What are the fundamental characteristics needed for someone to become a successful astronaut?
Some of the simple things are an outrageously healthy body – because you have to be able to pass the hardest physical in the world to be deemed safe to send to the space station – and the second is a proven ability to learn complicated things. We tend to choose folks who have an advanced university degree, because if you have a PhD in polymer chemistry then you’ve shown you can learn complicated things.
The third is a proven ability to make good decisions when the irreversible consequences are high. So how do you choose someone who has shown that they’re not only a healthy student, but also someone who can react appropriately and make good calls in a highly stressful, high-threat environment.
Then, to a large part, there’s psychology: what type of person are they? Is this someone I’d want to fly in space with? Would I trust this person with my life? And would I want to be on board a spaceship for six months with them? That’s the list of things we’re looking for.