Becoming an astronaut is one of the most competitive career goals there is. Every time NASA opens a new astronaut selection round it receives thousands of applications, and only a handful of candidates are chosen. The odds are small, but they are not random. NASA publishes its basic requirements, and understanding them is the first step for anyone who dreams of flying in space.
The basic requirements
NASA's published criteria for its astronaut candidate program have included the following:
- United States citizenship.
- A master's degree in a STEM field such as engineering, biological or physical science, computer science or mathematics, or an equivalent qualification such as a medical degree, test pilot school or significant progress toward a doctorate.
- Relevant professional experience after graduation, or a significant number of hours as pilot in command of jet aircraft.
- The ability to pass NASA's long-duration spaceflight physical.
Meeting these requirements only gets an application considered. The real competition begins after that.
Why so few applicants are selected
NASA selects astronauts for the missions it expects to fly, and the number of seats is limited. The applicant pool is full of accomplished scientists, engineers, doctors and military pilots, so the selection board looks for people who stand out beyond their qualifications. Operational experience counts heavily: working in remote or high-pressure environments, leading teams, flying aircraft, diving, or doing field research in places like Antarctica all demonstrate how someone performs when things are difficult.
The selection process
Applications are screened by a panel, and a smaller group is invited for interviews and medical evaluations at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. Candidates are assessed on technical knowledge, but also on teamwork, communication and temperament. Long missions put small crews in confined spaces for months, so the ability to get along with others and stay calm under stress is essential.
Life as an astronaut candidate
Those who are selected are not astronauts yet. They begin roughly two years of training that covers spacecraft systems, spacewalking practice in a large neutral buoyancy pool, robotics, survival training, jet flying and Russian language lessons for work on the International Space Station. Only after completing training do candidates become eligible for flight assignments, and even then the wait for a mission can take years.
Other routes to space
NASA is no longer the only path. Other space agencies, including the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency and Japan's JAXA, run their own selection programs for their citizens. Commercial spaceflight companies are also creating opportunities for professional crew members and private passengers, which may gradually widen the definition of who gets to go to space.
The physical and psychological side
The long-duration spaceflight physical checks vision, blood pressure, cardiovascular health and overall fitness, because months in microgravity affect bones, muscles, eyes and the circulatory system. Psychological evaluations are just as important. Crew members may be hundreds of kilometers from home for half a year, working long days in a small space with limited privacy. Selection boards look for people who stay calm, communicate clearly, handle conflict constructively and keep a sense of humor when things go wrong.
How to improve your chances
- Build deep expertise in a STEM field you genuinely enjoy, since the career is valuable whether or not you are selected.
- Look for hands-on, operational experience: flying, diving, fieldwork, emergency medicine or engineering in demanding environments.
- Stay physically fit and keep up with the medical standards.
- Develop leadership and teamwork skills, and learn another language.
- Apply more than once. Many astronauts were not selected on their first attempt.
The odds of becoming a NASA astronaut will always be long. But the qualities NASA looks for, curiosity, competence, resilience and the ability to work as part of a team, are worth developing whatever the outcome.
