Image source,Xinhua
To be an astronaut, besides having a strong body, what other qualities are needed?
China launched the “Shenzhou XII” spacecraft and sent three astronauts to the “Tiangong” space station. This is the first batch of “residents” welcomed by China’s self-constructed permanent space station, and it also marks the official opening of the Chinese space station.
As more and more countries in the world invest funds to develop space, more and more private companies have participated in aerospace projects.
The most eye-catching related news recently is that Jeff Bezos, the world‘s richest man and founder of American Internet giant Amazon, is preparing to try his company’s manned space flight. Someone bid $28 million to buy the opportunity to travel with him in space.
If it is said that Bezos’ manned space journey requires passengers with enough pockets to afford tickets, then how many opportunities do ordinary people want to become astronauts?
Now that mankind’s dream of spaceflight for thousands of years has been initially realized in recent decades, the possibility of becoming an astronaut has greatly increased than before.
Image source,AFP
In 1963, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (Valentina Tereshkova) entered space and became the first female astronaut.
But what qualities and conditions must an astronaut have? Now, in addition to Russia, the United States, China, the European Union and other countries that have astronauts, Japan, South Korea and other countries also have their own astronauts. So, how do the astronauts of the world‘s major aerospace powers choose?
Pilot near the water platform
From a historical point of view, all the astronauts who flew out of the earth from the Soviet Union and the United States to create the history of human spaceflight for more than half a century came from the air force.
On April 12, 1961, mankind’s first astronaut, the 27-year-old Soviet astronaut Yuri Gagarin, traveled to space for the first time. He was a colonel pilot of the Soviet Red Army.
On May 5, 1961, the first American astronaut to complete a suborbital flight to Earth, Alan B. Shepard, was also a pilot recruited from the Air Force.
Image source,Science Photo Library
The first human astronaut to fly in space-Soviet Air Force pilot Yuri Gagarin
In 2003, Yang Liwei, China’s first “astronaut”, had a record of 1,350 hours of safe flight in the Chinese Air Force.
In 2015, the first British astronaut to join the International Space Station research team, Tim Peake, was also an excellent pilot for the Royal Air Force.
China established an astronaut group in the military on January 5, 1998. According to Chinese media reports, the astronaut brigade consists of all pilots.
Chinese astronaut conditions
In addition to flying and driving experience in China, becoming an astronaut must also meet the requirements for height and weight.
According to the selection criteria for astronauts published on the website of the Ministry of National Defense of China, the requirements of Chinese astronauts are:
- The height is between 1.6 meters and 1.72 meters, “because the geometric dimensions of the spacecraft cabin are limited, if it is too high, not only sitting awkward, but also prone to danger”;
- The weight is limited to between 55 kg and 70 kg. “If the astronaut weighs one kilogram, one kilogram of fuel, consumables and scientific instruments will be saved”;
- Other physical qualities and physiological functions must be tested through strict selection.
Image source,Xinhua
In 2003, Yang Liwei completed a 21-hour space flight. China has become the third aerospace power after Russia and the United States.
In addition, astronauts must also have certain scientific literacy. China has begun to select engineers from scientific research departments. It is expected that China will select space astronauts in a wider range in the future.
The three Chinese astronauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo who took the “Shenzhou 12” into the “Tiangong” space station this time all have a master’s degree or above. In addition, the ages of the three of them are between 45 and 56 years old.
Another feature that has attracted attention from outsiders is that all three of them are members of the Communist Party of China.
According to the regulations of the CCP’s Constitution that three or more full party members must establish a party branch, the news of the CCP’s establishment of the first party branch on the space station has become one of the concerns of the international media.
In fact, as early as 2013, when Nie Haisheng and two other astronauts took the “Shenzhou 10” manned flight for the first time, the international media had already reported the news that the CCP had established the first party branch in the universe.
Gagarin: The first person to enter space achieves the victory of the Soviet Union’s foreign propaganda
Selection criteria for American astronauts
NASA’s criteria for selecting astronauts have changed with the changes in goals and missions. Engaging in engineering and aviation is no longer the only way to become an astronaut.
Applications for astronaut positions are divided into two categories: military and civilian.
Image source,NASA
In 1961, American astronaut Alan Shepard (right) became the first American astronaut to successfully fly in space.
The application procedures for the military category vary according to the applicant’s army, while applicants for the civilian category can apply directly to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
According to the standards published on the official website of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the first condition for becoming an American astronaut is: the applicant must be a U.S. citizen.
Other conditions include physical health and mental quality, and the height is between 1.55 and 187 meters.
In terms of education, the United States requires astronaut applicants to have a master’s degree or higher in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
In addition, the applicant must have more than 1,000 hours of experience in flying a jet aircraft.
Like the European Space Agency, NASA requires that astronaut candidates must also have leadership, teamwork and interpersonal communication skills.
Application requirements for European astronauts
Image source,UKSA
Britain’s first astronaut, Tim Peak, was once a Royal Air Force pilot. When he was 43 years old in 2015, he took the Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station for the first time for 186 days.
To become an astronaut at the European Space Agency, applicants need to be between 27 and 37 years old and be able to speak fluent English. Mastering basic Russian will be helpful, because Russian and English are used together on the International Space Station.
Pilots who have at least 1,000 hours of flying experience on high-performance aircraft such as fighter jets will have an advantage when applying.
The European Space Agency also requires applicants to have a master’s degree or higher in biology, chemistry or physics, engineering, medicine, mathematics and other disciplines.
In addition to judgment, decision-making ability, ability to operate and control equipment, leadership, observation and recording ability, the requirements listed by the European Space Agency also include the applicant’s ability to accept criticism and the ability to work under pressure.
It is worth mentioning that the astronaut job advertisement listed on the official website of the National Career Service of the United Kingdom also specially reminds that this job may work away from home and work on weekends, nights and public holidays.
For successful applications as an astronaut, the salary that can be enjoyed is between 40,000 and 80,000 pounds a year.
Female astronaut
Image source,NASA
In 1978, a group photo of 6 female astronauts from NASA.
Since 1963, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova (Valentina Tereshkova) successfully entered space and became the first female astronaut in human history. So far, more than 60 female astronauts have appeared in various countries, accounting for approximately One-tenth of the total number of astronauts in the world.
So far, France, Italy, South Korea, and the United Kingdom have each had one female astronaut, while China, Japan, and Canada each have two female astronauts, and Russia (the Soviet Union) has four. The country with the most female astronauts is the United States, with 50 people.
Among them was Christa McAuliffe, who was killed in the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
The most famous female astronaut in the United States now is Peggy Annette Whitson, who has been in charge of the International Space Station twice.
In 2016, at the age of 56, she became the oldest female astronaut in space history; in 2017, she became the female astronaut with the longest time and the most number of space walks.
When introducing the history of space, the European Space Agency said that both men and women work side by side in space as members of the International Space Station’s expert team. There is no difference between the training received by male or female astronauts and the responsibilities assigned to them in space missions.
According to the new American Amites moon landing plan, a female astronaut will land on the moon in 2024.