Peeing on bus tires and other Russian & American spaceflight traditions and superstitions

Imagine you’re an astronaut or a cosmonaut and you’ll soon be launching to space from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Your launch day has finally arrived, you’re suited up, and ready to head to the launch pad — but there’s at least one more thing you’ll need to do. You’ll have to make a stop to pee on the back-right tire of your bus on the 20-minute drive to the Cosmodrome from the Cosmonaut Hotel where you’ve been staying. This tradition dates back to Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first person to launch to space in 1961. On the way to the launch pad, Gagarin knew that his spacesuit would soon be zipped and the next chance to pee would be in several hours so he decided to ‘take a leak,’ and since that time, all male crew members do this as well. They exit the bus that is transferring them to the launch site and stand at the right rear wheel of the bus to relieve themselves. (Women astronauts/cosmonauts have the option of peeing in a cup in advance and splashing it on the wheel, too, when the bus stops.) <a href="https://medium.com/@herb.h.baker/peeing-on-bus-tires-and-other-russian-american-spaceflight-traditions-and-superstitions-ac67ae9ebdf1">Read More</a>