Question 2 of 21

The space race between the U.S. and the Soviet Union kicked into high gear in 1957 with the launch of the satellite called ________.

... Sputnik (Russian for fellow traveler) 1 launched Oct. 4, 1957, entered Earth orbit, and the space race was underway.

Question 3 of 21

Sputnik was about the size of a ________.

... It was the size of a beach ball but much heavier -- 184 pounds (83 kilograms).

Question 4 of 21

Sputnik wasn't the first man-made object to enter space. Which rocket was?

... February 24, 1949 saw the launch of the Bumper-WAC at White Sands Proving Ground in New Mexico.

Question 5 of 21

What was the first man-made object to break free of Earth orbit?

... Luna 1 flew by the moon and entered orbit around the sun between Earth and Mars.

Question 6 of 21

Which author predicted the age of satellite communication?

... Clarke, who also wrote '2001: A Space Odyssey,' published 'Extra-Terrestrial Relays — Can Rocket Stations Give Worldwide Radio Coverage?' in Wireless World magazine in 1945.

Question 7 of 21

This satellite was the first to relay television signals.

... Telstar 1 launched July 10, 1962.

Question 8 of 21

In August 1962, Telstar routed its first television signals from Andover, Maine to Pleumeur-Bodou, France and ________.

... Goonhilly Satellite Earth Station, in Goonhilly Downs, England, was at one time the world's largest satellite Earth station -- and had a dish named Arthur that was 85 feet (26 meters) wide.

Question 9 of 21

The first public, Telstar-assisted broadcast began before President John F. Kennedy was ready to speak, so the international audience saw ________.

... The P.A. announcer at Wrigley Field said, 'Ladies and gentlemen, we have just been informed that this baseball game is being seen in Europe right now, over the Telstar satellite.'

Question 10 of 21

Telstar gave its name to a hit ________.

... Visionary English producer Joe Meek wrote the rousing, march-like instrumental 'Telstar' and recorded it with The Tornados.

Question 11 of 21

After the U.S.S.R., the U.S. and the United Kingdom, what was the next nation to create a satellite?

... Canada's Alouette 1 launched in 1962 to study the upper atmosphere.

Question 12 of 21

On March 1, 1966, the Soviet lander Venera 3 became the first spacecraft to touch the surface of another planet. Which one was it?

... It landed on Venus, but its communications equipment failed.

Question 13 of 21

This pair of NASA spacecraft launched in summer 1977 to explore our solar system's outer planets.

... In 2011 the Voyager craft were still going. At more than 10.8 billion miles (17.4 billion kilometers) from the sun, Voyager 1 is the most distant man-made object.

Question 14 of 21

What did each of the Voyager spacecraft carry into space for possible interception by aliens?

... The records contain spoken greetings in 55 different languages, scientific drawings and photos of everything from rush hour traffic in India to Olympic sprinters. The musical selections include Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and 'Johnny B. Goode.'

Question 15 of 21

When a spacecraft like one of the Voyager probes travels outside the solar system, it is said to be ________.

... Interstellar space is simply space between the stars.

Question 16 of 21

Who sang, 'My baby's foolin' around with a satellite/Now you know that that ain't right?'

... Louis Prima's 'Beep Beep' was released two days before Christmas 1957, and was used decades later to wake up Space Shuttle crews.

Question 17 of 21

Spacecraft from Earth have landed on the moon, Mars, Venus and ________.

... The European Space Agency's Huygens probe landed on Titan on 2005; the probe was named for Christiaan Huygens, the Dutch astronomer who discovered Titan 350 years before.

Question 18 of 21

What was the first telescope designed to be serviced by spacewalking astronauts?

... The Hubble Space Telescope has seen its share of repairs while also producing unforgettable images of deep space.

Question 19 of 21

Two dozen satellites orbiting Earth support the navigational service called the ________.

... GPS assists everyone from archaeologists to weather researchers -- not to mention folks driving through unfamiliar neighborhoods.

Question 20 of 21

In 2006, an unusual satellite was deployed from the International Space Station. It was made from ________.

... SuitSat was an old Russian spacesuit with a radio transmitter attached. It failed quickly.

Question 21 of 21

The satellite-themed 'Zoo TV Tour' by U2 featured a memorable cover of this song.

... U2 has often performed the song 'Satellite of Love' acoustically, and occasionally with Reed as a guest.

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