Astronaut Chris Hadfield - the first Canadian ever - ISS commander to become an Internet star thanks to a cover version of David Bowie's song “Space Oddity” and shot right at the station clip , - appears on the pages of her book exactly the way the Soviet ideological machine probably wanted to see pioneers dreaming of becoming astronauts: capable, diligent, disciplined, modest, athletic, putting the interests of the collective above their own (Headfield calls this the “expeditionary behavior model”) Yes, and an exemplary family man and a great friend of Russia in addition. Hadfield sincerely wants to convince the reader that flying into space is cool, but proves that astronauts are not superheroes (such quarreling with everyone at the most crucial moment), but modest and diligent hard workers, most of whose lives are spent in hard but inconspicuous labors . During his 21-year career, Headfield has been in space three times, with only his last flight lasting long. All the other years of his work, he was engaged in various, sometimes very unexpected things on Earth.
What is the life of an astronaut
Ongoing training
The lucky ones who have passed a furious selection and become astronauts do not rest on their laurels, since they fall to the very bottom of the "cosmic pyramid." Even hard-working people know almost nothing about their new profession, since they do not teach it. Because of this, almost the main content of the work of an astronaut comes down to continuous training throughout his career. A man who will be sent into space must keep enormous amounts of information in his head and be ready in a critical situation to extract the necessary information from his memory within a couple of seconds. The stereotype of tough guys is collapsing: in fact, astronauts are eternal bespectacled students who do not even get out of textbooks even on weekends.
Detailed instructions around the world
A characteristic feature of the work of space agencies is a huge number of detailed instructions that relate to the smallest aspects of flight. Any actions of the astronaut, from starting the engines to communicating with the press, are thought out, recorded and modeled - the constant training of any flight-related processes directly follows from the previous paragraph. The point is that NASA is trying to exclude any improvisation: no matter how events develop, the astronaut should know what is prescribed to do in such a situation, and clearly follow the instructions. And for this all of them must be known by heart.
Death modeling
Since absolutely any possible situation in flight is preliminarily modeled on Earth many times, an important place in training is occupied by the so-called “modeling of unforeseen circumstances” - the death of an astronaut is politically correct. In the presence of the "dead man" everything is uttered: what to do with the corpse, how quickly it will decompose on the ISS, how to fight off journalists and how to report the tragedy to the astronaut’s wife. The wife of a potential deceased is usually also present at such a training session to heighten realism.
Survival Training
So that “unforeseen circumstances" do not occur, astronauts, in addition to thoroughly studying space work, regularly undergo so-called survival training - alpine expeditions, Arctic transitions, and deep-sea dives. Future Earth representatives in space are taught survival and teamwork in the most extreme conditions, developing skills that can be useful if something is not taken into account in the detailed instructions.
Multitasking on Earth and in space
And yet, direct preparation for the launch is far from all the work of an astronaut. The principle of NASA is that careers do not go there in ascending order: an astronaut who wakes up as a media star after a successful flight can become a simple instructor, an employee of one of the research departments, or at best, an understudy for a new crew. But in about five years he will again have a chance to return to the launch pad. During his career, Headfield was both an engineer and a communications operator (a person who speaks directly to the ISS crew from Earth) and NASA representative in Russia. Such multitasking once again trains teamwork skills and protects against star fever. Something similar happens in space - once Chris simultaneously performed two most important operations: he urgently helped open the hatch for his Russian colleagues to go into outer space and repaired a leaky toilet.
Family escort
When the crew goes into orbit, other astronauts are assigned to accompany the families of those who flew far from Earth. This means that they, in fact, fulfill the duties of personal assistants to wives, children and other relatives who have come to say goodbye, from ordering tickets for them to ensuring the desired temperature in hotel rooms. The time before the start, which the astronaut spends in concentrated preparation, is usually terribly hectic for his family: try to take a couple of dozens of American relatives to winter Kazakhstan. A family assistant takes care of and helps the family of his colleague at home until he returns from orbit, and one day, perhaps, they will change roles.
