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- ■4REQUIREMENTS FOR BECOMING AN ASTRONAUT
-
- ANNOUNCEMENT NO. 3ACS-83
-
- FOR
-
- MISSION SPECIALIST & PILOT ASTRONAUT CANDIDATES
-
-
- ASTRONAUT CANDIDATE PROGRAM
-
- M I S S I O N S P E C I A L I S T A S T R O N A U T
-
- Mission specialist astronauts, working with the commander and pilot,
- have overall responsibility for the coordination of Shuttle operations
- in the areas of crew activity planning, consumables usage, and other
- Shuttle activities affecting experiment operations. Thus, mission
- specialists are proficient in payload operations and are required to
- have a detailed knowledge of the Shuttle systems as well as the
- operational characteristics, mission requirements and objectives, and
- supporting systems and equipment for each of the experiments that will
- be conducted on their assigned mission. Mission specialists
- participate in extravehicular activities, perform special payload
- handling or maintenance operations using a remote manipulator system,
- and assist in specific experiment operation at the discretion of the
- experiment sponsor.
-
- P I L O T A S T R O N A U T
-
- Space Shuttle pilot astronauts serve as both Shuttle commanders and
- pilots. During flight, the Shuttle commander has onboard
- responsibility for the space vehicle, crew, mission success, and
- safety of flight. The Shuttle pilot assists the commander in
- controlling and operating the Shuttle. In addition, Shuttle pilots may
- deploy and retrieve payloads using a remote manipulator system,
- participate in extravehicular activities, and support specific payload
- operations where appropriate.
-
- G E N E R A L C A N D I D A T E I N F O R M A T I O N
-
- Selected applicants join the Johnson Space Center and are assigned to
- the Astronaut Office. They will undergo a 1-year training and
- evaluation period during which they are placed in responsible
- technical or scientific positions allowing them to contribute
- substantially to the Shuttle Program and continue to work in their
- scientific or technical fields, where feasible, while under
- evaluation. They also participate in the basic astronaut training
- program which is designed to develop the knowledge and skills required
- for formal mission training upon selection for flight assignments.
- Pilot astronaut candidates are required to maintain proficiency in
- NASA aircraft during their candidate period.
-
- Applicants are made aware that selection as an astronaut candidate
- does not ensure selection as an astronaut. Final selection as an
- astronaut depend upon satisfactory completion of the 1-year training
- and evaluation period. Civilian candidates who successfully complete
- the training and evaluation period and are selected as astronauts
- become permanent Federal employees. Civilian candidates not selected
- as astronauts may be placed in other positions within NASA depending
- upon Agency requirements and manpower constraints at the time.
-
- Successful military candidates will be detailed to NASA for a time
- period established by NASA/Department of Defense (DOD) Memorandum of
- Understanding.
-
- NASA has an affirmative action program goal of having qualified
- minorities and women among the newly-selected astronaut candidates.
- Therefore, women and minority candidates are encouraged to apply.
-
- QUALIFICATIONS OF APPLICANTS
- (Both Military and Civilian Applicants)
-
- M I S S I O N S P E C I A L I S T A S T R O N A U T
-
- C A N D I D A T E P R O G R A M
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- Applicants MUST meet the following minimum qualification requirements.
-
-
- o Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in
- engineering, biological or physical science, or mathematics.
- Degree must be supplemented by at least 3 years of related
- professional experience. An advanced degree is desirable
- and may be substituted for all or part of the experience
- requirement (master's degree = 1 year, PhD degree = 3 years).
- Quality of academic preparation is important.
-
- o Ability to pass NASA Class II space flight physical (similar
- to military and civilian flight physicals) to include the
- following specific standards:
-
- DISTANCE VISUAL ACUITY: 20/100 or better uncorrected;
- correctable to 20/20, each eye.
-
- HEARING LOSS NOT TO EXCEED:
-
- Frequency (Hz) 500 1000 2000
-
- Loss (db) better ear 30 25 25
- worse ear 35 30 30
-
-
- BLOOD PRESSURE: Preponderant systolic not to exceed
- 140, nor diastolic to exceed 90 mm
- Hg, measured in a sitting position.
-
- o Applicants height between 60 to 76 inches.
-
-
- P I L O T A S T R O N A U T C A N D I D A T E P R O G R A M
-
- Applicants MUST meet the following minimum qualification requirements.
-
- o Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in
- engineering, biological or physical science, or mathematics.
- An advanced degree or equivalent experience is desired.
- Quality of academic preparation is important.
-
- o At least 1000 hours pilot-in-command time in high performance
- jet aircraft (an aircraft having at least 3000 pounds of
- thrust per engine). Flight test experience is highly
- desirable.
-
- o Ability to pass NASA Class I space flight physical (similar
- to military and civilian flight physicals) to include the
- following specific standards:
-
- DISTANT VISUAL ACUITY: 20/50 or better uncorrected;
- correctable to 20/20 each eye.
-
- HEARING LOSS NOT TO EXCEED:
-
- Frequency (Hz) 500 1000 2000
-
- Loss (db) 30 25 25
-
-
- BLOOD PRESSURE Preponderant systolic not to exceed
- 140, nor diastolic to exceed 90 mm Hg,
- measured in a sitting position.
-
- o Applicant height between 64 and 76 inches.
-
-
- E D U C A T I O N R E Q U I R E M E N T S
-
- Applicants for the Astronaut Candidate Program must meet the basic
- education requirements for NASA engineering and scientific positions,
- specifically successful completion of a standard professional
- curriculum in an accredited college or university leading to a
- bachelor's degree with major study in an appropriate field of
- engineering, biological or physical science, or mathematics.
-
- The following degree fields which may be related to engineering and
- the sciences are not considered qualifying:
-
- o Degrees in Technology; i.e. Engineering Technology, Aviation
- Technology, Medical Technology, etc.
-
- o Degrees in Psychology (except Clinical, Physiological, or
- Experimental Psychology, which are considered qualifying).
-
- o Degrees in Aviation, Aviation Management, or similar fields.
-
-
- C I T I Z E N S H I P R E Q U I R E M E N T S
-
- Current regulations require that preference for appointment to
- Astronaut Candidate positions be given to U.S. citizens when there is
- an adequate source of well qualified citizens available. NASA
- anticipates that there will be an adequate source of well qualified
- U.S. Citizens.
-
- P A Y A N D B E N E F I T S
-
- Salaries for civilian candidate will be based on the General Schedule
- pay scale of the Federal Government, generally ranging from GS-11
- through GS-14. Candidates will be compensated in accordance with
- prevailing Federal pay scales based on their individual academic
- achievements and experience.
-
- Other benefits include vacation and sick leave and participation in
- the Federal Government retirement, group health, and life insurance
- plans.
-
- Selected military candidates will be detailed to the Johnson Space
- Center but will remain in an active military status for pay, benefits,
- leave, and other similar military matters.
-
- ---
- NASA-JSC, ANNOUNCEMENT NO. 3ACS-83 FOR MISSION SPECIALIST AND PILOT
- ASTRONAUT CANDIDATES, 1983.
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