5 Secrets of Astronauts

1. Astronauts come from a range of different fields.

There’s no one direct path to becoming an astronaut. If someone knows they want to be an astronaut from a young age, they need to build career in a specific field before they can get the attention of NASA. "They're looking for people who are qualified, meaning that they're high-achieving military people or people from civilian life, generally with an advanced degree," Mike Massimino, a former NASA astronaut and professor of mechanical engineering at Columbia University.

"I was a Ph.D.(кандидат наук) research engineer professor when I was picked(отобран)," Massimino says. "I've flown in space with engineers, with test pilots, helicopter pilots for the military. I've also flown in space with a geologist, I've flown in space with an oceanographer, and I've flown in space with a veterinarian. So it's really varied. There's not just one route."

2. Astronaut training involves everything from class work to military survival exercises.

Candidates accepted into the astronaut program must complete years of training before they're ready for spaceflight. A lot of that training takes place in the classroom and involves learning about different space vehicles and systems. Astronauts also undergo(подвергаются) physical training in the real world. According to Garrett Reisman, former NASA astronaut and the director of space operations at SpaceX's headquarters(штабквартира) in Hawthorne, California, one of the most intense courses has nothing to do with preparing for life in space.

3. Astronauts don't make as much money as you think.

One of the biggest misconceptions astronauts hear about their work relates to their salary. While they are paid decently(порядочно), astronauts don’t collect the massive paychecks some people might assume comes with such a high-profile job. "We don't make a heck of a lot of money," Massimino says. "We make a standard government salary." So astronauts make between $104,898 and $161,141 per year.

4. Astronauts find time to have fun.

Between work, meals(прием пищи), and exercise, astronauts don’t have a ton of free time in space. Duties(обязанности) like maintenance(обслуживание), installing equipment, and conducting(проведение) experiments take up the majority of their day. Sneaking in recreation usually means staying up past their scheduled bedtime, which Reisman confirms most astronauts do. One of his favorite activities to do aboard the International Space Station was taking pictures of Earth. "You could take photographs of places on Earth that are special to you. I got a picture of my hometown, which is pretty cool. As far as I know, no human ever photographed that particular town from space before."

5. Going to the bathroom in space is an ordeal(испытание).

If you’ve ever wondered how astronauts poop(какают) in space, the answer is: with great difficulty. "Taking a dump("навалить кучу") was not easy," Reisman confirms. Without the help of gravity, using a toilet in space becomes a complicated operation. Astronauts must strap(пристегнуть) their feet down to keep from floating away(уплыть) and create a perfect seal(создать идеальное уплотнение) between the toilet seat and their butt cheeks(ягодицы). The toilet itself uses a vacuum hose to suction up the waste. The process is so complex that using a space toilet is part of an astronaut’s training. It's not unusual for a bathroom break that normally takes a few minutes on Earth to last half an hour in space.