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Can I be an astronaut with my current eyesight?

Im in year 11 and my eyesight is -1. I wear glasses but my eyesight has been getting better and better. Does this prevent me from becoming an astronaut?
Original post by jaspreetb
Im in year 11 and my eyesight is -1. I wear glasses but my eyesight has been getting better and better. Does this prevent me from becoming an astronaut?


To become an astronaut you need either to get a PHD or be a pilot first but apparently as long as using glasses or contacts your eyesight is corrected to what it should be normally then no it wont stop you
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/European_Astronaut_Selection/FAQs_Health_and_physical_condition
Original post by claireestelle
To become an astronaut you need either to get a PHD or be a pilot first but apparently as long as using glasses or contacts your eyesight is corrected to what it should be normally then no it wont stop you
http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Human_Spaceflight/European_Astronaut_Selection/FAQs_Health_and_physical_condition

Additional notes:
Going in as a pilot will require a Class 1 medical. Also, most pilots tend to have a military aircraft background (typically jet planes), not commercial aircraft.

I'm not fully up to date on military requirements/slotting, but when I last checked, applicants with corrected vision are usually slotted into rotary wing/tanker/transport duties.
Reply 3
So I wont be able to fly a fast jet?
Reply 4
Original post by zombiejon
Additional notes:
Going in as a pilot will require a Class 1 medical. Also, most pilots tend to have a military aircraft background (typically jet planes), not commercial aircraft.

I'm not fully up to date on military requirements/slotting, but when I last checked, applicants with corrected vision are usually slotted into rotary wing/tanker/transport duties.


So I wont be able to fly a fast jet?
-1 isn't too bad so I don't think it would stop you from doing anything. I am in year 11 too but my eyesight is like -6 to -7, its different in both of my eyes, but I never thought this would stop me from doing anything I wanted to do, not that I ever thought of becoming an astronaut so I don't know the requirements or anything.
Original post by jaspreetb
So I wont be able to fly a fast jet?


Hard to say. Some USAF studies have shown that LASIK/PRK can be done without issue on fast jet pilots, but I'm not sure if the requirements to be one of those pilots has loosened up. You'll probably be better off talking to a RAF recruiter.

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