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True or False? An object that is not accelerating or decelerating has no forces acting on it.
['True', 'False', 'Impossible to say without more information']
[0, 1, 0]
According to Newton's first law: "In the absence of a force, a body either is at rest or moves in a straight line with constant speed". However, the opposit is not true. A body can have forces acting on it and not accelerate if the resulting force is zero.
true
ff0e8305-73e0-404a-a775-4e7be538d99b
Complete the following: During its orbital period, as a planet moves farther away from the sun, the orbital velocity of the planet ...
['remains the same', 'increases', 'decreases']
[0, 0, 1]
null
true
40a73e51-5eb4-46d3-baab-8acd624f2287
Which affirmation is true when talking about Earth’s potential energy?
['The potential energy is positive', 'The potential energy is constant', 'The potential energy is negative', 'None of the above answers']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
This is because the Earth potential energy is expressed as Epot = - mu / r
true
883f8ed7-8b2a-4671-80d3-f68791fa4118
Why do we talk about microgravity in LEO?
['All the external forces are not cancelling exactly', 'In LEO orbits, the Earth’s gravity is not exactly zero', 'The free-fall trajectory gets perturbed', 'None of the above answers']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
null
true
7667b6ef-31e5-4ff3-87e2-65f9a4467551
To what wavelength is the atmosphere the most transparent?
['X-rays', 'Visible light', 'Infra Red', 'Radio Waves']
[0, 0, 0, 1]
null
true
b855830d-0498-4c21-8aca-ac69c917178c
In the atmosphere and space environment, what best describes the so-called airglow?
['Photo ionization of oxygen', 'Northern lights', 'Diffraction of the Sun light in the upper layers of the atmosphere', 'Photo Ionization of Hydrogen']
[1, 0, 0, 0]
null
true
e8663499-3be2-4284-88b1-6bada5682f75
A rocket is launched from ESA spaceport in Kourou, French Guyana. Through which layers of the atmosphere and in what order the rocket will pass through?
['thermosphere, troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere', 'troposphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, stratosphere', 'troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere', 'troposphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, thermosphere']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
null
true
1b6dbef8-074c-47b0-aba9-5b291196850d
What are the Van Allen belts?
['The region between 90 and 100 km altitude', 'Low radiation regions', 'Much used orbits for telecommunication', 'Radiation belts']
[0, 0, 0, 1]
These are regions in which you have an increased density of charged particles, mainly protons and electrons, and they are moving to the North and to the South. They are trapped in these regions of increased flux of protons and electrons. Electrons are not too harmful, but protons could be.
true
9d24c8a3-5a62-4b10-a5c6-82a9a7173042
Why is the inner radiation belt harmful for satellites, and more so than the outer belt ?
['Inner radiation modify the magnetic field and will damage optical system of satellites.', 'Inner radiation traps space debris which damage the structure of satellites.', 'Inner radiation traps protons which are more likely to damage on-board electronics.', 'the question is not correct, the outer belt is more harmful for satellites.']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
On top of electrons the inner radiation traps a significant amount of protons whose mass is much higher than the electrons. Because those protons carry more energy, they are also more likely to cause critical damage to the on-board electronics. One way to mitigate this problem is to harden the circuitry by applying redundancy as needed or by shielding the components.
true
45402b06-b7b3-46b0-ae5c-1d3ad697d8b4
The sunspot number is a value that changes with time, with a period of approximately...
['7 years', '9 years', '11 years', '13 years']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
null
true
920728e6-584b-46bd-b596-80aaab4ccfad
True or False: the latitude of sunpots during a solar cycle stays uniform and constant, regardless of the sun activity
['True', 'False']
[0, 1]
null
true
32387be2-0b71-47c8-abbf-b06d60781657
Which of the following statement(s) is or are correct(s) with respect to the solar cycle effect on satellite lifetime at a given altitude?
['At solar maximum, you have higher atmosphere density, which means more drag, and reduced satellite lifetime', 'At solar maximum, you have lower atmosphere density, which means less drag, and and increased satellite lifetime', 'At solar minimum, you have higher atmosphere density, which means more radiation, and reduced satellite lifetime', 'At solar minimum, you have lower atmosphere density, when means less lift for the satellite, and reduced lifetime']
[1, 0, 0, 0]
null
true
433d3c7b-4f56-4934-ac4b-d513d975c33b
Based on your understanding of the solar cycle, where would be the best place to see auroras? (select all that apply)
['Close to Antarctic and Arctic circles', 'Near the equator', 'Iceland or northern Scandinavia', 'Latin America']
[1, 0, 1, 0]
null
true
e8128a5b-c008-49cd-ba2e-e859042da89d
What would be the most appropriate time to observe auroras?
['2018', '2023', 'anytime', '2029']
[0, 1, 0, 0]
null
true
81c4c4ae-b178-4a9d-8f2d-1f9b1a2b4d52
What is the main driver of the shape of solar prominences ?
['Van Allen radiation belts', 'Earth', 'Magnetic fields generated by the sun', 'The orbital forces of Mercury']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
null
true
a5a8edfe-c124-4b53-99f4-bca48e0f12fc
What is the difference between CMEs (Coronal Mass Ejections) and prominences ?
['CMEs do not reconnect towards the sun. They also emit in lower wave-lengths.', 'There is no difference', 'Prominences and CMEs appear at different times of the day', 'CMEs are only caused by radiation belt']
[1, 0, 0, 0]
null
true
04ad623a-86b3-46ac-8762-ce379d9258cf
What is the typical lower boundary of the Van Allen belts?
