They offer a major in Astronautical Engineering, and 39 grads have gone on to become Astronauts. Seems plausible to me.
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Supreme Court to review Stolen Valor Act
- Thread starter ea6bflyr
- Start date
A major in astronautical engineering might help you get in Space Force, but that’s a long way from being on an astronaut track.
I’m pretty sure the 2 main ways into being a military astronaut rely on many years of succeeding at other stuff before even applying:
- Have a tacair background and become a test pilot
- Be really good in science or engineering and apply as a mission specialist
If you look at the astronaut bios there has never been nor is there now a direct path to astronaut, you have to apply like everyone else and they take only proven performers from both miltiary and civilian backgrounds. While a bit dated I would bet the USAF astronaut application board criteria (direct from NASA) are still pretty accurate, though I am not sure they are taking folks in the pilot category anymore.
If it is like the Navy process it is only the first step, with those who get past the service board go up to NASA who makes the final selections. A buddy of mine who went through the Navy board and was sent up to NASA with ~30 other selectees (IIRC the numbers) several times, of which only 1 to 3 were usually selected as astronauts by NASA.
Agreed... but if we look at all astronauts, where did they get their bachelor's degrees? I would bet USAFA and USNA are pretty high on the list. According to this infographic plus the USAFA wiki page, 11.6% of all U.S. astronauts in history were USAFA grads (39/334).
Edit: that graphic looks a little wonky. The mil + civ, and male + female numbers don't add up. 333 or 334.
Yeah, but I don't think that's the question Rob was asking. I think he was asking if the USAFA ever had a track that would commission guys directly as JO astronauts NOT if they had a degree that might be useful for guys on their astronaut application.Agreed... but if we look at all astronauts, where did they get their bachelor's degrees? I would bet USAFA and USNA are pretty high on the list. According to this infographic plus the USAFA wiki page, 11.6% of all U.S. astronauts in history were USAFA grads (39/334).
Edit: that graphic looks a little wonky. The mil + civ, and male + female numbers don't add up. 333 or 334.
Here in about a year all it take is about $200,000 to have "the right stuff."
Right. Nobody can commission as an astronaut just like nobody gets commissioned as a winged Rhino pilot.
He was a flakey dude, and mentioned his accession for the astronaut program for than once. He also boasted about his vacation home in South Lake Tahoe, but knew absolutely nothing about the lake and amenities/attractions surrounding. Thanks for the responses about being astronaut, I knew most of what has been posted from my time in the Navy, just wanted a sanity check . . .
Yeah, but you do get commissioned as a Student Naval Aviator. So the question was, "was there a Student Astronaut track at USAFA?" I don't know but I wouldn't be surprised to find out that at some point in the 60s-70s that the USAFA had something like that because it was the 60s and it was the USAFA. But more to answer Rob's question, you don't go into a service academy with a preselected service selection like its a major or like for OCS. You go to an Academy to be an officer and you find out later what type. So I think its BS.
@robav8r : ask him what he did as Intel? If he says secret jack ryan stuff you know he's lying. If he says "I made briefs and wrote boring esoteric white papers" then he's legit.
Actually this begs a deeper question...If Space Force were to create an ROTC program would the participants be known as "Space Cadets?"
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
If something doesn't sound right it probably isn't, I have heard some crazy stuff in the past few years.
One of the people mentioned below has managed to convince a few key people that what he has said is true, when confronted he provided a highly redacted DD-214 that gave only years of service, had schools, ribbons, and discharge type blacked out. It is bad enough that before COVID hit several had talked about hiring a private investigator to do a background check on him.
- Navy guy claimed to have been sent to PA school and then after completing it the USN said he skills as a "rescue swimmer" were too valuable so went back to doing that.
- USMC guy said he saw combat in South America and his squad took fire, and he was wounded. He wanted to join the VFW so asked him for proof and his response was it was all black ops and official his unit never left the states.
- Navy guy deployed on a sub but said it was so long ago he didn't remember which one he was stationed on.
- Army guy that went through SEAL training
- Air Force guy that said after going through preliminary flight training with the USAF said that the USAF was so impressed with his skills that they needed him to stay and teach others to fly as they didn't have enough instructors that were good enough.
- Yet another Air Force guy that met at a VFW recruiting table said that after flight school the AF wanted him to fly C-5/17 something like that and he told them if he couldn't fly F-15's they could just discharge him so they did.
FAIP (newly winged guy stays at flight school to instruct) is a thing in USAF so that guy may be legit.
He spent 20 years in, turned down O5 because he said the AF wanted to send him to a war college, just not one in D.C., and then send him somewhere else. He talks about his Air Command & Staff College time as the holy grail of advanced education. He was an intel guy that "built satellites and satellite software programs." Apparently he has a LOT money, hence the house in Tahoe and some expensive toys and a very lavish travel lifestyle. I'll be seeing him again, but my ESM receivers are up and running so we'll see what he says next
Two of those are kinda believable. The AF guy who claimed to be an instructor pilot could have been a FAIP. The guy who saw combat in South America could have been one of the few survivors from his squad that were rescued by Jack Ryan.
My brother in law was a Green Beret with 7th Group SF and got shot in the testicle while on deployment down there. Not sure if Jack Ryan was available for PR services, but apparently combat does happen . . .