For the first time, NASA has more women than men in its new astronaut group. Six of the 10 people are women. NASA chose them from more than 8,000 people who wanted the job. The group is now just past the middle of two years of training.
They learn to walk outside a spacecraft and work on the space station. They also learn to fly jet planes and use a robot arm. After training, they could work in space near Earth or travel to the Moon. Some could also help with NASA’s future plans for Mars.
The US government pays them during training. For astronauts who finish successfully, NASA listed pay of about $152,000 a year in 2024. They do not get extra money for working more hours. They also get no extra money for the dangers of the job.
On the International Space Station, astronauts get their usual pay for a 40-hour workweek. NASA provides their travel, a place to stay, and meals. They receive these things as government workers traveling for their jobs.
