NASA Announces New Astronaut Hiring for Those with the Right Stuff

The New Astronaut Class Announcement
NASA is accepting applications beginning 9/18/2007 for its new astronaut class. Astronaut applications for both pilots and mission specialists will be considered. NASA's application process is completely web-based. The astronaut-specific forms may take several hours to complete. NASA has provided an easy "save and edit" web site for the required forms. Early applications are encouraged. NASA will not consider applicants who do not submit the completed forms before 7/1/2008.

NASA expects thousands of applicants to these positions. From those thousands, only the most highly qualified will make the final cut. Astronaut applicants are evaluated by multiple NASA panels which consider all facets of the applicant's qualifications. Academic degrees, professional experience, and health will be the first considerations.

Applicants classified as "highly-qualified" will undergo further evaluation by a board of specialists including current astronauts. If selected, you will enter the astronaut training program at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Frequent and international travel is required during the training period. Once training is complete, you will be ready for the trip of a lifetime.

Are you eligible?
- You must be a U.S. citizen, no exceptions.
- Your vision must be correctable to 20/20 in both eyes.
- Your resting blood pressure can not exceed 140/90.
- You must be in good general health. Extensive medical questionnaires are part of the application process. A medical examination will be required if you are selected.
- Because this class of astronauts will be working beyond the Shuttle's life, some missions will fly in the Russian Soyuz vehicle. All candidates must be between 62 and 75 inches to fit in the Soyuz.
- Pilot applicants must have at least 1,000 hours of in-command flight time in a jet aircraft.

Education Requirements
Applicants must hold at least a bachelor's degree in the fields of biological science, engineering, physical science, or mathematics. An additional 3 years of degree-related, professional experience is also required. Advanced degrees are desirable and may substitute for experience. A Master's degree equals 1 year of experience. A Doctorate equals 3 years. Teaching experience, including the K-12 levels, will be considered to encourage teachers to apply.

Not all degrees are applicable. Refer to the vacancy announcement's "Qualification Requirements" for details on which degrees are not acceptable.

How do You Apply?
1. Start by creating an account and building your resume at the official U.S. government job site, www.usajobs.gov. USAJOBS does not restrict your resume length, but NASA does not accept resumes longer than 22,000 characters. Keep this in mind when crafting your resume. It is strongly recommended that you avoid pasting portions of a resume from word processing software such as Microsoft Word into the USAJOBS resume builder. Hidden characters in the document can prohibit your resume from transferring to NASA correctly.

2. Locate the NASA astronaut vacancy and press the "Apply On-line" button. It is recommended that you disable your browser's pop-up blocker before you continue.

3. Complete the simple NASA questionnaires and press "Submit my Resume." Be sure to indicate whether you are applying as a pilot, mission specialist, or both by checking the appropriate boxes on the web form.

Finishing Up
Once your resume is submitted to NASA, you will be directed to a web site where you can fill out the additional, astronaut forms. NASA has a secure area where applicants can login, fill out these forms, and save them for later editing. You will be required to complete and submit the following forms prior to 7/1/2008.

- Report of Medical History. All applicants must complete this extensive questionnaire on their current and historical health.

- Supplemental Medical. All applicants are required to fill out this form with visual, hearing and other detailed medical questions.

- References. All applicants must provide 3 professional and 3-6 personal contacts with whom NASA can verify your information. Have names, addresses, and phone numbers handy before beginning this form. The first reference must be your current employer.

- Summary of Aeronautical Experience. Pilot applicants are required to list the make/model/hours of aircrafts flown. Pilots should have their log books handy when filling this out.

- Cover Sheet for Transcripts. This is an Acrobat file that you must print and mail with your college transcripts to the address on the cover sheet. If you need to request your transcripts from your college, do so early so you don't miss the deadline.

All forms must be completed and submitted as a package prior to the 7/1/2008 deadline if you want to be considered for the program. It is preferred that all forms except the college transcripts be submitted electronically. NASA will not consider late applications.

Other Things You Can Do
Become familiar with the U.S. government's pay scale. Astronauts fall in the GS 11-14 range with a potential promotion to GS-15. More information is available at www.opm.gov

Familiarize yourself with the astronaut information on the NASAJOBS web site.

Read the general NASA applicant guide, especially the section on writing a resume for NASA.

Military personnel are required to obtain their command's approval before NASA can consider their application. If you are a member of the Armed Forces, begin this process as soon as possible.

Since the vacancy is open until 7/1/2008, applicants may have a wait before they are contacted for more documents, interviews or other information required by NASA.