['Below the ISS altitude', 'Half-way to the Moon', '500-600 km, roughly the altitude of the Hubble Space Telescope', '200-300 km, roughly the altitude of the Hubble Space Telescope']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
null
true
88326631-7955-4fcd-8bb7-1a2c73fd5dd0
What is the global shape of the Earth radiation belts?
['Spherical', 'Rectangular', 'Toroidal', 'Triangular']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
null
true
e7426a1d-3e9f-4a96-bf76-e39df49b5458
What is the sectional profile of the Earth radiation belts?
['Banana-shaped, with the extremities away from the Earth', 'Banana-shaped, with the extremities close to the surface of the Earth', 'Rectangular', 'Disk']
[0, 1, 0, 0]
null
true
6249156c-13d9-4ce4-9abf-46bf65e50b60
The activity of the Sun has a periodicity of 11 years. What are the methods to observe it? (Select all that apply)
['Count the number of sun spots', "Measure the Sun's bolometric flux (i.e. the flux over the whole spectrum)", "Measure the Sun's flux in a spectral band called H-alpha", "Measure the Sun's flux at a wavelength of 10.7 cm"]
[1, 0, 0, 1]
null
true
e61de4a5-23be-4d82-92d0-fea5117b41a1
The solar prominence are bright features extending far into space. They can last from a few dozen hours to months. What can be their size?
['Up to the distance from the Sun to Mercury', 'Up to the distance from the Sun to Earth', "A siginificant fraction of the Sun's radius", 'Up to the size of the Earth']
[0, 0, 0, 1]
null
true
2f361e84-1b61-42b8-85e7-382e098b3512
Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs) are huge ejections of plasma from the Sun. What is their manifestation at a far distance (e.g. somewhere in the vicinity of Earth) from the Sun?
['The flux of light from the Sun is lowered.', 'The Sun darkens from the observer point of view', "None, it's too far away", 'A gust of charged particles']
[0, 0, 0, 1]
null
true
04660f0a-19fc-4b41-82c2-9f4c2245bf07
What is the magnetosphere?
['A spherical object composed solely of magnetic material', 'A region that surrounds an object that has a magnetic field, usually a dipole which is distored by charged particles', 'A region in Indonesia', 'A region that surrounds an object that has a magnetic field, which tunnels neutral particles away from the object']
[0, 1, 0, 0]
null
true
a279f385-4896-4877-8c32-c265ae0f6b31
Some of the solar flux is reflected off the surface of the Earth. The fraction of sunlight reflected is given by the albedo. If the albedo increases, how will the amount of reflected light change?
['It increases', 'It descreases', 'It stays the same', 'Impossible to say, we need more information to answer']
[1, 0, 0, 0]
null
true
dea1ba45-fcb4-454c-ab94-8a06a4d4f2f4
Crossing the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) with a satellite can greatly restrict its performance. Why?
['The SAA is a region of permanent shadow over the South Atlantic, thus there is no power generated by the solar panels.', 'The SAA is a region of extremely high radiation. Radiations create errors in the onboard electronics which can potentially be permanent.', 'The SAA is a region of extremely low radiation. This induces large currents in the onboard electronics which degrades the performance.', 'The SAA is a region which is not covered by any array of antenna, which renders any communication between the ground and the satellite impossible.']
[0, 1, 0, 0]
null
true
8b9f71e4-c6db-45d7-8199-a83a58c31074
An object X and an object Y are in orbit (at the same altitude). X has a Drag Coefficient of 2 while Y has a drag Coefficient of 2.2. Which object will first fall back to Earth?
['Object X', 'Object Y', 'Both at the same time', 'Impossible to say']
[0, 0, 0, 1]
The masses and cross-sections have to be given to be able to estimate which will fall back first.
true
274915a7-1ad4-49f5-979e-c38c3994eba4
Space debris mitigation rule states that after end of nominal operations, a satellite has to fall back to Earth or to be put on a graveyard orbit within
['23 years', '24 years', '25 years', '42 years']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
null
true
20566fe9-5314-4bb3-a0b7-4e9f01f8c396
Hubble's solar arrays were damaged because of collisions with:
['Orbital debris', 'Meteorites with a 10e-5 cm diameter', 'Meteorites with a 10e-2 cm diameter', 'Meteroites with a 10 cm diameter', 'The famous cosmos-irridium breakup that destroyed the primary mirror of the telescope']
[1, 1, 1, 0, 0]
null
true
80824e85-50b6-4981-9056-5f91e3bd6326
The International Space Station (ISS) is placed on an elliptical orbit around the Earth. The orbital apogee is 417 km and orbital perigee is 401 km. What is the gravitational acceleration created by the Earth at the orbit perigee?
['1.72 m/s^2', '8.68 m/s^2', '0 m/s^2', '7.78 m/s^2']
[0, 1, 0, 0]
null
true
2772845a-52cb-4686-8cfe-b19647b0ad18
What is the escape velocity from the surface of the moon Europa (mass M = 4.8e22 kg, radius 1560 km)? (answer in km/s)
['Approximately 1', 'Approximately 2', 'Approximately 3', 'Approximately 4', 'Approximately 5']
[0, 1, 0, 0, 0]
The escape velocity of Europa is simply computed from Vesc = sqrt( 2*mu / R) which is approximately 2 km/s
true
90c76998-7060-491c-a0fb-3ae580a72a22
The escape velocity out of the solar system from Jupiter's orbit is 18.5 km/s while the average orbital velocity is 13.1 km/s. What is the transfer velocity in km/s?
