NASA picked just 10 astronauts from 12,000 applicants, and ‘perfect’ wasn’t the deciding factor

Thousands of people dream of becoming NASA astronauts, but only a handful make it through one of the world’s most competitive hiring processes. In its last recruitment cycle, NASA received more than 12,000 applications before selecting just 10 astronaut candidates.

While advanced degrees, technical expertise and flight experience remain important, NASA says the qualities that often separate successful applicants have less to do with perfection and more to do with how people respond when things don’t go according to plan. The agency’s astronaut selection team looks for individuals who can recover from setbacks, adapt quickly, work effectively with others and continue making sound decisions under pressure — skills considered essential for future missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond.

Speaking on NASA’s Houston We Have a Podcast, astronaut selection manager April Jordan explained that astronauts rarely operate in predictable environments, and unexpected situations during training or missions make adaptability one of the most important characteristics the agency evaluates. Jordan said NASA looks for people who know when to lead, when to follow, and how to function as part of a team.

The selection process itself reflects that philosophy, taking roughly two years and involving multiple rounds of reviews, interviews, medical evaluations and team exercises designed to understand applicants as complete individuals rather than simply reviewing their résumés.