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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Joe Walker decide not to apply for the astronaut-training program?

2. Why does Shepard see the Earth through the periscope in black and white?

3. When accompanying Glenn on his travels, what does Pete Conrad find himself doing?

4. Which astronaut takes Slayton's place for the next flight?

5. What happens in Washington at about the same time as Yeager is taxiing down the runway for his test flight?

Short Essay Questions

1. The seven original Mercury astronauts receive the Iven C. Kincheloe Award for outstanding professional performance in the conduct of test flight from the Society for Experimental Test Pilots. What does receiving this award mean to the astronauts?

2. When Bob Gilruth calls the astronauts together for an emergency meeting just before Christmas, what is the purpose of the meeting?

3. Why is Betty Grissom so upset at the treatment of Gus after his flight?

4. What reaction does the American public have to the chimpanzee's flight?

5. In Chapter 15, what does John Glenn argue with James Webb about?

6. Why does Grissom's suit not keep him buoyant when he is awaiting rescue in the ocean?

7. What irks the Original Seven wives about the Next Nine wives?

8. Why do neither John Glenn nor his wife, Annie, foresee the excitement that John's flight will cause?

9. When urination had been a problem in the procedures trainer, what had some of the astronauts done out of necessity and what are the dangers involved in a real-world situation?

10. When NASA grounds Deke Slayton, the press refers to him as being "keenly disappointed." How is Slayton actually feeling?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Wally Schirra's Mercury flight came to be known as the "textbook" flight. Scott Carpenter's flight was not.

a. Identify three differences between the two flights that led to this distinction.

b. Describe how the pilot's personalities affected the outcome of the two flights.

c. From watching Carpenter's flight and learning from Carpenter's actions, Schirra insisted on one specific change from Carpenter's flight to his. What was the change? Why was it important?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout the book, the astronauts are compared with the pilots from Edwards Air Force Base. Compare and contrast these two groups in terms at the following times:

a. When Project Mercury was first being announced.

b. When Project Mercury was underway.

c. When Project Mercury was concluded.

Essay Topic 3

When Project Mercury first began, the pilots were flying to Cape Canaveral for their training sessions. Later, as Project Mercury outgrew Cape Canaveral, the program was moved to Houston. Compare and contrast the astronauts' lifestyles in Cape Canaveral and Houston.

(see the answer keys)

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