Fed2 Star - the newsletter for the space trading game Federation 2

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by ibgames

EARTHDATE: February 28, 2016

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REAL LIFE NEWS: RECORD NUMBER OF PEOPLE WANT TO BE ASTRONAUTS

by Hazed

NASA is recruiting for its 2017 astronaut class, and it’s been swamped by applications – a record 18,300. This is almost three times as many as the organisation received for the last class in 2012, and it far surpasses the previous record from 1978, when 8,000 were received.

Now the space agency has the massive task of sifting through all those applications to create a shortlist of people to be interviewed. After that, just 8 to 14 wannabe astronauts will be accepted for the two year astronaut training course.

While on the course the potential astronauts will have to successful complete the following: “International Space Station systems training, Extravehicular Activity skills training, Robotics skills training, Russian Language training, and aircraft flight readiness training.”

At the end of the training they will be assigned to either the International Space Station, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner, the SpaceX Crew Dragon or NASA’s Orion capsule.

So what do you need in order to be considered for a place on the training course? Well, you must have a bachelor’s degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or maths, and “at least three years of related, progressively responsible professional experience, or at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft”.

On the physical side you’ll need the following attributes: “Distant and near visual acuity must be correctable to 20/20 in each eye, blood pressure not to exceed 140/90 measured in a sitting position, and the candidate must have a standing height between 62 and 75 inches.”

I think I am disqualified on just about every level (except for the height requirement)!

Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/02/22/nasa_naut_recruitment/

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