How to become Astronaut
You can get into this career by applying directly.
Direct Application
You can apply for astronaut training with the European Astronaut Corps or with NASA.
You need to be between 27 and 37 years old and able to speak English fluently. It'll be helpful if you can also speak basic Russian because it's spoken with English on the International Space Station.
You'll have an advantage if you're a pilot with at least 1,000 hours of flying experience in a high performance aircraft like a fighter jet.
You'll also need a degree and a postgraduate qualification in a relevant subject like:
- biology, chemistry or physics
- engineering
- medicine
- aeronautics
- mathematics
You must hold US citizenship or US dual-citizenship to become an astronaut with NASA.
More Information
Career tips
There's only a small number of astronaut training places available and there's a lot of competition for them.
You'll need to do rigorous physical and psychological testing as part of the application process so you'll need to maintain excellent health and endurance.
Further information
You can discover more about how to become an astronaut from: