• Question: what do you think it takes to become an astroughout

    Asked by NAV!! to Tom, Chris on 20 Jun 2017.
    • Photo: Christopher Bullock

      Christopher Bullock answered on 20 Jun 2017:

      You have to remember that everyone who gets sent into space is extremely highly skilled and qualified. They do not take passengers so everyone has to be important to the mission. I think most astronauts are either pilots (usually having come through the military – Tim Peak was an army helicopter pilot) or engineers (for building and maintaining satellites and space stations). They also send up scientists like physicists to study space itself and biologists to understand the impact of space on life.

      Basically, If you have the right skills and experience in these kind of fields you can apply for astronaut training with the European Space Agency (ESA) but only the best get accepted. If you want to be an astronaut, fantastic! Keep working hard in school and think about which one of those routes suits you best.

    • Photo: Tom Rooney

      Tom Rooney answered on 20 Jun 2017:

      Hello again Nav,
      This a highly specialised area, very few people get to travel into space as an astronaut and so only the very best of a select few get to do it. However, this shouldn’t put you off if that is your goal. Study really hard, perform well at everything you do but also develop your wider skills… you need to be physically fit and mentally strong to get up there, they will be looking for people with plenty of life experience, i.e. be able to cope with challenges and adversity without panicking or flipping out! So as well as learning the right subjects (science and engineering) also consider doing some adventurous activity like scouts, duke of Edinburgh scheme, sailing etc
      Good luck

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