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The Astronaut Hopeful's Manifesto (forbes.com)

Posted by Soulskill on from the i-dream-to-someday-conquer-saturn dept.

StartsWithABang writes: Many of us dreamed of becoming astronauts as a child, but gave up on that dream for a number of reasons — the seemingly impossible odds, the demands of daily life, the rigors of preparation — and never even applied. But for a great many, that dream remains alive; the last time NASA had open applications, over 6,000 people threw their hat in the ring, with eight selected. Yesterday, NASA once again opened up astronaut applications, and one prospective applicant has written a manifesto about lessons learned in becoming an aspiring astronaut. While not all of us have the desire to strap ourselves to a rocket and orbit in a tin can above Earth, we all have something to learn from this perspective.

14 of 33 comments (clear)

  1. Blogger's manifesto by thegarbz · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Write a blog, post every single article to Slashdot. Instant advertising win.

    Can we please go back to the days where a post to Slashdot would knock a site offline from the internet?

    1. Re:Blogger's manifesto by ickleberry · · Score: 1

      That sounds perfect :D

    2. Re:Blogger's manifesto by aaaaaaargh! · · Score: 1

      No problem for me.

    3. Re:Blogger's manifesto by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

      Agreed! StartsWithAShill is what the internet has become -- write some shitty article and spam it everywhere.

  2. Doesn't work with AdBlock by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I have an ad blocker enabled, and the site refuses to load - it shows a message asking me to disable my ad blocker. Not going to happen.

    How do I work around this?

    1. Re:Doesn't work with AdBlock by iTrawl · · Score: 2

      Heard of private browsing? Pop the site in a private window. They'll think they're tracking you, and you'll think you're clever.

      --
      "Everybody's naked underneath" -- The Doctor
    2. Re:Doesn't work with AdBlock by GrumpySteen · · Score: 1

      The "lessons":

      1. Clarify why you want to be an astronaut.
      2. Set realistic expectations.
      3. Every decision counts.
      4. Prepare your body and mind.
      5. Work well with others.
      6. Meet people and learn from them.
      7. NASA isnâ(TM)t the only path one can take to become an astronaut.
      8. Be authentic and enjoy the journey!

      If you substitute a different job title and a different company for NASA, it's obvious that it's just some self-help BS that you should already know if you're an adult. You might as well stand in front of a mirror and repeat "I'm good enough. I'm smart enough. And doggone it, people like me."

    3. Re:Doesn't work with AdBlock by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      I added the Adblock warning removal list and Forbes thanked me for disabling my adblocker, when in reality I disabled their adblockerblocker with an adblockerblockerblocker.

  3. Don't dream... by ls671 · · Score: 1

    Don't dream of being an astronaut. The environment is pretty hostile up there. If the need arise to serve my country, I will go without hesitation but dreaming about it seem a little over-fetched at first glance ;-)

    --
    Everything I write is lies, read between the lines.
  4. Re:American astronauts should be ashamed by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 1

    I remember when Slashdot was a News For Nerds site.

  5. What is "engineering technology"? by RogueWarrior65 · · Score: 2

    The posting is confusing. What exactly is a degree in "engineering technology" and why does that not qualify? How is that different from a degree in engineering?

    1. Re:What is "engineering technology"? by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Engineering technology is like an applied form of engineering and testing. Technologists are the ones who do tests based on engineering principles and analyse results from core engineering activities. i.e. Engineers design a burner for a fired heater, engineering technologists are those who do things like a CFD analysis to determine how the flame will sit on the burner tip. Engineers design an iPhone, engineering technologists will drop weights on it to determine it's impact resistance. Engineers design radio antennas, engineering technologists analyse the E and H field performance, power handling etc.

      This is now available as a separate diploma and significantly easier and more practical than an engineering degree.

    2. Re:What is "engineering technology"? by RogueWarrior65 · · Score: 1

      So it sounds like the former are theoreticians while the latter are practical folks. If that's the case then why would NASA want theoreticians in space when every problem is a practical one? The air scrubbers weren't designed to fit in the LEM. Make them fit or the crew is dead.

    3. Re:What is "engineering technology"? by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Why people want some documentation for certain jobs is beyond me. In the past there were no engineering technologists. Their job was done either by actual engineers, or people who learnt the art or skill on the job.

      I sort of agree and sort of disagree with NASA. On the one side you want actual people trained in the theoretical and fundamental principles of problem solving, on the other hand you want practical people. While technologists are effectively applied engineers, the opposite is not true (at least not in terms of how many universities run engineering degrees). A typical Engineering degree has a LOT of practical coverage as far as paperwork that HR reads is concerned an engineer can also be a technologist but not the other way around.

      It's all crap really. The best engineer I know doesn't have the qualifications I got in my 3 year degree. Yet somehow anyone from HR thinks I'm more capable than he is despite his 40 years experience.