978-1-4222-3418-1

Also, be a good swimmer. You’ll be “swimming” in space in zero gravity. People who are not good swimmers will not make good or safe astronauts. With so many people wanting to be astronauts, not everyone is chosen. Engineer Michael Massimino applied four times before he was chosen in 1996. He later flew on missions in 2002 and 2009. Persistence pays off, even when becoming an astronaut. Once you have passed all the tests and they have a spot for you, you’re in. But you’re not really an astronaut until you make that first journey into space. You’ll experience the wonder of spaceflight . . . and then it will be time to get to work. There’s science to be done! Text-Dependent Questions 1. What does an American need to apply to be an astronaut? 2. Who was the first man to orbit the Earth? 3. Name one country that is part of the European Space Agency. Research Project Write up your own application to be an astronaut.What qualities do you have that would make you a good one? In what science would you want to specialize in? Look at different sciences to find your favorite.

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