Astronaut application
"I applied to be an astronaut, and the only part I got right was my name."
- Steve Martin
I expect I'd have the same result. But for those with the right stuff, go for it!
NASA has opened registration for the ultimate out-of-this-world job: a trip to Mars as one of its astronauts. "NASA is on an ambitious journey to Mars and we're looking for talented men and women from diverse backgrounds and every walk of life to help get us there," said NASA Administrator and former astronaut Charles Bolden. …
"And no coming back either."
The Mars One project is a one-way trip to colonize the place (and funded by reality TV), but this is a different project. NASA want to go there and come back again:
the best astronaut corpse possible!
Sadly, the median US salary is ~$27K?! Surely, you mean £27K UK pounds/quids/shillerings/BBC Doctor Who Gallifreian Space Credits? Wow, that's just awful.
Here's a tip if you're making this lowly sum; read a book other than the bible! HAHA! You poor dopes!
"Sadly, the median US salary is ~$27K?! Surely, you mean £27K UK pounds/quids/shillerings/BBC Doctor Who Gallifreian Space Credits? "
No really, that's not a typo ~$26695 is the median, to be precise.
"Here's a tip if you're making this lowly sum; read a book other than the bible! HAHA! You poor dopes!"
The median salary for a Pastor in the United States is $90125. In the States at least, sounds like the good book pays off.
Well, yes salary.com reported the median salary of U.S. pastors as $90,000. But a lot of other sites were more believable. Check out christianitytoday.com. They came up with $72,500 as the average wage of married pastors, and it included housing/parsonage. Solo pastors were correspondingly less.
Jeeves was tutting and shaking his head when you made this comment about the lower end of the working community, or how I like to put it 'the gene pool'. I believe he found that it somewhat offensive.
I, on the other hand, found it amusing - I nearly spat out my caviar and dropped my breakfast glass of Boërl & Kroff Brut.
@ChrisG
It would be far better if the first human on Mars was Donald Trump! Preferably tomorrow and alone
I actually think it'd improve the quality of politicians if it was mandatory that whichever parties candidate that loses the election HAS to go to Mars. You'd immediately cut out those whose heart isn't really in the game, and those who don't really believe in serving their country.
While it seems heroic to apply to go a little thought gives us cowards thought. Apart from the 1% change of bring fried in takeoff or landings (x2 for two planets) you can also look forward to radiation poisoning, bone loss, dementia from the radiation, cancer from radiation. And having to smell your fellow astronauts farts for several months at a time. All this to stand on a rock marginally farther from the sun. As a card carrying coward - no thanks. However, I'm not stopping the more intrepid amongst, feel free to go with my blessings.
Fine, you stay here, I'll go in your place. I'd like the challenge and perhaps attaining the goal of standing where no human has ever stood before. Since no one gets out of this life alive, one might as well go out doing something grand.
I also realize that at my age, I won't be around when they finally get the funding to launch the rocket... <sigh>
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http://www.johndcook.com/blog/2008/10/20/nearly-everyone-is-above-average/
There must be a good applying for the role of Tarzan joke here somewhere but it is too late at night to work out the details. "I have nothing against your right leg - the problem is that neither have you".
Beware poorly sourced statistics.
We're too immature to be allowed off this planet. We simply don't have the understanding of ourselves and enough appreciation about how to behave. We're like grounded teenagers, slamming doors, breaking stuff and not giving a monkey's toss about things around us. On an individual basis, we many not have the mental fortitude to cope with years of "captivity" in tin cans, floating about up there without it having some form detrimental effect on our health.
We need to grow up a lot before we allowed out on our own.
what could go wrong with sending a bunch of academics to Mars.
Thing is, a society needs balance, too many chiefs not enough Indians will not end well.
physical fitness is obviously a must but they are going to need to rethink this academic requirement as well as the completely useless flight experience if they want to start a colony
@Davie Dee
physical fitness is obviously a must but they are going to need to rethink this academic requirement as well as the completely useless flight experience if they want to start a colony
Well, in fairness to NASA, with that as a stated goal their advert would look more like this:
WANTED: Group of fertile 20 something female swingers, size 8 (hefty chicks need more thrust).
ALSO WANTED: Two deaf guys that can fix stuff. Must like children.
Applicants will need a Bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics, preferably with an advanced degree as well... at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft or at least three years of professional experience in their field... and be an American citizen.
So, not every walk of life, as it excludes a very large portion of the planet straight off for not being American. Also, not particularly diverse considering they have to be a highly educated jet pilot.
So, too frikking bad D@v3!
Bring something else to the table besides mouths to feed. Especially if you want consideration as a NASA Astronaut.
So you want be part of an American Government Agency? Then prepare to be required to be an American citizen, you moron. I'm sure the qualifications in Russia and China are much the same. Or you can start your own space program.
Screw "multiculturalism and diversity" if the only thing they bring are whiny, ungrateful, ignorant dolts that have no skills, no income and no chance of producing either.
They provide no value in this case, none whatsoever.
"This group will [...] blaze the trail on our journey to the Red Planet." Nothing about actually *going* there.
"NASA tested 13 women to become astronauts" - no, not really: http://history.nasa.gov/flats.html makes it quite clear - a "short-lived, privately-funded project testing women pilots for astronaut fitness".