<p>I don't know if anyone has seriously considered becoming an astronaut, but I am curious of how one pursue that type of career. I have not put too much consideration into it, but I feel as though it may be something I should look at. Unfortunately, I have not yet begun a formation into becoming one, but I have read books about the universe, solar system, etc., and like any normal human being, I have been fascinated by it (I know this is not enough to justify one's becoming of an astronaut, but I am still learning!). The things that hold me back from actually saying, "I'm going to be an astronaut!" are really my own self-discouragement and doubt. I feel as though I am already incapable of becoming one because I will probably not attend an Ivy League, etc. I feel as though I have little distinguishing features about myself. Many have told me, "1% inspiration, 99% perspiration", but I feel that I still may not have the opportunity to become an astronaut. I'm just waiting for reality to settle in, but in the meantime, can anyone give me an actual "chances" at becoming an astronaut? I need both constructive criticism (not all discouragement please :() and advice, suggestions, or opinions on this matter. How can I start my pursuit in this career? I have been told that I have to be in the Air Force, etc., but how does this work out exactly? I don't know where to turn right now, but I will probably talk to my guidance counselor and maybe a NASA representative. I understand that many will doubt me, especially since I have done little to actually become an astronaut, but I feel that despite the little I have done, this is something for me. Help! Thanks and any help would be greatly appreciated</p>
<p>Also, I have some minor questions about this field:</p>
<p>To qualify for being an astronaut, is there a certain IQ that I need to reach?
What are the physical requirements (heights, body type, etc.)?
Which type of degrees would I need to become an astronaut?
Is there a certain type of college I need to attend to become one?</p>
<p>Any information that can answer these questions would be greatly appreciated. I understand that piloting a jet or airplane requires perfect vision (I don't know about the validity of that now), and I'm sure astronauts also have to have perfect vision. I know these types of questions seem silly, but I just wanted to know if there were going to be any requirements that could automatically disqualify me from actually becoming an astronaut. Thanks a lot, and I'm anxious to learn more about this- any help would be greatly appreciated!</p>
<p>news.uns.purdue.edu/UNS/astro/astromain.html</p>
<p>I wonder how well they get paid for all the dangerous work they do?</p>
<p>That is an interesting question and of course you must realize that many adventurers are not motivated by money but by the mission/process. If you are asking about the earnings.....you need to pick a private firm to work for.</p>
<p>Thanks for the link. In addition, to that link, here is another:</p>
<p><a href="http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/facts/faq12.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.ksc.nasa.gov/facts/faq12.html</a></p>
<p>After reading through it, I got the impression that to become an astronaut, you did not have to be devoted to the field the second you were out of the womb. Instead, there is a lot of flexibility in the career. Also, if I am not mistaken, becoming an astronaut does not require him/her to be part of the military- only if you're a pilot. However, being a specialist does not require one to be in any branch of the military, but it would help. The physical requirements do not seem terrible cut-throat, but the competition definitely is. Can anyone confirm or add on to what I have just read? Thanks</p>
<p>I am definitely not in it for the pay. I feel that I this is a job where the amount of money cannot compare to the privledge and work that I would get to do.</p>
<p>I guess your comment about pilot or aviator training is what you are relating to the military.....yes many have had training by the military. This is really all you need to know. Look up a profile of David Wolf who has been very flexible in hisw interests.</p>
<p>I'm curious of the number of astronauts actually make it to space. I always believed less than 200 people have ever been to space (I may be wrong), but from the sound of that article, Jerry Ross had been there 7 times. Exactly how often do space launches occur? Again, thanks hazmat for that article. Why is Purdue popular for sending astronauts into space? Do they have an exceptional program for such? (Sorry if that's a stupid question) But what is it that distinguishes Purdue from other colleges? Also, what type of field would be necessary in going to space? Thanks again</p>
<p>I think if you look around the Purdue site you will see what fields their success astronauts have studied. Remember that there are physical abilities that you many be unable to evaluate until you do some screening.....inner ear problems for some folks. Good Luck</p>
<p>I think the aerospace engineering degree is de rigeur for astronauts. Many if not most astronauts majored in this discipline.</p>
<p>I think Rice has close ties to the Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston. I believe Johns Hopkins and U Maryland have ties to Goddard. U Florida or Florida State might have ties to Kennedy. There are other NASA centers like Ames and Glenn that might have relationships with nearby universities.</p>
<p>caltech is connected to jpl, mit is extremely well connected everywhere</p>
<p>becoming an astronaut has a lot to do with having the right connections as well as working hard and being smart.</p>
<p>if you are in high school a good way to start is to get into a college that sends a lot of interns or has co-ops with a nasa center (MIT, cornell, princeton, stanford, rice). major in a science (doesn't have to be astrophysics or geology) or engineering (not necessary aerospace, follow your interests)</p>
<p>also, once in college, apply and try to get into the nasa academy
<a href="http://www.nasa-academy.nasa.gov/%5B/url%5D">http://www.nasa-academy.nasa.gov/</a></p>
<p>Here is a link to another NASA internship program for college students. For some reason, a lot of U of West Virginia students get NASA internships. Don't know why. The interns come from all over, including Cornell, Princeton, Stanford, etc but the colleges are diverse.
