In childhood, almost every child dreams of becoming an astronaut. Over time, this dream is replaced by others, more mundane.
Many dream no longer about space, but about a deputy's chair or a director's position. But in the depths of his soul, the old childhood desire to fly to the stars still lives, and parting with him, first of all, is due to the fact that everyone knows that he simply will not be able to get into space - it’s too difficult! After all, only 532 people have visited orbit throughout history. However, becoming 533 is, of course, very difficult, but still possible. After all, astronauts are not even the rarest profession. For example, there were significantly fewer American presidents - only 44.
So what does it take to become an astronaut? To receive this honorary title, you need to comply with two categories of requirements, the first of which is related to physical and psychological training, and the second is exclusively career.
So, first of all, impeccable physical shape is needed for space flights. It will have to be tested and confirmed in the harshest conditions, completing the most difficult tasks. But this is not enough! The astronaut must begin training at the age of strictly from 27 to 30 years. Equally important is the height and weight of the future space explorer. Here the advantage will be for those whose height does not exceed 175 centimeters, and the weight is 75 kilograms. The logic of such parameters is quite simple: spaceships and space stations do not differ in significant size, in space it is necessary to strictly save free space. So, unfortunately, stout people in zero gravity have nothing to do. Psychologically, the future astronaut must also be completely healthy. There simply should not be any mental abnormalities - hidden phobias and weaknesses are found with the help of special tests. So, for example, during one of the checks, an astronaut candidate is left completely alone in a closed space for five whole days - while the subject must stay awake all the time. However, this is not all. A person who wants to follow in the footsteps of Gagarin must have a number of properties necessary for every cosmonaut: he must be ready to take responsibility, have strong leadership qualities, be able to quickly adapt to new conditions and get along in any team. In addition, in zero gravity, strong convictions are required, and the ability to self-analyze is highly desirable, since, of course, there are no psychologists' offices on orbital stations.
As far as career requirements are concerned, an astronaut candidate must serve in the air force, be a military pilot and have at least 350 flight hours and at least 160 parachute jumps. And, of course, the astronaut's reputation must be impeccable! No convictions, no complaints about the personal file. It is desirable (but not necessary) that a candidate for a space flight was already married, but excessive love in relationships with the opposite sex may well become a reason for exclusion from the list of applicants.
However, if you are afraid that you will not be able to pass the toughest competition in the world, or by some parameter you will not be able to get into orbit through the “front doors”, then you should always remember about the completely legal “back door”. Not only astronauts fly into space, but also space tourists! But to become a space tourist, you need not only good health, but also as little as $ 25 million.
