Members of NASA's astronaut Corps have demand is exactly that end space shuttle and fly their quotas at any time quickly everywhere good are getting smaller. The endeavour is scheduled to start this week, and the Atlantis to fly the last shuttle mission in June - and all the seats are for spoken.
"Morality is quite low," said Leroy Chiao, a former astronaut who now works for a company, to offer the space flights for tourists. "This is a time of great uncertainty."
Under President Obama has been restricted to manned space program of NASA's. The Ares I and constellation programs that were intended to do this successfully is the space shuttles and astronauts on the Moon, were canceled, and the NASA outside companies develop alternative setting instead.
So, if to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida of this week, with Gabrielle Giffords, who injured Arizona Congressman, sit, as she watches, take the Obama family her husband Capt. Mark E. Kelly, the Navy for the international space station, is one of the last show of its kind for a while. In the next few years, American astronauts for a handful of slots on the international space station on a Russian Soyuz capsules will fly in the competition are.
"We hope we overcome this hurdle and continue to explore,", said Peggy A. Whitson, the Chief of the Astronaut Office of NASA, which are responsible includes selecting the astronauts who will fly each mission. While the people spirits a bit down, she said "we have to find you under - NASA went through various phases like this before."
The current situation can not the career aspirations of the elementary school set, but only in the last year 20 astronauts left that reduce NASA's active roster; Today, still 61, down from a high of 150 in the year 2000. At that time was NASA is gearing up for staff of the international space station and the shuttle, you delivered.
The shift has a big difference to people such as John M. Grunsfeld, who flew Dr. fix it the Hubble Space Telescope, the five missions for NASA. After his last flight in May 2009 he asked Dr. Annette Whitson about his chances of returning to the room. "it was honest," said Dr. Grunsfeld. "Slim to none."
When Dr. Annette Whitson posted even a small chance of a plum assignment had said the international space station, "I probably would stayed," like the commanded Dr. Grunsfeld, 52. But she did not. He left in January 2010, will be Institute in Baltimore, NASA, Deputy Director of the Space Telescope Science operates the Hubble.
An another astronaut for whom the new situation a problem presented was Captain Scott D. Altman of the Navy, which is flown four missions for NASA. But at 6-foot 4, he is not in a Soyuz capsule.
After his last Shuttle flight in 2009, Captain Altman, 51, saw the writing on the wall. As he with the decision on whether NASA remain wrestled, the Obama management the decision made, constellation and Ares scrap I. He has announced in August last year that he would go.
NASA left "Was the right decision," said Captain Altman, but "There are some regrets from time to time." He works now available research and technical solutions in Maryland, for NASA and other federal agencies engineering works.
NASA is still astronauts, although not people of Captain Altman's vintage be rent. In the next year or two as more people leave or retirement, the Agency is recruiting a new class from 6 to 12 astronauts, Dr. Annette Whitson said. If NASA decides, city tour duty on the space station to four from six months to reduce, would be, the need for one more astronauts.
"We informed to expect the entire Office on what," said Dr. Annette Whitson, which is a NASA astronaut.
Possibilities for outside NASA astronauts are now small, but growing.
Virgin Galactic, part of the Empire by Richard Branson, is looking for its SpaceShipTwo rocket plane that can begin space tourism trips next year three space pilots. While take SpaceShipTwo of sub-orbital hops, which offer only a few minutes of weightlessness, other companies - such as Boeing and the space exploration technologies Corporation, better known as SpaceX - develop spacecraft that can fly on the international space station and elsewhere.
E. Garrett Reisman, which the astronaut Corps in 1998 joined, NASA left last month for SpaceX, which was formed by the Internet entrepreneur Elon Musk. Dr. Reisman had logged more than three months in space and work on the robotic arm of the space station.
"Is an astronaut who is coolest job ever," said Dr. Reisman, 43. "it was very, very difficult to voluntarily leave."
If Dr. Reisman at NASA had stayed, he would have a chance to fly, but he decided to move. He is now working on a rocket (the Falcon 9) and a spaceship (Dragon), intended, passengers and cargo to the space station.
"It's an engineer dream, to design a space ship," he said. "It seems to me, as we are on the verge of a golden age of space travel - that's where I wanted to be."
For every astronaut, NASA due to age or lack of ability stops, there are as many young people, to fill their shoes.
The work is as romantic as the standards are strict. According to the NASA Web site candidates must enjoy a swim suit and tennis shoes astronaut three lengths of a pool in a flight; an advanced degree in science or math is a plus.
The requirements are even more stringent for people who want to work in the space station: you speak Russian, robotics know, are trained for spacewalks, and healthy enough to six months in the region will spend.
This huge checklist has NASA some astronauts aside helped nudge. But it has not dulled anyone's memories.
"Is in the room is as somewhere magic," Colonel Pamela Ann Melroy said the air force, the second woman astronaut command of a shuttle mission. She left NASA in 2009, knowing that it would seek intense wrangling by astronauts to command of one of the few remaining flights.
"I really wanted to situation fall into where I lounging around was hoping that I would be one of them," she said.
Colonel Melroy is yet wistful lost on the view of one goes, the Ares I ", had a hoot," she said.
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