Editing Astronaut (section)

===NASA candidacy requirements===
{{hatnote|Unless otherwise noted, the following data are incorporated from the Astronaut Requirements article by NASA}}
* The candidate must be a citizen of the United States.
* The candidate must complete a master's degree in a [[STEM]] field, including engineering, [[biological science]], [[physical science]], [[computer science]] or mathematics.
* The candidate must have at least two years of related professional experience obtained after degree completion or at least 1,000 hours [[pilot-in-command]] time on [[jet aircraft]].
* The candidate must be able to pass the NASA long-duration flight astronaut physical.
* The candidate must also have skills in leadership, teamwork and communications.

The master's degree requirement can also be met by:
* Two years of work toward a doctoral program in a related science, technology, engineering or math field.
* A completed [[Doctor of Medicine]] or [[Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine]] degree.
* Completion of a nationally recognized test pilot school program.

====Mission Specialist Educator====
{{Main|Educator Astronaut Project}}
* Applicants must have a bachelor's degree with teaching experience, including work at the kindergarten through twelfth grade level. An advanced degree, such as a master's degree or a doctoral degree, is not required, but is strongly desired.<ref name="announce">{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/sep/HQ_07196_astronaut_recruitment.html|title=NASA Opens Applications for New Astronaut Class|access-date=4 October 2007 |publisher=NASA|year=2007|author=NASA| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070927081538/http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2007/sep/HQ_07196_astronaut_recruitment.html| archive-date= 27 September 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref>
[[Educator Astronaut Project|Mission Specialist Educators]], or "Educator Astronauts", were first selected in 2004; as of 2007, there are three NASA Educator astronauts: [[Joseph M. Acaba]], [[Richard R. Arnold]], and [[Dorothy Metcalf-Lindenburger]].<ref name="nexgen">{{cite web|url=http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/preparingtravel/ascan2004.html|title='Next Generation of Explorers' Named|access-date=4 October 2007|publisher=NASA|year=2004|author=NASA|archive-date=26 November 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071126075519/http://www.nasa.gov/vision/space/preparingtravel/ascan2004.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ed">{{cite web| url=http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2004/oct/HQ_n04160_new_ascans.html| title=NASA's New Astronauts Meet The Press| access-date=4 October 2007| publisher=NASA| year=2004| author=NASA| archive-date=6 January 2008| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080106093240/http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2004/oct/HQ_n04160_new_ascans.html| url-status=live}}</ref>
[[Barbara Morgan]], selected as back-up teacher to [[Christa McAuliffe]] in 1985, is considered to be the first Educator astronaut by the media, but she trained as a mission specialist.<ref name="morgan1">{{cite web|url=http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/morgan.html|title=Barbara Radding Morgan – NASA Astronaut biography|access-date=4 October 2007 |publisher=NASA|year=2007|author=NASA| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071002195136/http://www.jsc.nasa.gov/Bios/htmlbios/morgan.html| archive-date= 2 October 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref>
The Educator Astronaut program is a successor to the [[Teacher in Space]] program from the 1980s.<ref name="fly">{{cite web|url=http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/space_educator_030203.html |title=NASA Assures That Teachers Will Fly in Space |access-date=4 October 2007 |publisher=Space.com |year=2007 |author=Tariq Malik |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061125035402/http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/space_educator_030203.html |archive-date=25 November 2006 }}</ref><ref name="nasa">{{cite web|url=http://wwwedu.ssc.nasa.gov/neap.asp |title=Educator Astronaut Program |access-date=4 October 2007 |publisher=NASA |year=2005 |author=NASA |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080516050936/https://wwwedu.ssc.nasa.gov/neap.asp |archive-date=16 May 2008 }}</ref>