In the United States, you’ll find two main ways to train as an astronaut. There’s the traditional NASA route at Johnson Space Center, and then there are new commercial options like Sierra Space Training Academy.
Both choices stick to strict safety rules. They just prepare people for different missions and experiences.
NASA runs the country’s most established astronaut training program at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Every recruitment cycle, NASA sifts through more than 8,000 applicants and picks 12 to 16 astronaut candidates.
The Astronaut Candidate Training Program lasts two years. It mixes classroom learning with hands-on mission prep.
Candidates start off with tough physical exams and swimming tests in their first week. NASA wants to see who can handle the basics right away.
Training focuses on three big things:
NASA gets American and international astronauts ready for long trips to the International Space Station and future deep space missions. Instead of focusing on classic piloting, NASA puts a lot of weight on handling high-stress situations.
Private companies now offer training programs for the booming commercial space industry. Sierra Space Training Academy stands out as a leader with its own approach to getting commercial astronauts ready.
The academy sorts trainees into three groups. Career Astronauts go through the toughest prep for flying Dream Chaser spacecraft and working on commercial stations.
Specialist Astronauts train for business-focused tasks, like research or manufacturing in orbit. Experiential Astronauts take shorter courses, mostly aimed at space tourists. They learn the safety basics and get a taste of what space travel feels like.
Commercial programs move fast to keep up with new tech and changing missions. They mix proven NASA techniques with the flexibility needed for all kinds of commercial flights.
NASA and commercial providers both stick to strict safety and competency standards for astronaut certification. The Federal Aviation Administration keeps an eye on commercial spaceflight training rules to make sure safety stays consistent.
Training sites have to show their equipment and instructors meet the right standards. Every program includes medical checks and performance tests before anyone gets certified for flight.
NASA’s standards shape how commercial programs develop. This keeps things consistent while letting new training methods and tech come into play.
If you want to become a NASA astronaut, you’ll need to meet tough educational, medical, and psychological standards before you can even start the two-year training program. NASA gets over 8,000 applications each cycle, but only 12 to 16 people make the cut.
NASA expects candidates to have a master’s degree in a STEM field from an accredited school. That means engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or math.
On top of that, you’ll need at least three years of related work experience after finishing your degree. If you’re a pilot, you can swap that for 1,000 hours as pilot-in-command in jets.
NASA likes variety in backgrounds. Recent classes have included doctors, scientists, test pilots, and all kinds of engineers.
Military experience helps, but it’s not required. Lots of civilians get in through research, academia, or private industry.
Candidates go through NASA’s intense physical and psychological evaluations at Johnson Space Center. These tests take weeks and check every part of your health and mental fitness.
NASA allows corrected vision to 20/20 in both eyes. Blood pressure can’t go over 140/90 when sitting.
Height matters, too. You need to be between 62 and 75 inches tall to fit in current spacecraft.
Psychological tests look at your mental stability, how well you handle stress, and your ability to work in a team. These traits matter a lot for long missions in cramped quarters.
The NASA Astronaut Selection Board handles a review process that takes about 18 months. First, they weed out people who don’t meet the basic qualifications.
If you make it past that, you’ll go through background checks and interviews. The board looks for technical skill, leadership, and strong communication.
Finalists head to Johnson Space Center for a week of tests. You’ll get medical exams, psychological assessments, and technical interviews with astronauts and flight directors.
If you get picked, you’ll start the two-year Astronaut Candidate Training Program. You have to pass every phase before you’re eligible for a flight assignment.
NASA’s training program turns candidates into space-ready pros by building physical endurance, sharpening technical skills, and strengthening teamwork. It’s a lot to take on, honestly.
NASA expects astronaut candidates to stay in top shape throughout training. The program kicks off with military-style water survival tests.
You’ll have to swim three lengths of a 25-meter pool without stopping. Then you do it again, but this time in a flight suit and sneakers.
There’s a floating test, too—10 minutes in the water, fully clothed. Not exactly a day at the beach.
SCUBA certification is required for everyone. It gets you ready for underwater training in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, a gigantic pool built just for this purpose.
The hardest part? Six-hour training sessions in pressurized space suits. Astronaut Douglas Hurley called it “physically, the most challenging thing” he did during training.
