NASA Astronaut Candidate Announcement

Article by Kathryn Troutman, Federal Career Coach, March 13, 2020

The NASA Astronaut Candidate Announcement is out!

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/561186900

Closes 3/31/2020

Upon the 50th Anniversary of Apollo 11, I remembered one of my most interesting clients from 2017 who applied for the NASA Astronaut position. I wrote to him to see what happened with his application. Here is his response:

“Kathryn! Gosh, nice to hear from you. I’m not sure if I sent this to you, but even though I was not selected as an astronaut, I did use that same resume to be accepted into the NASA HERA program! I There are four missions per year, each with four participants. Test subjects are treated just like actual astronauts, eating the same food, working the same basic schedule, complete with 24 hour manned “mission control”. We would be evaluated on our response to casualty events, sleep deprivation, dealing with up to 30 minute round trip transmission delays, and much more.”

Greg is pictured above.

Does this sound like an appealing Federal Career path for you? See below my tips for how to begin your application for NASA ASTRONAUT !

Step 1 – Research Federal Jobs – Research the Astronaut application process:

Summary
At Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center Astronaut candidates will spend approximately two years training on the basic skills required to be an astronaut – from spacewalking and robotics to leadership and teamwork skills. Upon completing training, they will join the active astronaut corps and become eligible for spaceflight assignment. Until assigned a spaceflight, they will have responsibilities within the astronaut office ranging from supporting their fellow astronauts in space to advising on the development of new spacecraft.

Step 2 – Networking – Who Do You Know? Do you know any one at NASA? Space Program? Could help. Watch YouTubes and articles from Astronauts.

Step 3 – Research jobs on USAJOBS –
Astronaut Candidate position is open until 3/31. Apply and see what happens.

https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/561186900/

Step 4 – What are Your Core Competencies?

For the Astronaut application, this is No. 7 in the Questionnaire:

To simulate microgravity in space, astronaut candidates and astronauts participate in training that requires extended time underwater (up to 8 hours a day), using SCUBA gear or the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU, or spacesuit). Are you willing to spend extended time training underwater?

Step 5 – What are the Qualifications Keywords / Specialized Experience for your resume for Human Test Subject or Astronaut?

Qualifications
In order to meet minimum qualifications for this position, all applicants must meet BOTH the Basic Education and Specialized Experience requirements:

BASIC EDUCATION REQUIREMENT
All applicants must meet at least ONE of the Basic Education requirements to be considered for this position. Qualifying international Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education is allowed as long as you submit proof of appropriate foreign education equivalency (see below for foreign education details). Applicants may also fulfill this requirement having completed a Test Pilot School (TPS) program or current enrollment in such a program if completed by June 2021. Note: If TPS is your only advanced technical degree, you must have also completed a bachelor’s degree or higher (or foreign equivalent) at an accredited college or university with major study in an appropriate technical field of engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics.

To verify the education requirement, you must submit copies of official or non-official transcripts with your application showing a related STEM major field and date conferred, or Test Pilot School certification/enrollment from a nationally or internationally recognized program. While a bachelor’s degree (or less) is not qualifying alone, you must submit ALL STEM related transcripts with your application.

The following degree fields, while related to engineering and the sciences, are NOT considered qualifying:

• Degrees in Technology (Engineering Technology, Aviation Technology, Medical Technology, etc.)
• Degrees in Psychology (except for Clinical Psychology, Physiological Psychology, or Experimental Psychology, which are qualifying)
• Degrees in Nursing
• Degrees in Exercise Physiology or similar fields
• Degrees in Social Sciences (Geography, Anthropology, Archaeology, etc.)
• Degrees in Aviation, Aviation Management, or similar fields

You must meet the Basic Education Requirement through one of the methods described below:

A. You must have completed a master’s degree (or foreign equivalent) in an accredited college or university with major study in an appropriate technical field of engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics. (You must submit copies of official or non-official transcripts with your application showing major field and date degree was conferred.)

OR

B. You must have completed at least two years (36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours) in an accredited Ph.D. or related doctoral degree program (or foreign equivalent) with major study in an appropriate technical field of engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics. (You must submit copies of official or non-official transcripts with your application showing major field of study and completed credit hours.)

OR

C. You must have completed an M.D., D.O. or related doctoral degree (or foreign equivalent) in an accredited college or university. (You must submit copies of official or non-official transcripts with your application showing date degree conferred.)

OR

D. You must have completed or be currently enrolled in a Test Pilot School program (nationally or internationally recognized) and will have completed this program by June 2021 (Must submit proof of completion or enrollment). If TPS is your only advanced technical degree, you must have also completed a bachelor’s degree or higher (or foreign equivalent) at an accredited college or university with major study in an appropriate technical field of engineering, biological science, physical science, computer science, or mathematics. (You must submit copies of official or non-official transcripts with your application showing major field and date degree conferred)

SUB-DISCIPLINE SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT

In addition to the Basic Education requirement, all applicants must meet the Sub-Discipline Specialized Experience requirements below under one of the designated sub-disciplines: Pilots, Flight Test, Biological and Medical Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Engineering and Operations. You must select the discipline you best qualify for based on the majority of your work experience.

