Lyle Sandberg, age 13, of Johnson City, Tenn., for his question:
WHEN WAS THE ASTRONAUT PROGRAM ESTABLISHED?
Astronaut is a term used to designate a crew member for manned space flight of the United States space program. The word is derived from astronautics, the science and technology for space flight. Astronauts were required when the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) undertook manned space flight programs in 1958.
Astronauts were involved in the Projects Mercury (1961 63), Gemini (1965 66), Apollo (1968 72), Skylab (1973 74), Apollo/Soyuz (1975) and the Space Transportation System, better known as the Space Shuttle, which started in 1981.
NASA selected the first seven astronauts in 1959 from 500 volunteers. Those chosen were initially selected from military test pilots.
The requirements for the first pilot astronauts were that they be less than 40 years old, in excellent physical condition, and no taller than five feet 11 inches. Also they had to have a B.S. degree in engineering, at least 1,500 hours of flying time and have graduated from a test pilot school as a qualified jet pilot.
In 1965 NASA established a new category, the scientist astronaut, who, in addition to physical and psychological excellence, was required to have a Ph.D. in medicine, engineering or science. Selected applicants received jet pilot instruction to gain familiarity with three dimensional motion, weightlessness and other special characteristics of space travel.
In preparation for the Space Shuttle program, 35 astronaut candidates were selected in 1978 and two in 1979. For training, two categories of astronauts were established: pilot and mission specialist.
Minimum requirements for pilots were a B.S. in engineering, physical science or math and at least 1,000 hours of pilot time. For mission specialist: a B. S. in engineering or in biological or physical science.
* * *
A Space Shuttle pilot candidate had to have experience on high performance jet aircraft and on flight tests. He had to pass a flight physical and could be between five feet four inches and six feet four inches in height.
Both pilots and mission specialists were to receive additional training in meteorology, guidance and navigation, astronomy, physics and computer'science.
Crew positions on the space Shuttle orbiter are commander, pilot, mission specialist and payload specialist. The commander and pilot fly the orbiter. The mission specialist, who 1s normally assigned as a spacecraft proficient crew member, assists the one to four payload specialists assigned to the flight.
To familiarize astronauts with the space environment, periods of up to half a minute of zero gravity are simulated by using a modified jet aircraft flown in a parabolic path. Longer periods are simulated in a specially designed water tank large enough to hold full scale mockups of the shuttle's components and equipment.