['0.2', '1.4', '2.7', '3.6', '5.4']
[0, 0, 0, 0, 1]
The transfer velocity, for a given planet, is the velocity that has to be added to the planet's circular velocity for a transfer to infinity from this location in the Sun's gravitational well. Therefore, the transfer velocity out of the solar system is 18.5 - 13.1 = 5.4 km/s.
true
6df3d9f1-800e-4b7d-b9ca-ce2ef8090718
The comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko has an escape velocity close to 1 m/s. What would be sufficient in the following to escape its surface and never come back ?
['You, by jumping the equivalent of 50 cm on Earth.', 'A tennis ball hit by Roger Federer.', 'A bullet shot by a pistol.', 'None of the above.']
[1, 1, 1, 0]
null
true
dcd48a6f-2c96-42e6-b75e-b5cb28b2c1fa
The Rosetta spacecraft launched by the European Space Agency successfully entered the orbit of the comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in August 2014. November 12 2014, the Philae lander was released and touched down 7 hours later at a speed of 0.98m/s. The harpoon mechanism which was supposed to secure the lander failed and it bounced off the comet. Assuming purely elastic impact, will the lander leave the comet or return at some point?
['For sure, the lander is lost.', "The lander's chances are fair, but there is a significant risk.", 'All is good, not to worry, Philae will come down for sure.']
[0, 1, 0]
null
true
6570bf60-a707-4f9b-ad31-d7bf390a306f
Telecommunications satellites are often on geostationary orbits (GEO) at an altitude of 35786 km above the surface of the Earth. What is the Earth escape velocity from that orbit? (answer in km/s)
['4.7', '5.0', '5.3', '5.6', '5.9']
[1, 0, 0, 0, 0]
null
true
cfaa1256-9ed3-460b-b6d4-2a79e2b335f2
Which formula gives the work to be performed in order to bring a unit mass from the Earth's surface to infinity? Assume that g0 is the standard gravitational acceleration for the surface of the Earth, R is the radius of the Earth, and p the atmospheric pressure.
['g0 * R * p^2', 'g0 * R * p', 'g0 * R', 'g0 * R^2']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
null
true
bef97b27-a677-488c-9088-b835c0f3d1a8
What is the formula to compute the escape velocity given mu (standard gravitational parameter), and r (the distance to the center of the central body)?
['V = mu * r', 'V = sqrt( 2 * mu / r^3 )', 'V = sqrt( mu / r )', 'V = sqrt( 2 * mu / r )', 'V = sqrt( mu / 2r )']
[0, 0, 0, 1, 0]
null
true
57080b4d-b331-4816-985f-c76f499662f6
The gravitational acceleration at the altitude of the ISS is about 8.68 m/s. However, the astronauts onboard the station are in weightlessness. Why?
['The ISS is constantly rotating around its main axis, creating the illusion of weightlessness.', 'The ISS is constanly falling towards the Earth, but with enough horizontal speed to create an opposing acceleration and equal in magnitude to the gravitational acceleration.', 'Thrusters are in constant use which generate a force such that there is weightlessness.', 'None of the above.']
[0, 1, 0, 0]
null
true
808bd743-7703-452b-a0bb-05516948c7d4
A spacecraft is on a free trajectory in the vicinity of the Earth. From which statement can it be deduced that this spacecraft has sufficient energy to leave Earth's gravitational well (i.e. it is not on orbit around the Earth)? Assumption: Etot refers to the total energy of the spacecraft.
['Etot >= 0', 'Etot < 0', 'Etot is close to + infinity', 'Etot is close to - infinity']
[1, 0, 0, 0]
null
true
0d0d9c07-d33a-4624-9597-1222c4479572
The transfer velocity from an 1 AU orbit (i.e. Earth's orbit) is about 12 km/s. The transfer velocity from Mercury's orbit is 20 km/s. A probe is on an 1 AU orbit with the objective of going towards Mercury. What action must be taken?
['Decrease the energy of the probe.', 'Increase the velocity by 12 km/s.', 'Wait until the orbit is perturbed enough to flyby Mercury.', 'Increase the energy of the probe.']
[1, 0, 0, 0]
null
true
169dbc4a-48cf-40f8-b67b-654da412029f
What is the orbital velocity of the Hubble Space Telescope which is on a circular orbit at 555 km altitude? (answer in km/s)
['4.00', '6.21', '7.58', '8.02']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
null
true
5f013dd6-d16e-4e1f-91f2-84dd2711e47c
What is the strength of the Earth’s acceleration in LEO?
['Same acceleration than on the surface of the Earth', 'No acceleration, that’s why you can float in space', '90% of the acceleration on the surface of the Earth', '10% of the acceleration on the surface of the Earth']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
null
true
7b343016-967c-4a4c-a892-be3e07a6992b
Which of the following proportionnality relation with the orbital period T with respect to the semi-major axis a is correct?
['T^2 is proportional to a', 'T^2 is proportional to a^2', 'T is proportional to a', 'T is proportional to a^(3/2)']
[0, 0, 0, 1]
null
true
503e9f15-7799-4813-b0ad-b87c053b9cc3
An artificial Earth satellite is in an elliptical orbit with a perigee altitude of hp = 250 km and an apogee altitude of ha = 800 km. What is the correct expression of the orbital period?
