Letter: To an Astronaut

In reading our book was based on human missions, such as the Apollo 11. One of our create activities were to write a letter to an astronaut including things I would love to know about there courier. Here is my letter.

Dear Astronaut,

I am writing this letter to you to ask as much questions as I can about your career, the missions you have been on and much more. To start off, being an astronaut sounds great, amazing even but I am terrified to go up to space. Being alone in a black area is beyond the nightmares I have. I am scared something might go wrong. How are you, as an astronaut, able to keep calm in difficult situations? (I’d panic if I were you). Anyways what would you do?

Not being able to come back to earth would be devastating. If yes then how exactly do they return without being burned? If not, are astronauts going there just to observate and send information back to NASA? (Do they stay there until they die?) Anyways, as much as an astronaut sounds great I know as a student that it's not easy to become one because there aren’t that many in the world. So you have to be very skilled in different areas. What are the qualifications of an astronaut. For example what fitness level you are or whether you need to know certain codes. Things like that.

Now, let’s talk Apolo 11. When the United States landed astronauts on the moon, how much work was put into flying this rocket into space. Something as astounding as walking on the moon must have taken been months, years even. What was the process of the whole mission and how hard was it? I know that if I was part of that whole process that would be such an accomplishment.

When it comes to reading information about space there a lot of sentences including ‘L5 crew, UR500, 7O-OK’ my brain literally switches off completely. How were these ‘codes’ created and are these another one of the qualifications you need to be an astronaut? Being able to understand the different letters and numbers used in missions or training. If yes, then cross that off from my list of future jobs.

Astronauts’ skill sets are beyond the kind of skills an average person has. But I know that not only men can develop such difficult skills. Women can too. Where do you train/work? Are there a lot of women who train exactly like you? Are they on the same level as you are or are they given work/training suitable for what they can do. Speaking of training do astronauts train? As an astronaut you should be able to do certain things and have some kind of training. Something like being in a fake spaceship?

That is all of my wonderings for now and I am looking forward for a letter in my mailbox including answers and your thoughts. Hope you enjoy being an astronaut! Have fun!

Sincerely,

Telesia