Another year past...
May. 3rd, 2002 07:10 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jayToday I mailed off my annual astronaut application update... a bit like buying a lottery ticket, annually. And a chance to reflect on a year's accomplishments... one award, one US patent, a couple of publications, one completed project, some new responsibilities. Okay, but probably not sufficiently flashy to stand out from the pack of other highly-qualified applicants.
Apart from selections only being done once every two or three years... the process runs something like: 2500 applications come in (or are updated). Of these, about 400 are deemed "highly qualified" , and these are requested to get a physical and have their references checked. Meds and references knock out about half of these, then further winnowing leads to 100-120 being interviewed, with more detailed medical exams, and of these finally 20-25 get a telephone call.
In two out of the past three selection cycles, I've gotten to the round-of-400, but no interviews. Age matters, too... the mean selectee's age is around 37-38 or so, and no one over 45 has ever been picked as a candidate. So, 2003 wil probably be my last realistic shot at this particular brass ring.
At least my weight is now back down close to qualifying level (<175 for my height) after ballooning over the winter... it might help to go ahead and get my instrument rating, finally, as well as initial scuba certification.
Otherwise... more mundanely, the Arctic science study project is moving quickly, with a vehicle design review today and a new logistics/admin person joining us next Tuesday ;-).
Weekend plans: none. nada. maybe go through the pile of junk mail on my rolltop desk, or spray the roses. Still need to figure out something to do for the following weekend, when Pat's in NYC, or it will look the same... in today's JakeTheRake, I'm usually Jason, waiting until Thursday or Friday to begin looking at plans for a given weekend.
Apart from selections only being done once every two or three years... the process runs something like: 2500 applications come in (or are updated). Of these, about 400 are deemed "highly qualified" , and these are requested to get a physical and have their references checked. Meds and references knock out about half of these, then further winnowing leads to 100-120 being interviewed, with more detailed medical exams, and of these finally 20-25 get a telephone call.
In two out of the past three selection cycles, I've gotten to the round-of-400, but no interviews. Age matters, too... the mean selectee's age is around 37-38 or so, and no one over 45 has ever been picked as a candidate. So, 2003 wil probably be my last realistic shot at this particular brass ring.
At least my weight is now back down close to qualifying level (<175 for my height) after ballooning over the winter... it might help to go ahead and get my instrument rating, finally, as well as initial scuba certification.
Otherwise... more mundanely, the Arctic science study project is moving quickly, with a vehicle design review today and a new logistics/admin person joining us next Tuesday ;-).
Weekend plans: none. nada. maybe go through the pile of junk mail on my rolltop desk, or spray the roses. Still need to figure out something to do for the following weekend, when Pat's in NYC, or it will look the same... in today's JakeTheRake, I'm usually Jason, waiting until Thursday or Friday to begin looking at plans for a given weekend.
no subject
Date: 2002-05-03 09:17 pm (UTC)You start that early? Normally I'm doing well to have an idea what I'm doing by Saturday afternoon. ;) (There is the odd exception from time to time though.)