Flight engineers may become commanders. They will also be trained to help with daily activities and perform science experiments on the space station. They also take care of the less glamorous chores like checking the computer systems, heating up food and housecleaning. Astronauts get paid the same as other federal government workers on the same level. The average age for acceptance is 36. 2.
Astronauts have college degrees in science or engineering.
Early preparation helps. Aerospace engineering, physics, medicine, electrical engineering. If you have arguments on the space shuttle, there's no bedroom door to slam shut and no place to storm away to. In choosing astronauts, NASA wisely looks for people who get along well with others. The space station is an international project, so NASA is more likely to select people who've learned other languages and know about history and other cultures.