Space

Dream job Astronaut: Bewerberrekord at NASA

At the US space Agency NASA have so many people to a Astronautenjob advertised like never before. The selection for the coveted training is strictly. Absolute Exclusion Criterion: Fear Of Heights.

The Department of human resources NASA now has probably much to do: About 18.300 people have focused on the current job listing as an Astronaut advertised. Application deadline was Thursday. There are so many people like never before, said the US space Agency. There are more than three times as many contenders for the coveted Astronautenjob as in the last call 2011. Also breaking the previous record of 8,000 applications in 1978 was significantly exceeded.

The selection criteria are strict. The requirements include U.S. citizenship, a Bachelor’s degree in engineering, biology, physics, computer science or mathematics and at least three years of related professional experience or 1000 hours of flying as Pilot. In addition, the applicant must in a space-suit fit, should not have a fear of heights and should focus on “more and longer trips”.

“It surprised me not at all that so many Americans with such diverse backgrounds want to be there, if we have our way to Mars to continue,” said the NASA chief and former Astronaut Charles Bolden.

Training in Raumspaziergang and Russian

But only for a few goes the dream of astronauts-existence at the end in fulfillment. After a several-month selection contest wants NASA to mid-2017, the names of up to 14 successful applicants. You will then have two years to astronauts are trained. The Training includes, among other things, behavior at a Raumspaziergang, Teamwork, and basic knowledge of Russian. Possible applications include the international space station (ISS), the spacecraft Orion, or two commercial spacecraft.

Currently working on 47 active astronauts in the U.S. space Agency. Since 1959, the NASA, a total of 300 astronauts sent into space.

vk/sti (afp, dpa)