Space Shuttle and the International Space Station

The Space Shuttle was humanity's first reusable spacecraft, and the ISS is the greatest engineering collaboration in history. Explore 30 years of Shuttle missions and the remarkable story of a space station permanently home to humans since the year 2000.

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Q1 Question 1 of 10

What made the Space Shuttle unique compared to all previous spacecraft?

It was the first spacecraft to carry more than two crew members on a single mission It was the first reusable spacecraft system — the orbiter could return to Earth and fly again It was the first spacecraft to travel beyond Earth orbit toward the Moon It was the first spacecraft to use rocket engines that could be throttled in flight

Q2 Question 2 of 10

How many Space Shuttle orbiters were built, and what were their names?

Three: Columbia, Challenger, and Discovery Six: Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, Endeavour, and Enterprise Five: Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour Four: Columbia, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour

Q3 Question 3 of 10

What caused the Challenger disaster on January 28, 1986?

A computer error caused the main engines to shut down, sending the vehicle out of control An O-ring seal in a solid rocket booster failed in cold temperatures, allowing hot gas to escape and destroy the vehicle 73 seconds after launch A piece of foam from the external tank struck the orbiter's heat shield during ascent An explosion in the liquid hydrogen fuel tank destroyed the external tank during Max-Q

Q4 Question 4 of 10

What caused the Columbia disaster on February 1, 2003?

An O-ring failure in the solid rocket booster caused an explosion on the launchpad A computer navigation error caused the spacecraft to re-enter at the wrong angle A piece of foam that broke off during launch damaged the leading edge of the left wing, causing the orbiter to break apart during re-entry A fuel cell failure cut power to the heat shield tiles, causing them to detach

Q5 Question 5 of 10

What famous space telescope was launched by the Space Shuttle in 1990?

The James Webb Space Telescope The Hubble Space Telescope The Chandra X-ray Observatory The Kepler Space Telescope

Q6 Question 6 of 10

When did the first permanent crew arrive at the International Space Station?

July 1998, with a crew of two American astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut November 2000, with Expedition 1 crew members Bill Shepherd, Yuri Gidzenko, and Sergei Krikalev April 2001, with a crew of three American astronauts from the Space Shuttle February 2003, following the Columbia disaster, when the first permanent crew was launched

Q7 Question 7 of 10

At approximately what altitude does the ISS orbit Earth, and how often does it complete one orbit?

About 36,000 km altitude, in geostationary orbit, taking 24 hours per orbit About 100 km altitude, completing one orbit every 45 minutes About 400 km altitude, completing one orbit every 90 minutes — seeing 16 sunrises per day About 1,000 km altitude, completing one orbit every 3 hours

Q8 Question 8 of 10

Which countries are partners in the International Space Station program?

Only the United States and Russia, with occasional visits from Europe The United States, Russia, European Space Agency member states, Japan, and Canada The United States, China, Russia, India, and Japan All member nations of the United Nations, through the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs

Q9 Question 9 of 10

How many times did the Space Shuttle service the Hubble Space Telescope?

Two times Three times Five times Seven times

Q10 Question 10 of 10

When is the International Space Station scheduled to be deorbited, and how?

Around 2035, by converting it into the first commercial space hotel It has no planned end date and will operate indefinitely Around 2025, by having the Space Shuttle bring it back piece by piece Around 2030, by using spacecraft to lower its orbit until it re-enters and mostly burns up in the atmosphere

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