39 Sail to the Stars

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Chapter 1 What Is an Astronaut? The word astronaut means "star sailor." Astronauts travel into space to study the moon, planets, and stars. You must train at a special school to be an astronaut. You also must be a test pilot, scientist, or engineer. test pilot: a person who tests a new aircraft Russian Astronauts Russian astronauts are called cosmonauts. This means "universe sailor." NASA stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. If you want to be an astronaut, you need to study at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). That is where all American astronauts are trained. At Spacecamp, kids train like real astronauts.

Chapter 2 How are Astronauts Chosen? Every year, thousands of people apply to become astronauts. But only about 100 are chosen. These people go to the Johnson Space Center in Texas. For one week, they take tests and answer questions. apply: ask to be a part of These people all want to be astronauts. They are at the Johnson Space Center. At the space center, trainers look for people who work hard and work well with others. Then the trainers choose who might be a good astronaut. Every two years, NASA chooses only about 20 of these people to train as astronauts. Alan B. Shepard, Jr. was America's first astronaut in space.

Chapter 3 What Training Do Astronauts Need? Basic astronaut training takes one year. Students in basic training are called astronaut cadets. Astronaut cadets first learn about aircraft safety. They study math, science, and technology. Cadets also learn how to live without gravity and work in a spacesuit. Astronauts need training to learn how to float safely in space. Astronauts train in a KC-135 jet aircraft. In this aircraft, they discover how it feels without gravity. Astronauts train in simulators, too. Simulators look and work like spacecraft, but they don't leave the ground. Astronauts practice in simulators before they go on a real mission. practice: to do again and again to become better The KC-135 flies up and down. It can make people feel sick!

These swimmers are watching the astronauts in white suits. Astronauts also train in a swimming pool. Here they learn to work in space suits. The water helps astronauts feel like they are floating in space. Suit Up Space suits keep astronauts' body temperatures normal. There is oxygen in the suits so astronauts can breathe. After a year of basic training, astronauts learn how to fly a space shuttle. Then new members are chosen for a space mission. They must learn to work together. Language DETECTIVE Space: Space has the s sound spelled with the letter c. Find another word with the s sound spelled with the letter c on page 4. About 10 weeks before a mission, a team of astronauts begins to train together. This team is from the space shuttle Atlantis.