Astronaut

What Exactly Is an Astronaut?

An astronaut is a person trained for space travel, deployed by a human spaceflight program. The term applies to anyone who travels into space, including scientists, politicians, and tourists. But have you ever wondered how they get there or what it takes to become one? Let’s dive into the fascinating world of astronauts and explore their unique journey.

The Evolution of Astronaut Terminology

When Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space on April 12, 1961, the Soviet Union chose the term ‘cosmonaut’ to describe him. But why did they opt for this word? The term ‘astronaut’ was actually preferred by most NASA Space Task Group members due to its connection with the stars. In contrast, cosmonauts were suggested as a term encompassing flights in and to the broader cosmos.

International Variations

In English texts, astronauts employed by the Russian Federal Space Agency are called cosmonauts, which is an Anglicization of kosmonavt. Other countries use variations of the term, such as Poland’s ‘kosmonauta.’ The first cosmonaut was Yuri Gagarin, and Valentina Tereshkova was the first female cosmonaut.

Types of Astronauts

The US Space Agency defines different types of astronauts based on the agency or mission: NASA astronaut, spaceflight participant, commercial astronaut, private astronaut, and space tourist. For its 2022 Astronaut Group, the European Space Agency envisioned recruiting a parastronaut with a physical disability. John McFall was selected to be the first ESA parastronaut.

Key Milestones in Astronaut History

Key milestones include Yuri Gagarin’s first human in space in 1961, Valentina Tereshkova as the first woman in space in 1963, Alan Shepard as the second person in space in 1961, John Glenn as the first American to orbit the Earth in 1962, and Sally Ride as the first American woman in space in 1983. These achievements marked significant steps in human exploration of space.

International Astronauts

Warsaw Pact countries flew on Soyuz missions with notable exceptions like France and Austria. Czechoslovak Vladimír Remek was the first cosmonaut from outside the Soviet Union or US in 1978, Rakesh Sharma became the first Indian citizen in space in 1984, Pham Tuan was the first Asian in space in 1980, Guion Bluford became the first African American to fly in space in 1983, Taylor Wang became the first ethnic Chinese person in space in 1985, and Abdul Ahad Mohmand became the first Afghan to reach space in 1988.

Space Tourists

The US began taking international astronauts with Ulf Merbold as the first non-US citizen to fly on a US spacecraft in 1983. Marc Garneau became the first Canadian astronaut in space in 1984, Rodolfo Neri Vela became the first Mexican-born person in space in 1985, and Helen Sharman became the first Briton to fly in space in 1991.

Recent Astronauts

Mark Shuttleworth became the first citizen of an African country to fly in space in 2002. Ilan Ramon became the first Israeli to fly in space in 2003, Yang Liwei became China’s first astronaut on Shenzhou 5 spacecraft in 2003, and Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken became the first astronauts to launch on a private crewed spacecraft Crew Dragon in 2020.

Youngest and Oldest Astronauts

Oliver Daemen was the youngest person to reach space at 18 years and 11 months old in 2021, William Shatner was the oldest person to reach space at 90 years old in 2021, and John Glenn was the oldest person to reach orbit at 77 years old in 1998. Valeri Polyakov spent 438 days in space, Jerry L Ross and Franklin Chang-Diaz held the record for most spaceflights by an individual astronaut with seven each as of 2006.

Health Risks of Space Travel

Astronauts are susceptible to various health risks including decompression sickness, barotrauma, immunodeficiencies, loss of bone and muscle, loss of eyesight, orthostatic intolerance, sleep disturbances, radiation injury. Large-scale medical studies are being conducted to address these issues.

Recent Findings

Recent findings include: Salmonella typhimurium becomes more virulent in space; bacteria become resistant to antibiotics and thrive in near-weightlessness; human spaceflight may harm the brain and accelerate Alzheimer’s disease; astronauts experience vision problems, brain changes, and gastrointestinal damage with lengthy space travel. Space radiation can temporarily hinder memory formation in astronauts.

Training and Selection

The first NASA astronauts were selected for training in 1959, and early selection criteria included military jet test piloting and engineering training. Selection is now limited to U.S. citizens with a master’s degree in a STEM field and at least two years of related professional experience or 1,000 hours pilot-in-command time on jet aircraft.

Astronauts-in-Training

Astronauts-in-training undergo twenty months of training, including extravehicular activity training and microgravity experiences on the ‘Vomit Comet.’ They must also accumulate flight hours in high-performance jet aircraft. Completion of a nationally recognized test pilot school program.

Health Risks

Astronauts require 830g of food per meal each day and limit water use to 3 US gallons per day. Cosmonauts in Russia are awarded the title Hero of the Russian Federation, while NASA astronauts receive a silver lapel pin that becomes gold after flight.

Conclusion

The journey of an astronaut is both thrilling and challenging. From Yuri Gagarin’s historic first spaceflight to the recent achievements like the Inspiration4 mission, these brave individuals continue to push the boundaries of human exploration. As we look towards future missions, the role of astronauts will only become more crucial in our quest to understand the cosmos.