['T = 2*pi * sqrt( a^3 / mu )', 'T = 2*pi * sqrt( a^2 / mu )', 'T = 2*pi * sqrt( a^(1/2) / mu )', 'T = 2*pi * a^3 / mu']
[1, 0, 0, 0]
null
true
176ce268-f5ed-4c3e-bf98-b53c8c63fed0
An artificial Earth satellite is in an elliptical orbit with a perigee altitude of hp and an apogee altitude of ha. How do you express the semi major of the axis of the satellite orbit "a" in function of hp, ha, and R where R is the Earth's radius?
['a = R ( hp + ha ) / 2', 'a = R ( ha - hp ) / 2', 'a = 2R + (ha + hp) / 2', 'a = R - (hp + ha) / 2', 'a = R + (ha + hp) / 2']
[0, 0, 0, 0, 1]
null
true
874c48df-381b-4887-a2b8-fa09963fbb2f
An artificial Earth satellite is in an elliptical orbit with a perigee altitude of hp = 250 km and an apogee altitude of ha = 800 km. What is its orbital period expressed in minutes?
['18.0', '89.5', '95.0', '100.9']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
null
true
6ef8b7da-7aea-4809-95ce-c17f64866bee
A geostationary orbit is defined as an orbit were the satellite is always pointing towards the same point on the Earth's surface. What is its eccentricity?
['0', '1', '1.3', '0.5']
[1, 0, 0, 0]
Since the Earth's rotation is constant, the eccentricity of the orbit is zero, otherwise its orbital velocity would not be constant.
true
5064e3a3-16e9-431c-816e-3d8cd10c9331
A geostationary orbit is defined as an orbit were the satellite is always pointing towards the same point on the Earth's surface. What is its inclination?
['7.01°', '0°', '3.2°', '45°']
[0, 1, 0, 0]
The inclination is also zero otherwise the satellite's pointing would oscillate across the equator.
true
6192c62d-489d-45e4-acf6-23083a809273
In orbital mechanics, what is the meaning of the mean motion n = sqrt( mu / a^3 )?
['It is the average angular rate over one full orbit, in rad/s', 'It can be defined only for parabolic orbits.', 'It corresponds to the instantaneous angular rate for a non-circular orbit.', 'In the specific case where the eccentricity e tends to zero, the mean motion and the true anomaly tend to be equal.', 'The mean motion relates to the true position of a body moving along a Keplerian orbit.']
[1, 0, 0, 0, 0]
null
true
bc2f3517-6e5a-4b39-89c6-fb11c2209392
What reference frame is the best suited for an interplanetary probe?
['Geographic coordinate system', 'Geo-centric coordinate system', 'Heliocentric-inertial coordinate system']
[0, 0, 1]
The center of the heliocentric-inertial coordinate system is the Sun. The two other coordinate systems use the Earth as center, and are not appropriate to for an interplanetary probe.
true
8d7cc580-c7b9-4875-9ba6-bf468df0a61d
The complete precessional cycle of the Earth lasts about 26000 years. What is the precession rate? (in degrees per year)
['0.00384', '0.01384', '0.02384', '0.03384', '0.04384', '0.05384']
[0, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0]
The precession rate per year is 360°/26000 years = 0.0138°/years.
true
e4fda0e7-b147-48fd-bcea-fbc007d2ee9b
What is the RAAN?
['The inclination of the orbital plane.', 'The time of the periapsis transit.', 'The angle from a reference direction to the point where the satellite crosses the plane of reference, towards the south.', 'The angle from a reference direction to the point where the satellite crosses the plane of reference, towards the north.']
[0, 0, 0, 1]
The longitude of the ascending node (Ω) is one of the orbital elements used to specify the orbit of an object in space. It is the angle from a reference direction, called the origin of longitude, to the direction of the ascending node, measured in a reference plane.
true
7c7013ed-cb14-4298-a435-259072390c40
How long is a sideral day?
['24h00min', '24h04min', '11h56min', '23h56min']
[0, 0, 0, 1]
The sidereal day, is the time it takes for the Earth to make one full rotation with respect to the stars, 23h56'04''.
true
e5939e55-2802-4753-b849-2efdd4aafa9a
Where is an orbital maneuver Delta-V adding energy to a spacecraft on orbit best performed?
['Along the orbital velocity', 'Radially', 'Along the orbit angular momentum', 'Any direction of the Delta-V vector will add energy to the spacectaft on orbit.']
[1, 0, 0, 0]
In the impulsive case, only maneuvers along the velocity will impact the energy. Radial and cross-track maneuvers will only change the direction of the speed without changing its norm.
true
3e8adab1-90a8-4d92-a636-f514f12d90cf
What is the Hohmann transfer for small Delta-V useful for?
['Interplanetary trajectories', 'Earth-Moon transfer', 'Manoeuvers around small bodies (e.g. comets)', 'Orbital rendez-vous']
[0, 0, 0, 1]
null
true
b706586d-50b8-4d17-b9f2-890c679ff6e8
Where is the Delta-V for an inclination change smaller?
