Navigate through recently published new books selected by book reviewer Ayu Uzuki. “What was the world like this !?” “Knowing this, the world expanded!” Introducing a book that will satisfy your intellectual curiosity and make you feel excited.
How to get the dream of becoming an astronaut?
Hello, this is Uzuki Ayu. Astronauts are the profession that everyone once admires when they are children. I also went to space and had two things I wanted to do. One is to smoke a ball of juice in a weightless space. I was fascinated when I saw the liquid floating in the air on TV. I remember thinking, “That juice must be the best.” The taste doesn’t change (laughs).
The other is space food. This also seemed to be delicious for children. There is a lot of freeze-drying, so the taste will drop … I’m just interested in drinking and eating (laughs). But didn’t you yearn for it?
Well, while vaguely thinking “I like it”, the astronaut is just a dream again. Few people will really aim for it. This new book “Astronaut Selection Test Finalist’s Indelible Memory(Takashi Uchiyama, author / SB Creative) is a record of the selection test by the author who boldly grasped the dream. It conveys the splendor and rigor of chasing first-class stars for life.
The author, Takashi Uchiyama, has longed for the Space Shuttle since he was a boy and has dreamed of becoming an astronaut. While working as an engineer at Ishikawajima Harima Heavy Industries (currently IHI) to develop Japan’s first spacecraft “Stork”, 10 people applied for the 5th astronaut selection test conducted by JAXA in 2008. Although he was selected as a finalist, he unfortunately failed … The process of the challenge and the later conflicts are spelled out in lively sentences.
The swivel chair test is too harsh !?
The most worrisome thing is the specific test content. Only a few of the 963 applicants will be selected as astronauts. In Chapter 4 of this book, the state of the final selection test is described in detail. First of all, “equilibrium function test (rotary chair)” on the first day of the test. As the chair rotates, the head is tilted back and forth and left and right every few seconds according to the voice instruction. The rotation speed of the chair increases every 5 minutes. Cold sweat gushes from my face, and my dizziness is unusual … It seems that how much it can withstand this as a measure against space sickness is an important quality for astronauts. It’s a simple but too tight test.
After that, the “closed environment test” begins. Ten people sleep in the isolated area of the Tsukuba Space Center for a week and are tasked with various tasks under surveillance cameras. A test that imitates activities at the space station. A wristwatch-like object called “actigraph” is attached to the arm to check the activity status 24 hours a day, and all remarks are recorded.
The contents of the task are a debate, a game in which everyone cooperates to establish a company, and folding a thousand paper cranes for one hour a day (with quota). I’m likely to get sharp and break something other than a crane.
Although it is a cruel test with a difference between those who are selected and those who are not, it is heartwarming to see how the friendship between the examinees is fostered. Mr. Uchiyama is currently working on the development of a next-generation spacecraft as a new dream. This book is recommended not only for those who are interested in astronauts, but also for those who have big goals.
[Book introduction]
Astronaut selection test
Finalist’s indelible memory
Author: Takashi Uchiyama
Published by: SB Creative
Astronaut selection test. The only place in Japan where you can challenge your dream of living as an astronaut. In 2008, when Japan made a name for itself in the field of manned space development, JAXA decided to recruit astronauts for the fifth time in 10 years. The total number of applications is 963, the largest number in history. This story is about a 10-month selection test challenged by the author, who became a space engineer longing for the Space Shuttle, with all his might to become an “astronaut,” and the following 12 years. It depicts a conflict.
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【profile】
Uzuki Ayu
Book reviewer and game columnist. A fantasy review is being serialized in “SF Magazine”. He also handles commentary at the end of paperback books. I like books regardless of genre such as science fiction, mystery, non-fiction, etc. with a focus on fantasy.
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