National

 

Aeronautics

 

and

 

Space

 

Administration

 

 

st

c

af

A

S

A

N

Astronaut

 

Selection

 

and

 

Training

History

 

of

 

Astronaut

 

Selection

 

Man’s

 

scope

 

of

 

space

 

exploration

 

has

 

broadened

 

since

 

the

 

first

 

U.S.

 

manned

 

space

 

flight

 

in

 

1961.

 

But

 

the

 

nation

 

can

 

never

 

forget

 

the

 

original

 

seven

 

pilots

 

who

 

focused

 

our

 

vision

 

on

 

the

 

stars.

 

In

 

1959,

 

NASA

 

asked

 

the

 

military

 

services

 

to

 

list

 

their

 

members

 

who

 

met

 

specific

 

qualifications.

 

In

 

seeking

 

its

 

first

 

astronauts,

 

NASA

 

required

 

jet

 

aircraft

 

flight

 

experience

 

and

 

engineering

 

training.

 

Height

 

could

 

be

 

no

 

more

 

than

 

5

 

feet

 

11

 

inches

 

because

 

of

 

limited

 

cabin

 

space

 

available

 

in

 

the

 

Mercury

 

space

 

capsule

 

being

 

designed.

 

After

 

many

 

intense

 

physical

 

and

 

psychological

 

screenings,

 

NASA

 

selected

 

seven

 

men

 

from

 

an

 

original

 

field

 

of

 

500

 

candidates.

 

They

 

were

 

Air

 

Force

 

Captains

 

L.

 

Gordon

 

Cooper,

 

Jr.,

 

Virgil

 

“Gus”

 

Grissom,

 

and

 

Donald

 

K.

 

“Deke”

 

Slayton;

 

Marine

 

Lieutenant

 

Colonel

 

John

 

H.

 

Glenn,

 

Jr.,

 

Navy

 

Lieutenant

 

M.

 

Scott

 

Carpenter,

 

and

 

Navy

 

Lieutenant

 

Commanders

 

Walter

 

M.

 

Schirra,

 

Jr.,

 

and

 

Alan

 

B.

 

Shepard,

 

Jr.

 

By

 

1964,

 

prime

 

emphasis

 

had

 

shifted

 

away

 

from

 

flight

 

experience

 

and

 

toward

 

superior

 

academic

 

qualifications.

 

Applicants

 

were

 

invited

 

on

 

the

 

basis

 

of

 

educational

 

background

 

alone.

 

These

 

were

 

the

 

scientist

 

astronauts,

 

so

 

called

 

because,

 

as

 

a

 

minimum,

 

applicants

 

were

 

required

 

to

 

have

 

a

 

doctorate

 

level

 

degree

 

or

 

equivalent

 

experience

 

in

 

the

 

natural

 

sciences,

 

medicine

 

or

 

engineering.

 

Since

 

the

 

selection

 

of

 

the

 

first

 

class

 

of

 

astronauts,

 

many

 

men

 

and

 

women

 

have

 

pursued

 

and

 

realized

 

their

 

dreams

 

of

 

flying

 

in

 

space.

 

They

 

all

 

began

 

by

 

submitting

 

their

 

applications

 

to

 

become

 

astronauts.

 

Basic

 

Qualification

 

Requirements

 

The

 

Astronaut

 

Candidate

 

selection

 

process

 

was

 

developed

 

to

 

select

 

highly

 

qualified

 

individuals

 

for

 

human

 

space

 

programs.

 

Astronaut

 

Candidates

 

are

 

selected

 

on

 

an

 

as

 

needed

 

basis.

 

Both

 

civilian

 

and

 

military

 

personnel

 

are

 

considered

 

for

 

the

 

program.

 

Applicants

 

must

 

meet

 

a

 

series

 

of

 

minimum

 

requirements.

 

The

 

requirements

 

for

 

non­piloting

 

Astronaut

 

Candidates

 

are

 

a

 

bachelor’s

 

degree

 

from

 

an

 

accredited

 

institution

 

in

 

engineering,

 

biological

 

science,

 

physical

 

science,

 

or

 

mathematics,

 

followed

 

by

 

at

 

least

 

3

 

years

 

of

 

related,

 

progressively

 

responsible,

 

professional

 

experience.

 

An

 

advanced

 

degree

 

is

 

desirable

 

and

 

may

 

be

 

substituted

 

for

 

experience

 

as

 

follows:

 

master’s

 

degree

 

=

 

1

 

year

 

of

 

experience,

 

doctoral

 

degree

 

=

 

3

 

years

 

of

 

experience.

