NASA is hiring the new generation of astronauts, one of which will go to Mars.
(Mirror Daily, United States) – Attention all space enthusiasts, NASA is hiring the new generation of astronauts. This is the first class that NASA gathers in four years. And that is not the best news. According to the Space Agency, one of the astronauts of this generation could have the opportunity of going to Mars.
Jessica Meir, a NASA employee and future participant in the astronaut training program is delighted to be a part of a team that will ultimately produce a member of the Mars crew. Dr. Meir is an assistant professor at Harvard and has collaborated with NASA on human physiology research on the International Space Station and the space shuttle.
The training of the new astronaut cadets will take place at Huston’s Space Center. In order for the candidates to be viable, they need to meet certain criteria. For starters, the applicants for the astronaut position at NASA must have at least a bachelor’s degree in either math, engineering or science. They must also have a military background or, at least, some experience in the military field. Because NASA is hiring only people that are able to comply with an order.
Another “must” is represented by communication skills and the ability to successfully work as a member of a team, or as a team leader. It is imperious that the candidates have above standards communication skills because, for example, the Mars mission will require them to work and sleep in a tent with a number of different other people for as long as three years. It’s not like NASA is hiring only Matt Daemons, but it is important to be able to communicate easily with your co-workers.
A chief astronaut at the National Aeronautics Space Agency, Chris Cassidy, gives a very pertinent example. Imagine going camping for a week in the woods with a person that you don’t like very much. Now expand the time free with approximately two to three years and change the location from the woods to a distant planet. It’s hard to imagine what could happen.
NASA is hiring, but the selection process will be rigorous. Of course, all of the astronauts that will be trained at Huston’s Space Center will be reassigned to other missions after completing their training because they will need to gather as much experience as they can in order to be selected for the Mars mission.
Even though the acceptance conditions are strict and there are only 8 to 14 available positions, the Space Agency announced that over six thousand people have already applied for the astronaut training.
According to NASA, the training will include some of the most difficult and extreme scenarios an astronaut can encounter from faulty equipment to a close encounter with a meteor.
We can only stop and ponder if NASA is hiring Elon Musk as well since he declared that he wants to be a part of the Mars mission and the current generation will produce an astronaut that will be a part of the team that will head out to the Red Planet.
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