Alexey Steinert
Profession astronaut
Introduction
“Humanity will not remain on Earth forever,
but, in pursuit of light and space, first
timidly penetrate beyond the atmosphere, and then
will conquer the entire solar space."
K. E. Tsiolkovsky
When I was offered to write this book, I agreed without hesitation: what could be more interesting than writing about the romantic and heroic profession of an astronaut! Children dream about it, teenagers think about it, and no, no, and even adults fantasize about it, sitting day after day at work, staring at monitor screens. But only a few actually decide to take the difficult path to space. What is the reason? Are there really almost no people willing to join this heroic profession? Or do people not believe in themselves so much that they are afraid to even try to become astronauts? In fact, everything is not so simple and unambiguous. The profession of an astronaut is considered closed to outsiders in our country due to historical reasons, the roots of which go back to the formation of astronautics in the USSR.
...On April 12, 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person in world history to fly into outer space. After this event, the USSR for some time left its main competitor, the United States, far behind in the race for space exploration. Gagarin became the national hero of the “Country of Soviets”, making a career as an astronaut the dream of many Soviet schoolchildren. The following space records were also held by the USSR: in the same 1961, the youngest cosmonaut, 25-year-old German Titov, flew. In 1963, the first female cosmonaut, Valentina Tereshkova, went into space. And in 1965, Alexey Leonov made the first spacewalk. All these events were more than enough for the USSR to receive the status of a space superpower. The profession of an astronaut has become elite, prestigious and desirable in it. The United States was able to adequately respond to Soviet records only eight years later, when astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin set foot on the surface of the Moon on July 21, 1969. The program, initiated by President John Kennedy, achieved success - but it turned out to be so complex and costly that after it the Americans never decided to repeat the lunar “adventure”.
Already in the 70s of the 20th century, astronauts became heroes on a global scale. It goes without saying that obtaining such a title was very difficult. However, the approach to recruiting cosmonauts in the USSR and the USA was seriously different. People of both civilian and military specialties could become NASA astronauts - the main thing is that they meet a number of criteria and are able to pass a tough competitive selection with many requirements. In general, this is logical: it is clear that space training will be easier for the military (especially pilots). But in space it’s not just the military that is needed: there is a need for engineers and doctors, biologists and physicists - in a word, for people of different specialties. And NASA has always understood this. However, in our country, since the times of the USSR, the profession of an astronaut was considered the lot of the lucky few from the military space industry, which was simply impossible for a civilian - for example, a doctor or an engineer - to get into. And most people could only dream about astronautics, periodically reviewing some Star Wars...
Moreover, even if a person belonged to the military space industry, met all the necessary requirements and had a burning desire to become an astronaut, there was no guarantee that he would even be able to take part in recruitment into the cosmonaut corps. The thing is that no one knew the rules of the game: there were none at all. You couldn’t come and ask to be an astronaut - people were recruited into space, as they say, by decree from above. If you were lucky and came to the attention of experts, then there were opportunities. A necessary acquaintance could become a chance for a ticket to space. But it was still a matter of chance. And in this regime, the Soviet, and then Russian cosmonautics existed for decades.
Everything changed only in 2012, when Roscosmos, for the first time in Russian history, announced an open competition for recruitment into the cosmonaut corps. Selection criteria and requirements for candidates, lists of personal and medical documents submitted for consideration by the competition commission were made public. Now, according to the rules, the fate of candidates is decided by experts from the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center, representatives of the Rocket and Space Corporation (RSC) Energia, as well as employees of the Institute of Medical and Biological Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAN).
