The First Test

                In Mary Roach's book, Packing for Mars, she discusses what it takes to be an astronaut and the type of person that you have to be to be a successful one. I didn't realize how someone's personality and how they handle situations could matter so much. The first chapter sucked me in just like a black hole and I was lost into Mary's words. When she explains the selection process and how they test a candidate I was immediately intrigued. I was also disappointed because I knew that I would never be able to be an astronaut with my "can't handle stressful situations well" type of personality. Not that becoming an astronaut was a goal of mine but Roach has a way of bringing you in and having you relate to these people.

                The first test that Roach describes is the one with Origami and how they are asked to make a decent amount of origami and after each one is finished they must put them on a string. Now why in the world would NASA want a trained crew in Origami? The answer is in the hands. The strings are analyzed and looked for sloppiness towards the end. I learned that astronauts have a lot of tedious tasks and this makes up about 90% of the tasks on board. Crew member's lives are "devoted to assembling, repairing, or maintaining the spacecraft" (26). This is only interesting to me because I know that I would never be able to complete this task without snapping and becoming an insane person. I'd throw up my hands and immediately quit after the twentieth one.

                I also learned that bravery is not the key trait that everyone needs to be an astronaut like in the movies. The ability to handle any situation as calmly and strategically are vital to the success of the exploration. Yes, bravery is needed to step foot on the vessel but in the end you're not trying to be a hero. The observers will do almost anything to measure your stress level from breaking your toilet to having you eat lunch an hour late. Honestly, it doesn't sound like much but these things can really stress a human being out if you're in a confined space with nothing else to do or think about very much like in the actual exploration. This is why I found it so amusing. Who would've thought that this would be one of the first tests to see your eligibility to enter space! Now, I must go practice my origami and stress skills.