The University of Western Ontario

The University of Western Ontario Department of Geography

Geography 136b – Space Exploration

In-Class Test 1 - January 31, 2008

Instructions: Answer all fifteen questions in the following table.

Each answer is worth one mark. Partial marks will be considered. The test is worth 15 marks, or 15% of the course grade.

No notes or other materials may be referred to during the examination.

Time available: 50 minutes

Question Answer

Only three nations have First - Soviet Union (Russia is OK) developed the technology to launch humans into space. Which Third - China was first? Which was third?

What was the first space station Skylab launched by the United States?

What was Hermann Oberth’s Helped develop early rocket technology, member of connection with space the Verein fur Raumschiffarht rocket club, trained exploration? Wernher von Braun.

(any of these, or similar, are OK)

Where did the British Army first India - the Indians got rockets from China and used get the idea to use rockets as them against British troops. weapons? (only the word ‘India’ is required)

How many fatal space accidents Four have there been (during flight, not on the ground)? (Soyuz 1, Soyuz 11, Space Shuttles Challenger and (You don’t need to identify them. Columbia) The question refers to the number of events, not the number of victims) Question Answer

The Apollo 12 moon landing had a To achieve a pinpoint landing. special goal - what was it? (“Surveyor 3” - half a mark)

How did the last three Apollo More equipment, more time on the moon, more landings differ from the first three? EVAs (moonwalks), use of a rover, more interesting sites. (any one answer is enough) Which Apollo mission landed near a big valley? (We saw their rover Apollo 15 (Hadley - name not required) parked near the edge of it, in class.) (Can accept Apollo 17 as well) The Moon has bright and dark areas. Only one Apollo landed in a Apollo 16 (Descartes - name not required) bright highland region - which one? Of the various plans for post-Apollo missions, which was the only one The Skylab space station actually accomplished? (Refers to the immediate post-Apollo period, early 1970s, not recent years).

Who chose the next US space goal President Nixon (half mark) after Apollo and what was it? to build a reusable Space Shuttle. (half mark)

(either ‘space shuttle’ or ‘reusable’ are OK)

The Soviet (Russian) space station Collision with a Progress cargo ship. Mir suffered two accidents in space (need not say ‘Progress’) - describe one of them. Fire on the space station. (Only one has to be mentioned.)

What was Buran? Soviet Union’s (or Russia’s) version of the space shuttle

What is the difference between Zond - designed to take people to the Moon. Zond, Soyuz and Progress? Soyuz - used for space station crews. Progress - Space station cargo transport, no crew. (but all basically the same vehicle) (half mark for 1 or 2 of these descriptions)

What famous entrepreneur has just Richard Branson - Virgin Galactic revealed the designs for a new fleet of tourist spacecraft? (only his name is necessary)