The suits are stiff, and you mostly use your arms and hands the whole time. For every hour spent on a real spacewalk, you’ll log about 10 hours in the pool. That’s a lot of laps.
Technical training is the backbone of the program. Candidates rack up about 300 hours in simulators before their first mission.
The Space Vehicle Mock-up Facility has full-size replicas of the International Space Station modules, SpaceX Crew Dragon, Boeing Starliner, and Orion spacecraft. Trainees learn maintenance, airlock use, and emergency protocols for each vehicle.
Everyone has to learn Russian. The Soyuz manual is only in Russian, so you need to be fluent enough to get by. If you can’t, NASA might cut you from the program.
There are 16 technical courses to complete:
The Virtual Reality Simulator Facility helps astronauts practice spacewalks and robotic arm maneuvers. The tech creates a micro-gravity feel for practice.
Trainees also get hands-on with the Precision Air-Bearing Floor. This setup cuts down friction to mimic how things move in space.
Space missions live or die by teamwork. NASA builds in activities to push these skills to the limit.
The CAVES program is probably the most intense. Candidates spend a week underground, winding through caves with only helmet lights.
Teams have to map out huge cave networks, pick which tunnels to explore, and find safe paths. The constant danger of falling kind of echoes the risks of spacewalks.
Being underground messes with your sense of time, just like orbit does when the sun rises every 90 minutes.
Communication training happens in every simulator session. Candidates practice talking with ground crews using real mission protocols.
Cultural training helps American astronauts work well with international partners. There’s a focus on Russian, European, Japanese, and Canadian space agencies.
Team exercises run through the entire two-year program. If someone can’t show solid teamwork, they might not make it to the end.
NASA and commercial space companies rely on two main types of training environments to get astronauts ready. These setups mimic the weirdness of weightlessness and the challenges of spacewalks.
At Johnson Space Center, NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory is a gigantic pool—202 feet long and 40 feet deep. It’s basically the closest thing to zero gravity you can get on Earth.
Astronauts wear custom spacesuits and practice extravehicular activities (EVAs) around life-size models of spacecraft and station parts. The water makes them float, simulating zero gravity.
Sessions can last up to seven hours. Trainees work through the same tasks they’ll face in real spacewalks. Safety divers stick close the whole time.
The pool holds 6.2 million gallons of water. Teams can rearrange the underwater models for different missions, which makes the facility super versatile.
NASA’s Virtual Reality Lab uses high-tech systems to build realistic space scenes. The Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) system shows detailed 3D visuals of spacecraft interiors and work areas.
Trainees put on headsets that let them see and interact with these environments. Force feedback lets them feel the weight and movement of objects, which is surprisingly important.
SpaceX has its own VR training for Dragon spacecraft. Crews practice docking and emergencies in a virtual world. It’s a lot cheaper than building physical mockups.
Virtual reality training saves money and time. You can run through several scenarios in a day, and repeat tricky tasks until you get them right.
Astronauts have to get comfortable moving and working in microgravity before heading into low Earth orbit. NASA uses special aircraft and ground simulators to imitate the weightless environment crews will face in space.
The “vomit comet” throws astronauts right into weightlessness training with a series of wild flight maneuvers. NASA pilots fly these modified jets in steep parabolic arcs, climbing hard to 34,000 feet before dropping into freefall.
Every parabola gives trainees about 20-25 seconds of real weightlessness. The aircraft pulls up at a 45-degree angle, then tips over the top, letting everyone float as if they’re in low earth orbit.
Astronauts usually rack up more than 2,000 parabolas during their training. Each flight session includes 30-40 of these maneuvers, so crews get to practice eating, drinking, and handling gear with zero gravity messing with everything.
The Boeing KC-135 and C-9 planes have carried thousands of astronauts since way back in the 1960s. Now, parabolic flights also prep commercial space tourists for suborbital trips with companies like Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic.
Astronauts get ready for launch and reentry G-forces by climbing into advanced centrifuge systems. The 20-G centrifuge at NASA’s Ames Research Center spins crews at high speed, simulating the brutal acceleration of launch.
