Do You Have the Right Stuff to Be an Astronaut?
 

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,534073,00.html

#1 killed me. :(

I have a space pen, I think Im ready.

I have done the same medical that they do several times.

Yes, its a bear and takes 1.5 days, but not anything that a person in good shape should have any issues with.

I meet the qualifications, except I expect that I'm too short for my weight. I need to grow a few inches.

I have all the criteria except good eyesight. Maybe I can get Lasik.

You know NASA spent a lot of time and money developing a pen that could write in space.

You know how the russians solved the problem? They used a pencil.

I had my application all filled out for a mission specialist post back in 89. Drinking with some friends one night one asked me why I wanted to do it and I said for the fame, money and chicks.

He then asked me if I could name an astronaut that wasn't on an Apollo mission or died when the shuttle crashed - I couldn't. So much for fame.

He then asked how much did they pay - well at the time it was 30K a year for 2 years - so much for money.

As for the chicks, well he was a salesman for a paper company (no really!) and he was git'n it regular by some serious hottys.

Needless to say, my feet are firmly planted on the ground.

I can't stand being confined for a long time in a small space, like inside a spacecraft. I'm also not too fond of flying. Other than that, I'm good to go. ;)

One of my tours in the navy was as a "detailer" at the Bureau of Personnel, or BUPERS. My job was to manage the careers of other Naval Officers and "detail" them into the right jobs. I loved the job but it was in Millington, Tn. I commuted home every weekend. I could buy Northwest with the frequent flier miles I earned.

I also ran the Test Pilot School board and the Navy Astronaut board, which were each held twice a year at BUPERS.

The purpose of the Navy Astronaut board was basically to screen the candidates in advance of the NASA selection process to make sure they had all the right quals and met standards.

The resumes of the folks applying were eye-watering, simply amazing accomplishments; focused, driven people.

BTW, after the shuttle stops flying, all our folks will go into space on Russian rockets until the new program is in place.

Irony.

I'm actually seriously wanting to be involved with a space mission. I need to get my ass researching something that would become payload eventually so I could be a payload engineer or something similar.


I've met two astronauts so far. One of them was a professor of mine. Amazing guy.

At 6'1" and 270 lbs. (mostly muscle, but not all ;)), I doubt I'd fit into a space suit.

When I used to work in that industry, I interacted with the astronauts on occasion. One thing that they all have in common is that they seem to be freakish over-achievers. None of them "meet the mininum requirements". These people dedicate their lives - not 8 hours a day - to being an astronaut. Every last one of them (that I met) were extremely intelligent, insightful and had a tremendous passion for what they were doing.

I met all the requirements and sent in an application once just to say I did it. :)

As near as I can tell astronauts are the most over-qualified maintenance technicians out there.

I applied in 87, but did not make it past the paper application.