How to Become an Astronaut

From the first time they gaze up into the night sky and obverse the stars with wonder, many children dream of one day being an astronaut. For most, this dream fades along with childhood innocence, and interests turn to more earthly goals. A few, however, continue to dream of orbiting the Earth, working on the moon or helping to pioneer Mars. As they explore what steps they must take to actually achieve these dreams, they discover a path that requires hard work, discipline and dedication.

To have any chance at becoming an astronaut, one must become very well educated, particularly in math and science. This should start as early as elementary school, where the foundation of math and science can begin to be established. This is also a good age at which to begin learning how to work well with others in team environments, a skill that all astronauts must have. One good place to practice these skills is in one of the scout programs. In fact, more than half of all astronauts, both past and present, were members of the scouts.

In high school, work hard in math and science classes and be well prepared for ACT/SAT tests for possible entry into a top university. When selecting which college to attend, be sure to make your selection from one of the schools that NASA contributes to through the Space Grant Consortia. Fortunately, this is about 51% of schools, so the range of choices is quite broad. By attending a school that NASA endorses, it is guaranteed that the curriculum and coursework offered meets NASA's strict standards. Consider a bachelor's degree in engineering, math, physics, biological science or physical science and skip most of the parties.

While the minimum requirement for an astronaut is a four-year degree and three years of work experience, the vast majority of astronauts continue school to obtain a Master's Degree. Many are PhDs. Often this higher education is substituted for the equivalent work experience requirement. Another common trait of astronauts is familiarity with a second language. Being bilingual is a definite advantage. Most importantly, it is less about exactly which degree or what work experience a candidate has, but more about accomplishments. Study hard, publish in technical journals, engage in public speaking, hold leadership positions and win awards. Each of these achievements will increase one's chances of being one of the approximately one hundred candidates that NASA tests out of thousands of applicants every two years. Of these one hundred candidates about twenty will fill available openings.

Excellent Physical fitness is an extremely important requirement for astronaut candidates. The physical testing is rigorous and includes such challenges as swimming three lengths of a twenty-five meter pool dressed in a flight suit and tennis shoes, becoming SCUBA certified, performing in simulated emergencies while experiencing low atmospheric pressures and being subjected to microgravity. Maintain good physical health and a regimented diet and exercise program in order to be prepared for the physical aspects of astronaut candidate training.

There are several basic astronaut positions and they each come with their own unique requirements. Pilot astronauts must have at least one thousand hours of flight experience in jet aircraft. Experience as a test pilot is recommended though not necessarily required. Mission Specialist astronauts are responsible for duties such as coordinating in-flight operations, monitoring aircraft consumables and conducting the many experiments that are often part of a space mission. Requirements for this position include education beyond the bachelor's degree or equivalent career experience. Finally, a Payload Specialist astronaut, which is a relatively new position created for shuttle flights, is a professional scientist or technician who is an expert in operating shuttle equipment. Familiarity with shuttle systems and specialty equipment is a requirement, along with flight training and working knowledge of crew operations.

The actual work of an astronaut may not live up to the romantic view of a dreaming child. It doesn't pay very well, can require horrendously long hours on the job, involves a certain amount of public relations and politicking and the work can often be repetitive and tedious. However for most astronauts, the hard work required is well worth the chance to work in space.