RELIVING THE SPACE ODYSSEY
The UN General Assembly declared 12 April as the International Day of Human Space Flight, to celebrate each year at the international level, the beginning of the space era for mankind. On this occasion, let’s cherish some of the celebrated space moments of yesteryears.
This is one of the most unusual weddings in history. In 2003, it took place with the groom orbiting the Earth and the bride on the ground in Texas, US. Ekaterina Dmitriev saw her love when he appeared on a video linkup between the station and the wedding hall. The transmission was officially categorised as a ‘private family conference’, not publicly broadcast over Nasa TV. Which Russian cosmonaut are we talking about?
Yuri Gagarin ate pureed meat from toothpaste tubes. By the time of the Gemini missions in 1965, the menu included shrimp cocktail, chicken and vegetables, and butterscotch pudding. Nasa astronaut Terry Virts, tweeted a photo in 2015 about a dish he made in space. It includes beef patties, Russian mustard, tomato paste and cheese paste all — rolled up in a tortilla. What dish did he make?
Jack Swigert, the astronaut known for Apollo 13, passed an unusual message during a mission as he forgot to do something. The Mission control found it hilarious and later accepted his demand. After 33 years, Russian cosmonaut Pavel Vinogradov, in a similar situation, used the internet to become the first person to do the thing which Jack Swigert couldn’t do in space. What did he forget?
When Apollo 11 astronauts accomplished the first moon landing, geologists were excited about seeing the first rocks brought from there. It was discovered at Tranquility Base. It is a minor mineral found in titanium-rich basalt rocks and was named after Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins. What is it called?
This phrase has been used during debates and press conferences regarding the technology gap between the United States and other nations. It has also been used to describe US’s need to catch up to other rapidly developing countries, especially with clean energy and technology. Identify the phrase.