For each discipline, applicants must have a minimum of 2 years (or 1,000 Pilot-in-Command hours for Pilots) of progressively responsible, professional experience after the completion of appropriate technical field degree(s). Experience could have been gained after the completion of a qualifying bachelor’s degree, though this does not negate the requirement to still possess a higher level degree.

While you may qualify for multiple disciplines, only one selection below is permitted. Teaching experience, including experience at the K- 12 levels, is acceptable if it was in a related technical field and you also meet the initial education requirement.
Specialized Experience

A. Pilot Discipline – to qualify, you must:

• Have a least 1,000 hours of Pilot-In-Command time in a high-performance jet aircraft (Please annotate total hours of high-performance jet aircraft demonstrated in resume)
• Complete the Pilot Qualifications Form using the following link and attach as a supporting document to your application – Pilot Qualifications Form

OR

B. Flight Test Discipline – to qualify, you must:

• Have completed or be currently enrolled in a Test Pilot School program (nationally or internationally recognized) and will have completed this program by June 2021 (Must submit proof of completion or enrollment).
• Have at least 2 years of professional experience after degree completion in a field related to Flight Test. You must certify that this experience was gained in a field related to this sub-discipline and be able to provide additional certification upon request. (Must be demonstrated in resume)
• Note: Flight Test includes other military experience outside Pilot-in-Command experience or aircraft experience that does not qualify for the Pilot discipline. For example, flight test engineers; helicopter pilots; pilots of non-high performance jet aircraft; navigators, weapons systems officers/operators, back-seat qualified fliers, or other aircraft-related positions that may have led to the completion of Test Pilot School. Applicants with test experience but who have not enrolled in or completed Test Pilot School should select the Engineering and Operations sub-discipline.
• Complete the Pilot Qualifications Form using the following link and attach as a supporting document to your application – Pilot Qualifications Form

OR

C. Biological and Medical Science Discipline – to qualify, you must:

• Have at least 2 years of professional experience after degree completion in a field related to Biological and Medical Sciences. You must certify that this experience was gained in a field related to this sub-discipline and be able to provide additional certification upon request. (Must be demonstrated in resume)

OR

D. Physical Science Discipline – to qualify, you must:

• Have at least 2 years of professional experience after degree completion in a field related to Physical Science. You must certify that this experience was gained in a field related to this sub-discipline and be able to provide additional certification upon request. (Must be demonstrated in resume)

OR

E. Engineering and Operations Discipline – to qualify, you must:

• Have at least 2 years of professional experience after degree completion in a field related to Engineering and Operations. You must certify that this experience was gained in a field related to this sub-discipline and be able to provide additional certification upon request. (Must be demonstrated in resume)

In addition to the Basic Education requirement above, all applicants must meet the Sub-Discipline Specialized Experience requirements under one of the designated sub-disciplines: Pilots, Flight Test, Biological and Medical Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Engineering and Operations. You must select the discipline you best qualify for based on the majority of your work experience.

For each discipline, applicants must have a minimum of 2 years (or 1,000 Pilot-in-Command hours for Pilots) of progressively responsible, professional experience after the completion of an appropriate technical field degree(s). Experience could have been gained after the completion of a qualifying bachelor’s degree, though this does not negate the requirement to still possess a higher level degree. All applicants must meet the designated work experience requirements associated with each sub-discipline by the closing date of this announcement. Full-time work experience is 35 or more hours worked per week, and must be stated clearly on your resume.

Step 6 – Write your Federal Resume – Astronaut Candidate

Tips for resume writing for the Astronaut application:

The NASA Federal resume is a NASA STARS resume, which is a RESUMIX format. This format is a USAJOBS builder resume and is 32,500 characters.

Use the Outline Format to feature important knowledge-skills and abilities for a Human Test subject and Astronaut position.

WORK HISTORY – two parts:

1. OUTLINE FORMAT WITH ALL CAP KEYWORDS. See Below.
Write about your job duties with the above HEADLINES before each paragraph. The following ALL CAP KEYWORDS will be great for Astronaut Candidate or the NASA-HERA Human Test Subject position:

LEADERSHIP / TEAM LEAD
DISASTER PREPAREDNESS
ROBOTICS ENGINEERING
ENGINEERING / DESIGN
RESEARCH & DESIGN
LEAD ENGINEERING
QUALITY ASSURANCE
RISK ASSESSMENT
SAFETY & OCCUPATION SAFETY
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
SPEAKER / BRIEFER
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
SYSTEMS THINKING

2. Add MAJOR PROJECTS.
The projects should include specific projects that will demonstrate your skills and past performance. This is critical to prove that you have performed the skills you just wrote in the resume. A specific risk, robot, engineering project would be great What was the name of the project? What were the challenge, your actions, and the results. Each project should be 150- 200 characters and describe your skills and results.