A pair of enemas before starting
At least a week before the launch, astronauts live in quarantine - they are guarded, they cannot see anyone, and they communicate with relatives and the press through thick glass. This is done to protect them from any possible infections. A strict diet does not relieve astronauts of several enemas before the start, but finally, the author debunks the image of superheroes with a message that they are flying in diapers: for many hours they will not have any opportunity to leave their seats.
Fads and traditions of Baikonur
After the American Space Shuttle program was completed in 2011, the only way to get onto the ISS were the Russian Unions leaving from Baikonur. A trip to Kazakhstan for North Americans and their families becomes a special adventure. Headfield describes how the rejection of the cold and inhospitable steppe is replaced by enthusiasm for good conditions (more comfortable than on Cape Canaveral), parties with buckets of vodka and dancing on tables (of course, for relatives and not for astronauts themselves), explains that dumplings are the Russian variety of ravioli, kebab - barbecue, and cottage cheese - home-made cheese, and notes numerous traditions that are strange for Americans: drink a sip of rocket fuel with the designers of the ship, watch “The White Sun of the Desert” (“Russian film, the main character of which it reminds me of Laurence of Arabia ”) on the eve of departure, do not look at the ship in an upright position until launch day, sit on the track, stand under the blessing of a priest, get a kick in the ass from a senior official and urinate on the rear right wheel of a bus bringing astronauts to the rocket - according to legend, Yuri Gagarin did so in 1961.
Work in orbit
The ISS consists of four main modules - Russian, American, European and Japanese. The full crew of the station consists of 6 people, sometimes only three remain there - when some have already left, and the changers have not arrived yet. Representatives of different countries work in their compartments and may not meet for a couple of days, although, of course, all difficult tasks are solved together, and cosmonauts and astronauts prefer to spend their free time together. The work consists of numerous scientific experiments, many of which last for years, and constant care of the station. Sometimes you have to work in outer space - this happens infrequently, but it takes many days to prepare. Each crew of three spends on the ISS for several months.
Life in orbit
Due to weightlessness, any action in orbit is different from earthly. For example, the ISS does not take showers, since the drops would inevitably scatter in all directions, but only wiped off with wet rags. Any action with small waste, including going to the toilet (more precisely, flying), has to be done with the vacuum cleaner in your hand on. The inside of the station’s walls is covered with a fleecy part of Velcro and the items are hooked so that they can be attached to the wall, and this is the only way to keep something in place. True, astronauts still have to regularly clean the walls of jam, which flies from toasts, and other garbage. Since weightlessness requires much less muscle effort, there are sports simulators on the ISS to maintain their shape. Now the station has personal laptops and fast Internet - Headfield laid out video on YouTube, watched the Toronto Maple Leaves matches and talked with family directly from space. Astronauts sleep in sleeping bags attached to the wall, like butterflies in cocoons, but pillows and mattresses are not required: in a dream on the ISS, people continue to soar in the air in the same way.
- Publishing house Alpina non-fiction, Moscow, 2015
I know five names of astronauts: Gagrin once, Titov two, Leonov three, Tereshkova four, Armstrong five. Actually everything. I either don’t remember the other names or don’t know, but meanwhile, according to Wikipedia on November 25, 2014, there were 538 people who made an orbiting space flight. One of them is Christopher Austin Hadfield, a Canadian test pilot, an astronaut of the Canadian Space Agency with three space flights, and the author of the book “ Astronaut's guide to life on Earth. What 4000 hours in orbit taught me". It should be noted that this “short” and “light” name exactly reflects the Headfield authorial style, it is a bit boring and prone to bulky designs and repetitions. But this does not stop me from considering the book cool and very important.
