Here’s What It's Like To Almost Be Selected As An Astronaut

In 2003, Derek Green almost made it all the way through NASA’s astronaut selection process. He told BuzzFeed what that experience was like.

Charlotte Gomez / BuzzFeed

Green told BuzzFeed Science that he had wanted to be astronaut since he was 6. He did his research and found that (back then) most astronauts were military pilots and that most had engineering backgrounds. He jumped into both of those careers and became an Air Force pilot with two master's degrees — one in aerospace science and the other in aerospace engineering.

The initial application was pretty extensive, Green said, and involved gathering references, providing your qualifications, and all that other stuff you might expect from a job application. There are actually two applications, one through the military and a separate one for civilians. He filled out both to maximize his chances. His civilian application ended up making the initial cut.

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