According to Rosstat estimates, as of January 1, 2017, about 147 million people permanently reside in Russia. In 2012, the data was slightly different - but this is not significant. Another thing is important: how many people from all over the country wanted to become astronauts. Millions? Hundreds or tens of thousands? Alas, no. On October 8, 2012, at Roscosmos, at a meeting of the Interdepartmental Commission for the Selection of Cosmonauts, the results of the first open recruitment were summed up. As it turned out, the Competition Commission received a total of 304 applications from those wishing to take part in the competition from all over the country. 51 people were admitted to the full-time stage of the competition, of whom only nine completed all tests at this stage with positive results. At the same time, eight applicants, including one woman, were allowed to undergo general space training. Here are their names:
✓ Fedyaev Andrey Valerievich, military pilot;
✓ Ignatov Ignat Nikolaevich, test engineer;
✓ Sergey Vladimirovich Korsakov, manager;
✓ Oleg Vladimirovich Blinov, leading engineer;
✓ Dmitry Alexandrovich Petelin, design engineer;
✓ Nikolay Aleksandrovich Chub, top manager;
✓ Dubrov Petr Valerievich, software engineer;
✓ Kikina Anna Yuryevna, radio presenter.
304 people want to become astronauts in a country that ranks ninth in terms of population in the world is certainly a sad figure. Of course, this state of affairs may be partly explained by the fact that Roscosmos’ open enrollment was the first of its kind and not everyone who would like to fly into space knew about it. Whether this is so will become clear during the second recruitment: initially it was supposed to take place in 2016, but now it has been postponed to 2017. In a word, we'll wait and see. But still, something suggests that there will not be a radical difference in the number of applicants, even if recruitment for cosmonauts begins to be advertised on all key television channels.
Why? The answer is simple: the closed nature of the profession over the long years of the existence of astronautics in the USSR, and subsequently in Russia, began to scare away those dreaming of space. You can dream about anything - even about the career of an astronaut, even about the career of a wizard. But in order to realize such dreams, you need to be sure that the expenditure of effort, time and money, if not guaranteed to lead to your cherished goal, will at least provide a serious chance of success. However, the behind-the-scenes of the Russian cosmonautics remained such for many years that the road to space was opened to the lucky ones, to those who managed to be in the right place at the right time. Today, it would seem, the rules of the game have changed (more precisely, rules have appeared in the game). But people need to get used to it and understand it. Perhaps the attitude towards the cosmonaut profession in Russia will change when the first manager, programmer or radio presenter actually flies into orbit. When these people will spend weeks and months on spaceships and orbital stations, and then begin to give press conferences and receive awards from the hands of top officials of the state. All these things will become real concrete example that EVERY resident of Russia who meets the necessary criteria can truly become an astronaut, and interest in astronautics in the country will begin to revive again.
And really, why not? Of course, the profession of an astronaut is a real “pearl” in the list of heroic professions. But the people who belong to it do exactly the same work as “mere mortals.” They, like everyone else, get up on an alarm clock, maintain hygiene, eat three times a day and read books in free time(all the nuances of life in space will be described in detail in this book). Actually, this kind of routine makes it psychologically easier to endure a harsh and full of challenges life away from your home planet. Of course, to work in space you need a certain knowledge and level of education - but this is acquired both while studying at universities and during classes at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City near Moscow.
So, perhaps, the only criterion that truly blocks a person’s path to space is his state of health. If someone who wants to become an astronaut has problems with the body that cannot be corrected with the help of medicine, then the path beyond the Earth is really forbidden to him. Such a person may not physically be able to withstand the overload of space travel - and this is too great a risk. But again, we are talking specifically about illnesses. Poor physical shape can be made good with the proper desire and diligence. In a word, the list of reasons that can really prevent a person from becoming an astronaut is relatively small. There would be desire and faith in one’s strength.
Universe and haut - to swim) - a person who flew into space on a spaceship. The word “cosmonaut” itself comes from cosmonautics - the science of interplanetary travel - both of these words, as well as the cosmodrome, first saw the light of day in the scientific work “Introduction to Cosmonautics” by A. A. Sternfeld, published in 1937. This word was officially approved only shortly before the first space flight took place: before that, representatives of this profession were called astronauts both in the USSR and in the USA. It is curious that the founder of the science of space travel, K. E. Tsiolkovsky, used the word “astronavigation” in his works, which is actually synonymous with the Greek word “astronautics.”
