The first astronaut suit cost around $22 million back in 1974, which is around $150 million in today's economy. The cost of a modern day space suit is roughly $250 million. An actual space flight, to be more specific an orbital trip, can cost upwards of $58 million. All this being said, I still want to go to space. Here’s how I plan to make that happen. Step 1: Get my master’s degree in a STEM field. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Step 2: Pass 2 interviews to become an astronaut candidate. Step 3: Complete training to officially become an astronaut.

The first step for me is to get my masters degree. This usually has to be in a STEM field to become an astronaut. I want to go to college and major in engineering and a minor in Earth sciences. An option for a potential college is the University of Minnesota with tuition being $1, 465 per credit but offering up both the major and minor that I want. These degrees are also a good fallback for when I am done going to space. I can easily build another career off of my master’s in engineering and my minor in earth science. After I complete step one I’ll be off to step two. 

The second step is to pass 2 interviews to become an astronaut candidate. The first interview will take place with NASA’s astronaut selection board in Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. Then, about half of us are invited back for the second interview, where the astronaut candidates will be selected. I plan to use my eagle scout rank in the interviews to ensure that I have a high probability of being chosen. If I pass the second interview, I will report for duty in Johnson Space Center, the same place that I took the last interview. Once I’m in it is on to the third step. 

The third step is to complete my training. When I report for training at Johnson Space Center with my fellow astronauts, I will spend the next two years of my life learning basic astronaut skills. These skills include spacewalking, operating the space station, flying T-38 jet planes and controlling a robotic arm. After this, we will become fully qualified astronauts and be able to join a planned trip to space. 

Finally finished with my master’s degree, two intense interviews, being chosen and trained I can achieve my dream of going to space. I can feel the weightlessness, see the stars and they are calling me.