Record Numbers Apply to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
Astronauts in Japan no longer have to be rocket scientists. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) no longer requires prospective astronauts to have educational backgrounds and work experience in scientific-related fields. By dropping this requirement JAXA hopes to recruit more diverse crews. Other requirements that have been dropped are having to weigh within a certain range and be able to swim.
The current requirements include being capable of working on an international team and showing leadership, in addition to being able to think flexibly and take appropriate actions to survive in extreme situations. Applicants must have three or more years of work experience, be between 149.5 cm and 190.5 cm tall, have corrected eyesight of at least 1.0 for both eyes and have normal color vision and hearing.
The last time JAXA recruited new astronauts was in 2009, when it received 963 applications. The recruitment period that ended this month brought in a record 4,127 applications. Nearly half of the applicants, 1,850, were in their 30's, followed by 973 in their 40's, and 811 under age 30. Sixty-nine applicants were 60 or older. The number of women applying came in at 919, which was 22.3 percent of the total.
Next month, JAXA will test applicants' English skills and general knowledge. Those who pass will go through three rounds of exams measuring their physical abilitites and presentation skills. The agency will chose a few prospective astronauts from the candidates by the end of March 2023 at the earliest.
Did you ever want to be an astronaut? What about now? It might be good to get away from all the chaos here on earth.
6 comments:
I have NEVER been interested in working in space. It might be a good chance to get away from the chaos on earth, but I think I'd rather stay here and try to solve the mess we have made. How about you? Are you a space girl?
Nope. No interest in space at all, not the least of which is flying there!
Hi Pamela: I think it is amazing that so many want to be on the Space Station, the number of women really is a surprise but nice to see.
I cannot imagine being up there for so long at a time.
I have never wanted to be in space I really am not a person who likes to fly let alone go out to space.
Have a great week
Catherine
My husband loves everything about outer space, he would have applied years ago if allowed. I couldn’t do it, can’t exactly go outside for a stroll if finding the confines hard to handle.
No, I never wanted to go to outer space. But I say halleluiah that the Space Academy recognizes knowledge gained without being a rocket scientist!
xx, Carol
The new requirements sound very reasonable. I don't think I'd want to be an astronaut, though, I'm too much of a scared cat!
Post a Comment