OPINION: Career high: what NASA is looking for in its new astronauts
NASA is looking for astronauts that, among other things, can live in close proximity to others for long periods of time. Image: NASA NASA is currently poring over more than 6,000 applications for the next intake in its astronaut program – from which nine to 15 candidates will be successful. And while the Space Shuttle program is a thing of the past, the agency is still training astronauts for a range of future missions. The Conversation spoke with Greg Chamitoff, NASA astronaut and crew member on the penultimate flight in the Shuttle program, about the astronaut program and what the astronauts-in-training can expect. What will NASA be looking for in the astronaut candidates? Despite the fact we’re in a gap between US launch capabilities, there are many great plans for exploration beyond Earth orbit in the decades ahead. Whoever is lucky enough to get selected this time will likely be among the first to explore deeper...