Features And Challenges Of An Astronaut’s Job

Introduction

Floating in an endless place, no gravity, revealing the unsolved mysteries in it, discovering new places never seen before, that’s what it feels like when being an astronaut. However, being an astronaut could be really dangerous and risky or it might actually save the world, depending on the situation. Learning astronomy is really helpful in which students who study astronomy will develop skills that will help them in their future. There are many skills that are developed such as teamwork, problem-solving, communication, research, etc. In fact, astronauts say that space smells burned steak, hot metal, and welding fumes. Plus, not only humans have been to space, animals like dogs, monkeys, rabbits, and even mice have been there too. Body To begin with, astronomy is the oldest type of science. The word “astronaut” comes from the Greek word ástron which means “star”, and the word nautes which means “sailor”. When there was still no technology, early cultures used to identify celestial objects with gods and spirits in which they related these objects to phenomena such as rain, drought, seasons, and tides. It is believed that priests were the first astronomers. Also, calendars were very useful because it would let them know when to plant at the correct time of year. Julius Caesar created the new calendar which had 12 months, 365 days, and a leap year. At last, here are some known astronauts and what they did: 1. Soviet Yuri Gagarin was the first human in space, he was launched into space on April 12, 1961, and orbited around Earth for 108 minutes on Vostok 1. 2. Soviet Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman in space, she was launched into space on June 16, 1963, and orbited around Earth for almost three days on Vostok 6. 3. The Saudi Arabian Prince Sultan Bin Salman Bin Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud was the first Arab in space in 1995. 4. Neil Armstrong was the first human to walk on the Moon in 1969. 5. Gherman Titov, the youngest man to go to space, was 25 when he flew on Vostok 2. 6. John Glenn, the oldest man to go to space, was 77 when he flew on STS-95. Further, an astronaut has a very hard job, especially when they are in space. There are many different types of astronauts with each of them having their own specific duty. These types include: 1. Commander Astronaut: This astronaut supervises the vehicle, crew, and safety of the flight and is responsible for the mission success. 2. Pilot Astronaut: The assistant of the commander astronaut. 3. Mission Specialist: This astronaut performs spacewalks and does scientific research on the International Space Station (ISS). 4. Payload Specialist: Not really an astronaut, helps with a certain mission experiment. Knowing how challenging an astronaut’s duty is makes all of us think about how their average workday would be like! An astronaut eats three meals a day and needs to exercise for 2 and a half hours so that they can maintain their muscle tone and stay fit. If astronauts don’t exercise, they will lose muscle and bone which decreases their strength, and they won't have the ability to do work because they are weak. For example, if there was an emergency on the space shuttle and they needed to evacuate quickly, a weak astronaut would not make it if there was not enough time. Three different types of exercises in space that astronauts should perform so that they stay fit are:

1. Cycle Ergometer: Like a bicycle, simply just pedaling.
2. Treadmill: Walking and jogging, just like on Earth.
3. Resistance Exercise Device (RED): Almost like weight-lifting machines, astronauts pull and twist stretchy rubber-band-like cords attached to pulleys. Furthermore, in order to become an astronaut, students who study astronomy need to have a bachelor’s degree in either engineering, science, or math; three years of related professional experience; and the ability to pass the NASA astronaut physical examination.

There are many more skills that might be helpful for selecting people to become astronauts such as scuba diving, wilderness experience, leadership experience, etc. Students can go to colleges such as the American University of Sharjah (AUS) or New York University (NYU), which is located in the UAE if they do not prefer to study abroad. Regarding requirements, in order for a student to become an astronaut he or she must:

1. Be free from any disease.
2. Be free from any dependency on drugs, alcohol, or tobacco.
3. Have a normal range of motion and functionality in all joints.
4. Have visual acuity in both eyes of 100%.
5. Be free from any psychiatric disorders.

As a future astronaut, things that could make me a good candidate would be my hard-work, team-work, self-confidence, independence, interest in space, etc. Moreover, we all need to take courses in order to prepare ourselves for universities which would help us in working for our dream job. For students who want to become astronauts, the courses they need to take would be algebra, astronomy, biology, computer application, physical science, and physics. Personally, I have many career goals that I hope to achieve one day such as making life on other planets possible, inventing the fastest space shuttle, seeing new unknown galaxies, and become a well-known astronaut. In addition, all jobs have other career fields related to them. For example, a career field related to a doctor would be a nursing assistant.

According to the job as an astronaut, there are some career fields related to an astronaut:

1. Aerospace Engineers: Develop aircrafts and spacecrafts.
2. Computer Engineers: Develop computer hardware and software.
3. Material Engineers: Design and discover new materials.
4. Mechanical Engineers: Design, analyze, manufacture, and maintain mechanical systems.
5. Robotics Engineers: Design, manufacture, and operate with robots.
6. Instrumentation Engineers: Indicate, measure, and record physical quantities.
7. Telecommunications Engineers: Support and enhance telecommunication systems.

Last but not least, astronauts have a really challenging job in which they deserve a high salary. There are two types of an astronaut’s salary, depending on which astronaut they are. Civilian Salaries: A civilian astronaut’s salary depends on their grade between GS-11 and GS-14. This astronaut’s starting salary begins at $66,000 per year while seasoned astronauts get up to $144,566 a year. Military Salaries: Most astronauts come from the military. Their allowance depends on their grade too. For example, a captain would get $96,360 per year after eight years of experience and service. After ten years of service, a captain would get $96,876 per year. After twenty years of service, a captain’s pay could reach up to $123,450 per year. After all, an astronaut’s salary depends on what type they are, and what is their grade as a military or civilian astronaut. Very few of the population have a fascination with being an astronaut. Mostly, families would want their children to become doctors, dentists, engineers, lawyers, surgeons, etc. Families don’t want their children to become soldiers, policemen, or firemen since these are all risky and dangerous careers. An astronaut’s job is beyond risky. Of course, in space, astronauts are not with their families in which they are in a place with no oxygen, low gravity, and unknown places such as other galaxies, planets, black holes, wormholes, etc. Parents are afraid that if their children would become astronauts, something might go wrong. In order for me to fulfill my dream of becoming an astronaut, I would need to face some consequences such as leaving my family and friends. Lastly, every job has its own benefits.

There are numerous benefits of being an astronaut. One of the benefits of being an astronaut would be an opportunity to go to space. Not everyone has the chance to go to space and experience what it feels like to be out there. The reason might be because they have no experience, or they are not interested in space, or they are just afraid that something might go wrong. Once astronauts experience living in space, it could be really helpful in which it would increase the population of astronauts. For example, experienced astronauts could convince other people such as kids or teenagers to become astronauts in the future. Regarding hazards, going to space is really fun in which you get to explore new places but at the same time it is dangerous. Going to space actually gives some astronauts some health problems such as:

1. Cardiac Problems.
2. Cognitive Problems.
3. Hearing Loss.
4. Kidney Stones.
5. Radiation Hazards.
6. Vision Loss.

Conclusion

Overall, an astronaut’s job is really challenging. We as people still don’t know what is out there, that is why we need more astronauts. Once astronauts go to space, they experience many things, either good such as discovering unknown places and things, or bad such as health problems that space could give us. With what astronauts experienced, they can convince more people to become astronauts. When people choose their dream jobs, they choose it because they are interested in it. I chose to become an astronaut in order to fulfill my dream and not because of the salaries or anything else. In my opinion, since we have better technology, being an astronaut is the most helpful and best opportunity to save our world and make life on other planets possible.