Hello and welcome back to the Curious Kid podcast. Has anybody ever asked you what you want to be when you grow up?

Well, if you would have asked me that question when I was a little kid, I would have told you that I wanted to be an astronaut.

That's what I wanted to be for a pretty long time.

I remember dressing up as an astronaut for Halloween too. It turns out that I became a

pharmacist instead. In order to become a pharmacist, I needed to work hard in school and get good grades.

Pharmacy school is not easy, but I certainly think it's easier than the hard

work and preparation I would have needed to do if I wanted to actually become an astronaut.

Do you think you have what it takes to become an astronaut? Let's find out.

Mailbag! Mailbag!

Mailbag!

Mailbag!

Dear Olivia, can you get curious about astronaut training?

Your podcast is five stars, from James G of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

We totally can get curious about astronaut training for all our cosmic cadets out there.

Let's go boldly where curiosity has never gone before.

Let's talk about something incredible, something that pushes the limits of what humans can do.

We'll find out what it really takes to become an astronaut and how they train their bodies

and minds and why it's harder than passing your math test upside down in zero gravity.

We're going to find out just how hard it is, but first the question of the week.

The word astronaut comes from two Greek words. The Greek words are astronaut. The question of the week is, what does astronaut mean? While you're thinking, let's find out how someone becomes an astronaut. First of all, it's not as easy as signing up online. NASA gets thousands of applications for just a few spots.

NASA's astronaut program looks for people with degrees in science, engineering, math, or technology.

Many astronauts were pilots, doctors, or scientists before joining.

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