Do you have the ‘right stuff ’?
‘We want the group of astronaut candidates that we select to be reflective of nation,’ NASA says
NEW YORK — Do you dream of leaving the planet?
NASA is looking for its next group of astronauts, and you have until Tuesday to make a pitch for yourself.
“Typically, it’s a very popular application,” said April Jordan, NASA’s astronaut selection manager.
The odds that you will be chosen are slim. The last time NASA put out a call for applications, in 2020, more than 12,000 people applied.
It took the agency a year and a half to go through the applications. NASA selected just 10 of the hopefuls, or 0.083%. That makes Harvard University’s 3.5% acceptance rate among high school applicants appear bountiful.
Jordan is on a media tour to spread the word that the “right stuff ” for being an astronaut in 2024 is not the same as it was in the 1960s, when astronauts were all white men, almost all from the military.
Joining her on this tour, which included a stop at The New York Times, was Victor Glover, a nine-year veteran of the astronaut corps who offered a glimpse into how he made it through the rigorous selection process.
To become a NASA astronaut today, you have to be a U.S. citizen, and you must pass the astronaut physical exam.
NASA does set a fairly high bar for education — a master’s degree in science, technology, engineering or mathematics, followed by at least three years of related professional experience.
Beyond that, the agency tries to keep an open mind. There is no age limit, for example, or a requirement for 20/20 vision.
“We want the group of astronaut candidates that we select to be reflective of the nation that they’re representing,” Jordan said.
Take Glover, for example.
In some aspects, he fits the historical archetype. Before NASA, he was a Navy aviator and trained as a test pilot.
He is also breaking historical barriers. In 2020, he became the first Black astronaut to serve as a crew member on the International Space Station after 20 years of astronauts living there. In 2025, he will become the first Black astronaut to fly around the moon for the Artemis II mission.
To stand out in NASA’s competitive application process, Glover knew he would need more than a strong resume. He was particularly set on landing a good joke.
The night before one of Glover’s interviews at NASA for the 2013 class, he was asked to write an essay. The title: “Girls Like Astronauts.”
“They’re sitting in this room all day listening to all these dry answers,” he recalled thinking. “I’m going to try to make them laugh.”
The essay pivoted from a punchline to poignancy, reflecting on the ways he has tried to inspire his four daughters. He also decided to be vulnerable during the interview, sharing a “boneheaded” moment when he risked nearly hitting the water during an air show demonstration.
“You have to be able to share that information with the interview panel when you come in, because you’re inevitably going to fail at something,” Jordan said. “And so there’s a humbleness that you have to bring in even if you’ve achieved great things.”