Yrurtj

Let's say that suddenly NASA needs my characters, a party of scientists without prior experience, to go to space with a Space Shuttle-like spacecraft for a seven days mission.

They only need to do very simple science stuff in orbit. No EVA, no piloting, no space cowboys actions. They have no particular medical conditions (heart problems, mobility impairment, obesity...). They only need to be remain seated with seatbelt fastened during the trip, pressing some buttons and get back.

Could they be ready in a matter of days?

Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, Blue Origin are some companies that plan on sending tourist to space, probably flying people to high altitudes on a rocket atached to a plane and once they are as high as a plane can go, you could start the rocket engines. The hardest part of being an astronaut, besides all the medical training and getting used to the acceleration of the take-off is the cost, so NASA and other non profit organizations send the best of the best so they can be very efficient with the time spent in space.

(My first post ever here!)

Edit: typos

It would be a question of acceptable risk to them and to their mission.

• What is the ratio of scientists to babysitters?


• Is it acceptabble that they would die in emergencies which trained astronauts could survive? And possibly take their babysitters with them?

If the answers are enough and acceptable, then seven days sounds possible. Call it 20 hours of do not push this button, do not push that button, in fact push no buttons at all, 20 hours of simulation so they know what to expect, and you would still have a few hours for medical checks (do all of them go or just the fittest?) and mission planning.

The suspension of disbelief breaks not with the training but with the the decisionmaking process to take the risks. NASA wouldn't do that. A military-sponsored mission?

Yes. For "space tourists" it depends more on their health than training.

For a regular space mission, human body does not need any acclimatization. However, unless we don't care about people dying while on a mission, there are certain health requirements that an astronaut (even a casual one) has to meet. Most importantly, it's high-g (6g for civilians, as far as I know) testing. Less important (but still important) is a simulated 0g training. Then there is a general training on how to use your spacesuit, how to eat, how to go to toilet etc. All of that can be compressed into a couple of days, and if civilians would have a professional "guides" while in space, it would be not much different from today's missions.

So, while we can watch flight training in movies like "Armageddon" with amusement, there is certainly more than just a grain of truth in it.

really yes you could send someone of with only 24 hours prep, so long as someone told you exactly how to do your talks, most of it is the computer, ground control and luck right? so long as you also had been under intense Gs before.