 

Teaching

 

experience,

 

including

 

experience

 

at

 

the

 

K­12

 

levels,

 

is

 

considered

 

to

 

be

 

qualifying

 

experience

 

for

 

the

 

Astronaut

 

Candidate

 

position.

 

Additional

 

requirements

 

include

 

the

 

ability

 

to

 

pass

 

the

 

NASA

 

long­duration

 

space

 

flight

 

physical,

 

which

 

includes

 

the

 

following

 

specific

 

requirements:

 

distant

 

and

 

near

 

visual

 

acuity

 

must

 

be

 

correctable

 

to

 

20/20

 

in

 

each

 

eye,

 

blood

 

pressure

 

is

 

not

 

to

 

exceed

 

140/90

 

measured

 

in

 

a

 

sitting

 

position,

 

and

 

the

 

candidate

 

must

 

have

 

a

 

standing

 

height

 

between

 

62

 

and

 

75

 

inches.

 

The

 

requirements

 

for

 

Astronaut

 

Candidates

 

with

 

a

 

piloting

 

background

 

include

 

a

 

bachelor’s

 

degree

 

from

 

an

 

accredited

 

institution

 

in

 

engineering,

 

biological

 

science,

 

physical

 

science,

 

or

 

mathematics.

 

An

 

advanced

 

degree

 

is

 

desirable.

 

And

 

at

 

least

 

1,000

 

hours

 

pilot­in­command

 

time

 

in

 

jet

 

aircraft.

 

Flight

 

test

 

experience

 

is

 

highly

 

desirable.

 

Additional

 

requirements

 

include

 

the

 

ability

 

to

 

pass

 

the

 

NASA

 

long­duration

 

space

 

flight

 

physical,

 

which

 

includes

 

the

 

following

 

specific

 

requirements:

 

distant

 

and

 

near

 

visual

 

acuity

 

must

 

be

 

correctable

 

to

 

20/20

 

in

 

each

 

eye,

 

blood

 

pressure

 

is

 

not

 

to

 

exceed

 

140/90

 

measured

 

in

 

a

 

sitting

 

position,

 

and

 

the

 

candidate

 

must

 

have

 

a

 

standing

 

height

 

between

 

62

 

and

 

75

 

inches.

 

Applicants

 

for

 

the

 

Astronaut

 

Candidate

 

Program

 

must

 

meet

 

the

 

basic

 

education

 

requirements

 

for

 

NASA

 

engineering

 

and

 

scientific

 

positions,

 

specifically,

 

successful

 

completion

 

of

 

standard

 

professional

 

curriculum

 

in

 

an

 

accredited

 

college

 

or

 

university

 

leading

 

to

 

at

 

least

 

a

 

bachelor’s

 

degree

 

with

 

major

 

study

 

in

 

an

 

appropriate

 

field

 

of

 

engineering,

 

biological

 

science,

 

physical

 

science,

 

or

 

mathematics.

 

The

 

following

 

degree

 

fields,

 

while

 

related

 

to

 

engineering

 

and

 

the

 

sciences,

 

are

 

not

 

considered

 

qualifying:

 

degrees

 

in

 

technology

 

(engineering

 

technology,

 

aviation

 

technology,

 

medical

 

technology,

 

etc.);

 

degrees

 

in

 

psychology

 

(except

 

for

 

clinical

 

psychology,

 

physiological

 

psychology,

 

or

 

experimental

 

psychology,

 

which

 

are

 

qualifying);

 

degrees

 

in

 

nursing;

 

degrees

 

in

 

exercise

 

physiology

 

or

 

similar

 

fields;

 

degrees

 

in

 

social

 

sciences

 

(geography,

 

anthropology,

 

archaeology,

 

etc.);

 

and

 

degrees

 

in

 

aviation,

 

aviation

 

management

 

or

 

similar

 

fields.

 

Astronaut

 

Selection

 

Following

 

the

 

preliminary

 

screening

 

of

 

applications,

 

all

 

of

 

whom

 

must

 

be

 

citizens

 

of

 

the

 

United

 

States,

 

a

 

week­long

 

process

 

of

 

personal

 

interviews,

 

medical

 

screening,

 

and

 

orientation

 

are

 

required

 

for

 

both

 

civilian

 

and

 

military

 

applicants

 

under

 

final

 

consideration.

 

Once

 

final

 

selections

 

have

 

been

 

made,

 

all

 

applicants

 

are

 

notified

 

of

 

the

 

outcome.