The profession of an astronaut is special; it places very high demands on a person. An astronaut must first of all have excellent health. He has to work in unusual conditions: during insertion into orbit and especially during return to Earth, considerable overloads are applied to it. And in orbit, he finds himself in conditions of weightlessness, completely unusual for an ordinary person.
An astronaut must be a courageous and courageous person, resourceful in any situation, able to quickly understand and make the right decisions in a rapidly changing environment. He must have high flying skill, have an excellent understanding of space technology, and must not only have a good knowledge of the research and experimental program, but also be able to work with scientific equipment.
The first cosmonauts in the USA (since 1959) and the USSR (since 1960) were recruited from among military pilots and test pilots, but the needs of astronautics for various specialists grew and soon doctors, engineers, scientists and representatives of other professions flew into space.
During the time that has passed since the beginning of space exploration, many records have been set. They have been rewritten and improved several times. And yet some of them will forever go down in history.
On April 12, 1961, the Soviet Union launched the first ever spacecraft-satellite Vostok with a person on board into orbit around the Earth. This man was Yu. A. Gagarin, his flight lasted 108 minutes and he proved to the whole world that a person can live and work in space.
On March 19, 1965, A. A. Leonov became the first cosmonaut to leave the Voskhod-2 spacecraft in a special spacesuit and spend 12 minutes in outer space.
On January 15, 1969, A. S. Eliseev, B. V. Volynov and E. V. Khrunov made a flight on the Soyuz 5 spacecraft, during which they docked with the Soyuz-4 spacecraft launched the day before, and then A. Eliseev and E. Khrunov went into outer space and transferred to the Soyuz-4 spacecraft under the control of a pilot-cosmonaut
Galina Frolova
Abstract of the GCD “Profession - astronaut”
ABSTRACT
directly educational activities
on topic « Profession astronaut»
for children 5-6 years old.
Made up: teacher at MDOU TsRR "Kristallik" - kindergarten No. 30 of the city of Zheleznogorsk, Kursk region
Tasks:
1. Educational.
Enrich and systematize knowledge about work astronaut, about flying to space.
Activate the dictionary with the following nouns: « space» , « spacecraft» , "space suit", "orbital station", "weightlessness".
Arouse interest in profession astronaut and the desire to be like astronaut - strong, healthy, hardy, smart.
Arouse interest in experimental activities.
2. Developmental.
Develop curiosity, imagination, thinking.
3. Educational.
Foster a sense of pride in Russians astronauts.
Integration of educational regions: "Cognition", "Socialization", "Communication", "Reading fiction", "Music", "Physical culture".
Materials and equipment: tape recorder, TV, recording « space» music; balloons according to the number of children; 2 hoops; microphone.
Children enter the group under « space» music and sit on chairs in a semicircle in front of the TV.
Educator:
Children, tell me professions that you know (children's answers).
And there is another one a profession is a profession« astronaut» .
Educator:
We've been dreaming for a long time People:
IN space fly,
Circle the planet
Fly to the moon.
Looked to the stars
And in the silence of the night
Daredevils invented
The path to your dream
People have always dreamed of flying to the stars. They came up with different ways to
rise into the sky. For example, people invented balloon. What else did they invent to fly into the sky? (Children's answers). How can you call the transport you listed in one word? (Air). But all this transport was not so strong and could not reach the stars. And man « constructor» invented a powerful, strong space rocket.
Educator:
Rushing in the blue sky
Helicopter with one propeller,
And the flight is even faster
the plane makes
And even faster - this one
Interplanetary rocket!
Now I will show you with the help of a balloon how fast it flies space rocket.
Experimental activity.
Each child takes one balloon. All children stand in a circle. Inflate the balloon and then unclench your fingers.
Educator:
What happened to our balls? (They flew up sharply).
Did you like the way our balls flew?
It moves as fast as a ball space rocket.
