Astronaut

As an Astronaut, you study outer space, usually as a crewmember aboard a spacecraft that’s part of a carefully planned space mission with very specific objectives, whether it’s landing on the moon, observing the Earth’s atmosphere, or measuring the movements of stars.

Obviously, there’s more to being an Astronaut than freeze-dried ice cream and zero gravity. So, although you’ve probably dreamed of becoming one ever since you were a kid, you should know that before you can become an Astronaut, you’ve got to become something else — usually a Scientist, Engineer, or Pilot.

Whatever your mission, your work starts on the ground, where you undergo months of training, after which you’ll be launched into space for a period of days, weeks, months, or even years. Your main duties generally involve doing research that includes observation, experimentation, and data collection; performing maintenance on the spacecraft; conducting safety-related activities; and assisting with routine housekeeping tasks, since you’re both living and working aboard the spacecraft.

Because very few people get to visit outer space, however, perhaps your most important job is telling everyone your space stories when you get home!

Someday, there will be group tours of the earth’s orbit, hotels on Mars, and round-trip flights to the moon. For now, though, the best — and only — way to get a ticket to outer space is to become an Astronaut.