Astronaut

Astronauts are individuals who conduct experiments and gather information while in space flight. They have very specific responsibilities and work as a part of a crew. Astronauts go through specialized training to prepare for these space missions and must be able to pass certain physical, comprehensive academic, and mental exams. The roles of an astronaut can range from being a mission specialist to a captain and their most important role is to ensure the safety of the spacecraft and the crew.

Education Requirements:

- Minimum: Bachelor's degree

- Training Program: It is important that astronauts space stay in physical shape because being in physical shape is an major part in their training. As mentioned before, they must pass physical, comprehensive, and situational based tests. Astronauts will also be trained in simulations to get a "feel" of space. These initial and ongoing trainings that astronauts receive are an important part of their career.

Skills Needed:

- Analytical Skills

- Math and Science Skills

- Communication Skills

- Curiosity

- Decision-making skills

- Interpersonal Skills

- Mechanical Skills

- Stamina

- Teamwork Skills

Working Environments:

• - Astronauts spend a majority of their time in classrooms, training simulations, and gyms to prepare for their missions. In addition, they spend a good chunk of their time on actual spacecrafts. The actual time that an astronaut spends on their mission is relatively smaller compared to the amount of time in training, but it is that extensive training that results in successful missions. Astronauts will tend to work long hours, especially closer and on missions (sometimes up to 100 hours a week). Their work environment can be stressful at times, but astronauts must be able to stay calm in stressful environments. It is important that in these situations they focus on safety and ensure that they are mentally and physically prepared for these missions.

What Does It Take to Be An Astronaut @NASA

- Be a U.S. Citizen

- Have a master's degree in a STEM field

- Have at least two years of related profession experience obtained after degree completion or at least 1,000 hours piolet-in-command time on a jet aircraft

- Be able to pass NASA long-duration flight astronaut physical

Fun Facts:

- The word astronaut comes from the words "astron nautes" (Greek) which means "star sailor".

- Astronaut Alan Shepard became famous for hitting a golf ball on the Moon.

- About 600 million people watched Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walk on the Moon on television.

- Astronauts spend hours learning how to read and speak Russian. This spoken fluency is a must for safety reasons and to pass a competency tests for NASA.

- In space if an astronaut cries, the tears do not fall but just stay on their face and form a blob around their eyes.