NASA has announced its search for prospective astronauts for its upcoming Moon mission, Artemis, and future Mars missions. The agency’s mission involves the Orion spacecraft atop the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, aiming to carry humans for missions to the Moon and eventually to Mars.
To become a NASA astronaut, candidates must meet specific criteria. They must be US citizens with a master’s degree in a STEM field from an accredited institution. Alternatively, they can have significant professional experience or a doctoral degree. Pilots require specific flight experience, including hours in high-performance jet aircraft.
Medical doctors can count their residency time as experience, provided it’s completed by June 2025. Leadership, teamwork, and communication skills are also essential for NASA missions, which venture into unexplored regions of space.
NASA’s Astronaut Selection Board will review applications and invite qualified candidates for interviews at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Following initial interviews, about half of the candidates are invited back for second interviews. From there, NASA selects its new astronaut candidates, who undergo rigorous training for two years, learning basic astronaut skills such as spacewalking, operating the space station, flying jet planes, and controlling robotic arms.
The deadline for astronaut applications is April 2, 2024, providing an opportunity for individuals with a passion for space exploration to join NASA’s prestigious astronaut corps and contribute to humanity’s endeavors beyond Earth.
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