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Space Shuttle Columbia disaster
Contributed by: Chadwick
  • 1. When did the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occur?
A) January 28, 1986
B) July 20, 1969
C) April 12, 1981
D) February 1, 2003
  • 2. Where did the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occur?
A) Over Texas
B) Over New Mexico
C) Over Florida
D) Over California
  • 3. Which part of the Space Shuttle was damaged, leading to the disaster?
A) Right wing
B) Orbiter cabin
C) Main engines
D) Left wing
  • 4. How long was the Space Shuttle Columbia mission scheduled to last before the disaster?
A) 30 days
B) 16 days
C) 10 days
D) 7 days
  • 5. Who was the commander of the Space Shuttle Columbia during the disaster?
A) Michael Anderson
B) Laurel Clark
C) Kalpana Chawla
D) Rick Husband
  • 6. Which organization operated the Space Shuttle Columbia?
A) CNSA
B) NASA
C) ESA
D) Roscosmos
  • 7. In which year did the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster take place?
A) 1986
B) 1995
C) 2003
D) 2010
  • 8. What was the mission designation for the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster?
A) STS-135
B) STS-107
C) STS-51-L
D) STS-1
  • 9. How many astronauts were killed in the Columbia disaster?
A) Nine
B) Seven
C) Five
D) Three
  • 10. How many flights had the Space Shuttle fleet completed before the Columbia mission?
A) 100
B) 113
C) 88
D) 112
  • 11. What was the primary purpose of the STS-107 mission?
A) Construction of the International Space Station.
B) Research in various fields, mainly on board the SpaceHab module.
C) Repairing the Hubble Space Telescope.
D) Deployment of a satellite into orbit.
  • 12. What was NASA's reasoning for limiting the investigation before re-entry?
A) They reasoned that the crew could not have fixed the problem if it had been confirmed.
B) NASA believed the damage was minor and non-threatening.
C) The investigation would take too long and delay the mission.
D) There were no tools available to fix any damage in space.
  • 13. How long were Space Shuttle flight operations suspended after the Columbia disaster?
A) Six months
B) More than two years
C) One year
D) Three weeks
  • 14. What was added to subsequent missions as a result of the Columbia disaster?
A) Additional fuel tanks.
B) A second crew compartment for safety.
C) A new type of solid rocket booster.
D) An on-orbit inspection to check the thermal protection system.
  • 15. What was used as a haven if damage to the orbiter prevented safe re-entry after Columbia?
A) The Hubble Space Telescope
B) A rescue shuttle
C) A backup orbiter
D) The International Space Station (ISS)
  • 16. What material was used to protect the nose cone and leading edges of Columbia's wings?
A) Reusable felt surface insulation
B) White low-temperature reusable surface insulation
C) Ablative heat shield
D) Composite material reinforced carbon–carbon (RCC)
  • 17. What was the purpose of the insulating foam on the external tank?
A) To keep the liquid hydrogen and oxygen cold and prevent ice from forming.
B) To provide structural support to the external tank.
C) To protect the orbiter during re-entry.
D) To enhance aerodynamics during launch.
  • 18. What happened to the solid rocket boosters after they expended their fuel?
A) They landed in the Pacific Ocean without parachutes.
B) They remained attached to the orbiter throughout re-entry.
C) They separated from the external tank and fell into the Atlantic Ocean under a parachute.
D) They were jettisoned into space.
  • 19. What was the temperature limit for the orbiter's aluminum skin during re-entry?
A) Below 350 °F (180 °C)
B) Above 2,300 °F (1,300 °C)
C) Below 700 °F (370 °C)
D) Exactly 3,000 °F (1,600 °C)
  • 20. How many operational orbiters were built during the Space Shuttle program?
A) Five
B) Seven
C) Two
D) Three
  • 21. What caused damage to the orbiter Columbia during its first flight, STS-1?
A) A bird strike.
B) An engine malfunction.
C) A foam strike.
D) A lightning strike.
  • 22. How many missions out of 79 had available imagery showing foam strikes during launch?
A) 50 missions.
B) 70 missions.
C) 65 missions.
D) 60 missions.
  • 23. What were the dimensions of the foam on each bipod ramp?
A) Approximately 30 by 14 by 12 inches (76 by 36 by 30 cm).
B) 20 by 10 by 8 inches.
C) 25 by 12 by 10 inches.
D) 40 by 20 by 15 inches.
  • 24. On how many flights prior to STS-107 was bipod ramp foam observed falling off the ET?
A) Ten flights.
B) Three flights.
C) Six flights.
D) Eight flights.
  • 25. What was the size of the foam chunk that broke away during STS-112?
A) 6-by-7-by-15-inch.
B) 3-by-4-by-9-inch.
C) 4-by-5-by-12-inch (10 by 13 by 30 cm).
D) 5-by-6-by-14-inch.
  • 26. When was the STS-107 mission originally scheduled to launch?
A) December 25, 2000
B) February 14, 2001
C) January 11, 2001
D) January 16, 2003
  • 27. What was the name of the first Israeli astronaut on STS-107?
A) Ilan Ramon
B) David Brown
C) Rick Husband
D) Kalpana Chawla
  • 28. At what time after launch did the foam strike Columbia's left wing?
A) T+120 seconds
B) T+81.9 seconds
C) T+60 seconds
D) T+100 seconds
  • 29. Who was the mission's pilot on STS-107?
A) Michael Anderson
B) Rick Husband
C) David Brown
D) William McCool
  • 30. Who was the payload commander for STS-107?
