Correct Answers / Civil Air Patrol Aerospace Mitchell
Practice Exam 2026 – Correctly Answered Practice Exam
In what year was the first US satellite successfully launched into orbit around the
Earth? - ANSWER-1958
Astronaut wings are awarded to anyone who reaches what minimum altitude? -
ANSWER-50 miles
who was the first American man in space - ANSWER-Alan Shepard
Which of the following is NOT true regarding the structure of a satellite -
ANSWER-the structure does not supply support for the other sub systems
which scientists develop the geocentric theory - ANSWER-Aristotle and Ptolemy
In order to stay in orbit around the Earth, an object must be at an altitude of at least
how many miles? - ANSWER-80-90 miles
What is the shape of the galaxy in which we live? - ANSWER-Spiral
What magnitude indicates the brightest shining star? - ANSWER-The lowest
number
What United States space program served our country for 30 years (1981-2011)? -
ANSWER-Space Transportation System (STS, also known as the Space Shuttle
Program)
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,What classification of stars has the highest temperature? - ANSWER-O
How long did America's first manned space flight last? - ANSWER-15 minutes
Which of the following is NOT true about solar eclipses? - ANSWER-They occur
during daylight hours when the Sun moves directly between the Moon and the
Earth
According to the heliocentric theory, what was the center of the universe around
which the rest of the universe revolved? - ANSWER-The Sun
What was the first true powered flight with humans on board? Who created it? -
ANSWER-Hot air balloon; Montgolfier brothers
Yuri Gagarin - ANSWER-First man in space and first to orbit the Earth
Who proposed exploration of space by rocket? - ANSWER-Konstatin Tsiolkovsky
What is it called when the satellite talks to the ground? - ANSWER-Telemetry
What was the name of the jet-powered car that broke the sound barrier in 1997? -
ANSWER-Thrust SSC
What is the heliocentric theory? - ANSWER-It is a theory which placed the Sun at
the center of the universe.
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,What is the part of the sun that gives off light? - ANSWER-Photosphere
A launch vehicle gives the spacecraft enough force to reach ___________. -
ANSWER-Orbit
What is the temperature in Fahrenheit if the Celsius temperature is 30 degrees?
(Use the formula for converting Celsius to Fahrenheit) - ANSWER-86°F
What American-based, British-owned commercial spaceflight company offers
tourists the opportunity to experience a suborbital flight aboard SpaceShipTwo
(also known as the VSS Enterprise)? - ANSWER-Virgin Galactic or Scaled
Composites
If the Sun were hollow, about how many Earth's would fit inside it? - ANSWER-
One million
Dr. Robert Goddard is known as which of the following? - ANSWER-Father of
Modern Rocketry
If a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere, it is called a (an) ________ . -
ANSWER-Meteor
Finding out if a human could survive space travel was part of the mission for
which US manned spaceflight program? - ANSWER-Mercury
Who was the driver of the jet-powered car that first broke the sound barrier in
1997? - ANSWER-Andy Green
In April 1990, what did Discovery deploy? - ANSWER-Hubble Space Telescope
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, What United States space program served our country for 30 years (from 1981 -
2011)? - ANSWER-Space Transportation System (STS, also known as the Space
Shuttle Program)
In the 1970's, the Pioneer probes and the Voyager probes provided pictures and
data for which two planets? - ANSWER-Saturn and Jupiter
What causes Jupiter to emit 70% more heat than it absorbs from the Sun? -
ANSWER-Highly compressed hydrogen at its core
Who was the first American astronaut in space? - ANSWER-Alan Shepard
What are the Van Allen Belts? - ANSWER-radiation belts around the Earth filled
with charged particles
What was the duration of the last and longest manned mission to Skylab? -
ANSWER-84 days
Which satellite gave us our first photograph of Earth from space? - ANSWER-
Explorer 6
Who led the development of the first successful Soviet intercontinental ballistic
missile in August 1957? - ANSWER-Sergei Korolev
A wind that is blowing from the southeast is called which of the following? -
ANSWER-Southeast
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