Ry... In... Space!

Did you hear? Astronaut applications are open! Here are a few signs that might mean you’re ready to apply:

1. You Don’t Mind Having Roommates

When you’re an astronaut, you have to work and live with your crew mates for extended periods of time. It’s important to the mission and your safety that everyone can collaborate and work together.

2. You LOVE Space

If the Milky Way, planets and space travel doesn’t excite you then this might not be the perfect job for you. But if you love galaxies, space station research and deep space exploration, then maybe you should take a look at our application.

3. Adventure Doesn’t Scare You

Being an astronaut means that you get to take part in adventures that most people will never experience. Imagine: sitting on the launch pad in the Orion spacecraft, atop a rocket that’s getting ready to launch. You’ll travel farther into space than any other humans have been and help push the boundaries of technology in the proving ground of deep space lunar orbits, leading the way for future missions to Mars.

4. You Want to be on the Cutting Edge of Science

Not only do astronauts get to travel to space, but they also get to conduct really cool research in microgravity. Did you know that right now they’re growing Zinnia flowers on the International Space Station? This research could help with our future deep space exploration and could teach us a few things about growing plants on Earth. Learn more about all the awesome research on the space station HERE.

5. You’re Not Afraid of Heights

One of the coolest things about being an astronaut, is that you get to go to SPACE! At the very least, you’ll travel to the International Space Station, which is 250 miles above Earth. Or, you could be one of the first astronauts to travel to a distant asteroid or even Mars!

Interested in applying to become an astronaut? You’re in luck, applications open Dec. 14! Learn about some common myths about becoming an astronaut HERE.

Apply to be one of our astronauts HERE.

Chris Hadfield: “To inspire art in others is a rare reward. Thanks to Lauren Crawford for sharing her talent.”

It may look like an alien life-form has washed up on a beach, but this striking neon blue effect is a completely natural phenomenon.

The incredible image was taken by photographer Doug Perrine during a visit to Vaadhoo, one of the Raa Atoll islands in the Maldives.

Happy Yuri’s Night. I am sporting my Yuri’s Night pin (top right) and my very special Russian Yuri Soyuz TMA-21 pin (in the center). That pin was for the 50th launch anniversary of the Soyuz TMA-21. The spacecraft was honored after Gagarin and launched from the same launch pad as Yuri almost 50 years earlier. On that flight US Astronaut Ron Garan flew to the ISS as part of Exp 27/28.

Bottom left is the Roscosmos pin. That little pin right below Yuri’s Night is a very special pin for the Russian Cosmonauts.

I am posing in front of a painting made by my dear friend Mark Johnson. 47 years ago he painted this image. During the Gemini 4 mission on June 3, 1965, Ed White became the first American to conduct a spacewalk. The spacewalk started at 3:45 p.m. EDT on the third orbit when White opened the hatch and used the hand-held manuevering oxygen-jet gun to push himself out of the capsule.

Jen and I (Ryan) set out to complete our newest idea: the Disney Space Chalenge! This challenge was to ride all the space rides at all the Walt Disney World parks in one day (listed below). We made it extra spacey by eating at one of the space themed eateries, and “orbited” the earth at the Epcot World Showcase. We did it to celebrate Yuri’s Night and show how space inspires everyone!

Hollywood Studios: Star Tours, Star Tours, and a 3rd Star Tours!

Epcot: Mission Space, Captain EO, Spaceship Earth

Magic Kingdom: Astro Orbiter, Stitch’s Great Escape, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Space Mountain

Tweets from the event can be found at #WDWSpaceChallenge on Twitter.

Hadfield via Twitter: “The Richat Structure. A giant gazing eye upon the Earth.”