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Summer quiz: ETH in space

50 years ago American astronauts landed on the moon for the first time. Although no ETH scientists have ever – yet – been on the earth satellite, they have made some contributions towards understanding the moon, Mars and space. Climb aboard the space shuttle and embark on a voyage into space with the ETH summer quiz.

by Fabio Bergamin

Would you have believed it? In the summer quiz series, we take you on a tour of discovery through remarkable, peculiar and fun facts from the research and teaching of ETH Zurich. This issue takes you on a voyage to ETH projects in space.

Summer quiz: ETH in space

  1. Question 1 of 7
    Moon

    1. About the moon. How was it actually created? There are many theories about this. Which do scientists consider to be the most plausible?

    • ✓ Correct Scientists consider it most likely that a celestial body the size of Mars collided with the earth and that this caused debris to be thrown into space from which the moon was formed. This theory is also supported by the investigations of Maria Schönbächler, Professor at the Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology. She compared material samples of the earth and the moon. Schönbächler explains more about the creation of the moon in the ETH Library video. (Photograph: Colourbox)

    • ✘ False Scientists consider it most likely that a celestial body the size of Mars collided with the earth and that this caused debris to be thrown into space from which the moon was formed. This theory is also supported by the investigations of Maria Schönbächler, Professor at the Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology. She compared material samples of the earth and the moon. Schönbächler explains more about the creation of the moon in the ETH Library video. (Photograph: Colourbox)

  2. Question 2 of 7
    Lavinia Heisenberg standing next to a laptop

    2. Lavinia Heisenberg is ETH Professor of Theoretical Physics and has a big dream. What is it?

      • ✓ Correct To become an astronaut. “Wouldn’t it be rather ironic if a scientist who has been researching gravitation for so many years finally gets the chance to experience weightlessness?” asks the ETH professor in the ETH News portrait. (Photograph: ETH Zurich / Florian Bachmann)

      • ✘ False To become an astronaut. “Wouldn’t it be rather ironic if a scientist who has been researching gravitation for so many years finally gets the chance to experience weightlessness?” asks the ETH professor in the ETH News portrait. (Photograph: ETH Zurich / Florian Bachmann)

    • Question 3 of 7
      Insight Rover Landing

      3. The InSight lander touched down successfully on Mars on 26 November 2018. What has also been left on the red planet since then?

        • ✓ Correct ETH logo and Swiss flag. ETH Professor Domenico Giardini and his team developed a seismometer that is now on Mars. It measures vibrations caused by Marsquakes and meteorite strikes. Thanks to the seismometer, the picture of a Swiss flag and the ETH logo are for the first time also present on the red planet. Further information (Visulisations: NASA)

        • ✘ False ETH logo and Swiss flag. ETH Professor Domenico Giardini and his team developed a seismometer that is now on Mars. It measures vibrations caused by Marsquakes and meteorite strikes. Thanks to the seismometer, the picture of a Swiss flag and the ETH logo are for the first time also present on the red planet. Further information (Visulisations: NASA)

      • Question 4 of 7

        4. Space also needs to be fertilised if you want to grow vegetables there. What’s a particularly good way of doing this?

          • ✓ Correct Urine and faeces of astronauts. It may sound rather unappetising, but when it comes to voyages to Mars and the settlement of the red planet with people, there are suggestions to use their excrements as fertilisers. This would enable plants to be cultivated with closed nutrient cycles. ETH astrobiologist Grace Crain explains more about plant cultivation in space in an episode of the ETH podcast.

          • ✘ False Urine and faeces of astronauts. It may sound rather unappetising, but when it comes to voyages to Mars and the settlement of the red planet with people, there are suggestions to use their excrements as fertilisers. This would enable plants to be cultivated with closed nutrient cycles. ETH astrobiologist Grace Crain explains more about plant cultivation in space in an episode of the ETH podcast.

        • Question 5 of 7
          Aurin fertiliser in a bottle

          5. Plant fertiliser made of human urine already exists. ETH astrobiologist Grace Crain thinks it smells like...

            • ✓ Correct Whisky. That’s what Grace Crain thinks, as she explains in the ETH podcast episode. (Photograph: Eawag)

            • ✘ False Whisky. That’s what Grace Crain thinks, as she explains in the ETH podcast episode. (Photograph: Eawag)

          • Question 6 of 7
            Lisa Pathfinder measuring device

            6. An ETH laser measuring instrument is to assist with the measurement of gravitational waves in a space mission. How precisely can it measure distances?

              • ✓ Correct To exactly one picometre. The high-precision measuring device developed at ETH was part of the LISA Pathfinder mission of the ESA back in 2016, a preparatory mission for a large ETH mission for the measurement of gravitational waves in space. Scientists only proved the existence of gravitational waves two years ago. They were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018. (Image: ESA)

              • ✘ False To exactly one picometre. The high-precision measuring device developed at ETH was part of the LISA Pathfinder mission of the ESA back in 2016, a preparatory mission for a large ETH mission for the measurement of gravitational waves in space. Scientists only proved the existence of gravitational waves two years ago. They were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2018. (Image: ESA)

            • Question 7 of 7
              Aris project team

              7. The ARIS team of students came second in their category in a competition in the USA last month with a self-made rocket. What was their task?

                • ✓ Correct The task at the Spaceport America Cup was for a self-made rocket to reach an altitude of 10,000 feet (3,048 metres) as precisely as possible and then use a parachute to float gently back to the ground. Among other things the precision of the altitude and the degree of reusability of the rockets after the flight were taken into account for the awarding of points. Although the altitude of 3,048 metres is still in the earth’s atmosphere and not in space, we are nevertheless impressed by the ETH students’ performance and congratulate them on coming an excellent second. Further information (Photograph: ARIS)

                • ✘ False The task at the Spaceport America Cup was for a self-made rocket to reach an altitude of 10,000 feet (3,048 metres) as precisely as possible and then use a parachute to float gently back to the ground. Among other things the precision of the altitude and the degree of reusability of the rockets after the flight were taken into account for the awarding of points. Although the altitude of 3,048 metres is still in the earth’s atmosphere and not in space, we are nevertheless impressed by the ETH students’ performance and congratulate them on coming an excellent second. Further information (Photograph: ARIS)

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