Re: How many points for 'realistic' space explorers?
 

Could always throw in "I payed literally 50% of the mission costs on the condition I get to come along for the ride." So, lots of points into Wealth and business skills, plus a few points of astronaut boot camp, but very little that one would expect would actually be useful for a mission. Plus a disadvantage or two along the lines of Overconfident and Stubborn since nobody could convince him not to make the demand.

Re: How many points for 'realistic' space explorers?
 

As I understand it from reading Chris Hadfield's books about commanding the ISS, everyone needs to be cross-trained on everything that can solve something that might go wrong and still be survivable. They don't all need to be professional doctors and dentists and drivers and dieticians (for example), but they need to know enough to keep the mission going if the professional is no longer able to act. If they don't, then the mission gets scrubbed.

Unless you're using wildcard skills, 300 points might not be enough for all the cross-training. I got the distinct impression that astronauts' skills are gained from training, not from defaults fro IQ and DX.

Re: How many points for 'realistic' space explorers?
 

read "The Martian" the main character was the least qualified member of the mission team, he had multiple Masters Degrees in Botany and Mechanical Engineering (they left that part of the movie), like real astronauts he lacked any serious personalty defects, psychological problems or intellectual challenges and on Sol 1 no physical anomalies that would be considered a disadvantage. this cuts down the potential to pick up extra points from disadvantages forcing up the points total. unless you are going to give out a basic default package of adds for the campaign and charge 0 points for it you are looking at 200 points for the least qualified member of the team or for Ensign Nubie on the USS Endeavor.


from a more advanced star-faring civilization check out GURPS Space or any of the GURPS Traveller books dealing with the Scout Service.

Re: How many points for 'realistic' space explorers?
 

Indeed, the base astronaut template might be 300 points, and then you add 50-100 point specialist lenses on top of that...