Moreover, a lot of private space companies open each year. And finally, you have to pass NASA’s long-duration flight astronaut physical test. To date, the ESA has only run three astronaut selection campaigns, with the most recent concluding in 2009. Would-be astronauts also need self-control and an equable temperament to cope with stress and any emergency that may arise. Astronaut requirements Make sure you will be able to apply according to your height, your weight, your age, your medical history… Do you fulfill the astronaut requirements ? You must be a U.S. citizen (or a valid double nationality) to become a NASA astronaut. You need to be between 27 and 37 years old and able to speak English fluently. Astronaut Candidate Selection Applicants, male or female, must be nationals of an ESA Member State. That said, three of the candidates currently work in the UK. Second, you must have three years of related professional experience or 1,000 hours of piloting. First, applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in engineering, biological or physical science, computer science, or math. General requirements Applicants, male or female, must be nationals of an ESA Member State. The applicant must have the normal range of motion and functionality in all joints. An… More and more space agencies around the world launch a manned spaceflight program. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. An astronaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft.Members of the space program of Russia or the Soviet Union are referred to as cosmonauts. Astronaut requirements depend on space agencies criteria, which means that it depends on your nationality. How Much Do Astronauts Make? Have great eyesight. From the applicants, 8413 qualified for the selection process that was performed under the lead of ESA’s European Astronaut Centre (EAC), based in Cologne, Germany. On the operational side, an ability to adapt quickly to changing situations and mature judgement will be of great help in performing tasks and optimising on-orbit routines and procedures. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Astronaut requirements depend on space agencies criteria, which means that it depends on your nationality. On day one, candidates assemble in Hamburg for six rounds of … But … The first crewed mission is a final step for SpaceX to verify that its Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule meet NASA’s requirements. [1] Lastly, astronauts must be willing to travel long distances, both on Earth and in space, and to spend long periods away from home as astronaut training takes place in a number of countries and they may participate in long-duration missions. While earning a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field is a fantastic accomplishment, this may be the easiest of the requirements for being an astronaut candidate. The minimum training requirement needed to be an astronaut is a bachelor’s degree in engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science or mathematics. Similar criteria are set by other nations, including the European Space Agency (ESA). He was a junior physics major. Several of my professors were astronauts and my roommate freshman year in college (MIT) became an astronaut. In addition, there’s a number of strict eligibility requirements that an astronaut needs to adhere to. For example, the European Space Agency, or ESA, manages the European Astronaut Corps, which recruits new candidates from Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden. These are just average numbers, so your own salary as an astronaut could be either higher or lower. You must weigh between 50 and 95 kilos, depending on your gender and your age (a good shape is required). All astronauts, including pilots, commanders, mission specialists, science specialists, or payload managers, must be at least 147 centimeters tall, have good visual acuity, and normal blood pressure. Stay motivated and build an attractive profile to make your dream come true, and in a few years perhaps you will be eligible even if you aren’t right now ! By pursuing your visit on this website, you accept the use of cookies to offer you a personalized experience and make statistics of visits. But after years of experience in space, NASA changed the astronaut requirements to afford a larger range of people to apply, with more diversity in educational and professional experiences. You must have a satisfactory medical history. 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