CINCINNATI (TDB) -- The National Aeronautics and Space Administration today posted a help wanted ad seeking up to 19 new astronauts. The job tops out at $130,257 a year and offers great views of the planet Earth. NASA says a lot of travel is involved, including the possibility of a trip to the moon.
More details are here. Interested Ohioans might have a solid chance of getting hired. The first American to orbit the Earth, John Glenn, was a Buckeye. And the first human to stand on the surface of the moon, Neil Armstrong, was a Buckeye. They followed an aviation tradition that dates back to 1903 when two Ohioans, Orville and Wilbur Wright, invented the airplane and took mankind's first powered flight. That development eventually gave birth to NASA in the mid-20th Century.
NASA officials in Houston said applicants for the 2009 astronaut candidate class "could fly to space for long-duration stays on the International Space Station and missions to the moon." Applications have to be turned in by July 1, 2008. Ellen Ochoa, NASA's chief of flight crew operations, said:
"We look forward to gathering applications and then being able to select from the largest pool possible. Continuing our impressive record in successfully carrying out challenging human spaceflight missions depends on maintaining a talented and diverse astronaut corps."
A bachelor's degree in engineering, science or math is required. Experience flying high-performance jets is a plus. But there is nothing mentioned about having the Right Stuff.
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