NASA has trained around 360 astronauts so far, and interested parties can now apply for the next round. 12,000 people responded to a call for applications in 2020, NASA said.
The requirements were: US citizenship, a master's degree in a scientific field, at least two years of professional experience or at least 1,000 hours of flight training and passing a fitness test. NASA officially celebrated the completion of astronaut training with a gala on Tuesday in Houston, Texas. Twelve astronauts - four women and six men from the USA, as well as one woman and one man from the United Arab Emirates.