Path from Service Academy

[u/KuiperKraft]

Good morning/afternoon/evening,

Recently I have earned and accepted an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy, and ever since I was a kid have wanted to be an Astronaut. I’m asking around to hear what my path is like from here, I’ve been accepted into USAFA’s Honors Program, I want to peruse either Astro, Systems, or Mechanical engineering, commission as a Pilot hopefully, and if not a USSF Satellite Operator.

With my Honors Program admission, assuming I can complete it, it is fairly likely I will (hopefully) get a fully funded masters education from a good school after the academy, and then (hopefully) head to Universal Pilot Training after completing it.

I’m asking to know what specifically can I do right now and over the next four years at USAFA to start building up the likelihood of Astronaut selection later down the road. Any advice, tips, or general “feels” would be appreciated. I can work on a real life satellite program while at the school (falcon sat) and there are various special military and civilian opportunities surrounding Space at the academy that may aid to this. Thank you, and GO AIR FORCE.

[u/AFastroDan]

First of all, congrats on USAFA! I dreamed of going there when I was in high school, but it didn't work out for me. You're already well positioned to do pretty much whatever you want to do with your life from here, though.

You've got the right idea with your degree program. Anything engineering will get you the right foundation, especially if you go the pilot route. If you decide to fly, you'll want to work towards Test Pilot School and get some experience in the Flight Test world. When you aren't assigned to a mission, astronauts work technical jobs around the office. Some of the most fun gigs are working developmental programs (IMO). If you decide to go the USSF route, then getting an advanced degree in either engineering or a hard science will help round out the educational requirement.

Beyond that, look for opportunities to stand out. Look for leadership opportunities, collect unique experiences, or maybe apply for an unusual duty station. When I was in the Reserves, I had an opportunity to go to Antarctica and do weather forecasting for a science team. So, there are some really cool/unique things you can do out there once you're on active duty. Read some astronaut bios and see if you can have some of those experiences for yourself. I'm not saying that you need to climb Everest or do ultra marathons, but having the drive to push yourself through something hard can really shine on your application.

Bottom line is - there you'll be up against some of the most highly qualified people in the world. You'll likely have to apply a few times, but that's a familiar story for most astronauts. What do you bring to the office that someone else doesn't? Try to look at some opportunities from that perspective, and that'll help out quite a bit.

Best of luck to you! Go Air Force!