NASA is recruiting its next generation of astronauts, inviting US citizens to apply by midnight ET on December 3 for the chance to “live and work” on the Moon. The space agency’s application portal says there are “few openings” for the position, which pays $164,395 a year and requires recruits to relocate to Houston, where they will work at the Johnson Space Center. While the job is open to all citizens, applicants must meet certain educational criteria and possess specialized experience. In other words, not just any Tom, Dick or Harriet will qualify for the position. The next group of astronauts is being selected as the United States plans to build a lunar base and send crewed missions to the lunar surface. NASA’s Artemis II mission recently sent a crew of four astronauts around the moon in April, setting a record for the longest distance humans have ever traveled from our planet. “The people we select could walk on the moon, live and work on the lunar base, and help pioneer the systems and operations that will ultimately take crews to Mars,” NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in a statement. “Those missions will require technical excellence, good judgment, teamwork and courage.” These are the qualifications NASA looks for in an astronaut. Educational Background NASA’s job application portal states that applicants must fit one of the following four educational profiles: A master’s degree in a qualified field of engineering, life sciences, physical sciences, computer science, or mathematics. Two academic years of qualifying doctoral courses in one of those fields. A qualified medical degree, such as a physician, physician assistant, or nurse practitioner. Completion of a recognized test pilot school by July 2027. Specialized experience Applicants must also select the discipline for which they best qualify based on their work experience, and NASA requires three years of professional experience after completing their degree program or pilot training. Pilots: Must meet one of three thresholds: 750 hours as chief pilot of a high-performance aircraft; 1,500 hours in other fixed-wing aircraft, with 750 in command; or 1,000 hours in helicopters, with 300 in command. Initial flight training and drone hours are excluded. Flight Test: Requires completion or enrollment in test pilot school, with completion by July 2027, as well as three years of related flight test experience. Medical: at least three years of professional experience after obtaining a medical degree. NASA said the residencies count toward the experience. Biological and medical sciences: at least three years of related work experience. Physical Sciences: Three years of related work experience. Engineering: Three years of related work experience. Operations: Three years of related work experience in “high-consequence environments requiring real-time decision making and intensive teamwork, where errors carry physical and irreversible risks to personnel, missions, or vehicles,” NASA said. Other Requirements Applicants must also pass a number of clearances, including medical ones. and psychiatric examinations; vision correctable to 20/20 in each eye; and a background check and drug screening. Aspiring astronauts must be able to “perform moderate to strenuous physical activities, including heavy lifting, bending, crawling, and exposure to inclement weather” and “be willing to work in hazardous, life-threatening situations and live/work in remote, isolated, small, or confined spaces for prolonged periods.” Applicants must also pass a swimming test. On top of that, applicants must “be willing to deploy to space for 12 months or more, accepting extreme isolation, austere living conditions, and separation from loved ones.” Edited by Alain Sherter Go deeper with The Free Press In:
