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In episode 325.5, NASA is recruiting for the next class of astronauts and applications are now being accepted. nasa astronaut manager choice Learn about the selection process and how to apply for an out-of-this-world career. This episode was recorded on February 9, 2024.
transcript
Host (Dane Turner): Houston, we have a podcast! Welcome to the official podcast of NASA Johnson Space Center, episode 325.5, “Do You Want to Be an Astronaut?” I'm Dane Turner. I'm your host for this bonus episode. This podcast features experts, scientists, engineers, and astronauts to keep you informed about what's going on in the world of human spaceflight and more. Have you ever wanted to be an astronaut? Now's your chance! NASA is recruiting the next class of astronauts and applications are now being accepted. I recently spoke with April Jordan, NASA Astronaut Selection Manager, to learn more about the selection process and what she is looking for in the next astronaut class. enjoy!
[Music]
host: April, thank you so much for joining us on Houston We Have a Podcast.
April Jordan: Thank you for calling me. It's an exciting topic to talk about.
host: I'm really looking forward to talking about it. I'm really looking forward to meeting new astronauts and seeing more applications for the next class. So, I look back at the application process in 2020, when the current class applied to become astronauts. How many applications did you receive at that time?
April Jordan: Yes, as you can imagine, this is a very popular application. Last year, he received more than 12,000 applications for the role. It's really difficult to choose 10 new astronaut candidates.
host: There are many applications to go through. And that year, some new requirements were added. Applicants were required to have a master's degree. Will this new choice result in new requirements?
April Jordan: Yes, we are constantly evaluating the requirements for this job. As NASA's mission changes and our needs as an agency change, we want to make sure we adapt our processes to meet those needs. So this involves a lot of subject matter experts. And after choosing, let's see what worked last time. Also, consider what our mission is, what our needs are, and evaluate the differences in qualifications. And this really helped us make sure that what we were looking for from the short-term missions that we had previously done was adapted to the long-term missions that we're currently doing and are going to have.
Therefore, regarding the Master's degree, we have changed the last cycle. We looked at what they were choosing, who they were choosing, and what their educational background was. And in most cases, that's what we were selecting for people with a high level of education, and it really benefits them coming into the office. So this year, we're making some changes and thinking about what we need in our office. And they'll all be listed on our website at nasa.gov/astronauts. And we encourage those applying to read the application form in detail. It contains a lot of information. Although it can be a bit difficult, it is very important to understand what the qualifications are generally. And for each group of specific areas we're looking for.
host: right. Because last time we learned that pilots have different requirements.
April Jordan: yes. Because the experience is a little different for those people. I'm looking for qualifications related to flight hours. Therefore, especially for pilots, you need a minimum of 1,000 hours of flight time, 850 of which must be in a high-performance jet aircraft. Again, let's take a look at each area, what they bring to the office, and what role they play. Therefore, some of these discipline groups have slightly different specific requirements.
host: wonderful. What kind of people does this application typically look for?
April Jordan: Well, this is a difficult task. It's both a fun job and a difficult one. And, you know, what I'm sharing is what I learned through the astronaut's own selection process. They are part of a group of subject matter experts who are part of the selection. In other words, we don't just choose our astronauts ourselves. Our office has many staff members with flying experience. They are very helpful in determining what makes a good astronaut. So we're definitely looking for people with leadership skills, but being able to work with a team and be a great team player and a great team partner is a big part of this job. I don't think they do anything individually. You know, we have teams on the ground supporting them. There's a lot of training. They have a team to help them there. So being a really good team player, being able to oscillate between those roles and understanding when you have to be a leader, when you can be a follower, and when you need to be a follower. Very important. And people have to be adaptable. So this is a role that they work on, and sometimes they don't know exactly what's going to happen. Space is an unpredictable environment. Even in a training environment, there are some things you can't predict. So people who can adapt quickly and make really good decisions are also very important.
What I would recommend to everyone is that technical fundamentals and technical experience are definitely very important. But also think about what you do outside of your professional job that might apply to this job as well. Therefore, our evaluation process is comprehensive. We're looking at different things because this is kind of a life-changing position for people. And it's not always an 8 to 5 job. And it's also very important to see what you bring to the table as a whole person.
Having a class that is diverse in every conceivable way really helps NASA succeed in the NASA missions it undertakes. Therefore, being able to work with people from different backgrounds is also very important. You know, this group of people often becomes the face of NASA, and we want people to look at this group and see themselves reflected in it. So, in order to create a truly successful team that comes together and delivers great results for your agency, it's really important to consider what the different elements are that people bring to work.
host: That's really great. So, if I apply here, how long will the process take?
April Jordan: This process is a long one. It takes about two years from the start of construction to completion, so it's a really long time. And we know it's a long waiting game for people applying to hear what happens next. But there are a lot of different gates that you have to go through. As you can imagine, if you're trying to take 12,000 applications down to a much smaller level, you need to be very intentional about how you move to the next phase. So we have some evaluation committees come in and look at resumes and do reference checks and then there's an in-person interview period where we take people to the Johnson Space Center and have fun with different activities. . for them. But it's a fairly long process and very thorough. There's a lot of information to gather to really get to know the applicants we're considering, but we appreciate your patience as we know it's a pretty long waiting game.
host: How many people do you need to review 12,000 applications?
April Jordan: Yes, that's a great question. He is often on our astronaut selection committee, which has about 12 to 15 people. They are the kind of people who can help you decide on good candidates. They conduct interviews, mostly with active astronauts. But other than that, a lot of the medical staff who work here at Johnson Space Center are involved just to help with some of the in-person assessments that we do. We don't really have an exact number on how many people that are, but different elements of NASA are involved in it. There are training elements where people are helping us with individual and team exercises. So Johnson Space Center has all the different parts that we could use to work with astronauts if chosen to help us actually evaluate their capabilities. .
host: wonderful. And here's another question. Listener Girlfriend: If someone wants to apply to be an astronaut, does she have any advice on how to make sure they meet the criteria and make their application stand out?
April Jordan: Yeah. Well, the first thing I tell people is that even if you think you're interested in the job, you won't know if you'll get it unless you apply. Please apply by all means. If you are interested, please write your name. The second most important thing is to read the application carefully. If some of the basic qualifications are not included in the package, it will be disqualified from the beginning. So please do it thoroughly. All I would tell them is to consider all the parts of your life that make you who you are, and consider your professional experience. But the gist of what we hear from current ASCANs is to think about their hobbies. What do they like to do outside of work? That applies to this position. So when you tell us who you are through your application, we ask you to think about yourself holistically.
host: wonderful. I'm really looking forward to putting together my resume.
[Laughs]
April Jordan, thank you so much for joining us on the Houston We Have a Podcast.
April Jordan: Thank you for calling me.
[Music]
host: Thank you for your continued support. I hope you enjoyed hearing about the selection of astronauts. Maybe you're considering applying yourself. For more information about applying to become an astronaut, visit nasa.gov/astronauts. For more NASA podcasts, visit us online at nasa.gov/podcasts. You can also find Johnson Space Center on social media, including Facebook. X,Instagram. To contact us, use #ASkNASA on your favorite platform and mention Houston. There's a podcast. This episode was recorded on February 9, 2024. Thank you to the Houston We Have a Podcast team: Gary Jordan, Will Flato, Abby Graf, Jaden Jennings, and Dominique Crespo. Thank you to her Chelsey Ballarte for connecting us with the astronaut selection team. And of course, thanks again to April Jordan for coming to talk. Let us know what you think about the podcast by giving us a rating and feedback on whatever platform you listen to. I'll be back later this week.