['at low altitudes', 'at high altitudes', 'at the equator', 'at the poles']
[0, 1, 0, 0]
The Delta-V for inclination change is proportional to the orbital velocity. Thus, the smaller the orbital velocity is, the less is required to change the inclination and RAAN. The orbital velocity decreases with the square of the distance from the center of the body, thus higher altitudes are better.
true
a972601f-0015-48b8-8747-5e5dd8e92e12
What is the difference between geostationary and geosynchronous orbits?
['Geostationary has an orbital period of 24h whereas geosynchronous orbits is 23h56', 'The orbital parameters for geostationary are inclination = 0° and eccentricity = 0', "A geosynchronous satellite orbits the same location over Earth's surface while a geostationary satellite remains on average at the equator", 'All of the above']
[0, 1, 0, 0]
A geostationary satellite orbits the same location over Earth's surface while a geosynchronous satellite remains on average at the equator. The definition of geostationary orbits is orbital period is Earth's sideral day, e = 0 and i = 0°
true
e723f537-9123-4794-99c4-6dc0f39f9e8f
The ground tracks for a satellite in LEO (typical orbital period is 90 min) is shifting to the west from one equator crossing to the next. What is the typical value of the shift in degrees?
['12.5', '15', '17.5', '20', '22.5']
[0, 0, 0, 0, 1]
At LEO altitudes, the typical orbital period is 90 min. In an hour the Earth rotates by 15° (= 360° / 24h), thus in 90 min, we have a shift of 22.5°
true
60f3877b-24ba-45fe-af9e-d67d14170174
For a circular orbit of a given inclination, at what altitude will a satellite be impacted the most by nodal regression?
['200 km', '2000 km', '500 km', '12000 km']
[0, 0, 0, 0]
The lower the satellite, the stronger the effects of the nodal regression.
true
f9c603e5-f517-4636-849f-350a2759fcdc
Among the following assertion about Lagrange points, which one is true?
['The Sun-Earth system does not have any Lagrange points because of the Moon', 'The distance between the Lagrange points and the Earth varies drastically with the seasons', "The Lagrange points orbit the Sun with the same orbital period as the Earth's", 'None of the above']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
The Lagrange points orbit the Sun with the same orbital period as the Earth's. The mass of the satellite on a Lagrange point is adjusted (lessened in the case of L1 and highthened for L2) such that the orbital period remains one year.
true
41c719d0-9f62-40da-abeb-8bd99a86ef8b
A spacecraft is below and behind the ISS, both are on circular orbits. What will happen to their relative position?
['The spacecraft will overtake the ISS', 'The ISS has a larger velocity than the spacecraft, so it will leave the spacecraft behind', 'Nothing, they will stay at their initial distance', 'The spacecraft will get to an higher altitude than the ISS']
[1, 0, 0, 0]
The orbital velocity decreases with altitude (with the square root of the inverse to the distance to Earth's center). Thus the spacecraft moves faster and will catch-up with the ISS and eventually overtake it.
true
a2db30ce-3528-4548-a228-c27b103a545c
What is the effect of a posigrade burn on a circular orbit?
['There is no effect', 'The altitude 90° from the burn point is decreased', 'The altitude 180° from the burn point is decreased', 'The altitude 180° from the burn point is increased']
[0, 0, 0, 1]
At the burn point, the velocity is increased. It means that the energy of the spacecraft changes and the geometry of the orbit changes. The altitude of the burn point will not change, but becomes the minimal altitude if the initial orbit is circular. Its maximum will be reached at the apogee, 180° from the perigee. Thus the altitude 180° from the burn point is increased.
true
11665c59-aacf-437d-b83e-16aaa6921ced
What is the reference point of the rendezvous profile diagram?
['The chaser', 'The target', 'The center of the Earth', 'The control center']
[0, 1, 0, 0]
The rendezvous profile diagram is centered and relative to the target.
true
a28c168f-3f6a-4edb-b0c0-2ae974963858
What is the shape of a circular orbit, for the chaser, in a rendezvous profile diagram? (assuming the target is higher than the chaser).
['A point', 'A periodic wavy and pointy curve', 'A line', 'A sinusoidal', 'A cycloid']
[0, 0, 1, 0, 0]
On a circular orbit, the altitude does not change, so the value of the R axis does not change. The V axis does not stay the same as the velocity of the two spacecraft are not the same. The chaser will move along an horizontal line in the diagram.
true
e8b2cae4-92f6-48e6-9436-c5f33a5ac832
A spacecraft on a circular orbit at 400 km does a retrograde burn of 1 m/s. What will be the change in the altitude (in km) of the perigee?
['1.5', '2.5', '3.5', '4.5']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
This can be computed in a straightforward way using the equation Delta-r is close to 3.5 * Delta-V where Delta-r is in km and the burn value in m/s.
true
61e3c07e-fd5e-4429-aeb1-66afe0919eda
A chaser is on a circular orbit at the same altitude as the target and few kilometers behind. Where will the chaser be one orbit after a posigrade burn ?
['The chaser will be much further ahead', 'The chaser will be behind the target, further away than it was initally', 'The chaser will be higher than the target', 'The chaser will be lower than the target']
[0, 1, 0, 0]
Since there is a posigrade burn, the altitude of the semi-major axis is increased, the orbital velocity is decreased. If the change of altitude is sufficient, the chaser will drift behind the target further away than it was initially.
true
9fc96902-8398-4630-b53b-6d3049c8254e
What is the definition of the Astronomical Unit (AU)?
