Aspiring astronaut Aspiring Astronaut - Help on my career path, Internships, suggestions, etc.?

Ever since I got my first Lego set around 4-5 years old, I have been obsessed with engineering and science in general. At around age 7 I decided that I wanted to be an astronaut, and since then I have done everything I possibly could to make that a reality. (Summer camps, science clubs, robot teams, etc.)



Now I'm 19 years old attending college at the University of Texas in Arlington. I am working on my degree in Aerospace Engineering, and hope to obtain a doctorate within 10 years. Kalpana Chawla (one of the seven crew members aboard the Columbia in 2003) obtained a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering in 1984 from UTA, so I feel that I am on the right path so far.



But now what do I do?



I have asked many people around campus, and spoken with my academic adviser... no one has given me a very concrete answer.



The responses are mostly ';stick with the aerospace degree program'; or ';look around for internships'; etc. Well, I have, but I don't feel that is enough to get me where I want to go.



The internships/co-ops I have found online are very broad, none of them really say ';this will help you be an astronaut... click here to apply'; even on the NASA website. A lot of companies are also looking for students a little further along in their degrees such as juniors and seniors. I am only a freshman in my first semester of college, but a few companies I spoke with at the Intern/co-op job fair were taking freshmen of my status. So, even though I am limited at the moment, I know there are still a few opportunities out there for me now. Does anyone know of any good Internships that will help me reach my goal?



Also, I have noticed that many of the astronauts that were selected recently had some type of government background as well (like working for the CIA and such) Will a strictly science path work for my career choice? Or do I need some experience with the government too? If so, how do I go about doing this?



I run and work out daily; I eat NO processed foods, junk food, carbonated drinks, caffeine, etc. I keep my body VERY healthy.



Does anybody have any advice that will help me reach my goals? I want to know as much as I can before I get too far ahead down the wrong path. I am a freshman in my first semester at college, so if I need to change something, now is the time.



Thank you all!!!Aspiring astronaut Aspiring Astronaut - Help on my career path, Internships, suggestions, etc.?
Your best bet is to get your ph.d, get every bit of education you can and get involved with a university doing research of some type. Find something that could be related to helping improve life in space in some way shape or form. Your options are endless. Medical, food related, plant growth. Anything we do here on earth we will have to do in space if we want to explore for extended periods of time. I really think this is going to be the field to be in, and if you're leading that field you just opened the door to becoming an astronaut.



If you develope a theory, a test method and present it to your university and get their backing and take your proposal to nasa and convince them that your study needs to be done in space and you are the perfect person to go along with it. That is going to be your best bet.



Everyone on board the space shuttle (or whatever they use in 20 years from now) has a purpose. The captain doesn't just fly the pig, he/she is also involved with experiments going on in flight. If you want to go that route I'd suggest finishing your bachelors and join rotc in college, then go into the airforce as an officer and do everything you can to become a pilot, from there try to become a test pilot while keeping your nose to the grind stone on scientific endevors. The problem with this is there are so many cards that have to fall in your favor. There is as much luck as there is skill and dedication involved with going this way. Unless you are a natural pilot, and an amazing one at that you are really gambeling...Aspiring astronaut Aspiring Astronaut - Help on my career path, Internships, suggestions, etc.?
US Air Force is my advice



http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents鈥?/a>
Well when you finish your schooling one make sure you are very healthy and fit. Apply for the Astronaut candidacy program on the NASA website and go for testing if you are the 7 out of the 3000+ applicant picked you will be flown to Houston Texas for training and from there it is a matter of time until you are put in space.
I would suggest a technical degree, like some sort of science or engineering. Learn to fly and fly often. Most astronauts are from a military background but that may be changing.



Also, don't rule out commercial space, that is a fast moving area and one that I am shooting for personally.



I'm afraid that eating processed foods will be a job requirement, government or commercial space programs will not have many organic, fresh food programs. Unless whole foods opens up on the space station ;)



Anyway, good luck, it's hard work but well worth it
By the time you have that degree it will probably be very possible to be a private astronaut.... Unless you plan on being the first person on Mars or something I would just stick to what your doing and invest in some airplane flying lessons