(children collect balls and sit on chairs)
Educator:
The rocket has a driver
Zero gravity lover,
In English - astronaut,
And in Russian- astronaut.
First astronaut, which flew to space Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin was on the rocket.
A Russian guy took off in a rocket,
I saw the whole earth from above.
Was the first in space Gagarin...
What score will you be?
The world's first woman astronaut was Valentina Vladimirovna Tereshkova, who committed space flying alone spaceship"Vostok-6", which lasted three days.
Educator:
- A spaceship carries an astronaut into space.
Where do you think he lives? astronaut in space? (Children's answers)
U astronaut in space has a space house, which is called an orbital station. The orbital station looks like a huge bird that has spread its wings and flies above the earth. The rocket brings astronauts to the station, and she flies away and burns in space.
Nowadays in space not just one person flies, but a whole team of three or four astronauts.
Educator:
What do you think they are doing? astronauts on orbital station? (Children's answers).
They study the stars, the surface of our earth, check the weather, photograph the Earth, etc.
Educator:
There is weightlessness in the orbital station. All objects are light and a person becomes light as a feather.
IN nothing has weight in space.
Everything becomes weightless there.
Kettlebell can fly like a feather.
Light as a butterfly, a hippopotamus.
Do you want to imagine how a person moves in zero gravity?
Stand in a circle and move like me. Sounds slow « space» music and children perform smooth movements, slowly move around the group, then sit down in their places.
Educator:
What do you think, how do they eat? astronauts in zero gravity, if everything flies: plates, mugs, spoons, forks? (Children's answers).
- Astronauts They don’t cook their own food; food is delivered to them by truck spacecraft. The food is pureed and placed in tubes, like toothpaste. Astronauts When eating, squeeze food directly into the mouth. Let's imagine and tell you what dishes can be in these tubes. (Children's answers).
Educator:
For work, astronaut leaves the orbital station in the open space. In the open space dangerous for human health - there is no air there and it is very hot. That's why astronauts wear special protective clothing - a spacesuit.
But space tourist -
The spacesuit is silver, like the stars.
How do you think they communicate? astronauts in outer space with the orbital station and with the Earth
Educator:
Here comes a signal from Earth. It's time to go home.
And they come back astronauts home in a special capsule with a parachute.
How much have I told you about astronauts.
Do you want to go to space travel?
I'll turn you into astronauts. One, two, turn around turn into astronauts!
P/game “Fast rockets are waiting for us, for walking around the planets...”.
(“Fast rockets are waiting for us, for walking around the planets, we’ll fly to whichever planet we want. There’s one secret in the game, there’s no place for latecomers. 10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1, let’s go ! (children take places in the hoop, 4 people each)
The path is over, the rocket has landed!
Before us are forests and fields!
Hello, our home planet!
Hello, our native Earth!
(children sit on chairs)
Educator:
On Earth astronauts are greeted by doctors, they check their health, military personnel, friends and journalists who interview them.
You too, just arrived from space. Are you healthy?
Are you ready for the interview?
Reflection.
The teacher interviews the children by asking the following questions (answers are individual):
What is your name? profession?
Who was first male astronaut?
What's the name of the first one? woman astronaut?
What was the name of the first rocket?
What is your name? space house?
Can you run and jump at the orbital station? Why?
Why are you flying to space? What are you doing there?
What do you wear with the open space?
Or maybe a weak and sick person can fly to space? Why?
Do you love your profession?
Educator:
How much we learned today about profession astronaut. Raise your hand if you want to be a astronaut?
To become an astronaut,
We have to work hard.
Start the day with exercise,
Good to study.
The weak can't handle it
Star roads.
They can take it on the ship
Only strong, dexterous ones.
Let's you guys try to be like astronauts.
There are many different professions in our world. Some of them are exciting, others are complex, and some are romantic. Each of them is useful and necessary for people in its own way.
