Capitol student Serano meets with astronaut, Orbital ATK president Frank Culbertson

Ben Serano, a junior in the astronautical engineering program at Capitol, hopes to be an astronaut someday. It’s a challenging goal, and the odds of being selected are slim – but he’s determined to do what it takes to prepare himself should the opportunity arise.

Recently, he was able to meet with someone who could share solid advice and first-hand experience: veteran astronaut Frank Culbertson, who logged over 146 days in space aboard three separate flights. In 1990, he was part of a five-day mission aboard the space shuttle Atlantis; three years later, he flew aboard Discovery, during a mission which included repairs to the Hubble Telescope.

During 2001, he commanded the International Space Station (ISS) for 117 days; when the 9/11 terrorist attacks occurred, Culbertson was the only American citizen in space. Currently, Culbertson is president of the Orbital ATK Space Systems Group; in that capacity, he is responsible for some of the company’s key programs, including resupply of the ISS.

Serano says his meeting with Culbertson was an “amazing opportunity, one that I never expected.”

“He said that someone wanting to be an astronaut shouldn’t make it their sole life calling, because statistically there’s a low probability of getting in,” Serano said. “But if it’s really what you want to do, keep it as your long-term goal, while having a backup plan.”

A good starting point is to select a field that provides support for space flight, and put effort into mastering that field, Culbertson told him. There are a number of relevant fields to choose from, Serano said, and many are taught here at Capitol.

Daredevil feats are not a prerequisite for becoming an astronaut, Culbertson advised – but preparation for conditions in space is important.

“He said don’t expect that you need to go out and skydive or climb Mount Everest. But start putting yourself in situations that are beyond your comfort zone – scuba diving, for instance, so you can get used to how oxygen systems . Or flying, so you can learn how to react in a three-dimensional environment.”

Serano says that even if he does not succeed in becoming an astronaut, he is committed to pursuing a career that relates to the exploration of space. The systems engineering skills he is learning at Capitol will help him do that, he says.

“I want to contribute in some way to manned space flight. That’s what I want to do. And if it takes me to being an astronaut, I will be a happy camper,” he says.