Boomers Heading to Space?

Posted May 21, 2008, 1:13 pm in Science by Growing Bolder


Most children have aspirations to be firefighters, princesses, or even astronauts.

And most of those children grow up to be adults and their career paths take a different turn.

But attention all men and women 45 years old and older! If you've given up on your childhood dream to become the next man (or woman) on the moon, get ready to dream big again.

While younger, more macho men train vigorously for a chance to make it to the moon, older, more experienced men are the ones being pushed to the front of the line.

According to a CNN News article, the European Space Agency is looking to send boomers to space.

The space agency's chief said that, "45 is the best astronaut age."

In London, the agency launched a recruitment drive where the ideal candidate was over the age of 40. Online applications for the job were posted on the ESA Web site Monday and the agency said it expects 50,000 applicants.

The idea for wanting an older astronaut is simple. The older you are, the more experienced you are to spend six months or more gliding over Earth and landing on the Moon.

The applicants will undergo extreme tests and thorough evaluations by the ESA before dwindling down the list of dreamers to 40.

What do you think? Should boomers be sent into space? Add to the discussion here.



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