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Roberts Space Industries ®

South African National Space Agency / SANSA

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History

Sometime in the 11th century: China combines sulfur, charcoal and saltpeter (potassium nitrate) to make gunpowder, the first fuel used to propel early rockets in Chinese warfare.

July 4, 1054: Chinese astronomers observe the supernova in Taurus that formed the Crab Nebula.

Mid-1700s: Hyder Ali, the Sultan of Mysome in India, begins manufacturing rockets sheathed in iron, not cardboard or paper, to improve their range and stability.

March 16, 1926: Robert Goddard, sometimes referred to as the “Father of Modern Rocketry,” launches the first successful liquid-fueled rocket.

July 17, 1929: Robert Goddard launches a rocket that carries with it the first set of scientific tools — a barometer and a camera — in Auburn, Mass. The launch was Goddard’s fourth.

Feb. 18, 1930: The dwarf planet Pluto is discovered by American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Ariz.

Oct. 3, 1942: Germany successfully test launches the first ballistic missile, the A4, more commonly known as the V-2, and later uses it near the end of European combat in World War II.

Sep. 29, 1945: Wernher von Braun arrives at Ft. Bliss, Texas, with six other German rocket specialists.

Oct. 14, 1947: American test pilot Chuck Yeager breaks the sound barrier for the first time in the X-1, also known as Glamorous Glennis.

Oct. 4, 1957: A modified R-7 two-stage ICBM launches the satellite Sputnik 1 from Tyuratam. The Space Race between the Soviet Union and the United States begins.

Nov. 3, 1957: The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 2 with the first living passenger, the dog Laika, aboard.

Dec. 6, 1957: A Vanguard TV-3 carrying a grapefruit-sized satellite explodes at launch; a failed response to the Sputnik launch by the United States.

Jan. 31, 1958: Explorer 1, the first satellite with an onboard telemetry system, is launched by the United States into orbit aboard a Juno rocket and returns data from space.

Oct. 7, 1958: NASA Administrator T. Keith Glennan publicly announces NASA’s manned spaceflight program along with the formation of the Space Task Group, a panel of scientist and engineers from space-policy organizations absorbed by NASA. The announcement came just six days after NASA was founded.

Jan. 2, 1959: The U.S.S.R. launches Luna 1, which misses the moon but becomes the first artificial object to leave Earth orbit.

Jan. 12, 1959: NASA awards McDonnell Corp. the contract to manufacture the Mercury capsules.

Feb. 28, 1959: NASA launches Discover 1, the U.S. first spy satellite, but it is not until the Aug. 11, 1960, launch of Discover 13 that film is recovered successfully.

May 28, 1959: The United States launches the first primates in space, Able and Baker, on a suborbital flight.

Aug. 7, 1959: NASA’s Explorer 6 launches and provides the first photographs of the Earth from space.

Sept. 12, 1959: The Soviet Union’s Luna 2 is launched and two days later is intentionally crashed into the Moon.

Sept. 17, 1959: NASA’s X-15 hypersonic research plane, capable of speeds to Mach 6.7, makes its first powered flight.

Oct. 24, 1960: To rush the launch of a Mars probe before the Nov. 7 anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, Field Marshall Mitrofan Nedelin ignored several safety protocols and 126 people are killed when the R-16 ICBM explodes at the Baikonur Cosmodrome during launch preparations.

Feb. 12, 1961: The Soviet Union launches Venera to Venus, but the probe stops responding after a week.

April 12, 1961: Yuri Gagarin becomes the first man in space with a 108-minute flight on Vostok 1 in which he completed one orbit.

May 5, 1961: Mercury Freedom 7 launches on a Redstone rocket for a 15-minute suborbital flight, making Alan Shepard the first American in space.

May 25, 1961: In a speech before Congress, President John Kennedy announces that an American will land on the moon and be returned safely to Earth before the end of the decade.

Oct. 27, 1961: Saturn 1, the rocket for the initial Apollo missions, is tested for the first time.

Feb. 20, 1962: John Glenn makes the first U.S. manned orbital flight aboard Mercury 6.

June 7, 1962: Wernher von Braun backs the idea of a Lunar Orbit Rendezvous mission.

July 10, 1962: The United States launches Telstar 1, which enables the trans-Atlantic transmission of television signals.

June 14, 1962: Agreements are signed establishing the European Space Research Organisation and the European Launcher Development Organisation. Both eventually were dissolved.

