And Bolden, who had to wake up extra early to attend a class in basic @Russian language to prepare for his mission with a cosmonaut, suggests that every American should be -- at the very least -- bilingual.
"Space," he says, "is a multinational and multicultural operation. Working with Russian cosmonauts is very difficult if astronauts don't know anything about Russian culture and their history as a people." This is also increasingly true as construction of the International Space Station gets underway.
But, says Dr. @Ellen @Ochoa, a Mission Specialist and the first Hispanic woman in space, "there isn't one particular type of work experience that NASA is looking for. NASA -- like any other employer -- wants to know how well a person has done. If you come from a research background, they'd look at published work in technical journals, lecturing or TA experience, and also any awards that you may have won. Everyone should have summer jobs. You need some sort of experience."
College-level experience will also help you to understand what particular companies are looking for in terms of hiring policies and experience levels. And many students are offered jobs, either when their internship is completed or upon graduation.
So now that you've got the degree and some experience, how do you qualify to become an astronaut? The first step is to fill out an application û specifically, U.S. Government Form 171, which you send to the @Johnson Space Center (JSC) in @Houston, @Texas. There it will be reviewed and ranked according to height considerations (you must be at least 58.5 inches), experience, and expertise (i.e. geologists, physicists, chemists, biologists etc.).