 

Astronaut

 

Candidate

Training

Selected

 

applicants

 

are

 

designated

 

Astronaut

 

Candidates

 

and

 

are

 

assigned

 

to

 

the

 

Astronaut

 

Office

 

at

 

the

 

Johnson

 

Space

 

Center

 

(JSC)

 

in

 

Houston,

 

Texas.

 

The

 

Astronaut

 

Candidates

 

undergo

 

a

 

training

 

and

 

evaluation

 

period

 

lasting

 

approximately

 

Astronaut

 

Selection

 

and

 

Training

 

2

 

years.

 

During

 

this

 

time

 

they

 

will

 

participate

 

in

 

the

 

basic

 

Astronaut

 

Candidate

 

training

 

program,

 

which

 

is

 

designated

 

to

 

develop

 

the

 

knowledge

 

and

 

skills

 

required

 

for

 

formal

 

mission

 

training

 

upon

 

selection

 

for

 

a

 

flight.

 

Astronaut

 

Candidates

 

with

 

a

 

piloting

 

background

 

maintain

 

proficiency

 

in

 

NASA

 

aircraft

 

during

 

their

 

candidate

 

period.

 

As

 

part

 

of

 

the

 

Astronaut

 

Candidate

 

training

 

program,

 

Astronaut

 

Candidates

 

are

 

required

 

to

 

complete

 

military

 

water

 

survival

 

before

 

beginning

 

their

 

flying

 

syllabus,

 

and

 

become

 

SCUBA

 

qualified

 

to

 

prepare

 

them

 

for

 

spacewalk

 

training.

 

Consequently,

 

all

 

Astronaut

 

Candidates

 

are

 

required

 

to

 

pass

 

a

 

swimming

 

test

 

during

 

their

 

first

 

month

 

of

 

training.

 

They

 

must

 

swim

 

3

 

lengths

 

of

 

a

 

25­M

 

pool

 

without

 

stopping,

 

and

 

then

 

swim

 

3

 

lengths

 

of

 

the

 

pool

 

in

 

a

 

flight

 

suit

 

and

 

tennis

 

shoes

 

with

 

no

 

time

 

limit.

 

They

 

must

 

also

 

tread

 

water

 

continuously

 

for

 

10

 

minutes

 

wearing

 

a

 

flight

 

suit.

 

Candidates

 

are

 

also

 

exposed

 

to

 

the

 

problems

 

associated

 

with

 

high

 

(hyperbaric)

 

and

 

low

 

(hypobaric)

 

atmospheric

 

pressures

 

in

 

the

 

altitude

 

chambers

 

and

 

learn

 

to

 

deal

 

with

 

emergencies

 

associated

 

with

 

these

 

conditions.

 

In

 

addition,

 

Astronaut

 

Candidates

 

are

 

given

 

exposure

 

to

 

the

 

microgravity

 

of

 

space

 

flight.

 

A

 

modified

 

C­9

 

jet

 

aircraft

 

performs

 

parabolic

 

manuvers

 

that

 

produce

 

periods

 

of

 

weightlessness

 

for

 

about

 

20

 

seconds.

 

During

 

this

 

brief

 

period,

 

astronauts

 

experience

 

the

 

feeling

 

of

 

microgravity.

 

The

 

aircraft

 

then

 

returns

 

to

 

the

 

original

 

altitude

 

and

 

the

 

sequence

 

is

 

repeated

 

up

 

to

 

40

 

times

 

in

 

a

 

day.

 

Final

 

selection

 

as

 

an

 

astronaut

 

depends

 

upon

 

satisfactory

 

completion

 

of

 

the

 

training

 

and

 

evaluation

 

period.

 

Civilian

 

candidates

 

who

 

successfully

 

complete

 

the

 

training

 

and

 

evaluation

 

and

 

are

 

selected

 

as

 

astronauts

 

become

 

permanent

 

Federal

 

employees

 

and

 

are

 

expected

 

to

 

remain

 

with

 

NASA

 

for

 

a

 

period

 

of

 

at

 

least

 

5

 

years.

 

Civilian

 

candidates

 

who

 

are

 

not

 

selected

 

as

 

astronauts

 

may

 

be

 

placed

 

in

 

other

 

positions

 

within

 

NASA,

 

depending

 

upon

 

agency

 

requirements

 

and

 

labor

 

constraints

 

at

 

that

 

time.

 

NASA

 

has

 

an

 

affirmative

 

action

 

program

 

goal

 

of

 

having

 

qualified

 

minorities

 

and

 

women

 

among

 

those

 

selected

 

as

 

Astronaut

 

Candidates.