Trainees feel up to 3.2 Gs during ascent and similar forces on the way back down. The centrifuge ramps up the Gs while astronauts work on breathing and muscle-tensing tricks to keep from blacking out.
NASA’s Reduced Gravity Aircraft, a modified Boeing 767, lets crews train for longer stretches of weightlessness. This jet delivers smoother flights and less turbulence than the old planes.
The 767’s roomy setup means bigger training groups and more complex equipment drills. Crews can run through spacewalks, robotic arm practice, and emergency protocols in the plane’s padded interior.
Neutral buoyancy pools mimic spacewalk conditions for Extended Vehicle Activities (EVAs). NASA’s 40-foot-deep tank holds full-scale spacecraft and space station mockups.
Astronauts spend seven hours underwater for every hour they’re planning to work outside in space. The water makes them move and handle tools almost exactly like they would in microgravity.
Virtual reality labs add another layer, letting crews rehearse complicated procedures in digital microgravity. These VR systems save time and money compared to endless flights or pool sessions.
Medical teams keep an eye on how each astronaut’s body handles weightlessness. Flight surgeons track bone density, muscle loss, and cardiovascular changes over long training periods.
Rotating chairs and tilting platforms on the ground help astronauts get used to the weird sense of orientation that comes with weightlessness.
Training programs throw participants into advanced simulators that recreate the chaos and excitement of rocket launches and space missions. People work through launch control checklists, dive into realistic mission scenarios, and practice emergency protocols.
Astronauts run through the full rocket launch sequence on NASA-grade gear. Motion simulators jolt trainees with the physical sensations of liftoff.
The Space Launch System (SLS) simulation puts people in real crew positions. They keep an eye on vital systems while the simulator mimics the wild ride to space. Multi-axis trainers spin and tumble, giving a taste of the disorienting launch forces.
Training centers use 1/6th gravity chairs to help participants feel what lighter gravity does to their bodies. This equipment gives them a preview of what to expect in space.
Simulations include all the chatter with ground control. Trainees call out and respond just like they would on a real NASA launch, covering everything from pre-launch checks to orbital insertion.
Most launch simulations last 15-30 minutes. Participants suit up and use the same controls they’d find in actual spacecraft.
Mission control training splits people into two teams of six. One group acts as launch control, the other as the spacecraft crew.
The launch control team sits in a replica mission control center. They watch rocket systems, track flight parameters, and keep up steady communication with the crew. Each person gets a specific system to monitor, like propulsion or life support.
Teams stick to real NASA communication protocols. Mission control sends updates about flight status and orbital mechanics, while the crew reports system readings and mission progress.
Training scenarios feature docking practice with the International Space Station. Teams have to coordinate tricky maneuvers that demand perfect timing and clear communication.
Advanced programs throw in robotics drills where teams operate robotic arms, learning to manipulate equipment in simulated microgravity.
Emergency training puts participants through the wringer with spacecraft malfunctions and life-threatening scenarios. These drills use realistic situations inspired by actual space mishaps.
System failure drills challenge teams to deal with power losses or life support breakdowns. People have to spot the problem fast and launch backup procedures, all while keeping their cool.
Spacewalk emergency drills mimic suit failures during extravehicular activities. Trainees run through rescue steps and emergency returns, learning why safety protocols matter so much.
Medical emergency training covers everything from injuries to sudden illness. Teams practice first aid in microgravity and coordinate with ground-based medical experts.
Abort procedures force participants to react to situations that demand immediate mission termination. People practice emergency landings and crew evacuations, prepping for the split-second calls astronauts might face.
Commercial space companies now run comprehensive training programs for civilians and professionals aiming for space. These programs blend military-level prep with a more flexible commercial style, all while sticking to strict federal safety standards.
Sierra Space Training Academy leads the pack with three distinct program tracks. Their Career Astronaut program dives deep, prepping full-time professionals to fly Dream Chaser spacecraft and work on Orbital Reef.
The Specialist Astronaut track trains employees from partner companies, teaching them to conduct research, manufacturing, or even artistic work in microgravity. Training covers life support, emergency drills, and specialized gear.
Experiential Astronaut programs target tourists and researchers taking quick flights. Participants learn the basics of spaceflight, zero-gravity movement, and safety. The Spaceflight Institute offers similar programs for people with science backgrounds.
