How to become an astronaut ?

Becoming an astronaut is neither simple nor straightforward; there are no schools for astronauts or university courses. So how do you become an astronaut and what qualifications and qualities do you need? Space agencies are looking for the best people possible. Training an astronaut is a considerable investment for any agency; training is lengthy and expensive, and the support needed both before and during a space mission is costly. It takes years to organise a space mission and altogether hundreds of people are involved in preparing the astronauts and the spacecraft. Astronauts are pivotal to the success of a mission but flight opportunities are limited, so space agencies want to be sure that the astronaut selected will make the best possible use of the precious time they will spend in space.

What is the qualification we need ?

Astronauts need to be able to apply their considerable knowledge and skills to the tasks for which they have been trained; be able to bear tremendous responsibility while in orbit; and be determined to succeed. This is what makes them special. A high level of education in scientific or technical disciplines, coupled with an outstanding professional background in research, application or education fields possibly supported by the use of computer systems and applications, is essential. Previous experience with aircraft operations is a bonus, particularly if it involved responsible tasks such as being a test pilot or flight engineer. The more skills and experience an applicant has the better, as this will increase their ability to undertake a variety of tasks. Equally essential is excellent physical condition. Astronauts have to undergo intensive periods of training and may participate in spaceflights that last for months. During this time their body will be subject to a great deal of stress and good health and physical endurance are essential. It is a challenge to live in a confined space for long periods with other people. Among the psychological qualities required are the ability to get on well with other members of the crew, and an affinity for teamwork and adaptability, as the space crew must work well together. Would-be astronauts also need self-control and an equable temperament to cope with stress and any emergency that may arise. 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. 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.

Public relations ?

Astronauts are often in the spotlight as the public and the media are curious about their life and missions. This means they must enjoy meeting the public and the press, and be able to communicate the importance of their tasks in space. Fluency in English is mandatory and a good knowledge of Russian is an asset as it facilitates training at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training

Centre in Russia. Interest in, and knowledge of, American, Russian and Japanese culture is also useful as it will facilitate good relations with our international partners on the Space Station.

Recriutment ?

If you believe you have the above qualities and qualifications, and can remain dedicated to your goal of becoming an astronaut, even though it will mean years of hard work, preparation and patience as you wait for an opportunity to finally board a spacecraft, then you could apply to the European Astronaut Corps. ESA astronauts can only be selected from countries that are ESA Member States. A selection round was held between May 2008 and May 2009. 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 20 May 2009, six new ESA astronauts were presented at a press conference held at ESA Headquarters in Paris, France. The new ESA astronauts start their basic training at EAC on 1 September 2009.

Who organises Life in Space?

'The Origins of Life and Life in Space' is an annual two-week summer course about exobiology open to students from all over Europe. It usually takes place at the end of August/beginning of September at the Laboratoire Arago in Banyuls-sur-mer, France. The programme is run by a consortium of top European universities and each year 35-50 students participate. The main goal of the Life in Space course is to introduce the participants to the range of space-related biological disciplines in which research is being carried out in Europe. The course is run by a consortium of participating universities consisting of:

Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, Paris VI, France (lead university) Universität Bonn, Germany University of Firenze, Italy University of Sassari, Italy Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain University of Valencia, Spain Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (ETH), Switzerland University of Nottingham, UK

The two-week course contains:

Lectures presented by European specialists on the origins of life, the space environment, the role of gravity in molecular, cellular, animal and plant behaviour, and the use of molecular tools in space biology.

Data analysis workshops which complement the lectures. The theory explained during the lectures is practised during the organised workshops.

Experiment design projects; in multi-national teams and together with the teachers the students work on their own life science experiment design. At the end of the course the projects are presented to the other student teams.

The course concludes with the distribution of certificates to the participating students. There is also time to socialize, and a trip is planned to places of interest within the

Banyuls area.

ESA contribution to Life in Space

ESA's Directorate of Human Spaceflight supports the Life in Space course with the following contributions:

ESA grants – grants for students and participating teachers. The selected students should be nationals from one of the ESA Member States* and they should not be eligible to receive financial support from the Socrates Programme.

E-learning session – a live contact with the opportunity to talk to an ESA astronaut. ESA lectures – lectures presented by ESA staff on topics related to exobiology and/or

human spaceflight and exploration.

* The ESA Member States are: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

Who can participate?

European students interested in exobiology with good study results can apply to take part in the Life in Space programme.

The course is taught in English, so a good command in English (both spoken and written) is recommended.

How to apply?

If you want to apply for the Life in Space programme, please send an application to Professor M. Maurel: maurel @ ijm.jussieu.fr

It should include personal contact details, a motivation letter and a CV.

Contact persons:

Life in Space:Prof. Marie-Christine MaurelLife in Space CoordinatorUniversité Pierre-et-Marie-CurieEmail: marie-christine.maurel @ upmc.fr

ESA: Nigel SavageEmail: Nigel.Savage @ esa.int

How To Become An AstronautMany of us dreamed of becoming a NASA astronaut when we were young. Some of us never got over that dream. When John Glenn rode the shuttle for NASA in 1998 at the age of 77, that flight breathed new hope into many would-be astronauts.

