It has been more than fifty years since humans last visited the moon, and we're still a while off sending anyone to Mars. Still, space exploration has continued to be a dream for people around the world. Take Jannicke Mikkelsen. She's a Norwegian 3D cinematographer who, as a child, applied to NASA for a job in 3D landscape mapping. "My mum had to call and tell them I was only 12 years old [after I made it to the 2nd round of the selection process,' Mikkelsen told forskning.no. But her dream didn't end there. In April 2025, 38-year-old Mikkelsen became one of the first people to complete a polar orbit around the Earth as commander of the FRAM2 mission, and Norway's first astronaut to go to outer space.

With a renewed interest in space exploration from private companies and more countries growing and developing space programs, it's not surprising to see that becoming an astronaut is back on the radar. A 2024 study asked 13-16-year-olds about their career aspirations and found that the 4th most popular company for future employment was NASA, beating out Microsoft, Disney, Tesla, and FIFA.

There are now 77 active space agencies, with 16 of these having launch capabilities, 6 having the ability to explore areas outside of the Earth's orbit, and 5 with the capacity for human spaceflight. While just three countries (China, Soviet Union/Russia, and the USA) have crewed spaceflights and only one country - the USA - has landed humans on a celestial body other than Earth (in this case, the Moon), citizens of more than fifty countries have left the Earth's atmosphere and more than 25 countries have proposed space agencies in development.

What's the takeaway? If your childhood dream was to go to space, the next decade could be the perfect time to make that dream a reality. But how do you become an astronaut? Here's what you need to know.

Learn the right stuff

With the rise in commercial space missions as well as technological advancements in aerospace engineering, people from a variety of academic backgrounds are now participating in manned spaceflights. Take the aforementioned Norwegian astronaut. The SpaceX Dragon capsule that was used for the FRAM2 mission is autonomous, so it didn't require a pilot to operate it. But one of the main objectives of the mission was to film the Earth's poles from space, so Mikkelsen was recruited as the mission's commander because of her expertise in 3D filmmaking.

Still, for students aspiring to more extensive space missions, like working on the International Space Station (ISS), NASA's Artemis III project that aims to send people back to the moon in 2026, or the proposed missions to Mars, more traditional degree paths will be necessary. Every space agency - both national and private - will have its own requirements. For this guide, we'll consider the four largest agencies:

NASA, ESA, CNSA, and Roscosmos all require applicants for astronaut positions to hold a graduate degree in a STEM field. Other acceptable fields often include medicine or pilot training. Engineering - specifically, aerospace engineering - is a common field of study completed by astronaut candidates. Many astronauts have backgrounds in military or civilian aviation. Education is also another common background for astronauts because NASA has a history of actively recruiting teachers with STEM backgrounds to its Astronaut Corps.

🌕 Fun fact: NASA’s impact has been credited with launching thousands into STEM careers in the U.S. One study revealed that half of the country’s researchers were inspired to study science following the Apollo 11 lunar landing in 1969.

Have the right stuff

In addition to academic requirements, most space agencies have strict health and physical requirements for aspiring astronauts. These include things like height and weight limits, health assessments, and hearing and vision tests. The CNSA requires astronauts to go through routine early-detection medical tests, while the ESA states strict rules about drug dependency.

Age limits

As for age, only Roscosmos has a strict upper age limit of 35 for applicants, while ESA extends the limit to 50 years old, and CNSA and NASA take both age and other qualities into consideration. For NASA astronaut candidates, the typical age range for recruitment is between 26 and 46. The youngest professional astronaut was Gherman Titov, a Soviet cosmonaut, and the legendary NASA astronaut John Glenn made history - again - by becoming the oldest person to fly in space at the age of 77.

Physical abilities

Prospective astronauts usually need to have strong swimming and water safety skills because re-entry vehicles usually land in water. Physical fitness is also essential, especially for astronauts who will spend extended periods in space, like those who man the ISS. In orbit, microgravity has a negative effect on muscles and bone density, as well as an impact on cardiovascular health, immune systems, and vision. Additionally, many of the tasks completed by astronauts in space require strength, flexibility, and coordination.

Mental health

Astronauts undergo stringent mental health screenings and psychological testing to ensure that they have the mental fortitude for space travel. Astronauts need to be able to deal with isolation and confinement, as well as have the ability to adapt quickly, handle extreme stress, and be resilient. For example, in 2024 NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore were scheduled for a routine eight-day mission to the ISS, but their spacecraft suffered technical issues during its departure and the two astronauts ended up remaining on the ISS for nearly nine months. Their mental and physical training allowed them to adapt to the situation and utilize their time in practical ways. In a press conference after their return to Earth, Wilmore stated that part of the job of an astronaut is 'planning for one thing, preparing for another.'

Other stuff

Apart from education and health requirements, many national and international space agencies require applicants to hold citizenship of the country or region associated with the agency. This is usually because astronauts are employed by the government.

NASA requires applicants to be US citizens and emphasizes that acquiring US citizenship solely to become an astronaut is not recommended. The CNSA and Roscosmos also have similar citizenship requirements, while the ESA accepts applicants from all ESA member states and associated member states.

