Space Race Quiz

Try out this Space Race quiz to test your knowledge. Space Race Trivia trivia explores the high-stakes contest between the United States and the Soviet Union that accelerated spaceflight from Sputnik in 1957 to Apollo 11 in 1969.

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15 questions

~3 min to finish

Easy to hard difficulty

490 pts max score

Question 1 · Medium · 20 pts
What was the first human-made object to reach the Moon in 1959?
Question 2 · Hard · 40 pts
Which U.S. satellite, launched in 1958, holds the distinction of being the nation’s first to reach orbit?
Question 3 · Hard · 40 pts
The discovery of the radiation belts surrounding Earth is credited to data from which early American satellite?
Question 4 · Hard · 40 pts
Alexei Leonov made history with the first spacewalk during which mission?
Question 5 · Hard · 40 pts
In 1965, the first crewed space rendezvous was accomplished by which pair of missions?
Question 6 · Hard · 40 pts
Which Apollo mission is remembered for the 1967 cabin fire that killed three astronauts during a ground test?
Question 7 · Hard · 40 pts
At what launch site name did the Apollo 1 fire occur before that location later reverted to Cape Canaveral?
Question 8 · Hard · 40 pts
How far did the first lunar roving vehicle travel during Apollo 15?
Question 9 · Hard · 40 pts
Which mission has the grim distinction of being the only one whose crew died after completing a stay aboard a space station?
Question 10 · Hard · 40 pts
Name the leading Soviet scientist associated with the Soviet space program in this era.?
Question 11 · Hard · 40 pts
What category of setbacks was often kept from public announcement by the Soviet Union during the lunar competition?
Question 12 · Hard · 40 pts
Which Soviet heavy-lift launcher was intended to support a crewed Moon landing program?
Question 13 · Easy · 10 pts
What was the name of the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth in 1957?
Question 14 · Easy · 10 pts
Who became the first human in space aboard Vostok 1 in 1961?
Question 15 · Easy · 10 pts
Which astronaut was the first American in space in 1961?

What was the first human-made object to reach the Moon in 1959?

Which U.S. satellite, launched in 1958, holds the distinction of being the nation’s first to reach orbit?

The discovery of the radiation belts surrounding Earth is credited to data from which early American satellite?

Alexei Leonov made history with the first spacewalk during which mission?

In 1965, the first crewed space rendezvous was accomplished by which pair of missions?

Which Apollo mission is remembered for the 1967 cabin fire that killed three astronauts during a ground test?

At what launch site name did the Apollo 1 fire occur before that location later reverted to Cape Canaveral?

How far did the first lunar roving vehicle travel during Apollo 15?

Which mission has the grim distinction of being the only one whose crew died after completing a stay aboard a space station?

Name the leading Soviet scientist associated with the Soviet space program in this era.?

What category of setbacks was often kept from public announcement by the Soviet Union during the lunar competition?

Which Soviet heavy-lift launcher was intended to support a crewed Moon landing program?

What was the name of the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth in 1957?

Who became the first human in space aboard Vostok 1 in 1961?

Which astronaut was the first American in space in 1961?