WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - NASA has introduced 10 new astronaut candidates following a competitive selection process of more than 8,000 applicants from across the United States. The class now will complete nearly two years of training before becoming eligible for flight assignments supporting future science and exploration missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars.
Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy welcomed the all-American 2025 astronaut candidate class during a ceremony at the agency's Johnson Space Center in Houston.
'I'm honored to welcome the next generation of American explorers to our agency! More than 8,000 people applied - scientists, pilots, engineers, dreamers from every corner of this nation. The 10 men and women sitting here today embody the truth that in America, regardless of where you start, there is no limit to what a determined dreamer can achieve - even going to space,' said Duffy. 'Together, we'll unlock the Golden Age of exploration.'
The agency's 24th astronaut class reported for duty at NASA Johnson in mid-September and immediately began their training. Their curriculum includes instruction and skills development for complex operations aboard the International Space Station, Artemis missions to the Moon, and beyond. Specifically, training includes robotics, land and water survival, geology, foreign language, space medicine and physiology, and more, while also conducting simulated spacewalks and flying high-performance jets.
After graduation, the 2025 class will join the agency's active astronaut corps. Active astronauts are conducting science research aboard the space station while preparing for the transition to commercial space stations and the next great leaps in human exploration at the Moon and Mars. The candidates' operational expertise, scientific knowledge, and technical backgrounds are essential to advancing NASA's deep space exploration goals and sustaining a long-term human presence beyond low Earth orbit.
The 2025 astronaut candidates are Ben Bailey, 38, chief warrant officer 3, U.S. Army; Lauren Edgar, 40, who considers Sammamish, Washington, her hometown; Adam Fuhrmann, 35, major, U.S. Air Force, from Leesburg, Virginia; Cameron Jones, 35, major, U.S. Air Force, who is a native of Savanna, Illinois; Yuri Kubo, 40, a native of Columbus, Indiana; Rebecca Lawler, 38, a native of Little Elm, Texas, and a former lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy; Imelda Muller, 34, who considers Copake Falls, New York, her hometown; Erin Overcash, 34, lieutenant commander, U.S. Navy, who is from Goshen, Kentucky; Katherine Spies, 43, a native of San Diego, and a former Marine Corps AH-1 attack helicopter pilot; and Anna Menon, 39, who is from Houston.
Menon previously worked in the Mission Control Center at NASA Johnson, supporting medical hardware and software aboard the International Space Station. In 2024, Menon flew to space as a mission specialist and medical officer aboard SpaceX's Polaris Dawn. The mission saw a new female altitude record, the first commercial spacewalk, and the completion of approximately 40 research experiments. At the time of her selection, Menon was a senior engineer at SpaceX.
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