Aerospace Study Guide Practice Flashcards

Comprehensive practice flashcards structured in Question and Answer format based on Modules 1 through 7 of the Aerospace Study Guide.

What was the first manned flight made up of?

Chinese sailors attached to kites.

What was the first powered flight made up of?

Humans and hot-air balloons.

Who created the first hot-air balloons?

The Montgolfier brothers.

What did Daniel Bernoulli’s studies lead to regarding aerodynamics?

An understanding of aerodynamic lift: as fluid flow increases, pressure decreases.

What is Newton’s Second Law of Motion equation?

Force produces acceleration ($F = ma$).

How is the lateral axis defined and controlled on an airplane?

It runs from wingtip to wingtip; rotation about it is pitch, controlled by the elevator.

How is the longitudinal axis defined and controlled on an airplane?

It runs from nose to tail; rotation about it is roll, controlled by the ailerons.

What is the purpose of flaps on an airplane?

To increase lift at lower speeds, especially during takeoff and landing.

What three examples of UAVs are listed in the study guide?

Global Hawk, MQ-9 Reaper, and RQ-4.

What does a reciprocating engine need to provide electricity to the spark plugs?

A magneto. If one magneto fails, the engine can still operate using the other magneto.

What are the four cylinder arrangements found in aircraft engines?

Inline, V-type, horizontally opposed, and radial.

What are the three parts of a GPS unit?

Space segment (satellites), control segment (ground stations), and user segment (receiver).

What was the Apollo program, and what milestone did Apollo 11 achieve?

A series of missions that sent astronauts to the Moon; Apollo 11 achieved the first crewed lunar landing in $1969$.

What rocket was used to launch Skylab, and in what year?

A Saturn V rocket, in $1973$.

Who developed the V-2 rocket and when was it used?

Wernher von Braun and his German team; it was used during World War II.

What land-speed record did the rocket-powered vehicle Blue Flame set in $1970$?

It reached about $630\,\text{mph}$, setting a world land-speed record at the time.

What was Explorer 1, and what discovery did it help make?

The first satellite launched by the US in $1958$; it carried instruments that helped discover the Van Allen radiation belts.

What unit of measurement is based on the temperature of absolute zero?

Kelvin.

What determines how long a star will live?

Its mass; generally, more massive stars use their fuel faster and live shorter lives.

How far away is the Sun from Earth?

About $93\times 10^6\,\text{miles}$ (1 astronomical unit).

Which spacecraft confirmed water ice on Mars and in what year?

NASA’s Phoenix lander confirmed water ice on Mars in $2008$.

What was Sputnik?

The first artificial satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in $1957$.

Who was the first American woman in space?

Sally Ride, in $1983$.

Who was the first female space mission commander?

Eileen Collins, who commanded STS-93 in $1999$.

Who was the first man to walk on the Moon and on what date?

Neil Armstrong, on July 20, $1969$.

Who are the classical and modern proponents of the geocentric and heliocentric models?

Claudius Ptolemy was the most famous classical proponent of the geocentric theory; Nicolaus Copernicus developed the modern heliocentric model.

In what year was ARPANET developed?

$1969$.

What is ransomware?

Malicious software that restricts access to data or systems and demands payment to restore access.

What is phishing?

A social-engineering attack that uses deceptive messages, websites, or other communication to trick people into revealing information.

What is the difference between an active footprint and a passive footprint?

An active footprint is information you intentionally create, post, share, or provide online, while a passive footprint is information collected about you through online activity without you deliberately posting it.