So, how do you become an astronaut? Let's discover the NASA employment path, together. ime Required: Varies, But Several Years

Here's How:

1. Begin your preparation as early as possible. Learn the basics in elementary school, especially math and science. Read everything you can get your hands on about astronauts, space, and whatever field you want to work in.

2. Learn how to work effectively in a team environment. Also, don't forget the world around you. NASA does not exist in a vacuum, and you shouldn't either. Astronauts are team players.

3. Since a college degree is a necessity, it is imperative you do well in high school first. Study hard, make good grades, especially on the SAT or ACT. Make a good decision on the course of study you wish to pursue, whether it be engineering, biological or physical science, or mathematics.

4. NASA's "minimum degree requirement" for an astronaut is a bachelor's from an accredited institution, so work hard in your chosen classes. Your grades should allow you to enroll in a good Master of Science program.

5. After college, you'll need 3 years of related increasingly responsible professional experience in your field. You should start preparing for this by choosing wisely when it comes to internships and coop positions in college.

6. Communication plays a very vital role, not only verbally, but written as well. In addition, the Space industry is now a global enterprise. It's a good idea to be bilingual as well.

7. Once you've got your degree and some work experience, it's time to apply for those astronauts positions. Fill out a Standard Form 171 (government employment application) and send it to Astronaut Selection Office, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058.

8. The astronaut application will be reviewed and ranked by various criteria, including: height, experience and expertise. NASA receives an average of 4,015 pllications to fill around 20 slots every 2 years.

9. Next, another screening process, and about 118 from the original 4,015 will be invited to Johnson Space Center for a week of interviews, medical exams and orientation. The ASB interviews each astronaut candidate and assigns them a rating based on: experience and potential, motivation, ability to function as a team member, communicative abilities, and adaptability. You can fail due to interpersonal skills.

10. If you are interested in a pilot/commander position, instead of mission specialist, you will also be required to log in at least 1,000 hours of flight time in command of a jet aircraft. During training all crew members train aboard a T-38 jet, in which the controls are identical to the Space Shuttle and therefore, can be used as a flight simulator either on the ground or in actual flight.

11. Many applicants do not meet medical standards while others withdraw after learning all that the job entails. After collecting significant information,the Astronaut Selection Board will choose its final candidates and pass that recommendation on the NASA Administrator who will make the final pick for employment.

12. Once selected, astronaut candidates begin a rigorous training program. Expect many long days, even after your training ends. Being an astronaut can be hard on family life.

Tips:

1. An interesting fact is that out of 195 former and present astronauts, 123 have taken part in Scouting. It seems that scouting is a great place to learn many of the skills required to be an astronaut.

2. Don't approach your college career concerned with how it will appear on a resume. Make sure you have a real interest in your course of study.

3. As soon as you arrive on campus, go to the co-operative and recruitment offices to explore the possibilities of an internship or work/study position to gain vital experience necessary to be marketable. If you wait till your senior year, or even after graduation, you've missed a golden opportunity.

4. Don't rest on your laurels. Most astronauts to date have continued with career and/or education to the post-graduate levels and were able to substitute education for all or part of their work experience requirement. Still, the application process is a long one, and you still need to eat in the meantime.

5. The Astronaut Selection Board (ASB) is looking for people who have done very well in a technical field. Make sure you have sterling recommendations, especially from undergraduate and graduate school professors that can attest to your problem solving abilities, communicability with others and your ability to work well in a team.

What You Need:

Height 64 and 76 inches 20/70 Corrected to 20/20 Blood Pressure-140/90 Bachelor's Degree 3 Years Experience

How to Become an Astronaut 101Lt. Col. Cady Coleman talks about what it's like to be an astronaut and how a passion for high school chemistry led her to become one.

To the average person, words and phrases like polymer synthesis and olefin metathesis reaction represent little more than good Scrabble scores.

But to Lt. Col. Catherine G. "Cady" Coleman, they mean so much more, and her interest in what these words mean has opened up to her, quite literally, a new universe. Using her passion and talent for chemistry and engineering, Coleman has made her way up the ranks from inspired student to research chemist to NASA astronaut.

Her journey began in high school, under the tutelage of an especially enthusiastic chemistry teacher, Mrs. Ruth Opp.

"She passed her excitement on to me," Coleman says. "I discovered later that many things she talked

about I didn't really understand at the time, but she made me want to know more."

Coleman says her luck with wonderful teachers continued into college. While attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she was fortunate enough to study under Dr. George Whitesides.

"He was an incredible lecturer and scholar," she says. "I credit my teachers for giving me my enthusiasm for chemistry."

Coleman continued her studies at the University of Massachusetts, where she earned a doctorate in polymer science and engineering. It is an interdisciplinary field and allowed Coleman to focus on the chemistry of making polymers and the integral processes used to discover why they do what they do.

A polymer is a chain of molecules, which Coleman describes as being similar to a string of spaghetti. Commonly known polymers are plastics, hair and fibers, like cotton and silk. It is interesting to make chemical reactions using polymers because it involves the chemistry of a long chain of bead-like molecules rather than individual molecules that are free to move around and react in any direction, she says.