Language requirements

Although many space agencies operate independently in theory, in practice, space exploration is an international endeavor. Astronauts and agencies from all over the world work together to plan and launch missions, the ISS hosts astronauts from numerous countries, and research and development projects span national boundaries. It's no surprise, then, that speaking a second or third language is usually a requirement for prospective astronauts. The CNSA, ESA, and Roscosmos all require applicants to be proficient in English, while NASA astronauts must speak Russian.

Passion

The last requirement for prospective astronauts is a bit more subjective. Most space agencies will look to see that a candidate has not only the objective skills and abilities needed for the job, but also a true calling. Passion, enthusiasm, and curiosity are all important, if ethereal qualities that will make a candidate stand out from the crowd.

Other careers in the aerospace sector

Astronauts are far from the only people who advance our knowledge of the final frontier. If the requirements for becoming an astronaut are out of your reach, or if you'd like to keep your feet firmly on Earth but reach for the stars in other ways, there are many fulfilling ways to combine your love of science, space, and technology into a sought-after and satisfying profession. Here are some other career options for space enthusiasts.

Astronomer 🔭

Simply put, astronomy is the study of celestial objects, but the field also touches on numerous scientific disciplines, including chemistry and physics. Students with degrees in astronomy have a variety of career options in everything from aerospace and weather forecasting to energy development and communications technology. In addition to advancing knowledge of the universe through research, many astronomers also work as educators in observatories and planetariums.

Teacher 👨🏻‍🏫

Speaking of educators, teaching is another viable route into the aerospace sector. Aside from NASA's active recruitment of educators and continued partnership with K-12 teachers in STEM fields through their Teachers in Space (TiS) and Educator Professional Development (EDP) programs, space programs need qualified and skilled educators for their professional programs. Everything from astronaut training to community outreach will involve teaching skills, strong communication, and creative approaches to learning.

Physicist 👩🏾‍🔬

While a degree in physics will get your foot in the astronaut door, this study of matter and space has many professional applications, including everything from designing computer games to predicting climate change. Space physicists are vital to our understanding of the impact of physical phenomena, such as space weather, on everything from high-altitude rockets to spacecraft.

Astrophysicist 🪐

The study of astrophysics, meanwhile, offers the chance to study the universe and physics within the context of the dynamic world. While many students with degrees in astrophysics go into academic research, others pursue careers in government and industry. With so many space missions imminent, now is considered to be a particularly exciting time for astrophysicists, many of whom are involved with designing, building, testing, and flying different kinds of scientific instruments.

Aviator 🚀

While aviation might first bring to mind thoughts of aircraft and commercial flights, the space race also offers unprecedented opportunities for students with degrees in aviation. Most astronauts have some experience flying, but pilot training can also open doors in other areas of the aerospace sector. Space agencies also need air traffic control, aircraft maintenance, and other aviation-related roles. And with more and more private agencies exploring the commercial aspects of space travel, aviation degrees will continue to be a route into space travel.

Engineer or computer scientist 📡

Engineering and technology are essential to space exploration, and students who have studied these fields will find numerous space-adjacent careers to consider. For example, telecommunication merges engineering and computer science to push the boundaries of how we exchange information between two or more stations. In the space arena, students with telecommunications degrees offer technology development and mission support for both optical and FR communications systems. They may also work in satellite operations.

To infinity and beyond 🛸

And that’s just the beginning. Other paths of study with applications in space include the social sciences, exercise physiology, medical technology, and psychology. The further that we push into space, the more we will need individuals who can combine a passion for space exploration with disciplines not usually associated with astronauts, like space archaeology. We might be a ways off needing cosmetologists on the Moon or real estate agents on Mars, but exploration demands creative approaches and people who think outside the box.

Space Training Around the World

We've centered the requirements in this guide around the four largest space agencies in the world, but opportunities for aspiring astronauts are not limited to these four. Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan all have astronaut programs. These include:

• Astronaut Center of China in China
• European Astronaut Center in Germany
• Johnson Space Center in Texas, USA
• Tsukuba Space Center in Japan
• Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Russia

If you're considering a career as an astronaut or in the aerospace industry, you will find degree programs all over the world. Here are some colleges and universities to consider:

• Beijing Institute of Technology, China
• Georgia Institute of Technology, USA
• International School for Advanced Studies (Sissa), Italy
• KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
• National Univesity of Singapore, Singapore
• Politecnico di Milano, Italy
• University of Colorado Boulder, USA
• University of Southampton, UK
• The University of Texas at Austin, USA
• The University of Tokyo, Japan
• University of Washington, USA

Conclusion

The takeaway for aspiring astronauts? There's more than one way to make it into space, as long as you have the right combination of academic excellence, a background in science and technology, and sheer drive.

One last thing to keep in mind? While university studies in science and engineering are essential for aspiring astronaut candidates, astronauts have plenty of other talents, too. Take former mechanical engineering student Chris Hadfield. The first Canadian to walk in space and former commander of the International Space Station, Hadfield’s popularity reached critical mass when he played guitar in space. Since retiring from life in orbit, he has gone on to have an acclaimed music career.