It takes a lot of dedication to be an astronaut. Candidates for astronaut positions, who are often chosen in their 30s and 40s, typically abandon lucrative professions to pursue a career in space, beginning from the bottom of the ladder. Training entails a lot of travel and lengthy workdays. Additionally, there is no assurance that they will reach space.
However, almost 18,000 Americans participated in this NASA astronaut selection round. The new applicants will report for basic training in August after being revealed on Wednesday, June 7. Here are the requirements for becoming a NASA astronaut and the post-selection process.
Needs for astronNauts
eeds for astronNNASA sets rigorous standards for astronauts. In addition to requiring you to be in excellent physical condition, the work requires the technological know-how to do challenging tasks on a spacecraft or on a space station that is distant from home.
The agency’s minimum criteria are three years of professional experience (or 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft) and a bachelor’s degree in engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics. Additionally, candidates need to pass the astronaut physical exam administered by NASA. Scuba diving, outdoor experience, leadership experience, and proficiency in other languages—particularly Russian, which is now mandatory for all astronauts—are just a few of the numerous additional abilities that can help with selection.
How a “class” of astronauts looks
Since the initial selection of seven astronauts for the Mercury program in 1959, NASA has picked 22 “classes” of astronauts. Since then, the space program has expanded and evolved dramatically. A considerable portion of the initial astronaut classes were from the military, particularly test pilots, who were thought to be prepared for the harsh conditions of space travel. But more varied skill sets were required as NASA’s mission developed.
For instance, Harrison J. Schmitt, the sole geologist to set foot on the moon (during Apollo 17), was a member of the fourth class of astronauts, referred regarded as “The Scientists,” which was launched in 1969. The eighth class in 1978, which included female, African-American, and Asian-American candidates; the sixteenth class in 1996, which was the largest class with forty-four members chosen for frequent space shuttle flights to construct the International Space Station; and the twenty-first class in 2013—the first to have a 50/50 gender split—are other noteworthy classes. [International Space Station Construction (Photos)}
The vehicles they will use
There is a wide range of vehicles to anticipate for the next astronaut class. Today, the International Space Station, the primary location for testing long-duration spaceflight, is reached by astronauts on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. However, NASA intends to return to low-Earth orbit for missions to Mars and the moon in the upcoming years. If this happens, the Orion spacecraft will be used for deep-space exploration by the new class of astronauts.
When the next class of commercial vehicles is ready, the new astronauts can likewise anticipate launching from American soil. For NASA’s commercial crew program, which is anticipated to begin in earnest by the end of the decade, SpaceX and Boeing are both developing spaceships. Since the space shuttle program ended in 2011, this will be the first American launch from the United States. [Infographic: NASA’s Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle: An Overview of Orion]
The destination of the new astronauts
It’s possible that the new astronauts will fly farther or start their careers journeying to the International Space Station. What NASA is involved in and the direction of U.S. space policy in the upcoming years will determine everything. Although its current lifespan is set to expire in 2024, it may be extended until 2028 or beyond.
NASA has a number of ideas in mind, but some plans are less certain. The Orion spacecraft, which the NASA is testing, is anticipated to fly around the moon without a crew in 2019. (The agency thought about including astronauts, but opted against it because of the extra technological load.) In the 2020s and later, Orion would transport people to deep-space locations.
Next stop? If its current plan is supported for that long, NASA hopes to send humans to Mars in the 2030s. The government recently revealed a “deep-space gateway” space station close to the moon as part of that, which may aid astronauts in preparing for a trip to Mars or training for deep-space missions.
This image shows an artist’s idea of the “deep-space gateway” space station that might be deployed in the years to come close to the moon.
Activities of astronauts (most of the time)
Although astronauts receive the most of the public’s attention while they are in space, they will actually only spend a small portion of their careers in orbit. Training and assisting with other missions will take up the majority of their time.
The astronaut candidates will first undergo roughly two years of basic training, during which they will study language, survival skills, technological knowledge, and other abilities necessary for astronauts. After graduating, new astronauts can be assigned to technical positions in the Astronaut Office at the Johnson Space Center in Houston or to a space mission. These positions may involve assisting with ongoing missions or offering guidance to NASA engineers regarding the development of next spacecraft.
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