Man-Made Objects - Year 1

Question 1

How do aircraft appear at night?

Answer 1

Bright lights, often flashing red, sometimes audible.

Question 2

How do satellites appear?

Answer 2

Faint, slow-moving points of light.

Question 3

Typical satellite orbit height?

Answer 3

~500 km

Question 4

What makes the ISS distinctive?

Answer 4

Very bright, steady movement, no flashing lights.

Question 5

Direction ISS usually travels?

Answer 5

West → East.

Question 6

Four main types of space probes?

Answer 6

Fly-by, orbiter, impactor, soft lander

Question 7

Example of a fly-by probe?

Answer 7

Voyager I & II, New Horizons

Question 8

Example of an orbiter probe?

Answer 8

Magellan (Venus), Dawn (Ceres/Vesta), Juno (Jupiter)

Question 9

Example of an impactor probe?

Answer 9

Deep Impact (Comet Tempel 1)

Question 10

Example of a soft lander?

Answer 10

Huygens (Titan), Philae (Comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko), Opportunity (Mars)

Question 11

Purpose of Curiosity rover?

Answer 11

Investigate climate and geology of Mars at Gale Crater

Question 12

Purpose of Rosetta & Philae?

Answer 12

Study comet surface, search for organic molecules, analyse water and chemical composition

Question 13

First probe to orbit another planet?

Answer 13

Mariner 9 (Mars, 1971)

Question 14

First probe to Jupiter?

Answer 14

Pioneer 10 (1972)

Question 15

Space mission studying outer gas giants with twin probes?

Answer 15

Voyager

Question 16

Advantages of manned vs unmanned missions?

Answer 16

Manned: direct observation and flexibility. Unmanned: cheaper, safer, programmable, no life risk.

Question 17

Four main types of space probes?

Answer 17

Fly-by, orbiter, impactor, soft lander.

Question 18

Example of fly-by probes?

Answer 18

Voyager I & II, New Horizons.

Question 19

Example of orbiter probes?

Answer 19

Magellan (Venus), Dawn (Ceres & Vesta), Juno (Jupiter).

Question 20

Example of impactor probes?

Answer 20

Deep Impact (Comet Tempel 1), Saturn V stages on Moon.

Question 21

Example of soft landers?

Answer 21

Huygens (Titan), Opportunity & Curiosity (Mars), Philae (comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko).

Question 22

Purpose of Philae lander?

Answer 22

Study the surface of a comet, including organic molecules and water content.

Question 23

Major discoveries of Philae?

Answer 23

Chemical composition of comet, amino acids in haze, comet shape (fusion of two bodies), deuterium content suggesting comet water didn’t supply Earth.

Question 24

Mission studying outer gas giants with twin probes?

Answer 24

Voyager.

Question 25

Planet explored by Spirit and Opportunity rovers?

Answer 25

Mars.