Have you ever wondered what exactly do astronauts do right before they board the amazing spaceship and take off into space? Wonder no more, we shall enlighten you all. For a couple of days before the launch, astronauts and cosmonauts are quarantined in order to make sure that they don’t fall victim to cold or any other disease that is communicable during their flight.
Apart from this standard practice, there are many superstitious practices that are being followed since the first people flew into space. For cosmonauts, Yuri Gagarin is the role model. When he was walking towards his rocket, the chief engineer smacked him on his butt and that practice is still followed. Yuri also pissed on the tires of the bus that took him out there and male cosmonauts still carry this tradition out (gross though).
Another tradition, not linked to Yuri though, is watching the movie “White Sun of the Desert” the night before the launch and a more recent tradition is to have a Russian Orthodox priest carry out the blessing of the crew using water.
The NASA astronauts follow in the footsteps of Alan Shepard. He had scrambled eggs and steak for breakfast on the day of his flight. That is what most astronauts eat even still. These traditions are surely amazing. Are there any such traditions that you know about? Do enlighten us!