NASA is on the lookout for its next class of astronauts because the space agency ramps up its efforts to ascertain a everlasting human presence on the Moon. While the general public is free to use online until April 16, the strict requirements mean that only a small sliver of the population has the flight or scientific expertise to be accepted. Nonetheless, the prerequisites also prevent any billionaire aspiring to continue to exist the lunar surface can’t buy their way into the Artemis program.
The 4 requirements laid out by NASA sound easy, but they take years to finish. First, applicants should be U.S. residents, natural born or naturalized. Second, prospective astronauts must hold a master’s degree in an applicable STEM field, engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science or mathematics, with three years of experience in said field. Alternatively, medical doctors also can apply after three years in residence. Neither Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, nor I meet this requirement. I don’t have my very own private space company, though.
In the event you don’t have a STEM master’s degree, applicants can still be accepted with enough flight experience. Pilots should be certified Test Pilots and amass 1,000 hours in charge of an aircraft, and 850 of those hours must be on the controls of high-performance jet aircraft. It’s not a surprise that military pilots are well-represented inside the NASA Astronaut Corps.
The net application does note this isn’t a distant job and that extensive travel might be required (which is type of the entire point.) More importantly, astronauts must complete NASA’s long-duration flight astronaut physical, undergo a radical background investigation, and pass a drug test. The agency mentions that training for long-duration missions, like stints on the International Space Station, can take up to a few years.
America’s astronauts are expected to brave the tough vacuum of the ultimate frontier for an annual salary of $152,258. The pay won’t be impressive considering the responsibilities and potential hazards, but not many individuals can say that they’ve been to the Moon.
This Article First Appeared At jalopnik.com
