1. The document provides information about what it takes to become an astronaut, the training process, a typical mission profile from launch to landing, and living/working in space. 2. It describes the extensive education and skills required to be an astronaut, including subjects like math, science, and engineering. Training can take up to 20 years and involves crew coordination, simulations, and preparation for spacewalks. 3. The document outlines the various stages of a space mission from the multi-G launch, docking with the ISS, living in microgravity, spacewalks, re-entry into the earth's atmosphere at 3000 degrees, and landing back on the runway.

1. 1
What they do in orbit…and more!
Ed Rodriguez
Systems Engineer – SGT, Inc.
Email: erodriguez@sgt-inc.com
Astronauts In Space

2. 2
Who can be an Astronaut?
• You!! It takes a lot of hard work and dedication…but you can make your dreams come
true, no matter what they are!
• Study hard in all subjects, especially Math, Science and English…(you need to be able to
speak the cool lingo and know what to do!)
• Astronauts are made up of a combination of:
– Pilots
– Scientists
– Engineers
– Teachers
• What does it take to be an Astronaut?
– You have to be a healthy, brave, adventurous person who is willing to work hard
and accept the risks associated with space exploration…Many have perished
pursuing and experiencing their dreams.

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Training
• It takes about 20 years from the time an Astronaut is selected until the time he/she
actually flies on a mission into space
• Work with and get to know your crew members
• A crew size varies - usually has 5 to 7 members: Commander, Pilot and Mission
Specialists
• If you get to this point, you know you are on your way!! Can I come with you when
you get selected? 

4. 4
Launch Day!
• This is it!! You are going into space!!
• Are you ready? 3…2…1…Ignition!!!
• Next Stop, the International Space Station!
• Did you know? You will experience 3G’s (3 times your body weight going up for
about 8 minutes until you get into space…? What a Ride that would be!!!

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Docking with the Space Station
• Very careful here…you have to have the Right Stuff to do this job…
Rotate the shuttle close to the ISS so it can film you and see if you
experienced any damage on the way up into space….then dock and
capture.
• Pitch maneuver is performed to check for visual damage during ascent
• Easy does it…you have to do this “dance” carefully to avoid damaging
the station
• You are also bringing many supplies for the ISS Astronauts

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Living in Space
• Get used to being weightless!
• Sleeping
• Eating
• Drinking
• Exercising
• Do experiments, play around, read
• Hygiene
• Going to the bathroom…
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUe2HcFUPSo
• Change Air Filters!

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EVA- Spacewalking
• Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA)
• How much danger am I in?
• Space debris, Radiation from the Sun
• Usually 2 out at a time: The “Arm” guy,
and the free floating “tethered” guy
• Module Installations, Solar Arrays
• Repairs, etc…

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Orbital Views – Nice Office!
1.5 hours to orbit once around the Earth -
The Sun comes up every 45 minutes

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Preparing to come back home
• Mission Control in Houston says it’s time to come home
• Say farewell to your Space Station friends
• Stow away equipment, experiments
• Secure all trash to bring back
• Put your Spacesuit back on

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Re-Entry Sequence
Box 1: Shuttle is traveling at 17,500 MPH…That’s 5 miles in one second!
Box 2: Shuttle executes a “yaw” maneuver and turns it 180 degrees, fires retro rockets to
slow it down so that it can fall back to Earth
Box 3: Shuttle executes a “pitch” maneuver to place the orbiter at proper re-entry angle
Box 4: Shuttle now re-entering atmosphere – 3000 degrees!!
Box 5: Shuttle performs “S-Turns” to help slow it down even more
Box 6: Shuttle’s final approach, “Flare” maneuver and lands

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• Site: Kennedy Space Center Florida
• Speed at final approach – ~226mph
• Runway about 15,000 feet long
• Parachute used to slow it down
• California is the backup landing site if
there is bad weather in Florida
Landing

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Welcome Home!
Welcome Home and job well done! Now
it’s time to get used to gravity again and
tell the media all about your experience

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Interested in Learning More?
• There’s lots of cool stuff out there to learn more about astronauts and space flight!
• The Internet:
• GOOGLE Search any “Keyword” (i.e. NASA, Astronauts, Apollo, Moon, Mars, The Sun, etc.)
– http://science.nasa.gov/Realtime/JTrack
– http://digitalglobe.com
– http://intellicast.com
– http://www.spaceweather.com
– http://www.nasa.gov
• The Discovery Channel (TV and Internet)
• The Weather Channel (TV and Internet)
• The Science Channel (TV and Internet)
• Talk (and convince!) your science teacher and parents into coordinating a field trip to the Air and
Space Museum in Washington, DC or the Udvar Hazy Museum next to Dulles Airport in
Herndon,Virginia…