Life of an astronaut - Jerry Carr

TL;DR

A look into astronaut basic training, support crews on historical space missions, and an unexpected command opportunity.

Transcript

Transcriber: Andrea McDonough Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar Normally astronaut training takes about one full year, and it includes such subjects as astronomy, astrophysics, flight physiology, orbital trajectories, or orbital management. Another part of the astronaut basic training is survival training. In the days of Gemini, you never knew for sure wher... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧡 Astronaut training covers a wide range of subjects and survival skills.
• 👾 Support crews play crucial roles in monitoring and assisting during space missions.
• 🧑‍🚀 Unexpected opportunities can arise in the astronaut program, like last-minute command assignments.
• 🧑‍🏭 Mission cancellations due to external factors can impact astronaut careers.
• 🥺 Lightning strikes on spacecraft can lead to critical system failures.
• 👨‍🚀 Rookie astronauts can be selected for important command roles in the space program.
• 👾 Skylab missions marked significant milestones in space exploration.

Questions & Answers

Q: What are some key subjects covered in astronaut basic training?

Astronaut basic training includes astronomy, astrophysics, flight physiology, and survival training like desert, water, and jungle survival techniques. Trainees also learn about orbital trajectories and management.

Q: What were the roles of support crews on Apollo missions?

Support crews monitored and assisted during critical moments of the mission, such as ensuring proper maneuvers behind the moon for lunar orbit capture. They also played roles in troubleshooting unforeseen issues, like the Apollo 12 lightning strike.

Q: How did the unexpected command opportunity for the Skylab mission come about?

The astronaut missed the chance for a moon flight due to mission cancellations, but was surprised with an offer to command the final Skylab mission by Tom Stafford. Despite being a rookie, he was assigned commander, a rarity in the astronaut program.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Astronaut training covers various subjects like flight physiology and survival training.

• Support crew roles on Apollo missions involved critical monitoring and troubleshooting.

• Unexpected command opportunity for a rookie astronaut on the final Skylab mission.