July 28, 1962: The U.S.S.R launches its first successful spy satellite, designated Cosmos 7.

Aug. 27, 1962: Mariner 2 launches and eventually performs the first successful interplanetary flyby when it passes by Venus.

Sept. 29, 1962: Canada’s Alouette 1 launches aboard a NASA Thor-Agena B rocket, becoming the first satellite from a country other than the United States or Soviet Union.

June 16, 1963: Valentina Tereshkova becomes the first woman to fly into space.

July 28, 1964: Ranger 7 launches and is the Ranger series’ first success, taking photographs of the moon until it crashes into its surface four days later.

April 8, 1964: Gemini 1, a two-seat spacecraft system, launches in an unmanned flight.

Aug. 19, 1964: NASA’s Syncom 3 launches aboard a Thor-Delta rocket, becoming the first geostationary telecommunications satellite.

Oct. 12, 1964: The Soviet Union launches Voskhod 1, a modified Vostok orbiter with a three-person crew.

March 18, 1965: Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov makes the first spacewalk from the Voskhod 2 orbiter.

March 23, 1965: Gemini 3, the first of the manned Gemini missions, launches with a two-person crew on a Titan 2 rocket, making astronaut Gus Grissom the first man to travel in space twice.

June 3, 1965: Ed White, during the Gemini 4 mission, becomes the first American to walk in space.

July 14, 1965: Mariner 4 executes the first successful Mars flyby.

Aug. 21, 1965: Gemini 5 launches on an eight-day mission.

Dec. 15, 1965: Gemini 6 launches and performs a rendezvous with Gemini 7.

Jan. 14, 1966: The Soviet Union’s chief designer, Sergei Korolev, dies from complications stemming from routine surgery, leaving the Soviet space program without its most influential leader of the preceding 20 years.

Feb. 3, 1966: The unmanned Soviet spacecraft Luna 9 makes the first soft landing on the Moon.

March 1, 1966: The Soviet Union’s Venera 3 probe becomes the first spacecraft to land on the planetVenus, but its communications system failed before data could be returned.

March 16, 1966: Gemini 8 launches on a Titan 2 rocket and later docks with a previously launched Agena rocket — the first docking between two orbiting spacecraft.

April 3, 1966: The Soviet Luna 10 space probe enters lunar orbit, becoming the first spacecraft to orbit the Moon.

June 2, 1966: Surveyor 1, a lunar lander, performs the first successful U.S. soft landing on the Moon.

Jan. 27, 1967: All three astronauts for NASA’s Apollo 1 mission suffocate from smoke inhalationin a cabin fire during a launch pad test.

April 5, 1967: A review board delivers a damning report to NASA Administrator James Webb about problem areas in the Apollo spacecraft. The recommended modifications are completed by Oct. 9, 1968.

April 23, 1967: Soyuz 1 launches but myriad problems surface. The solar panels do not unfold, there are stability problems and the parachute fails to open on descent causing the death of Soviet cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov.

Oct. 11, 1968: Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, launches on a Saturn 1 for an 11-day mission in Earth orbit. The mission also featured the first live TV broadcast of humans in space.

Dec. 21, 1968: Apollo 8 launches on a Saturn V and becomes the first manned mission to orbit the moon.

Jan. 16, 1969: Soyuz 4 and Soyuz 5 rendezvous and dock and perform the first in-orbit crew transfer.

March 3, 1969: Apollo 9 launches. During the mission, tests of the lunar module are conducted in Earth orbit.

May 22, 1969: Apollo 10’s Lunar Module Snoopy comes within 8.6 miles (14 kilometers) of the moon’s surface.

July 20, 1969: Six years after U.S. President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the Apollo 11 crew lands on the Moon, fulfilling his promise to put an American there by the end of the decade and return him safely to Earth.

Nov. 26, 1965: France launches its first satellite, Astérix, on a Diamant A rocket, becoming the third nation to do so.

Feb. 11, 1970: Japan’s Lambda 4 rocket launches a Japanese test satellite, Ohsumi into orbit.

April 13, 1970: An explosion ruptures thecommand module of Apollo 13, days after launch and within reach of the moon. Abandoning the mission to save their lives, the astronauts climb into the Lunar Module and slingshot around the Moon to speed their return back to Earth.

