I'm relaxing this Sunday watching "The Game of the Week" -Cowboys and Eagles. Not a great game so far, but I'm happy to say that my team is ahead at the start of the second half! Go Cowboys!

It's not 20 days until I leave for Rocket City (Huntsville, AL) to begin my adventure in the Train with an Astronaut program at Adult Space Academy. To say that I am excited is an understatement! Dani and both got our SCUBA sign offs and all we have left to do is get packed. 

We received notice that our teams will be divided into Pilot and Mission Specialist tracks. I wanted to learn a little bit more about what these are, so I thought I'd share what I found (courtesy of NASA.gov). 

Commander and Pilot Astronaut Duties

Pilot astronauts serve as both Space Shuttle and International Space Station commanders and pilots. During flight, the commander has onboard responsibility for the vehicle, crew, mission success and safety of flight. The pilot assists the commander in controlling and operating the vehicle. In addition, the pilot may assist in the deployment and retrieval of satellites utilizing the remote manipulator system, in extravehicular activities, and in other payload operations.

Basic requirements for an Astronaut Pilot include the following:
1. Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in engineering, biological science, physical science, or mathematics. An advanced degree is desirable. Quality of academic preparation is important.
2. At least 1,000 hours pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft. Flight test experience is highly desirable.
3. Ability to pass a NASA space physical which is similar to a military or civilian flight physical and includes the following specific standards:

• Distant visual acuity: 20/100 or better uncorrected, correctable to 20/20 each eye.
• Blood pressure: 140/90 measured in a sitting position.
• Height between 62 and 75 inches.

Mission Specialists

Mission specialist astronauts work with the commander and the pilot and have overall responsibility for coordinating operations in the following areas: systems, crew activity planning, consumables usage, and experiment/payload operations. Mission specialists are trained in the details of the onboard systems, as well as the operational characteristics, mission requirements/ objectives, and supporting equipment/systems for each of the experiments conducted on their assigned missions. Mission specialists perform extravehicular activities (EVAs), or space walks, operate the remote manipulator system, and are responsible for payloads and specific experiment operations.

Basic requirements for a Mission Specialist include the following:

1. Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in engineering, biological science, physical science, or mathematics. Degree must be followed by at least three years of related, progressively responsible, professional experience. An advanced degree is desirable and may be substituted for part or all of the experience requirement (master's degree = 1 year of experience, doctoral degree = 3 years of experience). Quality of academic preparation is important.

2. Ability to pass a NASA space physical, which is similar to a military or civilian flight physical and includes the following specific standards:

• Distance visual acuity: 20/200 or better uncorrected, correctable to 20/20, each eye.
• Blood pressure: 140/90 measured in a sitting position.

3. Height between 58.5 and 76 inches.

While I don't meet the height requirements for any of the positions at NASA, I'm sure in the simulated training at the Space and Rocket Center, I'll still get a good idea of what these positions would be like. We won't get our position assignments until we get to camp (and we have a number of different missions throughout the week) but I am excited for whatever challenge presents itself! 

Ad sidera ad astra. Quodam die etiam ad astra caput.