In Russia it is a tradition for astronauts to do what before blasting off into space...
do a handstand
plant a tree
salute the kremlin
sing their national anthem
The 'avenue of heroes' at Baikonur in Kazakhstan, where the shuttle will launch, provides a poignant memorial to each mission conducted over the past 50 years. The tradition started with Yuri Gagarin, the first human to enter space, when he planted a single tree before blasting off further from Earth than anyone had ever been. Every Russian cosmonaut, and then later astronauts from other countries, that has left the bounds of Earth from the Cosmodrome has first planted a tree on the path to the launchpad.
reach: rather globalastronomyspacetraditions
Answers by country
do a handstand
plant a tree
salute the kremlin
sing their national anthem
answers

87

83

126

896

43

45

114

535

54

389

24

54

74

21

47

18658

58

42

296

18