Space Week Quiz: 3, 2, 1 – BLAST OFF! – by Naming The Astronaut

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“I really believe that if the political leaders of the world could see their planet from a distance of, let’s say 100,000 miles, their outlook would be fundamentally changed. The all-important border would be invisible, that noisy argument suddenly silenced.” – Michael Collins

Astronauts saw our world from a whole new perspective...literally. It likely changed their outlooks on not only the science of our stars but on life. From Buzz Aldrin to Sally Ride, our astronauts are worthy of so much praise for stepping out into the next great frontier. They didn't really know what they were in for...and yet, they took that "one small step" in order to drive the "giant leap for mankind".

What do you know about the astronauts who paved the way for space exploration? Take our Astronauts Quiz and name as many as you can muster.

Test your Science Knowledge

“I made the remark when we went over the top, ‘Eureka, Houston, the Earth is really round,’ and when I got back to Houston, I got all this mail from members of the Flat Earth Society telling me I didn’t know what I was talking about.” – Pete Conrad

Eureka! If you're taking this Astronauts Quiz, we'd wager you're not a flat-earther. Along with all the astronauts who viewed Earth from space, you probably believe the Earth – and all the solar system's other planets – are round. But what do you know about the people who gave us proof?

Do you know which cosmonaut first successfully made it to outer space and back? Which astronaut hit a golf ball on the moon? Which left his daughter's initials on the lunar surface? Do you know which astronaut was the first female commander of a NASA mission? Show off your space knowledge or expand it with our Astronaut Quiz.

Are you more of a Eugene Cernan or a Valentina Tereshkova? Our Astronauts Quiz will give you an inkling. 

Try all of our Science Quizzes

Is your science knowledge somewhere close to elementary level or might you pass a high school science class? Whether you want to test the basics or consider yourself advanced, QuizGriz has the science quiz for you. 

Our science collection of quizzes examines everything from the Human Mind to Humans in general. If your brain is inclined toward science, we have the knowledge bank for you in our series of quizzes. Science trivia just got a whole lot more explosive! 


Jessica Holom is a freelance writer and digital nomad with a background in literature, art, and writing. She believes curiosity never killed a single cat and enjoys learning, world-exploring, and writing about both.

Astronaut Quiz Questions

25 Questions · 89 Plays · No comments

Question 1

"One small step for man..." He may have misspoken, but he was still the first man on the Moon. Name that moonwalker.

  • A
    Neil Armstrong
  • B
    Brad Pitt
  • C
    Scott Kelly
  • D
    Robert D. Cabana

Question 2

From space to the senate, which first American to orbit the Earth later served as the U.S. senator from Ohio?

  • A
    Sally Ride
  • B
    Anatoly Artsebarsky
  • C
    Leonardo DiCaprio
  • D
    John Glenn Jr.

Question 3

He was the first man in space and became an international celebrity. Name that Soviet canary in the mine shaft.

  • A
    James Lovell Jr.
  • B
    Yuri Gagarin
  • C
    Scott Carpenter
  • D
    Margot Robbie

Question 4

"Fore!" Which first American in space is famous for hitting a golf ball on the Moon?

  • A
    Alan Shepard
  • B
    Robert Downey Jr.
  • C
    Guion Bluford
  • D
    Judith Resnik

Question 5

It took until 1992, but this astronaut finally broke the glass ceiling, becoming the first female African American in space.

  • A
    Sally Ride
  • B
    Stephanie Wilson
  • C
    Oprah Winfrey
  • D
    Mae Jemison

Question 6

Commanding the Gemini II that circled the Earth three times, which astronaut died in a fire while preparing for the first Apollo mission?

  • A
    Christian Bale
  • B
    Mae Jemison
  • C
    Gus Grissom
  • D
    Michael J. Bloomfield

Question 7

Flying aboard the Apollo 17 mission, which astronaut became the first member of NASA's scientist-astronaut group to enter space?

  • A
    Peggy Whitson
  • B
    Ralph Fiennes
  • C
    Harrison Hagan "Jack" Schmitt
  • D
    Kayla Barron

Question 8

At nearly two years, what astronaut holds the record for most cumulative time spent in space?

