An astronaut is one of the best professions in India after engineering and medicine. You must have seen that a good percentage of students wish or dream of becoming an astronaut right from their childhood days. If you look back, you will see that many Indians have successfully landed on Mars. It is a success not for the astronaut but for the country itself. In India, ISRO or Indian Space Research Organization is the principal organization that deals with space and astronauts. You can come across various renowned scientists who work or have worked in ISRO. It is one of the prestigious organizations in India.
If you aspire to become an astronaut in your life, you have to start the preparation right from the beginning. An astronaut’s work is amazing in the sense that they have to travel in a spacecraft to reach space. Life becomes different once you go to a different world. The astronauts are trained specialists, and they have good information about the tools in the spacecraft. You have to specific conditions to become an astronaut. India is the home of many reputed and great astronauts who will always be remembered for their significant works.
Eligibility to become an astronaut:
Here are some of the essential requirements to become an astronaut in India. Here are some of them.
- You have to be an Indian citizen to become an Indian astronaut.
- Both men and women can become an astronaut. There are no such restrictions on the sex of a person.
- You have to fulfill specific medical and physical requirements to become an astronaut. Although there is no clear information about the height or weight required to become an astronaut, you should have a clear vision of eyes.
- The blood pressure must be regular, and you should have no such serious diseases. In case of any past medical history, you will not be permitted to become an astronaut. Special preference is always given to the physical fitness of the candidate.
- It would help if you had good stamina and patience to become an astronaut.
- You must have good speaking and communication skills. This will help in easy interaction with the people. It may happen that you are working with people in the space who are from other countries.
- An excellent mathematical skill is required to become an astronaut. It does not mean that you have to know addition or subtraction.
- A good team spirit and the ability to work under huge work pressure are also required from the candidate. The life of an astronaut is full of challenges. You have to be prepared for everything. Instead you should have the mindset to go anywhere at any point in time.
- It is also okay if you have prior experience in swimming. Avoid getting into any litigations or criminal cases. This may ruin your career and can restrain you from becoming a successful astronaut.
Academic eligibility for becoming an astronaut:
Apart from physical fitness, you require specific academic qualifications to become an astronaut. As per the Indian context, you can start preparing to become an astronaut once you pass the 10th standard. You have to choose science in 12th standard with mathematics, physics, and chemistry. These subjects are mandatory, without which you will not be entitled to continue further studies.
If you have scored good marks in 12th standard, you can pursue aerospace engineering in the graduation level from recognized colleges. In any case, you can also continue with subjects like Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. For pursuing post-graduation in this subject, you have to score good marks at the graduation level. Every year ISRO or Indian Space Research Organization conducts an entrance examination to recruit fresh candidates for the organization. These entrance examinations are also conducted by the IIT’s or Indian Institute of Technology in India’s various states.
Professional experience to become an Indian astronaut:
Apart from all this, it would help if you had specific professional qualifications for getting admission or entry to these elite institutions. If you are serving in Indian Air Force, you can join this service because you are mentally and physically fit for the space mission. This can help in shortening the training period of an individual.
A good working experience in aerospace, medicine, biology, or computer science will be an added advantage in this case. We will also appreciate working experience with ISRO.
Specific skills required for becoming an Indian astronaut:
Besides having academic and physical eligibility, you should have some other qualities.
- An excellent proficiency in English is required to become an astronaut. This should be known so that you can comfortably interact with people of other countries. The level of English should be high and fluent. However, if you know other languages like Russian or French, that will be an added asset.
- A prior flying experience is also appreciated in this case. It will increase your advantage to a great extent.
- A good and high psychological strength is equally required for this job. If you have a low psychological level, you cannot stand in this job. You must be prepared for all situations.
Category of astronauts:
You must have knowledge about the various categories of astronauts. One is the flight engineers, and the other type is astronaut researchers. Flight engineers are mainly entrusted with flying the shuttle and navigating or handling the flight station in the best possible manner. The flight engineer also assists the commander in the proper handling of the vehicle. He or she will also look after the crew members of the vehicle.
On the other hand, astronaut researchers are also known as mission specialists. He is in the overall responsibility of the mission. He will be entitled to conduct scientific experiments in space and perform various types of spacewalks. It seems that both these categories of astronauts are responsible for the smooth functioning of the work. If you have the capacity and tenacity, you can join this family. It will be a beautiful experience to do this job. It will fetch you great prestige and prospects at the same time.
Main subjects to study to become an astronaut:
Suppose you are serious of becoming an astronaut, you have to follow and study some subjects. Here are some of them.
- Electrical engineering is a vital subject that is related to the study of astronauts. Through this subject, you will learn how to build electrical gadgets and systems. An undergraduate course in electrical engineering will be an excellent start for astronauts.
- Astrophysics can be another essential subject that is related to the field of astronauts. The subject of astronauts constitutes subjects like Physics, chemistry, mathematics, and cosmology. You can know how the universe runs through Astrophysics. It can prove to be an exciting subject.
- Biochemistry is another subject that is related to Astronauts. It is the subject that deals with the chemical changes related to living organisms. The subject of biochemistry is also associated with how environments and pressure affect the human bodies. How do humans feel when these effects their bodies?.
- Aeronautics will give you a fair idea about the flight functions. It is highly related to astronauts. You already know that fighter pilot experience is always required and appreciated in this field. No matter if you don’t have any flight experience. This subject can give you basic information about the science of air travel. It can prove to be much helpful.
- Geology is also said to be related to astronauts. It is the subject that is related to the substance and physical structure of the earth. It is also related with the extensive study of terrestrial planets. You can gain ample knowledge about the moon and asteroids from this subject. It will give you a clear conception.
In short, these five subjects are closely related to astronauts. It would help if you tried to focus more and more on these subjects.
Top Indian institutes on astronauts:
Here are some of the names of the institutes that offer this subject. These institutes provide under-graduation courses. They are the premier institutes of India.
- Indian Institute of Technology
- Punjab Engineering Colleges
- School of Mines( Dhanbad)
- University of Roorkee (UP)
- Regional Engineering Colleges
- Naval College of Engineering
- Aligarh Muslim University (U.P)
- Annamalai University
- National Dairy Institute (Karnal)
If you are willing to do post-graduation in astronaut you can try the below-mentioned colleges. Although they are few, they are the best. Here is the list.
- Indian Institute of Science (Bangalore)
- Raman Research Institute (Bangalore)
- National Center for Radio Astronomy (Pune)
- Indian Institute of Astrophysics (Bangalore)
Conclusion:
If you are looking for a thrilling and fantastic job, astronaut can be the right choice. It will give you immense prestige and security for the rest of the life. It seems to be great to explore the other world. It is good to go for a mission and get it accomplished. The life of an astronaut is full of experience and assignments. Once you start exploring it, you will feel good.
Rahul Kumar is a passionate educator, writer, and subject matter expert in the field of education and professional development. As an author on CoursesXpert, Rahul Kumar’s articles cover a wide range of topics, from various courses, educational and career guidance.
