back to article NASA stormed by 18,000 wannabe 'nauts

NASA has received a record 18,300 applications for its 2017 astronaut class, "almost three times the number of applications received in 2012 for the most recent astronaut class, and far surpassing the previous record of 8,000 in 1978". Once the space agency has sifted through the application mountain, it'll invite the best …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Once the space agency has sifted through the application mountain

    I'm sure that there are some serious candidates there -- people with impressive CVs and whatever else they're looking for.

    But I wonder how many of those 18000 candidates are more adequate to a (pun intended) lunatic competition. Did they had to write an essay on "why do I want to be an astronaut?" There ought to have some interesting entries ...

  2. TRT Silver badge

    NASA stormed by 18,000 wannabe 'nauts

    Made me think...

    *wringing hands*

    "Good... soon our army will be complete and we will wipe the Jedi scum from the gala... Wha...? You want me to sign this requisition for 18,000 sets of white battle armour? Oh, Ok... That's quite expensive, isn't it. And this one is for ... ? High precision blasters? Daylight robbery that is! Far too much. Isn't there a cheaper low precision version we could get instead? And no, I don't want an extended warranty with the tie-fighters."

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    All seen The Martian?

    Maybe the film The Martian helped?

  4. Unep Eurobats
    Boffin

    It's the eyesight thing that's always nixed it for me

    Because in other respects I'm sure I have absolutely bags of the Right Stuff. Oh yes.

    1. Mark 85

      Re: It's the eyesight thing that's always nixed it for me

      Eyesight is an issue here also, even though I had flight pay in the military. Now I do wonder, why don't they drop the standards a tad for the early launches? I'd sign up in a minute even if it meant only a 50-50 chance of making it back.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Can't blame them..

    Sometimes I just don't want to live on this planet anymore...

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    американской исключительности

    The irony of having an American space program but needing to speak Russian to join it, I hope, hasn't passed anybody by....

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: американской исключительности

      The Russians probably require speaking English also.

      1. TRT Silver badge

        Re: американской исключительности

        American components, Russian components... All made China.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    Units

    > a standing height between 62 and 75 inches

    And if they expressed that bit of the requirement in cm then they will weed out those that don't understand SI units - which I understand has been a problem in the past.

    1. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

      Re: Units

      LORD IT'S HARD TO BE HAPPY WHEN YOU'RE NOT USING THE METRIC SYSTEM

      - Atom and his package

  8. Tikimon
    Thumb Up

    Definitely "The Martian" Effect!

    Which I'm glad for! Brilliant movie, it appeals to everyone from all walks of life. It makes space and science look cool in a believable way (sorry Star Wars and Trek). It shorely didn't hurt to have Watney played by Matt Damon either.

    For too long has Hollywood portrayed scientists and geeks as stock stereotypes, and unflattering ones at that. Fictional or not, Mark Watney is someone we can all identify with, sympathize with... and want to be like.

    Now, if Musk or someone will hurry up and construct a nice interplanetary ship like that, we're on our way! Come on, Elon! Science the shit out of it!

    1. John70

      Re: Definitely "The Martian" Effect!

      +1 for "Science the shit out of it" reference :)

  9. David Harper 1

    And since everyone has to get a prize just for taking part

    A consolation prize for the 17,986 who don't make the grade:

    http://despair.com/collections/demotivators/products/potential

  10. Tony S

    " at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft"."

    They forgot to highlight that hours logged on Microsoft Flight Simulator don't count; that'd probably cut out about 80% of applicants

  11. Anonymous Custard
    Joke

    Peake's in spaaaaaaaaaaaaccccccccccceeeeeeeeee

    Well at least we can already say we've achieved Peake astronaut with Major Tim...

  12. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

    For what it's worth: 62 - 75 inch

    = 11.2482 - 13.6067 Linguine

    = 0,17808 - 0,2066 Double-Decker Buses

    = 0,0114 - 0,0138 Brontosauri

    (And here I thought being tall enough to ride Space Mountain would be just as well.)

  13. Hans Neeson-Bumpsadese Silver badge

    journey to mars

    "It's not at all surprising to me that so many Americans from diverse backgrounds want to personally contribute to blazing the trail on our journey to Mars."

    More likely...it's not surprising that so many people realise that this planet's f***ed and want to get off of it

  14. Stoneshop
    Go

    Selection

    "The most promising from this deluge of candidates will be invited for the next round of interviews and skills appraisal at the ISS in two months time"

    1. TRT Silver badge

      Re: Selection

      They'll have to fund their own fare to the interview...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Headmaster

        Re: Selection

        The good news is that they are all Americans, so they can write off the cost of getting to that interview from their federal taxes, as a job search expense.

  15. Charles Manning

    Given NASA's current lack of space capability....

    Maybe they could print out the applications, climb up and see how high they can get.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Alien

    18,000? Just wait until the next round of hiring!!

    If Donald Trump gets elected, there will be hundreds of thousands of Americans eager to get off this rock :) Probably a few million non-Americans too.

    "So you're going to put me on top of a machine that relies on a sustained controlled explosion to work? OK, I have no problem with that....Oh, and you are going to bring me back? Hmmm, let me think about that part."

    1. Alister

      Re: 18,000? Just wait until the next round of hiring!!

      "Oh, and you are going to bring me back? Hmmm, let me think about that part."

      Don't worry, If Trump gets elected, he certainly won't let anyone from ISS back into America...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Joke

        Re: 18,000? Just wait until the next round of hiring!!

        True, leaving the Earth and going to the ISS for the specific purpose of escaping The Donald's presidency would probably get you branded as an "ISS-lam-ist" by the new White House.

        (/rimshot. I'm here all week!!!)

        1. Oengus
          Joke

          Re: 18,000? Just wait until the next round of hiring!!

          Rename it the "International Station In Space" - ISIS for short.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    "No one goes away empty handed"

    For the 17,999 applicants who have been rejected, NASA has a consolation prize for you! That's right! NASA is going to douse you all in gasoline and light you up with a flame-thrower so you can experience 'Re Entry' in its full flamey goodness! Mmm, toasty!

  18. Stevie

    Bah!

    1000 hours on jets? So, still working to the military test pilot model then. Just like in 1960.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Bah!

      Note that the working is "OR 1000 ... hours". Just like the vision requirement is not "20/20 vision", but "Correctable to 20/20" vision

      Also, take a read of the Apollo 15 flight logs (I stumbled over there from an El Reg article recently) for some thoughts on the advantages the Apollo crews found due to the test pilot background many of them had in common. Interesting reading.

    2. allthecoolshortnamesweretaken

      Re: Bah!

      If 'military test pilot' would have been the deceiding factor in the 1960ies, Chuck Yeager would have been part of the first batch selected. Which, yeah, would have been pretty cool...

    3. DocJames

      Re: Bah!

      "at least three years of related, progressively responsible professional experience, or at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft".

      So I'd get in (undergrad degree, more than 3 years progressive experience) if I wasn't too tall (probably; my mind doesn't work in inches) and too not American. Although even I would manage to learn Russian given the incentive on offer.

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