NASA announced that it would soon begin accepting applications for the next batch of astronaut candidates. This will be in advance of NASA’s mission to Mars. Send your applications between 14thDecember 2015,, and the middle 2017.. Send your application to www.usajobs.gov The United States is developing more human-powered spacecraft than any time before. NASA is the US government agency that oversees the civil space program and aeronautics, as well as aerospace research. Future spacemen and women will again launch from Florida’s Space Coast on commercial spacecraft and conduct exploration missions deep into space to help advance human missions to Mars. Are you ready to be a NASA astronaut? Image: NASA Astronaut Handbook. The next generation of astronauts could fly aboard any one of the following four US spacecraft during their career: -The International Space Station. There are two commercial crew spacecraft being developed by US companies. NASA’s Orion deep space exploration vehicle is designed to go further than humans have ever been before. NASA chooses astronauts with diverse backgrounds from an extensive pool of US citizens. These candidates come from all walks of life, including engineers and pilots, scientists, doctors, and even pilots. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden stated that NASA selects qualified astronauts from a wide range of backgrounds. This includes scientists, engineers, pilots and doctors. All of them started by applying to be astronauts. (Image: NASA Astronaut Selection & Training). NASA’s remarkable transition NASA has moved from scientific exploration to commercial spacecraft that can carry crew or cargo to the station. The SpaceX Crew Dragon, Boeing’s CST Starliner and the SpaceX Crew Dragon will allow for seven additional crew members to be added to every space station mission. This will double astronauts’ time to do space research. Future crew members will carry on the important work done over the past 15 decades of continuous human habitation on the orbiting laboratory. They’ll also expand scientific knowledge and try out new technology. A buoyancy trainee at The Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (part of the Sonny Carter training facility). Image: Sonny Carter training Facility. This will build on six months of missions and this year’s one-year mission aboard station. Participants are striving to achieve scientific breakthroughs that cannot be achieved back at home. This one-year mission will help to understand what can and cannot be done in order for long-duration deep-space missions. Prepared for human-manned deep space missions. NASA’s Orion spacecraft, and its Space Launch System are currently in development. They will send spacemen and women on mission to lunar orbit, where they will be able to learn how to perform complex operations in deep space. This will allow the space Agency to prepare for longer-duration missions such as those to Mars. NASA’s Johnson Space Center’s Director of Flight Operations, Brian Kelly said that it was an exciting time to participate in America’s human spaceflight program. NASA is now taking the next steps in developing the nation’s human spaceflight program. Our astronauts from the United States will lead these challenging and new space flight missions. All qualified applicants are encouraged to find out more about NASA’s opportunities and to apply for our flight operations team. NASA has selected over 300 people to fly in its increasingly challenging missions to space exploration and to benefit Earth life. The active astronaut corps currently has 47. Future missions will require more astronauts to reach deep-space destinations and space station stations. A bachelor’s degree in science is required to be eligible for the NASA astronaut program. NASA states that an advanced degree is better. NASA stated that candidates must also have at least 3 years related experience and at least 1 hour of flight-in-command in jet planes. Astronaut candidates must pass the NASA long-duration spaceflight physical.” The following web page contains more information about a career as a NASA astronaut, plus application requirements: www.nasa.gov/astronauts Video – Astronaut recruitment Do you think you have what it takes to join NASA’s next astronaut class? NASA Administrator Charles Bolden is an astronaut who discusses NASA’s goals and the type of people they are looking for.
