“Leaving Earth” Presentation

Which nation developed the first rockets to be used in warfare around 1000 CE?

China

From what country did Wernher von Braun and his colleagues enter the United States after the end of World War II?

Germany

What nation launched the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth on October 4, 1957?

Soviet Union

Did John F. Kennedy have a reputation as a spaceflight advocate before his presidency began in 1961?

No, he was not known as a spaceflight advocate prior to his presidency.

What was the name of the United States’ first human spaceflight program, sending Alan Shepard on a suborbital flight in 1961 and John Glenn on an orbital flight in 1962?

Project Mercury

What was the name of the United States’ second human spaceflight program, sending ten crews of two astronauts each into orbit in 1965 and 1966?

Gemini Program

During what part of their mission did the Apollo 1 crew of Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee die?

During a pre-launch test on the launch pad

In what city did astronauts train and flight controllers monitor missions after NASA established the Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) there in 1961?

Houston, Texas

How did the Space Shuttle era contribute to the diversity of the astronaut corps?

It opened opportunities for women and minorities to become astronauts for the first time, including the first American woman (Sally Ride) and the first African American man (Guion Bluford) in space.