NASA Astronaut Corps - wikipedia NASA Astronaut Corps NASA space suits previously worn by the Astronaut Corps at the Johnson Space Center The NASA Astronaut Corps is a unit of the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA ) that selects, trains, and provides astronauts as crew members for U.S. and international space missions. It is based at Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Contents 1 History 2 Organization 2.1 Salary 3 Qualifications 4 Members 4.1 Astronauts 4.2 Astronaut Candidates 4.3 Former members 5 Selection groups 6 See also 7 References 8 External links History The first U.S. astronaut candidates were selected by NASA in 1959, for its Project Mercury with the objective of orbiting astronauts around the Earth in single - man capsules. The military services were asked to provide a list of military test pilots who met specific qualifications. After stringent screening, NASA announced its selection of the `` Mercury Seven '' as its first astronauts. Since then, NASA has selected 20 more groups of astronauts, opening the corps to civilians, scientists, doctors, engineers, and school teachers. As of the 2009 Astronaut Class 61 % of the astronauts selected by NASA have come from military service. NASA selects candidates from a diverse pool of applicants with a wide variety of backgrounds. From the thousands of applications received, only a few are chosen for the intensive Astronaut Candidate training program. Including the `` Original Seven '', 339 candidates have been selected to date. Organization The Astronaut Corps is based at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, although members may be assigned to other locations based on mission requirements, e.g. Soyuz training at Star City, Russia. The Chief of the Astronaut Office is the most senior leadership position for active astronauts in the Corps. The Chief Astronaut serves as head of the Corps and is the principal adviser to the NASA Administrator on astronaut training and operations. The first Chief Astronaut was Deke Slayton, appointed in 1962. The current Chief Astronaut is Patrick Forrester. Salary Salaries for newly hired civilian astronauts are based on the federal government 's General Schedule pay scale for grades GS - 11 through GS - 14. The astronaut 's grade is based on his or her academic achievements and experience. Astronauts can be promoted up to grade GS - 15. As of 2015, astronauts based at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, earn between $66,026 ( GS - 11 step 1 ) and $158,700 ( GS - 15 step 8 and above ). Military astronauts are detailed to the Johnson Space Center and remain on active duty for pay, benefits, leave, and similar military matters. Qualifications There are no age restrictions for the NASA Astronaut Corps. Astronaut candidates have ranged between the ages of 26 and 46, with the average age being 34. Candidates must be U.S. citizens to apply for the program. There are three broad categories of qualifications : education, work experience, and medical. Candidates must have a bachelor 's degree from an accredited institution in engineering, biological science, physical science or mathematics. The degree must be followed by at least three years of related, progressively responsible, professional experience ( graduate work or studies ) or at least 1,000 pilot - in - command time in jet aircraft. An advanced degree is desirable and may be substituted for experience ( master 's degree = 1 year or a doctoral degree = 3 years ). Teaching experience, including experience at the K - 12 levels, is considered to be qualifying experience. Candidates must have the ability to pass the NASA long - duration space flight physical, which includes the following specific requirements : Distant and near visual acuity : Must be correctable to 20 / 20, each eye separately ( corrective lenses are allowed ) The refractive surgical procedures of the eye, PRK and LASIK, are allowed, providing at least 1 year has passed since the date of the procedure with no permanent adverse after effects. Blood pressure not to exceed 140 / 90 measured in a sitting position Standing height between 62 and 75 inches Members See also : Astronaut ranks and positions Astronauts As of