You ask a kid what he wants to be when he grows up and you may get some "I want to be an astronaut." answers here and there. It is indeed a glamor job. You have near celebrity status, you become cool to your friends, and best of all, it is the closest thing of fulfilling your geek dreams of becoming Jean Luc Picard.

But behind all that hype and glory entails a lot of hard work, dedication, and patience. And that is just the overview of what one needs to become a "space sailor", which is the English translation of the Greek "astronaut".

Training to become an astronaut is more like an investment. You are investing on yourself, and the space agency and government are investing on you. The qualifications could be summarized to a few bullet points but to achieve those, it is better to start young.

One must have finished a degree that majors in the hard sciences or in engineering. Post-graduate degrees are recommended. Education majors with considerable work experience are also highly touted. Some suggest getting experience in an unrelated field from the one you studied so that you can be able to perform various tasks, which is essential.

If one wants to become an astronaut pilot, flight hours are a necessity. This is also highly endorsed since some who have flight experience are also delegated with non-pilot tasks.

Another prerequisite is good physical condition. You need near perfect eyesight for one. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has this physical test where it requires a trainee to swim three laps of a 25 meter pool wearing full space gear and tennis shoes.

A good psychological standing is also needed. One must not be able to crack under pressure, while at the same time have a pleasing disposition since she will be living with the same people in an enclosed space for periods of time. Since astronauts are always in the limelight, it is also important that they are a people-person and are comfortable speaking in public.

Finally, learning the language and culture of probable nationalities you will meet and work with is a plus. This makes you easy to relate to with them.

If you think you can hack all of these, then you might be on your way to outer space.