Career Building: If you dream about becoming an Astronaut...

If you dream about becoming an Astronaut some day, here is what you need to know:

Becoming an astronaut does not just happen overnight. It takes many years of education and experience to meet the basic qualifications. Many people are not accepted on the first try, either requiring them to learn more to be better prepared for the next try. Even then, only a small percentage of applicants become astronaut candidates, making it a very hard job to get.

The basic requirements are a bachelor’s degree in engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science or mathematics followed by 3 years of professional experience or (1000 hours of pilotin-command time in jet aircraft).Candidates also must pass astronaut physical examination. Astronauts should have:

1. 20/20 vision (naturally or lens).

2. Blood pressure not more than 140/90 in a sitting position.

3. Height between 62 inches to 75 inches (5.1 to 6.4 feet).

Few people from India who became astronauts are:

Rakesh Sharma: First Indian man in space. He graduated from Nizam College, Hyderabad and joined the National defense Academy as an air force cadet and moved on to become a pilot in Indian Air Force (IAF). Later with his skills he became a test pilot for the IAF. Later he was selected to become a cosmonaut.

Rakesh Sharma First Indian in space

Ravish Malhotra: Backup to 1 st Indian man in space. He was also a test pilot with IAF who was selected to become research cosmonaut.

Ravish Malhotra

Kalpana Chawla: First Indian woman in space. She graduated from Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh and moved to the US where she earned a double master’s. She was determined to become an astronaut and joined NASA astronaut corps and went on a space mission.

Kalpana Chawla: First Indian woman in space

Sunita Williams is an American astronaut of Indian descent. She formerly held the records for total spacewalks by a woman and most spacewalk time for a woman.

Sunita Williams

- M. Sree Charan Reddy, Class 9 Lotus

We hope this article inspires students to dream big and explore the opportunity of becoming an astronaut some day.

Here we have Veda from Class 1 Rose dressed up as Kalpana Chawla for the International Day of the Girl Child assembly in school.