Leading news: NASA needs to increase the number of astronauts in its active corps to meet its requirements for lunar missions, according to a new report from NASA’s Office of the Inspector General. Currently, there are 44 astronauts that make up NASA’s active astronaut corps, well below its peak of around 150 in 2000 during the space shuttle program. The relatively small number is sufficient for current needs on the International Space Station, but needs to grow for the crew of the Artemis mission to the Moon. OIG also notes that NASA does not keep detailed demographic data on all of its astronauts. — especially those detailed by the space agency’s military branch — so it’s hard to know whether NASA is meeting its diversity goals or not. Training also needs to be updated to help prepare astronauts for the Artemis mission, to ensure they are ready to fly with new vehicles and new rockets, collect samples from the moon and conduct some new science experiments.
Yes, but: Experts warn that NASA should not accept large numbers of astronauts at one time because of the low morale risk due to possible long waits for flight missions. The big picture: Other space agencies around the world are starting to change their requirements for who becomes an astronaut.
The early astronauts were drawn test pilots from an all-male and white military background. Eventually, the agency diversified its corps, recruiting several white women and people of color from various backgrounds, and some of the current astronauts have helped develop the Artemis program but may not be in a position to fly due to family needs, age, or other issues. , a historian told Space’s Robert Perlman and editor of the collectionspace.com website Axios. This means NASA will need more trained astronauts to help replace them. The European Space Agency recently started recruiting certain disabled people who may someday fly in space, and the Japan Space Agency has dropped its requirement for aspiring astronauts to earn a four-year bachelor’s degree. Applicants have at least a master’s degree in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Despite these high requirements, NASA had no trouble getting enough orders in the last round, delivering record numbers.
Background: The astronaut team has gone through a number of transformations since the formation of NASA. “It’s frustrating sitting 15 years waiting for a flight when it’s something you’ve wanted to do since you were a kid, or the reason you’re giving up a high-paying job at Lockheed or getting a Ph.D.,” Michael Cassut, author and historian, told the website. . NASA’s Axios has processes in place to determine who will assign certain missions to the International Space Station, but the agency has yet to finalize the framework that will work on missions to the Moon, which will have different science and engineering requirements.
By selecting more scientists, Cassut said, the agency will also work to bring these skills to the ranks of astronauts at large, enabling them to learn from one another. Worth noting: NASA may be looking for more geologists and scientists whose skills and experience will be useful in exploring the lunar surface.
Space news highlights
- Title: New NASA Astronaut Team for the Next Age in Space
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