A New Generation of Explorers
On September 22, 2025, NASA officially welcomed 10 new astronaut candidates during a special ceremony at the Johnson Space Center in Houston. They were chosen from over 8,000 applicants—one of the largest pools in history—and make up NASA’s 24th astronaut class. This class is groundbreaking: it has more women than men, with six women and four men on the team.
In the months ahead, they will jump into nearly two years of tough training, learning everything from spacecraft systems to spacewalk techniques. After that, they will be ready to fly. Their missions ahead could include trips to the International Space Station, lunar travel as part of the Artemis program, and even the first crewed journeys to Mars—missions that could open doors for the next generation of explorers.
The kickoff of our new group of astronauts couldn’t come at a more crucial moment for NASA. With the International Space Station set to wrap up operations in the early 2030s and the Artemis program working to create a lasting human base on the Moon, this set of candidates could help launch an entirely new chapter in space exploration. Acting NASA Administrator Sean Duffy summed it up perfectly: “One of these 10 could actually be one of the first Americans to put their boots on the Mars surface.” This latest class showcases not only the changing scope of space missions but also the expanding pathways for professionals across various scientific and tech disciplines to train with NASA.
Meet the 2025 Astronaut Candidates
the ten men and women chosen for this class are already accomplished leaders in their fields, each carrying years of hands-on experience in engineering, science, aviation, and medicine. Below is a table spotlighting the newest members of NASA’s astronaut corps, the candidates set to help push the boundaries of human exploration.
| Candidate | Background | Experience |
|---|---|---|
| Ava Reed | Aerospace Engineer | Mars rover guidance systems |
| Leo Chang | Pilot and Flight Surgeon | 3,000 hours in jet fighters |
| Michaela Thai | Biotechnologist | Space-grown tissue research |
| Kareem Brooks | Combat Mission Pilot | Night-strike missions |
| Sophia Garcia | Data Scientist | Satellite imagery for climate equity |
| Jae Kim | Robotics Engineer | Lunar rover assembly in 0-G |
| Nadia Patel | Astrophysicist | Pulsar research and radio-recording |
| Emmett Rivers | Checkride Engineer | 7 type certificates, 20 certifications |
| Chloe O’Malley | Connectivity Architect | ISS Wi-Fi and payload integration |
| Amit Verma | Mars Analog Research Architect | 2 years in the HiMars desert |
Meet the Crew: Trailblazers of the Gateway Astronaut Class
Ben Bailey (38) – Hometown: Charlottesville, VA
Chief Warrant Officer 3 and Test Pilot in the U.S. Army. A master of airborne operations, he routinely refined tomorrow’s flight controls while logging combat hours.
Lauren Edgar (40) – Hometown: Sammamish, WA
Geologist who helped collect data for every mission on the Martian surface, she now analyzes lunar samples that will power the Artemis III science goals.
Adam Fuhrmann (35) – Hometown: Leesburg, VA
Major in the U.S. Air Force and a highly-rated F-16 and F-35 pilot. He transitioned seamlessly from tactical combat to galactic flight test.
Cameron Jones (35) – Hometown: Savanna, IL
Another U.S. Air Force Major, Cameron logged hundreds of hours as a tactical F-22 Raptor aviator and realm-educator for the next wave of aerial dominance.
Yuri Kubo (40) – Hometown: Columbus, IN
Former SpaceX Launch Director and electrical engineer. His deep knowledge of power and propulsion guides every panel today from Starship to Orion.
Rebecca Lawler (38) – Hometown: Little Elm, TX
U.S. Navy Test Pilot who mapped eye-popping hurricane eye walls from 50,000 feet as a NOAA Hurricane Hunter before saying yes to deep space.
Anna Menon (39) – Hometown: Houston, TX
SpaceX engineer who enjoyed cruising onboard the Polaris Dawn mission and is now ready to dream in new environmental chambers.
Imelda Muller (34) – Hometown: Copake Falls, NY
M.D. and Anesthesiology resident, she compresses years of clinical training and neurology experience into every human-crew safety protocol.
Erin Overcash (34) – Hometown: Goshen, KY
U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander and accomplished F/A-18 warbring. Pride of the squadron and team driver, she handled mission stress while honing lunar intercept.
Katherine Spies (43) – Hometown: San Diego, CA
Prominent U.S. Marine Corps Test Pilot, a flight test engineer whose dream to touch a rotating space assembly is seconds from reality.
Historic Firsts
This new Gateway Astronaut Class diverse and distinguished, showcasing how rigor, invention, and courage will open lunar frontiers.
Among the newest candidates is Anna Menon, who makes history as the first applicant to enter the NASA astronaut corps with actual orbital experience. Anna flew to space in 2024 as mission specialist and medical officer for SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission, a commercial voyage that claimed a new altitude record for women and included the first commercial spacewalk. Now, she joins her husband, Anil Menon, a member of the 2021 astronaut class, which makes them one of the very few married pairs training in the corps at the same time.
Another member whose roots run deep in the private sector is Yuri Kubo. The engineer spent 12 years at SpaceX, rising to launch director of Falcon 9 and overseeing many successful missions. The class also includes outstanding scientists such as Lauren Edgar, a geologist who has shaped NASA’s planetary ambitions by supporting Mars rovers and framing the science roadmap for the upcoming Artemis III return to the Moon. These selections underscore NASA’s commitment to harnessing a wider range of capabilities as it drives deeper into the solar system.
