They just announced they’ll start taking applications next month for a new class of astronauts.
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CTV News reported that the space agency called for a press conference without revealing details but mentioned that it is about the fate of Mars’ atmosphere.
“Understanding what happened to the Mars atmosphere will inform our knowledge of the dynamics and evolution of any planetary atmosphere”, John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, said. One must be a US citizen. You also need at least three years of related professional experience, or 1,000 hours piloting a jet aircraft under your belt. The space explorers selected will have to fly on the U.S. made spacecraft from the American soil, make advancement on critical science and research aboard to help pushing technology to the next level of deep space.
There are 50 active astronauts in NASA program and it is hoping to create an astronaut corps as it readies to send humans to the worldwide Space Station in 2017.
“This is an exciting time to be a part of America’s human space flight program”, said Brian Kelly, director of Flight Operations at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
The researchers came to this conclusion thanks to data collected by the MAVEN probe, launched in 2013 to study the atmosphere of Mars.
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“More will be needed to crew future missions to the space station and destinations in deep space”, NASA said in a statement. A few of the findings that will be discussed are the following: how Mars lost its atmosphere, the existence of life in Mars, the safety of habitation in Mars and “a final surprise”.
