History of Space Exploration

[meetuatthehbar]

HELLO!

Im new here, so please be gentle!
I'm an astrophysicist and work in Research. I have been set the challenge to find interesting things about the history of space exploration (Nasa, Esa or the Russians..it doesnt matter)
- like odd astronaut training programs from the sixties or sending up strange animals on rockets in the 50's..

Trying to track all the information down on the Nasa websites or other 'history of...' type websites can take forever! So i thought i'd ask the experts!

If you guys have any interesting stories or facts about the last 7decades (since they started sending chimps etc. up to the stars), then please share and post and tell me all your stories!

Things im mostly interested in are:
-experiments involving animals (and interesting animal anecdotes too!)
-past training regimes for astro-/cosmo-nauts (did they have to do some really bonkers things??)
-did the first batchs of astronauts have any side-effects from being in space?

THANK YOU! I'm looking forward to hearing all your odd facts and stories,
and, of course, i'll meet you at the h bar (physics joke!)

 

[Columbia42]

Well, here's something:
When the Russians started sending Cosmonauts into space they were afraid that being so far removed from Earth, humanity, and the motherland would induce some sort of spiritual insanity and that the cosmonauts would defect to the west and land in American territory. Because of this the cosmonauts were not given any control of their spacecraft. Instead the ground controlled the ships. The cosmonauts could take control of their ships (if a mechanical failure or something happened) only if they were able to prove their sanity first.

Hope this is helpfull,
Columbia42