In a way, The Astronaut’s Guidebook can be considered not only a popular science book about a rare profession, but also a motivation and purpose book from the Psychology section. The first pages reminded me of Heinlein’s old favorite story “I have a spacesuit - ready to travel”: “Luck” is a sentimental word. You find it incredible luck that you ended up on the field in a spacesuit when my daughter called for help. But this is not luck. Why did you take her wave? Because he was in a spacesuit. Why were you in a spacesuit? Because by all means he strove into space. And when her ship sent signals, you answered. If it’s “luck”, then the athlete is “lucky” every time he hits the ball with a racket ”
Hadfield writes about the same. If you are striving for something, if you are dreaming of something, get ready for it. If you have at least the slightest chance to sing with Elton John - learn his song and when fate gives you a chance, you don’t get it. Here, to the field of psychology, one can also attribute quite rational technical things, such as working out protocols during the flight and stay on the ISS. How do you ask the question itself: here I am on the ISS, what can kill me here? Fire. How to avoid this? Point one - do this. Point two - do like this. No panic. No chaos. Just following the protocol. It sounds straightforward, but it has a deep meaning. When viewed from the perspective of "aaabozhemoymyvseumrem" a serious problem, it is monstrous and insoluble. And if you make a structured plan
Curious nuances that I especially remember. For example, one of the last interviews that applicants take for the astronaut position is with the NASA PR service, because (as I understand it) the astronaut is a public figure for them, it must be a person who will promote NASA's work and engage in educational activities. It would seem, what difference does an astronaut know how to behave at a press conference or not? It looks a little strange, but it makes sense. The same Headfield, made videos about life on the ISS and recorded in zero gravity a unique clip for the David Bowie song Space Oddity, and received millions of views on YouTube - this is an example of just fantastically successful PR for NASA!
Or here is the social aspect. When a man in space, a family assistant is assigned to his family, this is his astronaut colleague, a sort of “replacement husband”. His responsibilities include helping the family in everything and supporting them if misfortune happens - everyone always remembers the possibility of such an outcome. In general, as outlined by Headfield, the American approach to the space program seems much more human-oriented than the Russian one.
Headfield also talks about parties for relatives before the start, about the Russian pre-flight tradition to watch “The White Sun of the Desert”, about the difference between the Shuttles and the Unions (by the way, closing the shuttle program in 2011 forever deprived dozens of astronauts of a chance to go into space - they turned out to be too high for of our compact Union!), about the G-meter, which each team has its own and will always indicate to the crew members the beginning of zero gravity. Hadfield tells me so much that is unusual for me that I don’t pay attention to the sometimes overly mentor tone, to some self-centered worldview and a tendency to self-love, especially since he does not skimp on the praise of his colleagues.
The book has an unexpected effect, telling about everyday trifles, about studying, working and studying again, about the survival of a person in the most unsuitable place for this in the world, Hadfield surprisingly brings space closer, as if he were shooting a romantic fleur created by books and films of the Sci genre -Fi, and shows reality. And you understand that the cosmos is not part of Hollywood mythology, it is our life with you. Every day there, above us, there are people, ordinary people like me or you, but at the same time, these are the people who create, the future. Yes, this is a somewhat pathos statement and, of course, I understand that every flight of one person is the work of thousands of people - physicists, chemists, designers, technicians, doctors, signalmen and many others. But still, the astronaut (astronaut) - it sounds proudly for humanity))))
Christopher Hadfield is a true astronaut of our time. He not only fulfilled his dream and spent six months in orbit, but also did much to popularize space exploration. Christopher actively covered his flight on social networks and filmed videos for YouTube, which became incredibly popular. It was Hadfield who recorded in space the very cover of Bowie’s song that conquered the Internet. And, in addition, he wrote the book “Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth. What they taught me 4,000 hours in orbit. ” She became one of the few bestsellers who seriously motivates and forces her to do something to move forward.
For 20 years, children do not dream of becoming astronauts. The romance of space exploration, the launches of Soyuz, shuttles and work at the orbital station have become routine and take place in the news stories of central television channels somewhere between the increase in milk yield and the chronicle of another military conflict. Half a century ago, everything was completely different. From the covers of glossy magazines, smiling faces of space explorers looked at us, every launch of the spacecraft became a world-wide event, and the first cosmonauts and astronauts were a real role model for millions of boys around the world.
