CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA’s new moonshot rules: No fighting and littering. And no trespassing at historic lunar landmarks like Apollo 11′s Tranquility Base.
The space agency released a set of guidelines Tuesday for its Artemis moon-landing program, based on the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and other agreements. So far, eight countries have signed these so-called Artemis Accords.
Founding members include the U.S., Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said he expects more countries to join the effort to put astronauts back on the moon by 2024.
On Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020, NASA released a set of guidelines for its Artemis moon-landing program, based on the 1967 Outer Space Treaty and other agreements — No fighting and littering. And no trespassing at historic lunar landmarks like Apollo 11′s Tranquility Base.
It promises to be the largest coalition for a human spaceflight program in history, according to Bridenstine, and is expected to pave the way for eventual Mars expeditions.
It's important not only to travel to the moon "with our astronauts, but that we bring with us our values," noted NASA's acting chief for international and interagency relations, Mike Gold.
Rule No. 1: Everyone must come in peace. Other rules:
— Secrecy is banned, and all launched objects need to be identified and registered.
— All members agree to pitch in with astronaut emergencies.
— Space systems must be universal so everyone's equipment is compatible, and scientific data must be shared.
— Historic sites must be preserved, and any resulting space junk must be properly disposed.
— Rovers and other spacecraft cannot have their missions jeopardized by others getting too close.
Violators could be asked to leave, according to Bridenstine.
The coalition can say, “Look, you’re in this program with the rest of us, but you’re not playing by the same rules,” Bridenstine said.
The U.S. is the only country to put humans on the moon: 12 men from 1969 through 1972.
Russia is still on the fence. The country's space agency chief, Dmitry Rogozin, said at an International Astronautical Congress virtual meeting Monday that the Artemis program is U.S.-centric and he would prefer a model of cooperation akin to the International Space Station.
China, meanwhile, is out altogether. NASA is prohibited under law, at least for now, from signing any bilateral agreements with China.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
Shoot for the stars: 11 things you didn’t know about applying to be a NASA astronaut
Shoot for the stars: 11 things you didn’t know about applying to be a NASA astronaut
Help wanted
Updated
Currently, NASA has 48 astronauts in its corps and is seeking more applicants.
Sign of the times
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According to WHTR, the application closed on March 31 and included, for the first time, an online assessment portion.
Stem's the word
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One of the basic application requirements to be an astronaut in the next class of Artemis Generation is a master’s degree in a STEM-related field. According to the NASA website, “The requirement for the master’s degree can also be met by: Two years (36 semester hours or 54 quarter hours) of work toward a Ph.D. program in a related science, technology, engineering or math field; A completed doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathic medicine degree; Completion (or current enrollment that will result in completion by June 2021) of a nationally recognized test pilot school program.
Learning to fly
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Being an astronaut for NASA requires a bit of flight experience, specifically, “at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft,” according to NASA’s website. They can also have at least two years of professional experience related to their degree which can include jobs like teaching kindergarten.
Extras
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Space.com notes that astronaut candidates (known by the acronym ASCAN) can help themselves in the application process by having other skills like scuba diving, wilderness experience and fluency in a foreign language (Space.com notes that all astronauts are required to speak Russian).
Height requirement
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ASCANs should be between 62 and 75 in. (5’2” to 6’3” in.) to meet NASA’s “anthropomorphic requirements,” Science Direct notes. According to the NASA website, these contemporary requirements are much more flexible. During the first flight in 1959, astronauts had to be shorter than 5 feet 11 inches to fit in the Mercury spacecraft.
Get your sea legs before space
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According to Science Direct, ASCANs have to also pass a swim test, become SCUBA certified and pass a military water survival test. CBS notes that the swim test includes swimming three lengths of a pool and treading water for 10 minutes in a flight suit and tennis shoes.
If at first you don't succeed
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Many astronauts don’t get accepted on the first try, Space.com says. In fact, Clay Anderson applied 15 times and waited two more years before becoming an astronaut and serving as a member of the Expedition 15 crew aboard the International Space Station in 1998.
I can see clearly now
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Perfect vision is crucial for ASCANS—even if they need a little help to achieve it. Part of the physical requirements to be an astronaut are 20/20 vision either with or without glasses or contacts.
A shrinking application pool
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The NASA application, according to Wired, drew in more than 18,000 applicants. Of those applicants, Wired reports that around 14,000 will meet the basic requirements. A review panel of experienced astronauts then whittles down the applicant pool to 500. After reference checks and a first round of interviews, the pool goes from 500 to 100 to around 50 or 60 who go on to the second round of interviews. After the intense space-flight physical, between eight and 14 applicants will become astronauts and begin training
Age ain't nothing but a number
Updated
Astronauts have been a wide range of ages according to CBS. Most fall between the ages of 26 and 46, with the average being about 34 years.
