Patterico's Pontifications

9/18/2007

Help Wanted. Some Travel Required.

Filed under: Miscellaneous — DRJ @ 9:56 pm



[Guest post by DRJ]

For the first time in 30 years, NASA has posted a hiring notice for new astronauts:

“NASA posted a hiring notice for new astronauts Tuesday, seeking for the first time in almost 30 years men and women to fly aboard spacecraft other than the shuttle.

The pilots, scientists, engineers and educators that NASA recruits will train primarily for three- to six-month missions aboard the international space station. However, some could be among those who stroll on the surface of the moon as part of NASA’s plan to return human explorers to the lunar surface by 2020 aboard the shuttle fleet’s successor spacecraft.”

The deadline for applications is July 1 and you can get more information online:

“The space agency’s help-wanted notice for 10 to 15 new space fliers was posted Tuesday on www.usajobs.com, the federal government’s employment Web site.”

Successful applicants get a trip to Houston “for interviews with a selection panel and medical screening” which undoubtedly includes a detailed psychological screening.

NASA is an important program. I hope the best people take this opportunity to reach for the stars.

— DRJ

9 Responses to “Help Wanted. Some Travel Required.”

  1. Gotta disagree.
    Man space flight is a colossal waste of money. Not only are billions of dollars spent to make spacecraft accommodate humans and return them to earth, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent so each American flight is comprised of politically correct crew. The money would be far, far better spent on unmanned space flight and the growth in scientific knowledge would be far greater.

    Perfect Sense (b6ec8c)

  2. Go for it DRJ…

    Lawyer in space… A good start! 😉

    Scott Jacobs (e3904e)

  3. I’d sign up if they pay me a mileage stipend on top of a small salary.

    Steverino (5f7efc)

  4. You just know some joker will show up in a U.C.D. after an umpteen hour drive for the interview.

    markm (3714ae)

  5. “I would like to apply for the position of Astronaut. I am at least as sane as your least sane Astronaut.”

    🙂

    Scott Jacobs (a1de9d)

  6. That would be really really really cool.

    JD (f6a000)

  7. I think I qualify. I only used to drink!

    Another Drew (8018ee)

  8. I’m sorry, but I think the space program is a frivolous waste of TAX payers money.

    Spend the money here on the ground where it is much needed.

    Nothing against research, but how much has the space program benefitted the average american??

    We need politicians interested in using our money Wisely.

    Eva (7fc0ff)

  9. Eva, Patterico says I can’t say what I’m thinking so I’ll rephrase it.

    Forgetting all the enormous scientific side benefits of advanced technology, you realize we’re communicating over the internet and, likely, over satellite microwave relays — said satellites being in space?

    Further, if America didn’t have technological expertise in space, do you think — militarily — the U.S. would rapidly fall behind China and Russia as these nations weaponized space and seized control of the very high ground, so to speak?

    How do you think the U.S. Air Force would maintain air superiority if the above space were surrendered to foreign powers? How would the U.S. maintain communication and interception capability without a robust satellite program? How would U.S. ground, naval, and special operations forces succeed in their mission without visual and other electro-magnetic spectrum surveillance capability provided by satellites in space?

    Christoph (92b8f7)


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