Women in Space: Part IV–The Future of Spaceflight

by Karen Bush Gibson
This collection profiles astronauts from around the world, including Valentina Tereshkova, the first woman in space, and Sally Ride, the first American woman in space.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Introduction–Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV–The Future of Spaceflight
30 words 23 learners

Learn words with Flashcards and other activities

Definition First
Print Flashcards

Other learning activities

Answer a few questions about each word. Use this to prep for your next quiz! Compete with other teams in real time to see who answers the most questions correctly! Test your spelling acumen. Read the definition, listen to the word and try spelling it!

Teaching tools

Create and assign quizzes to your students to test their vocabulary. Assign learning activities including Practice, Vocabulary Jams and Spelling Bees to your students, and monitor their progress in real-time.

Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. encompass
    include in scope
    ESRO evolved into the European Space Agency (ESA) by 1975 to encompass the goals of both previous agencies.
  2. fleck
    a small fragment of something broken off from the whole
    Paint flecks have caused enough damage to space shuttle windows that they’ve had to be replaced.
  3. alloy
    a mixture containing two or more metallic elements
    In addition to experiments, the crew of STS-42 looked at making materials in space, such as crystals and alloys.
  4. collaborate
    work together on a common enterprise or project
    Digital video, data, and communications between the Discovery crew and the Spacelab Mission Operations Control facility at the Marshall Space Center in Huntsville, Alabama, allowed more people to collaborate on experiments.
  5. stabilize
    keep from fluctuating or put into an equilibrium
    This “gravity-gradient stabilized” attitude used natural forces to maintain the shuttle in orbit and reduced the need to use stabilizing rockets that might disturb the ship and the experiments inside.
  6. elongate
    become extended or lengthier
    Researchers already knew that the spine elongated up to almost three inches in limited gravity. Although being taller in space doesn't sound too bad, the back pain that came with it was.
  7. pathology
    the branch of medical science that studies diseases
    She received undergraduate degrees in zoology and agriculture, a graduate degree in experimental pathology, a doctorate in neurobiology, and a medical degree.
  8. metabolism
    the organic processes that are necessary for life
    During her first mission, she had investigated the autonomic nerve system, cardiovascular system, and bone and muscle metabolism.
  9. intrigue
    cause to be interested or curious
    What intrigued Chiaki about space was how she would feel about gravity.
  10. atrophy
    undergo weakening or degeneration as through lack of use
    When astronauts go into space, their muscles atrophy and they experience bone loss.
  11. diminish
    decrease in size, extent, or range
    Bones and muscles don’t have to work against gravity, so they go unused. Muscles waste away, and bone mass diminishes.
  12. credentials
    a document attesting to the truth of certain stated facts
    Born in Tatebayashi, in Japan’s Gunma Prefecture, Chiaki came to NASA spaceflights with impressive medical credentials. After receiving her medical degree in 1977, she worked as a surgeon and later specialized in cardiovascular surgery.
  13. precursor
    something indicating the approach of something or someone
    In 1985, Japan’s National Space Development Agency (NASDA), the precursor to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, selected three people to train as payload specialists for the First Material Processing Test (FMPT) on the Spacelab mission.
  14. traumatic
    of or relating to a physical injury or wound to the body
    Her research applied diagnostic and therapeutic techniques to arthritis and traumatic sports injuries.
  15. cognitive
    relating to or involving the mental process of knowing
    Specifically, she studied how the motor and cognitive systems adapted to weightlessness.
  16. liaison
    a means of communication between groups
    The ESA also has liaison offices and tracking stations throughout the world.
  17. adverse
    contrary to your interests or welfare
    The experiment also looked at the roles of nutrition and exercise in counteracting adverse conditions that arise from being in low-gravity situations for extended periods of time, such as when astronauts go to other planets.
  18. valor
    courage when facing danger
    From Russia, she received the Order of Friendship and Medal for Personal Valour.
  19. staggering
    so surprisingly impressive as to stun or overwhelm
    As spaceflights became more frequent, the costs became staggering, as the United States and Russia have learned.
  20. ballistic
    of the motion of objects moving under their own momentum
    The Soyuz capsule landed 260 miles off its targeted landing site in Kazakhstan because of a steep reentry or ballistic descent that caused burning to the hatch and the antenna.
  21. submissive
    inclined or willing to give in to orders or wishes of others
    Like many Pakistani fathers, Kalpana’s father believed his daughter's role was submissive to that of her family and future husband, but Kalpana's mother supported her daughter's dream of education and independence.
  22. dynamics
    mechanics concerned with forces that cause motions of bodies
    Her first project was on powered-lift computational fluid dynamics.
  23. trajectory
    the path followed by an object moving through space
    When spacecraft reenter the Earth's atmosphere, temperatures can reach as high as 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit, so the shuttle trajectory or flight path is calculated to minimize problems from the heat.
  24. hydraulic
    moved or operated or effected by liquid
    Everything appeared to be normal upon reentry, but then at 7:53 AM Central Time, Mission Control in Houston noted a sensor for the left-side hydraulic system falling to zero as a 60-degree spike was recorded between the tiles along the fuselage.
  25. fuselage
    the central body of an airplane holding crew and passengers
    Everything appeared to be normal upon reentry, but then at 7:53 AM Central Time, Mission Control in Houston noted a sensor for the left-side hydraulic system falling to zero as a 60-degree spike was recorded between the tiles along the fuselage.
  26. strew
    be dispersed over
    Investigators and NASA personnel raked through the debris strewn over a 900-square-mile area in East Texas and Louisiana.
  27. meditative
    deeply or seriously thoughtful
    Yang and other astronauts perform the Chinese meditative and physical exercise tai chi both on Earth and in space.
  28. hail
    be a native of
    The second was Marianne Merchez, a physician who hails from Belgium and specializes in space medicine.
  29. thesis
    a treatise advancing a point of view resulting from research
    During her education, she focused on aerodynamics and wrote her thesis on solid rocket propellants.
  30. squadron
    an air force unit smaller than a group
    She flew the MB-339, and as a fighter pilot was assigned to the 132nd Squadron, 51st Bomber Wing, based in Italy. Later, she was reassigned to the 101st Squadron, 32nd Bomber Wing with training for the AMX ground-attack fighter. In 2009, she was chosen for astronaut training.
Created on Tue Mar 30 10:47:48 EDT 2021 (updated Mon Apr 05 11:12:05 EDT 2021)

Sign up now (it’s free!)

Whether you’re a teacher or a learner, Vocabulary.com can put you or your class on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.