A record number of people wishing to fly into space
According to NASA, a record number of applications filed -18.300 astronaut training program in 2017. The space agency will need half a year to test the results for packaged group of 14 people. Judging the competition to get into the space squad is 65 times harder than the number of Harvard students.
Despite the fact that the flight into orbit today have become almost routine, dream of becoming an astronaut is still stirs the minds of his contemporaries. Especially because at the initial stage is quite simple: it is enough to submit the questionnaire in the appropriate service NASA. Another question – what exactly you specify in your profile. How about an engineering degree, biologist, programmer or mathematician? Or, say, whether you have thousands of flight hours in jet aircraft? In addition to the mandatory tests for professional and physical preparation, NASA also draws attention to certain personal characteristics. “We are interested in leadership, teamwork and communication skills. These characteristics, I’m sure will come in handy for many other occupations, “- says Anne Romer, manager for the selection of astronauts, NASA.
After reviewing the profiles of about one hundred and twenty applicants will be invited to the Johnson Space Center in Houston for an interview. Only half of them will take place in the second round, and those who in the end will be selected among the astronauts, expects a two-year training program. According to Ann Romer, “they will become experts in various fields – from the theory and practice of space flight to work in space, and even the Russian language.”
It is understandable – the preparation for the launch of the crews on the Russian “Soyuz” by specialists Roscommon. In parallel, the future astronauts have to learn new US manned vehicles, which are now in development. Among them – “Orion” from NASA’s designed for deep space exploration, and “of Dragon” company Space X, whose chairman, Elon Musk, earnestly promises to send an expedition to Mars in 2024. The following year SpaceX is going to put into operation specifically designed for this purpose ship Dragon Version 2. It is difficult to say whether the selection will be in the private expeditions more democratic than NASA. However, judging by the TV coverage of the Mission Control Centre Space X, launch missiles today are not engaged in harsh uncle in uniform and young bearded hipsters, as if descended from the screens of the “Big Bang Theory” TV series.
In the meantime essence of the case, scientists suggest the Martian manned crews humanoid robot that could equip the territory before the arrival of these astronauts.
“Valkyrie has a meter eighty height and weight of 136 kg. It is equipped with a set of sensors and a stereo camera, connected to the helmet Oculus, so that the remote control the operator can see the world through the eyes of the robot, “- said Holly Janko, a professor of the University of Massachusetts.
The first set of astronauts in 1959 had only seven people – as currently fit in Dragon ship cabin. Since then, their numbers have joined 338 people – and that’s if you count only the Americans. Judging by the grandiose plans of interplanetary flight, replenish their ranks – matter of the nearest future.
