Become An Astronaut - NASA (2024)

FAQs

How long does it take to become a NASA astronaut? ›

On top of the six years of schooling and two years of professional experience, astronauts must complete two years of mandatory basic training. All of this adds up to about a decade of preparation. After that, astronauts may need to wait months or years before they can even embark on their first space mission.

What is the average NASA astronaut's salary? According to NASA, civilian astronaut salaries are determined by the US Government's pay scales – or more specifically grades GS-13 to GS-14. As of 2022, the GS-13 pay scale ranges from $81,216 to $105,579 per annum. This is up to $8,798.25 per month or $50.59 an hour.

The Astronaut Candidate Program requires either 3 years of professional related experience or have at least 1,000 hours of Pilot-In-Command time. A minimum of 850 hours must be in a high-performance jet aircraft. The remaining hours may be accumulated in aircraft other than high-performance jet aircraft.

NASA's Astronaut Selection Board reviews the applications and assesses each candidate's qualifications. The board then invites a small group of the most highly qualified candidates for interviews at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Of those interviewed, about half are invited back for second interviews.

Personal Requirements for Astronauts

You must have 20/20 eyesight and good overall health and fitness since you'll have to pass a NASA long-duration flight astronaut physical. The astronaut height limit is between 62 and 75 inches. Finally, you must be 30-to-55-years old.

MYTH: You have to be a certain age in order to be an astronaut. FACT: There are no age restrictions.

Neil Armstrong's Salary

At the time of the Apollo 11 flight in 1969, Neil Armstrong was paid a salary of $27,401 and was the highest paid of the flying astronauts, according to the Boston Herald. That translates to $190,684 in 2019 dollars.

Do NASA astronauts pay taxes? Yes, NASA astronauts pay state and federal taxes as citizens of the United States in order to provide revenue for government spending. Depending on their situations, astronauts may also pay tax on property they own, investments or other revenue instruments, too.

Total Salary Range for SpaceX Astronaut

The average Astronaut base salary at SpaceX is $114K per year. The average additional pay is $18K per year, which could include cash bonus, stock, commission, profit sharing or tips.

Engineering is the most popular degree. 66% of the active astronauts have a degree in engineering and 66% of the new AsCans have a degree in engineering. The most common degree for those without an engineering degree is medicine (MD).

Can I realistically become an astronaut? ›

Becoming an astronaut can take approximately 10 years. This includes four years of college, two years for a master's degree, two years of professional experience and then two years in the NASA Astronaut Corps. It can take longer, depending on how quickly you complete coursework and training.

A month short of 26 years old at launch, he is the youngest Astronaut and was the youngest person to fly in space until 2021 when Oliver Daemen flew on Blue Origin NS-16 at the age of 18. Since Daemen flew a suborbital mission, Titov remains the youngest man to fly in Earth orbit.

Just like pilots, astronaut candidates must have 20/20 vision, either naturally or with corrective lenses. They must have a healthy blood pressure level, not exceeding 140/90, to withstand the effects of microgravity on blood distribution in the body.

The last time NASA put out a call for applications, in 2020, more than 12,000 people applied. It took the agency a year and a half to go through the applications. NASA selected just 10 of the hopefuls, or 0.083 percent. That makes Harvard's 3.5 percent acceptance rate among high school applicants appear bountiful.

Physical requirements

To be a commander or pilot astronaut, you need to be 158cm to 190cm tall, and to be a mission specialist you need to be between 149cm to 193cm. In general, astronauts should weigh between 50 and 95 kilograms (110 and 209 pounds) and measure between 149.5cm and 190.5cm.

NASA's Space Shuttle took about 8.5 minutes to get into Earth orbit, according to NASA. On 16 November 2022, the Artemis 1 spacecraft took 8 minutes and 20 seconds to reach an altitude of 162 km (100.6 miles) above Earth.

Qualifications. There are no age restrictions for the NASA Astronaut Corps. Astronaut candidates have ranged between the ages of 26 and 46, with the average age being 34.

In seeking its first astronauts, NASA required jet aircraft flight experience and engineering training. Height could be no more than 5 feet 11 inches because of limited cabin space available in the Mercury space capsule being designed.

Becoming an astronaut can take approximately 10 years. This includes four years of college, two years for a master's degree, two years of professional experience and then two years in the NASA Astronaut Corps. It can take longer, depending on how quickly you complete coursework and training.