Is it your dream to fly and to work in space? Do you want to be a NASA astronaut? Like many jobs, the first thing would be to fill out the application. A record-breaking 18,300 people filled out applications recently when NASA announced it was filling its Astronaut Candidate program. But out of those 18,300 applicants, just 8 to 14 will be hired by the US space agency.
It will take 18 months to decide who will be in the new class of astronauts. NASA will review all of the files, which will later go to its current team of astronauts, to make sure they meet the basic qualifications(技能条件).
The first requirement is that the applicants must be US citizens. They need a college degree in engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics. They also need at least three years of experience in a similar field or at least 1,000 hours as a jet pilot.
There are requirements to pass a physical test. And then there are personality qualities tests as well. What kinds of personalities are NASA looking for in an astronaut? NASA's Selection Manager Anne Roemer said, "I think leadership, teamwork, the ability to not only work on a team, lead a team, but also follow, be a follower on a team. Communication certainly plays a role, so it's some pretty common skill that I think translates into even other professions. "
About 120 applicants will be invited to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, for a first round of interviews, about half of whom will go back for a second round. Once selected, they must complete two years of training in everything about spaceflight — things like learning about all the systems used by NASA, walking in space and Russian language training. Until the US has a working vehicle to be launched into space, NASA still depends on Russia to get astronauts into space.
