🚀 SpaceGrade 5Reading: grades 3-4AdditionPlace valueSubtractionMultiplicationDivision

The Great Starlight Station Sabotage

Someone tampered with the telescope on the Starlight Orbital Station and hid the star charts! Cadet Cosmo and the Starlight Rangers need your help to crack the clues, examine the evidence, and find out which crew member is the culprit before the space station drifts off course.

Suspects

Possible suspects

Cross off a row as each clue rules it out. On screen, tap a row.

21 of 21 still in play

Name	Primary Gear	Payload Item	Visor Type	Spacesuit Color	Environmental Hazard
Kathy Sullivan	jetpack booster	moon rover key	clear visor helmet	neon blue spacesuit	solar flares
Sally Ride	jetpack booster	solar wrench	clear visor helmet	silver foil spacesuit	solar flares
Eileen Collins	ion blaster	solar wrench	tinted visor helmet	neon blue spacesuit	cosmic dust
Chris Hadfield	ion blaster	com link radio	tinted visor helmet	silver foil spacesuit	cosmic dust
Victor Glover	ion blaster	star chart map	tinted visor helmet	silver foil spacesuit	solar flares
Jessica Meir	ion blaster	solar wrench	clear visor helmet	bright orange spacesuit	magnetic radiation
Mae Jemison	gravity boots	solar wrench	clear visor helmet	bright orange spacesuit	magnetic radiation
Yuri Gagarin	gravity boots	moon rover key	tinted visor helmet	silver foil spacesuit	cosmic dust
Alan Shepard	jetpack booster	moon rover key	clear visor helmet	neon blue spacesuit	magnetic radiation
Guion Bluford	plasma shield	oxygen canister	tinted visor helmet	neon blue spacesuit	cosmic dust
Robert Crippen	ion blaster	oxygen canister	clear visor helmet	neon blue spacesuit	solar flares
Buzz Aldrin	jetpack booster	com link radio	tinted visor helmet	neon blue spacesuit	magnetic radiation
Stephanie Wilson	plasma shield	com link radio	tinted visor helmet	bright orange spacesuit	cosmic dust
Ellen Ochoa	jetpack booster	com link radio	tinted visor helmet	silver foil spacesuit	solar flares
Christina Koch	jetpack booster	moon rover key	tinted visor helmet	neon blue spacesuit	cosmic dust
John Glenn	jetpack booster	com link radio	tinted visor helmet	silver foil spacesuit	cosmic dust
Guy Gardner	jetpack booster	oxygen canister	clear visor helmet	neon blue spacesuit	cosmic dust
Leland Melvin	gravity boots	star chart map	tinted visor helmet	neon blue spacesuit	cosmic dust
Bernard Harris	laser torch	oxygen canister	tinted visor helmet	neon blue spacesuit	cosmic dust
Peggy Whitson	laser torch	com link radio	clear visor helmet	neon blue spacesuit	cosmic dust
Sunita Williams	jetpack booster	star chart map	tinted visor helmet	neon blue spacesuit	magnetic radiation

Clue 1

Addition

Cadet Cosmo tallied up all the spare oxygen tanks gathered from two different supply bays to reveal the first secret log.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

7801

9160

3263

2660

3911

5260

4023

3911

5605

7700

6100

3263

6150

5605

6100

7801

9160

4023

2660

3263

4023

6150

6100

5260

4023

6011

3942

6011

3263

5605

3810

9160

4331 + 3470 =T

2007 + 4004 =R

1206 + 2817 =A

2938 + 2667 =N

1884 + 2058 =W

1780 + 3480 =L

6305 + 2855 =H

2161 + 1102 =E

1001 + 1659 =V

2490 + 1421 =I

5221 + 2479 =D

3408 + 2692 =O

3227 + 2923 =S

2100 + 1710 =C

0/14 letters found

Clue 2

Place value

The station mainframes displayed a location code where the place value of the thousands digit pointed straight to a hidden data drive.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

