Astronaut

If you ever dreamed of being an astronaut as a kid, then you know that it's no easy feat. The US space agency has revealed on its website all of the requirements that need to be met by someone before they have a shot at going to space. The requirements to be a NASA astronaut have changed over the years to better align with the agency's mission and values. First, a potential candidate must be a United States citizen. They also have to have a master's degree in a STEM field from an accredited institution; acceptable degrees include engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics. On top of that, a potential candidate has to have at least two years of related professional experience after completing their degree, or at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time on jet aircraft,' the agency noted. NASA also emphasized the types of characteristics it's looking for in its astronauts, including a skilled leader, a good communicator, and a good collaborator. It's not enough to simply be educated to be an astronaut, though, a candidate also has to be able to withstand the physical pressure of being in space. On that note, a person must be extremely healthy and able to pass NASA's long-duration flight astronaut physical, which tests agility, body coordination, eye coordination, and vision. Furthermore, NASA astronaut positions require a candidate to be of a particular height and weight. To be a commander or pilot astronaut, you need to be 158cm to 190cm tall, and to be a mission specialist you need to be between 149cm and 193cm. In general, astronauts should weigh between 50 and 95 kilograms (110 and 209 pounds) and measure between 149.5cm and 190.5cm.