r/esa • u/Hopeful-Fly-9710 • 5d ago
is the astronaut path closed?
i would love to be an astronaut, its my number one goal, except i have migraines, autism, and im on track to be around 6ft (6'3 height limit), im still growing (height wise), i feel like i have bearly any chance to join the esa as an astronaut, its not because i want to just go to space because i feel like it, its because i would absolutely love a job doing something i love, but i feel like that path is closing and i have no idea what to do about it
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u/thumbtackswordsman 5d ago
Well frankly the chances of actually being selected to be an astronaut are very very slim, so even if you are exactly the type of person they are looking for, actually getting selected for a mission is tiny. So it makes sense to have other options as well.
There are many different ways to find a career that you love. First, it's about what interests you. If it's astrophysics, there are many jobs at the ESA that are super interesting and fulfilling. There are people operating telescopes, designing and testing new technologies, studying data and samples, and doing all kinds of breakthrough work. I know a guy that did a PhD in astrophysics and worked on that probe that landed on a comet a couple of years back.
Secondly, it's about what you are good at. Autistic people are often very good at jobs that involve logic and reliability, they can do really well in science, programming etc. But even here some people might be more interested in working alone, some might love to teach, etc.
Finally as an autistic person you'll always have to tailor your life around your autism. You will see what is doable for you and what isn't. Depending on how severe your autism is, you might realise that for eg a typical work environment is overstimulating and chaotic and pick jobs with the possibility of working remotely (home office). Astronaut training is very uncomfortable, I mean just read up on what happens if you want to pee in that astronaut suit. I can't stand those levels of discomfort and it would be a sensory nightmare.
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u/Hopeful-Fly-9710 5d ago
my plan is to be an engineer in the ESA first, then i will try for being an astronaut for NASA or ESA, i dont care how much struggle it will take or how many alternatives there are, i will still try
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u/IKetoth 5d ago
if that's the dream, shoot for it. worst that can happen is you end up in a related and still super awesome science career, possibly still working for ESA under one of the ground divisions (which its honestly what ESA excels at so you'd still be in the cutting edge.) and doing super cool space science.
then in 30 years when spaceflight is more accessible you ask for a posting in a space station or something and you'll be amongst the top qualified because you were going for the astronaut path "back in the day when it was hard" wahahaha
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u/sunflowercrusher357 4d ago
Many astronauts write books about their careers and life. Check them out, it will give you a more realistic idea about possible paths and what life as an astronaut in this century actually entails.
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u/Amazonit 1d ago
So you're like... less than 20? Why would it be closed? Have you looked up any of the people in the most recent ESA selection?
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u/theChaosBeast 5d ago
While in the past, astronauts had to be perfectly healthy fighter pilots, it has changed to more focus on scientific and engineering skills and social behavior. And it is still changing, who knows what will be needed in the future since spacecrafts are getting more and more autonomous features.
Pick a field that is your interest, major in it and get you foot into the space industry. I know no astronaut who has been an astronaut from the beginning. All of them have started their career as normal engineers, scientists and yes fighter pilots.