978-1-4222-3418-1

Why I Became an Astronaut “I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be an astro- naut,” said Janet Kavandi. “I saw all the stars at night, and I remember talking with my dad about what it would look like from ‘up there.’” She earned advanced degrees in chemistry, but always wanted to see what life was like in space. “I worked hard in math and science, but always had my eye on making that dream come true.” Kavandi was accepted as an as- tronaut in 1994 and her dream came true on her first mission in 1998. She later went back to space twice more, having spent 33 days in space as a high-flying chemist.

Janet Kavandi trained as a chemist, but later saw her dreams of space flight come true.

launch, as well as the rough ride into space.Then they need to keep that good health for months in space. If an astronaut got seriously ill way up there, help is far away. One other thing to keep in mind: If you’re too tall or too short (as an adult!), you might not qualify. Because of the tight spaces astronauts might have to go, there is a height limit of 6 feet 3 inches (1.9 m). You also need to be at least 5 feet 2 inches (1.53 m) to make sure you’ll fit into the suits, gear, and other protective devices.

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