Research Paper on:
Astronaut Training

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
based equally upon mental and physical performance. Bibliography lists 7 sources. TLCastro.rtf ASTRONAUTS: TRAINING AND IMPACT OF SPACE by (c) November  2001 paper properly! I. INTRODUCTION Nearly every boy dreams of one day becoming  an astronaut so he can fly in space like his role models. However, what children do not appreciate in their quest for weightless flight is the extensive training that  goes into being an astronaut, a career choice that is based equally upon mental and physical performance. "Astronaut training is highly specialized and requires the efforts of literally hundreds  of persons and numerous facilities" (Anonymous, 2001). II. BASIC TRAINING Conducted under the direction of JSCs Mission Operations Directorate, astronauts-to-be begin basic  training in order to ultimately reach the level afforded to the complex and expansive Space Shuttle program. Once hand picked based upon strict criteria, the new candidates take part  in several brief aircraft safety courses employing T-38 high-performance jet aircraft - which include such topics as ejection, parachute and survival - in order to provide the necessary protection for  themselves and their passengers if ever an emergency should occur (Anonymous, 2001). Academics play a significant role in the overall training process, inasmuch as science, mathematics, navigation, astronomy, physics,  Earth resources, meteorology and computer science are all integral components of the job. The Space Shuttles system, with particular emphasis upon payloads, reflects a correlated component of the training  process, in which student astronauts learn through a combination of books, lectures, briefings, flight operations manuals, as well as hands-on experience. "Mockups of the orbiter flight and middecks, as