Is it fitness and transferable skills? Seems like it would be most advantageous to be some sort of scientist. With the likes of SpaceX making it all more automated, will the demographic of astronauts change?
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Fighter pilot skills and characteristics are almost exactly what is needed from an astronaut.
-First of all fighter pilots know how to fly planes, which is an plus when they are going to be docking to ISS. It was also a plus back in Space Shuttle days since they actually landed the Shuttle like a plane without engines.
-Jet fighters cause immense stress on human body. G’s, acceleration, flights angles and maneuvers all of these are very unnatural for human body and also present in spacecraft and rockets. Fighter pilots are trained to stay calm and collected in under all of these negative and unnatural effects. If someone can dogfight effectively and keep frosty, they can surely do the same when commanding a space flight.
-They have a military background (duh.) Which translates to having a disciplined, methodical, obedient and detail aware personality. This is also importnant during space flight since mission control might and usually will them instructions from earth that needs to be followed without question and without any initiative taken.
-Again, their military background gives them a leader’s personality. Which is needed when you are commanding a space crew. They can keep people tight, take initiative when needed and make tough decisions if they have to.
These skills and traits are what is needed from a member or leader of a space crew. People who are actually flying the ship and coordinating operations. Not all astronauts need to have these skills. For example the Space Shuttle program had 10 positions in a crew. While positions of Commander and Pilot need to have flight experience and only held by Air Force pilots other positions such as : Payload Commander, Mission Specialist, Flight Engineer, International Mission Specialist, Educator Mission Specialist, Payload Specialist and Spaceflight Participant didn’t require to have prior flight experince.
Requirements for becoming a NASA astronauts read as :
“Candidates must have a master’s degree from an accredited institution in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics.[7] The degree must be followed by at least two to three years of related, progressively responsible, professional experience (graduate work or studies) or at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft. An advanced degree is desirable and may be substituted for experience, such as a doctoral degree (which counts as the two years experience). Teaching experience, including experience at the K – 12 levels, is considered to be qualifying experience.”
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