NASA recently put the call out for brave men and women to become part of the next phase of human space exploration and double the normal number of aspiring astronauts showed up for their chance to take part in America’s future space explorations.
According to NASA over 6,300 aspiring astronauts applied to become an American space hero this time around and head out into the solar system in search of the unknown during the years ahead. NASA’s last astronaut recruitment drive took place three years ago and at that time nine new astronauts were added to the ranks of the next generation of American astronauts.
NASA has indicated they’re looking to recruit men and women with the right stuff required for the job of heading into space during the next phase of human space exploration. The candidates that applied during this latest recruitment drive will have to go through a rigorous training program that will eventually eliminate all accept a few hardy souls. In order to find space heroes with the right mix of skills and abilities needed to survive space travel and return alive.
The candidates will be assessed for the job of becoming America’s next space heroes using their education and on-the-job accomplishments over the years, along with their personal habits and character traits. The brave men and women selected will then take part in the next astronaut class, which will start in August 2013.
The next class of American space heroes NASA selects from the 6,300 candidates will be traveling into space on a new class of American space vehicle this time around. The last American space vehicle, the space shuttle, has been decommissioned in favor of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle space capsule and new space rockets designed to lift the newest space vehicles into space.
NASA has been hitching a ride on Russian space vehicles in order to travel back and forth to the International Space Station when required. NASA has also been working with private firms in the United States in efforts to build a commercial space vehicle that will help make America the leader in space lifting power. All in order to meet the current administrations directive for the American space program to travel to nearby asteroids within 13 years, before putting American astronauts on Mars sometime in the not to distant future.
NASA needs new space heroes to fill the ranks of American astronauts that retired during the last few decades and went to work in other space industry jobs. The candidates that are selected through this latest American astronaut recruitment drive will be the next American space heroes to lead future space explorations. Once they complete their astronaut training they’ll join America’s 58 current space heroes during the next phase of the human exploration of the solar system.