Training Components Include:
These private academies move quickly to keep up with new tech and mission needs. They focus more on practical skills than on old-school military drills.
The Spaceflight Institute hands out a Commercial Astronaut Certificate through three phases. Phase 1 covers the Human Spaceflight Certificate, laying out the basics. Phases 2 and 3 get hands-on with astronaut skills and space readiness tests.
Orbite offers programs from basic familiarization up to advanced orbital mission training. Their courses work for a wide range of backgrounds and mission goals.
Typical Certification Timeline:
Inner Space Training specializes in mental preparedness. Their courses tackle the psychological challenges of space travel and extreme environments.
Axiom Space and Blue Origin keep their own internal certification standards, matching broader industry requirements but tailored for their spacecraft.
The Federal Aviation Administration sets the baseline for commercial spaceflight training. These rules build on 60 years of government astronaut experience but adjust for commercial missions.
FAA Training Mandates Include:
NASA’s Commercial Crew Program standards influence commercial training. SpaceX, Boeing, and others have to hit these marks for crew certification.
Private companies often go beyond FAA minimums for safety. Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and SpaceX all keep extra-stringent protocols.
The space industry is still working out standardized certification. Companies and regulators are hashing out consistent training benchmarks for different spacecraft and missions.
States like Texas and Florida sometimes add their own requirements, on top of federal rules, to cover local needs.
NASA keeps a tight grip on medical standards and monitoring to protect astronauts from the weird health risks of spaceflight. These programs track everything from bone density to heart function, both in training and on missions.
Space medicine starts with tough health screenings. NASA’s Johnson Space Center runs specialized exams—think cardiovascular checks, vision tests, and bone density scans with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.
The medical certification process includes behavioral health reviews along with physicals. Flight surgeons work directly with astronaut candidates, setting a health baseline they’ll monitor for years.
Medical training covers hypobaric and hyperbaric medicine to get astronauts ready for pressure swings during launch and spacewalks. Candidates learn to spot and handle medical emergencies, since ground support may not be an option.
Strength and conditioning play a big role in medical readiness. Astronauts have to keep muscle and bone from wasting away in microgravity.
NASA’s biomedical engineers track astronaut health with advanced systems during missions. The Cardiovascular and Vision Laboratory uses ultrasound and optical coherence tomography to spot changes in heart and eye health in space.
Real-time health tracking monitors things like orthostatic intolerance, blood flow, and spatial orientation. Ground teams guide astronauts as they perform their own medical exams with special gear onboard.
The Bone and Mineral Lab runs regular scans to measure bone loss during long missions. Astronauts get DXA scans every three years, even into retirement, as part of lifetime health checks.
Environmental monitoring keeps the air and water on spacecraft safe. NASA’s Environmental Chemistry Lab analyzes samples from crewed vehicles, making sure nothing nasty slips through to threaten crew health.
Low Earth orbit training zeroes in on two must-have skills for mission success. Astronauts learn to maneuver spacecraft precisely and operate complex satellite systems in zero gravity.
Commercial astronauts spend hours in NASA-approved simulators, learning docking procedures for low Earth orbit. The training mimics the exact conditions they’ll face when approaching stations or other orbital targets.
Trainees work with automated docking systems and manual overrides. They practice creeping up at just a few centimeters per second, keeping perfect alignment with docking ports.
Critical docking skills include:
Sierra Space and other commercial outfits use the same docking simulators NASA trusts for its astronauts. These simulators nail the lighting, orbital physics, and hardware responses.
Most commercial astronauts need 40-60 hours of docking practice before they get certified. Career astronauts go even further, training on backup systems and more complicated multi-vehicle situations.
Low Earth orbit missions usually mean satellite deployment, maintenance, or running scientific equipment. Commercial astronauts spend a lot of time training on ground-based replicas of actual space hardware.
They work through satellite handling procedures in zero gravity. Astronauts learn how to deploy communication satellites, adjust solar panels, and do basic maintenance on orbital gear.
Simulation training zeroes in on:
NASA sets technical standards for satellite operations training, and commercial programs have to follow them. Astronauts practice with the same control interfaces and software they’ll use in orbit.
