Want to be an astronaut? NASA may have to open new positions

Being an astronaut is a childhood dream for many children, but this opportunity may be closer than you think. Read the text and find out more!

What does an astronaut do?

An astronaut is a professional training for space travel, that is, a specialist who carries out human exploration in space.

This professional is also known as a taikonaut or cosmonaut. In addition, he can be a commander, pilot, develop extravehicular activities or assist as a crew member of a spacecraft.

When we decide we want be an astronaut As children, we imagine ourselves exploring other planets, fighting Martians and going on special missions to the moon on a regular basis, for example.

However, in real life it is a little different, because most of this professional's working life is spent carrying out ground training and supporting other missions.

The life of an astronaut in space is not easy at all, despite being full of emotions, some moments can be tense.

The routine of this professional is very tight, there is always something to do or discover in space, but with little time, this ends up being a challenge in an astronaut's career initially.

Here's a tip: to be a good astronaut You need to know how to manage your time and perform many tasks well in a short space of time.

Among the many activities that an astronaut carries out in space, we find, for example:

spacewalks to perform maintenance or inspection of equipment;
conduct and monitor many scientific experiments.

In their free time, they can do some physical exercise to keep their mind and body healthy, read a book, send emails to family or talk to someone on ham radio, watch or take photographs.

How much does an astronaut earn?

Before choosing any profession, it is important to know what the career salary ceiling is. To be an astronaut is also no different.

According to OPM data, a beginner professional earns around US$$66.2 thousand annually, and a monthly salary of approximately US$5.5 thousand.

OPM ➔

What are the requirements to work at NASA?

Since the first professionals were recruited in 1959, a lot has changed in relation to NASA's requirements.

All 7 candidates were military test pilots, in addition, the main requirements at that time were:

Have at least 1,500 flight hours.
Hold a bachelor's degree or equivalent.
Not be over 40 years old.
Be in excellent physical condition.
Be less than 1.50m tall.

As you can see, in the past only short people could go into space, however, nowadays there is no longer an age or height limit.

In fact, there is a height limit, but it is comprehensive, candidates can be at least 1.49m, up to 1.93m, as you can see, big guys can also be astronauts now.

In addition, flight experience was no longer a mandatory requirement, but it was essential to have relevant experience in the field or a thousand hours of flight time in command of a jet plane.

The degree area depends largely on the agency's needs, however, it is generally necessary to have a bachelor's degree in engineering, mathematics, physical sciences or biological sciences.

Although there is no longer a height or age limit, candidates undergo a rigorous physical examination, including advanced age, height and weight can be challenging.

Finally, obviously, the candidate must be fluent in English, and there have been NASA selections where it was a mandatory requirement to be a citizen of the United States.

Certainly, the requirements have changed and may change over time, they may vary according to the time and needs of the missions, but generally, they are the same or similar to those mentioned in this topic.

What is known so far about the possibility of NASA opening new positions?

Unfortunately, there is still little information about NASA's possible hires, and the Russia vs Ukraine war could disrupt some of the agency's missions and delay these hires.

According to a NASA report released in January, everything indicates that it will need new astronauts.

This is because the agency's astronaut corps has decreased drastically in recent years, going from 150 to 44 specialists.

This situation is a consequence of the large number of annual retirements, but also due to the suspension of the space shuttle fleet.

However, the agency reports that it will enter a new era of human space flight, among the missions, we find the return flight to the moon and the landing of humans on Mars.

In the report, authorities stated that the number of astronauts does not meet the stock numbers well.

Therefore, to ensure the success of these actions, it is important that this situation is well managed and resolved.

This means that your dream of be an astronaut This may be closer than you think!

You can follow this process on NASA's website, and also check out opportunities for other sectors. Click here and find out about job openings available at NASA.

CLICK HERE ➔

Conclusion

Working at NASA is certainly the dream of thousands of people around the world, although it is not simple or easy to achieve, it is not impossible.

We Brazilians can be inspired by the trajectory of Marcos Pontes, the first Brazilian astronaut and the only one to visit the ISS (International Space Station).

If you dream of be an astronaut, be sure to learn about and be inspired by the history of Marcos Cesar Pontes, the first Brazilian to go into space.

Nara Sampaio

SEO writer, digital content creator, and virtual assistant. An introvert who found in writing a way to express herself and share knowledge!

March 7, 2022

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