Spaced Out: Space Shuttle Quiz
by Maria Trimarchi
Science | Spaceflight
SSPL/Getty Images
At its best, the space shuttle is the embodiment of 20th-century scientific progress, a stunningly complex vehicle that can lift into space, orbit the Earth, return to Earth's atmosphere and be reused in a matter of weeks. At its worst, the shuttle is a symbol of the dangers that come with space travel. How did the shuttle program begin? And what keeps astronauts alive in the depths of outer space?
How fast does a shuttle need to travel to achieve orbit?
15,000 miles per hour (24,000 kilometers per hour)
18,000 miles per hour
To achieve orbit, a space shuttle needs to reach about 18,000 miles per hour as it speeds out of Earth's atmosphere.
What is the top speed of a space shuttle as it orbits Earth?
17,500 miles per hour (28,2000 kilometers per hour)
While in orbit, a space shuttle travels at about 17,500 miles per hour (28,200 kilometers per hour).
At this speed, how often does the shuttle crew watch the sun rise or set?
While traveling 17,500 miles per hour around Earth, crew members can see a sunrise or sunset every 45 minutes.
every 12 hours
How long does a typical space shuttle mission last?
seven to eight days
A typical shuttle mission lasts seven to eight days from launch to landing, though they've been known to last up to two weeks, depending on the mission's objectives.
about three weeks
between two and three months
What is the longest amount of time a shuttle has stayed in orbit during a mission?
17 days, 15 hours
The longest space shuttle mission was 17 days, 15 hours, 53 minutes, 18 secs, between Nov. 19, 1995, and Dec. 7, 1996.
True or false: The combined mileage of the five space shuttles equals the distance between Earth and Jupiter.
The combined mileage of all five orbiters  -  513.7 million miles (826.7 million kilometers)  -  is 1.3 times greater than the distance between Earth to Jupiter.
Which space shuttle accumulated the most career miles?
Discovery, flown between 1984 and 2011, traveled 148.2 million miles (238.5 million kilometers) during its 39 missions.
Who is the only president to have witnessed a space shuttle launch firsthand?
On Oct. 29, 1998, President Bill Clinton watched John Glenn's return to space on the Mercury STS-95 flight from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
What percentage of the thrust necessary to lift a space shuttle do the solid rocket boosters (SRBs) provide?
The SRBs provide about 71 percent of the main force necessary to lift a shuttle into space. The remaining 29 percent of the thrust is supplied by the orbiter's three main engines.
The main engine's external fuel tank primarily contains ...
liquid hydrogen
The external fuel tank of the shuttle's main engines is mostly filled with liquid hydrogen. While the engines burn both liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, these substances are stored in a 6-1 ratio in favor of liquid hydrogen. The engines draw enough liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen to empty a family swimming pool every 10 seconds.
Which of the following is NOT a reason the external fuel tank is covered with a special, inch-thick layer of foam insulation?
to keep the fuel cold
to minimize ice formation
to stabilize the tank so it doesn't dislodge after ignition
The polyisocyanurate foam insulation that covers the external fuel tank is crucial to the shuttle's liftoff. However, it doesn't play a role in stabilizing the tank after ignition. Its three primary purposes are to keep the fuel cold, protect the fuel from heat that builds up on the exterior of the fuel tank in flight and minimize ice formation.
What part of the shuttle orbiter contains the main engines?
the aft fuselage
The main engines are housed in the orbiter's aft fuselage. The forward fuselage contains support equipment for the crew, while the RCS module stores forward rocket jets for steering the orbiter.
the forward fuselage
the forward reaction control system (RCS) module
What is the shuttle's heat shield  -  it's thermal protection system  -  made from?
The thermal protection system contains more than 30,000 tiles made from sand.
What does the "STS" prefix in front of NASA mission names indicate?
science technology system
space tourism society
space transportation system
STS is an acronym for "space transportation system," the official name of the space shuttle program.
What U.S. president announced the development of the space shuttle?
President Richard M. Nixon announced that NASA would develop a reusable space shuttle or space transportation system (STS) in 1972. The shuttle would consist of an orbiter attached to solid rocket boosters and an external fuel tank, and the prime contract was awarded to Rockwell International.
