The Apollo program, a pivotal moment in the history of space exploration, was not just a series of space missions but an enormous engineering and industrial endeavor. While the astronauts like Neil Armstrong are well-known, the construction of the spacecraft and rockets, an effort involving 400,000 workers and 20,000 contractors, remains less celebrated.
Key to this were the contributions of North American Aviation and Harrison Storms, its chief engineer. Storms, who joined North American in 1941, was instrumental in the development of advanced aircraft like the B-70 and X-15, which pushed aerospace technology boundaries. The B-70, for instance, was a high-speed bomber designed for “unchallenged military supremacy,” utilizing innovative techniques like “compression lift” and advanced steel fabrication.
Similarly, the X-15, a research aircraft, required the development of new fabrication techniques for the Inconel X alloy. These advancements in aerospace technology laid the groundwork for the Apollo program’s success.
Questions:
1. Who was a major figure in North American Aviation’s contribution to the Apollo program?
A) Neil Armstrong
B) Harrison Storms
C) James “Dutch” Kindleberger
D) Wernher von Braun
2. Which aircraft, developed under Harrison Storms, contributed to advancing aerospace technology for the Apollo program?
A) B-70 and X-15
B) T-6 Texan and P-51 Mustang
C) F-86 Sabre and F-100 Super Sabre
D) B-25 and Navaho missile
3. What innovative design was used in the B-70 bomber developed by North American Aviation?
A) Inconel X alloy
B) Compression lift
C) Common bulkhead
D) Modular electronic circuitry
4. What does the word “instrumental” used in the passage above mean?
A) someone or something that plays a key or crucial role
B) relating to an instrument
C) a kind of music where vocals are not used
D) none of the above
5. What is the tone of this passage?
A) gushing
B) critical
C) intriguing
D) informative
Answers
- B) Harrison Storms
- A) B-70 and X-15
- B) Compression lift
- A) someone or something that plays a key or crucial role
- D) informative
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