Hey Mruganayani,

I will give you a basic idea as to what are the requirements to become an astronaut in ISRO and NASA.

ISRO

There isn’t exactly a strict rule as to what course of engineering you should apply for. These are the following requirements:

·         A basic science and engineering degree. This enables the student to have the primary skill set to become an astronaut.

·         Or, a basic degree in any technical field.

·         However, a degree in aerospace and aeronautical engineering would be of added advantage. One of the best colleges in India for pursuing this degree is Indian Institute of space technology. They offer some of the best courses in aerospace engineering and avionics. It is also a college funded by ISRO. ISRO also recruits b tech graduates from IIST.

Another criteria would be the know how to fly.

It is not mandatory that the person must know how to fly. However if he is eligible to fly then it will help him for space travel very early on in his career as an astronaut. Requirement for this are as follows

·         The candidate can enroll into a flying school and become a licensed pilot after meeting all the age and other requirements.

·         Another option is to join the air force and become a test pilot.

·         After becoming a test pilot they can join for training in order to become an astronaut.

Hello Aspirant,

IIST is not compulsory to join, DoS/ISRO provide job absorption in its establishments to the eligible B.Tech and DualDegree students of IIST, in the order of merit and only to the extent of vacancies notified for IIST absorption but It is not Guaranteed for all the eligible candidates.

There is no any direct way to become an Astronaut in India, Generally, Astronauts from India joined it through Indian Airforce. Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian citizen to travel in space joined first India Airforce and flew various Aircraft after that he was selected as a Astronaut.

Good Luck!