NASA has been trying to entice the next generation to be astronauts as it welcomes its newest class – and has revealed the salary you'll get for your time.
This past Tuesday, the US space agency welcomed its newest class of Artemis astronauts.
The ceremony took place at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas.
Consisting of 10 astronaut graduates, the new cohort can now be given flight assignments.
“Congratulations to the newest class of Nasa astronauts! We are excited to have a new and diverse set of explorers ready to expand humanity’s reach,” said Nasa Administrator Bill Nelson.
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“Astronauts are pioneers who will help us embark on this new era of exploration, and we need more adventurers ready to join the ranks to explore the cosmos, including future missions to the Moon, on to Mars, and beyond," Nelson added.
Following the announcement, Nasa revealed that it has now reopened the next round of astronaut applications.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE AN ASTRONAUT?
Becoming an astronaut is by no means easy, but it is one of the coolest jobs on the planet if successful.
An astronaut's role and responsibilities can range anywhere from crewing a spacecraft to working as a scientist on the International Space Sation (ISS).
Nasa astronauts specifically do a lot of research and conduct hands-on experiments on the ISS — a space laboratory that orbits Earth.
That said, it's incredibly competitive to get selected for even just the chance to be an astronaut.
For example, the latest 10 graduates were selected from a pool of 12,000 applicants.
Applicants need to be a US citizen, have a background in STEM, and hold at least a Master's degree in their field - some applicants also come from a military background.
On top of that, a potential candidate has to have at least two years of related professional experience after completing their degree, or "at least 1,000 hours pilot-in-command time on jet aircraft," the agency noted.
Nasa emphasized it's looking for skilled leaders, good communicators, and good collaborators.
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If selected from the pool, applicants must then complete two years of basic training which includes things like spacewalking, robotics, and space station systems.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
It's not enough to be educated to be an astronaut, a candidate also has to be able to withstand the physical pressure of being in space.
A person must be extremely healthy and able to pass long-duration flight physicals, which test agility, body coordination, eye coordination, and vision.
Furthermore, Nasa astronaut positions require a candidate to be of a particular height and weight.
So what exactly does this job pay? The starting salary is currently listed as a cool $152,258.