A) Kalpana Chawla
B) Ilan Ramon
C) Michael Anderson
D) Laurel Clark
  • 31. Who was responsible for coordinating the request for DoD imagery of Columbia?
A) Wayne Hale, the Shuttle Program Manager for Launch Integration
B) Linda Ham, the Mission Management Team Chair
C) William Readdy, the Associate Administrator for Space Flight
D) Steve Stich, the flight director
  • 32. What was the conclusion of the Debris Assessment Team regarding safety concerns from the debris strike?
A) Immediate repairs were needed before reentry
B) There were no safety concerns
C) The orbiter should be returned to Earth immediately
D) Further analysis was required before making a decision
  • 33. What did the Debris Assessment Team criticize about the Mission Management Team?
A) Delaying the launch due to foam strike concerns
B) Failing to communicate with the crew about potential risks
C) Not requesting DoD imagery in time
D) Asserting there were no safety concerns before their investigation was completed
  • 34. Who informed the crew that they were approved to conduct the deorbit burn?
A) William Readdy
B) Charlie Hobaugh, the Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM)
C) The Mission Control Center
D) LeRoy Cain
  • 35. At what altitude did Columbia reenter the atmosphere, marking entry interface?
A) 400,000 feet (120 km)
B) 300,000 feet
C) 231,600 feet (70.6 km)
D) 350,000 feet
  • 36. Who initiated contingency procedures after Columbia did not land as scheduled?
A) The crew aboard Columbia
B) LeRoy Cain, the Entry Flight Director
C) William Readdy alone
D) Charlie Hobaugh
  • 37. What likely rendered the astronauts unconscious or deceased within seconds?
A) Thermal trauma from hot gas
B) Depressurization
C) Impact with the ground
D) High acceleration during breakup
  • 38. How did the crew members' bodies hit the ground?
A) Without any impact
B) At a low speed
C) Gently
D) With lethal force
  • 39. What was the result of analyzing the tiles on Columbia's left wing?
A) The tiles were intact and undamaged.
B) The damage occurred due to a mid-flight explosion.
C) The tiles melted due to internal heat.
D) The breach began at the wing's leading edge.
  • 40. How many members of the Texas Army National Guard were deployed after the disaster?
A) 500 members
B) 300 members
C) 100 members
D) 50 members
  • 41. Who was the NASA Administrator that convened the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB)?
A) A civilian analyst
B) Harold W. Gehman, Jr.
C) An anonymous military official
D) Sean O'Keefe
  • 42. Who chaired the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB)?
A) A civilian analyst
B) Sean O'Keefe
C) An anonymous military official
D) Retired US Navy Admiral Harold W. Gehman, Jr.
  • 43. By what month had the CAIB expanded to 13 members?
A) March
B) February
C) May
D) April
  • 44. Where did the CAIB members travel to begin their investigation?
A) Barksdale AFB
B) Kennedy Space Center
C) Cape Canaveral
D) Johnson Space Center (JSC)
  • 45. How many teams did the CAIB establish to investigate different aspects of the disaster?
A) Four teams
B) Six teams
C) Five teams
D) Three teams
  • 46. Which aspect was NOT investigated by one of the four CAIB teams?
A) NASA's financial management
B) NASA management and program safety
C) NASA training and crew operations
D) The technical aspects of the disaster
  • 47. By what percentage were NASA's program operating costs lowered from 1991 to 1994?
A) 10%
B) 21%
C) 15%
D) 30%
  • 48. Which shuttle was being prepared for launch as a potential rescue vehicle during STS-107?
A) Challenger
B) Atlantis
C) Endeavour
D) Discovery
  • 49. What event led to the suspension of the Space Shuttle program?
A) The loss of Columbia
B) Completion of the International Space Station
C) Technical issues with Discovery
D) Budget cuts by NASA
  • 50. What was redesigned to prevent future foam strikes on the ET?
A) The orbiter's wings
B) The bipod
C) The liquid oxygen line
D) The Canadarm
  • 51. What technology was installed to prevent ice buildup in the bipod?
A) Electric heaters
B) De-icing sprayers
C) Insulation foam
D) Thermal blankets
  • 52. How many temperature sensors were equipped on each orbiter's wing?
A) 15
B) 10
C) 22
D) 30
  • 53. When did the first Return to Flight mission (STS-114) launch?
A) July 1, 2006
B) February 4, 2003
C) July 26, 2005
D) May 2009
  • 54. Which Space Shuttle was used for the first Return to Flight mission (STS-114)?
A) Discovery
B) Challenger
C) Atlantis
D) Endeavour
  • 55. What maneuver did Discovery perform to allow ISS crew to inspect its belly?
A) Rendezvous pitch maneuver
B) Orbital adjustment maneuver
C) Docking alignment maneuver
D) Re-entry orientation maneuver
  • 56. What did astronauts test during the first EVA of STS-114?
A) Space suit enhancements
B) Tile repair tool, the Emittance Wash Applicator
C) New navigation systems
D) Advanced communication devices
  • 57. What experiment did astronauts Sellers and Fossum perform during STS-121?
A) NonOxide Adhesive eXperiment (NOAX)
B) New communication protocol testing
C) Spacewalk endurance test
D) Advanced navigation systems trial
  • 58. When was the retirement of the Space Shuttle delayed to?
A) 2015
B) 2011
C) 2020
D) 2009
  • 59. What was the first part of Columbia supercomputer system named after?
A) Kalpana Chawla
B) Rick Husband
C) Michael Anderson
D) David Brown
  • 60. Which Houston sports team honored the Columbia crew on Opening Day of baseball season in 2003?
A) Houston Astros
B) Houston Dynamo
C) Houston Texans
D) Houston Rockets
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