Apollo 13 Quiz - Storyworks

The article "Disaster in Space" is mostly about _________.

• Neil Armstrong, the first human on the moon

• A life-or-death problem and how it was solved.

• How parachutes work

• Why people are curious about outer space

In which year did the Apollo 13 mission take place?

• 1955

• 1960

• 1969

• 1970

Why couldn't astronauts Lovell, Swigert and Haise re-enter Earth's atmosphere in the LEM?

• The LEM's oxygen supply was quickly running out.

• The LEM couldn't travel quickly enough to get through Earth's atmosphere.

• The LEM didn't have a heat shield, and the astronauts would burn up if they traveled through the atmosphere without one.

• The astronauts couldn't fit comfortably in the LEM.

The article says that the astronauts were shivering inside the LEM. Why were they shivering?

• They were terrified.

• They had turned off the heat in the LEM to save power.

• The LEM's heating system was broken.

• A hole in the LEM was letting cold air in.

Which line from the article supports the answer to question 4?

• "The LEM and Odyssey were latched together like LEGO bricks."

• "The spacecraft moaned and shuddered."

• "So the astronauts turned off all but the most necessary systems, including the heat."

• "The astronauts barely slept."

Why did some engineers fight back tears as the astronauts re-entered Earth's atmosphere?

• They had not heard from the astronauts, and they were afraid that the men were dead.

• They were relieved because the mission was almost over.

• They were sad because Apollo 13 had failed.

• They were afraid that they would be blamed for the disaster.

In the section, "A Mission to the Moon," the author writes about life on a spacecraft. What details from the article tell how uncomfortable it was for the astronauts. (Pick ALL answers that apply)

• They were crammed in a small space

• They ate dried food

• There was no TV or Video Games.

• There were no showers, sinks or toilets

What is the Main Idea of the Section with the heading, "A Mission to the Moon." (What is the section MOSTLY about - NOT details)

• There were no showers, sinks or toilets in the spacecraft.

• Apollo 13's journey to the moon was not comfortable.

• They had to travel 24,000 miles to the moon.

• Their spacecraft was the size of a car.

What is the section with the heading "A Catastrophe" mostly about? (The Main Idea ... NOT details)

• Much of the ship's oxygen went into space.

• The ship lost a lot of power

• There was bad wiring on the Odyssey.

• Bad wiring created an explosion on the Odyssey that left it without much power or oxygen.

What is the main idea of the section, "Free Fall to Earth."

• Communication with the Odyssey blacked out.

• Engineers were trying not to cry.

• Although Apollo 13 failed in its mission to explore the moon, its astronauts beat all the odds and survived.

• The Odyssey landed in the Pacific Ocean.