 

Pay

 

and

 

Benefits

 

Salaries

 

for

 

civilian

 

Astronaut

 

Candidates

 

are

 

based

 

on

 

the

 

Federal

 

Government’s

 

General

 

Schedule

 

pay

 

scales

 

for

 

grades

 

GS­11

 

through

 

GS­14,

 

and

 

are

 

set

 

in

 

accordance

 

with

 

each

 

individual’s

 

academic

 

achievements

 

and

 

experience.

 

Selected

 

military

 

personnel

 

will

 

be

 

detailed

 

to

 

JSC,

 

but

 

will

 

remain

 

in

 

an

 

active

 

duty

 

status

 

for

 

pay,

 

benefits,

 

leave,

 

and

 

other

 

similar

 

military

 

matters.

 

Astronaut

 

Responsibilities

 

Astronauts

 

are

 

involved

 

in

 

all

 

aspects

 

of

 

on­orbit

 

operations

 

of

 

the

 

International

 

Space

 

Station

 

(ISS).

 

This

 

includes

 

extravehicular

 

activities,

 

robotics

 

operations

 

using

 

the

 

remote

 

manipulator

 

system,

 

experiment

 

operations,

 

and

 

onboard

 

maintenance

 

tasks.

 

Astronauts

 

are

 

required

 

to

 

have

 

a

 

detailed

 

knowledge

 

of

 

the

 

ISS

 

systems,

 

as

 

well

 

as

 

detailed

 

knowledge

 

of

 

the

 

operational

 

characteristics,

 

mission

 

requirements

 

and

 

objectives,

 

and

 

supporting

 

systems

 

and

 

equipment

 

for

 

each

 

experiment

 

on

 

their

 

assigned

 

missions.

 

Long­duration

 

missions

 

aboard

 

the

 

ISS

 

generally

 

last

 

from

 

3

 

to

 

6

 

months.

 

Training

 

for

 

long­duration

 

missions

 

is

 

arduous

 

and

 

takes

 

approximately

 

2

 

to

 

3

 

years

 

beyond

 

the

 

initial

 

training

 

and

 

evaluation

 

period.

 

This

 

training

 

requires

 

extensive

 

travel,

 

including

 

long

 

periods

 

in

 

other

 

countries

 

training

 

with

 

our

 

International

 

partners.

 

Following

 

the

 

retirement

 

of

 

the

 

shuttle

 

fleet,

 

trips

 

to

 

and

 

from

 

the

 

ISS

 

will

 

be

 

aboard

 

the

 

Russian

 

Soyuz

 

vehicle.

 

Astronaut

 

Formal

 

Training

 

The

 

astronauts

 

begin

 

their

 

formal

 

training

 

program

 

during

 

their

 

year

 

of

 

candidacy

 

by

 

reading

 

manuals

 

and

 

by

 

taking

 

computer­based

 

training

 

lessons

 

on

 

the

 

various

 

vehicle

 

systems.

 

The

 

next

 

step

 

in

 

the

 

training

 

process

 

involves

 

the

 

spacecraft

 

systems

 

trainers.

 

The

 

astronauts

 

are

 

trained

 

to

 

operate

 

each

 

system,

 

to

 

recognize

 

malfunctions,

 

and

 

to

 

perform

 

corrective

 

actions

 

if

 

needed.

 

The

 

Sonny

 

Carter

 

Training

 

Facility,

 

or

 

Neutral

 

Buoyancy

 

Laboratory

 

(NBL),

 

provides

 

controlled

 

neutral

 

buoyancy

 

operations

 

in

 

the

 

facility

 

water

 

tank

 

to

 

simulate

 

the

 

zero­g

 

or

 

weightless

 

condition

 

that

 

is

 

experienced

 

by

 

the

 

spacecraft

 

and

 

crew

 

during

 

space

 

flight.

 

It

 

is

 

an

 

essential

 

tool

 

for

 

the

 

design,

 

NASA

 

Facts

 

testing,

 

and

 

development

 

of

 

the

 

ISS

 

and

 

future

 

NASA

 

programs.

 

For

 

the

 

astronaut,

 

the

 

facility

 

provides

 

important

 

pre­flight

 

training

 

in

 

becoming

 

familiar

 

with

 

planned

 

crew

 

activities

 

and

 

with

 

the

 

dynamics

 

of

 

body

 

motion

 

under

 

weightless

 

conditions

 

in

 

order

 

to

 

perform

 

spacewalks.

 

Several

 

full­scale

 

mockups

 

and

 

trainers

 

are

 

also

 

used

 

to

 

train

 

astronauts.

 

These

 

mockups

 

and

 

trainers

 

are

 

used

 

for

 

onboard

 

systems

 

orientation

 

and

 

habitability

 

training.