['It is the average distance between the Earth and the Sun', 'It is the average radius of the solar system', 'It is the average radius of the Sun', 'It is the average distance betwteen the Moon and the Earth']
[1, 0, 0, 0]
An Astronomical Unit is the mean distance between the Earth and the Sun. In 2012, the International Astronomical Union defined the distance to be 149,597,870,700 meters.
true
3fedeb91-5ab5-45de-be70-a2ce8ad59e10
What is the sphere of influence?
['A region in space that can be controlled by a spacecraft', 'The region around the Sun in which only planets have a gravitational influence', 'A sphere around each planet inside which the motion of a spacecraft must be considered a three-body Keplerian problem', 'A sphere around each planet inside which the motion of a spacecraft is considered to be two-body Keplerian']
[0, 0, 0, 1]
For the Earth, the radius of the sphere of influence is about 924 000 km.
true
6a0ff5bb-46cb-4b10-a12b-4573589bb59f
What is the hyperbolic excess velocity?
['The velocity required to get into a LEO orbit from the surface of the Earth', 'The velocity at which we cross the sphere of influence', 'The velocity needed to reach the arriving planet', 'The velocity needed to reach the sphere of influence']
[0, 1, 0, 0]
It is the speed in excess of the minimum velocity required to reach the sphere of influence.
true
f274dd2f-9811-4424-abca-f3c6e4c61bd8
A interplanetary probe is in the sphere of influence of the Earth, in transit towards an inner planet. What is its energy with respect to the Earth?
['E <= 0', 'E < 0', 'E = 0', 'E > 0']
[0, 0, 0, 1]
The energy for the hyperbola is epsilon = + mu / 2a (energy per unit mass), thus positive. Another way to see this, is that the probe is no longer gravitationally bounded to the Earth, ergo its energy is positive.
true
42d75d3d-7aed-4cc3-a784-814bfc3e0fd6
What is the ideal shape of the transfer trajectory between two planets, and why?
['A Hohmann transfer orbit, because it is the less expensive orbit in terms of energy', 'A straight line, because is it the shortest path', 'A Hohmann transfer orbit, because it is the shortest path', 'A straight line, because it is the less expensive orbit in terms of energy']
[1, 0, 0, 0]
The Hohmann transfer is the optimal and ideal trajectory in terms of time of flight and fuel. However, in reality, different trajectories are preferred. For Mars transfer, more energetic trajectories are usually preferred to shorten the time of flight.
true
b2345b77-cb06-476f-82f4-092f001b8356
An interplanetary probe is in transit towards an inner planet, very close to the arrival planet. How is the velocity of the planet with respect to the velocity of the probe?
['faster', 'identifical', 'slower']
[0, 0, 1]
The transfer ellipse ressemble a Hohmann transfer to go from a high to a lower orbit, thus the velocity of the probe is higher than the arrival planet. When leaving the Earth, the probe should also reduce its heliocentric speed. This can be done by crossing the sphere of influence with the velocity vector of the spacecraft in the opposite direction of Earth's velocity vector.
true
e344b8fb-a2cc-42b2-979c-544644a2a5b0
There is no burn during the slingshot maneuvers and yet the speed in the heliocentric reference frame increases. How is that possible?
['At the periapsis of the slingshot, some massive object is jettisoned', 'An ion thruster is systematically switched on and this type of propulsion is only efficient in planetary neighborhood', 'The velocity vector of the probe is not changed in norm, but in direction in the planetocentric reference frame']
[0, 0, 1]
The norm of the velocity vector stays constant, there is no acceleration in the direction of the velocity vector. However, the direction of the trajectory of the spacecraft in the sphere of influence of the planet is a hyperbola. The direction of the velocity vector changes when the spacecraft is inside the sphere of influence.
true
6012cf0f-5cb3-440a-a35b-91c61539f393
What can Gravity-assist be used for? (more than one answer possible)
['Increase the heliocentric velocity', 'Decrease the heliocentric velocity', 'Make communications between the probe and Earth easier', 'Explorations of "worlds" during the transit flight to the destination']
[1, 1, 0, 1]
The most common application of gravity assist is to increase the heliocentric velocity. However, it can be reduced if the direction of the spacecraft velocity vector is well chosen when entering the sphere of influence. Voyager and Pioneer probes took advantage of their multiple gravity assist maneuvers to explore and take close-up images of all the planets in our solar system. This was made possible due to a particularly favorable alignement of the planets.
true
bb3def0d-b962-4777-84f9-bdd55055516a
In space propulsion, what is true about the specific Impulse (Isp)?
['It is expressed in seconds', 'it changes with the gravity value g', 'it is an expression of the propulsion system efficiency', 'It is related to the exhaust velocity', 'It expresses the impact of the local gravity on the launcher capability to reach orbit.']
[1, 0, 1, 1, 0]
The Isp is related to the exhaust velocity by multiplying its value always by g=9.81. This relation is not dependant on the local value of the gravitational acceleration.
true
63bea71f-58f0-4e0a-a5c1-1ba58f8c927c
There are various combinations of fuel and oxidizer which exist. Which combination gives the biggest Isp among the following?
['LOX/LH2', 'N2H4/LOX', 'N2H4/N2O4', 'Kerosene/N2O4', 'MMH/N2O4']
[1, 0, 0, 0, 0]
The LH2/LOX mixture provides an Isp of ~450s in vacuum. It was used for the Space Shuttle main engine and for the Ariane 5 vulcain engine for instance.
true
19654539-bab9-49dc-96ce-3bf60d2aa5be
Why is electric propulsion system more efficent than chemical propulsion?