April 24, 1970: The People’s Republic of China launches its first satellite, Dong Fang Hong-1, on a Long March 1 rocket, becoming the fifth nation capable of launching its own satellites into space.

Sept. 12: 1970: The Soviet Union launches Luna 16, the first successful automated lunar sample retrieval mission.

April 19, 1971: A Proton rocket launches thefirst space station, Salyut 1, from Baikonur.

June 6, 1971: Soyuz 11 launches successfully, docking with Salyut 1. The three cosmonauts are killed during re-entry from a pressure leak in the cabin.

July 26, 1971: Apollo 15 launches with a Boeing-built Lunar Roving Vehicle and better life-support equipment to explore the Moon.

Oct. 28, 1971: The United Kingdom successfully launches its Prospero satellite into orbit on a Black Arrow rocket, becoming the sixth nation capable of launching its own satellites into space.

Nov. 13, 1971: Mariner 9 becomes the first spacecraft to orbit Mars and provides the first complete map of the planet’s surface.

Jan. 5, 1972: U.S. President Richard Nixon announces that NASA is developing a reusable launch vehicle, the space shuttle.

March 3, 1972: Pioneer 10, the first spacecraft to leave the solar system, launches from Cape Kennedy, Fla.

Dec. 19, 1972: Apollo 17, the last mission to the moon, returns to Earth.

May 14, 1973: A Saturn V rocket launches Skylab, the United States’ first space station.

March 29, 1974: Mariner 10 becomes the first spacecraft to fly by Mercury.

April 19, 1975: The Soviet Union launches India’s first satellite, Aryabhata.

May 31, 1975: The European Space Agency is formed.

July 17 1975: Soyuz-19 and Apollo 18 dock.

Aug. 9, 1975: ESA launches its first satellite, Cos-B, aboard a Thor-Delta rocket.

Sept. 9, 1975: Viking 2, composed of a lander and an orbiter, launches for Mars.

July 20, 1976: The U.S. Viking 1 lands on Mars, becoming the first successful Mars lander.

Aug. 20, 1977: Voyager 2 is launched on a course toward Uranus and Neptune.

Sept. 5, 1977: Voyager 1 is launched to perform flybys of Jupiter and Saturn.

Sept. 29, 1977: Salyut 6 reaches orbit. It is the first space station equipped with docking stations on either end, which allow for two vehicles to dock at once, including the Progress supply ship.

Feb. 22, 1978: The first GPS satellite, Navstar 1, launches aboard an Atlas F rocket.

July 11, 1979: Skylab, the first American space station, crashes back to Earth in the sparsely populated grasslands of western Australia.

Sept. 1, 1979: Pioneer 11 becomes the first spacecraft to fly past Saturn.

Dec. 24, 1979: The French-built Ariane rocket, Europe’s first launch vehicle, launches successfully.

July 18 1980: India launches its Rohini 1 satellite. By using its domestically developed SLV-3 rocket, India becomes the seventh nation capable of sending objects into space by itself.

April 12, 1981: Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off from Cape Canaveral, beginning the first space mission for NASA’s new astronaut transportation system.

June 24, 1982: French air force test pilot Jean-Loup Chrétien launches to the Soviet Union’s Salyut 7 aboard Soyuz T-6.

Nov. 11, 1982: Shuttle Columbia launches. During its mission, it deploys two commercial communications satellites.

June 18, 1983: Sally Ride aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger becomes the first American woman in space.

Feb. 7, 1984: Astronauts Bruce McCandless and Robert Stewart maneuver as many as 328 feet (100 meters) from the Space Shuttle Challenger using the Manned Maneuvering Unit, which contains small thrusters, in the first ever untethered spacewalks.

April 8, 1984: Challenger crew repairs the Solar Max satellite during a spacewalk.

Sept. 11: 1985: The International Cometary Explorer, launched by NASA in 1978, performs the first comet flyby.

Jan. 24, 1986: Voyager 2 completes the first and only spacecraft flyby of Uranus.

Jan. 28, 1986: Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after launch after its external tank exploded, grounding the shuttle fleet for more than two years.

Feb. 20, 1986: The Soviet Union launches theMir space station.

March 13, 1986: A two-cosmonaut crew launches aboard Soyuz T-15 to power up the Mir space station. During their 18-month mission, they also revive the abandoned Salyut 7, and take parts that are later placed aboard Mir.