"It is the processing that fascinates me," Coleman says. "It's like when you used to try and make fudge when you were a kid. Each time you would try to

make it, you would put the same set of ingredients together. Yet, one time you get fudge that is all granular and crunchy, and the next it is a soupy mess that won't solidify. It all has to do with the processing -- how you put the ingredients together, the baking time, the way you mixed it up. I always wanted to know how the differences could happen."

Her interest in processing contributed to her interest in the space program, although she says she did not always know she wanted to be an astronaut.

"Being an astronaut wasn't really a common occupation when I was a kid," Coleman says. "I didn't think about it until I was in college, and Sally Ride came to speak at MIT. Listening to her, I thought wow, I want that job! I wanted adventure in my life."

Coleman entered active duty in the Air Force upon her graduation from the University of Massachusetts. She began her commission working as a research chemist at the Materials Directorate of the Wright Laboratory at Wright-

"The biggest challenge about being involved in the space program is the need to be able to be good at and know a lot about a lot of things."

Cady Coleman handles a tiny mouse ear plant on Columbia's flight deck during the STS-93 shuttle mission. The plant experiment was part of the Plant Growth Investigations in Microgravity.

"This is where my training as a scientist really came in handy. …You need to go up there and do your best."

Patterson Air Force Base. She continued her research on polymers and how they can be used in different computer applications, such as data storage.

Coleman was selected by NASA in March 1992 to become an astronaut. Her adventure really began in earnest then, and her knowledge area expanded as she attended astronaut "basic training."

"I needed to learn safety procedures, how the space shuttle works, how the space station operates, software information and what to do if things go wrong," Coleman says. "Basically, I needed to learn how to be a space shuttle operator."

That is not to say that Coleman completely stopped doing science. However, her involvement with chemistry and science shifted.

"I am away from my own research right now," she says. "As an operator, I consult with other scientists as to how they can make their experiments work in space. I understand their goals, which helps me help them create a workable microgravity experiment."

Microgravity, a condition in which the effects of gravity are greatly reduced, can provide an excellent environment for certain kinds of scientific research. When experiments are done in a microgravity environment, such as on the space shuttle orbiting the Earth, researchers have a unique opportunity to study the fundamental states of matter -- solids, liquids and gasses -- and the forces that affect them. Researchers can isolate and study the influence of gravity on physical processes, as well as other phenomena that are normally masked by gravity.

"In microgravity, it is possible to change some variables that affect and influence processing in a gravity environment," says Coleman.

She assisted with many microgravity experiments on her first space shuttle mission, STS-73 on Columbia, which was the second United States Microgravity Laboratory mission. NASA selects experiments to be performed on space shuttle missions. Astronauts called mission specialists conduct the experiments. On that particular 16-day shuttle flight, Coleman served as a mission specialist, and actively participated in numerous experiments housed in the

pressurized Spacelab module.

"I personally interacted with 30 experiments, many of which were in fluid physics and crystal growth," she says. "This is where my training as a scientist really came in handy, as it is a challenge to work quickly but well. It is like having 30 customers in 16 days. There isn't time for mistakes. You need to go up there and do your best."

With the space station currently under construction, the possibility of experiments being performed in a more leisurely capacity is a reality. Coleman hopes that one day in the near future she will be conducting such experiments on the space station.

"I want to be able to help experimenters get all they can out of their experiments in space," she says. "On the space station, we would have more time to do more scientific exploration. So much of science is in the mistakes and being aware and intelligent enough to observe them and then learn from them."

"As an operator, I consult with other scientists as to how they can make their experiments work in space. I understand their goals, which helps me help them create a workable microgravity experiment."

For the moment, Coleman has shifted gears away from science to continue to gain the depth of experience required of an astronaut. In July of 1999, Coleman participated in a five-day shuttle mission, STS-93 on Columbia, serving as the lead mission specialist for the deployment of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Chandra is enabling scientists to conduct comprehensive studies of the universe, and study phenomena such as exploding stars, quasars and black holes.

"There have been so many developments in space science, like x-ray astronomy," she says. "There was so much excitement about this telescope. We have been waiting to get telescopes outside Earth orbit so we can see out into the universe. Technology makes discovery possible."

Coleman now is training to work in mission control, to be the voice the astronauts in space hear when they call home. Her experience as a scientist will again come in handy.

"I think it will be very helpful that I know from experience how busy the astronauts are," she says. "There needs to be a balance between communication and knowing that they are up there doing their jobs. For instance, I can help make the decisions about whether it is important to discuss with them their plans for the next four hours or to just give them a few more minutes to complete the tasks they are currently doing."

It seems to be this appreciation for balance that makes Coleman such an extraordinary astronaut and scientist. Whether she is processing chemicals, conducting 30 experiments in space or communicating with the space shuttle, she is in some way utilizing all she has learned.

"The biggest challenge about being involved in the space program is the need to be able to be good at and know a lot about a lot of things," Coleman says. "It's not just chemistry anymore."

Important link :

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/pdf/606877main_FS-2011-11-057-JSC-astro_trng.pdf