First things first. How do you become an astronaut? First, of course, you have to be passionate about space and its secrets. Secondly, there's no specific course of study that trains you for the job as such. So you can't take a degree in astronomy. But don't let us kid you: you need to be at ease with science in general.
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Yes, astronauts earn a good living
Secondly, there are several conditions for becoming an astronaut in Europe. You have to be between 27 and 50 years old. You must have at least a master's degree in science, or be an engineer. You must be fluent in English. And finally, you need to have special psychological aptitudes.
What about salaries? At the European Space Agency, according to France Diplomatie, an astronaut at the start of their career earns between 6,000 and 6,900 euros a month. After training, the salary rises to around 7,600 to 8,400 euros. Finally, an astronaut who has flown in space is promoted and earns between 8800 and 9700 euros a month. These are net salaries.
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An extremely rigorous selection process
For NASA, the prerogatives are practically the same. To become an astronaut, however, you must also have at least 1,000 hours' experience flying a jet aircraft. In other words, not everyone can become an astronaut. The selection process is exhausting, and would be 74 times harder to pass than the test to get into Harvard.
In terms of salary, a level 1 astronaut earns around 60,000 euros a year, or 5,000 euros a month. With progress in the profession, it's possible to earn close to 78,000 euros a year, or 6,500 euros a month. Salaries can vary according to location. Nasa's most recent calls for applications quoted annual salaries of between 95,000 and 147,000 euros. Not bad, eh?
Read more:NASA's strange way to save astronauts that get lost in space
This article has been translated from Gentside FR.
