Astronauts

With the recent anniversary of the first manned lunar landing 40 years ago and the final spacewalk on the International Space Station today, I thought some astronaut and Moon knowledge would be appropriate.

There are three kinds of astronauts aboard the U.S. Space Shuttles: Pilot or Commander – Heads the mission and controls the spacecraft, Mission Specialist – Crew members who carry out specific jobs, such as performing experiments or going on spacewalks and Payload Specialist – Scientists and other on-board guests who are not NASA astronauts.

There are three kinds of spacecraft: Unmanned Probes, Artificial Satellites and Manned Spacecraft.

Interesting Facts:

• The very first astronauts were jet pilots.
  
• Astronauts need to be fit and have 20/20 eyesight.
  
• Weightlessness makes astronauts grow an inch or so during a long mission.
  
• Astronauts need to be between 5’4” and 6’4”.
  
• The word “astronaut” comes from the Greek words meaning sailor among the stars.
  
• “Cosmonaut” is a member of the Russian space program.
  
• The first woman in space was cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova in 1963.
  
• The first man in space was cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in 1961.
  
• Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard was the first American in space just 23 days after Yuri Gagarin.
  
• The first human to step outside a spacecraft was cosmonaut Alexei Leonov in 1965.
  
• Three months later, astronaut Edward White II made the first spacewalk for the U.S.
  
• Soviet probe Lunar 9 was the first moon landing in 1966.
  
• Apollo 8 was the first to orbit the Moon in 1968.
  
• Neil Armstrong was the first human to step foot on the moon, following behind him was Buzz Aldrin in 1969.
  
• E.V.A. (Extra-Vehicular Activity) is the technical name for going outside a spacecraft.
  
• The first spacewalkers were tied to their spacecraft by life-support cables.
  
• Astronauts have brought back 838 pounds of Moon rock.
  
• A mirror was left on the Moon to reflect a laser beam to measure the Moon’s distance from Earth.
  
• The laser measurements show that, on average, the Moon is 233,806 miles from Earth.
  
• Temperatures vary from 243°F at noon to -260°F at night on the Moon.
  
• The gloves of Apollo 11 astronauts had tiny lights built into the fingertips.
  
• Spacesuits are officially called E.M.U.s (Extra-Vehicular Mobility Units.)
  
• The cost of a spacesuit is around $11 million, of which 70% is for the backpack and controls.
  
• Laika, a dog, was the first living creature in space aboard the Soviet’s Sputnik 2.
  
• Carbon dioxide that crews breathe out is absorbed by pellets of lithium hydroxide.
  
• The U.S. space shuttle reaches speeds of 18,650 mph.

Now you’re a little smarter, Girlfriend — And so am I.