Trainers build in failure scenarios, so astronauts face situations where satellites malfunction or deploy incorrectly. This way, they’re ready to deal with equipment problems during real low Earth orbit missions.
The space industry shapes its future through programs that start with students as young as kindergarten and go all the way through college. These initiatives open doors for civilians who want space careers.
You’ll find efforts that span K-12 STEM experiences, university partnerships, and public outreach, all making space exploration more accessible.
NASA’s Space Grant College and Fellowship Program has been the backbone of American space workforce development since Congress established it in 1989. NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement runs this initiative to help students get ready for aerospace careers.
The program lets students connect directly with space missions. Through the ISS National Lab, students can design experiments that actually fly to the International Space Station.
These investigations give them hands-on space research experience and a real sense of contributing to scientific missions.
Space Workforce for Tomorrow (SWFT) brings the industry together to tackle talent shortages. They work across the pipeline—from elementary school students to working professionals.
Their four-point strategy covers inspiring K-12 students, preparing job seekers with internships, employing top talent, and measuring workforce gaps.
Community colleges play a key role in this ecosystem. Space Florida teams up with aerospace employers to tailor training programs to industry needs.
These partnerships help create direct pathways from classroom to cockpit for future space professionals.
The Foundation for the Future links workers with trusted training opportunities for space-focused workforce certifications. This approach helps close the skills gap that could threaten America’s edge in commercial spaceflight.
Universities around the country weave space science into their core curricula through NASA partnerships. These collaborations pull real-world space missions into classrooms with live experiments and interactive demos.
The ISS National Lab gives students a one-of-a-kind educational platform where they can watch their experiments in microgravity. Faculty use this setup to teach physics, biology, and engineering concepts, showing how they play out in space.
Space Foundation coordinates education across all levels. Their programs range from early education to post-secondary training, including vocational and non-college routes.
This broad approach opens up multiple ways into space careers.
Private companies pitch in with specialized training resources. They offer astronaut training programs, technology development tools, and aerospace medicine services to supplement traditional academics.
State-level initiatives add to the mix. Florida and Texas lead the way in building specialized aerospace training programs that match their booming spaceport operations.
These regional approaches link local schools with nearby space industry employers.
The Global Space Workforce Development Association grew out of industry leadership to widen participation in space careers. Astronaut candidate Dr. Lisa Alcindor founded the group to address diversity gaps in the field.
Public engagement goes beyond classrooms. Space organizations host webinars where people can explore research opportunities, talk about educational pathways, and ask about space careers.
The National Space Council brings together government and private sector commitments for space-related STEM efforts. These commitments help inspire, prepare, and employ the next generation of space professionals.
Interactive experiences make space feel closer. Zero-gravity flights, space camps, and simulator training give people a taste of astronaut preparation.
These programs often double as recruitment tools for the larger space industry.
Regional spaceports host educational events to connect local communities with space operations. Kennedy Space Center, Spaceport America, and Texas facilities offer tours and educational programs that show what’s possible in space careers.
Astronaut training in the U.S. happens at specialized facilities packed with advanced simulators and unique environments. NASA’s Johnson Space Center leads the way, but now private companies run commercial training centers and mobile units that bring space prep right to aspiring astronauts.
Johnson Space Center in Houston holds the world’s most comprehensive astronaut training facilities. The Mission Simulation and Training Facility in Building 5 has prepared astronauts since the 1960s, starting with Gemini and evolving through Apollo, Space Shuttle, and ISS programs.
The Space Vehicle Mockup Facility in Building 9 features full-scale spacecraft replicas. Astronauts practice emergency procedures, spacewalks, and mission tasks with these high-fidelity mockups.
The facility even has an air-bearing floor that mimics low-friction space environments.
Current training systems include simulators for Boeing Starliner, SpaceX Dragon, and Orion spacecraft. The Space Station Training Facility offers exact ISS module replicas where crews practice daily ops and emergency scenarios.
These simulators connect directly with Mission Control for realistic rehearsals.
The Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, a gigantic underwater pool, lets astronauts practice spacewalks in simulated weightlessness. This 6.2 million gallon pool holds full-scale space station mockups submerged 40 feet deep.
