Are you fun and easy to be around? Good with spaceships? Not afraid of tight spaces?
Then you might have what it takes to be a NASA astronaut.
For the first time in four years, America’s space agency is hiring new stock and accepting applications from people who want to be space explorers.
If you make the cut, you’ll be part of the Artemis crew going to the moon, or possibly even Mars, so you’re going to need to be uniquely qualified.
FORTUNE unpacks what it takes to be a space explorer:
Well, you’ll need to be smart. The job demands a master’s degree in a STEM field or an equivalent, a medical doctorate or you’ll need a STEM-based bachelor’s along with having completed test pilot school program. You also have to be a U.S. citizen and at least two years of “progressively responsible, professional experience”.
That last part rules Elon Musk out. It’s a good thing he has his own space company.
More from NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine:
“America is closer than any other time in history since the Apollo program to returning astronauts to the Moon. We will send the first woman and next man to the lunar South Pole by 2024, and we need more astronauts to follow suit on the Moon, and then Mars.”
“We’re looking for talented men and women from diverse backgrounds and every walk of life to join us in this new era of human exploration that begins with the Artemis program to the Moon. If you have always dreamed of being an astronaut, apply now.”
The job is based in Houston, Texas, but you’ll be travelling a great deal of the time.
I’ll let some actual astronauts tell you more about the company culture, which is apparently a lot like preschool:
Astronauts are paid reasonably well for their efforts with salaries ranging between $104 898 and $161 141 per year.
That’s roughly R1,6 million to R2,5 million. Not bad.
NASA is expecting plenty of applications, and they haven’t specified how many jobs are up for grabs, so it’s going to be highly competitive.
To infinity and beyond.
[source:fortune]
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