1000

3000

300

500

600

3000

1000

3000

300

8000

500

600

3000

900

3000

1000

What is the value of the 1 in 41,639?T

What is the value of the 5 in 724,541?O

What is the value of the 9 in 46,988?M

What is the value of the 8 in 98,127?S

What is the value of the 7 in 58,975?W

What is the value of the 6 in 382,160?L

What is the value of the 5 in 322,354?N

What is the value of the 4 in 71,146?D

What is the value of the 3 in 972,320?V

What is the value of the 6 in 181,648?R

What is the value of the 3 in 93,510?E

What is the value of the 9 in 315,897?I

What is the value of the 2 in 511,123?A

What is the value of the 8 in 70,685?H

0/14 letters found

Clue 3

Subtraction

The Rangers checked how many solar panels were still working after subtracting the damaged ones from the original total.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

2714

4356

4935

8243

6309

3263

3972

6309

7684

3553

3972

1284

3553

4935

3972

3444

2714

2786

3691

2786

1284

1829

6309

3691

4130

7229

1284

2714

3817 - 1103 =T

6653 - 3390 =L

4148 - 1362 =O

4825 - 469 =H

4676 - 985 =C

9130 - 4195 =E

12609 - 4366 =V

1910 - 626 =S

6459 - 2906 =W

7148 - 3704 =K

7771 - 1462 =I

7436 - 207 =U

8293 - 4321 =A

11898 - 4214 =N

3285 - 1456 =M

8773 - 4643 =D

0/16 letters found

Clue 4

Multiplication facts (1-12)

Captain Nova organized the space probes into equal rows inside the docking bay to calculate the total energy needed.

Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.

100

144

132

144

100

9 × 1 =T

6 × 8 =P

1 × 1 =A

6 × 10 =C

7 × 9 =O

12 × 12 =N

7 × 7 =U

11 × 12 =D

7 × 11 =V

3 × 11 =S

5 × 9 =H

11 × 1 =B

6 × 5 =E

10 × 10 =I

7 × 6 =L

0/15 letters found

Clue 5

Division facts (1-12) — the last clue

The astro engineers split the energy cells equally among the life support pods to activate the final decode scanner.

First solve each problem. Then find each answer in the list below and cross that sentence out. One sentence will be left — that's exactly what the villain did!

Step 1 — solve these

5 ÷ 5 = ?

24 ÷ 4 = ?

24 ÷ 3 = ?

12 ÷ 6 = ?

55 ÷ 11 = ?

9 ÷ 1 = ?

33 ÷ 3 = ?

70 ÷ 10 = ?

9 ÷ 3 = ?

60 ÷ 6 = ?

36 ÷ 9 = ?

Step 2 — cross out the sentence with each answer

1.The villain overloaded the plasma shield grid, then drained the oxygen canister.

2.The villain zapped the main reactor controls, then stole the star chart map.

3.The villain zapped the main reactor controls, then jammed the com link radio.

4.The villain charged the ion beam blaster, then stole the star chart map.

5.The villain charged the ion beam blaster, then jammed the com link radio.

6.The villain fired the jetpack thrusters, then grabbed the moon rover key.

7.The villain scrambled the magnetic gravity boots, then snatched the solar wrench.

8.The villain zapped the main reactor controls, then drained the oxygen canister.

9.The villain overloaded the plasma shield grid, then stole the star chart map.

10.The villain zapped the main reactor controls, then snatched the solar wrench.

11.The villain scrambled the magnetic gravity boots, then drained the oxygen canister.

12.The villain scrambled the magnetic gravity boots, then stole the star chart map.

Solve it

Name the culprit

Choose the one suspect left standing.

