Although you will learn plenty during your undergraduate studies, it's unlikely to be enough time to build up the knowledge and expertise needed to become an astronaut. Space travel is always at the cutting edge of technology and innovation, and astronauts play a vital part in testing, evaluating and improving the systems they work with. Then, in a moment of inspiration, Aldrin realized he could jam a non-conductive felt-tip pen into the broken switch to push the contacts together and get them home. After returning from the first walk on the Moon, Aldrin noticed a broken switch on the lunar lander - unless it was fixed, the crew weren't going anywhere. Famous for being one of the first men to work on the moon, Aldrin also had a graduate degree in engineering. One person with the right stuff was Buzz Aldrin. And when you're circling through space at 17,500 miles per hour, you'll definitely want a few of these guys on your team. They trained to find practical solutions to real life issues. Engineers are designers, innovators, and, most importantly, problem solvers. And given that space shuttles rely on this technology, opting for an undergraduate course in electrical engineering is an excellent place to start your quest to become an astronaut.Įngineers make up a large proportion of astronauts and for very good reasons. Here are five academic subjects that can launch your career in space travel.Įlectrical engineering students learn how to build, understand, and repair electronics and electrical systems. But no matter how hard something is, starting off in the right direction is essential.

Out of thousands of applicants, only a handful make it out of the atmosphere. Retired astronaut Clay Anderson failed in his first 15 attempts before finally making it through the rigorous selection process.

Ask a group of children what they want to be when they grow up, and at least one or two will say, “astronaut!” And with the emergence of private space travel companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, more and more children are likely to be inspired by this exciting new phase of space travel.īut becoming an astronaut is hard work.

Math 17500. basic number theory