Six questions for to know more things about the life in space:
1. What does the word 'astronaut' mean?
2. How long does it take to put on a space suit?
3. How much do astronauts earn?
4. What can you see in space?
5. How old do astronauts need to be?
6. How do astronauts sleep in space?
The answers:
The word “astronaut” is composed by two elements: “astro” and “naut”. If you need more information, visit the web page http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Mission_Pos ... 17E_0.html
The Apollo space suit was basically a one-piece suit. Each suit was made to fit (custom tailored) each astronaut.
Each Apollo mission required fifteen (15) suits to support the mission. The main, or prime, three-man crew each
had three suits: I for flight; 1 for training; and 1 as a flight back-up in case something happened to their flight
suit, thus a total of 9 suits for the prime crew. The back-up three-man crew each had two suits: I for flight and I
for training. The astronaut corps at that time included between 25 and 27 astronauts.
Enjoy it!
Salaries for civilian Astronaut Candidates are based on the Federal Government's General Schedule pay scale for grades GS-12 through GS-13. Each person's grade is determined according to his/her academic achievements and experience. Currently, a GS-12 starts at $65,140 per year and a GS-13 can earn up to $100,701 per year.
Military Astronaut Candidates are assigned to the Johnson Space Center and remain in an active duty status for pay, benefits, leave, and other similar military matters.
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_much_mone ... onaut_earn
Shuttle astronauts can see highways, airports, dams and even large vehicles from an Earth orbit that is about 135 miles (217 kilometers) high. Cities are clearly distinct from surrounding countryside, and that's true even from the higher perch of the International Space Station, which circles the planet at about 250 miles (400 kilometers) up.
"You can see an awful lot from space," says astronaut Ed Lu, the science officer of Expedition Seven aboard the station. "You can see the pyramids from space, especially with a pair of binoculars. They are a little difficult to pick out with just your eyes
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/v ... 31006.html
Basically, those 1959 requirements were: Less than 40 years of age; three years after that first selection, NASA issued another call for Gemini and Apollo astronaut trainees. Experience in flying high-performance aircraft still was stressed, as was education. The limit on age was lowered to 35 years.
http://www.solarviews.com/eng/astronts.htm
best thing about sleeping in space is that you can do it anywhere. Due to the microgravity environment, sleeping on the floor is just as comfortable as sleeping on the wall, and astronauts don't require a mattress. Still, 45 percent of all medications used by space shuttle crews are sleeping censured. Some astronauts find sleeping in microgravity causes unfamiliar sensations, which combined with excessive light and noise creates poor conditions for getting a good night's rest. Studies such as the Canadian-led Sleep-Wake Immune Functions (SWIF), which was conducted aboard MIR, have aimed to learn more about sleeping in space
http://www.space.gc.ca/asc/eng/astronau ... eeping.asp