June 15, 1988: PanAmSat launches its first satellite, PanAmSat 1, on an Ariane 4 rocket, giving Intelsat its first taste of competition.

Sept. 19, 1988: Israel launches its first satellite, the Ofeq 1 reconnaissance probe, aboard an Israeli Shavit rocket.

Nov. 15, 1988: The Soviet Union launches its Buran space shuttle on its only flight, an unpiloted test.

May 4, 1989: The Space Shuttle Atlantis launches the Magellan space probe to use radar to map the surface of Venus.

Oct. 18, 1989: Shuttle Atlantis launches with Jupiter-bound Galileo space probe on board.

April 7, 1990: China launches the Asiasat-1 communications satellite, completing its first commercial contract.

April 25, 1990: The Space Shuttle Discovery releases the Hubble Space Telescopeinto Earth orbit.

Oct. 29, 1991: The U.S. Galileo spacecraft, on its way to Jupiter, successfully encounters the asteroid Gaspra, obtaining images and other data during its flyby.

April 23, 1992: The U.S. Cosmic Background Explorer spacecraft detects the first evidence of structure in the residual radiation left over from the Big Bang that created the Universe.

Dec. 28, 1992: Lockheed and Khrunichev Enterprise announce plans to form Lockheed-Khrunichev-Energia International, a new company to market Proton rockets.

June 21, 1993: Shuttle Endeavour launches carrying Spacehab, a privately owned laboratory that sits in the shuttle cargo bay.

Dec. 2, 1993: Endeavour launches on a mission to repair theHubble Space Telescope.

Dec. 17, 1993: DirecTV launches its first satellite, DirecTV 1, aboard an Ariane 4 rocket.

Feb. 7, 1994: The first Milstar secure communications satellite launches. The geosynchronous satellites are used by battlefield commanders and for strategic communications.

Oct. 15, 1994: India launches its four-stage PolarSatellite Launch Vehicle for the first time.

Jan. 26, 1995: A Chinese Long March rocket carrying the Hughes-built Apstar-1 rocket fails. The accident investigation, along with the probe of a subsequent Long March failure that destroyed an Intelsat satellite, leads to technology-transfer allegations that ultimately result in the U.S. government barring launches of American-built satellites on Chinese rockets.

Feb. 3, 1995: The Space Shuttle Discovery launches anddocks with the Mir space station.

March 15, 1995: Aerospace giants Lockheed Corp. and Martin Marietta Corp. merge.

July 13, 1995: Galileo releases its space probe, which is bound for Jupiter and its moons.

Aug. 7, 1996: NASA and Stanford University researchers announce a paper contending that a 4-billion-year-old Martian meteorite, called ALH 84001, found in Antarctica in 1984, contains fossilized traces of carbonate materials that suggest primitive life might once have existed on Mars. That contention remains controversial.

May 5, 1997: Satellite mobile phone company Iridium launches its first five satellites on a Delta 2 rocket.

June 25 1997: An unmanned Russian Progress supply spacecraft collides with the Mir space station.

July 4, 1997: The Mars Pathfinder lander and its accompanying Sojourner rover touch down on the surface of Mars.

Aug. 1, 1997: The Boeing Co. and the McDonnell Douglas Corp. merge, keeping Boeing’s name.

Feb. 14, 1998: Globalstar, a satellite mobile telephone company, launches its first four satellites on a Delta 2 rocket.

Sept. 9, 1998: A Russian Zenit 2 rocket launches and subsequently crashes, destroying all 12 Loral-built Globalstar satellites aboard. The payload had an estimated value of about $180 million.

Nov. 20, 1998: Russia’s Zarya control module, the first segment of the International Space Station, launches into space and unfurls its solar arrays.

March 27, 1999: Sea Launch Co. launches a demonstration satellite, successfully completing its first launch.

July 23, 1999: The Chandra X-ray observatory, NASA’s flagship mission for X-ray astronomy, launches aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia.

Aug. 13, 1999: Iridium files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, after being unable to pay its creditors. Iridium Satellite LLC later acquired the original Iridium’s assets from bankruptcy.

Nov. 19, 1999: China successfully test launches the unmanned Shenzhou 1.

July 10, 2000: Europe’s largest aerospace company, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., EADS, forms with the consolidation of DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG of Munich, Aerospatiale Matra S.A. of Paris, and Construcciones Aeronáuticas S.A. of Madrid.

