Astronauts, missions, and human spaceflight.
Test your knowledge with these top questions!
Which cosmonaut commanded Voskhod 2 while Leonov spacewalked in 1965?
Belyayev commanded Voskhod 2 and helped pull an inflated-suited Leonov back inside.
On which spacecraft did Alexei Leonov launch for his historic 1965 spacewalk?
Leonov and Belyayev flew on Voskhod 2 with an inflatable airlock for the historic exit.
What emergency action did Leonov take to fit back through the airlock in 1965?
Leonov bled oxygen from his inflated suit to shrink it and squeeze back into the airlock.
Which Soviet cosmonaut performed the first human spacewalk on March 18 1965?
Alexei Leonov left Voskhod 2 for about 12 minutes on March 18 1965 as the first spacewalker.
Neil Armstrong carried wood and fabric from which historic aircraft to the Moon?
The Wright Flyer made the first powered, controlled, and sustained airplane flight in 1903; 66 years later, pieces reached the Moon aboard Eagle.
What did Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 crew name the lunar module that touched down on the Moon?
Eagle came from the bald eagle on the crew's mission patch, inspiring Armstrong's famous radio call, "the Eagle has landed."
What historic first did Neil Armstrong achieve on the 1966 Gemini 8 spaceflight?
On Gemini 8 in 1966, Armstrong docked his craft with an Agena target rocket—the first orbital docking—though a stuck thruster cut the mission short.
Neil Armstrong flew Korean War combat missions for which U.S. military branch?
Armstrong said a cable tore six feet from his Panther's wing amid heavy anti-aircraft fire; he ejected over water and landed in friendly territory.
Yuri Gagarin yelled "Poyekhali!" as Vostok 1 lifted off. What does the Russian word mean?
His shout was casual joy, and "Poyekhali!" became so beloved in Russia it turned into a catchphrase for kicking off anything new.
Yuri Gagarin died in 1968, seven years after his spaceflight. What killed him?
Seven years after orbiting Earth, Gagarin, only 34, died when his MiG-15 training jet crashed in bad weather on a routine flight.