NASA has unveiled its newest class of astronaut hopefuls, a group of ten profiles selected in the United States who will begin a demanding preparation period before being able to receive flight assignments.
Coming from fields such as military aviation, engineering, medicine and geological research, these candidates were chosen from among more than eight thousand applications and become part of the agency's 24th class of astronauts, with their sights set on missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon and, later, Mars.
An advertisement with the Johnson Center seal
The official presentation took place in the Johnson Space Center, Houston, with the participation of the interim administrator, Sean Duffy. He emphasized that the new generation symbolizes the spirit of improvement and the drive for human exploration, opening a new golden age for the agency.
The training itinerary, which will extend for almost two years, will include instruction and practices in complex operations aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and in scenarios associated with the Artemis program to the Moon. They will also work on robotics, geology, land and water survival, foreign languages, as well as space medicine and physiology.
Within the training are planned spacewalk simulations, flights in high-performance aircraft and sessions in real operational environments, with the aim of acquiring key transversal skills for current and future missions.
Once the preparation phase is over, the promotion will move on to active astronaut corps, with roles ranging from microgravity research on the ISS to the transition to commercial stations and the next milestones in lunar and Martian exploration.
The director of the Johnson Center, Vanessa Wyche, stressed that this is a selection of great technical and scientific level, called to promote the human presence beyond low orbit and to strengthen long-range exploration objectives.
Who they are and what each profile contributes
- Ben Bailey (38): U.S. Army mechanical engineer and chief warrant officer, test pilot with over 2.000 hours in over 30 aircraft; specializing in helicopters such as the UH-60 Black Hawk and the CH-47F Chinook.
- Lauren Edgar (40): Geologist (Caltech), key player in scientific objectives of Artemis III and with extensive experience supporting Martian rovers, including Curiosity.
- Adam Fuhrman (35): Air Force Major, Aerospace Engineer (MIT), over 2.100 hours in 27 aircraft, experience in F-16 and F-35 and 400 hours in combat missions.
- Cameron Jones (35): Aerospace engineer, Edwards and Nellis trained test pilot, with over 1.600 hours and R&D track record defense technology.
- Yuri Kubo (40): Electrical Engineer (Purdue), career at SpaceX as Falcon 9 launch director and responsibilities in avionics and ground segment; previous experience in NASA programs.
- Rebecca Lawler (38): Former Navy Lieutenant Commander and experimental test pilot, over 2.800 hours in over 45 aircraft; worked with NOAA as a hurricane hunter and NASA's IceBridge missions.
- Anna Menon (39): Biomedical engineer, former mission control at NASA; flew as a medical specialist in Polaris Dawn (SpaceX), participating in the first commercial EVA and ~40 experiments, achieving an altitude record for a woman.
- Imelda Muller (34): Anesthesiologist, former Navy lieutenant and diving medical officer; support experience at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory.
- Erin Overcash (34): Lieutenant Commander of the Navy, pilot of F / A-18E / F Super Hornet, more than 1.300 hours and 249 landings on aircraft carriers; training in bioastronautics.
- Katherine Spies (43): Chemical engineer and former Marine Corps attack helicopter pilot, over 2.000 hours in 30+ aircraft; director of flight tests in the aeronautical industry.
Most of them have a solid operational background, in addition to engineering skills, data science and medicine, a combination that NASA considers essential to tackle increasingly complex manned missions.
With this selection, the agency reaches the figure of 370 astronaut candidates chosen since 1959, when the original Mercury Seven group was formed, and reinforces its plan for generational change in view of the Moon and, in the long term, the red planet.
According to the initial schedule, it is planned to offer interviews with candidates Both virtually and in person, the event is open to the media. Those interested can contact the Johnson Center press room at +1 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov.
For official profiles, resources and training updates, the agency's portal is available at nasa.gov/astronauts, where information is gathered about ongoing and future missions assignments.
The new class, made up of six women and four men, faces nearly two years of intensive training with a view to joining the active corps and supporting science on the ISS, the transition to commercial stations and missions. Artemis heading to the Moon, paving the way for human exploration beyond low orbit.