March 18, 2001: After launch delays with XM-1, XM Satellite Radio’s XM-2 satellite becomes the company’s first satellite in orbit when it is launched by Sea Launch Co.

March 23, 2001: After being mothballed in 1999, Mir descends into the Earth’s atmosphere and breaks up over the Pacific Ocean.

May 6, 2001: U.S. entrepreneur Dennis Tito returns to Earth aboard a Russian Soyuz spacecraft to become the world’s first paying tourist to visit the International Space Station.

Aug. 29, 2001: Japan’s workhorse launch system, the two-stage H-2A rocket, launches for the first time.

Feb. 15, 2002: After having trouble selling its satellite mobile phone service, Globalstar voluntarily files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from escalating creditor debt. The company emerged from bankruptcy April 14, 2004.

Feb. 1, 2003: The Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates as it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere, killing the crew. Damage from insulating foam hitting the orbiter’s leading wing on liftoff is later cited as the cause of the accident.

Aug 22, 2003: The VLS-V03, a Brazilian prototype rocket, explodes on the launch pad at Alcántara killing 21 people.

Aug. 25, 2003: NASA launches the Spitzer Space Telescope aboard a Delta rocket.

Oct. 1, 2003: Japan’s two space agencies, the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science and the National Space Development Agency of Japan, merge into the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Oct. 15, 2003: Yang Liwei becomes China’s first taikonaut, having launched aboard Shenzhou 5.

Jan. 4, 2004: The first Mars Exploration Rover, Spirit, lands on Mars. Its twin, Opportunity lands Jan. 25.

Jan. 14, 2004: President George W. Bush advocates space exploration missions to the moon and Mars for NASA in his Vision for Space Exploration speech.

Sept. 20, 2004: India launches its three-stage Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle for the first time.

Oct. 4, 2004: Scaled Composites’ SpaceShipOne piloted craft wins the X Prize by flying over 100 kilometers above Earth twice within two weeks.

July 26, 2005: Discovery becomes the first shuttle to launch since the Columbia disaster more than two years before. While the crew returned safely, the loss of several pieces of foam debris prompted further investigation, which delayed future shuttle missions.

Oct. 12, 2005: A two-taikonaut crew launches aboard the Chinese Shenzhou 6.

Oct 19, 2005: The last of the Martin Marietta-built Titan 4 heavy-lift rockets launches.

Jan. 19, 2006: New Horizons, NASA’s first-ever mission to the dwarf planet Pluto and its moons, launches atop an Atlas 5 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. Flies past Jupiter one year later in what is billed as NASA’s fastest mission to date.

July 3, 2006: Intelsat acquires fellow fixed satellite service provider PanAmSat for $6.4 billion.

July 4, 2006: NASA’s second post-Columbia accident test flight, STS-121 aboard Discovery, begins a successful space station-bound mission, returning the U.S. orbiter fleet to flight status.

Sept. 9., 2006: NASA resumes construction of the International Space Station with the launch of the shuttle Atlantis on STS-115 after two successful return to flight test missions. Atlantis’ launch occurs after nearly four years without a station construction flight.

Oct. 11, 2006: Lockheed Martin completes the sale of its majority share in International Launch Services to Space Transport Inc. for $60 million.

Jan. 11, 2007: China downs one of its weather satellites, Fengyun-1C, with a ground launched missile. In doing so, China joins Russia and the United States as the only nations to have successfully tested anti-satellite weapons.

April 6, 2007: The European Commission approves the acquisition of French-Italian Alcatel Alenia by Paris-based Thales, thus creating satellite manufacturer Thales Alenia Space.?

Aug. 8, 2007: NASA’s Space Shuttle Endeavour launches toward the International Space Station on the STS-118 construction mission. The shuttle crew includes teacher-astronaut Barbara Morgan, NASA’s first educator spaceflyer, who originally served backup for the first Teacher-in-Space Christa McAuliffe who was lost with six crewmates during the 1986 Challenger accident.

Sept. 27, 2007: Dawn, the first ion-powered probe to visit two celestial bodies in one go, launches on an eight-year mission to the asteroid Vesta and dwarf planet Ceres, the two largest space rocks in the solar system.

Oct. 1, 2007: NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, the first female commander of the International Space Station, prepares for an Oct. 10 launch with her Expedition 16 crewmate Yuri Malenchenko and Malaysia’s first astronaut Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor. Whitson, and NASA’s second female shuttle commander Pamela Melroy, will command a joint space station construction mission in late October.

