Making Daily Headlines · Page 8
NASA Opens Applications for the Commute With No Shortcut Home
· New York time
NASA is recruiting a new group of astronauts, with applications closing December 3. Astronaut Nichole Stilwell discussed the job requirements and her experience in space as the agency publicized the recruiting push, CBS News reported. The announcement brings a distinctly earthly task to an extraordinary line of work: prospective astronauts must apply, meet requirements and be selected. The deadline is a date on a calendar, even if the eventual workplace could be far beyond the usual range of a government commute. Recruiting is part of preparing a workforce for future missions. Public attention often focuses on the dramatic images associated with space travel, but astronaut work is a professional assignment with qualifications and responsibilities. Getting from an application to a mission involves much more than enthusiasm for the view. The application window also makes visible a process that can be overlooked when a mission is summarized in a few memorable pictures. Before a crew can work in space, people have to be chosen and prepared for demanding assignments. NASA's public invitation is the start of that journey for those who apply, not a promise that every applicant will travel. Most job seekers worry about the trip to the office. This posting begins with a deadline and offers, for a selected few, the possibility of an office exceptionally far from home.
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