View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who is Bob Gilruth?
(a) The veterinarian brought in to dismantle the chimpanzee colony.
(b) The man in charge of Project Mercury.
(c) The head engineer of Project Mercury.
(d) The X-15 pilot who joined the astronauts for training.

2. Who is in charge of crew selection?
(a) John Glenn.
(b) James Webb.
(c) John Kennedy.
(d) Deke Slayton.

3. At the end of the book, what major political change occurs?
(a) The US and the Soviets stop competing in space.
(b) Iraq acquires nuclear capabilities.
(c) The Vietnam War begins.
(d) The Korean Conflict ends.

4. When Cooper is in the capsule awaiting launch, all of his objective readings indicate that Cooper has done something no previous astronaut has done. What does Cooper do?
(a) Falls asleep.
(b) Hyperventilates.
(c) Passes out.
(d) Cries.

5. How many pilots are selected to comprise the second group of astronauts for the new moon program?
(a) 7.
(b) 9.
(c) 4.
(d) 15.

Short Answer Questions

1. How long is the second Russian cosmonaut in space for?

2. After the Russian flight, NASA scrubbed the remainder of the planned Mercury flights using Redstone rockets. What is the next flight to attempt?

3. The first "manned" space flight by Russia does not have a man aboard. What living thing do the Russians send into space?

4. Which astronaut is scheduled for the next space flight?

5. What is the new moon program called?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. The evening before the second Mercury flight, Joe Walker runs into Gus Grissom. Walker tries to get Grissom's goat by insisting that the X-15 program will soon pass the Mercury program and that he and the other Edwards pilots are the "real" pilots. Why do these remarks not bother Grissom at all?

3. What is the general assumption regarding why the capsule's hatch blew before the helicopter hooks on?

4. 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?

5. Why does the next group of astronauts selected contain fourteen trainees instead of the intended eleven trainees?

6. What is the effect on Shepard of having so many pre-flight simulations?

7. Why does Webb declare Cooper's flight to be the last of the Mercury program?

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

9. 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?

10. For the third space flight, the astronaut's wife decided to write her own story for Life magazine. The magazine rents her a "safe house" to watch the launch from so no one knows where she and her children are. Why does this action upset Shorty Powers?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 899 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample