WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE AN ASTRONAUT

Travelling into space and exploring new worlds is dependent on the survival of explorers and their ability to adapt to new surroundings so, what does it take to be as astronaut?
Official requirements
Before they even get started on training, astronauts have to meet a set of stringent requirements set out by NASA. Not only must they have a Bachelor’s degree in either engineering, biological science, physical science, or maths,
they must also have three years of progressively responsible work experience in a related field. Alternatively, a masters degree will do instead of work experience.
Astronaut applicants also need to pass a long-duration spaceflight physical which includes having 20/20 vision and blood pressure below 140/90 in a sitting position. They must
also be between 5’1” and 6’2” tall.
And for anyone hoping to pilot a spacecraft, they’ll be required to have at least 1,000 hours of flying hours in charge of a jet under their belt, preferably as a test pilot.
Once applications have been screened, the most suitable candidates must undergo a week-long process of personal interviews plus further medical screening to rule out any underlying problems.
Once selected, the lucky astronauts are assigned to the Astronaut office at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where they go through a two-year training and evaluation period including an early swimming test.
The test requires would-be astros to swim 3 lengths of a 25- metre pool without stopping, then swim 3 lengths in a flight suit and tennis shoes with no time limit, and also tread water continuously for 10 minutes while wearing a flight suit.
During the evaluation, candidates are also trained in Scuba diving, and exposed to problems associated with high and low pressures in an altitude chamber to learn how to deal with
these conditions. They also get to experience the microgravity of space flight during flights in a modified plane that produces periods of weightlessness by flying in parabolic arcs.
“Astronauts undergo extensive training before being assigned to a mission, and additional training once they are assigned to a specific mission,” explains Rachel Kraft, a spokesperson
from NASA’s Johnson Space Center, where astronauts work and train.
“Astronauts are required to have a detailed knowledge of spaceflight systems, as well as the operational characteristics, mission requirements and objectives, and supporting systems and equipment for each experiment on their assigned missions.”
Training
The enormous set of skills that astronauts have to learn before a mission includes photography, learning Russian, basic surgery, plumbing and of course, social media training.
Along with the skills that the astronauts will need to survive, from putting on a spacesuit to docking with the ISS, the crew members also have to practice any mission-specific procedures.
“Astronauts are involved in all aspects of on-orbit operations, including spacewalks, robotics operations using the remote manipulator system, experiment operations, and onboard
maintenance tasks and must be trained for these tasks,” says Kraft.
Astronauts train together in NASA’s ‘Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory’ pool, which simulates the feeling of microgravity and includes full-size mock-ups of the ISS.
They also carry out important survival training to prepare them for an off-course landing which could lead to them being stranded in the wilderness for days before the rescue team turns up.
Teamwork
The vast majority of astronaut training is completed alongside crew members, not only so that everyone knows what they’re doing when they get to space, but so that they know what everyone else is doing.
Every possible eventuality is simulated or ‘simmed’ repeatedly until each member of the crew is able to carry out their response flawlessly. This teamwork is key to the survival of the groups.
“If things are going badly on board a spaceship, it’s not the astronaut’s role to hide under a table but to take action and make things better. No one else can. That’s why our training takes so long” explains Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield.
“Every astronaut brings strong qualities to the astronaut corps. Every crew member undertaking a mission far from Earth must be able to work well with others and endure being away from home for a long time,” says Kraft.
Kraft reiterates: “Teamwork is an essential part of any mission. Crew members must work together and interact well with a large team on the ground to make a mission a success.”
Roles
On current flights to the ISS on the Russian Soyuz, there is always a commander on board, along with two Flight Engineers while the Orion spacecraft, which will be used by NASA for future flights to Mars and beyond, can carry an extra flight engineer.
The ISS also has a Commander who takes responsibility for the mission in hand as well as the safety and smooth running of the space station. The Commander is in charge of the five
remaining crew members - all designated Flight Engineers.
One of the Flight Engineers on each ISS mission also has the title of Science Officer, putting them in change of all the scientific experiments on board.
In the past, astronaut roles were more clearly defined to include positions like ‘Pilot’, ‘Mission Specialist’ and ‘Payload Specialist’.
As space exploration has evolved, roles have become more task-driven and vary according to each mission. Astronauts train for missions together which helps them to understand
what other crew members are doing on board so that they can work together more effectively.