May 2017 the corps has 44 active astronauts and 36 `` management astronauts '', who are `` employed at NASA but are no longer eligible for flight assignment ''. The highest number of active astronauts at one time, was in 2000 when there were 149. All of the current astronaut corps are from the classes of 1996 ( Group 16 ) or later. There are currently 19 `` international active astronauts '', `` who are assigned to duties at the Johnson Space Center '', who were selected by their home agency but trained with and serve alongside their NASA counterparts. International astronauts, Payload Specialists, and Spaceflight Participants are not considered members of the NASA Astronaut Corps. Astronaut candidates The term `` Astronaut Candidate '' ( informally `` ASCAN '' ) refers to individuals who have been selected by NASA as candidates for the NASA Astronaut Corps and are currently undergoing a candidacy training program at the Johnson Space Center. The most recent class of Astronaut Candidates was selected in 2017 after receiving more than 18,300 applications. Upon completion of a two - year training program, they will be promoted to the rank of Astronaut. Former members Selection as an Astronaut Candidate and subsequent promotion to Astronaut does not guarantee the individual will eventually fly in space. Some have voluntarily resigned or been medically disqualified after becoming astronauts but before being selected for flights. Civilian candidates are expected to remain with the Corps for at least five years after initial training ; military candidates are assigned for specific tours. After these time limits, members of the Astronaut Corps may resign or retire at any time. Three members of the Astronaut Corps were killed during a ground test accident while preparing for the Apollo 1 mission. Eleven were killed during spaceflight, on Space Shuttle missions STS - 51 - L and STS - 107. Another four ( Elliot See, Charles Bassett, Theodore Freeman, and Clifton Williams ) were killed in T - 38 plane crashes during training for space flight during the Gemini and Apollo programs. Another was killed in a 1967 automobile accident, and another died in a 1991 commercial airliner crash while traveling on NASA business. Two members of the Corps have been involuntarily dismissed : Lisa Nowak and William Oefelein. Both were returned to service with the U.S. Navy. Selection groups 1959 Group 1 - `` The Mercury Seven '' 1962 Group 2 - `` The New Nine '' 1963 Group 3 - `` The Fourteen '' 1965 Group 4 - `` The Scientists '' 1966 Group 5 - `` The Original 19 '' 1967 Group 6 - `` The Excess Eleven ( XS - 11 ) '' 1969 Group 7 - USAF MOL Transfer, no official nickname ( Astronauts selected from the Manned Orbiting Laboratory program ) 1978 Group 8 - `` Thirty - Five New Guys ( TFNG ) '' ( class included first female candidates ) 1980 Group 9 - `` 19 + 80 '' 1984 Group 10 - `` The Maggots '' 1985 Group 11 - no official nickname 1987 Group 12 - `` The GAFFers '' 1990 Group 13 - `` The Hairballs '' 1992 Group 14 - `` The Hogs '' 1994 Group 15 - `` The Flying Escargot '' 1996 Group 16 - `` The Sardines '' ( largest class to date, 35 NASA candidates and nine international astronauts ) 1998 Group 17 - `` The Penguins '' 2000 Group 18 - `` The Bugs '' 2004 Group 19 - `` The Peacocks '' 2009 Group 20 - `` The Chumps '' 2013 Group 21 - `` The 8 - Balls '' 2017 Group 22 - `` The Turtles '' See also Canadian Astronaut Corps European Astronaut Corps List of astronauts by selection Human spaceflight History of spaceflight References This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Jump up ^ `` Astronauts ''. nasa.gov. Jump up ^ NASA - Astronaut Selection Jump up ^ NASA - Astronaut Selection Jump up ^ `` Astronaut Job ''. Scribd. Jump up ^ `` Pay & Leave : Salaries & Wages - OPM.gov ''. U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Jump up ^ `` - Astronaut Candidate Program ''. Jump up ^ `` Astronauts ''. Jsc.nasa.gov. 2015 - 07 - 14. Retrieved 2015 - 07 - 14. Jump up ^ `` Management Astronauts ''. Jsc.nasa.gov. 2014 - 07 - 01. Retrieved 2014 - 07 - 13. Jump up ^ `` How Many Astronauts Does NASA Need ? ( Dec. 7, 2010 ) ''. 