Many kids dream about becoming astronauts. Recently, Y-Press interviewed former astronaut Mark Brown about the future of kids in space and discovered that we may not have to wait until we grow up to make this incredible journey.

Many people may ask how this is possible, because only specially trained people can go into space. In fact, since the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, untrained civilians have not been sent into space.

However, because space shuttle astronauts don't experience nearly the amount of G-force (a measure of stress upon the body during rapid acceleration) that previous spacecraft astronauts did, "anybody who's in good physical health can fly on the space shuttle. In fact, John Glenn flew in his 70s and did just fine," said Brown, who has flown on two shuttle missions.

Another advance that would allow children in space is the International Space Station, which is expected to be assembled by 2004. "It's going to make it possible for anybody to be flown from the ground to space and to spend time on a space station. And there's really no reason why we can't start flying civilian passengers again, and there's no reason why young people can't be a part of that experience," Brown said.

If that were to happen, one of the toughest issues for kids would be their inability to see their parents during this trip.

Many kids get homesick just sleeping over at a friend's house only a few miles from home, let alone traveling into space. However, as Brown stated, technology has made it possible for astronauts to communicate with their families back home with ease.

He described his experiences during his second space trip. "Our family was able to relay messages through the capsule communicators and could even pass e-mails back and forth."

Instead of just visiting the space station, kids may decide to make careers out of space travel. However, they can pursue a variety of interests and still be able to participate in missions. Brown, who joined the space program after serving in the Air Force, explained that all kinds of people are needed on a space crew.

"Astronauts are people just like all of us, who have studied and worked hard to be in the profession," he said. "What kind of people should make up the crew? Should you have a doctor? Should you have a biology major or an astrophysicist or an engineer? Or maybe the Maytag repairman? I mean, if anything breaks when you're gone, somebody's got to be able to fix it."

Another upcoming advancement in space exploration may be a manned trip to Mars. "I think it's very close to becoming a reality. In fact, I would not be surprised at all if President Bush, in his first year in office, sets that as one of the goals for NASA," Brown said.

To do so, an even larger variety of professions would be essential to the success of the mission. "For long-duration space activity, and especially for going to the planets and elsewhere, I think that we're going to need to build the next generation of spacecraft, which have artificial gravity where you can live and work and sleep."

Other necessary equipment and procedures also will need to change as we begin these longer flights into space. "We're going to need the next generation of rocket engines to propel our spacecraft. We're going to need new designs for air-conditioning and life-support systems. We're going to have to have new ways to navigate," said Brown.

Whether or not the air conditioning works will not be the only problem. Trips into space also can cause psychological problems, which will need to be fixed. "When we talk about putting larger numbers of people in space for long periods of time, you're going to need psychologists to help train them in how to interact with each other, because a lot of studies have been done that show that any time that you have people kind of isolated like that for long periods of time, there's potential to have conflict."

How can kids begin preparing for careers in space? Brown confirmed that the things we've been taught since the first grade are true. "The best advice I can give to young people is: Do a good job in school. Stay physically fit, and that doesn't mean that you have to be a champion marathon runner. Behave yourselves. Don't get involved in drugs or any kind of bad behavior. Go to college."

REPORTERS: Steven Chase, 12; Peter Cowden, 12; Katie Lootens, 12; Evan Phillips, 13; Caitlin Shepherd, 12; Maria Srour, 13; and Zach Tuchman, 13.

Mark Brown's space experience

1980: Began working at Johnson Space Center in Houston.

1985: Became an astronaut and was assigned to a shuttle crew; its plans were canceled after the Challenger explosion.

1986-87: Served on the solid rocket booster redesign team for NASA.

1988: Assigned to a new shuttle crew.

1989: Flew on a shuttle mission for the Department of Defense.

1991: Flew on a shuttle mission to deploy the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite.

1993: Retired from NASA. Now working in corporate marketing and business development for GRC International in Fairborn , Ohio.