Agency Looking For Diplomats, Scientists
It seems even NASA has taken work
environment and "people skills" into account as they start culling
for the new round of space jockeys. New-hire standards include the
ability to be diplomatic, a basic understand of spacecraft systems,
taking prodigious scientific notes, and being able to talk about
more than Tolstoy in Russian.
Years ago, the standards were straight from Tom Wolfe’s
The Right Stuff -- when technical expertise and command of
the vehicle were the most important aspects of the mission. With
the shuttle program aiming for retirement in 2010 -- and the close
quarters work continuing on the space station -- incoming trainees
will need more than just a pilot's license.
Communication skills, problem-solving skills, and being a "team
player" will probably top the list of requirements on the new
application personality tests. "The old concept of The Right
Stuff -- the rugged test pilot, the individualist -- is just
not going to work," Jason Kring, who studies human-spacecraft
interaction at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, told USA
Today.
Astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria agrees. "You need to be more of
a people person," said the former Expedition 14 commander (shown
below). "You can't just be steely-eyed, no matter how
competent."
Mission training leading up to a jaunt into space can take up to
five years, requiring time spent in Russia or Japan training
facilities. This can be hard on those with families... but then so
can the extended stay in space. After all, a space station mission
"is like living in your office ... and not being able to get out
for six months," said NASA's chief of behavioral medicine, Gary
Beven.
In the days following the January 2007 arrest of former
astronaut Lisa Nowak for attempting to kidnap a romantic rival,
statements from crewmates indicated she was "selfish" and "not a
team player"... yet another catalyst, probably, for NASA's opting
to refocus its hiring procedures.
In this-media filled world, the smiling faces of the STS-122
crew preparing to launch Atlantis on Thursday are a
public-relations dream, compared to the stoicism of pilots in the
70’s.
Technical skills may make for a better pilot, but the close
quarters of the space station 24/7 can make the cubicle world seem
more attractive. This won’t deter the roughly 3,000
applicants from pursuing their dream career in space, though. Just
because the shuttle is retiring, there are still Russian
spaceflights... and the planned Orion spacecraft due out after
2015.
In a related vein, it's no coincidence Orion will be highly
automated -- NASA's term for it is "scientist proof" -- so NASA can
select astronauts less apt to flying highly specialized vehicles
like the space shuttle, and more likely to have spent long hours in
the lab... while getting along with their fellow scientists.