The National Air Space Agency (NASA) is hiring. Starting from March 2, eligible persons will be able to apply for an astronaut position with NASA and train for a moon mission to occur before 2024. In collaboration with SpaceX, NASA wants a woman and a man colleague to reach the South Pole of the moon with the necessary training to commence after eligible applicants have been selected.
“For the handful of highly talented women and men we will hire to join our diverse astronaut corps, it’s an incredible time in human spaceflight to be an astronaut,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. “We’re asking all eligible Americans if they have what it to takes to apply beginning March 2.”
To be qualified for the position, an applicant must be an American who has a Masters degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) as well as two years of work towards a Ph.D. in a related STEM discipline. A candidate with a doctorate in medicine or osteopathy will also be considered, so likewise is an individual who has finished a nationally recognized pilot program.
The successful candidate will undergo a minimum 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in a jet aircraft among other requirements.
As of now, only 48 astronauts are undergoing training as NASA’s astronaut corps, with only 350 people having been trained in the astronaut program since its inception in 1960. The new drive to put people on the Moon again is to prepare the way for the mid-2030s Mars mission which aims put people on Mars. The current objective under NASA’s Artemis mission is to establish a human base on the moon using SpaceX’s spacecraft in a pilot program that will attract millions of applicants.
Working with NASA as an engineer or astronaut remains one of the rarest and most fascinating job positions in the world. Thousands of people dream of becoming an astronaut when growing up but this dream never materials in most cases. However, with an opportunity to apply for a space mission, the dream might come nearer home for an adventurous individual who has the necessary qualifications and the mind to take the leap into the future.
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/02/21/let-moon-rush-begin/