Each year students are chosen to be the Astronauts for the mission. These students and a teacher will spend 27 hours in the Intrepid. They train for many hours to perform the jobs and experiments.
Criteria for Selection of Astronaut Crew:
The students selected to become an astronaut have to:
1. Be a 5th grader
2. Applied for the position of CDR, PLT, or MS 1, 2, 3, or 4
3. Have the highest average in test scores of tests taken
4. Have the least number of marks on their pride sheet
5. Have exhibited team work, cooperation, responsibility, and a willingness to learn to fly the simulator of the shuttle.
6. Have a loud, clear speaking voice
Then they have to come in MCC and practice flying the shuttle simulator. The astronaut who has the most flight hours logged in and has landed the shuttle successfully then becomes the CDR
The pictures below show this year's crew. Click on the picture to see a larger view.
