Astronaut
What is this job like?
An astronaut is a person trained to travel and work in space.
Astronauts will continue their work aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This is a unique place—a convergence of science, technology and human innovation that demonstrates new technologies and makes research breakthroughs not possible on Earth.
The ISS is a microgravity laboratory in which an international crew of six people live and work while traveling at a speed of 5 miles per second, orbiting Earth every 90 minutes.
Astronauts will also fly on National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA’s) new Orion spacecraft, which is designed for deep space exploration and built to take humans farther than they’ve ever gone before. Orion will serve as the exploration vehicle that will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel, and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities.
How do you get ready?
Future astronaut candidates must make a commitment early in their academic careers to gain the credentials necessary to apply to the astronaut program. It is important that a high school student do their very best on standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT so they are accepted to an accredited university.
The minimum degree requirement is a bachelor's degree in engineering, science, or mathematics from an accredited college or university, followed by at least 3 years of work experience. Most astronauts, however, have continued on to gain advanced degrees.
For mission specialists and pilot astronauts, the minimum requirements include a bachelor's degree. Three years of related experience must follow the degree, and an advanced degree is desirable. Pilot astronauts must have at least 1,000 hours of experience in jet aircraft, and they need better vision than mission specialists.
Becoming an astronaut is extremely competitive, with an average of more than 4,000 applicants for about 20 openings every two years. Astronaut recruiting occurs periodically. Any adult man or woman in excellent physical condition who meets the basic qualifications can be selected to enter astronaut training.
You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for the program through NASA. Applicants with valid U.S. dual-citizenship are also eligible.
How much does the job pay?
Salaries for civilian astronaut candidates start at $65,140 to $100,701 per year and depend on each individual’s academic achievements and work experience.
Military Astronaut Candidates are detailed to the Johnson Space Center and remain in an active duty status for pay, benefits, leave, and other similar military matters.
How many jobs are there?
NASA selects astronauts from a diverse pool of applicants with a wide variety of backgrounds. From the thousands of applications received, only a few are chosen for the intensive Astronaut Candidate training program. Only 339 astronauts have been selected to date.
Some information on this page has been provided by NASA.
Overview:
The International Space Station (ISS) is the largest international scientific and technological endeavor ever undertaken. The space station is a permanent scientific laboratory in which gravity, temperature, and atmospheric pressure can be manipulated for scientific and engineering pursuits impossible in ground-based laboratories.
Aboard the orbiting laboratory, crew members pursue novel avenues of research and development that impact medical research, advance materials, and processes to benefit industries on Earth, and can accelerate breakthroughs in technology and engineering that have proven themselves as practical applications for life on Earth.
The ISS marked its 15th anniversary of continuous human occupation on Nov. 2, 2015. Since Expedition 1, which launched in October 2000, the space station has been visited by more than 200 individuals, traveled more than 1.5 billion miles (equivalent to eight trips to the Sun) and orbited the Earth more than 60,000 times.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the world have learned much about building in space and about how humans and spacecraft systems function in orbit.
But there is much more to do and learn. The voyage of research and discovery is just beginning as NASA shifts its focus from assembly to scientific research, technology development, exploration, commerce, and education.
Work Environment:
Astronauts continue to work aboard the International Space Station (ISS) in cooperation with international partners.
They are also helping to build and fly a new NASA vehicle, the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle designed for human deep space exploration, and further NASA’s efforts to partner with industry to provide a commercial capability for space transportation to the space station.
The ISS is the largest international scientific and technological endeavor ever undertaken. It is a permanent laboratory in a realm where gravity, temperature, and pressure can be manipulated for a variety of scientific and engineering pursuits that are impossible in ground-based laboratories. The ISS is a test bed for the technologies for the future as we learn more about living and working in space.
Aboard the international laboratory, crews conduct medical research in space, develop new materials and processes to benefit industries on Earth, and accelerate breakthroughs in technology and engineering that will have immediate, practical applications for life on Earth.
The ISS is 356 feet across and 290 feet long, and weighs approximately 940,000 pounds. Six people can live on the ISS, which is forging and maintaining new partnerships with the other space faring nations of the world and satisfying humanity’s need to explore.
Astronauts are involved in all aspects of on-orbit operations of the ISS. This includes extravehicular activities (spacewalks), robotics operations using the remote manipulator system, experiment operations, and onboard maintenance tasks. Astronauts are required to have a detailed knowledge of the space station systems, as well as detailed knowledge of the operational characteristics, mission requirements and objectives, and supporting systems and equipment for each experiment on their assigned missions.
Long-duration missions aboard the space station generally last from 3 to 6 months. Training for long-duration missions is arduous and takes approximately 2 to 3 years beyond the initial training and evaluation period. This training requires extensive travel, including long periods in other countries training with our international partners.
A goal of the NASA Human Health and Performance Directorate is to enable successful space exploration by minimizing the risks of space flight hazards. The environment of space is very challenging and offers significant risks to human space flight due to hazards such as radiation and a hostile environment. Some of these risks include radiation syndromes, degenerative tissue and radiation carcinogenesis.
Education and Training:
You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for the program through NASA. Applicants with valid U.S. dual-citizenship are also eligible.
Astronaut candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics.
Earning a bachelor's degree must be followed by at least 3 years of related, progressively responsible professional experience or at least 1,000 pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft. An advanced degree is desirable and may be substituted for experience as follows:
- A master’s degree equals 1 year of experience
- A doctoral degree equals 3 years of experience
Teaching experience, including experience at the K-12 levels, is considered to be qualifying experience for the astronaut candidate position, provided you have already earned a degree in a science, engineering, or mathematics field.
In addition to stringent academic requirements, astronauts must pass the NASA long-duration space flight physical, including the following specific requirements:
- Your distant and near visual acuity must be correctable to 20/20, each eye. The use of glasses is acceptable.
- Your blood pressure must not to exceed 140/90 measured in a sitting position.
- You must have a standing height between 62 and 75 inches.
Skills to Develop:
Analytical skills: Astronauts need to be able to think logically to carry out scientific experiments and studies. They must be precise and accurate in their analysis.
Critical-thinking skills: Astronauts must carefully evaluate their own work and the work of others. They must determine whether results and conclusions are accurate and based on sound science.
Curiosity: Astronauts work in a field that is always on the cutting edge of technology. They must be very keen to learn continuously throughout their career.
Interpersonal skills: Astronauts must collaborate extensively with others and work toward a common goal.
Math skills: Physicists and astronomers perform complex calculations involving calculus, geometry, algebra, and other areas of mathematics. They must be able to express their research in mathematical terms.
Problem-solving skills: Astronauts use scientific observation and analysis, as well as creative thinking, to solve complex scientific problems.
Job Outlook:
Becoming an astronaut is extremely competitive, with an average of more than 4,000 applicants for about 20 openings every two years. Astronaut recruiting occurs periodically.
Earnings:
Salaries for civilian astronaut candidates start at $65,140 to $100,701 per year per year and depend on each individual’s academic achievements and work experience.
Astronaut - Wikipedia overview
Astronauts - NASA overview
Astronaut Selection - NASA site on astronaut selection
Astronaut Biographies - NASA site on astronaut biographies