['It does not generate heat.', 'It produces a higher exhaust velocity.', 'Because of the recombination of ions and electrons to form neutral atoms.', 'Because of the production of electrodynamics shock waves at the exhaust.']
[0, 1, 0, 0]
null
true
1397b4df-ea27-4305-9089-6292f6408abc
In the process of Orbit insertion what does MECO refer to?
['Micro-Elliptic Catapult Orbit', 'Main Engine Cut-Off', 'It does not mean anything relevant']
[0, 1, 0]
null
true
9f48dd27-ffa4-4042-8bbd-b9ff30e365c4
Which of the following statements are true?
['LVLH is a coordinate system', 'LVLH is a french luxury clothing brand', 'LVLH is an inertial coordinate system', 'In the LVLH system, the z-axis points towards the center of the Earth', 'LVLH stands for Local Vertical, Local Horizontal.']
[1, 0, 0, 1, 1]
The LVLH, Local Vertical, Local Horizontal, is a local reference frame which is linked to the Earth's ground. x is in the direction of travel and z towards the center of the Earth.
true
bde40118-169c-4667-b624-b4742c2e3348
In orbital manoeuvres, is the order of the Euler sequence commutative? (i.e. can you inverse two or more rotations)
['Yes', 'No']
[0, 1]
null
true
2c39dc9e-9e69-4c79-b23f-2c28cce8dd83
How does a magnetic torquer work ?
['The needle of a compass presses on the thruster button to correctly orient the spacecraft', "A coil is wrapped around an elongated rod. An electrical current runs through the the coil generating a magnetic field which has the tendency to align itself with Earth's magnetic field", 'Permanent magnets are placed at strategic places in the spacecraft, keeping it correctly oriented']
[0, 1, 0]
null
true
b9b75cd4-9c1f-4195-b471-25be0cd57a14
Solar arrays should be oriented towards the Sun with a very low accuracy. The angle Theta from the normal of the solar array to the Sun, however, is directly linked to the power generated. Why is the requirement the pointing of the solar arrays to the Sun so loose?
['The power generated is proportional to sine of Theta', 'The power generated is proportional to the cosine of Theta', 'The individual solar cells can points each towards the exact direction of the sun', 'We cannot point a higher precision']
[0, 1, 0, 0]
cos(10°) ~ 0.985, still very close to 1, the supplementary computational, electrical and even consumable needed to increase the power generated by 1 point is not always worth the effort. This lessen also the constraints on the attitude of the spacecraft to give more possibilities to the payload.
true
554f161d-df31-425b-aaa6-c95ef48d9b48
Select all propositons that applies to attitude maneuvers with thrusters
['It is the most precise technique', 'It can be used to desaturate other attitude maneuver systems', '6 thrusters are needed to have pure rotations', 'A minimum of 12 thrusters are needed to have pure rotations', 'All thrusters systems need to have a ignition system']
[0, 1, 0, 1, 0]
Thruster is a very simple and quite crude method. Thrusters are used to desaturate reaction wheels. 12 thrusters (4 per axis) are needed to be able to rotate and brake without translation. All thrusters systems don't need to have a ignition system: for example MMH/N2O4 is a hypergolic reaction and does not need an ignition system. For mono-propellant thrusters, the Hydrazine is catalysed on a berilium substrat.
true
fc1295d7-07f9-4a04-b7d7-f0d9a27720df
What is the fundamental principle that is used when working with rotation wheels?
['Conservation of momentum', 'Conservation of angular momentum', 'Conservation of electric charge', 'Freedom']
[0, 1, 0, 0]
When the rotation wheel starts to rotate, the spacecraft will counter-rotate in order to conserve its total angular momentum, thanks to this, the attitude of a spacecraft can be modified
true
a4854768-4cb1-4483-a41e-e2565d01ebbc
What was the main power source of the Space Shuttle?
['Solar arrays', 'Fuel cells', 'Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTG)', 'Hamsters running in a wheel', 'Astronaut bicycle ergometer with a generator']
[0, 1, 0, 0, 0]
null
true
d9a55108-1a19-48eb-9069-a847b7a02f0b
A tether deployed from the Space Shuttle with a passive satellite at the end can be used as ...
['Electrical Generator', 'Space elevator', 'Electrical motor', 'Dipole antenna']
[1, 0, 1, 0]
null
true
b13d3f2d-ed82-43fc-a442-7276c41661d2
Which effect dominates the forces on a tethered systems?
['Drag disturbances', 'Radiation pressure', 'Gravity gradient', 'Collision with other spacecraft']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
A collision with another spacecraft is very unlikely. The dominant effect is the gravity gradient which tends to align the system along the orbital radius.
true
84b8c9af-0b86-4e27-b1c9-eeff18b5dcd5
What elements were part of selected configuration of the Space Shuttle? (Select all that applies)
['An orbiter', 'A capsule', '3 main engines', 'Two solid rocket boosters', 'An external tank', 'A third stage']
[1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0]
null
true
102c8ce4-14c0-4b6b-a584-cdc889e6f12b
During which year the Shuttle approach and landing tests took place?
['1974', '1975', '1976', '1977', '1978']
[0, 0, 0, 1, 0]
null
true
f16dafd8-ba8c-4f1f-992b-f5c46867e858
Up to how many crew-members could participate in Space Shuttle Missions?