Oct. 4, 2007: The Space Age turns 50, five decades after the historic launch of Sputnik 1.

Manifesto

The future of space exploration involves both telescopic exploration and the physical exploration of space by robotic spacecraft and human spaceflight.

Near-term physical exploration missions, focused on obtaining new information about the solar system, are planned and announced by both national and private organisations. There are tentative plans for crewed orbital and landing missions to the Moon and Mars to establish scientific outposts that will later enable permanent and self-sufficient settlements. Further exploration will potentially involve expeditions and settlements on the other planets and their moons as well as establishing mining and fueling outposts, particularly in the asteroid belt. Physical exploration outside the solar system will be robotic for the foreseeable future.

Charter

25: MUST BE ABLE TO MOVE A TWO-TON OBJECT

Without gravity, astronauts in space can essentially move something the size of a car with a weight up to two-tons with a gentle nudge. According to Best Life, astronauts simulate their space-induced Hulk capabilities on Earth in an environment that is basically like an enormous air hockey table. This allows them to practice moving objects in a controlled manner and stopping them in motion completely.

As you might imagine, this is very useful training because two-ton objects slamming into people or other things is never good.

24: MUST BE TIED DOWN TO SLEEP

Contrary to what you might think, astronauts are neither upright in a launch position nor floating freely throughout the cabin while catching zzzz’s.

The lack of gravity in space is the same day or night, which means astronauts had to get creative to sleep, but still needed to be horizontal to avoid phantom pains. The answer, according to Best Life, was to zip into a sleeping bag that is tethered to the wall of the cabin.

A strap across the forehead is certainly one way to fix the head bob that gives you away when you fall asleep in meetings…

23: MUST BE ABLE TO HOLD BACK TEARS

We all have the occasional bad day that results in at least a few tears being shed. You know, the type of day in which you trip down the stairs, spill coffee on your new coat, and miss the train by two seconds. Then, out of nowhere, you’re sobbing in public.

While astronauts can probably relate, they cannot, however, let their emotions get the best of them because without gravity tears get stuck and turn into huge blobs. As reported by Best Life, that build-up in the tear ducts hurts a whole lot (which probably makes you want to cry more and worsens the issue).

22: MUST QUIT DRINKING

While some international crews are little more lenient (we’re not naming countries), according to Curiosity, the general rule is zero tolerance for alcohol in space. In theory, this makes sense as those operating a fast-moving transport device with others on board should likely be of a clear head.

However, the ban goes beyond alcohol and is extended to all bubbly beverages. According to Best Life, this is because the gas in carbonated drinks affects the body differently without gravity.

So long, sparkling water and Diet Coke!

21: MUST ADJUST TO SEVERAL SUNRISES PER DAY

Light Sleepers and those with eyes that pop open at the first sign of sun need not apply.

On Earth, the sun rises and sets just once in a 24-hour period and for the most part (except when we were in college), that is how we are set to functickson. However, according to Best Life, astronauts will be subjected to up to sixteen sunrises in a 24-hour period due to the rate at which orbit occurs. They must retrain their brains accordingly to stay asleep and awake at the right times.

20: MUST BE WILLING TO SPEND AN ENTIRE DAY UNDERWATER

Though not related to the actual mission, individuals selected as candidates for the astronaut corps must successfully complete several underwater tasks before they can even move forward toward a possible mission.

In addition to making mechanical adjustments to replica space stations below the water’s surface, they are also required to swim three-full lengths of an Olympic size pool without stopping. According to Best Life, this must be done while wearing the flight suit, the weight of which is a whopping 250 pounds.

19: MUST HAVE A STRONG STOMACH

During training, candidates in the astronaut corps are subjected to a zero-gravity simulation device (the nickname of which should not be repeated here). This is meant to be less of a punishment and more of a preparation for months on end of zero gravity, the lack of which can often lead to feelings of stomach upset.

Each session in the zero-gravity simulator only lasts about one minute, but for someone who’s stomach is flipping upside down that can feel like an eternity. To add to the misery, according to Best Life, during just one round of training the simulation can be repeated forty to sixty times.