But there is one profession that combines all of the above. She is exciting and romantic, but at the same time very complex. This profession is an astronaut. The greatest danger is associated with it, but at the same time it is the most tempting and interesting. In order to accurately determine whether you can become a real astronaut, you need to learn as much as possible about this heroic profession.
It is difficult to find an adult who did not dream of going to space as a child. Years have passed, but even now everyone modern child at least once in his life he thinks about becoming an astronaut. Very often you can find school essays on the topic “My future profession- astronaut". In them, children describe their dreams after school. However, despite such popularity among the younger generation, this profession remains one of the rarest in the world due to the highest requirements for each candidate. That is why, if you decide to choose this specialty, you should start getting acquainted with the profession of an astronaut in order to find out what it includes. You also need to know what requirements are imposed on a future space pilot, because you need to start working on yourself already at school.
This profession is quite young. Just in the last century, people could not even dream of getting closer to the stars, but today this task is being successfully solved by real professionals.
In 1961, the first space flight took place with the first cosmonaut on board, Yuri Gagarin. A ship called “Vostok” launched from Baikonur, and it was from that moment that the heroic profession of astronaut, which almost all children dream of, was born. This name is officially assigned to this specialty throughout the world, and only in the United States are representatives of the profession called astronauts.
The first pilots had to solve only one problem - to fly. However, over time, as space systems improved, the profession of astronaut began to imply much more. Requirements are increasing, which means that there are a variety of professionals on board the spacecraft: engineers, researchers, doctors and many other people who are united by a common goal - to explore new expanses of the Universe.
An astronaut is a person who must solve many problems on board a spacecraft. His responsibilities include managing on-board systems as well as scientific research equipment. In addition, he must be able to read the readings of all instruments on board and control the operating mode of all equipment and the ship’s engine.
The profession of “cosmonaut” also implies a lot. The description for children must include all the requirements for a future pilot. The main thing among them is to be able to make decisions in unexpected situations. When a ship is sailing in space, anything is possible.
For example, equipment may fail and begin to provide incorrect information. The problem that has arisen cannot always be solved with the help of the Earth. An astronaut must be able to remain calm in any situation and quickly make decisions to eliminate any problem that arises. That is why alarmists have no place on a spaceship.
Today, when people go further and further in their research of the Universe, information about the profession of astronaut is becoming more and more extensive. It no longer implies only the ability to control a spacecraft. If at the initial stage professional pilots became cosmonauts, then at the present stage this profession includes many other profiles. Now there are three main specialties for astronauts.
A test cosmonaut who is the pilot of a spacecraft. His responsibilities include piloting the spacecraft, taking off and landing. He must also coordinate the operation of each system and any action of the crew. Test cosmonauts, as a rule, are military pilots.
Cosmonaut-engineer. This is the person who is responsible for the correct operation of all technical system aircraft, coordinates all preparations before and after the flight, and also takes part in the development and testing of the latest technical systems. Information about the astronaut profession will be incomplete without mentioning the engineer, because he is responsible for carrying out any repair work during space travel.
An astronaut-researcher who must have a medical education. He is responsible for the health of each crew member. In addition, he conducts various experiments and conducts research into the behavior of living organisms in conditions of weightlessness. Long-term space missions are impossible without the participation of researchers.
Thus, this profession involves not only the skills of a pilot. An astronaut must be able to and know a lot. This job description includes many different specialties, each of which performs a critical task in space travel.
If you decide that after school you will become an astronaut, you need to know that this profession has the highest requirements. That is why it is the rarest in the world.
So, if the astronaut profession is your firm choice, you must first of all carefully monitor your physical condition. Good, almost perfect health is the main requirement for a future candidate. You must not have any chronic diseases and bad habits. In addition, you must have perfect vision. An astronaut’s health must also be excellent because you won’t find a hospital in space. That is why future pilots must master the basics medical care in various situations.
In addition to physical health, high demands are placed on mental health. The future astronaut must be able to keep a cool head and not give in to panic in any situation. In addition, he should not be subject to various depressions and attacks of melancholy. After all, not everyone can stay so far from home for an indefinite period of time.