One of these boys was 9-year-old Christopher Austin Hadfield from Canada. July 21, 1969, he and his family went to the house of neighbors to watch the evening news. That night a great one sounded from the TV: “This is one small step for a man, but a giant leap for all mankind,” Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon’s surface, said in a trembling voice. That evening, Chris Hadfield left the house and looked into the night sky full of stars: “I will become an astronaut!”, He decided, and his whole subsequent life was devoted to achieving this goal.
As a result, Chris Hadfield became a real astronaut, and at the end of his career he wrote the book “Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth. What they taught me 4,000 hours in orbit. ” And we strongly recommend that you read it.
Headfield talks in detail about his life path, about his family and career, and about the life principles that he formed for himself and which, ultimately, allowed him to achieve impressive success. This book is about willpower, about the difficulties that must be overcome in order to achieve one’s goal, and about a person who can do it.
At some point, you begin to catch yourself thinking that the Headfield book resembles such crafts as “5 Ways to Make a Million”, “How to Make 100500 Friends”, “Easy Way to Seduce a Beauty” and so on. But with each chapter you read, you understand that this is not at all the case. The author, who made a successful career in the most closed profession, the best pilot, the best astronaut, the best of the best in everything, just shares his life story and the principles by which he tried to build it. And the first lesson he gives - you really have to have principles and a plan for the future - only then can you achieve something on this planet and beyond.
Unlike other “motivational” books, Headfield will not call you a loser if your plans go to hell one by one. Several times he makes an important reservation: even if you were not able to achieve the planned maximum, be able to enjoy what you have. An astronaut’s career is a goal that is achievable in one case out of a million, so you always need to have a fallback and not rely entirely on your dream, the failure of which will completely depreciate your life.
Among useful moralizing and valuable life advice is a place and all the fun moments from the life of astronauts in space and on Earth. Yes, from this book you will also learn how space explorers go to the toilet on the ISS (both small and big), what will happen if you scattered cropped nails in zero gravity and how to put out a fire on the ISS. But you should not expect that the author will entertain you with all sorts of tales and jokes - the book is not about that. This is a real "guide", which should help to become a strong-willed and successful person in any area of \u200b\u200blife.
Headfield also tells in some detail the story of the very clip for the David Bowie song Space Oddity, which brought him worldwide fame. Moreover, you will find out that Headfield was a member of the world's only music band “Max Q”, which consisted entirely of astronauts. The book is generally replete with various examples from the musical world, which sometimes turn out to be very suitable. The music for Chris Hadfield is still more than just a hobby.
Christopher Hadfield has come a long way from flying school cadets to test pilots to become an astronaut. He is one of the first Canadians to enter NASA's space program and the first Canadian to enter outer space. Headfield made three space flights: two under the Space Shuttle program with a total duration of 20 days 2 hours 00 minutes 44 seconds (during the first he managed to visit the Mir station) and one as part of the long-term expeditions ISS-34 and ISS-35, which he headed (also the first Canadian commander on the ISS).
Hadfield's third flight lasted almost six months. Headfield is one of the most successful promoters of space exploration, he shot several dozen videos about the daily life of astronauts who have enjoyed tremendous success with the public so far, read dozens of lectures in various audiences, and finally wrote this wonderful autobiographical book.
Here are a few “in life” tips from Hadfield, the rest can be found in his fascinating book:
The desire to be nobody
In space flight, the crew should act as a cohesive team, where everyone is responsible for their share of the work. This interaction is sometimes worked out for years, and is not limited to spaceflight alone: \u200b\u200bastronauts support each other on Earth, NASA even has such a “husband to replace” principle, when astronauts who are free from flights permanently help the families of their comrades who time frolic in zero gravity.
