How to Become an Astronaut

From the first time they gaze up into the night sky and obverse the stars with wonder, many children dream of one day being an astronaut. For most, this dream fades along with childhood innocence, and interests turn to more earthly goals. A few, however, continue to dream of orbiting the Earth, working on the moon or helping to pioneer Mars. As they explore what steps they must take to actually achieve these dreams, they discover a path that requires hard work, discipline and dedication.

To have any chance at becoming an astronaut, one must become very well educated, particularly in math and science. This should start as early as elementary school, where the foundation of math and science can begin to be established. This is also a good age at which to begin learning how to work well with others in team environments, a skill that all astronauts must have. One good place to practice these skills is in one of the scout programs. In fact, more than half of all astronauts, both past and present, were members of the scouts.

In high school, work hard in math and science classes and be well prepared for ACT/SAT tests for possible entry into a top university. When selecting which college to attend, be sure to make your selection from one of the schools that NASA contributes to through the Space Grant Consortia. Fortunately, this is about 51% of schools, so the range of choices is quite broad. By attending a school that NASA endorses, it is guaranteed that the curriculum and coursework offered meets NASA's strict standards. Consider a bachelor's degree in engineering, math, physics, biological science or physical science and skip most of the parties.