Cosmos
Cosmos is a quarterly science magazine. We aim to inspire curiosity in ‘The Science of Everything’ and make the world of science accessible to everyone.
By Cosmos
NASA has opened applications for its next round of astronauts, which could be your ticket to the Moon, assuming you’re a US citizen.
New applications have been called after 10 astronauts completed their training as part of the Artemis program, and are now available for flight missions, including those to the International Space Station and other orbital space platforms and as part of NASA’s forthcoming Moon missions.
Though only US citizens are eligible to train for spaceflight with NASA, international partnerships like those with the United Arab Emirates meant two Emirati candidates also qualified as astronauts alongside the American contingent.
Astronaut training has ramped up in recent years with the return of spacefaring missions to the Moon and the United State’s longer-term vision of landing humans on Mars.
“It’s an incredible time to be an astronaut with a variety of spacecraft to fly and more destinations to explore,” says NASA’s Chief Astronaut Joe Acaba.
“I’m honoured to welcome these [new] astronauts, congratulate them on their hard work, and look forward to growing our ranks as we help expand humanity’s reach into the solar system.”
NASA has been quick to point out its candidates need not be test pilots, as was often the case in the early years of the space program.
One of the new astros is chemical and mechanical engineer Deniz Burnham.
She interned at NASA’s Ames Research Center before working on oil rigs and eventually joining the US Navy.
“There are so many skillsets and backgrounds that could lead to [becoming an astronaut],” Burnham says. “It’s how you articulate your skillset. Focus on something that other operators will recognize. [For example] working in remote locations and making time-critical decisions.”
12,000 Americans applied for the last round of astronaut training.
