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Many children dream of becoming astronauts. However, few ever see that dream come true. That's because only about 320 people have been trained as astronauts in America, so it's a job for the truly outstanding.

The very moment the space shuttle leaves the ground, astronaut Susan Kilrain in mission control takes over all communications with the crew aboard.

But Kilrain's current career as an astronaut is just the most recent in a long series of exciting careers she's enjoyed -- and it all started with flying lessons when she was a teenager.

"I learned how to fly when I was 16. I've always been interested in flying. To me, this was just sort of the natural progression," she explains.

Her flying career developed as she went along. "I got my private pilot's license when I was 17, and my instrument rating probably when I was 19," she says.

Kilrain graduated from high school in Massachusetts in 1979. By 1985 she had earned a master's degree in science, studying aerospace engineering.

During that time she worked as a wind tunnel scientist, and later became a flight instructor and test pilot with the U.S. Navy. Kilrain rose to the rank of lieutenant commander and flew jets. She's logged more than 3,000 hours in the air in more than 30 different kinds of aircraft.

"The bulk of the work is in the training," she says about her present communications job. "The crew and mission control work together to identify the failures and correct them.

"I sit next to the flight director at mission control. Prior to ascent, most of the work is done through Kennedy Space Center in Florida. They own the vehicle until it leaves the launch pad. Once it leaves, then it is my job to talk to the shuttle."

When it's in flight, she says, "The shuttle will be talking to me and I'll be responding to them. If anything were to happen, I will tell them what's happening and what they need to do about it."

Kilrain hasn't been scheduled for any new missions just yet.

"I hope to fly again as a pilot and go on to be a commander after that," she says. "I'm already a shuttle pilot -- I flew my first two missions as a pilot, so that aspect of it I'm already trained for. But each mission is different. There's a significant amount of training involved for your specific mission -- six to nine months of intensive training for each mission."

While math skills are used all the time by astronauts, Kilrain says those skills become "second nature -- I don't really think, 'Oh, this is math.' A good, basic background in math is important to your job."

Kilrain says most people would be surprised at what kinds of education come in handy as an astronaut. "It wouldn't be obvious that an astronaut would have to have good grades in English. But it really is important. We do a good bit of reading."

Pilots generally have the least amount of advanced education among astronauts. Mission specialists often have PhDs, but even most pilots have master's degrees.

"There's lots of different ways of becoming an astronaut," Kilrain says. But no matter how you approach the field, whether as a pilot or a scientist, "you need to do something you enjoy," she says.

"Don't go off and become an aerospace engineer because you want to become an astronaut, if you don't like engineering. Become something that you like and do well at it. And pick a good school," she advises.

Robert Thirsk was in third grade when John Glenn orbited the Earth. That flight influenced the young boy's life in a big way.

"My teacher used that historical event as a theme in our class that day. I decided after living through that wonderful day that I wanted to be an astronaut.

"My fascination with space got me interested in science and technology. And that sort of directed my education."

In 1983, Thirsk got his shot.

Armed with a master's degree in mechanical engineering and a doctorate in medicine, Thirsk was a prime candidate. "My initial fascination with space got me into science and technology, which qualified me to apply eventually for the astronaut program."

Exactly what does an astronaut do? Conducting research and experiments are a big part of Thirsk's job. He's on an international team investigating how weightlessness affects the body's veins and blood vessels.

He has designed an experimental anti-gravity suit. It may help astronauts adjust more easily to life back on Earth. He also runs experiments on NASA's KC-135 aircraft. Thirsk has been involved in several space medicine, space station and mission planning working groups.

But without a doubt, the best part is flying in space. In 1996, Thirsk was a payload specialist aboard a space shuttle. Mission STS-78 was a 16-day mission researching how human beings adapt to weightlessness.

Before his flight, Thirsk had said, "I want to experience the thrill of being in space and floating in the tranquility of weightlessness, looking down at the Earth and gazing at its beauty -- and doing a few somersaults. Those are secondary objectives."

Thirsk says he's got a great job, but it's not perfect. "Unfortunately, it's not myself that pays the price. It's my family that pays the cost. The downside is a lot of travel, a lot of hard work, long hours. I don't mind doing that. I enjoy travel. I enjoy working hard, but it's very tough on the family. It has to do with being a husband and a father."

The job has changed since the early days of space exploration. "I think the thrust of space activity has changed from political and exploratory technical objectives to today's situation, where we are utilizing space or developing space for socioeconomic reasons. It's less glamorous than it might have been for John Glenn, but we get to do a lot of activity geared toward benefiting Earth."

Thirsk isn't sure exactly what he'll do when he is no longer an astronaut. But he's sure it will have something to do with space. "I have a passion for space exploration and I'd like to stay in the field one way or another.

"I've often dreamed of doing incredible things. My parents and teachers taught me that, with planning and hard work, dreams sometimes become reality. One of my dreams was to be an astronaut."

Is it what he thought it would be? "Yes, and more so," says Thirsk. "I've had the opportunity to work with some of the brightest people. I've been exposed to a vision of the future. I've worked with organizations with solid reputations and a high standard of excellence. That's provided a lot of personal satisfaction."