First US Immigrant Astronaut

[Pawelk198604]

I heard that some of us astronauts aren't US natural born citizen. Does it's true? how many is them?

[deadshot462]

True, found this on Wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_space_travelers_by_nationality

Scroll to the very bottom, there's a dozen or so naturalized Americans. Pretty cool in my opinion.

[jwenting]

mind that there are hundreds of astronauts (and past ones) and only a few dozen of those ever got to fly.

Signing up for the job is like signing up for the possibility of maybe in 30 years getting a slot at flying an aircraft for an airline, if by the time you still pass the flight medical and aren't yet too old or otherwise employed.

[Kimberly]

I'm a prospective immigrant myself. If you're coming in from the military (as many astronauts did and still do), you're at a bit of a disadvantage, as people will with Green Cards can't become officers or get security clearance until they get citizenship--which is, if you ask me, a very poor system. But you can get over that obstacle eventually.

The space program has always had a bit of an international flavor to it, with Wernher von Braun and whatnot.

[Pawelk198604]

I'm a prospective immigrant myself. If you're coming in from the military (as many astronauts did and still do), you're at a bit of a disadvantage, as people will with Green Cards can't become officers or get security clearance until they get citizenship--which is, if you ask me, a very poor system. But you can get over that obstacle eventually.

The space program has always had a bit of an international flavor to it, with Wernher von Braun and whatnot.

My country Poland joined ESA year ago and choice some Polish as ESA astronaut, for now we had only one astronaut or more precisely cosmonaut Mr Hermaszewski who flow on soviet Soyuz in 70's in Intercosmos program.

If i had good health and master degree in Physic i would apply to ESA myself:D

[Nibb31]

mind that there are hundreds of astronauts (and past ones) and only a few dozen of those ever got to fly.

Signing up for the job is like signing up for the possibility of maybe in 30 years getting a slot at flying an aircraft for an airline, if by the time you still pass the flight medical and aren't yet too old or otherwise employed.

There are 47 active astronauts in the NASA Astronaut Corps. Most of them have flown. Only those from the last two classes (2009 and of course 2013) haven't flown yet.

You don't have to be a NASA Astronaut to fly with NASA. Mission specialists and astronauts from other agencies are not necessarily full-time NASA Astronauts.

It doesn't make sense to immigrate to the US to become an astronaut. If you are among the best specialists in your field and you can be of value to your country's space program, you could always contact ESA to become a candidate in the European Astronaut Corps, which currently has 14 members.

[Wesreidau]

They aren't naturalized immigrants. They're illegal aliens NASA picked up, sent back across the border, and made come back with their paperwork in order.

.neila drow eht no nup a si sihT

[Kimberly]

It doesn't make sense to immigrate to the US to become an astronaut.

On the other hand, if you have the qualifications to become an astronaut, you can probably self-sponsor and would have a much easier time immigrating to the United States than most.

[Lordherrmann]

On this thursday I will get to know the first non-american astronaut on a NASA-mission. Ulf Merbold!!! My old old german teacher happened to be his cousin and as I currently am writing a scientific paper on the topic of spaceflight, I asked her to ask him if he was interested to help our group. This is gonna be awesome.