18: MUST UNDERSTAND THAT SENSES OF SMELL AND TASTE WILL BE LOST

Although improvements have been made to the culinary offerings in space (seriously, everything used to be dehydrated and covered in gelatin), the food is still pretty bland. That is less the fault of NASA’s chef and more the result of astronauts losing their sense of smell and taste due to the changes in pressure.

However bad the food seems, astronauts still need to eat to keep their energy levels up. For this reason, the space station is well-stocked with hot sauce to give everything a more palatable kick.

17: MUST EXERCISE (A LOT)

Astronauts aboard the International Space Station aren’t just sitting up there looking back down at Earth and waving at us all, they’re quite busy.

In addition to actual space exploration, studying, and equipment maintenance, they also have to exercise to combat the loss of muscle mass and bone density that zero-gravity produces. Cardio and strength training machines can be found in the space station’s gym, an area that each astronaut must visit for at least two hours every day, according to NASA.

16: MUST LEARN RUSSIAN

Although the word “astronaut” derives from the Greek phrase for “space sailor”, according to NASA, the language most useful in orbit is Russian.

The International Space Station uses Soyuz spacecrafts, the origin of which was the former Soviet Union. To that end, anyone on the space station must have a working knowledge of Russian. According to Best Life, astronauts go through an intensive Russian language course and sometimes even spend time with a Russian-speaking host family to hone their skills and ensure they are prepared to decipher instructions in that language.

15: MUST BE COMFORTABLE OPERATING MACHINES ON RUGGED TERRAIN

According to Best Life, an astronaut-in-training needs to be familiar with varying terrain should he or she be asked to perform tasks outside the space station.

Used as a desired location since the mission to the moon, NASA takes individuals to an area known as the “meteor crater” in Arizona. The ground is rocky and thus perfect for the astronauts to try their hand at complex drills and navigation.

Apparently, this location also houses a Subway sandwich chain, should terrain familiarization lead to hunger.

14: MUST KEEP SURVIVAL TRAINING SKILLS UP TO DATE

According to Earth Sky, the International Space Station is roughly 250 miles above Earth. Some simple logic and math will tell us that this means nobody is going to come to the rescue very quickly should something go wrong.

To that end, astronauts need to be able to survive on their own. According to Best Life, part of astronaut training involves several days in a remote wilderness location. Additionally, they stay up to date on their CPR training while on board the space station.

13: MUST STAY CALM UNDER PRESSURE

According to NASA, there are over eight miles of wire that make up the International Space Station’s electrical circuit. There are an additional fifty computers controlling all the systems and more than 350,000 sensors to ensure the health and safety of the crew. All of that must be maintained by the astronauts on board (there’s no IT department to call in).

If one of those sensors ceases to read data or a wire becomes loose, an alarm will sound or a light will flash. One of the astronauts needs to calmly figure out what needs attention and solve the problem (before the sound of the alarm drives everyone crazy).

12: MUST LEARN TO LIVE IN VERY CRAMPED QUARTERS

The record for longest time in orbit by a human is 665 days, completed in 2017. While most astronauts don’t stay onboard for anywhere near that long, even a few months is a lengthy period of time to be crammed into something the size of a football field with three to six of your closest friends.

According to NASA, the living and working space onboard the craft is broken into six separate spaces with designated areas for sleeping, working out, and using the restroom. The really tight squeeze comes during onboard repairs, as well as launch and re-entry when everyone is seated together.

11: MUST EMBRACE ADVENTURE AND THE UNKNOWN

Although a few hundred people have visited the International Space Station over the years, it is far from being considered a highly trafficked destination. There is still a lot to be learned, which is part of what makes space exploration so fascinating.

On the flip side, it can also be one of the scariest parts because nobody knows for certain what you are headed into. Astronauts have to be very comfortable with the unknown and with not having all the answers. Above all, they need to be fueled by an adventurous spirit.

10: MUST SUBSIST ON VERY FEW MATERIAL ITEMS AND COMFORTS

Packing to go to space for any length of time isn’t like packing for any trip you’ve ever taken. According to Forbes, the Space Shuttle Program allows each astronaut a mere twenty individual personal items with a net weight of just 1.5 pounds. That’s basically like a small carry-on bag.

We can all probably learn something from astronauts when it comes to packing a reasonable amount (rather than the thirteen outfits and seven pairs of shoes we bring on weekend getaways).

