The word "astronaut" derives from the @Greek words meaning "star" and "sailor." These men and women û @Alan @Shepherd, @John @Glenn, Jr., @Sally @Ride, to name a few -- conjure up images of bravery and adventure. They are modern heroes, helping humanity reach for the stars.
When the space program began in 1959, there were only seven such people in the entire country. They all were then -- or had been in the past -- in the armed forces. Most of them were test pilots, used to the dangers that came from "pushing the envelope." That was only 36 years ago, and since then much has changed.
Today the @Americans who make up the shuttle crews are comprised of every race, creed, color, and gender. As of May 2, 1993, 180 men and 21 women astronauts were @Caucasian, six men and one woman were @African-American, three men and one woman were @Hispanic, and two men were of @Asian descent.
@NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, chooses its astronauts from an increasingly diverse pool of applicants that "looks like America." Thousands of applications come in from all over the world; from these, approximately 100 men and women are chosen for an intensive astronaut candidate training program every two years. "I cannot imagine a better career. I've done more than I could ever have imagined. I'm thankful that I've been at the right place at the right time," says astronaut @Kenneth S. @Reightler.
The training is demanding, but the study time involved is no longer than that of any other professional career requiring graduate/post-graduate study. If becoming an astronaut is a dream, held long and steadfast, then this labor will be one of love.
The preparation for becoming an astronaut actually begins in elementary school. "It is here that the foundations are laid down and then built upon," comments @Colonel @Charlie @Bolden, @Deputy @Commandant of @Midshipmen at the U.S. @Naval @Academy. "Start with the basics and get them down first ... you can't do anything without math and science." At this level, students should read everything they can get their hands on about astronauts and space in general. Later, once they have found a specific field of interest, they can begin to focus on that.
But there's more than book learning involved. Other skills Bolden feels are integral to becoming an astronaut are: being able to work as a team player; understanding and appreciating your ethnic, cultural, and American history; and maintaining a grasp on current events.
Bolden does not hold the opinion that America's young people are less equipped than their foreign counterparts. "I listen to people say that American students can't do this and can't do that. I don't buy into or accept that at all. Kids are just as sharp as when I came up. It's just motivation that may be lacking," Bolden said.
It is also interesting to note that out of 195 former and present astronauts, 123 (64%) have taken part in some form of scouting. Scouting develops a sense of discipline, as well as particular skills. Both are crucial to becoming part of the astronaut team.
Once students reach high school, it is particularly important that they earn the best possible grades as well as high standardized test scores (SAT and/or ACT). NASA looks for the best and the brightest, so it makes sense that they would look at how well students apply themselves to their studies. At this point, too, students should begin to think about a specific direction of study, such as engineering, biological or physical science, or mathematics. This will help them direct their education once they get to college.
Again, though, books are only part of the process. It's a good idea to look for out-of-school opportunities like internships or apprenticeships, summer programs, and fieldwork, to help balance textbook learning. After all, going into space is a real-world -- not a virtual -- experience; the more experience you bring to it, the better you'll be able to deal with the demands of the job. Internships are also a good way of finding out if your career choice is the right one for you. Many students, when faced with the realities of a particular field, decide it's not what they wanted, after all. It's better to decide early on that this is the case, before you devote a lot of time and effort to something you don't enjoy.
But choose your activities wisely. "If you do things thinking that, 'This will look good on a resume, or 'I'm not going to like it but it'll help me get selected someday,' you will do yourself a disservice.
