Astronomer

Hello Adhyant,
It is of course very nice to see that the dream of your son is to become an astronaut. However, one must look at the ground realities of our dreams. Invariably no country will select nationals from other countries to become astronauts. Hence, your son cannot become astronaut in America or Russia or China only the three countries at the moment or even from other countries whose nationals Russia has trained and sent in space as astronauts like the Indian astronaut who was sent aboard Russian vehicle. Now, which qualification will make you an astronaut is a very difficult to answer. It all depends on the requirement. It could be a pilot, it could be a specialist in some branch of science, or it could be an engineer also. But, becoming an aeronautical engineer will not necessarily help you in becoming an astronaut. It all will depend on how much money Indian government wants to spend on putting an Indian astronaut in space aboard our own vehicle and what criteria ISRO decides. I, personally feel that they will invariably plump for and aviator or a fighter pilot from the Indian Air Force, as they are already medically fit. But, it would be the call of ISRO only. In view of this I would recommend that your son should do whatever course he feels is the best for him or which he fascinates.
Best wishes.

Dear Archita,
Certain points in this regards:
(#1) Only PCB wouldn't help. Some entrance exam requires maths as a mandatory subject also because of the huge involvement of physics, mechanics and astronomy. It is really important to have strong understanding of physics, chemistry and biology. Do not worry if you are not good with maths as you can still do something with the other subjects. You must remember that as far as Astrobiology is concerned you will be mainly self-taught.
(#2) Astrobiology, astrochemistry are some field which are under-evolve in India. You know that there is only one serious, dedicated institute in India which is sepcilized in this field.
Indian Astrobiology Research Center - They offers International Diploma programme in Astrobiology. However to widening the scope, you must to go abroad.
(#3) After your Bachelor's, Masters, and essentially Ph.D. you will work as Faculty or Research Analyst in Earth Science department or IARC itself. Nothing steps involved in it. IARC offers 4 months of Diploma in astrobiology.

Becoming an astronaut is strenuous and involves intense physical and mental training. They are expected to be knowledgeable about commanding a space shuttle and be adept at managing problems faced by the space shuttle and/or its various components. A vital responsibility includes ensuring the safety of all crew members and the spacecraft. Astronauts also need to be alert at all times, about the situation within and outside the spacecraft. Regular maintenance operations and reporting to the base station is an elemental part of the job. Exercise is essential for maintaining stamina as space walks can sometimes last for more than 7 hours. Physical and mental fitness is mandatory because the smallest of details need to be recorded as anything can prove to be fatal. Becoming an Astronaut while living anywhere in the world is a big call. The dream becomes a reality after a continuous and lifelong commitment to the dream. Indians need to start early. Right after the board exams in the 10th standard, students need to take up the core Science disciplines including Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, following which they need to apply for a Bachelors Degree from one of the highly acclaimed universities like the IITs and IISC. The degree can be focused on Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology, Aerospace Engineering or Physical Sciences. Post graduation, aspirants need to complete a Ph.D. in Astrophysics, Geophysics or Metaphysics. At this point, the candidate will get to specialize in a certain stream. Once the Ph.D. is complete, aspirants need to take an entrance test for which there are two options
Clearing the Joint Entrance Exam help by the IITs through which one can join ISRO
Clearing the entrance exam held by NASA for the recruitment of scientist and astronaut.

Hi Deepanshi,
I am having something for you, go through it, it will help you. In India, you will have to start focusing on your career once you pass 10th grade. One should choose Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as core subjects in 12th. After you are done with 12th grade and you have gotten good grades, you need to focus on a good Bachelors degree from a recognised university. One could choose a course in Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Biology, or Aerospace Engineering. To be able to get a post graduation degree and a doctorate, you need to do well in your undergraduate degree. Post graduation and doctorate will basically be specialisation in your stream. After you are done with graduation, you can sit for the exam, which is held by NASA for the recruitment of scientists and astronauts. Or in order to join ISRO, one needs to clear the Joint Entrance Exam which is held by the IITs. And in order to be a mission specialist, you will need 3 years of related and responsible experience. There are a couple of qualities and skills that a person needs to possess in order to make sure he can think of becoming an astronaut, some of them are-
1) You need to be physically fit, there are examinations, mentally strong and should have great stamina. You should qualify the criterion of height, a particular level of height is required for people to become an astronaut.
2) You should possess great mathematical skills, and I am not talking about addition, multiplication etc. You should have good communication skills, you must be good at English because there are very high chances that people you will be working with will not even be from your own country.
3) You should have a good academic career and team spirit because all the space missions are done in teams, and you should be able to work under high pressure and in the cramped environment.