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Issue Date: July 12, 2009
MOON LANDING QUIZ
Test your knowledge of the historic trek of Apollo 11
By Martin Mazloom and Cory Galliher
"Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed."
On May 25, 1961, President John F. Kennedy declared, "First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth."
Born in the heat of the Cold War, Kennedy's daring challenge to America amazingly was fulfilled just eight years later. On July 20, 1969, after traveling more than 250,000 miles, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first and second humans to walk on the moon. After they reunited with astronaut Michael Collins in the command module, the three men safely returned to Earth three days later.
Forty years have passed since NASA began sending astronauts to the moon (in total, six Apollo missions landed there), but was Apollo 11 the beginning of an era, or the beginning of the end of an era? Either way, Apollo 11 remains arguably the greatest adventure and technological feat in human history. Says NASA Chief Historian Dr. Steven J. Dick: "It'll be one of the few things remembered about the 20th century."
Here's a quiz to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11. See if you have "the right stuff" and can answer all 10 questions correctly:
1. The landing site of the Eagle was at .67N, 23.47E on the moon, a spot known as the Sea of Tranquility. Where would that same latitude and longitude be on Earth?
a. Near Cairo in Egypt
b. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa
c. In the Arizona desert, near Phoenix
d. In the Indian Ocean, near Madagascar
2. The astronauts on Apollo 11 were supposed to eat 2,500 calories or more of less-than-delicious "freeze-dried, rehydratable wet-packs and spoon-bowl" space food per day. How many Big Macs -- no cheese, please -- would you have to scarf down in a day to reach that super-sized goal?
a. 1
b. 3
c. 5
d. 7
3. The Apollo spacecraft used hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells; similar technology is used in some eco-friendly cars today. In the process, hydrogen and oxygen combine to generate electricity. They also produced another valuable resource for the astronauts. What was it?
a. Drinking water
b. Heat
c. Breathable air
d. Useful minerals
4. Armstrong and Aldrin left behind memorabilia on the moon, including:
a. A gold olive branch
b. A ring worn by President Kennedy
c. Armstong's Eagle Scout award
d. A photo of Michael Collins
5. Armstrong and Aldrin brought back a little more than 47 pounds of samples from the moon. That's a heavy bag of dirt here on Earth, but what would it weigh on the moon?
a. 4.1 pounds
b. 5 pounds
c. 6.3 pounds
d. 7.8 pounds
6. During the Apollo 11 mission, a new mineral was discovered on the moon. It was christened:
a. Washite (for President WASHington)
b. Armalcolite (for astronauts ARMstrong, ALdrin and COLlins)
c. Nixite (for President NIXon)
d. Wribrite (for the WRIght BRothers)
7. Armstrong and Aldrin landed as guest stars on different episodes of which animated TV show?
a. Family Guy
b. American Dad!
c. The Simpsons
d. King of the Hill
8. One of the science experiments left on the moon by Apollo 11 -- the lunar laser ranging retroreflector array -- is still in use today. It bounces back lasers from Earth to help measure the distance between Earth and the moon. Thanks to the array, scientists have discovered that the moon is gradually moving away from the Earth. About how far is it moving away each year?
a. 1 foot
b. 1.5 inches
c. 6 yards
d. 5 inches
9. Collins didn't set foot on the moon, but his piloting skills made the moon landing possible. His daughter Kate grew up to be an actress. What TV soap is she best known for?
a. Days of Our Lives
b. Guiding Light
c. General Hospital
d. All My Children
10. Part of the lunar module Eagle was left on the moon with a plaque that reads, "Here Men from the Planet Earth First Set Foot Upon the Moon, July 1969, A.D." The plaque also contained these words:
a. "We Came Not as Conquerors But as Explorers"
b. "We Came in Peace for All Mankind"
c. "We Came with the Machines of Men But With the Hearts of Children"
d. "Next Stop: Mars"
Answers below
ANSWERS:
1) b
2) c
3) a
4) a
5) d
6) b
7) c
8) b
9) d
10) b
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