Mars in Google Earth

Couples in Space

    Most male astronauts experience a period of loneliness up in space, if you know what I mean. On astronaut stated that he believed that they should send married couples into space. But after reading about it, I understand why they don't do this. According to NASA’s Norbert Kraft, they have considered sending married couples into space. However, it is discouraged for many reasons. An astronaut might find himself with an untenable choice: jeopardizing his spouse or jeopardizing the mission.
    Another reason: in the event of a crash or explosion, they don’t want one family to have to endure a double loss, particularly if the couple has children.

Blackness

    When you go on a Mars mission, most people don't understand is that once astronauts lose sight of Earth, there’ll be nothing to see outside the window. “You’ll be bathed in permanent sunlight, so you won’t even see any stars,” according to astronaut Andy Thomas. “All you’ll see is black.”  

    Humans don’t belong in space. It's as simple as that. We evolved on Earth, and that's where we are meant to live. While weightlessness is an amazing phenomenon many people dream about experiencing, most astronauts soon begin to dream of walking. “Only in space do you understand what incredible happiness it is, just to walk. To walk on Earth.”

Missing.

     The thing about going to space as a cosmonaut or astronaut, is that they can't anticipate how much they will truly miss once they're no longer on Earth. Some exercise, others write poetry, anything to get their minds off of what they left back home. One astronaut wrote a song and while in an interview with Mary Roach, he sung it for her while the other translated:
     "Sorry Earth, we say good-bye to you...our ship is going upwards...But the time will come when we will drop into the blueness of dawn, as a morning star. I will fall into the grass and fill my lungs with air. I will drink water from the river...I will kiss the ground, I will hug my friends..."
     A tear falls from her eyes as the song finishes.

Laika

Soviet dog Laika before she was sent into space in November of 1957. She died in space, and was never intended to come home. Sputnik II was not equipped with a re-entry system. They told the press she was euthanized in space, but scientists believe that more likely she burned up after the system overheated.

Timeline

Timeline of Book:

1949: Rhesus monkey Albert II becomes first creature to experience zero gravity on board a rocket.
1950-1958: Air Force flies plane in parabolas to mimic zero G and study its effects on chimps, cats, humans.
Nov. 1957: Soviet dog Laika orbits Earth, dies in space.
Aug. 1960: Soviet dogs Belka and Strelka are first to return alive from orbit.

Mercury Space Program Era 1961-1963
Jan. 31, 1961: Astrochimp Ham survives a suborbital flight in a Mercury space capsule.
April 12, 1961: Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space, and first human to orbit Earth.
Mary 5, 1961: Alan Shephard becomes first American in space.
Nov. 29, 1961: Astrochimp Enos orbits Earth.
Feb. 20, 1962: John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit, Earth.

Gemini Space Flights 1965-1966
1965-1966: Air Force tests Gemini diets and "restricted bathing" regimens in space cabin stimulators.
Mar. 18, 1965: Alexei Lenonov becomes first astronaut to spacewalk outside spacecraft.
Mar. 23, 1965: Gemini III "corned beef sandwich incident"
June 3, 1965: Gemini IV: Ed White becomes NASA's first spacewalker.
Dec. 4-18, 1965: Gemini VII: two men, two weeks, no bath.

Apollo Lunar Missions 1968-1972
Mar. 3-13, 1969: Apollo 9: Rusty Schweickart battles space motion sickness.
July 20, 1969: Apollo 11: first human set foot on the moon.
Dec. 7-9, 1972: Apollo 17: first scientist in space.

Orbiting Space Station (and Space Shuttle) Era 1973-2015
1973-1979: Skylab U.S. space station missions; space showers prove untenable.
1971-1982: Salyut Soviet space station missions.
Jan. 1978: First U.S. female astronaut candidate.
April 12, 1981: First Space Shuttle launch.
Jan. 28, 1986: Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
1986-2001: Mir.
Nov. 2000: First International Space Station
Feb. 1, 2003: Space Shuttle Columbia disaster.

I will speak more about the later topics when I come to the sections in my book, just thought everyone might want to check up on their "Firsts in Space" facts.

Sexism in Space

Has anyone noticed that the majority of astronauts are male? Well, Mary Roach touched base on this subject. The women I mentioned before who was "kissed against her will" by another crew mate was more of a victim of institutional sexism then a victim of sexual harassment. The Russian men prefer women to act like women, not equals.Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman in space for the Soviet Union in 1963 and since then, only two women have flown as cosmonauts. The first, Svetlana Savitskaya, was handed a floral-print apron when she floated through the Salyut hutch. Sexism still exists today it seems, so to all the ladies out there make sure you become an astronaut to prove these men wrong. I mean, if you like to live with the stress of confinement, sleep deprivation, language and cultural gaps, and lack of privacy, then this job would be perfect for you!