In addition to ideal physical and mental health, the other main requirement for a future astronaut is fluency in English. It is the language used to communicate, which was created through the efforts of many countries. Astronauts from different parts of the world are constantly on it, periodically replacing each other.
In addition, you must have higher education in any technical, medical or military specialty in which you understand best. After all, many scientific experiments must be carried out in space, so singers, artists and representatives of other creative specialties are not needed there.
Star City is located in the Moscow region, where there is a special Cosmonaut Training Center. If you have excellent health, high academic performance and education in the required fields, you can apply here while still studying at the university.
The first stage of selection is based on the submitted questionnaires, from which 350 people are selected. They take tests in subjects such as physics, mathematics and Russian. Then they are awaited by a strict medical commission. After this stage, the number of candidates is reduced to 50. The most recent selection takes place at the Cosmonaut Training Center, where they check whether the person can withstand various difficult tests.
For example, a candidate for astronaut can be locked in a completely closed space, where there is complete silence, and there is not a single person except himself. The period of such imprisonment is 5 days, during which the subject is carefully observed, noting the slightest changes in his behavior. After such difficult tests, only eight lucky people remain, who are enrolled in the corps of future cosmonauts. However, this does not mean that a flight into space will take place soon. Usually they prepare for such an event for 5-10 years, during which they constantly learn to pass a variety of tests.
During takeoff, the crew of the spacecraft experiences severe overloads, and in space itself is in a state of weightlessness. In order to be prepared for all these tests, future astronauts study for so many years before making their first flight. Their classes take place in special classrooms and gyms. They jump with a parachute, spend a lot of time flying and learn to endure any heat and cold, to be adapted to conditions of overload and weightlessness. Therefore, those who decide to choose this heroic profession for themselves need to be prepared to overcome many obstacles and work hard.
Despite the fact that astronautics is a field in which the precision of science and latest technologies, there are a lot of superstitions and various rituals associated with it. If you are going to choose this job, you should definitely know what superstitions are associated with the astronaut profession.
Some of them date back to the early days of this work. For example, Sergei Korolev, the first general designer, considered Monday a bad day to start. The tradition of postponing the departure date has reached our times. Also, the launch of the ship is never scheduled for October 24, the day with which two tragedies are associated. In 1960, an experimental rocket exploded on this day, causing numerous casualties, and three years later there was a fire in one of the silos containing a combat rocket. After this, the date became forbidden in Russian cosmonautics.
Superstitions associated with the profession of an astronaut are also strongly associated with the name of Yuri Gagarin, the world's first cosmonaut. Before the flight, the crew always visits his office, which is still preserved in the same form in which the legendary pilot left it, and writes their words in the visitors' book. A visit to the memorial in memory of Gagarin and other first cosmonauts who died during the mission is considered obligatory. official duties and laying flowers - red carnations.
Arriving at Baikonur, the future crew checks into the Cosmonaut Hotel, which is a kind of symbol of representatives of this profession. In front of this hotel there is an alley, the trees of which were planted by the caring hands of astronauts who returned from successful expeditions. Future pilots take a walk along it, mentally asking for support from their senior colleagues.
The hotel is showing a screening of the film “White Sun of the Desert”, which every crew member must watch.
Also among the obligatory rituals is that on the day of the flight, all astronauts must cut their hair.
During breakfast before takeoff, they take a sip of champagne and leave their autographs on the doors of the rooms in which they lived. They board a bus decorated with horseshoes to the song “Grass near the House.” After arriving at the take-off site, each crew member repeats what Gagarin once did - irrigates the rear right wheel of the bus. Having climbed on board, the crew waves to those seeing them off, but in response it is strictly forbidden to say goodbye - a bad omen.
Also among the rituals there is one - to display the word “Tanya” on the launch vehicle before launch. It is believed that this name was first written by a loving officer. According to rumors, when they once forgot to write the treasured word, the rocket exploded.
