NASA is looking for its next class of astronauts as the space agency ramps up its efforts to establish a permanent human presence on the Moon. While the public is free to apply online until April 16, the strict requirements mean that only a small sliver of the population has the flight or scientific expertise to be accepted. However, the prerequisites also prevent any billionaire aspiring to live on the lunar surface can’t buy their way into the Artemis program.
The four requirements laid out by NASA sound simple, but they take years to complete. First, applicants must be U.S. citizens, natural born or naturalized. Second, prospective astronauts must hold a master’s degree in an applicable STEM field, engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science or mathematics, with three years of experience in said field. Alternatively, medical doctors can also apply after three years in residence. Neither Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, nor I meet this requirement. I don’t have my own private space company, though.
If you don’t have a STEM master’s degree, applicants can still be accepted with enough flight experience. Pilots must be certified Test Pilots and amass 1,000 hours in command of an aircraft, and 850 of those hours have to be at the controls of high-performance jet aircraft. It’s not a surprise that military pilots are well-represented within the NASA Astronaut Corps.
The online application does note this isn’t a remote job and that extensive travel will be required (which is kind of the whole point.) More importantly, astronauts must complete NASA’s long-duration flight astronaut physical, undergo a thorough background investigation, and pass a drug test. The agency mentions that training for long-duration missions, like stints on the International Space Station, can take up to three years.
America’s astronauts are expected to brave the harsh vacuum of the final frontier for an annual salary of $152,258. The pay might not be impressive considering the responsibilities and potential hazards, but not many people can say that they have been to the Moon.