EDUCATION: STEM majors. Include college, degree, major, significant courses, projects, skills. Descriptions of capstone projects, major engineering or science projects, including thesis, methods and outcomes.

OTHER ACTIVITIES AND INTERESTS: Sports, marathons, sailing competitions, camping, any isolationist projects, mountain climbing, extreme sports, cycling, bodybuilding, wellness interests. Any vehicle modelling, including propulsion and movement (legos, trains, airplanes, aircraft, cars, race cars, drones)

Volunteer activities, which will demonstrate strength, emotional intelligence, team building, human performance interests, disaster or emergency management skills and experiences. Mechanical interests and hobbies, equipment skills; gaming, robotics. Arthroscopic experience (surgeons can apply).

LANGUAGES: Do You speak Russian?

USAJOBS BUILDER: Use it. Mandatory.

Step 7 – KSA, Accomplishments and the Questionnaire – begin second part of the application here. Samples of the questionnaire:

ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS, YOU WRITE A LISTS OF YOUR SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES:

Please describe any other skills you possess or activities you participate in that provide additional support to your application to become an astronaut candidate. Examples might include scuba diving, sports, music, languages, computer software/hardware tools, machinery, volunteer work, etc.

Other questions in the questionnaire:

7.The duties of this position require moderate to arduous physical exertion involving walking, running, standing, heavy lifting, crouching, crawling, and exposure to inclement weather. Are you willing to perform arduous physical activities as part of your duties?
A. Yes
B. No

8.The duties of this position require participation in flight operations in a jet aircraft, including multiple flights to simulate microgravity and adjustment to zero gravity environments. Are you willing to undergo flight training and participate in flight operations?
A. Yes
B. No

9.A background security investigation is required for this position. If the incumbent fails to meet the requirements for a successful background investigation, he or she may be subject to removal from the position. Are you willing to submit to a background security investigation?
A. Yes
B. No

10.Astronaut candidates will be required to pass a swimming test during the first month of training. Are you willing to submit to a swimming test?
A. Yes
B. No

11.To simulate microgravity in space, astronaut candidates and astronauts participate in training that requires extended time underwater (up to 8 hours a day), using SCUBA gear or the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU, or spacesuit). Are you willing to spend extended time training underwater?
A. Yes
B. No

Step 8 – Apply for the Astronaut position – Communicate these skills!

Throughout the selection process, you will be assessed on your ability to demonstrate competencies related to the astronaut job such as:

• Communicate information and ideas via written, oral, and visual media
• Make informed and sound decisions in challenging situations to accomplish mission goals
• Sustain motivation, display initiative, and high standards of ethical conduct
• Relate well to others including those from varied backgrounds and in different situations
• Work well with others to achieve goals both as a leader and a follower
• Learn and utilize complex technical information (e.g., troubleshoot, diagnose, analyze, and identify system malfunctions to determine the source and cause of the problem)

Additionally, written application materials will be evaluated by subject matter experts using the competencies above, as well as:

• Applicability and strength of the applicant’s educational preparation
• Relevance and diversity of the applicant’s work experience, with a priority on operational experience
• Strength of the candidate’s technical experience in their field of expertise
• Demonstrated experience working and performing on a team

Step 9 – Track and Follow-up on your application

Follow your application in your USAJOBS application track. Find out if your references have been contacted. If you don’t get selected for this application, find out what you can improve, and apply again. Most Astronauts apply for the position multiple times.

Step 10 – Interview for the Federal Job or the NASA-HERA or Astronaut position

Astronaut interview will be multiple stages:
Pre-interview by phone
Formal interview with panel
Multiple medical and psychological tests
Many Physical tests
More tests.
Just keep going and find out your results. Hopefully you will pass the interviews and examinations. If not apply again, improve your results.

Try and try again. Most astronauts applied up to 15 times and kept trying.

https://www.space.com/25786-how-to-become-an-astronaut.htmlFEDERAL RESUME FOR THE RESUMIX NASA STARS SYSTEM?

Order the one hour or two hours of consulting or editing at $190 per hour. For the Astronaut Federal Resume we need two hours ($380) to consult and give you advice and review the resume again after you make revisions. Pay here. State Description: “Astronaut Federal Resume Consult” on the payment page.

Author Kathryn Troutman is Founder and President of The Resume Place, Inc. An in-demand trainer who is regularly hired by federal agencies to teach resume writing and federal job-seeking for their employees, her other federal career publications include the award-winning Student’s Federal Career Guide, The Stars Are Lined Up for Military Spouses, and the Military to Federal Career Guide.