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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. Who runs the Fly Inn near Muroc Field?

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

3. What is the nightmare that Jane Conrad has repeatedly?

4. Which of the astronauts' wives has been previously divorced--a matter of public record that is not reported in the Life article?

5. Which magazine buys the exclusive rights to the astronauts' personal stories for $500,000?

Short Essay Questions

1. The morning after the press conference, the newspapers are full of stories about the astronauts. What do the stories highlight?

2. Why do Chuck Yeager's comments in Phoenix almost set off a national scandal? What happens to avoid the scandal?

3. Why don't the wives ever discuss the dangers their husbands face each day?

4. Why do the astronauts not refer to themselves or the other astronauts as "astronauts"?

5. Name two reasons that fighter pilots hate to declare an emergency.

6. Why do the pilots come to hate Lovelace?

7. The engineers tend to feel that the glorification of the astronauts has really gotten out of control. Why do they feel that way?

8. Why do so many fighter pilots accept the Mercury mission?

9. What is the procedures trainer?

10. What is the begrudging consensus finally reached from the Konakai Séance regarding their "off hours" behavior?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

During the period in which Project Mercury was being launched, the Cold War was in full swing.

a. How did the Cold War affect Project Mercury and its projected time frame?

b. How did the Soviet's successes in space affect and/or change NASA's projects?

c. What fears did the Soviet successes raise?

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

Identify and discuss the main political events that hastened the creation of Project Mercury.

a. What specifically occurred to speed up NASA's time frame for space travel?

b. What perceived threats resulted from these events?

c. How did the creation of Project Mercury address these perceived threats?

(see the answer keys)

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