The Canadian Space Agency has a long list of requirements for anyone interested in applying to its latest recruitment campaign in search of the country鈥檚 next two astronauts.
The campaign, which launched last week, is not only looking for well-educated applicants, but also those in exceptional health, as they must pass years of rigorous testing.
Along with an impressive resume and 1,000-word cover letter, applicants need either a bachelor鈥檚 degree in engineering or science, or a doctorate in medicine or dentistry. They also need at least three years of professional experience (a master鈥檚 degree counts towards one year of experience, while a doctorate equals three years) or be licenced to practise medicine in Canada.
鈥淲e look for people that are in extremely good health and are physically and mentally fit to be an astronaut,鈥� Hugues Gilbert, director of astronauts, life science, and space medicine with the CSA in Montreal told 麻豆传媒 Channel Monday morning. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to test their physical, their mental, their resistance to stress 鈥� all of that.鈥�
There are also a number of physical and medical requirements, including:
- a height between between 149.5 cm and 190.5 cm (or between 4-foot-11 and 6-foot-3);
- a weight between 110 to 209 pounds; and
- 20/20 vision (those who鈥檝e undergone eye correction surgery are eligible, but the CSA warns against getting the procedure solely for the application.)
The agency is accepting applications until Aug. 15 and will then go through a 鈥渇airly rigorous process鈥� to narrow down the expected thousands of applicants to only 100.
鈥淭hen then the really serious tests will start,鈥� said Gilbert. 鈥淲e will be looking at their mental skills, eye-hand coordination, resistance to stress.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 a full set of tests that we鈥檙e going to get these people through.鈥�
The CSA expects to appoint its next two astronauts in the summer of 2017. The pair will then undergo two years of 鈥渂asic training鈥� in Houston, Texas before getting a flight assignment. Once they get the assignment, there鈥檚 another two years of flight-specific training.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a long process, you have to be patient, but it鈥檚 a fascinating job,鈥� said Gilbert.
Canada鈥檚 next astronaut in space will be David St. Jacques, who begins his flight-specific training this fall and is expected to start his mission at the International Space Station by the end of 2018.
Canada has recruited 12 astronauts since 1983. Liberal MP Marc Garneau was the country鈥檚 first astronaut in space in 1984 and Canada鈥檚 Chris Hadfield has gained international fame not only for being the first Canadian to walk in space, but for his compelling Twitter feed and recorded-in-space rendition of David Bowie鈥檚 鈥淪pace Oddity.鈥�
According to the CSA, the salary scale for astronauts varies from $91,300 to $178,400.
To apply .
