Have you always dreamed of being one astronaut? So now is your chance! A NASA, US Space Agency, is looking for new members.
The agency's intention is to send the first woman, and other men, to the Moon on a mission scheduled for four years from now, in 2024. Could this be a woman's debut, more than half a century after a man's arrival on the lunar surface?
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If you are interested in being a new member of space missions, keep an eye on the selection process that will open between the 2nd and 31st of March.
"Since the 1960s, NASA has selected 350 people to train as astronaut candidates for its increasingly challenging space exploration missions."
“With 48 astronauts on active duty, more will be needed to equip aircraft heading to multiple destinations and to propel exploration as part of the Artemis and in addition", disclosed the agency in a statement.
The first of requirements to become an astronaut is that the candidate must, obligatorily, have American citizenship. That is, he must be born in the United States or hold dual citizenship.
Another requirement is regarding training. It is necessary to have a scientific academic background, master's or doctorate in the areas of biological sciences, computer sciences, physical sciences, mathematics, among others. There is also interest in professionals with a doctorate in medicine or osteopathy.
However, formal education alone is not enough. Two years of proof of professional experience in the field of activity are required, or a minimum of 1,000 flight hours as the main pilot of an aircraft.
After the online application stage, pre-selected candidates are required to undergo a physical exam.
This is followed by two years of training and assessment. On the occasion, candidates undergo professional improvement in different areas, such as military survival in aquatic environments, robotics and basic fundamentals of the Russian language.
Those who fail to complete the training may not become astronauts, but there is a chance of being selected for other positions at NASA, says the agency.
Even if you don't meet the basic requirements to apply for NASA's selection process, there are other chances to travel to space.
Even though more than half of the astronauts (151 out of 239) to join the International Space Station had American citizenship, many others from other regions of the world also managed to get there.
Brazil, for example, sent the station, in 2006, the current Minister of Science, Technology, Innovations and Communications, Marcos Pontes.
And, if financial resources are not an obstacle, Virgin Galactic aims, by the end of 2020, to be the pioneering private company to take tourists to space.
*With information from BBC News
See too: Apollo 11 - The first time man walked on the moon