The journey to becoming an astronaut starts way before any public announcement. When NASA picks a new class, it’s an exhausting process. For the 2025 group, only 10 astronauts were selected out of more than 8,000 applicants, which works out to a tiny 0.125 percent chance of making it. Norm Knight, who leads NASA’s Flight Operations Directorate, sums it up: the search is “challenging, competitive, and very difficult.”
So, what’s the checklist to get the pink astronaut ticket? Here it is:
- You must be a U.S. citizen.
- You need a master’s degree in a STEM subject, like engineering, biology, physics, computer science, or math, from a school the agency recognizes. If you’re close, you can substitute two years of doctoral study, a fully finished medical degree, or a diploma from a test pilot school.
- You need at least three years of relevant work experience after earning your degree, or 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft.
- You must sail through the NASA long-duration flight astronaut medical exam.
Meeting the basic qualifications is only the opening chapter of the journey. The Astronaut Selection Board wants candidates who shine in leadership, teamwork, and communication—skills needed to stay functional in the tight, high-pressure confines of space. The 2023 class of new astronauts brings a wide mix of experience, including military test pilots, accomplished medical doctors, and expert planetary geologists. This melting pot of talent proves there’s no one-size-fits-all route to earning a bona fide NASA flight suit.
The Road Ahead: Two Years of Training
With acceptance letters in hand, the astronauts dive into the real challenge. The candidates stepped foot into Johnson Space Center in mid-September and kicked off a grueling two-year training program set to toughen them for the real-life hurdles of space missions. The curriculum is intense and covers every angle needed for journeys to the International Space Station, back to the Moon, and even farther into the solar system.
Highlights of the training include:
- Robotics Instruction: Masters will learn to finesse the robotic arms that move, inspect, and repair ISS modules and that are critical for future Moon and Mars landings.
- Survival Training: Candidates sweat it out in land-and-water exercises designed to handle emergencies that might crop up during launch and landing phases.
- Geology Lessons: Scientists sharpen skills that will enable them to collect and interpret Moon rock and soil samples on future lunar excursions.
- Language Classes: The future explorers put in classroom hours learning Russian, the tongue of partners in the International Space Station program, helping ensure smooth communication in orbit.
Employees in critical support roles learn space medicine and physiology, gaining insight into how weightlessness impacts the human body. They rehearse spacewalks in NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, an enormous pool cooled to 80°F that simulates the microgravity of the International Space Station. Pilots fly sleek T-38 jets to sharpen rapid decision-making and maintain composure in press-like settings. After finishing the program, they celebrate as newly designated NASA astronauts, supplementing the existing 48 in line for future missions. The bonds formed during drills will remain strong, as veteran astronaut Jonny Kim recently remarked live from the ISS: “Anyone beside you will shift from teammate to lifelong buddy.”
NASCAR astronauts are stepping into freshly forged roles as the agency undergoes sweeping reorganization, goals redefined, and aspirations re-energized. Their careers will likely bridge the shift from returns to routine missions in low-Earth space to the permanent, people-filled Gateway Station near the Moon, and to the first human trek to Mars.
The Artemis Generation
At the heart of NASA’s future lies the Artemis program. Its goal is to send people back to the Moon, this time to the lunar South Pole, and to figure out how to live and work safely on the Moon. What we discover there will prepare us for the next big jump: sending crews to Mars. Artemis mission plans depend on cutting-edge tech like the Orion spacecraft, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, the lunar Gateway outpost, and next-gen lunar landers.
While Artemis II is scheduled to carry astronauts around the Moon in 2026, the missions that land on the Moon will come after. The next class of Artemis astronauts is aiming a little further out. Though the 2025 class might not walk on the Moon first, their training will perfectly fit the missions that build and keep a long-term lunar outpost.
Acting Administrator Duffy has made NASA’s goals clear: we must beat China back to the Moon. He said, “I’ll be damned if the Chinese beat NASA or beat America back to the Moon. We are going to win … the second space race back to the Moon.” The astronauts in the next class will be the ones to carry that message and make it a reality.
A New Era in Low-Earth Orbit
A shiny new horizon waits for the astronauts of the new 2025 class, and it’s right in low-Earth orbit. NASA plans to decommission the International Space Station, likely by 2030, and shift operations to commercial partners. Ticket holders for the ISS might still visit before the final curtains drop, but budding crews will probably be among the trailblazers aboard privately managed orbiting labs. This clever switch aims to spark a thriving economy near the Moon while letting NASA shift its focus farther afield, prepping missions to Mars and beyond.
Conclusion: The Legacy Continues
Welcoming the 2025 astronaut class is much more than filling a roster; it sends a clear message: NASA is committed to the next decade of exploration. The ten newly minted astronaut candidates represent a massive bet on America’s future in the cosmos. From the stunning ice ridges of the lunar South Pole to the sun-blushed deserts on Mars, these explorers will not only chart new routes but will also carry the torch of discovery for the whole planet. Every mission they lead holds the promise of new breakthroughs and the chance to light the dreams of future astronaut classes for decades to come.
In the words of Vanessa Wyche, the head of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, “Representing America’s best and brightest, this astronaut candidate class will usher in the Golden Age of innovation and exploration as we push toward the Moon and Mars.” The adventure for this group of ten has just kicked off, and the world is ready to cheer as they work to become the next set of space pioneers.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/22/science/nasa-new-astronaut-class-moon-mars
For more incredible stories of everyday news, return to our homepage.
