For all space enthusiasts out there, this might be the perfect job! The Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities or simply Roscosmos, a space agency based in Russia, just announced that they are currently looking for new cosmonauts for their space explorations.
In an article in Physics, Roscosmos of Russia announced on Tuesday that they are currently looking for six to eight new cosmonauts who can join their team. Roscosmos also imparted that the new set of cosmonauts shall join their agency's mission to have the first set of Russians to fly to the moon.
It can be recalled that the Russian government has long been active in the space race during the Cold War. Some of the iconic achievements of Russia in this field are the set of firsts it made such as the first satellite in space (Sputnik 1), the first dog in space (Laika carried by Sputnik 2), the first man in space (Yuri Gagarin), and even the first woman in space (Valentina Tereshkova). The space explorations of Russia has trailed off the spotlight in the recent years, but with Roscosmos' plan to send Russian cosmonauts to the moon, there's new light to the Russian space ventures.
As revealed in the same article, Roscosmos is looking for cosmonauts who will pass their requirements. Some of these are: (1) age limit of 35, (2) height between 1.5 meters and 1.9 meters, and (3) weight of no more than 90 kilograms. Aside from these physical requirements, Sergei Krikalyov, the executive director of Roscosmos manned programmes, imparted that they won't discriminate applicants as they will accept qualified applicants regardless of race (even those who are not from Russia) and gender.
While preparing for this moon mission, Roscosmos will continue its other duties such as doing Earth monitoring and coordinating with military launches of the defense ministry of the government of Russia, as told in Space. Roscosmos is also active with joint missions with the likes of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in supporting the scientists in the International Space Station.
Moreover, Roscosmos shall welcome the interested applicants in the next four months. This newest set of cosmonauts shall be trained to represent Russia and deployed to the moon on 2031.
