据官方宣布，国家航空航天局对宇航员的要求仅有三个：必须是美国公民或双重国籍的美国公民；拥有工程、科学或数学专业的本科学位以及三年的专业工作经验；达到对视力、血压和身高的一系列要求。[请见英文报道]

升空之前的准备

听起来很简单，对不对？但是，获选宇航员比你想进入任何顶尖的大学都要难： 2013年国家航空航天局最近一次选拔宇航员时，只有8人从6100位申请者中脱颖而出。

宇航员们有着不同的背景。墨西哥裔美国人何塞·埃尔南德斯（José Hernández）成长于加利福尼亚州（California），父母是外籍农场工。埃尔南德斯说，是他的父母和老师激励了他，他们对他的学业期望很高：

“我认为我的老师引领我登上了新的台阶，他们说，‘嘿，仅仅高中毕业并上大学是不够的，你还可以到星球上去。’”

在成为一名工程师并11次申请当宇航员之后，他终于被选上了。 2004年5月，他受命开始训练。

为了准备近期几次飞往国际空间站（International Space Station）的任务，国家航空航天局的宇航员们在得克萨斯州（Texas）、俄罗斯、日本、加拿大和德国同国际合作伙伴一起为具体的航天任务接受不同的培训。

申请成为宇航员的过程可能是准备太空之旅过程中最简单的部分：候选人一般用5年时间为他们的特殊任务进行准备。在学习飞行系统、模拟失重并完成语言训练及无数个小时的准备工作后，埃尔南德斯于2009年8月28日与航天飞机一起升空。在距地球四百公里的太空中，他参与了国际空间站的建设，并在太空中开通了国家航空航天局的第一个双语推特Twitter帐户。

自2002年以来，已有来自15个国家的宇航员在国际空间站工作，它目前已成为未来太空探险者的基地。利用在轨道上进行的科学研究，人类将能够进行深空探索并最终登上火星。[请见英文报道]

你认为你够条件吗？埃尔南德斯说，有了计划，一切皆有可能。来自加拿大、日本、俄罗斯、巴西和欧洲航天局的国际宇航员们目前正在与美国航空航天局的宇航员们一起执行太空任务。

“我认为探险是我们的天性。接下来自然而然的一步是开始迈向更远处探索。” 

NASA needs new astronauts: Would you have what it takes?

 The final countdown to the future of spaceflight is here. On December 14, NASA begins its search for new astronauts, who will lead a generation of deep-space explorers and potentially put the first human footprints on Mars.

Officially, NASA requires only three qualifications for astronauts: be a U.S. citizen or dual U.S. citizen; have an undergraduate degree in engineering, science or math and three years of professional experience; and pass a set of vision, blood pressure and height requirements.

Journey to the launch pad

Sounds easy, right? But getting getting selected is tougher than making your way into any top college: In the last NASA astronaut selection in 2013, eight people were selected from 6,100 applicants.

NASA astronauts come from many backgrounds. Mexican-American José Hernández grew up in California, the son of migrant farmworkers. Hernández says his parents and teachers inspired him, setting high expectations for him in school:

“I think the teachers took me to the next level, saying, ‘Hey, it’s not enough to graduate high school and get your college education. You can reach for the stars as well.'”

After becoming an engineer and applying 11 times to become an astronaut, he finally made it. In May 2004, he was asked to begin training.

For recent trips to the International Space Station, NASA astronauts have joined international partners in Texas, Russia, Japan, Canada and Germany for mission-specific training modules.

The astronaut application process may be the easiest part of a journey to space: Candidates typically spend five years preparing for their specific missions. After learning flight systems, simulating weightlessness, and completing language training and endless hours of preparation, Hernandez blasted off on August 28, 2009, aboard the space shuttle. Four hundred kilometers above Earth, he worked on construction of the International Space Station and also launched NASA’s first bilingual Twitter account in space.

The International Space Station, which has been occupied by astronauts from 15 countries since 2002, has built a foundation for tomorrow’s space explorers. Using the science conducted in orbit, humans will be able to launch missions to deep space and, eventually,Mars.

Think you have the right stuff? With a plan, Hernandez says, anything is possible. International astronauts selected from the space agencies of Canada, Japan, Russia, Brazil and Europe currently join NASA astronauts for missions to space.

“I think it’s in our nature to be explorers. And the next natural step is to start journeying beyond.”