 

Astronauts

 

practice

 

meal

 

preparation,

 

equipment

 

stowage,

 

trash

 

management,

 

use

 

of

 

cameras,

 

and

 

experiment

 

operations.

 

The

 

manipulator

 

development

 

facility

 

is

 

a

 

full­scale

 

mockup

 

of

 

the

 

payload

 

bay

 

with

 

a

 

full­scale

 

hydraulically­operated

 

remote

 

manipulator

 

system,

 

the

 

mechanical

 

arm

 

that

 

is

 

used

 

to

 

move

 

astronauts

 

and

 

equipment

 

around

 

in

 

space.

 

Astronauts,

 

who

 

are

 

pilots

 

maintain

 

flying

 

proficiency

 

by

 

flying

 

15

 

hours

 

per

 

month

 

in

 

NASA’s

 

fleet

 

of

 

two­seat

 

T­38

 

jets.

 

Non­pilot

 

astronauts

 

fly

 

a

 

minimum

 

of

 

4

 

hours

 

per

 

month.

 

The

 

T­38,

 

which

 

can

 

fly

 

to

 

heights

 

of

 

50,000

 

feet,

 

is

 

used

 

for

 

aerobatic

 

maneuvers

 

to

 

help

 

the

 

astronauts

 

become

 

adjusted

 

to

 

the

 

flight

 

environment,

 

including

 

the

 

g­forces

 

experienced

 

on

 

launch.

 

The

 

astronaut

 

training

 

is

 

designed

 

to

 

prepare

 

personnel

 

for

 

space

 

flight

 

on

 

the

 

ISS,

 

Russian

 

Soyuz

 

spacecraft

 

and

 

NASA’s

 

Orion

 

Crew

 

Exploration

 

Vehicle.

 

International

 

Space

 

Station

 

Program

 

Description

 

The

 

ISS

 

is

 

the

 

largest

 

international

 

scientific

 

and

 

technological

 

endeavor

 

ever

 

undertaken.

 

It

 

is

 

a

 

test

 

bed

 

for

 

technologies

 

for

 

the

 

future

 

as

 

we

 

learn

 

more

 

about

 

living

 

and

 

working

 

in

 

space.

 

Aboard

 

the

 

international

 

laboratory,

 

crews

 

conduct

 

medical

 

research

 

in

 

space;

 

develop

 

new

 

materials

 

and

 

processes

 

to

 

benefit

 

industries

 

on

 

Earth;

 

and

 

accelerate

 

breakthroughs

 

in

 

technology

 

and

 

engineering

 

that

 

will

 

have

 

immediate,

 

practical

 

applications

 

for

 

life

 

on

 

Earth.

 

When

 

completed,

 

the

 

ISS

 

will

 

be

 

356

 

feet

 

across

 

and

 

290

 

feet

 

long,

 

and

 

will

 

weigh

 

about

 

940,000

 

pounds.

 

Constellation

 

Program

 

Description

 

The

 

nation’s

 

next

 

major

 

human

 

space

 

flight

 

program

 

is

 

NASA’s

 

Constellation

 

Program,

 

which

 

is

 

currently

 

developing

 

spacecraft

 

and

 

launch

 

systems

 

for

 

a

 

new

 

generation

 

of

 

explorers

 

that

 

will

 

go

 

back

 

to

 

the

 

moon,

 

and

 

continue

 

to

 

Mars

 

and

 

beyond.

 

Initial

 

flights

 

of

 

the

 

new

 

Orion

 

spacecraft

 

will

 

be

 

to

 

the

 

ISS

 

in

 

low­Earth

 

orbit,

 

but

 

by

 

2020

 

it

 

will

 

support

 

the

 

development

 

of

 

an

 

outpost

 

on

 

the

 

moon.

 

Early

 

lunar

 

missions

 

will

 

be

 

about

 

a

 

week

 

long,

 

but

 

eventually

 

stays

 

on

 

the

 

lunar

 

surface

 

are

 

expected

 

to

 

last

 

about

 

6

 

months,

 

similar

 

in

 

length

 

to

 

current

 

ISS

 

missions.

 

For

 

additional

 

information

 

about

 

the

 

Astronaut

 

Candidate

 

Program,

 

please

 

go

 

to

 

the

 

Astronaut

 

Selection

 

site

 

www.nasajobs.nasa.gov/astronauts.

 

National

 

Aeronautics

 

and

 

Space

 

Administration

 

Lyndon

 

B.

 

Johnson

 

Space

 

Center

 

Houston,

 

Texas

 

77058

 

www.nasa.gov

 

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