  • A
    Neil Armstrong
  • B
    Peggy Whitson
  • C
    Karol Bobko
  • D
    Mark Ruffalo

Question 9

The first American woman in space was also the first to operate a robot arm. Name that pioneering astronaut.

  • A
    Eileen Collins
  • B
    Susan B. Anthony
  • C
    Jessica Meir
  • D
    Sally Ride

Question 10

Technically the first astronaut, what's the name of the chimpanzee who first ventured into space?

  • A
    Banana
  • B
    Potato
  • C
    Ham
  • D
    Liam Neeson

Question 11

What first Jewish woman in space died aboard the space shuttle Challenger?

  • A
    Valentina Tereshkova
  • B
    Shannon Lucid
  • C
    Judith Resnik
  • D
    Peggy Whitson

Question 12

The second person to set foot on the Moon, Edwin Eugene is better known by another name. What is it?

  • A
    Buzz Aldrin
  • B
    Eugene Cernan
  • C
    Gary Oldman
  • D
    Jay C. Buckey

Question 13

Count 'em up. Who holds the record for most consecutive days in space?

  • A
    Scott Kelly
  • B
    Jude Law
  • C
    Story Musgrave
  • D
    John-David F. Bartoe

Question 14

Who piloted Apollo 8, the first spacecraft to enter lunar orbit?

  • A
    James Lovell Jr.
  • B
    Mark Brown
  • C
    Michael Caine
  • D
    Bill Shepherd

Question 15

"We want to explore; we're curious people." Who was the first female commander of a space shuttle?

  • A
    Eileen Collins
  • B
    Anne McClain
  • C
    Kathryn Sullivan
  • D
    Shirley Temple

Question 16

What third man on the Moon went on to command the Apollo 12 and Skylab II missions?

  • A
    John Glenn Jr.
  • B
    Pete Conrad
  • C
    Edward Norton
  • D
    Dominic A. Antonelli

Question 17

What three astronauts were the first crew aboard the International Space Station?

  • A
    Michael Baker, Bill Shepherd, and Yuri Gidzenko
  • B
    Bill Shepherd, Yuri Gidzenko, and Sergei Krikalev
  • C
    Yuri Gidzenko, Sergei Krikalev, and Kalpana Chawla
  • D
    Larry, Curly, and Moe

Question 18

Orbiting Earth a whopping 48 times, who was the first woman in space?

  • A
    Morgan Freeman
  • B
    Eileen Collins
  • C
    Svetlana Kournikova
  • D
    Valentina Tereshkova

Question 19

At the ripe old age of 36, who was the youngest person to set foot on the Moon?

  • A
    Gus Grissom
  • B
    Samuel L. Jackson
  • C
    Viktor M. Afanasyev
  • D
    Charlie Duke

Question 20

What national hero was the first woman of Indian origin to go to space?

  • A
    Kalpana Chawla
  • B
    Kathleen Rubins
  • C
    Sunita Williams
  • D
    Priyanka Chopra

Question 21

The letters, "TDC," will be there forever. What astronaut wrote his daughter's initials on the surface of the Moon?

  • A
    Eugene Cernan
  • B
    Cillian Murphy
  • C
    Joseph M. Acaba
  • D
    Pete Conrad

Question 22

Flying on four different space missions, who was the first African American in space?

  • A
    Clayton Anderson
  • B
    Alan Shepard
  • C
    Tom Hanks
  • D
    Guion Bluford

Question 23

As the pilot of Skylab 4, the then-longest crewed flight, which astronaut was part of what became known as the Skylab Mutiny with ground control?

  • A
    Jim Lovell
  • B
    William Reid Pogue
  • C
    Aleksandr Balandin
  • D
    Jack Nicholson

Question 24

Who is the only astronaut to fly aboard all five space shuttles?

  • A
    Sally Ride
  • B
    Charles Camarda
  • C
    Story Musgrave
  • D
    Buzz Aldrin

Question 25

Which two astronauts are tied for the most spaceflights by NASA?

  • A
    Guion Bluford and Stephen G. Bowen
  • B
    Stephen G. Bowen and Jerry Ross
  • C
    Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt
  • D
    Franklin Chang-Diaz and Jerry Ross

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