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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 12, "The Tears".

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What feature makes Pete Conrad different from a lot of other pilots?
(a) He can't stand being trifled with.
(b) He is older than average.
(c) He speaks both English and Spanish.
(d) He is taller than average.

2. What is Jim Lovell's nickname?
(a) Shaky.
(b) Ace.
(c) Ears.
(d) Scooby.

3. Who is the scheduled backup astronaut for the first manned orbital flight?
(a) Gordon Cooper.
(b) Scott Carpenter.
(c) Alan Shepard.
(d) Deke Slayton.

4. During the launch itself, how much fuel is being consumed by the rockets each second?
(a) 1 ton.
(b) 1000 pounds.
(c) 56,000 gallons.
(d) 2 1/2 tons.

5. After the Russian flight, NASA scrubbed the remainder of the planned Mercury flights using Redstone rockets. What is the next flight to attempt?
(a) A moon landing.
(b) Dropping bombs from space.
(c) Orbital flight.
(d) A rocket launch with a plane landing.

Short Answer Questions

1. What recent invention makes Program Mercury possible at all?

2. In the eyes of the engineers, what are the astronauts?

3. What record does Bob White set during one of his X-15 flights?

4. At the insistence of the astronauts, what feature is finally designed into the capsule?

5. What is housed at the Holloman Air Force Base?

(see the answer key)

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