Astronaut Scientist

In 1964, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) began recruiting astronauts based on their academic and scientific qualifications instead of flight experience. These scientist astronauts were required to have a doctorate degree and pass astronaut training. Today, applicants must have at least three years of experience in a related field after they earn a degree. An advanced degree, such as a PhD. in a natural science field, engineering, or an or an M.D. in medicine, is required. Astronaut scientists conduct numerous experiments in space that further understanding of biology, chemistry and human physiology.
Astronaut scientists conduct experiments in microbiology to help researchers on Earth develop more effective vaccines to protect against disease.
Cells grown on earth tend to grow in flat sheets, but when cells are grown in space, they grow in three-dimensional structures. The three-dimensional growth structures in the microgravity of the International Space Station are similar to the way cells grow in the human body.
Astronaut scientists have conducted experiments on how the human body maintains balance. Astronaut scientists have taken advantage of the near zero gravity of the International Space Station to measure the changes in pressure on the nerve receptors on the bottom of the foot.

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