When Astrid's first space mission goes disastrously wrong, she realizes she needs a bit more training than she thought! Astrid is training to go to space! But as she builds her shuttle, cooks astronaut food, and practices floating in zero gravity, Dad tells Astrid that the ship's construction is too dangerous, she's too little to cook alone, and she's not allowed to flood the bathroom. That night, when Astrid dreams she's an astronaut, the challenges she encounters are overwhelming. Astrid realizes she isn't as ready as she thought. Back on Earth, Astrid turns to her loving and supportive Dad, who helps Astrid continue her astronaut training.

Today's astronauts require many different abilities. They must not only be expert in performing flight simulations but must also be proficient in such dissimilar subjects as photography, thermodynamics, electrical repairs, flight procedures, oceanography, public affairs, and geology. In Prepare for Launch, the author introduces the technologies and myriad activities that constitute or affect astronaut training, such as the part-task trainers, emergency procedures, the fixed-based and motion-based simulators, virtual environment training, and the demands of training in the Weightless Environment Training Facility. With plans to return to the Moon and future missions to Mars, the current selection criteria and training are very different from those used for short duration mission Space Shuttle crews. Dr. Erik Seedhouse in this book focuses on how astronaut candidates are taught to cope with different needs and environments (for example, hibernation, artificial gravity, and bioethics issues) and also includes brief discussions of the astronaut application and selection process.

Today, the training of American astronauts is almost taken for granted, but prior to 1961 no one knew whether humans could function in space at all. Space suits, working in free fall, and surviving the punishing accelerations of launch and re-entry were all complete unknowns. It was well recognised that if we were to send men into space, they would first have to be extensively trained. But what was that training to consist of? And exactly who would provide the training? As it turns out, the training was, at times, as dangerous and demanding as the space flights that followed -- for the training experts as well as the astronauts. At the forefront of the effort to train America's astronauts was Dr Randall Chambers. Over the course of a long and distinguished career he turned his mind (and body) to a wide variety of disciplines, in order to best prepare our astronauts for space flight. It was not unusual for Dr Chambers to put himself in the astronaut's position, literally -- before he would put the astronaut there. Dr Chambers and his co-workers not only had to be the very best in their profession, they had to define and refine that profession as they went along -- pioneers in the truest sense of the word. As the requirements and demands of human space activities increased, the lives of the astronauts were completely dependent on their trainers always being one step ahead of them. Career journalist Mary Jane Chambers has witnessed her husband's career first hand, and has worked with him to present a story that non-scientists will enjoy -- no equations, no charts; but rather a human tale of amazing people. This book is the story of a dedicated man of science, a friend of the astronauts, and an unsung hero of the space age. Behind every successful space program there are special people with the dedication of Dr Randall Chambers.

As the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) retires the Space Shuttle and shifts involvement in International Space Station (ISS) operations, changes in the role and requirements of NASA's Astronaut Corps will take place. At the request of NASA, the National Research Council (NRC) addressed three main questions about these changes: what should be the role and size of Johnson Space Center's (JSC) Flight Crew Operations Directorate (FCOD); what will be the requirements of astronaut training facilities; and is the Astronaut Corps' fleet of training aircraft a cost-effective means of preparing astronauts for NASA's spaceflight program? This report presents an assessment of several issues driven by these questions. This report does not address explicitly the future of human spaceflight.

The awe-inspiring Sunday Times Bestseller from astronaut Tim Peake Shortlisted for the British Book Award 2018 'Amazing . . . A brilliant book' Chris Evans, BBC Radio 2 Have you ever thought of becoming an astronaut? Ask an Astronaut is Tim Peake's personal guide to life in space, based on his historic Principia mission, and the thousands of questions he has been asked since his return to Earth. How does it feel to orbit the earth ten times faster than a speeding bullet? What's it like to eat, sleep and go to the toilet in space? And where to next - the moon, mars or beyond? From training to launch, historic spacewalk to re-entry, Tim has a fascinating answer to everything you ever wanted to know. He reveals for readers of all ages the extraordinary secrets, cutting-edge science, and everyday wonders of life onboard the International Space Station. 'Everything you ever wanted to know about life in space' Times

Amazing Machines: Roaring Rockets follows Rabbit, Bird, and Mouse as they zoom to the Moon in a bright and bold rhyming picture book! Each page is filled with details that machine-mad kids will love including spacesuits, gravity boots, oxygen helmets, and much more. From electric cars to powerful rockets, the internationally bestselling Amazing Machines series is the perfect way for children to learn about all sorts of machines and vehicles! Each book introduces a new vehicle or machine and the many jobs it can do. Ant Parker's bright, engaging artwork and Tony Mitton's simple, rhyming text combine to make these fantastic books for young children. Kids will love getting to know the friendly animal characters who feature throughout the series and reading about their fast-paced adventures! Continue to explore all things that go with the rest of the Amazing Machines series, including Cool Cars, Patrolling Police Cars, and Amazing Airplanes.

Astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti’s intimate account of her first journey to the International Space Station, to which she returns in 2022, as commander of Expedition 68a—only the fourth woman to command the ISS, praised by Scott Kelly for its “incredible detail and great writing.” Two hundred days orbiting Earth on the International Space Station. Five years working and training with the aerospace community across the world. A lifetime of choices leading to the stars. These are the components of Samantha Cristoforetti’s dream, a dream she invites us to share in this intimate account of an astronaut’s journey to space. She views the triumphs and disappointments of that journey with a poet’s eye and a philosopher’s mind—and an engineer’s gift for detail that brings each experience into sharp focus. With Cristoforetti as our guide, we’re called to become “apprentice astronauts” and experience the world anew through the visor of a space suit’s helmet. Bonding with crew members to tackle challenges as a team, lifting off from the launchpad in a roar of engines, discovering the strange wonders of weightlessness, seeing Earth with a fresh perspective after a bittersweet return to solid ground . . . all these moments and more reveal what it really takes to escape our planet’s gravity in pursuit of a goal.

Find out how to become an astronaut in this illustrated booke for curious kids. Packed with bitesize information and fun facts about the life of an astronaut, this book will tell you all about space, astronomy and life on the International Space Station. Simple activities will test your skills and reinforce the information you read in the book. Can you help to repair the ISS on a spacewalk? Or collect samples on the Moon? Or even spot constellations in the sky? Take a look inside to find out!