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SETP and SFTE represent two of the finest flight test organizations in the world, comprised of members of the flight test community which span the globe.  SETP and SFTE members are dedicated to stretching the boundaries of technology and aeronautics, to enhance aviation safety and capability throughout the world.  It is because of this dedication to similar ideals, that NASA has selected nearly every pilot astronaut from the ranks of SETP, and nearly every Flight Test Engineer from the ranks of SFTE since the inception of the space program.  It is also why I would like to highlight the upcoming astronaut selection to SETP and SFTE members.

With the retirement of the Space Shuttle, NASA has shifted its focus to scientific discovery on the International Space Station, and to building the infrastructure to explore deeper into the heavens than we ever imagined.  We truly stand at the dawn of a new age of exploration, and NASA needs a corps of people ready to brave the risks, challenge the unknown, and stand on the shoulders of a world-wide effort to  push the limits of what we thought was possible.

NASA astronauts are a diverse group, as they should be.  Representing people from all walks of life, this group is able to exceed the sum of its parts by synergistically leveraging the unique capabilities and experiences of its members.  Doctors, teachers, scientists, researchers… the list is long, yet they all share that questing spirit that defines an explorer.  And while NASA needs diversity to build a strong team, I feel there will always be some unique qualities that are vital to exploration of any kind, and which are commonplace among the members of SETP and SFTE.

Acquisition training is a crucial part of being a tester in any capacity.  Understanding the acquisition life cycle, budgetary considerations, acquisition law, and political pressures are only a few of the variables that play into the rare alchemy of a successful program.  Testers come uniquely qualified to work the inevitable acquisition challenges that continually confront NASA as we design, build, and test the next generation of exploration vehicles.

In addition, the borders of the flight test community are continually fading.  Burgeoning SETP and SFTE membership around the world has been ignited by a growing number of multinational development programs.  There are countless examples of both commercial and military programs that utilize the capabilities and resources of international partners to create aircraft and technology beyond what any country could do alone.  Space is the ultimate global effort – no country can go it alone if we are to truly expand our frontiers.  If the human race is to ever overcome the financial and political inertia which paralyzes nearly every large project, it can only happen as the result of a united, international push for the stars.  I feel that SETP and SFTE members bring with them a strong background of international cooperation, built upon decades of work in the vanguard aviation industry, which has pushed the world’s borders since its creation.

I hope that if you have ever entertained the thought of becoming part of the space program, you will take the time to apply.  If you have never entertained that thought, I hope that you will.  NASA needs the best applicants they can find in order to make a world-class team capable of exploring the heavens, and I believe the test community is full of the best!

Good luck, and I hope to see you Houston soon!

LTC Jack "2fish" Fischer
NASA/CB
(281) 244-7857
c. (281) 630-0744

Additional info for applicants:
Applications for the next class will be managed through the Fed’s www.USAJobs.gov  website.

Applications will be accepted through January 27, 2012. After applicant interviews and evaluations, the agency expects to announce the final selections in 2013with training to begin that summer.

Additional information about the Astronaut Candidate Program is available by calling the Astronaut Selection Office at 281-483-5907.

For more astronaut selection information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/astronauts

To follow astronaut application and selection updates via Twitter, visit:
http://twitter.com/flynasa.html

To follow astronaut application and selection updates via Facebook, visit:
www.Facebook.com/flynasa

To follow astronaut application and selection updates via YouTube, visit:
www.YouTube.com/flynasa

http://astronauts.nasa.gov/content/timeline.htm

Mark Dickerson, an SETP Associate Fellow and former Board member, has created a flight test blog that gives the latest information on current flight test activity.   Mark has also served on the Flight Test Technical Committee of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics.  He is the author or co-author of several technical papers and was the editor and production coordinator for the 2003 “Centennial of Flight” Edition of the SETP Pilots Handbook for Critical and Exploratory Flight Testing.  A former USAF test pilot with over 4,800 hours in more than 60 different types of aircraft, Dickerson has experience in multiple flight test disciplines and has managed acquisition, test, and flight research projects with the military, with industry, and as a civil servant with NASA.  Keep up to date on flight test activities at http://flighttesttoday.blogspot.com