Apollo 7: Testing a Spacecraft Close to Earth
Before astronauts could travel to the Moon, they needed a spacecraft they could trust. How could NASA find out whether its new Apollo spacecraft would work during a long journey? The answer was to test it closer to home.
On October 11, 1968, Apollo 7 launched from Florida with astronauts Walter Schirra, Donn Eisele, and Walter Cunningham aboard. It was the first Apollo mission to carry people into space. The spacecraft did not land on the Moon or travel there. Instead, it circled Earth for almost 11 days while the crew tested its equipment.
The mission came at an important time for NASA. In January 1967, a fire during a ground test had killed three astronauts in an Apollo spacecraft. After the accident, engineers made changes to improve safety. For example, they redesigned the hatch so it could be opened more quickly and replaced many materials that could easily catch fire. Apollo 7 would be the first chance to test the revised spacecraft with a crew in space.
Testing in orbit
- engineers:
- People who design or improve machines and other things to solve problems.
- redesigned:
- Designed again to make changes or improvements.
- revised:
- Changed from an earlier version.
- orbit:
- The path an object follows as it moves around another object in space.
- evidence:
- Information that helps show whether something is true.
- weightlessness:
- The condition of seeming to have no weight.
- contribution:
- Something done or given to help achieve a result.
One passage, many ways to practice
Reading-skill questions, word work and writing prompts — all built from this text.
Main Idea
Identify the central idea and explain how important details develop it.
Context Clues
Use clues in the passage to work out what words mean. A separate printable Vocabulary worksheet is also available.
Summarize
Select, organize, and restate the most important information without adding opinion.
Purpose
Analyze what the author aims to do and how choices serve audience and purpose.
Structure
Analyze how sections and organizational choices build the text's ideas or effects.
Vocabulary
Practice words from the passage with a printable worksheet.
Writing Prompts
Use the passage as a springboard for short written responses, from personal reflection to evidence-based arguments.
Fix the Sentence
Practice editing sentences drawn from this passage with a printable worksheet.
Ready to use this passage in class?
Start free with the Mixed worksheet and 3 PDF downloads each week. Focused skill sets depend on plan.
Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Why did NASA test Apollo 7 close to Earth before sending astronauts toward the Moon?
- 2How did engineers change the spacecraft after the 1967 fire?
You Might Also Like
About this explanatory article passage for Upper Elementary
“Apollo 7: Testing a Spacecraft Close to Earth” is a explanatory article reading passage about Space exploration, written for Upper Elementary. It takes about 3 minutes to read (508 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.