Answer Key — The Great Starlight Station Sabotage

Culprit: Leland Melvin (gravity boots · star chart map · tinted visor helmet · neon blue spacesuit · cosmic dust)

Clue 1 (Addition): "THE VILLAIN DOES NOT HAVE A SOLAR WRENCH"
4331 + 3470 = 7801 (T) · 2007 + 4004 = 6011 (R) · 1206 + 2817 = 4023 (A) · 2938 + 2667 = 5605 (N) · 1884 + 2058 = 3942 (W) · 1780 + 3480 = 5260 (L) · 6305 + 2855 = 9160 (H) · 2161 + 1102 = 3263 (E) · 1001 + 1659 = 2660 (V) · 2490 + 1421 = 3911 (I) · 5221 + 2479 = 7700 (D) · 3408 + 2692 = 6100 (O) · 3227 + 2923 = 6150 (S) · 2100 + 1710 = 3810 (C)
Clue 2 (Place value): "THE VILLAIN WORE A TINTED VISOR HELMET"
What is the value of the 1 in 41,639? = 1000 (T) · What is the value of the 5 in 724,541? = 500 (O) · What is the value of the 9 in 46,988? = 900 (M) · What is the value of the 8 in 98,127? = 8000 (S) · What is the value of the 7 in 58,975? = 70 (W) · What is the value of the 6 in 382,160? = 60 (L) · What is the value of the 5 in 322,354? = 50 (N) · What is the value of the 4 in 71,146? = 40 (D) · What is the value of the 3 in 972,320? = 300 (V) · What is the value of the 6 in 181,648? = 600 (R) · What is the value of the 3 in 93,510? = 3000 (E) · What is the value of the 9 in 315,897? = 90 (I) · What is the value of the 2 in 511,123? = 20 (A) · What is the value of the 8 in 70,685? = 80 (H)
Clue 3 (Subtraction): "THE VILLAIN WAS WEAK TO COSMIC DUST"
3817 - 1103 = 2714 (T) · 6653 - 3390 = 3263 (L) · 4148 - 1362 = 2786 (O) · 4825 - 469 = 4356 (H) · 4676 - 985 = 3691 (C) · 9130 - 4195 = 4935 (E) · 12609 - 4366 = 8243 (V) · 1910 - 626 = 1284 (S) · 6459 - 2906 = 3553 (W) · 7148 - 3704 = 3444 (K) · 7771 - 1462 = 6309 (I) · 7436 - 207 = 7229 (U) · 8293 - 4321 = 3972 (A) · 11898 - 4214 = 7684 (N) · 3285 - 1456 = 1829 (M) · 8773 - 4643 = 4130 (D)
Clue 4 (Multiplication facts (1-12)): "THE VILLAIN HAD A NEON BLUE SPACESUIT"
9 × 1 = 9 (T) · 6 × 8 = 48 (P) · 1 × 1 = 1 (A) · 6 × 10 = 60 (C) · 7 × 9 = 63 (O) · 12 × 12 = 144 (N) · 7 × 7 = 49 (U) · 11 × 12 = 132 (D) · 7 × 11 = 77 (V) · 3 × 11 = 33 (S) · 5 × 9 = 45 (H) · 11 × 1 = 11 (B) · 6 × 5 = 30 (E) · 10 × 10 = 100 (I) · 7 × 6 = 42 (L)
Clue 5 (Division facts (1-12)): surviving statement (box 12) → Leland Melvin
5 ÷ 5 = 1 · 24 ÷ 4 = 6 · 24 ÷ 3 = 8 · 12 ÷ 6 = 2 · 55 ÷ 11 = 5 · 9 ÷ 1 = 9 · 33 ÷ 3 = 11 · 70 ÷ 10 = 7 · 9 ÷ 3 = 3 · 60 ÷ 6 = 10 · 36 ÷ 9 = 4

About this mystery

Grade level: Grade 5 math
Math topics: Addition, Place value, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division
Reading level: grades 3-4
Theme: The Great Starlight Station Sabotage — set in Starlight Orbital Station
Format: Interactive online & printable worksheet with answer key
Solution: One unique, verified culprit among 21 suspects

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