Do You Have the Right Stuff? What It Takes to Join NASA's Astronaut Corps

by Linda Grimm | 2024-03-20

Look back at NASA’s history of human spaceflight and a connection to Greek and Roman mythology becomes apparent. Programs dubbed Mercury and Apollo, rockets called Atlas and Titan, and spacecraft named Juno and Orion.

At times, mythical qualities have also been ascribed to NASA’s astronauts, whose courage and boundary-breaking work often earns them hero status.

But as astronaut Frank Rubio tells it, “Most of us are pretty normal people.”

So, what does it really take to become a NASA astronaut? Read on as we separate the myths from the facts.

A group of astronauts wearing blue flight suits and pointing to the sky, with the Space Launch System rocket standing behind them in the distance. — Astronauts and astronaut candidates from NASA and the Canadian Space Agency pose for a photograph in front of NASA’s Artemis I Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft atop the mobile launcher on the pad at Launch Complex 39B on Aug. 28, 2022. **Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett**

Myth: You need to get flight experience before you can become an astronaut.

Fact: Flying experience is not a requirement. Astronaut candidates must have either three years of professional related experience or have at least 1,000 hours of Pilot-In-Command time. Of those hours, at least 850 must be in a high-performance jet aircraft, which is usually obtained through the military. Any type of flying experience is beneficial to have.

Myth: NASA only accepts candidates who are former or active-duty military.

Fact: Military experience is not required, either! The application and selection processes are slightly different for active-duty military personnel and may vary by military branch.

Three pictures showing astronauts completing different aspects of their training. — From left, NASA astronauts Nicole Mann, Sunita “Suni” Williams, and Michael Finke complete various types of physical and technical training to prepare for their flight assignments. **Credit: NASA**

Myth: All NASA astronauts are pilots or engineers.

Fact: Dr. Harrison Schmitt, a former NASA astronaut who became the first scientist to set foot on the Moon during the Apollo 17 mission, recently dispelled this myth. “There are many more opportunities today than there were in the 1960s and 1970s for activities in space,” he said. “Back then, piloting was the only real category. There are openings for many other professionals now in the program.”

Members of the astronaut corps have experience in a variety of professional and academic fields. NASA’s newest astronaut class is comprised of individuals with skill sets and backgrounds in medicine, physics, aviation, and engineering, for example. Applicants do need a master’s in a STEM field, such as engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics, from an accredited institution.

A group of astronauts participates in geology training in the Arizona dessert. — 2017 NASA astronaut candidates gather during geology training in Arizona. **Credit: NASA/Bill Stafford**

Myth: Applicants just need technical skills to be considered.

Fact: According to astronaut Woody Hoburg, “The three things it takes to be an astronaut is technical skill, operational skills, and just being fun and easy to be around.”

Strong technical skills are important, but NASA also wants candidates with top competencies and multidisciplinary experience. We need strong leaders and good communicators who are adaptable and ready to learn. “Honestly, it’s a lot like being a good kindergartener. You have to get along well with others, and if you spill your glue, don’t spill your glue again. Learn from your mistake,” said astronaut Raja Chari.

NASA also wants candidates who are driven to explore and are committed to public service because that is central to our mission – to explore the unknown and innovate for the benefit of all humanity.

Four astronauts in white flight suits stand in front of a building, waving to the crowd. — NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 crew members right to left, NASA astronauts Jeanette Epps, Matthew Dominick, and Michael Barratt, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, are seen as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for Launch Complex 39A to board the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft for launch. **Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett**

Myth: You only get one shot at becoming an astronaut.

Fact: You can apply as many times as you want to!

NASA’s next astronaut class will conduct groundbreaking research on the International Space Station, flight test commercially developed vehicles, and serve as crew members aboard spacecraft bound for destinations across the cosmos.

If you think you have what it takes, submit your application before April 16, 2024.