7 December 2010. Jump up ^ `` Astronaut Biographies : International Astronauts ''. Jsc.nasa.gov. 2013 - 08 - 12. Retrieved 2014 - 07 - 13. Jump up ^ `` Breaking News NASA instroduces its new class of astronauts ''. Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 2014 - 07 - 13. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Archived August 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Three Payload Specialists were also killed on the two missions. External links NASA Astronaut Candidate Program Brochure Current NASA Astronaut Corps Members Former NASA Astronaut Corps Members NASA Astronaut Groups NASA Astronaut Corps 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 List of astronauts by year of selection NASA Policy and history History NACA ( 1915 ) National Aeronautics and Space Act ( 1958 ) Space Task Group ( 1958 ) Paine ( 1986 ) Rogers ( 1986 ) Ride ( 1987 ) Space Exploration Initiative ( 1989 ) Augustine ( 1990 ) U.S. National Space Policy ( 1996 ) CFUSAI ( 2002 ) CAIB ( 2003 ) Vision for Space Exploration ( 2004 ) Aldridge ( 2004 ) Augustine ( 2009 ) General Space Race Administrator and Deputy Administrator Chief Scientist Astronaut Corps Budget Spin - off technologies NASA TV NASA Social Launch Services Program Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building Launch Complex 39 Launch Control Center Johnson Space Center Mission Control Lunar Sample Laboratory Robotic programs Past Hitchhiker Mariner Mariner Mark II MESUR Mars Surveyor ' 98 New Millennium Lunar Orbiter Pioneer Planetary Observer Ranger Surveyor Viking Project Prometheus Mars Scout Current Living With a Star Lunar Precursor Robotic Program Earth Observing System Great Observatories program Explorer Small explorer Voyager Discovery New Frontiers Mars Exploration Rover Human spaceflight programs Past X-15 ( suborbital ) Mercury Gemini Apollo Apollo -- Soyuz Test Project ( with the Soviet space program ) Skylab Space Shuttle Shuttle -- Mir ( with Roscosmos State Corporation ) Constellation Current International Space Station Commercial Orbital Transportation Services ( COTS ) Commercial Crew Development ( CCDev ) Orion Individual featured missions ( human and robotic ) Past COBE Apollo 11 Mercury 3 Mercury - Atlas 6 Magellan Pioneer 10 Pioneer 11 Galileo GALEX GRAIL WMAP Space Shuttle Sojourner rover Spirit rover LADEE MESSENGER Aquarius Cassini Currently operating MRO 2001 Mars Odyssey Dawn New Horizons Kepler International Space Station Hubble Space Telescope Spitzer RHESSI SWIFT THEMIS Mars Exploration Rover Curiosity rover timeline Opportunity rover observed GOES 14 Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter GOES 15 Van Allen Probes SDO Juno Mars Science Laboratory timeline NuSTAR Voyager 1 / 2 WISE MAVEN MMS OSIRIS - REx Future JPSS James Webb Space Telescope WFIRST InSight Mars 2020 NISAR Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite Europa Clipper Communications and navigation Canberra Deep Space Atomic Clock Deep Space Network ( Goldstone Madrid Near Earth Network Space Flight Operations Facility ) Space Network NASA lists List of astronauts by name by year Apollo astronauts List of NASA aircraft List of NASA missions unmanned missions List of NASA contractors List of United States rockets List of NASA cancellations List of Space Shuttle missions crews NASA images and artwork Earthrise The Blue Marble Family Portrait Pale Blue Dot Pillars of Creation Mystic Mountain Solar System Family Portrait The Day the Earth Smiled Fallen Astronaut Lunar plaques Pioneer plaques Voyager Golden Record NASA insignia Gemini and Apollo medallions Mission patches Commons Portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NASA_Astronaut_Corps&oldid=801101700 '' Categories : NASA people Lists of astronauts NASA lists NASA Astronaut Corps NASA astronauts Human spaceflight programs Hidden categories : Webarchive template wayback links Articles containing potentially dated statements from May 2017 All articles containing potentially dated statements Wikipedia articles incorporating text from NASA Talk Contents About Wikipedia Français Italiano Edit links This page was last edited on 17 September 2017, at 17 : 36. 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Question: what is the age limit to be an astronaut
Answer: There are no age restrictions