Which of the following occurs at T plus 8.5 minutes of a typical shuttle launch?
the shuttle engines are at maximum throttle
the external fuel tank separates from the orbiter
the main engines shut down
If all goes well, the shuttle's main engines will shut down at T plus 8.5 minutes of the launch. About 30 seconds later, the fuel tank will separate from the orbiter, burning when it re-enters the atmosphere. The shuttle engines are at maximum throttle several minutes earlier in the course of a launch, usually at about T plus 60 seconds.
What caused Challenger to break apart at the beginning of what would have been the shuttle's 10th flight?
damaged heat shield
disconnected thruster cover
faulty seal
On Jan. 28, 1986, a faulty seal on one of Challenger's solid rocket boosters failed in the cold temperatures.
hydrogen gas leak
Which of the following best describes the communication system between mission control and the shuttle orbiter?
Mission control sends a signal directly to the shuttle, using the S-band system for audio.
A signal is sent to a radio antenna, which relays the signal to satellites, and then to the shuttle.
Communication between mission control in Houston and the shuttle orbiter is a three-step process. Basically, mission control will send signals to a 60-foot (18-meter) radio antenna at a test facility in New Mexico. This antenna will relay the signals to a pair of tracking and data relay satellites in orbit 22,300 miles (35,900 kilometers) above Earth. The satellites will relay the signals to the space shuttle. The system also works in reverse; when the orbiter contacts mission control, the signal goes from the satellites to the test facility to Houston.
Mission control sends a signal to a station in California, which sends a signal directly to the shuttle.
Why does NASA place more than 100 cameras around the launch pad to film the shuttle during liftoff?
It records the liftoff in an effort to detect possible debris or damage to the shuttle that occurred.
NASA uses 107 infrared, high-speed digital video, high-definition TV, 35-millimeter and 16-millimeter cameras around the launch pad to detect possible damage to the shuttle that occurs after liftoff. Ten sites within 40 miles (64 kilometers) of liftoff are also equipped with cameras to detect possible damage, and there are also cameras on the external fuel tank, on the solid rockets boosters and in the orbiter itself.
It records the liftoff from different angles to get footage for the official documentary.
It records the liftoff to ensure that experiments on the exterior of the orbiter occur without incident.
Who was the first astronaut to tweet from space?
Michael Massimino
Astronaut Michael Massimino, as a crewmember on Atlantis, was the first to tweet from space.
True or false: The space shuttle external tank (ET) is left unpainted.
true and false
True and false on this one. The ET was originally painted white during the first 2 missions but left unpainted from then on.
Which space shuttle component is NOT reusable?
external fuel tank
The external fuel tank can't be reused because it's destroyed in the atmosphere after launch.
What's the biggest crew that could fly in a space shuttle orbiter?
A crew could be from five to seven people.
How many people have flown on shuttle missions?
More than 600 people have flown on NASA space shuttle missions.
The power from the three main engines is equivalent to the energy created by which energy source?
23 Hoover Dams
It would take the energy equivalent to 23 Hoover Dams to equal that produced by the shuttle's three main engines.
10 Niagara Falls hydroelectric stations
What damaged part failed to protect the Columbia and its seven-astronaut crew as the shuttle attempted to re-enter Earth's atmosphere on Feb. 1, 2003?
Columbia broke apart over Texas after its damaged heat shield was unable to protect the shuttle and its crew as it attempted to land.
ground umbilical carrier plate
thruster cover
Which was the last song played during the final wake-up call for the last shuttle crew?
"Fanfare for the Common Man"
A version of "God Bless America" sung by Kate Smith played on the last morning of the final shuttle mission. Other songs played during the STS-135 mission include "Rocket Man" by Elton John and "Run the World (Girls)" by Beyonce.
"Good Day Sunshine"
"Rocket Man"
True or false: A Buzz Lightyear figure from "Toy Story" has been to the International Space Station.
A 12-inch (30-centimeter) Buzz Lightyear doll flew to the ISS as part of an educational and outreach program between NASA and Disney.
How long did 12-inch Buzz spend in orbit?
about a year
more than a year
Buzz Lightyear spent 468 days in space, leaving on Discovery on May 31, 2008, and returning Sept. 11, 2009.
After decades of shuttle missions, when did the space shuttle program officially end?
NASA's space shuttle program shuttered on Aug. 31, 2011.
The Reusable Rockets Quiz
How much do you know about reusable rockets? Test your knowledge with this quiz at HowStuffWorks.
Blastoff! The Big, Bad Space Launch System Quiz
The Rocket Engines Quiz
Branson or Bezos: How well do you know the players in the new space race?