Robert A. Heinlein's "Space Cadet" Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Welcome to the Academy. During your training you will learn what it takes to become a Space Cadet and the responsibilities that go with that title. You there! The one they call Matt. What is your full name?

Answer: Matthew Brooks Dodson

Matt is a native of Des Moines, Iowa, who became an Interplanetary Patrol cadet. After completing his training he was assigned to the Aes Triplex with two friends and appointed assistant astrogator and hydroponics worker. He and the other two cadets were sent to Venus to investigate a distress call from a civilian craft.

There they straightened out a political crisis caused by a former classmate and discovered the Astarte, the first Earth ship to Venus which had been lost on its first voyage there.

2. Once you have completed your training you will become members of the largest peacekeeping force in this system. Who can tell me the name of this organization?

Answer: Interplanetary Patrol

The Interplanetary Patrol is a military/civil service organization that patrols the space lanes and also monitors the system of H-bombs that orbit the planets to prevent any one government from committing aggression against others.

3. I notice that Pierre Armand seems to be having difficulty with the Earth's gravity. Where were you born Mr. Armand?

Answer: Ganymede

Due to Ganymede's lower gravitation Pierre (Pete) suffered under the Earth's 1 G gravity which was also maintained on the training ship but this also made him immune to drop sickness during the free-fall training. After completing his training in the James Randolph, he was assigned to the PRS Charles' Wain.

4. Congratulations! You have passed the initial testing here on Earth. You will now be assigned to the Academy training ship for further instruction and schooling. Who can tell me the name of the ship to which you will be assigned?

Answer: P.R.S. James Randolph

The Patrol Rocket Ship James Randolph is the first ship a Cadet is assigned to. A youngster Cadet is ordered to the Randolph as soon as he is sworn in and remains attached to that ship until he is ready to go to a regular Patrol vessel as a passed Cadet.

5. During your First Muster ceremony before boarding the training ship you were given your oath by Commodore Arkwright, the Commandant of the Academy. You may not of been able to tell by his manner but who noticed what was "different" about the Commodore?

Answer: He was blind

Arkwright took a reduction in rank in order to assume the post of Academy Commandant. He lost his sight while rescuing a private vessel in space.

6. During First Muster four of you were given a name to answer for when called. Three of these names were Wheeler, Rivera and Martin. Which name is missing from this list?

Answer: Dahlquist

The Four Heroes, or simply The Four, are included in every Patrol muster. Ezra Dahlquist was a Lieutenant in the Interplanetary Patrol whom Colonel Towers tried to recruit for his coup attempt. Instead, Dahlquist blockaded himself in with the base's atomic bombs, and died of radiation poisoning after manually disarming them. Commander Rivera was sent to his native city to negotiate with belligerents. He ordered an immediate attack should he be taken hostage, and was killed when his orders were carried out. The reasons why Wheeler and Martin are among the heroes are not given.

7. Now that you've been aboard the training ship for a while you should have had time to find your way around easily. Corridor 5 on "A" Deck is an area where you and your fellow cadets get together to socialize and, I understand, have put together a small musical band. What do you call this area again?

Answer: Hog Alley

Hog Alley was known for the carefree conduct of its inhabitants. Among other things, they organized the Hog Alley Band from the musically-inclined cadets assigned to the corridor. The Hog Alley People's Forum was a group of the older cadets, who informally took charge of the new cadets.

8. Mr. Jarman! Or may I call you Tex like your friends do? I've heard about this uncle of yours that you talk so highly of. Seems rather incredible to me that he is capable of all the escapades you claim he's been involved in. What is his name?

Answer: Uncle Bodie

According to Tex, Uncle Bodie wasn't afraid of anything or afraid to try anything. Why, he even once rode a twister, bareback!

9. We've been dispatched to Venus to attempt the rescue of a civilian craft and to quench a possible native uprising. Now, the Venerians are a strange people but friendly. One of the differences is that there is one type of Venerian you will never see. Do you remember which one that is?

Answer: Males

Smaller than humans, the natives of Venus were described by humans as resembling frogs or seals; they were bipedal, amphibious, and nonmammalian. Their society was completely matriarchal; outsiders never saw males. They were ruled by a strict set of customs and taboos, and were scientifically advanced.

They were not given to violence but were able to defend themselves against aggression.

10. Congratulations on becoming a full-fledged Space Cadet and may your years of service bring honor to you and to the Patrol. You've gotten off to a great start in your career! You rescued the civilian, made contact with the native Venerians and you even found and piloted the first ship that attempted to land on Venus and was lost for a hundred years. It's been so long I've forgotten the name of that ship. Could you please refresh my memory so I can log it into your records.

Answer: The Astarte

The Astarte was the ship that carried the first expedition to Venus in 1971. Her crew died of a virulent fungal infection shortly after landing. The Little People gave Matt Dodson the ship's log, then led them to the ship herself, which they had preserved intact. The cadets refitted her with the Venerians' help and flew her to New Auckland at Venus's South Pole.

The Kilroy was the first interplanetary rocketship. It traveled to Mars and back but crashed on the return landing, leaving no survivors. A replication of the crash site was displayed at Hayworth Hall.

The PRS Pathfinder was an Interplanetary Patrol ship that was engaged in charting a section of the Asteroid Belt. When radio contact was lost, the Aes Triplex was one of four ships assigned to search for her. They found that the hull had been breached by a tiny asteroid, and all crew members died in the decompression.

Source: Author derickwjazz

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

"Space Cadet" is one of Robert A. Heinlein's first books in a career spanning six decades.

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