In 2024, I flew on a microgravity, or zero G, parabolic flight with the European House Company (ESA). The aeroplane flew big arcs up and down within the sky. On the prime of the arc I skilled 22 seconds of weightlessness, similar to an astronaut.
On the flight have been a few of ESA’s latest astronauts, coaching on the Microgravity Science Glovebox: a see-through field for doing science experiments in house, with gloves to let astronauts use their fingers whereas the field stops the experiment from flying round. I used to be finishing up analysis on find out how to maintain astronauts wholesome in house.
Piloting us was ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who made floating round look straightforward: he hung serenely within the cabin whereas the scientists and trainees crashed about.
My profession path to these moments in microgravity appears extra like a maze than a straight line. I did an engineering apprenticeship, then an undergraduate diploma in physiotherapy, then a Grasp’s diploma in house physiology and well being. Lastly, a PhD on find out how to maintain astronauts’ backs wholesome mixed all three.
There isn’t any one approach to be an astronaut – you may’t go to astronaut college. It’s worthwhile to decide up expertise alongside the best way earlier than making use of to be an astronaut candidate. The excellent news is there are various pathways to changing into an astronaut, or to be floating alongside them, like me.
The Stem and pilot routes
The obvious and well-known routes are to review science, expertise, engineering and arithmetic (Stem) topics, whereas additionally changing into a pilot – these paths typically intertwine. Precisely which Stem topic, and which type of flying, counts is dependent upon the house company or personal firm you apply to, and in your nationality.
However many of the world’s present astronaut corps took this Stem pathway. Thomas Pesquet is one instance: he certified as an aerospace engineer and a transport pilot earlier than changing into an astronaut candidate within the 2009 class.
The multidisciplinary route
The second, and more and more frequent choice, is the multidisciplinary route. It contains astronauts who’ve studied two or extra fields that may not appear clearly associated to one another, or to spaceflight. Mixtures of life sciences and physics are common, as with Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques. He skilled as a biomedical engineer, astrophysicist after which as a medical physician earlier than changing into an astronaut.
ESA’s John McFall, who was with me on the 2024 parabolic flight, was a Paralympic sprinter and an NHS orthopaedic surgeon earlier than he grew to become an astronaut in 2022. Some combos are extra uncommon nonetheless: Jessica Meir introduced collectively marine biology and extreme-environment physiology earlier than becoming a member of Nasa.
Every of those astronauts gives a novel mixture of expertise, valued within the complicated, problem-solving world of spaceflight. That blend will matter much more on future planetary missions, the place one individual could must fill a number of roles relying on which section of the mission they’re in.
The super-specialist route
The third path is the precise reverse. As a substitute of going broad, you dive deeply into one subject and grow to be a world-leading professional. For instance, ESA’s Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski earned two grasp’s levels and a doctorate in radiation-tolerant electronics. He then labored at Cern, the place he grew to become liable for the day-to-day working of the Large Hadron Collider, earlier than being chosen by ESA in 2022. Generally being a specialist
and being actually, actually good at what you do is itself a pathway to house.
It’s value saying that you simply don’t all the time need to resolve younger. Canadian Jenni Sidey-Gibbons was a combustion engineer and college lecturer earlier than she was chosen. Japan’s Makoto Suwa was an earth scientist and senior catastrophe threat administration specialist on the World Financial institution earlier than he was chosen by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Company (JAXA) in his forties.
There isn’t any expiry date on the dream, and no single second when you need to resolve. It’s even tremendous to stumble alongside the best way. Astronaut Scott Kelly had poor grades in school and failed at least one US Navy exam earlier than changing into an astronaut. He by no means gave up.
The profession path that doesn’t exist but
Then there may be one remaining route, which none of us is aware of, as a result of it doesn’t exist but. In relation to who they may select to enter house, business spaceflight firms are writing their own rulebooks as they go and are intentionally widening who qualifies as astronauts. We genuinely have no idea who the profession astronauts of the 2040s might be, or what they may have studied.
Nonetheless, a powerful grounding in arithmetic, a science, English and one other language is a good begin. You’ll prepare and dwell alongside worldwide crews in addition to resolve issues in house. No matter you research, your hobbies are the ultimate ingredient. Hobbies make you a rounder, happier, extra succesful individual – the type of one that makes a attention-grabbing crew member.
Get that basis, do it brilliantly and the remainder of what you research is as much as you.
This text is republished from The Conversation beneath a Inventive Commons license.