STAR HARBOR runs the first publicly accessible spaceflight prep facility, offering astronaut training programs for commercial space travelers. Their approach blends medical screening, fitness prep, and spacecraft familiarization.
Waypoint 2 Space delivers space training experiences from Houston, using advanced facilities near Johnson Space Center. Their programs focus on commercial spaceflight prep, including G-force conditioning and emergency response.
Space Camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville offers week-long programs with equipment adapted from NASA training systems. Participants dive into simulated missions, learn about space hardware, and try out partial gravity simulators.
The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex has the Astronaut Training Experience Center with Mars Base 1 programs. These facilities offer realistic training scenarios for individuals and families who want to get a taste of space exploration careers.
Special mobile training units bring astronaut prep to different locations across the U.S. These portable setups include centrifuge simulators, virtual reality spacecraft trainers, and emergency egress mockups that travel to various training sites.
Centrifuge training units move between facilities to offer G-force conditioning for astronaut candidates. These mobile systems recreate the acceleration forces astronauts feel during launch and reentry.
Virtual reality training pods deliver portable spacecraft simulation experiences. These units pack high-res displays and motion systems to replicate control interfaces and emergency scenarios—no permanent facility needed.
Mobile training programs help astronaut candidates who can’t spend weeks or months at fixed locations. These units stick to the same training standards but give people more flexibility.
People who are thinking about astronaut training usually have a lot of questions about physical standards, educational requirements, and pay. NASA keeps strict medical criteria and offers competitive salaries that reflect the demands of space missions.
NASA enforces tough medical standards for astronaut candidates and doesn’t grant waivers for any conditions. The agency considers both normal operations and serious medical emergencies that might come up during missions.
Candidates need to be free from medical conditions that would get in the way of spaceflight or get worse in the space environment. NASA physicians make the final call on medical qualifications.
Eye surgeries like PRK and LASIK are fine now, but at least a year has to pass after the surgery with no lingering effects. NASA asks for an operative report if you’re up for final consideration.
Astronaut training covers pre-flight, mid-flight, and post-flight mission needs through a pretty comprehensive program. The training includes medical testing, physical fitness, and a lot of technical knowledge building.
All astronaut candidates start at the same level, no matter their previous experience. No one shows up as a ready-made astronaut—everyone goes through the same prep.
The whole process usually takes about two years before candidates can get assigned to space missions. This thorough prep ensures astronauts can handle complex machines and tough situations in space.
NASA astronaut candidates make $152,258 per year, based on 2024 pay schedules. This figure changes each year to keep up with salary increases.
Fully trained astronauts earn between $141,888 and $183,300 annually. Everyone starts at the same pay rate since no one has astronaut experience when they begin.
Military astronaut candidates keep their active-duty status while assigned to Johnson Space Center. They receive military pay, benefits, and leave according to their service branch.
NASA looks for degrees in specific fields but doesn’t push one over another for future missions. Candidates should pick fields they’re actually interested in—otherwise, what’s the point?
Qualifying degrees include Engineering, Biological Science, Physical Science, Computer Science, or Mathematics. The college or university just needs to be accredited; NASA doesn’t recommend particular schools.
Candidates need three years of related professional experience or 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time. Flying experience usually means at least 850 hours in high-performance jet aircraft, which most folks get through military service.
You’ll need to build a resume through the USAJOBS system and complete online assessments. Make sure to submit all required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the closing date.
Candidates take USA Hire assessments, which usually take at least 2.5 hours—but honestly, most people finish faster. The system lets you take breaks using the unique link you get after applying.
Last time NASA opened applications in 2024, over 8,000 people applied. Out of that crowd, NASA expects to select between 12 and 16 candidates, depending on agency needs and mission requirements.
Space Camp programs at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center let civilians try out astronaut training for themselves.
If you’re 18 or older, Adult Space Academy has specialized programs just for you. They also split some programs by age, which helps tailor the experience.
Family Space Academy welcomes at least one adult and kids between 7 and 17. You’ll get to try space training simulators and join in on some surprisingly fun educational activities.
Several commercial astronaut training companies now open their doors to the public. These programs show just how tough, both physically and mentally, space training can really get.