But the principles of a single team and “expeditionary thinking” are by no means limited to the space industry, on Earth we are constantly involved in some common business - be it your routine work or the organization of a family holiday. Headfield offers his model of behavior as part of such an expedition. Conventionally, he divides all people into three types: "-1", "0" and "+1". In the first case, a person interferes with the performance of a common task, mows and makes mistakes; in the second, he listens more and speaks less, acting strictly within his authority; Well, in the third, it goes beyond their scope and takes on part of the work of its colleagues. According to Hadfield, the most winning strategy seems to be "zero." At least when you get into a new team or start a new job: listen, remember and try not to make fatal mistakes. Only having gained 100% in this position can you move on and earn credibility by shifting some of the responsibilities of others to yourself.
The benefits of negative thinking
Most of their time, astronauts, of course, spend on Earth, and it is devoted to endless training. Over and over and over, thousands of times they work out all of their actions during the flight of the spacecraft, and most of these trainings are working out various emergency situations and accidents. Inventive instructors give critical inputs one by one, which ultimately turn the breakdown of some harmless switch into a failure of the life support system, a fire on board and an uncontrolled crash of the ship.
Astronauts are taught to always be alert and prepare for the worst case scenario. Headfield also calls on his readers to do the same. He gives several everyday examples: for example, when you drive a car along a busy highway, watch for that strange truck in front, as it is capable of inadequate maneuver that can cause a fatal accident. Do not be a pessimist, but always be prepared for the worst case scenario and prepare your reaction to them - this will save your life and succeed. Model a disaster every minute and figure out how to avoid it.
Attention to details
When Hadfield first worked in outer space, he faced a serious problem: something fell into his eye and he began to suffer unbearably. As you know, it’s impossible to put your hand under the helmet’s shield in outer space and remove the mote, it’s also impossible to wash it off with a tear, as we do it at home on Earth - because in zero gravity tears do not drip anywhere, but are simply collected with a uniform film on the eyeball. For several hours, Hadfield suffered from terrible pain in his eyes, barely retaining the ability to continue working. If he needed medical help, the work would have to be curtailed, and this would jeopardize the entire mission of space flight. As a result, it turned out that the reason was the droplets of detergent, with which he carefully wiped the helmet shield from the inside before going into outer space. Since then, an important warning has appeared in the “red book” - a guide to all operations during space flight: point 11.23 Carefully wipe the helmet shield from the inside with a dry rag before going into outer space.
The safety of space flights depends on the million of the smallest little things that, if accumulated, can lead to truly catastrophic consequences. Exactly the same pattern applies on Earth. Headfield urges you to think over some important work in advance and prepare yourself more carefully for significant events in your life. Choose gifts for the anniversary of the month, get ready for the arrival of mother-in-law for the week, write a good resume right now - and then you can not be taken by surprise. When you several times drove the entire order of actions in your head, it will be much easier to complete the work. And yes, this also applies to exams at your university - preparation, it is preparation.
If someone is worthy to listen to his advice, this is the one who really managed to fulfill his dream at the cost of hard work and persistent pursuit of the goal. Christopher Austin Headfield - one of the few whose teachings do not cause rejection, but curiosity and acceptance - this man clearly knows what he is talking about.
Who is not interested in knowing how the ISS residential modules are arranged, how they brush their teeth in space, how they eat, sleep and go to the toilet? What do astronauts teach before flying and what are they guided by when recruiting a team? What skills are needed in orbit and why are they useful in everyday life on Earth? Chris Hadfield spent almost 4,000 hours in space and is considered one of the most experienced and popular astronauts in the world. His knowledge of space travel and his ability to talk about them are interesting and fascinatingly unique. However, this book is not only about what constitutes a flight into space and life in orbit.
This is the story of a man who dreamed of space from the age of nine - and was able to realize his dream, although, it would seem, there were no chances for this. This is a real life textbook for those who have a dream and a desire to realize it.
