Agency Looking For Diplomats, Scientists

It seems even NASA has taken work environment and "people skills" into account as they start culling for the new round of space jockeys. New-hire standards include the ability to be diplomatic, a basic understand of spacecraft systems, taking prodigious scientific notes, and being able to talk about more than Tolstoy in Russian.

Years ago, the standards were straight from Tom Wolfe’s The Right Stuff -- when technical expertise and command of the vehicle were the most important aspects of the mission. With the shuttle program aiming for retirement in 2010 -- and the close quarters work continuing on the space station -- incoming trainees will need more than just a pilot's license.

Communication skills, problem-solving skills, and being a "team player" will probably top the list of requirements on the new application personality tests. "The old concept of The Right Stuff -- the rugged test pilot, the individualist -- is just not going to work," Jason Kring, who studies human-spacecraft interaction at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, told USA Today.

Astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria agrees. "You need to be more of a people person," said the former Expedition 14 commander (shown below). "You can't just be steely-eyed, no matter how competent."

Mission training leading up to a jaunt into space can take up to five years, requiring time spent in Russia or Japan training facilities. This can be hard on those with families... but then so can the extended stay in space. After all, a space station mission "is like living in your office ... and not being able to get out for six months," said NASA's chief of behavioral medicine, Gary Beven.

In the days following the January 2007 arrest of former astronaut Lisa Nowak for attempting to kidnap a romantic rival, statements from crewmates indicated she was "selfish" and "not a team player"... yet another catalyst, probably, for NASA's opting to refocus its hiring procedures.

In this-media filled world, the smiling faces of the STS-122 crew preparing to launch Atlantis on Thursday are a public-relations dream, compared to the stoicism of pilots in the 70’s.

Technical skills may make for a better pilot, but the close quarters of the space station 24/7 can make the cubicle world seem more attractive. This won’t deter the roughly 3,000 applicants from pursuing their dream career in space, though. Just because the shuttle is retiring, there are still Russian spaceflights... and the planned Orion spacecraft due out after 2015.

In a related vein, it's no coincidence Orion will be highly automated -- NASA's term for it is "scientist proof" -- so NASA can select astronauts less apt to flying highly specialized vehicles like the space shuttle, and more likely to have spent long hours in the lab... while getting along with their fellow scientists.

FMI: www.nasa.gov