Astronauts are men and women who live in space. Each astronaut requires the special skills of a quick, clear thinking mind as well as many physical abilities acquired through training. These skills, plus an exceptional understanding of science and mathematics are all called for when living and working in space.

All space travellers are pioneers. They can be called explorers of the modern age. They perform new tasks in unfamiliar situations. They set foot on new worlds untouched by human kind. In order to embark on these ground-breaking missions, they must take phenomenal risks with their lives and extremely expensive equipment. Each mission is thoroughly rehearsed and planned years before takeoff. The astronauts go through intensive training before they fly a spacecraft. Still, things can and do go wrong.