Book Features
Date written: 2013
Title:. What 4000 hours in orbit taught me
Volume: 360 pages, 1 illustration
ISBN: 978-5-9614-3905-2
Translator: Dmitry Lazarev
Credit: Alpina Digital
Preface to the book "Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth"
Through the windows of the spaceship in passing, you observe miracles. Every 92 minutes there is a new dawn that looks like a layer cake: the first layer is orange, then blue is wedged in and finally saturated, dark blue, decorated with stars. Hidden patterns of our planet from here at a glance: clumsy mountains, towering among the neat plains; green spots of forests framed by snow; rivers sparkling in the sun, spinning and twisting like silver worms; sprawling continents surrounded by islands scattered across the ocean, like fragile pieces of broken eggshells.
When I was floating in weightlessness in the lock chamber before my first spacewalk, I knew that I was one step away from an even more magnificent beauty. It is enough to swim out to find yourself in the midst of the grand scenery of the Universe, while being tied to a ship that rotates around the Earth at a speed of 28,000 km / h. I dreamed about this moment, I worked for it almost all my life. But just a step away from a great achievement, I ran into a ridiculous problem: how to take the last step and get out of the gateway? The hatch is small and round, and I am square with all my tools fastened with straps on my chest and a huge satchel with oxygen tanks and electronics on my back. Square astronaut, round hatch.
Ever since I became an astronaut, I imagined going out into outer space as a scene from a movie: solemn music sounds, the volume rises, I elegantly push off from a ship and go out into pitch black infinite space. But everything went not too romantic. I was forced to be patient and clumsyly squeeze through the hatch, leave sublime feelings and concentrate on the routine: try not to peel off my spacesuit and not get confused in the safety tether so as not to appear stiff like a calf in front of the Universe.
I timidly pushed myself out of the hatch head first to see the world as it was seen by only a few dozen people. Behind me was a healthy satchel with a joystick-controlled engine system. Using these compressed nitrogen engines, I could return to the ship if there were no other ways. Top of skill in an emergency.
Square astronaut, round hatch. This is the story of my whole life. The eternal desire to figure out how to get to where I want, when it is impossible to enter through the door. On paper, my career seems to be predetermined: engineer, fighter pilot, test pilot, astronaut. A typical way for anyone who has embarked on these professional tracks is straight as a ruler. But in life, everything is not like on paper. In life there have been sharp turns and dead ends. I was not destined for the fate of an astronaut. I had to make myself an astronaut.
* * *
It all started when I was 9 years old. My family spent the summer in our cottage on Stag Island in Ontario. His father worked as a civil aviation pilot, and due to frequent flights, he was almost never at home. But mom was always there. She spent every free minute running behind us five in the shadow of a tall oak reading. My older brother Dave and I were real fidgets. In the mornings, water skiing, and during the day they dodged homework and, secretly making their way to the canoe, swam along the river. There was no television in the house, but our neighbors had it.
Late in the evening of July 20, 1969, my brother and I crossed the large field on foot, separating us from the neighboring house, and squeezed into the living room, in which almost all the inhabitants of the island had already gathered. Dave and I sat higher, on the back of the sofa, and, stretching out our necks to see at least something, stared at the screen. A man slowly, methodically descended the support of the spacecraft and carefully stepped on the surface of the moon. The image on the screen was blurry, but I understood exactly what we saw: the impossible became possible. The room was filled with glee. Adults shook hands, and the children squealed and screamed for joy. Somehow, we all felt as though we ourselves were with Neil Armstrong and changed the world together.
Later, returning home, I looked at the moon. She was no longer a distant, unknown heavenly body. The moon became a place where people walked, talked, worked and even slept. At that moment, I realized what I want to devote my life to. I decided to follow in the footsteps that a man so bravely left just a few minutes ago. Traveling on a rocket with roaring jet engines, exploring space, expanding the boundaries of human knowledge and capabilities - with absolute clarity, I realized that I wanted to become an astronaut.