<a href="http://sip.gsfc.nasa.gov/%5B/url%5D">http://sip.gsfc.nasa.gov/</a></p>
<p>Here is a NASA web site about becoming an astronaut:
<a href="http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/outreach/jobsinfo/astronaut.html%5B/url%5D">http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/outreach/jobsinfo/astronaut.html</a></p>
<p>For mission specialists and pilot astronaut candidates, the education and experience requirements are at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in engineering, biological science, physical science, or mathematics. </p>
<p>For mission specialist applicants, three years of related, progressively responsible professional experience must follow the degree. An advanced degree is desirable and may be substituted for all or part of the experience requirement (i.e., master's degree = 1 year of work experience, doctoral degree = 3 years of experience). Pilot astronaut applicants must also meet the following requirements prior to submitting an application: </p>
<p>At least 1,000 hours pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft; flight test experience is highly desirable.
Ability to pass a NASA Class I space physical, which is similar to a military or civilian Class I flight physical, and includes the following specific standards: for vision-distance visual acuity - 20/70 or better uncorrected, correctable to 20/20, each eye. For Blood Pressure-140/90 measured in a sitting position.
Height between 64 and 76 inches.
Mission specialists have similar requirements to pilot astronauts, except that the qualifying physical is a NASA Class II space physical, which is similar to a military of civilian Class II flight physical and includes the following specific standards: for vision-distance visual acuity - 20/200 or better uncorrected, correctable to 20/20, each eye. For Blood pressure-Same as for Pilots. Height requirements for mission specialists are between 58.5 and 76 inches. </p>
<p>Check the astronaut biographies.</p>
<p>Wow, thanks everyone for your help. This information is certainly invaluable, and my perception of becoming an astronaut has changed significantly- and I am feeling more confident. I can't say that I want to be an astronaut for sure because things change, but as I learn more about the career, it seems like something that I could really appreciate. I did not know there were so many ties between universities and NASA space centers, and I was initially under the impression that only the top Ivy Leagues and tech schools had that type of connection. But of course, the colleges that collegehelp mentions are still very prestigious, and I am worried that if I don't get into those schools, my chances will significantly decrease. On the other hand, I'm sure there are other universities that I am able to get into and still succeed. I will check with some of these schools to see what they can provide for aspiring astronauts and how their connection works for me. Again, thank you for the information and I feel much more confident now that I have learned of the flexibility of this career.</p>
<p>My research mentor was telling me the other day that he was friends with the astronaut Stephen Robinson(the guy whose in space right now repairing the tile). He studied mech engineering I believe, and did research in fluid dynamics and computational physics. </p>
<p>These days they don't exclusively take Airforce pilots, so I think some type of specialization would be good(so that you can do lab tests etc in space).</p>
<p>I don't think university reputation matters much but I could be wrong. You just have to be successful through the rigorous training etc. Also remember, you'll probably not go up to space until you are in your 30s and things can change between now and then. They might be looking for different specs etc in people then, so have a good backup plan.</p>
<p>The space crew on Discovery(click them for individual biographies): <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-114%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-114</a></p>
<p>Hey there...this is something that would be my dream too, and I'll introduce you to another route. Service Academies. Personally, I am applying to the Air Force Academy because of the high percentage of graduating cadets recieving pilot slots. Swing on by the USAFA board if you'd like to learn probably the best way to pursue your dream.</p>
<p>I am more interested in the engineering aspect of aeronautics more than the piloting/navigating, etc. I have perused through some biographies of well known, established astronauts, and I have noticed that some have attended medical school in addition to receiving degrees in more specific engineering fields. I am curious if it's possible to graduate from medical school and still qualify to become an astronaut. Also, would a degree in the chemistry engineering field meet the requirements? I have read about an astronaut who is a chemist, but in addition she is an engineer and looks very qualified in a great deal of things. Thanks for the input, guys</p>
<p>This is a little off topic, but I found an article about the "moon landing hoax", and though I am a believer of the moon landing, I found something that may be interesting. Many make the claim that the moon landing is a hoax partly because they have seen the US flag "waving", even though there is no atmosphere or wind on the moon. Now here's the question: Did the US government explain this to be the effect of "lunar winds" or not? According to this article: <a href="http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast23feb_2.htm%5B/url%5D">http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast23feb_2.htm</a> it is from the twisting and turning of the pole- which completely explains it in my opinion. However, if the government did initially claim it to be from lunar wind, then why did they? Couldn't they have just explained it was from the twisting and turning of the flag pole?</p>
<p>Sorry if this is off topic, but I thought it would be interesting! It was just a small article I stumbled across and thought others may appreciate it as well.</p>
<p>By the way, if anyone else is interested, I found a webpage describing the internship program between JHU and Goddard, thanks to collegehelp. Here it is: <a href="http://university.gsfc.nasa.gov/%5B/url%5D">http://university.gsfc.nasa.gov/</a> I will also be looking at any other university programs between other space flight centers.</p>