1. What does the word 'astronaut' mean?
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft.
2. How long does it take to put on a space suit?
It takes about 15 minutes to put on the spacesuit.
3. How much do astronauts earn?
Astronauts do not generally choose their career for the money and rarely talk about how much money they make. The experience of being an astronaut is payment enough! But astronauts still need money to buy homes and food back on Earth. Canadian astronauts-in-training earn about $70 000/year. Astronauts who complete a space flight can earn up to $140 000/year.
4. What can you see in space?
Everywhere within the solar system the constellations would look just the same.
Near Earth it can see meteorological phenomena, oceans and seas, morphology of Earth and things made by humans.
There is a longstanding myth that the Great Wall of China is the only manmade object visible from space. They’ve been buried by sand for centuries. NASA has used space-based radar to map out hidden parts of the ancient structure. In reality, many human constructs can be seen from Earth orbit.
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.
Egyptian pyramids have been photographed from space several times with standard digital cameras and high-powered lenses. The largest pyramid at Giza is 745 feet (227 meters) wide and 449 feet (137 meters) tall.
5. How old do astronauts need to be?
There's no minimum or maximum age for becoming an astronaut, you just need to fulfill the requirements. The preferred age range is 27 to 37.
6. How do astronauts sleep in space?
There are a variety of ways astronauts can sleep in space, depending on the mission and personal preference. Since there is no "up" in space, they can comfortably sleep vertically as well as horizontally. On space shuttle missions, they often sleep in their seats, in sleeping bags attached to the walls of the shuttle, or by tethering themselves to the walls.
The preferred sleeping attire is a T-shirt and shorts.
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.