However, like any child in Canada, I knew this was impossible. The astronauts were Americans. NASA accepted applications only from US citizens, and Canada did not even have its own space agency. But ... just yesterday it was impossible to walk on the surface of the moon, but Neil Armstrong did not stop it. Maybe someday I will have a chance to walk on the moon, and when that day comes, I should be ready.
I was already old enough to understand that training an astronaut had nothing to do with spaceflight games, which we were fond of with the brothers in our bunk bed under a huge poster National geographic with the image of the moon. But at that time there was not a single educational program that I could get into, there was no manual that I could read, and even I had no one to ask questions. I decided that there is only one way. I had to imagine, think out what a future astronaut should do when he was only 9 years old, and do the same, then I could start training immediately. What would an astronaut choose: fresh vegetables or potato chips? Would the future astronaut sleep late or get up early to read a book?
Astronaut Guide to Life on Earth - Christopher Headfield (download)
(introductory fragment of the book)
What 4000 hours in orbit taught me
Dedicated to beloved Helen.
My dreams have come true thanks to your faith, support and invaluable help
Foreword
mission Impossible
Through the windows of the spaceship in passing, you observe miracles. Every 92 minutes there is a new dawn that looks like a layer cake: the first layer is orange, then blue is wedged in and finally saturated, dark blue, decorated with stars. Hidden patterns of our planet from here at a glance: clumsy mountains, towering among the neat plains; green spots of forests framed by snow; rivers sparkling in the sun, spinning and twisting like silver worms; sprawling continents surrounded by islands scattered across the ocean, like fragile pieces of broken eggshells.
When I was floating in weightlessness in the lock chamber before my first spacewalk, I knew that I was one step away from an even more magnificent beauty. It is enough to swim out to find yourself in the midst of the grand scenery of the Universe, while being tied to a ship that rotates around the Earth at a speed of 28,000 km / h. I dreamed about this moment, I worked for it almost all my life. But just a step away from a great achievement, I ran into a ridiculous problem: how to take the last step and get out of the gateway? The hatch is small and round, and I am square with all my tools fastened with straps on my chest and a huge satchel with oxygen tanks and electronics on my back. Square astronaut, round hatch.
Ever since I became an astronaut, I imagined going out into outer space as a scene from a movie: solemn music sounds, the volume rises, I elegantly push off from a ship and go out into pitch black infinite space. But everything went not too romantic. I was forced to be patient and clumsyly squeeze through the hatch, leave sublime feelings and concentrate on the routine: try not to peel off my spacesuit and not get confused in the safety tether so as not to appear stiff like a calf in front of the Universe.
I timidly pushed myself out of the hatch head first to see the world as it was seen by only a few dozen people. Behind me was a healthy satchel with a joystick-controlled engine system. Using these compressed nitrogen engines, I could return to the ship if there were no other ways. Top of skill in an emergency.
Square astronaut, round hatch. This is the story of my whole life. The eternal desire to figure out how to get to where I want, when it is impossible to enter through the door. On paper, my career seems to be predetermined: engineer, fighter pilot, test pilot, astronaut. A typical way for anyone who has embarked on these professional tracks is straight as a ruler. But in life, everything is not like on paper. In life there have been sharp turns and dead ends. I was not destined for the fate of an astronaut. I had to make myself an astronaut.
It all started when I was 9 years old. My family spent the summer in our cottage on Stag Island in Ontario. His father worked as a civil aviation pilot, and due to frequent flights, he was almost never at home. But mom was always there. She spent every free minute running behind us five in the shadow of a tall oak reading. My older brother Dave and I were real fidgets. In the mornings, water skiing, and during the day they dodged homework and, secretly making their way to the canoe, swam along the river. There was no television in the house, but our neighbors had it. Late in the evening of July 20, 1969, my brother and I crossed the large field on foot, separating us from the neighboring house, and squeezed into the living room, in which almost all the inhabitants of the island had already gathered. Dave and I sat higher, on the back of the sofa, and, stretching out our necks to see at least something, stared at the screen.