Tell us about yourself!

[Scruce]

Scruce you may have a better chance with NASA.

Very difficult, there are about five obstacles i have to get through for NASA.

1) It is very hard to immigrate to the USA from the UK. As i know, the US immigration system favours immigrants from countrys where immigration rate is low, and the UK-US immigration rate is very high indeed. Most of the time British NASA astronauts have dual US-UK citizenship which i do not have.

2) Most if not all NASA astronauts used to be USAF test pilots. It is very hard to get into the USAF for two reasons:
2a) There are very few jobs available in the USAF and practically all of them go to lifelong US citizens and not to foreign immigrants
2b) Foreign immigrants (especially those who have come from military backgrounds (me)) are looked on in the USAF as undesirable.

3) NASA takes very only the best people who are definately not immigrants (cruel system but it works for the USA).

Marking all these opinions not only is it extremely hard work getting into NASA but it is hard work even getting into the USA (you even need a permit just to visit for the week). To be honest i would have more chance in the Malaysian Air Force than the USAF.

I think ESA is an easier option .

---------- Post added at 22:14 ---------- Previous post was at 22:13 ----------

No you're right, they don't accept foreigners but if their government allows it and the US agrees they can send a foreign (to us) astronaut into space.

Immigrants who live in the USA for more than 14 years immediately gain US citizenship, then they can go USAF.

 

[diogom]

:hesaid:

 

[Scruce]

I forgot to add;

It takes 14 years to get US citizenship,
2 years to join the USAF,
5 years to reach NASA standard,
4 years to train with NASA.

25 years!?!? I think I would be too old to go into space then. (Assuming i go to USA when I am 20 then I will be 45).

Whereas:

1 year to join the RAF,
5 years to reach ESA standard,
3 years to train with ESA.

I will join the RAF when i turn 18 so by the time I am in the ESA I will be 27, they will take me up at that age.

I think I know the better option!

 

[Eli13]

Very difficult, there are about five obstacles i have to get through for NASA.

1) It is very hard to immigrate to the USA from the UK. As i know, the US immigration system favours immigrants from countrys where immigration rate is low, and the UK-US immigration rate is very high indeed. Most of the time British NASA astronauts have dual US-UK citizenship which i do not have.

2) Most if not all NASA astronauts used to be USAF test pilots. It is very hard to get into the USAF for two reasons:
2a) There are very few jobs available in the USAF and practically all of them go to lifelong US citizens and not to foreign immigrants
2b) Foreign immigrants (especially those who have come from military backgrounds (me)) are looked on in the USAF as undesirable.

3) NASA takes very only the best people who are definately not immigrants (cruel system but it works for the USA).

Marking all these opinions not only is it extremely hard work getting into NASA but it is hard work even getting into the USA (you even need a permit just to visit for the week). To be honest i would have more chance in the Malaysian Air Force than the USAF.

I think ESA is an easier option .

---------- Post added at 22:14 ---------- Previous post was at 22:13 ----------



Immigrants who live in the USA for more than 14 years immediately gain US citizenship, then they can go USAF.

But how likely is it that you will have lived 14 years in the US when you want to be an astronaut? And by the way, you need to take a naturalization test.

---------- Post added at 09:24 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:22 PM ----------

Also, you do not need to be military to join NASA, they do accept civilians, just not as often.

Also, shorter times don't always end up being the best in the long run and im not talking about a choice of Space Agencies, just a life-time thing.

 

[Scruce]

But how likely is it that you will have lived 14 years in the US when you want to be an astronaut?

Exacly, why would i spent all that time in the USA to reach "citizen status" when i already have UK citizenship?

 

[Eli13]

Because you just love America sooooooo much? :lol:

 

[Scruce]

Also, you do not need to be military to join NASA, they do accept civilians, just not as often.

But most of those are for example American doctors with American degrees that have been to American schools and American Universities.

 

[Eli13]

Ummm i never said anything about their nationality in that comment. Again, it comes to a governments agreement with the US. There have been foreign civilian astronauts on US space mission.

 

[Scruce]

There have been foreign civilian astronauts on US space mission.

There is nothing wrong with that, but our debate is NASA membership over ESA membership.

P.S No hard feelings from this debate, we are still friends .

 

[Eli13]

No, I love a good debate.
Rodolfo Neri Vela is a mexican scientist who flew on STS-61-B for an example in case you were wondering.

 

[Scruce]

Rodolfo Neri Vela is a mexican scientist who flew on STS-61-B for an example in case you were wondering.

Hmmm, Ilan Ramon (RIP) is another example of that. It seems civillian scientists from countrys which have excellent foreign relations with the USA get on STS missions. Something which the UK has fortunately.

 

[diogom]

Does a base in the Azores and a Portuguese dog for Obama counts? :lol:
I think I prefer to go the Air Force way. Being a cientist never really got my interest.

 

[Eli13]

Hope Obama likes that. Maybe at best, you'll get a thank-you letter from his speech writer.

 

[diogom]

:rofl:

 

[Skywalker_64]

Hello

Hi. My name's João, I live in Portugal and I'm pretty new to Orbiter (and this forum). Waited a long time to see something like Orbiter come up, found it by accident . Besides being an old Star Wars fan, I always loved anything related to flight: The faster, the higher, the better. Specially the Space program. I'm 47 and still remember that night (in Portugal) when Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins "got there". Always wanted to "get there" too, but alas, no portuguese has ever done that and, as a matter of fact, no "earthman/woman" "went there" ever since the last Apollo...

I'm an engineer and work on IT / communications. I fly real airplanes as a hobby and "sim" planes too, they don't get as high as the Shuttle but at least I can pull as many G's (or more) than in the Shuttle, and also manage to get "zero gravity" (for a couple of seconds ). Wish all "pilots to be" who want to get into airforce or, otherwise, become astronauts, the best of luck: Don't get scr**d in the medicals...

Thank's to the Orbiter community for this wonderful piece of software, probably the closest I'll ever get to flying in space. Look forward to spend quite some time with it.

 

[Jason210]

Hi. Just joined the forum recently. I like all kinds of realistic simulators, and a few other cool computer games like Half-Life 2 and Portal.

Started playing with computers in 1983 and the first software I ever got my hands on was something called Psion Flight Simulator. Had almost every version MSFS, also had Aerowinx PS2, X-plane and others. I currently use FSX with loads of add-ons including A2A's excellent aircraft.

In addition to flight simulators, I used like the Silent Hunter series of U-boats (with exception of SH5...SH4 is the best) and also early computer emulators. I also worked on development of Ship Simulator for a while (produced the Titanic for that game).

I discovered orbiter in about 2004 or something and played with it for while, and have returned to it periodically. Everytime I use it I learn loads of stuff about physics and cosmology.

I'm very impressed with the 2010 version, Dan's latest work and also the NASSP project. Would love to see more of this detailed content where interior systems are modelled.

Jason De Donno

 

[diogom]

to the Forum Jason210 and skywalker_64. BTW João, it's nice to see another "neighbour" here in OF :lol:.

 

[redneck]

Hi everybody. I am from Alabama but working in Texas. I am a inspector in the electronics field. I have tried orbiter for about a month now and been flying all the XR aircraft. Just learned how to get to orbit and I am currently working on going to the moon

 

[diogom]

to the Forum!

 

[n122vu]

to all of you who have recently joined!