All crew members have a team mascot, which is chosen by the captain of the spacecraft. Usually this is a small toy that goes by the common name Boris. It is mounted so that it is visible to cameras, and ground services can understand from the toy that the ship has reached a height where gravity no longer acts.
The astronauts are greeted with bread and salt.
After returning to Earth, the team again performs a series of rituals, including visiting the memorial and planting their own tree.
Such a number of superstitions is another answer to the question of what makes the profession of an astronaut interesting.
When you make a decision about your future specialty, it is very important to carefully study all its pros and cons. As for the work of an astronaut, of course, it has many advantages:
All this is possible only for astronauts; no other profession allows you to see and learn so much. However, we should not forget that for all the romance of this work, it is associated with many dangers and difficulties.
Of course, the astronaut profession for children is one of the most tempting and exciting. However, at the same time, you definitely need to understand what disadvantages it brings with it, and be prepared for them. This:
In addition, you should know that, regardless of the level of technological progress, it is impossible to create conditions on Earth that completely replicate those in space. Despite so much training, the astronaut, once in orbit, must be prepared for all the difficulties that may arise.
Once you have learned all the intricacies of the astronaut profession, the requirements for candidates, and the conditions in which you will have to work, your decision will be more balanced. In order for you to realize how well you understand all the difficulties of the job, you can write an essay “Profession - astronaut”, in which you describe all its pros and cons. This will help you see how this work is right for you.
However, if you still decide that you want to connect your future with astronautics, start taking steps towards your dream today. Start actively playing sports, learning English and physics. Read literature on the topic and learn something new every day. Perhaps you will be the one to do it most important discoveries, which will bring humanity closer to the exploration of new planets, and you will become the specialist whose name will be firmly associated with the profession of astronaut. Everything is in your hands, and it’s up to you what kind of future you will have!
The beginning of a new profession on Earth was marked by the flight of the planet’s first cosmonaut, Yu.A. Gagarin. Space exploration is developing rapidly. If in the first two decades of the space era about a hundred people were in orbit, then at the turn of the coming century, “the population of space may already number thousands of cosmonauts and the profession of astronaut will become widespread. We are already accustomed to space launches, we can watch them on TV. Sometimes they are taken for granted. They calmly and casually say about those who go into orbit: “They went to work.” And yet, everyday life in relation to space is unjustified. for years, and the space “house” built in orbit is incomparable to the earthly one. And if people on Earth are still constantly faced with certain technical problems, then the larger and more complex the space complex, the greater the likelihood that something will happen. - it was not taken into account when creating it. And this can lead to surprises during the flight. Space exploration is too expensive, so each spacecraft flight is unique, new problems are solved, new problems are explored, new devices are tested. This requires the collective creative work of a large number of specialists, great skill and courage of testers. An astronaut is, first of all, a tester of new technology. Crew members must be able to quickly solve complex scientific and technical problems in difficult flight conditions.
An astronaut is an explorer. Every day in orbit is experimental work in a research space laboratory, solving problems of science and technology. The human eye on board a spaceship is able to see on the surface of the Earth, the ocean, and the atmosphere such shades of phenomena that are not recorded even by sensitive photographic film.
An astronaut plays the role of a biologist, conducting systematic observations of living organisms; a medical cosmonaut, when. participates in medical examinations health of crew members. Cosmonaut-builder, installer, when you have to attach a radio telescope antenna or a solar power plant reflector to the base orbital station. In the near future, cosmonauts-technologists in special modules equipped with production installations will receive new unique materials: chemical compounds or alloys in zero-gravity conditions. A huge amount of information can be obtained from space for the benefit of astronomers, astrophysicists, geologists, surveyors, geophysicists, topographers and other specialists.
Only for pilots of the first spaceships main task was to ensure the flight itself. As space systems improve and flight duration increases, the range of tasks that astronauts solve expands, and the importance of the astronaut profession becomes more and more important.
