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NASA Accepting Applications for Astronaut Program

Posted on January 5, 2012

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is accepting applications for its famed Astronaut Training Program. Applications must be submitted online and the deadline is January 27, 2012.

The Space Shuttle program ended in 2011 but the space agency has a need for Astronaut Candidates to support the International Space Station (ISS) Program and future deep space exploration activities.

NASA selects astronauts from a diverse pool of applicants with a wide variety of backgrounds. From the thousands of applications received, only a few are chosen for the intensive Astronaut Candidate training program. Including the "Original Seven", only 330 astronauts have been selected to date.

Those selected will be among the first to pioneer a new generation of commercial launch vehicles and travel aboard a new heavy-lift rocket to distant destinations in deep space. "For 50 years, American astronauts have led the exploration of our solar system," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said. "Today we are getting a glimpse of why that will remain true for the next half-century. Make no mistake about it, human space flight is alive and well at NASA."

In order to apply, you must have height between 5-foot-2 tall (62 inches) and 6-foot-3 (75 inches).

A Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in engineering, biological science, physical science, or mathematics is required. Also, at least 1,000 hours of flight time in command of a jet aircraft or three years of experience.

Selection into the Astronaut Candidate Program does not guarantee selection as an astronaut. Final selection as an astronaut will depend upon satisfactory completion of the training and evaluation period. Graduation from the Astronaut Candidate Program will require successful completion of the following: International Space Station systems training, Extravehicular Activity skills training, Robotics skills training, Russian language training, and aircraft flight readiness training.

The annual salary for an astronaut candidate is $64,724 to $141,715 per year. Candidates will be based at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX.

To learn more about the Astronaut Program, visit this link. To view the job announcement, visit USAJobs.