sep 28 2024 : Guest 97: 7/10
Sep 24 2024 : Guest 47: 8/10

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. On what date was the Skylab station launched into earth orbit?

Answer: May 14, 1973

The last Saturn V moon rocket ever to fly boosted Skylab into orbit from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 14, 1973.

2. True or False: Skylab was created by modifying the first stage of a Saturn I-B rocket.

Answer: False

The third stage of a Saturn V moon rocket served as the basis for Skylab. It was modified to support human life and extended-duration stays in space.

3. Which moonwalking astronaut commanded Skylab 1, the first manned mission to the station?

Answer: Charles Conrad

Skylab 1 marked Conrad's fourth and final trip into space. He flew two Gemini missions and commanded the Apollo 12 mission to the Ocean of Storms. Conrad stayed on board the station along with pilot Paul Weitz and mission scientist Joseph Kerwin for 28 days, May 25-June 22, 1973.

4. Which transient astronomical body was the subject of intense observation by Skylab's final crew, Skylab 3?

Answer: Comet Kohoutek

One of the highlights of the Skylab program was the Skylab 3 crew's study of Comet Kohoutek as it raced through the inner Solar System.

5. How long did the crew of Skylab 2 stay in space?

Answer: 59 days

The Skylab 2 mission continued where Skylab 1 left off--making repairs to the station to enhance its performance and conducting a wide array of scientific experiments. The mission lasted from July 28 to September 25, 1973.

6. What unusual distinction did the crew of Skylab 3 hold?

Answer: It was an all-rookie crew.

Commander Gerald Carr (USMC), Pilot William Pogue (USAF) and Scientist Edward Gibson comprised the first and only all-rookie crew during the entire Apollo program.

7. True or False: One of the more unusual experiments of the Skylab program focused on the behavior of spiders in a zero-gravity environment.

Answer: True

Two spiders, named Arabella and Anita, were sent aloft with the Skylab 2 crew to determine how spiders would behave in zero-g. The spiders did what they do best, spinning webs to catch their supper. NASA selected the experiment, originally conceived by a high school student in Lexington, Kentucky.

8. What physical phenomenon is typically blamed for the demise of Skylab?

Answer: Sunspots

Skylab's orbit around the earth gradually decayed after the last crew left it in 1974. Originally, NASA figured the station would remain in orbit until at least the first space shuttle launch, scheduled for 1979, and possibly as long as 1982. However, as sunspot activity increased, the atmosphere expanded, creating drag on the uninhabited station.

When the shuttle program fell behind schedule, Skylab's fate was sealed.

9. When did Skylab re-enter the earth's atmosphere?

Answer: July 11, 1979

After some 36,000 orbits around the earth, the 85-ton Skylab streaked through the atmosphere. Although most of the station burned up on re-entry, some pieces landed in the Indian Ocean and in Western Australia.

10. Which future space shuttle commander served as the backup commander for both the Skylab 2 and Skylab 3 missions?

Answer: Vance Brand

Before flying the space shuttle, Vance Brand served as the command module pilot during the joint Apollo-Soyuz mission in 1975. He commanded three space shuttle missions between 1982 and 1990, including the first operational (non-test) flight of the space shuttle Columbia (STS-5).

Source: Author cag1970

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