For all the aspiring-to-be-astronauts, we have a good news! NASA has recently announced that the astronaut roster is open for the ‘future explorers’! Yes, NASA is hiring astronauts and you can submit your application on their provided link. NASA has mentioned along with the opening that it has been named the best place to work in the federal government for the fourth year in a row.
The announcement was made on Monday along with a Reddit Q&A (AMA) with NASA astronaut Shannon Walker and astronaut selection manager, Anne Roemer. This was a rare opportunity for Reddit users to ask about anything that is related to the application process and what is being expected of the candidates during the selection procedure.
NASA Administrator and former astronaut Charles Bolden said, “NASA is on an ambitious journey to Mars and we’re looking for talented men and women from diverse backgrounds and every walk of life to help get us there […] Today, we opened the application process for our next class of astronauts, extraordinary Americans who will take the next giant leap in exploration.”
The final candidate selections shall be announced sometime around mid of 2017, however, the chosen space travelers shall be given the option to fly on any of four different US spacecraft during the course of their careers; this includes the International Space Station, NASA’s Orion deep-space exploration vehicle and two commercial crew spacecrafts that are being developed by US companies.
The selected astronaut candidates will be selected from a diversified pool of US citizens with varying backgrounds. NASA has specified that in particular they are looking for engineers, physicians and scientists. Brian Kelly, Director of Flight Operation, said, ““Some people would be surprised to learn they might have what it takes. We want and need a diverse mix of individuals to ensure we have the best astronaut corps possible.”
