andre@elbereth.rutgers.edu (Timothy Andre) (04/12/90)
First: This has been cross-posted in both sci.space and sci.space.shuttle news groups, so if you are experiencing de-ja-vu, that's why. Second: I realize this may not be the sort of thing for these news groups, but at the moment I have no better recourse, so send me all the flames you want. I am a graduate student at Rutgers University and will be receiving my MS in Electrical Engineering in May. My ultimate desire is to be Mission Specialist for NASA. I have noticed that most Mission Specialists have their Ph.D.s, some in EE. I am considering continuing for my PhD, but wonder if it is really necessary and am worried that it may leave me over-qualified for the things I like to do, in case I wash out of Mission Specialist school. Let me give you a brief resume: BSEE 1986, Rutgers University. GPA: 3.91 (4.0 = A). June 1986 - June 1988: Western Union Satellite Control Facility (WESTAR) wrote real-time telemetry and command software for HS-376 communications satellites. Sept. 1988 - Present: Persued full-time graduate study, Rutgers University. Graduate GPA: 3.75. Full time teaching assistant. Program in Digital Signal Processing, Computer Engineering and Software Engineering. Additionally, I am fairly well versed in programming in C and C++, have worked under Unix, MS-DOS, RSX-11M+ operating systems, and have been the System Administrator for five Sun386i workstations for the past year. I suppose my questions are: 1) Is a PhD a requirement for being a Mission Specialist? 2) What are my chances of actually becoming a Mission Specialist? 3) I have been told that a private pilot's license or a ham radio license would be helpful. True? 4) How about experience in the Air Force Reserve? 5) Anybody have a job for me? :-) (just kidding). I suppose that if you think this is of general interest, you could reply on the net, else send e-mail to: tandre@fourier.rutgers.edu or andre@elbereth.rutgers.edu Thanks very much for your attention! Tim.
henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer) (04/12/90)
In article <Apr.11.23.00.39.1990.12340@elbereth.rutgers.edu> andre@elbereth.rutgers.edu (Timothy Andre) writes: >... My ultimate desire is to be Mission Specialist >for NASA. I have noticed that most Mission Specialists have their Ph.D.s, some >in EE. I am considering continuing for my PhD, but wonder if it is really >necessary... Okay, time to dust off my standard posting on this: Q. How do I become an astronaut? A. We will assume you mean a NASA astronaut, since it's probably impossible for a Westerner to get into the Soviet program, and the other nations have so few astronauts (and fly even fewer) that you're better off hoping to win a lottery. Becoming a shuttle pilot requires lots of fast-jet experience, which means a military flying career; forget that unless you want to do it anyway. So you want to become a shuttle "mission specialist". If you aren't a US citizen, become one; that is a must. After that, the crucial thing to remember is that the demand for such jobs vastly exceeds the supply. NASA's problem is not finding qualified people, but thinning the lineup down to manageable length. It is not enough to be qualified; you must avoid being *dis*qualified for any reason, many of them in principle quite irrelevant to the job. Get a Ph.D. Specialize in something that involves getting your hands dirty with equipment, not just paper and pencil. Forget computer programming entirely; it will be done from the ground for the fore- seeable future. Be in good physical condition, with good eyesight. (DO NOT get a radial keratomy or similar hack to improve your vision; nobody knows what sudden pressure changes would do to RKed eyes, and the long-term effects are poorly understood. For that matter, avoid any other significant medical unknowns.) Practise public speaking, and be conservative and conformist in appearance and actions; you've got a tough selling job ahead, trying to convince a cautious, conservative selection committee that you are better than hundreds of other applicants. (And, also, that you will be a credit to NASA after you are hired: public relations is a significant part of the job, and NASA's image is very prim and proper.) The image you want is squeaky-clean workaholic yuppie. Remember also that you will need a security clearance at some point, and the security people consider everybody guilty until proven innocent. Keep your nose clean. Get a pilot's license and make flying your number one hobby; experienced pilots are known to be favored even for non-pilot jobs. Work for NASA; of 45 astronauts selected between 1984 and 1988, 43 were military or NASA employees, and the remaining two were a NASA consultant and Mae Jemison (the first black female astronaut). Think space: they want highly motivated people, so lose no chance to demonstrate motivation. Keep trying. Be lucky. -- With features like this, | Henry Spencer at U of Toronto Zoology who needs bugs? | uunet!attcan!utzoo!henry henry@zoo.toronto.edu