['2', '5', '7', '10', '11']
[0, 0, 1, 0, 0]
null
true
7809da4f-3612-4c97-b146-440b5425bca2
Which abbreviations correspond to real Space Shuttle Missions? (Select all that applies)
['STS-1', 'STS-432', 'STS-75', 'STS-51L', 'STS-137', 'STS-118']
[1, 0, 1, 1, 0, 1]
STS-1 was the first Shuttle flight in 1981, STS-51L corresponds to the Challenger accident in 1986, STS-75 was Claude Nicollier's third flight in 1996 with a tethered satellite. The last Shuttle flight was STS-135 so STS-137 and STS-432 do not make sense.
true
6167effd-5661-488b-a91b-01856dc8a560
What changes did occur after the Challenger accident? (Select all that applies)
['The design of some components of the Space Shuttle Transportation System was modified', 'Crew to the ISS were sent only with Soyuz spacecraft', 'The Launch and Entry Suit was introduced', 'The Shuttle was not used by the Department of Defense or for commercial flights', 'Nothing']
[1, 0, 1, 1, 0]
null
true
e26b1a0e-e633-43a7-9191-84614aaaa4ee
When did the ISS start to be assembled?
['2001', '1995', '1998', '2011']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
null
true
e5d95638-231a-474a-912a-c7880d3db90d
Which of the following vehicles were able to bring crews to the ISS, until 2011? (Select all that applies)
['Soyuz', 'Progress', 'Dragon', 'Space Shuttle', 'Shenzhou']
[1, 0, 0, 1, 0]
Only Soyuz spacecraft and the Space Shuttle were able to bring crews to the ISS. Shenzhou is the Chinese manned spacecraft which have been able to bring Chinese crews onboard the Chinese Space Station. Progress and Dragon are supply vehicles, not manned.
true
79d76e22-fdf1-4988-a33d-4eb00f028fb7
What year did the first spacewalk take place?
['1962', '1963', '1964', '1965']
[0, 0, 0, 1]
The first spacewalk, realized by Alexei Leonov, took place on March 18, 1965 during the Voskhod 2 mission and lasted for 12 minutes.
true
3f36e2d1-f565-4e93-a265-d47774d48919
What new item was introduced in Apollo 15 to explore the Moon?
['A second, scientific, deck to the LEM', 'A Lunar Roving Vehicle', 'A tent-like structure to analyze boulders', 'The spacesuits featured cold gas thrusters to fly small distances']
[0, 1, 0, 0]
The A Lunar Roving Vehicle called "buggy" was electrically powered and was driven on Apollo 15, 16 and 17, the last three flights. During Apollo 17, it was driven on the surface for more than 20 km!
true
df3bd299-9a98-41e0-910c-2bc81b057023
Which of the following is NOT a branch within the European Cooperation for Space Standardization (ECSS) system?
['Policy branch (P-branch)', 'System description branch (S-branch)', 'Environmental Sustainability branch (E-branch)', 'Configuration and information management branch (D-branch)']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
The ECSS system includes several branches that cover a wide range of standardization disciplines, but an Environmental Sustainability branch (E-branch) as described is not one of them. The actual E-branch within ECSS refers to the Engineering branch, which defines standard engineering processes and technical requirements for space systems. The ECSS space sustainability branch (U-branch), was initiated in 2012, and defines two disciplines: space debris mitigation and planetary protection.
true
e1cb1e26-e334-478b-9cdb-2a4786585402
Which ECSS standard series focuses specifically on the product assurance aspects of space projects?
['E-branch', 'S-branch', 'Q-branch', 'P-branch']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
The ECSS product assurance branch (Q-branch) defines the methods and requirements relevant to assure the safety and reliability of space products.
true
53550861-e6fe-46fb-ab3d-a059fda50de8
The South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) is an area where the Earth's inner Van Allen radiation belt comes closest to the Earth's surface. What does it lead to?
['A screening from sun light.', 'A decreased flux of energetic particles.', 'An increased flux of energetic particles.', 'A high number of auroras.']
[0, 0, 1, 0]
It leads to an increased flux of energetic particles in this region and exposes orbiting satellites to higher than usual levels of radiation. The effect is caused by the non-concentricity of the Earth and its magnetic dipole.
true
d1daaa31-090c-450f-a947-5fbe99bdcf52
What might be the effect of the impact of a cosmic ray with the onboard electronics? (More than one answer possible)
['Change the position of the satellite.', 'Create single event upsets.', 'Create single event latchups.', 'Cause the loss of performance of the system.']
[0, 1, 1, 1]
Single-event effects (SEE), mostly affecting only digital devices. When a high-energy particle travels through a semiconductor, it leaves an ionized track behind. This ionization may cause a highly localized effect. Single event upsets can be fixed by rebooting the system while single event latchups create a permanent localised failure, which in turn can result in loss of performance (that's why all electronic component are redundant on satellites).
true
96aee273-ea94-47ef-bb24-2748f7d7efae
What causes the difference between the spectral irradiance at the top of the atmosphere and at sea level?
['The passage of airplanes', 'The presence of water in the atmosphere', 'The presence of CO2', 'The high albedo (about 0.9) at the poles']
[0, 1, 1, 0]
A lot of the solar flux is absorbed by different molecules present in the atmosphere. Certain regions of the atmosphere (in the UV for example) are opaque as the water molecule absorb all the available energy at that wavelength.
true
5cbdcce5-5cb1-489e-8750-cf2778362dfa