Become an Astronaut: UG & PG Subjects & US Citizenship Steps

[ash_nar]

I am in the last year of high school... I am an Indian citizen... I want to be an astronaut... I am quite strong at computer sci and good at other subjects... What subjects should I study I am U.G and P.G?? I am not so tall... Is height considered even for educator astronauts? What all should I do to get U.S citizenship and then join NASA as an astronaut?

 

[anubis01]

google is your friend

http://space.about.com/cs/employment/ht/becomeastronaut.htm

 

[mal4mac]

Being small might be an advantage for an astronaut, less payload!

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/science/space/2007-04-02-astronaut-size_N.htm

Check out the bios of astronauts on the NASA site, and model your career on them. Here's one of a Brit. who found 'the right stuff':

http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/foale.html

 

[Enjoicube]

Not to discourage you, but the thing that really killed this idea for me was having flight experience, and the only financially feasible way to do that is to join the air force, which right now, I wouldn't risk joining at any cost. I think it requires at least 1000 hrs of flight experience.

 

[lagwagon555]

Only the pilots and commanders need flight experience. Most mission specialists have never flown a jet.

The best thing you can do is study a branch of engineering (mechanical, aerospace, electronic or similar), physics (I'd say this is harder, just because physics graduates don't find employment as easily as engineering graduates), chemistry or medicine. NASA actually sends doctors into space these days, although there are far more engineers.

You won't have to become a US citizen either, India is working on starting it's manned space program. By the time you're the age of astronaut selection, it should be in full swing. Although if you want to go through America, then go for it, but it can be very difficult and expensive to emigrate.

 

[robousy]

Not to discourage you, but the thing that really killed this idea for me was having flight experience, and the only financially feasible way to do that is to join the air force, which right now, I wouldn't risk joining at any cost. I think it requires at least 1000 hrs of flight experience.

Only if you want to be the Mission commander. There are usually 7 crews members and 2 of them flight the shuttle and have extensive pilot experience, the rest are almost always PhD's or MD's and are the mission specialists.

 

[xtraxxl]

One of my childhood dream :)

 

[wildman]

Your best bet is to get both a Phd and extensive military flight experience. You are lucky that India has a good air force.

If nothing else, many high performance military jets can get high enough that it looks like you are in space (black sky, beautiful blue horizon). That is kind of lame, but it is the closest most of us will get to space.

 

[Nick M]

Ph.D. in Engineering along with lot's of hours in large aircraft (military is the only feasible way for non-millionaires to obtain this).

From what I've heard, even mission specialists are encouraged to have basic flight proficiency in the form of a PPL with Instrument and ME ratings. Many of the people applying do, so not having this on your resume is a caveat.

Can't say I could recommend a career path in India, but here in the US I would say a BS in Engineering then flight school at the AFA. Squeeze in the MS and Ph.D, log lots of hours in ME aircraft.

Develop contacts at NASA and with those involved with the selection process. Attend the astronaut program, then get on the list of 150 or so astronauts waiting to be one of a dozen or so that actually get strapped to the rockets.

Good luck!