HOW TO BECOME A NASA ASTRONAUT

HOW MANY ASTRONAUTS ARE THERE? CURRENT ASTRONAUTS: 138 ASTRONAUT CANDIDATES: 17 RETIRED ASTRONAUTS: 129 DECEASED: 27

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HOW MANY ASTRONAUTS ARE MILITARY? Navy: 35 Air Force: 28 Marine: 7 Army: 7 Candidates: 12 of the 17

WHERE DO ASTRONAUTS COME FROM? Leading Institutions: 1. U.S.N.A. 51 2. U.S.A.F.A. 34 3. Naval Post Grad 32 4. MIT 31 5. Purdue 20 6. Stanford 18 7. U.S.M.A. 17 8. U. Colorado 13 9. Wash U. 11 10. Cal Tech 11

WHAT IS A TYPICAL ASTRONAUT CANDIDATE? Total Candidates (2011): 15 Average Age: 37 Youngest: 30 Oldest: 42 10 Military 5 Civilian 13 Male 2 Female Education: 9 BSc, 2 MA, 4 PhD

IT’S NOT EASY… You must start early (age 14) A lot of astronauts have a military background Some astronauts have scientific backgrounds You must be healthy and physically fit You must be good at communication and literacy You must be able to live and work with other people You must be determined and motivated You must work well under pressure You must be prepared to train for thousands of hours

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS Shuttle Pilot: - 1,000 hrs in jets - Class 1 Flight Physical - 20/70 eyesight - correctable to 20/20 - Blood Pressure 140/90 - Height between 64 & 76 in Mission Specialist: - Class II Flight Physical - 20/200 eyesight - correctable to 20/20 - Blood Pressure 140/90 - Height between 58.5 & 76 in

OTHER REQUIREMENTS Bachelor’s degree in engineering, biological science, physical science, or mathematics - 3 years experience in field - MSc = 1 year; PhD = 3 years - Finalists undergo week of interviews and evaluations (med) - Pay scale is $50K - $110K (£32K - £70K) - 2 years training prior to mission - 75m swim in flight suit and tennis shoes - Tread water for 10 min - Scuba qualification Overall, NASA says they want team players and problem solvers

PROBLEM SOLVING 1 Yuri Gagarin was the first human in space in the year 1961. If the first human to land on Mars was to land there in the year 2030, how long would there be between these two events? Give answer in years. How many months? How many weeks? How many days?

HAVE YOU GOT THE RIGHT STUFF? Complete the on-line ICSA STRIPE assessment test. This will help work out what team role you could take on!

EARN YOUR STRIPES Self-Manager Team-Worker Reflective Learner Mission Commander Medical Officer Flight Systems Engineer Team-Worker Logistics Engineer/Operations Communications Officer Food Hygiene Officer Reflective Learner Research scientist Geologist Computer Engineer Innovative Thinker Engineering Officer Mission Specialist Pilot Robotics Engineer Participator Ground Crew Life Support Engineer Health and Safety/Security Enquiring Learner Planetary Specialist Astrophysics Officer Navigation Systems Officer

PROBLEM SOLVING 2 If launch is at 18.00h at what time is each stage? 1 Event 1 -12h 00m 00s Start of final countdown 2 -07h 30m 00s Electrical system check 3 -03h 20m 00s Chilldown of main engine 4 -01h 10m 00s Check launch systems 5 -00h 07m 00s Arm docking clamp 6 -00h 04m 00s Pressurize tanks 7 -00h 01m 00s Switch on fuel pumps 8 -00h 00m 40s Disconnect fuel hoses 9 -00h 00m 03s Transfer command launch -00h 00m 00s Ignite main engine If launch is at 18.00h at what time is each stage?

PROBLEM SOLVING 3 You can use three identical digits in a simple addition sum so that the total is 12. You cannot use the digit 4. What is the answer? What object can you cut clean through and be left with one object with two ends? This sentance containes two misstakes. How many mistakes are there in the sentence above? When you’re looking for something, you always seem to find it in the last place you thought of looking. There is a scientific explanation for this. What is the explanation?