If your qualification isn’t listed, choose the closest equivalent. If it is considered of a lower academic difficulty than a bachelor’s degree, it’s very unlikely you will be considered for astronaut selection at this point, but can plan for the future!

This is generally only considered applicable after graduation from a bachelor’s degree. A Master’s program is not considered professional experience, where a PhD program is. For some Space Agencies, over 800 or 1000 flying hours in a fast jet is considered equivalent.

Space agencies have very specific requirements for someone’s physical characteristics. Sometimes this is because of the specific space vehicle they use, and sometimes this is because of the spacewalk spacesuits, where they only have certain sizes available on the International Space Station.

Space agencies have very specific requirements for someone’s physical characteristics. Sometimes this is because of the specific space vehicle they use, and sometimes this is because of the spacewalk spacesuits, where they only have certain sizes available on the International Space Station.

Astronauts must maintain peak mental and physical health due to the challenges of working in confined and stressful environments for extended periods. The limited availability of healthcare in space necessitates selecting individuals with exceptional health. While initial applications may not thoroughly assess health, except for ESA, a detailed medical examination during the selection process ensures only those in optimal health are chosen.

At present, all space agencies with the exception of China require their astronauts to be fluent in the English language. This is based on the International Space Station where the general language is English, and all procedures are in English. Other languages are important too, however questions related to additional / other languages are in the advanced application.

Being confident in water is an essential aspect of astronaut basic training, and throughout an astronaut’s career. This is owing to the number of hours spent preparing for spacewalks, also known as a Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA), where water is the closest environment to simulating microgravity using neutral buoyancy. In addition, when learning to fly high speed aircraft, it’s important to learn water escape procedures in case of a water emergency landing. Finally, when returning from the International Space Station, depending on the spacecraft provider, it’s possible that a ‘splash down landing’ is performed. Splashdown is the method of landing a spacecraft capsule by parachute in a body of water, where the crew are then picked up via boat, however astronauts must prepare for the worst case scenario of water entering the capsule or having to swim in a spacesuit to safety.