The psychology behind why NASA wants astronauts who’ve failed before

NASA’s emphasis on adaptability in astronaut selection closely aligns with decades of psychological research on resilience. Rather than viewing resilience as an inborn personality trait, researchers increasingly describe it as a process of successfully adapting to adversity, stress and significant life challenges.

The American Psychological Association notes that resilient people are not those who avoid failure altogether. Instead, they learn from setbacks, adjust their strategies, seek support when needed, and continue pursuing their goals despite uncertainty — experiences that often strengthen confidence in handling future challenges, making resilience something that develops over time rather than something people either possess or lack.

That perspective helps explain why NASA encourages astronaut applicants to present experiences that demonstrate recovery, teamwork and adaptability instead of attempting to appear flawless throughout their careers. NASA’s astronaut selection manager, April Jordan, has said the agency looks for people who know when to lead, when to follow, and how to function as part of a team, rather than focusing solely on technical accomplishments.

Evaluators also consider applicants’ broader life experiences, hobbies and situations that demonstrate resilience and sound judgment, in a selection process that takes roughly two years and includes multiple rounds of reviews, interviews, medical evaluations and team exercises.