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Astronaut Possibilities?
- Thread starter buckup
- Start date
If you don't have an engineering or science background your chances are slim to none. The only person I can think of being able to get away with not having a science or engineering background and becoming an astronaut would be someone who went to TPS without the a science or engineering degree (I am not sure it is a requirement for TPS?), then become a pilot of the Space Shuttle. There are only something like 100-150 active astronauts, the mission specialists are often world experts in some kind of science. The non tactical-jet pilots can only become mission specialists. Helo guys/gals apparently do well with the Canada Arm.
straight from the USN TPS website:
Basic Astronaut/Pilot req's from NASA website:
So it sounds like even if you get into TPS w/o a technical (or hard science) degree, you will not be qualified per NASA regs to be a Shuttle MC or Pilot. That said, I know that TPS offers a cooperative masters program in association w/ the Naval Postgraduate school for Aero MS types. Not sure what the req's are for this program, but maybe if you were $hit hot coming from the fleet you could convince them that you wanted to get your master's in aerospace through this program even w/o a technical background. Not sure if this would clear the BS requirement for NASA though
Basic Astronaut/Pilot req's from NASA website:
So it sounds like even if you get into TPS w/o a technical (or hard science) degree, you will not be qualified per NASA regs to be a Shuttle MC or Pilot. That said, I know that TPS offers a cooperative masters program in association w/ the Naval Postgraduate school for Aero MS types. Not sure what the req's are for this program, but maybe if you were $hit hot coming from the fleet you could convince them that you wanted to get your master's in aerospace through this program even w/o a technical background. Not sure if this would clear the BS requirement for NASA though
The two astronauts from the Coast Guard have been helo drivers:
Bruce Melnick was the first CG astronaut (2 mission in '90 and '91...pic on the top) and Dan Burbank (just came back last week from his second trip in space... pic on the bottom); were both Coast Guard Academy graduates. Heard a story that Bruce Melnick completed his masters while going through flight school. Waaaay smarter than me.
Also, the CG petitioned in the early '90s to have Guardian jet drivers (the little commuter jet we have) to be mission pilots vice specialists. It was approved.
Sorry, I was not clear enough. I was referring specifially to engineering degrees, not hard science. There is not active pilot-astronaut does not have an engineering degree of some sort.
This leads me to believe that all things considered, you "need" an engineering degree, not just a hard science degree to get picked up for pilot.
For example, one or two pilots that were math or physics majors (I cannot remember which right now) got masters in Engineering Management or something similar after TPS, but before they got picked up by NASA.
It looks like there is a glass ceiling here if you don't have engineering training. An analogy would be the BDCP GPA minimum for Navy SNA/SNFO applicants. Yes, you can have a 2.7 in Medieval Literature and qualify, but your chances of getting picked today up are almost nil.
This leads me to believe that all things considered, you "need" an engineering degree, not just a hard science degree to get picked up for pilot.
For example, one or two pilots that were math or physics majors (I cannot remember which right now) got masters in Engineering Management or something similar after TPS, but before they got picked up by NASA.
It looks like there is a glass ceiling here if you don't have engineering training. An analogy would be the BDCP GPA minimum for Navy SNA/SNFO applicants. Yes, you can have a 2.7 in Medieval Literature and qualify, but your chances of getting picked today up are almost nil.
That was the experience back-in-the-day .... degree-wise and all .... and then, starting about the Challenger time-frame ... it didn't hurt to have that engineering degree AND be a black female with a limp, one eye, and sporting a Hispanic surname (now .... just what is "Hispanic", anyway ... ???) , gender normed, diversity affirmative .... not like I "know" anything ... just an observation.
Not tryin' to start something .... I could be mistaken .... I am just a mean 'ol Hao'le man ....
... it didn't hurt to have that engineering degree AND be a black female with a limp, one eye, and sporting a Hispanic surname (now .... just what is "Hispanic", anyway ... ???) , gender normed, diversity affirmative .... not like I "know" anything ... just an observation.
Isn't that how it is across the board now? I can only speak to the NROTC side of the house, but it seems like certain people have a little edge (ethnic, gender, etc). I certainly don't claim to know enough about said people's circumstances, or this issue as a whole, to advocate for or against it; but it does make you think... What's the Navy's goal in using said criteria?
Requirements are driven by NASA, not the services. All three of the instructions (Navy, Marine Corps, AF) regarding the Application for Astronaut Candidate are pretty clear in the type of degrees they are looking for. Engineering is one of a few they will accept. The AF instruction actually breaks it down into specific majors. As for "pilot astronaut" there are minimum requirements for flight time and of course there is always that last "tie breaker"....flight test experience is strongly preferred. Read between the lines on that one.
I'm not sure I follow.
***Sigh*** If someone is applying for pilot astronaut and "flight test experience is strongly preferred", chances are going to be pretty good that you NEED flight test experience ala Test Pilot School. Don't confuse this with the other astronaut types. Not all astronauts are pilots nor do they have to be.
For your reading pleasure:
Navy: http://buperscd.technology.navy.mil/bup_updt/upd_CD/BUPERS/INSTRUCT/14014.pdf
Marine Corps: http://www.usmc.mil/directiv.nsf/0/7467d62695829052852567780063d362/$FILE/MCO 3700.3A.pdf
Air Force (start on page 11): http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/pubfiles/af/36/afi36-2205/afi36-2205.pdf
Listening to subtle sidebands of this thread brings to mind an interesting book; "Riding Rockets" by Mike Mullane. Mullane was a former AF WSO and was mission specialist on three shuttle missions. A rather "Kiss and Tell" book, a primary theme was the presence of a a very Pro-Navy bias within the Shuttle Program, including the Program Director and the Chief of Astronaughts, both former Naval Aviators. He links the two shuttle disasters to that Navy bias, not directly, contributory.
For those who are curious (and to redeem myself after misunderstanding the site SWO)...
I've gone through the list of former astronauts.
Between 3 and 5 (some Naval Academy graduate bios don't specify their major) astronaut pilots DID NOT have "engineering" degrees. They had applied mathmatics or physics for bachelors degrees, ande coincidentally, they all had one incarnation or another of an MS in Systems Management.
So...
If you want to fly a space shuttle, an engineering degree is "requried."
I've gone through the list of former astronauts.
Between 3 and 5 (some Naval Academy graduate bios don't specify their major) astronaut pilots DID NOT have "engineering" degrees. They had applied mathmatics or physics for bachelors degrees, ande coincidentally, they all had one incarnation or another of an MS in Systems Management.
So...
If you want to fly a space shuttle, an engineering degree is "requried."