NASA introduces new astronaut class for deep space missions
NASA just introduced its latest astronaut class—five men and five women—chosen from over 8,000 hopefuls at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
This is NASA's first astronaut group since 2021, and these candidates are set for nearly two years of intense training for missions far beyond Earth.
Training focuses on Moon and Mars missions
These future astronauts won't be on the Artemis 3 lunar landing, but their training is all about getting humans ready for longer stays on the Moon and even crewed trips to Mars.
Some might also help launch a new era of commercial space stations after the International Space Station retires around 2030.
Meet the standout candidates of this astronaut class
This class is a mix of military pilots, scientists, engineers, and doctors.
Standouts include Army Chief Warrant Officer Ben Bailey; Dr. Lauren Edgar, a geologist who worked on Mars rover missions; and Anna Menon from SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission.
Their backgrounds will help push human exploration further than ever before.