Astronauts: Pages 30–61

by Jim Ottaviani, Maris Wicks
Using a graphic novel format, the authors of Primates tell the stories of the first women in space, focusing on astronaut Mary Cleave.

This list covers vocabulary from pages 30–61.

Here are links to our lists for the book: List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4
15 words 406 learners

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. assertive
    aggressively self-assured
    I understand. But she is too independent. Too assertive.
  2. virtue
    any admirable quality or attribute
    These are indeed all virtues, Comrade General.
  3. gyroscope
    rotating mechanism in the form of a mounted spinning wheel
    You will find and fix that gyroscope problem today.
  4. calisthenics
    light exercises designed to promote general fitness
    Two days later, at 7 a.m., Valentina's day started with calisthenics...
  5. lingo
    a characteristic language of a particular group
    And just like that, back in the U.S. the Mercury 13 were, in NASA lingo, OBE.
  6. trajectory
    a progression or course of events, actions, or developments
    The vehicle is working excellently. Everything is on trajectory.
  7. porthole
    a window in a ship or airplane
    I see the earth in the porthole, slightly obscured by clouds.
  8. corona
    the outermost region of the sun's atmosphere
    Observation of the solar corona is impossible, there aren't enough fingers to block the sun.
  9. axis
    a straight line through a body or figure
    Please communicate that on the 47th orbit, I oriented the ship in the landing mode for a full 20 minutes along all three axes.
  10. pendulum
    an apparatus in which an object is mounted to swing freely
    Like a pendulum it's turning and burning, burning.
  11. vigorously
    in an energetic manner
    It's burning vigorously.
  12. collective
    set up on the principle of ownership by the workers involved
    People from a nearby kolkhoze—a collective farm—rushed to greet their surprise guest.
  13. infraction
    a violation of a law or rule
    Flight doctors can take you off flight status for any minor infraction.
  14. congenial
    suitable to your needs
    I admit that would be much more congenial.
  15. dissertation
    a treatise advancing a point of view resulting from research
    And as I was finishing up my dissertation, a friend told me about this notice he saw at the post office...
Created on Tue Feb 11 11:01:42 EST 2020 (updated Mon Jul 14 10:23:00 EDT 2025)

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