Infinite Space
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person who goes into outer space. The Soviet Union and countries that it was friends with used the word cosmonaut. Western countries including the United States say astronaut. These brave souls are trained in human spaceflight programs to explore the wonders of space.
Astronaut
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person who goes into outer space. The Soviet Union and countries that it was friends with used the word cosmonaut. Western countries including the United States say astronaut. These brave souls are trained in human spaceflight programs to explore the wonders of space.
Who Are They?An astronaut is a person who is training to travel in space. NASA is the agency that trains United States men and women to serve as commanders, pilots, and mission specialists aboard spacecraft. Politicians, educators, scientists, and private citizens have flown in space, also. The Soviet Union call their space travelers cosmonauts.
Interesting!“Sick” houses are buildings that are suffering from a massive mold problem, therefore presenting a health risk to their denizens. They’re not pleasing to live in, but at least the resident can always move into a new place or step outside to breathe some fresh air.
“Sick” spaceships and space stations do not have this option. Mold, microbes, bacteria, and fungi are a serious problem in space. Sufficiently large growths can damage delicate equipment and cause health hazards, and no matter how well the shuttles are disinfected before they leave the atmosphere, these little critters always find a way to tag along. Once in space, the microbes stop acting like ordinary mold and become something straight out of a video game. They develop in moisture, which eventually condenses into hidden free-floating globules of microbe-infested water. These floating water concentrations can be the size of a basketball, and they are so full of dangerous microbes they can even degrade stainless steel. This makes them a terrible danger for the crew and the space station itself, if proper safety measures are not enforced. |
History...The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) selected the first group of astronauts in 1959. From 500 candidates having the required jet aircraft flight experience and engineering training as well as height below 5 feet 11 inches, 7 military men became the Nation's first astronauts. The second and third groups chosen included civilians who had extensive flying experience. By 1964, requirements had changed, and emphasis was placed on academic qualifications; in 1965, 6 scientist astronauts were selected from a group of 400 applicants who had a Doctorate or equivalent experience in the natural sciences, medicine, or engineering. The group named in 1978 was the first of space shuttle flight crews and since then, 14 additional groups have been selected with a mix of pilots and mission specialists. There are currently 50 active astronauts and 35 management astronauts in the program; 196 astronauts have retired or resigned; and 49 are deceased. Though most of the information in this document pertains only to U.S. Astronauts, several sections are included to provide information about the international astronauts and Cosmonauts who are currently partners with the U.S. Space Program participating in the International Space Station endeavor.
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