Astronauts

Astronauts

        I have yet to meet a child whose dream isn’t to venture out into space. Being an astronaut is one of many extraordinary jobs one can have. They explore an environment tremendously different than the one that we currently live in. They perform experiments on many different concepts and substances in a contradistinct environment that lead to conclusions that wouldn't otherwise be found. Many things exist today that we take for granted that were discovered or developed specifically for the space program and all its representatives.

An astronaut is a person who is distinctively trained to perform specific tasks on an aircraft specifically intended to travel to the vast regions beyond Earth’s atmosphere.  In English speaking nations a professional space adventurer is designated at a astronaut. The word astronaut derives from the Greek words “astron-nautes,” meaning “star-sailor.”  In Russia a professional space traveler is referred to as a cosmonaut, which evolved from the Greek words “kosmos-nautes,” meaning “universe-sailor.” All astronauts possess special skills, either as a pilot or as a scientist, meaning they have gone to college and have had aquired multiple prior experiences. There is no known age requirement, but given the extensive experience needed one could assume astronauts have to be at least twenty-five years of age. Though they are realistically over thirty. NASA requires you to have three years of related, responsible experience or a minimum of 1,000 hours of "pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft." More advanced degrees are considered equivalent to this experience. However with a master’s degree is equivalent to one year of experience and a doctorate equals three years of experience. Astronaut candidates must also pass all demanding physical requirements. Astronauts must have 20/20 vision, either naturally or with the assistance of corrective lenses. Their blood pressure must be no more than 140/90, specifically in the sitting position. They must also be a height of about 62 to 75 inches, which rounds out at about 6’2”. In general, astronauts must be in exceptional physical shape.

        Though astronaut candidates have their degrees, school is just the tip of the iceberg for these future space travelers, they have so much more to learn. They do extensive practicing on the experiments that will be performed during the space missions. Astronauts have to take classes, they must learn things outside the category of science. For example, they have to learn about many emergency medical procedures. Often times they will have to give speeches, therefore they take public speaking classes to prepare them when the time comes. In cases of extreme emergencies, Astronauts have to undergo survival training. To be a crew member of the International Space Station (I.S.S.), you will need to be able to speak Russian in order to communicate with the Russian Mission Control Center. To prepare astronauts for what activities they will have to do in space they practice on real life models called “Mock-ups.” These models are located in the Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility. In the S.V.M.F. they practice how they will attempt to maneuver throughout the shuttle in space. Candidates also need to learn how to function in an almost weightless condition known as microgravity. This predicament can be achieved on board the KC-135. This plane has also been popularly known as the “Weightless Wonder,” or the “Vomit Comet.” This special aircraft provides astronaut trainees  with twenty to twenty-five seconds of zero gravity. This ride is said to make make even the experienced astronauts get sick, hence one of the two names. A portion of a deployed astronaut's occupation may include moving large objects in space. When you think about it, this job is fairly easy given the fact that there is no friction to push against you. This task can also be quite difficult because without friction there is nothing to make said objects stop. Therefore it can just continue to float and float. The Precision Air-Bearing Floor allows astronauts to move heavy objects like they would in space. To practice extravehicular activities some astronauts train underwater. This somewhat simulates what it’s like to walk in microgravity. To do this they use the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory. Simply put it is a gigantic swimming pool. This tremendous pool is sixty-two meters long, thirty-one meters wide and twelve meters deep. Astronauts spend a grand total of seven hours at a time underwater with full size models of space vehicles.