NASA’s astronaut application requirements have changed since the 1950s. The original Mercury 7s were chosen from a pool of 500 military candidates, while current applicants are selected based on education and training. Neil Armstrong was part of the second batch of candidates and had two degrees in aeronautical engineering.
In June 2017, NASA selected 12 people from a pool of more than 18,300 candidates to begin the two years of training that could allow them to become astronauts. Current NASA application requirements have changed significantly since the late 1950s when the first search for prospective astronauts began. Selected in 1959, the original Mercury 7s were chosen from a field of 500 military candidates. Applicants were required to have a minimum of 1,500 jet aircraft flight hours, along with an engineering background. Applicants who were taller than 5 feet 11 inches (1.8 m) were automatically disqualified because they would not be able to enter the spacecraft.
In the wild blue yonder:
NASA’s first seven astronauts were “superb physical specimens” with IQs over 130. Gus Grissom, Gordon Cooper, and Deke Slayton were Air Force pilots. Alan Shepard, Scott Carpenter and Wally Schirra were Navy pilots and John Glenn was a Navy pilot.
Neil Armstrong, the first astronaut to walk on the moon, was accepted in 1962 as part of the second batch of candidates. He began his career as a naval aviator and holds two degrees in aeronautical engineering.
In 1964, NASA began accepting applicants based primarily on education. They wanted “scientist-astronauts” with doctoral degrees or an equivalent amount of professional experience.
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