Customer Reviews

Prepare for Launch: The Astronaut Training Process (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am truly amazed at what a contemporary Astronaut has to learn and know. Bioethics! Wow! This training must take years. Today's Astronaut has to know everything about his space craft and how to fix things that go amiss. Their lives depend on this knowledge.
They need the knowledge for at least three degrees. This training is tough. I know several guys who applied and were not accepted.
It was their eyesight. They were so disappointed.

This training has a good reason: the more you know, the safer you are. I worked on Apollo and compared to this, our Astronauts did not have much training because there were so many things we didn't know. Our Apollo Astronauts really paved the way.
I applaud this book. Not only is it interesting, it has great information.

As a Canadian astronaut candidate, Seedhouse provides a unique insight into the application, selection, and training processes of astronauts. This excellent book also describes the dramatic changes in astronaut training required for the ambitious multi-year missions planned to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Today's astronauts must be proficient in several skill-sets. They must not only be expert in performing flight simulations but must also be skilled in subjects ranging from thermodynamics and electrical repairs to flight procedures and oceanography. In Prepare for Launch, the author describes the technologies and myriad activities that comprise astronaut training, such as the part-task trainers, emergency procedures 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. Seedhouse also peers into the future and deals with issues such as hibernation and artificial gravity before addressing the thorny topic that no-one at NASA mentions: bioethics.

If you're ever wondered how astronauts are selected and trained, this is the book for you. Another excellent and entertaining read from an engaging and prolific author.