Space Race Quiz

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What’s in the Space Race Quiz?

This quiz covers the fascinating period of space exploration from 1957-1975, including:

  • Historic firsts in space exploration
  • Famous astronauts and cosmonauts
  • Spacecraft and space stations
  • Key missions and achievements

From Laika the space dog to the footprints still visible on the Moon today, the Space Race transformed our understanding of what humans could achieve. Did you know that the Soviet Union’s Lunokhod 1 rover held the record for longest-serving lunar robot until 2014? Or that astronauts left a small sculpture called ‘Fallen Astronaut’ on the Moon to commemorate those who died in the advancement of space exploration? The Space Race wasn’t just about reaching the stars—it was about pushing the boundaries of human ingenuity.

Space Race Quiz

The computing power that guided Apollo 11 to the Moon was less than you’d find in a modern calculator, yet it was enough to make history. Ready to test your knowledge of this remarkable era? Keep in mind that while Neil Armstrong’s first step on the Moon was planned to the second, his famous words were entirely his own choice—though he maintains he said “That’s one small step for ‘a’ man” rather than the commonly heard version! To see the complete range of questions and correct answers that might appear in your quiz, simply scroll down to the Preview Quiz Content section below.

Preview Quiz Content

This section contains all of the questions that could be a part of this quiz. The quiz will choose 15 random questions from the pool below. If you've found this section feel free to take a look but to start the quiz you should press "Start Quiz". You may also be thinking that who was the first animal to eat in space and you'd be right to wonder! The answers listed below only contain answers that appear in the quiz. This is because this supplemental information is about the quiz itself and not intended as a comprehensive list. We hope you found the quiz to be entertaining and informative. If you haven't taken it yet, Good Luck!

Q1: Which cosmonaut became the first human to orbit Earth in 1961?

A1: Yuri Gagarin

Q2: Which space agency launched the first artificial satellite into orbit?

A2: Soviet Space Program

Q3: Select all the astronauts who walked on the Moon during the Apollo 11 mission:

A3: Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin

Q4: Match each Space Race milestone with the correct year:

A4: First satellite launch - 1957, First human spaceflight - 1961, Moon landing - 1969

Q5: What was the name of the first artificial satellite launched into Earth's orbit?

A5: Sputnik 1

Q6: Which spacecraft series did NASA use for the Moon landings?

A6: Apollo

Q7: Which animal was the first to be launched into orbit by the Soviet Union?

A7: Laika the dog

Q8: Which of these were Soviet space stations?

A8: Salyut 1, Mir

Q9: Match each spacecraft with its mission purpose:

A9: Mercury - First US human flights, Gemini - Two-person spacewalks, Vostok - First orbital flights

Q10: Who was the first American to orbit the Earth?

A10: John Glenn

Q11: Which rocket was used to launch the Apollo missions to the Moon?

A11: Saturn V

Q12: Who was the first woman in space?

A12: Valentina Tereshkova

Q13: Who performed the first spacewalk?

A13: Alexei Leonov

Q14: Which of these were successful Apollo missions that landed humans on the Moon?

A14: Apollo 11, Apollo 12, Apollo 15

Q15: Match each spacecraft with its country of origin:

A15: Vostok - Soviet Union, Mercury - United States, Soyuz - Soviet Union

Q16: What was the name of NASA's first space station?

A16: Skylab

Q17: Which Apollo mission was the last to land humans on the Moon?

A17: Apollo 17

Q18: Arrange these Space Race milestones in chronological order:

A18: First spacewalk, First woman in space, First space station

Q19: Arrange these events in chronological order:

A19: Launch of Sputnik 1, First human in space, Apollo 11 Moon landing

Q20: Arrange these NASA programs in chronological order:

A20: Mercury Program, Gemini Program, Apollo Program