NASA Astronaut Corps

Since then, NASA has selected 22 more groups of astronauts, opening the corps to civilians, scientists, doctors, engineers, and school teachers.

[1] NASA selects candidates from a diverse pool of applicants with a wide variety of backgrounds.

Salaries for newly hired civilian astronauts are based on the federal government's General Schedule pay scale for grades GS-11 through GS-14.

[7] The degree must be followed by at least two to three years of related, progressively responsible, professional experience (graduate work or studies) or at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft.

Candidates must have the ability to pass the NASA long-duration space flight physical, which includes the following specific requirements: As of October 2024[update], the corps has 47 "active" astronauts consisting of 20 women and 27 men[8] The highest number of active astronauts at one time was in 2000 when there were 149.

As of October 2024[update], the corps has 12 "management" astronauts, who remain NASA employees but are no longer eligible for flight assignment.

Three members of the Astronaut Corps (Gus Grissom, Edward White, and Roger B. Chaffee) were killed during a ground test accident while preparing for the Apollo 1 mission.

[note 1] Another four (Elliot See, Charles Bassett, Theodore Freeman, and Clifton Williams) were killed in T-38 plane crashes during training for spaceflight during the Gemini and Apollo programs.

Another was killed in a 1967 automobile accident, and another died in a 1991 commercial airliner crash while traveling on NASA business.

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.