Who has always dreamed of being an astronaut, now has a new opportunity. And is that NASA has opened a new call to increase its staff in space.
“We are looking for talented men and women from diverse backgrounds and from all walks of life to join us in this new era of human exploration that begins with the Artemis program,” said NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine in a statement from the space agency.
As in any job, a series of requirements are required. The basic condition for aspiring astronauts is to possess U.S. citizenship in addition to having a master’s degree within the fields of science, technology, engineering or mathematics.
Candidates must also gather at least two years of professional experience related to the position or 1,000 hours as a pilot in command of a jet plane. And, of course, availability is required to travel.
Those who consider that they fulfill these requirements will be able to send their application until April 1 through the web of employment of the American government and will opt for a position with a salary of between 104,898 and 161,141 dollars per year (between 94,000 and 145,000 euros per year).
But what responsibilities are required of an astronaut at work?
The job offer document lists tasks in space as well as the realization of operations both in the International Space Station (ISS) and for the development and testing of future ships, the realization of spacewalks or the development of research experiments.
In addition, they will serve as the public image of NASA through appearances across the country and outside it to share the discoveries and objectives of the US space agency.
This job offer comes at a time when NASA prepares to send the first woman and the next man to the Moon with the Artemis program.
With 48 astronauts active, the agency plans to have more people in its ranks to serve as a crew and promote space exploration, which aims to send astronauts to Mars in the future.
The agency hopes to elect future space explorers in mid-2021 and thus begin their training as the next astronaut class of the Artemis Generation.
Since the 1960s, the space agency has selected 350 people to train as candidates for their space missions. At the last call offered by the agency at the end of 2015, 18,300 people were presented, a number that broke records.
After more than two years of intensive training, 11 new astronauts selected from that group graduated earlier this year at the first public ceremony organized by the agency.
Source: Lavanguardia