9: MUST GET A GRIP (LITERALLY)

In middle school, it was the class bully taking your lunch, but in space it is gravity. When your lunch floats away from you every time, you will learn quickly that you have to keep a hold of things or go hungry. If it gets too far away, it can disappear forever.

It’s not just food that has a mind of its own, Wired did an entire story on objects that astronauts have dropped and permanently lost. The list of things floating around somewhere in space now includes a spatula, a tool bag, and a camera.

8: MUST SAY, “HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM” AT LEAST ONCE

If the only reason you ever dreamed of becoming an astronaut was because Tom Hanks and Kevin Bacon did it in Apollo 13, you’re not alone – we’ve all been there. NASA even plays into the popularity of the film and its famous saying on their webpage, announcing the arrival of updated podcasts as “Houston, we have a podcast”. It’s safe to say the phrase is here to stay.

Do us all a favor if you ever make it big time in space and say those magical words at least once (though hopefully there isn’t really a problem).

7: MUST NOT BELIEVE EVERYTHING THAT IS SEEN

According to Business Insider, without gravity your eyes actually start to change shape due to a build up of pressure. This can cause vision problems in even those with perfect eyesight.

Coupled with a potentially ailing immune system and a couple days without any good sleep, an astronaut’s mind may start to play tricks on them as they think they see things that aren’t really there. Astronauts are cautioned about this phenomenon and know to ask a buddy for a second opinion before jumping to any conclusions.

6: MUST UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES PLAY WITH FIRE (BUT OTHER PLAY IS ENCOURAGED)

According to the Smithsonian, fire in space is much more unpredictable (and potentially more lethal) than it is on Earth. As easily as the flames could fizzle out, they can also combust into a huge fireball, which is why astronauts aren’t allowed to play with matches.

They can, however, play other games to pass the time (anti-gravity leapfrog is a favorite). Additionally, according to Forbes, things like CDs and holiday decorations are allowed and encouraged as part of crew member support packages to boost morale.

5: MUST NOT GIVE UP EASILY

There are many career paths one could choose to take that would be a whole lot easier than becoming an astronaut (probably just about every career would be easier).

According to astronaut testimonials, the job is extremely rewarding but certainly not for those who prefer to leave their work at work when they go home at night. There are barriers every day, making space exploration the farthest thing from a nine-to-five job and suitable only for people that never give up and see challenges as opportunities.

4: MUST OBSERVE GENERAL OFFICE ETIQUETTE (INCLUDING GROOMING)

The International Space Station is technically an office, which means general office rules apply. Just like how you wouldn’t stand in your co-worker’s cubicle and lean over his or her shoulder while he or she works, you shouldn’t do that on the space station. Astronauts are expected to respect each other’s privacy when possible.

The big one, though, is personal hygiene. All the water on the space station was brought from Earth, according to NASA, so it’s in pretty high demand (though they are working on water recycling systems). That said, there isn’t enough to bathe regularly so damp washcloths with shampoo and body wash are the only way to stay clean (and fresh-smelling).

3: MUST WEAR THE SAME THING EVERY DAY

One thing travelers in space don’t have to worry about is what to wear. Not only are they not allowed to pack many of their own clothes, which instantly eliminates hours-long trips to the closet, their NASA-issued clothing all looks the same which means they don’t have much else to change into (should I wear the red polo shirt with the khaki pants or the blue polo shirt with the khaki pants?).

According to Curiosity, astronauts can go months in the exact same outfit, though undergarments may be changed more frequently (but not much more frequently).

2: MUST CLEAN UP THE SHARED AREAS (WHICH IS EVERY AREA)

It might sound overly dramatic, but one rogue crumb could essentially derail an entire mission.

According to Curiosity, tiny molecules of food can become lodged into expensive equipment used for scientific recordings or, worse yet, can clog vents that need to stay clear for proper flow of air. And, if you read the entry about why astronauts can’t shed tears, you will understand that it would be quite awful for a crumb to get into someone’s eye.

So, astronauts have to be extra vigilant when it comes to cleaning up after those midnight snack cravings.

1: MUST LOVE SPACE

Following in the footsteps of brave astronauts of the past, new astronauts have big shoes to fill. As we’ve learned throughout this post, it takes a special person to become an astronaut. Among the physical qualities and character attributes that make someone cut out for the program, NASA says the most important thing is that you love space. If you don’t really love it (like really, really love it), NASA says there are about 18,000 other applicants that would do anything to take your place.