What are you doing for the next couple of years? Well there's the lawn to mow and the bowling team. But then again, have you thought about becoming an astronaut? If you've ever wondered whether you have what it takes to do one of the most exclusive jobs in the world, then this quiz might be the launch pad for your dreams.
Mention the word astronaut and images of charismatic, larger-than-life heroes spring to mind. We think of the "It" writer Tom Wolfe described --"never named...nor was it talked about" --in The Right Stuff. The Right Stuff, of course, being that certain something, the elusive stuff of myth no astronaut could be without.
But as NASA seeks candidates for new, longer, more arduous missions, it must quantify the psychological requirements of the job. What personal qualities will thrive aboard the long-awaited International Space Station? Which traits and characteristics will provide sustenance and energy during the years it will take to travel from Earth to Mars?
If you long for adventure of the extraterrestrial kind, the following short exercise will help you discover if you have what it takes. In consultation with officials at NASA, and with expertise provided by the Institute for Advanced Psychology in San Francisco, OMNI has developed a quiz which measures characteristics considered essential to the success of the astronaut candidate.
In order to receive to full impact of the test, it is crucial that you answer all of the questions honestly and in sequence. Look for a full discussion of your responses at the test's end. The next phase in space exploration calls for a new breed of astronaut. So get out your Tang, put on the theme music to The Cape, and prepare for launch.
Barbara Gallagher is a science writer and photographer focusing on space-related topics. She is currently completing her M.A. in clinical psychology.
