Chadster

Muahahaha! Thought you could outfox me, but nooooo -- you released it at almost the exact moment I submitted my last final of the semester! Thank you for the present, Squad!

I chose Soyuz. Yes, it's undergone some redesign since its first launch in the mid-'60s, but by and large, they've been using the same craft for almost 50 years. It's a workhorse. Though I do give them a tip of the hat for their space station projects, though. Easily my "runner-up" choice.

Check me out -- my first orbital craft in KSP! Go, Jeb! And yes, he did come home...though quite grudgingly. He was having too much fun!

Yeah, I wasn't trying to say the only opportunities for biologists were for astronauts -- I was just noting that there are plenty of opportunities for biologists (I always thought biomedical science in space sounded awesome! ) or even veterinarians (which I didn't realize until I looked that up for this thread, so yay for learning something new, too!). Was just tossing out various ideas, and happy I learned something new while passing on new info. Lots of pathways toward the final frontier of space in all kinds of sciences or mechanical fields....especially while doing something awesome like serving your country, which I commend people for considering! Honestly, just find your passion or your aptitude, point yourself in that direction, and burn prograde.

Glad to help! And just so you know, there have been astronauts who have degrees in veterinary medicine, and NASA has a chief veterinarian! The biological/biomedical sciences are still really important, and honestly, I think they'll continue to be....so there are even Air Force jobs out there that you could put that biology interest to use, whether as an officer or by enlisting.

I agree with possum -- if you're planning on enlisting, take a look at AFSC (Air Force Specialty Code) 1C6X1. Or, if you're thinking of going to college, take a look at AFSC 13S. If you do enlist, you're no doubt going to want to eventually look at taking advantage of the educational benefits to get your bachelor's degree at a minimum. Of course, also remember there are opportunities outside of NASA, including with its contractors, and of course, companies like Orbital Sciences Corp. and SpaceX. He didn't mention anything about being a shuttle pilot, but even if astronaut is what is being aimed for, right now, the requirements remain the same for the "new crop" of pilot astronauts: at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft. For mission specialists, a bachelor's degree in a technical field is the bare minimum. The Air Force was at one point considering allowing enlisted astronauts, but I'm not sure where that program ever ended up.

See, I really like the idea of multiple crew with various skills, especially in my vision of sending them up to a space station, having them do extended-period missions that might require different types of scientists, a la the mid-1980s computer game "Project Space Station", where you had to have a pilot (or flight engineer) aboard the shuttle to launch, but you could make the rest of the crew other scientists you wanted to ferry to the station so you could conduct various experiments, and having the right mix of skills was imperative if you wanted your experiments to progress and produce returns. This is my biggest hope for utilization of multiple crew.

I don't know if anybody will find this as interesting as I do (and I hope this'll be the right forum for it!), but today is the 88th anniversary of the launch of the first liquid-fueled rocket by Dr. Robert H. Goddard. His 10-foot rocket traveled 41 feet vertically and 184 feet horizontally in a 2.5-second flight. The rocket was fueled by a mixture of gasoline and liquid oxygen. http://www.rocketcityspacepioneers.com/space/liquid-fuel-rockets In his honor, I think I'll put some Kerbals through their paces on rockets that are completely liquid-fueled.

Hey, all! New kerbonaut reporting! After playing around with KSP off and on the past few months, I decided to venture in and say hello to my fellow space explorers! I'm just sad that I didn't discover this wonderful game sooner (just chalk it up to my stupidity meter being high, I guess! ). Been making simulated spaceflights for years, though, in a wide variety of platforms, especially Orbiter. Life-long space junkie, from early days of a bedroom cluttered with spacecraft models to living my geekiest dream and getting to go to Space Camp....needless to say, I think I'm as giddy as Jeb anytime I get a rocket off the ground and get it back (more or less) in one piece! My next big in-game steps will be to establish a space station in orbit around Kerbin, and then, one day, to push further out into the solar system....all the while with a dopey grin like Jeb's, no doubt! Thanks to some wonderful vids on YouTube (a big ol' shout-out to Scott Manley, Sebbi of Learning by Gaming, and several others whose trials and errors have taught me a lot -- and really made my imagination soar. And a big thanks to the mod community, because I've downloaded some really great ones and it's really enhanced a great product even more. Looking forward to seeing what's ahead for the intrepid star-explorers of Kerbin, especially with the news of Squad's cooperation with NASA on an asteroid-redirect scenario! So hi.....glad to be here amount others who totally get the "Woooo! SPACE!" mindset.