Astronaut

An astronaut is someone who is completely trained to command, pilot or remain as a member of a crew in the spacecraft. The term is (more often than not) used for professional travelers to space but now is being used for anyone who travels to space. 

Career Options

• - - Scientist - Technician - Research expert - Mission Programmer

Educational Qualifications

• - Bachelor's Degree is a must - If you want to join ISRO, you must clear IIT JEE. If you want to apply to NASA, you should have 3 years of professional experience after the degree or 1000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft. An advanced degree is preferable and can be used as an experience (Master's Degree  will 1 year of experience and a doctoral will be equated to 3 years of experience). Teaching experience is also considered.

Personal Skills

• Apart from being academically bright and fulfill all the eligible criteria
• there is a massive need to qualify for physical and mental fitness for the space program. The criteria varies depending on which space institution you want to join.  

Courses to be pursued

• - B.Tech in Aerospace Engineering - M.Phil/Ph.D (in the field of interest)

Top Colleges

• IIT Mumbai Address- IIT Area, Powai, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400076 Phone- 022 2572 2545 Website: www.iitb.ac.in

Working Conditions

There are a lot of uncomfortable aspects that you need to consider before thinking about becoming an astronaut. Astronauts can face physical issues such as body fluid flowing upwards or losing bone density. Balancing in space is tough to get used to too. There are long days of work when in space ( 6 AM to 9:30 PM) . The sun sets 16 times a day while on ISS, making the sleep process disrupted. Eating can be difficult too. They have to eat stickier foods such as oatmeal as the dry foods can float in the air and contaminate the environment. They do have a choice of foods and their menu is set long before their spacecraft is schedules.

Top Companies

• NASA Address: 300 E St SW, Washington, DC 20546, USA Website: https://nasajobs.nasa.gov/jobs/noncitizens.htm Phone: (202) 358-0001

Successful Persons

Viswanathan Anand

Viswanathan Anand is a renownwed name in the world of chess. He is former World Chess Champion, and currently the World Rapid Chess Champion. Anand also holds the title of India's first grandmaster in 1988. He held the FIDE World Chess Championship from 2000 to 2002, and he was the first Asian to achieve this.

Pentala Harikrishna

Pentala Harikrishna was born on 10 May 1986 is a chess Grandmaster from Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India. He became the youngest grandmaster from India on 12 September 2001, a record now held by Parimarjan Negi. He was Commonwealth Champion in 2001, World Junior Champion in 2004 and Asian Individual Champion in 2011.