astronaut
The word astronaut comes from Greek roots meaning roughly “star sailor.” This topic is part of Space Exploration within Science & Nature. This page currently draws on 16 supporting questions, with answers and bonus facts available below.
astronaut trivia questions
What is the common American term for a person trained to travel and work in space?
Answer: Astronaut
Bonus fact: The word astronaut comes from Greek roots meaning roughly “star sailor.”
Who became the first human to travel into space in 1961?
Answer: Yuri Gagarin
Bonus fact: Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin orbited Earth aboard Vostok 1 on April 12, 1961.
Who was the first person to perform a spacewalk?
Answer: Alexei Leonov
Bonus fact: Alexei Leonov left his Voskhod 2 spacecraft for the first spacewalk in March 1965.
Why must a spacecraft airlock be depressurized before an astronaut exits?
Answer: To match the near-vacuum outside
Bonus fact: Pressure must be safely reduced before opening the outer hatch.
An astronaut's mass on the Moon compared with Earth is what?
Answer: The same
Bonus fact: Weight changes with gravity, but mass does not.
Which Bowie song features the fictional astronaut Major Tom?
Answer: Space Oddity
Bonus fact: Major Tom later reappeared in Bowie's work.
Which astronaut is the subject of Chazelle's First Man?
Answer: Neil Armstrong
Bonus fact: Ryan Gosling portrays Armstrong.
Which Apollo 8 astronaut took the famous Earthrise photograph?
Answer: William Anders
Bonus fact: Apollo 8 was the first crewed mission to orbit the Moon, making Earthrise possible.
What 1969 event gave the United States a major Space Race victory?
Answer: First crewed Moon landing
Bonus fact: Apollo 11 landed astronauts on the Moon.
Who played Jeannie on I Dream of Jeannie?
Answer: Barbara Eden
Bonus fact: Larry Hagman played astronaut Tony Nelson.
Apollo 8 was the first crewed mission to do what?
Answer: Orbit the Moon
Bonus fact: Astronaut William Anders took the famous "Earthrise" photograph during Apollo 8.
In what year did Apollo 8 orbit the Moon?
Answer: 1968
Bonus fact: Astronaut William Anders took the famous "Earthrise" photograph during Apollo 8.