Struggle for space

by VK

Over a hundred Soviet and Russian astronauts have visited Earth’s orbit in half a century. And now the Center for Training Astronauts has given ordinary people a chance to try themselves as candidates for space flights. The Federal Space Agency announced an open contest anyone may file an application to. About 40 applications have been processed. The agency expected a slightly different type of applicant, over half of them were specialists in the missile and space industry.

The requirements are: be aged under 33, with a higher education, an employment history of at least 5 years with at least 3 years as a specialist, a height of 150-190 cm, 80-99 cm while sitting, body weight 50-90 kg, physical fitness (14 pull ups, 20 push-ups on parallel bars for men).

Vitaly Davydov, deputy head of the Federal Space Agency, described the early experience for astronaut selection. “The decision for the first recruitment of astronauts was made in 1959. Astronaut selection back then was very serious. About 3,500 candidates were studied. Eventually, training the first group of 20 astronauts started in 1960. It was believed that training people with flight experience, at least on a jet, would be easier. The first group of non-military specialists was formed in 1964. Various selections have been made since then. There was a group from the Air Force, medics, women. The Center for Astronaut training was not only preparing national astronauts, but foreign ones as well. A total of 350 people were trained, 112 Soviet and Russian citizens went into space, there were a total of 116 space flights with Russian astronauts. 40% of them had one flight, the rest had more. A new criterion for astronaut training has been introduced, to allow each one to make at least 3 flights. Astronaut training used to be carried out through a closed contest. Some of the limitations for candidates for the first flight were height under 175 cm, weight less than 75 kg. People needed a certain physical fitness and then a certain specialization (medics, engineers).”

Regarding modern requirements, Sergey Krikalyov, head of the Center for Astronaut Training named after Y. Gagarin, said that there is a medical order saying that blood parameters should be studied, as well as electrocardiograms and encephalograms. The main physical requirement is endurance. There are several ways to test endurance – long runs and swimming. Each may demonstrate endurance, speed and strength depending on conditions.

Any person joining the group needs additional perfection. We have not got a single education center to train astronauts. There is not a single institute for training specialists to operate the Flight Control Center. That is why people have to learn on the spot. There are no institutes training instructors to prepare astronauts. They learn from the experience of older staff for years. The goal of space training is not to make everyone fit a more or less common standard. Krikalyov said that “we have increasing regular wages for astronauts, and there will most likely be flight bonuses to stimulate people to improve their potential for space flights”. The wage US astronauts get is not the highest in America. It is comparable with civil pilots. The system of wages for astronauts differs from others. Their payments are above average, but not excessive. People working in NASA gained experience and notability, many became heads of enterprises, including some working in the space industry, both private and state. All US flights used to be the same – a flight in a shuttle for about a week. Now the flights have become more complicated and longer. In order to encourage people for longer flights, the US adopted flight bonuses.