of the thousands of applications it's expecting to vooreceive, n will choose 8 to 14 candidates and theyd three years professional experience, degrees in science, math and engineering. once they're accepted they go through a two-year training program to hone their physical, mechanical and intellectual skills. so i asked nasa to put me through some of the paces. life in space is grueling. 16-hour workdays that include a mandatory two-hour workout. >> i'm supposed to run with this. >> reporter: on the ground astronaut candidates jog or in my case walk as they will in space, tethered to bungee cords. weightlifting for 45 minutes critical to maintaining bone density in space, especially in the lower half of the body. along with the physical, candidates learn the mechanical. >> you got it. >> reporter: simulators like this training this oem to captu international cargo ships for the international space station. i'm getting ready for a virtual extra vehicular activity, better known as a spacewalk. >> reporter: this is done in a virtual reality lab where candidates prepare for six-hour spacewal