Test your knowledge
Your turn: mission challenge
Ten questions across Apollo 11, Surveyor 3 and the Mars rovers. Tip: press 1, 2 or 3 to answer.
Question 1 of 10Score 0
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Quick words
Glossary
- Lander
- A spacecraft that touches down and stays put.
- Rover
- A robot that drives around on another world.
- Descent stage
- The bottom half of the Apollo lander. It brought astronauts down and then served as a launch pad.
- Ascent stage
- The top half, where the astronauts rode. It flew them back to orbit.
- Sol
- One day on Mars. It lasts about 24 hours and 39 minutes.
- Gimbal
- A support with moving rings that lets a camera, antenna or instrument turn and point in different directions.
- Propellant
- The materials a rocket burns or pushes out to make thrust and move. A rocket's propellant includes fuel and an oxidizer.
- Gyroscope
- A device that helps a spacecraft track its direction and sense when it turns.
- Accelerometer
- A sensor that measures acceleration—how quickly speed or direction changes. It helps a spacecraft track its movement.