Astronaut Job Description
Overview
An astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft. Although generally reserved for professional space travelers, the terms are sometimes applied to anyone who travels into space, including scientists, politicians, journalists and tourists. The root "naut" derives from "nautes", the Greek for "sailor." Until 2002, astronauts were sponsored and trained exclusively by governments, either by the military or by civilian space agencies. With the suborbital flight of the privately funded SpaceShipOne in 2004, a new category of astronaut was created: the commercial astronaut.
Education you need to become an Astronaut
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There may be other required degrees or certifications needed for this job. The below info shows you the most commonly desired education level from employers when hiring for this job.
- Bachelor of Science (b.sc.) in Mechanical Engineering
- Master of Science (m.sc.) in Aerospace Engineering
- Master of Science (m.sc.) in Systems Engineering
- Bachelor of Arts (b.a.) in Physics Education
- Bachelor of Science (b.sc.) in Chemistry
Annual Pay Estimate for Astronaut and Other Important Info
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Career Paths for Astronaut
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